After what it deemed a successful Saturday opening for the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show, the International Housewares Association (IHA) has announced that it has shifted the hours for the 2013 Show, which will now open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 2 and close at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 5.

“The decision to adjust the hours slightly was made after a full review of all the buyer scan data and listening to all of our customer segments through surveys, exhibitor and retailer advisory groups and one-to-one conversations,” said Phil Brandl, president of IHA. “Lengthening the 2012 show to a four-day pattern was extremely well received by our retail customers. Survey data shows the average length of stay for a buyer increased by almost one-half day.”

“We felt the extra day was a win-win for us,” said Bruce Kaminstein, CEO of Casabella Holdings LLC. “We were very busy on Saturday afternoon and did not feel we had a drop-off on Tuesday afternoon. Additionally, the buyers were not as rushed during their visits.”

Peter Cameron, CEO of Lenox, said his company benefited by the extended hours of in 2012. “I found the larger customers seemed far less frantic in their meetings and visits, and that we had much more time to spend with the customers we didn’t have relationships with and explore new opportunities. This was particularly helpful with the international buyers as you have to spend more time with them,” he said.

Janis Johnson, president and founder of Gourmet Catalog & Buying Group agreed. "At Gourmet Catalog we are thrilled with the announcement of earlier opening hours for the 2013 show,” she said. “We will plan a robust offering for our store and vendor members in order to take full advantage of the extended show dates and hours." 

Other exhibitors also praised the additional day and revised hours, and the slightly earlier close will allow smaller exhibiting companies to dismantle their booths and leave town Tuesday night, saving the additional night stay-over, Brandl said.

James Glenn, president and CEO of Household Essentials, LLC, said the Saturday opening was very beneficial to both retailers and exhibitors.  “Our exhibit was very busy Saturday afternoon,” he said. “Most of our customers requested that we open the show floor earlier as they were waiting outside to come in. The new opening at 10:00 is a perfect solution. Closing at 3:00 on Tuesday will be a welcome change to all exhibitors.”

“Our gourmet store members have requested on multiple occasions that they need more time to work the show,” said Richard L. Boynton, Jr., president and CEO of Jura Capresso, Inc., and IHA’s chairman of the board. “They need time to meet with their current suppliers but also more time to seek out new product as well as new suppliers. Large chain buyers have said they are in Chicago on Saturday and would prefer to meet with their vendors.”

Lenox’s Cameron said that the new start time makes sense because there were a lot of buyers queued up and ready to enter the show before the official opening at 12:30 p.m. “But,” he warned, “the risk of taking it down at 3 p.m. on Tuesday is something we have to be vigilant about. If the 3:00 closing facilitates people getting out of town a day earlier that’s good, but if it means they start to disassemble at 11:00, that’s not good. That’s one area the industry and show management have to watch so that disassembly doesn’t happen early."

“No serious industry shows worldwide were only three days, so we have aligned ourselves appropriately with the other great shows globally,” he added.