Newly released schedule includes education, networking and new “AI leadership labs”
ROSEMONT, IL (August 18, 2026) – Housewares suppliers will gain strategic direction on balancing the speed of AI with the power of human experience at the International Housewares Association’s (IHA) Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS) 2026. With the theme “Refortifying the Value of the Human Touch,” the annual executive education and networking event will be held September 29-30 at the Rosemont Hilton, near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
“CHESS 2026 will offer a unique setting for housewares leaders to come together and explore how to combine breakthrough technology and organic innovation to lead their companies into a new phase of sustainable growth,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO. “Attendees will also be able to take advantage of peer-to-peer networking and insights from subject matter experts on a variety of other critical industry topics.”
Keynote Session
Target SVP, Merchandising, Home Mara Sirhal will share an inside look at the retailer’s strategy to drive growth by bolstering its reputation as a design-, style- and trend-forward mass merchant with unique items at affordable prices. The keynote address will include insights on the significant role home products play in these plans.
Sirhal joined Target in November 2025, bringing more than 20 years of experience in merchandising, brand development and sourcing across department and specialty retail. She previously held several senior leadership positions including chief merchandising officer at QVC & HSN U.S., chief merchant and brand officer at Saks Off 5th, brand president at Bed Bath & Beyond, and various roles at Macy’s.
AI-Focused Education
New this year, CHESS will include several hands-on leadership labs focusing on AI, including:
- How Top Housewares Executives are Applying AI Across Amazon, TikTok and ChatGPT—John LeBaron, CRO at Pattern, will lead an interactive workshop that will give attendees access to tools that generate deep insights, scalable automation and competitive intelligence to maximize profitable growth across ecommerce marketplaces, social commerce and agentic platforms.
- Applying an AI Layer for Optimum Operations—Using on-the-spot surveys to assess attendees’ needs and issues, Rohan Shah and Anand Prabhu – co-founders of Conduit AI – will demonstrate how AI can augment housewares suppliers’ daily workflows and amplify team performance, sales and profits.
- The New Front Door to Product Discovery—David Rapps, founder & CEO of Wholescale, will sit down with a retail marketplace executive to examine the trust-building connection between a strong base of product reviews and AI systems that are now reading them as a critical component of product recommendations.
- Housewares Hot Seat: Case Studies in AI—A perennial favorite at CHESS, this year’s panel of industry insiders will share the good, the bad and the ugly of how they’ve experimented with AI and integrated it into different parts of their businesses.
Other CHESS Sessions
Additional education sessions will focus on the creator economy, consumer behavior and purchasing shifts, the retail landscape, tariffs and other legislative priorities, and the shipping industry. They include:
- The Future of Retail: How AI and Creators Are Reshaping Influence, Authority & Commerce — Drawing on the latest research and firsthand experience in the creator economy, Tastemaker founder and CEO Abbey Fish and COO Chandice Probst will examine why creators are becoming the new retailers — and what brands and industry leaders need to do now to stay relevant, build trust and capture emerging revenue opportunities.
- Housewares Retail Sales & Trends—Joe Derochowski, vice president, home industry advisor at Circana, will share the latest retail data and trends; the impact of inflation on spending, pricing and promotion; and evolving shopping behaviors.
- Retail Pulse & Outlook—Dennis Cantalupo, CEO of Pulse Ratings, will provide a timely update on the retail landscape and the financial health of key retailers.
- IHA Government Affairs Update: Legislative Priorities & Tariffs—Rafe Morrissey of IHA’s Washington D.C. office will provide an update on key legislative issues impacting the industry; trade attorney David Forgue (partner at Barnes, Richardson & Colburn, LLP) will share insights on the latest tariff developments.
- Home & Housewares Shipping Update—To help attendees navigate supply chain uncertainty, Craig Akers, executive director of the International Housewares Shippers Association, will explore the current and potential long-term impacts of geopolitical realignments, volatile trade policy, economic fluctuations and ongoing supply-chain adjustment.
Networking and Support
CHESS also provides valuable networking opportunities and the unique chance to share ideas with peers in a collaborative face-to-face environment.
“I believe CHESS is the single best benefit the IHA provides to its members, aside from the Show,” said Howard Steidle Jr., president of John Ritzenthaler Company. “I always leave feeling more connected to my industry, and I’ve made a number of industry friends there.”
“As a first-time attendee in 2025, I greatly appreciated the format and caliber of presentations at CHESS,” said Dan Kielman, VP of sales and marketing at Rada Cutlery. “It was well worth my investment to attend.”
Registration and More Information
Registration for CHESS 2026 is open. For more information, including a link to a discounted room rate at the Rosemont Hilton, visit https://www.housewares.org/exec-networking/chess/.
As part of updates to The Inspired Home Show seniority system, participation in other IHA events — including CHESS, CORE (Chief Officers Reaching Excellence), the IBC Global Forum (in-person), and trade missions — will enhance seniority positions for exhibition space at future Shows.
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The International Housewares Association (IHA) is the 88-year-old voice of the home and housewares industry, dedicated to bringing buyers and sellers together. IHA hosts its premier exposition of products for the home, The Inspired Home Show, in Chicago every March. Each year, the Show brings together thousands of unique brands and hundreds of thousands of products with both global and domestic buyers; U.S.-based attendees alone represent more than 100,000 retail locations and nearly $75 billion in buying power. The not-for-profit, full-service Association also offers member companies a wide range of services including industry and government advocacy; export assistance; trend reports; executive management peer groups; group buying discounts; and an independent news and information platform, HomePageNews.com.
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