2012 International Home + Housewares Show sold out

Trend presentations set for weekend

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 3/7/2012 9:07:00 AM

CHICAGO — The 2012 International Home + Housewares Show is sold out with nearly 2,100 exhibitors from 125 countries, including more than 500 new companies, according to the International Housewares Association, the Show's owner and operator. The Show will be held March 10-13, opening at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday to give buyers additional time to find new suppliers and hold strategic meetings.

Because some categories sold out early and the demand for space continued from new companies, a New Exhibitor Area will be offered in the North Building, adjacent to the Inventors Corner and Inventors Revue areas. The Inventors Corner and New Exhibitor Area will feature nearly 100 companies from categories throughout the Show.

Facing and embracing change, color forecasts and consumer trends in 2012 are the focus of educational sessions offered by Barbara Turf, Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman and Tom Mirabile during the show. Their programs will be held in Room S100, Level 1, South Building. No ticket or reservation is needed.

Barbara Turf, president and CEO of Crate and Barrel, will offer the Keynote Address at noon Sunday, March 11. A retail visionary and renowned merchant, Turf will explore "Facing and Embracing Change." She has been a driving force in bringing the Crate and Barrel lifestyle to consumers around the world, establishing the company as a leader in the home furnishings industry.

Eiseman will speak at noon on Monday, March 12 about how certain color combinations will meet more complex desires behind consumers' purchases in her annual color forecast revealing Pantone's color palette for 2013. Eiseman, IHA's color trend forecaster, will present "Future Color Trends-Fantasies and Realities," which will explain how consumers want the practical and the novel to blend these days, providing the "magic" that leads to sales.