2010 CHESS keynote to focus on recession-based opportunities

Marketing to women another topic at Oct. 6-7 Housewares conference

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 8/12/2010 7:57:00 AM

Rosemont, IL — Adolfo Laurenti, deputy chief economist and managing director at Mesirow Financial, will sort the winners from the losers in the new economic order caused by the great recession and lackluster recovery in his keynote address, "Time of Crisis, Time of Opportunities," to open CHESS 2010, Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession, a senior-level conference for industry decision-makers, Oct. 6-7 at The Intercontinental Chicago O'Hare, Rosemont, Ill.

CHESS is designed for chief executive officers of all International Housewares Association member companies and their top decision-makers.

On day 2, Michael Silverstein, senior partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group, will deliver the definitive portrait on the new "female economy" in his keynote address, "Women Want More - How to Capture Your Share of the World's Largest, Fastest-Growing Market." Women are projected to drive an incremental $5 trillion in global spending in the next several years, representing the most important commercial opportunity. He will offer insights on how housewares suppliers can respond to this growing phenomenon.

Closing CHESS 2010 will be Al Meyers, senior vice president at Kantar Retail, who will explore the fundamentals of the post-recession U.S. retail landscape
and the implications for housewares manufacturers and their retail partners, in his presentation, "Retailing Trends to 2015: Recession to Recovery."

The two-day program also features sessions on critical business issues including: Profiting from global manufacturing after the recession, federal mandates and business, corporate sustainability, social media, service merchandising solutions and selling independent retailers.

The mix of general and breakout sessions includes Q&A time with speakers after each session. Networking breaks, luncheons and a cocktail reception and dinner also provide time for attendees to network and meet informally with speakers, industry service providers and their colleagues.

Other speakers and topics include:
* After the Recession: How to Profit from the New Reality of Global Manufacturing by Michael Hetzel, vice president/Americas, Pro QC International and president, Northern Galaxy Corporation.
* Federal Mandates & Business: How Will They Ever Get Along? by Pam Sederholm, IHA's Washington representative and head of IHA's Government Affairs Office.
* Demystifying Sustainability: How to Make Your Business ‘Green' by Sean Kerrigan, senior vice president, marketing & corporate development, NextLife.
* The Truth Behind Social Media by Mark Bachmann, partner, and Michelle Venorsky, management supervisor, at Marcus Thomas LLC.
* Breakout session on "Customized Merchandising Solutions for Retail Success" by Steve Birke, president & CEO of Lawrence Merchandising.
* Breakout session on "Selling Independent Retailers" by Bob Coviello, president of HTI Buying Group, Inc.

To register for CHESS or for more information, visit the CHESS website at www.housewares.org/chess or contact Judy Colitz of IHA at jcolitz@housewares.org.