The global home and housewares industry is gearing up for The Inspired Home Show® 2026, set to take place from March 10 to 12 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Organised annually by the International Housewares Association (IHA), the event is widely regarded as North America’s largest and most influential marketplace for the sector.

The 2026 edition will bring together more than 2,000 brands and feature over 300,000 products across kitchenware, home décor, cleaning, wellness, and pet categories. Retailers, manufacturers, and distributors from around the world are expected to attend, making the three-day event a central meeting point for business development, product discovery, and strategic partnerships.

“Especially in today’s competitive market, The Show is a critical platform for discovering innovative new items, building partnerships and getting ahead of the curve,” said Derek Miller, President and CEO of IHA. He described the Show as a rare opportunity to meet a broad cross-section of the industry “all under one roof and in just three days.”

Long-time exhibitors and returning participants echoed that sentiment. Solomon Elyakim, Vice President of Euro-Ware, said his company has exhibited at the Show for more than two decades, calling it one of the few events that consistently connects global suppliers with a diverse base of customers. Rich Cronin, President for USA-Canada-Latin America at Tricol Clean, said the company plans to showcase new eco-friendly cleaning tools and legacy bathware brands to an international audience.

Several brands are returning after successful debuts in recent years. Kevin Davis, Vice President of Sales at Huxley & Kent, said the company secured multiple new partnerships in its first year exhibiting in the Pet Pavilion and plans to build on that momentum in 2026. Yehyun Shin, President of Silipot, said the Show offers an important entry point for introducing Korean-manufactured products to the U.S. market and establishing new retail relationships.

The exhibitor list includes a wide range of established global and U.S. brands such as AeroPress, Anova Culinary, Calphalon, Farberware, KitchenAid, Lodge, Nordic Ware, Scrub Daddy, Tramontina, Umbra, and Westinghouse, among many others. IHA said continued exhibitor commitments reflect both the resilience of the category and the Show’s role in supporting long-term growth strategies in a complex global market.

On the retail side, senior-level executives, buyers, and merchandise managers from some of the world’s largest retailers are registered to attend. U.S. retailers expected at the Show include Amazon, Costco, Crate & Barrel, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Target, TJX, Walgreens, Walmart, Wayfair, and Williams Sonoma.

International representation will span multiple regions, with buyers and retail leaders attending from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Companies and retail groups from markets such as India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are among those confirmed.

The 2026 Show will feature four major expos — Clean + Contain, Dine + Décor, Wired + Well, and International Sourcing — spread across two halls connected by the Grand Concourse. Attractions will include the Debut incubator for emerging brands, Global Design Points pavilions from Brazil, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Turkey, and the Inventors Corner.

New for 2026 is the SPLiCE Licensing Hub, developed in partnership with the Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence, which will focus on connecting retailers and suppliers with licensing opportunities. The Pet Products Pavilion and Candle Pavilion, introduced in 2025, will return, along with established features such as the Pantone ColorWatch Display, New Product Showcases, and the Global Innovation Awards (gia) galleries.

The Show will also offer a comprehensive education programme covering consumer trends, market opportunities, and operational challenges in the home and housewares sector. These sessions will be complemented by networking events and award ceremonies throughout the three days.

The 2026 edition marks the first year of a new Tuesday–Thursday schedule, a change IHA said was made after extensive industry feedback to better align with evolving business needs.

Founded 87 years ago, the International Housewares Association represents the home and housewares industry globally and hosts The Inspired Home Show each March in Chicago. According to IHA, U.S.-based attendees alone represent more than 100,000 retail locations and over $64 billion in buying power