Session topics to include the changing retail marketplace, consumer behavior and lifestyle shifts, AI, technology-driven supply chains and the power of cross-industry partnerships
ROSEMONT, ILL. (Feb. 14, 2025)—Participants at The Inspired Home Show® 2025 – to be held March 2-4 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Complex – will have the opportunity to benefit from a robust education program filled with expert insights and strategies in home and housewares. Four keynotes and three days of targeted sessions in the Inspiration Theater will feature growth opportunities, business strategies and the latest consumer insights for both suppliers and retailers.
“Our robust education program is designed to help Show participants gain a competitive edge in the year ahead,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the International Housewares Association (IHA), which hosts the Show. “Whether you’re a manufacturer, brand company, retailer, buyer or other industry professional, we’ve brought together some of the best in the business to share the latest insights you need to succeed.”
A variety of market analysts, trend forecasters and subject matter experts will appear on the Keynote and Inspiration Theater stages. Sessions are available to all Show participants at no charge.
Keynote Sessions
Four keynote sessions – to be held Sunday, March 2 and Monday, March 3 – will feature big-picture strategies and thought leadership focused on growth opportunities, retail strategies, the latest consumer insights and color trends. They are:
Lessons from the Front Lines: An Insider’s Guide to Winning in Today’s Hyper-Competitive Retail Marketplace
Sunday, March 2 – 10 a.m.
Jeff Evans – Retail Leader, Advisor, Board Member
With over three decades of retail leadership across department stores, warehouse clubs, mass retailers and home specialty retailers, Evans – who was most recently president and chief merchandising officer of At Home – will discuss the importance of winning partnerships, products and programs in a complex, fast-evolving retail marketplace. He will focus on how to create optimum value – what he calls “shocking value” – for today’s consumers.
Thinking Outside the Box: Growth Opportunities for the Housewares Industry
Sunday, March 2 – 1 p.m.
Joe Derochowski – Circana
Circana Home Industry Advisor Joe Derochowski will lead an interactive session featuring experts from industries including food, technology, beauty, sports and toys. Each will discuss growth drivers in their industries and explore how these insights can be applied to home and housewares. Topics will include how social media and health are driving beauty, how toys and entertainment might impact licensing, how technology will impact smart appliances and how changes in eating habits are driving trends in the foods we eat.
The 2025 Home and Living Survey: New Insights on the Everyday Realities Driving Consumer Demand
Monday, March 3 – 10 a.m.
Tom Mirabile – Springboard Futures
Tom Mirabile, principal of Springboard Futures, will unveil The 2025 Home and Living Survey, a new research collaboration between IHA and Springboard. This survey probes consumers’ everyday realities, priorities and pain points, exploring how these factors impact product choices and purchase decisions. It also reveals where the lifestyles of key generations converge, where they divide and why it matters. Attendees will leave with meaningful and actionable insights to create informed product and service offerings that attract ideal customers.
Color & Design Future Trends: Welcome Home
Monday, March 3 – 1 p.m.
Leatrice Eiseman – Pantone® Color Institute
Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and color/design forecaster for The Inspired Home Show, will guide attendees through color and design trend directions for 2025 and beyond. The title for the 2026 Pantone View Home forecast is “Welcome Home,” which encompasses everything home means to consumers whether a “roof over their heads,” a place to escape, a place to find respite or rest, a place for entertainment, a place for play and a place to work.
Keynote sessions take place in the South Building, Room S102.
Inspiration Theater
Education sessions in the Inspiration Theater will feature analysis and how-to information on more specific topics and issues affecting consumers, retailers and the housewares industry.
Topics will include: consumer lifestyle trends (in areas including pets and foods/flavors), retail opportunities (online marketplaces, omnichannel growth and other best practices), growth strategies (such as cross-industry collaboration and brand licensing) and other timely topics (AI, supply chain technology and PFAS legislation).
Inspiration Theater sessions will take place throughout all three days of the Show in the South Building, Room S101A.
Details on the Show’s education program can be found at: https://www.theinspiredhomeshow.com/education/
While not open to the public, The Inspired Home Show brings together nearly 30,000 industry leaders each year, providing a platform for networking, trendspotting and product discovery. For more information about the 2025 Show and to register, please visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com. To search for new products that will be at the Show, visit Connect 365, IHA’s digital marketplace.
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The International Housewares Association is the 86-year-old voice of the housewares industry. The not-for-profit, full-service association sponsors the world’s premier exposition of products for the home, The Inspired Home Show, IHA’s Global Home + Housewares Market (TheInspiredHomeShow.com) which celebrates its 125th Show in 2025, and offers its member companies a wide range of services, including industry and government advocacy; export assistance; industry and consumer trends through various industry reports; executive management peer groups; group buying discounts on business solutions services; and an independent news and information platform through HomePageNews.com.
