From March 10 to 12, Tuesday through Thursday, Chicago will host a new edition of The Inspired Home Show, an unmissable international event for professionals in the home and living sector. Tableware, kitchenware, home appliances and household accessories will once again be at the heart of discussions.
Organised by the International Housewares Association (IHA), the event will bring together more than 2,000 brands and buyers from around the world. Together, they represent over 100,000 points of sale and a top-tier purchasing power. In a context of profound market transformation, the show reaffirms its role as a strategic platform for decoding industry shifts and supporting its ongoing reconfiguration.
Nearly one in three American consumers plans to entertain more at home in 2026. This trend is largely driven by Generation Z and Millennials, who are seeking more authentic, controlled and financially accessible experiences. Attended by both independent retailers and major U.S. chains, The Inspired Home Show offers a proposition aligned with these evolving market expectations.
Fully aware of the challenges linked to U.S. tariff policies and the multiple instabilities affecting the global economic landscape, the show relies on the strength of its experience to maintain an event that meets the high expectations of its audience. Visitors and exhibitors alike primarily come to do business.
The show continually adapts its offering to evolving consumer uses, as reflected in the InSight Trend Index 2025/26 study published by HomePage News. The analysis highlights a renewed approach to entertaining, based on intention rather than demonstration, and quality rather than accumulation. Post-minimalist design, neo-traditional influences and objects conceived to simplify the experience reflect a more fluid form of hospitality, allowing hosts to fully enjoy the moment.
Beyond the product exhibition, The Inspired Home Show 2026 will further strengthen its forward-looking dimension through a robust programme of conferences and educational sessions held within the Inspiration Theater. Consumer trends, retail strategies, design, e-commerce and innovation will fuel discussions, positioning the show as a true ideas laboratory for brands and distributors.
More than just a trade fair, The Inspired Home Show asserts itself as a genuine observatory of new ways of living, entertaining and consuming. It is also a key moment to reflect on the future of the sector. In France, its promotion is handled by Pascal Glorieux, who supports French exhibitors and visitors throughout their processes and in preparing for their participation in the Chicago event.
Another structuring innovation for the 2026 edition is the SPLiCE Licensing Hub. This new feature will add an additional strategic dimension to the show. Designed as a meeting space dedicated to the licensing industry, the hub will offer brands, distributors and manufacturers the opportunity to forge innovative partnerships around high-potential properties. More than seventy SPLiCE member companies, including Coca-Cola, Crayola, NASCAR and NBCUniversal, will represent a portfolio of over 500 international brands. Licensing thus becomes a fully fledged growth driver at the heart of the show.
Among the most highly anticipated highlights of the event is the presentation of the Global Innovation Awards (GIA), organised by the International Housewares Association. The 2026 edition will once again recognise the most innovative and creative retailers on an international scale. This year, France will be represented by Le Jacquard Français, whose new Paris showroom on Rue Bonaparte, inaugurated in summer 2025, exemplifies French excellence and craftsmanship. Selected by Home Fashion News, the IHA’s official partner for France due to its internationally recognised expertise, the showroom will compete to showcase what is currently most accomplished in the world of home and living.
Source: Home Fashion News Jan26
