“The Show kicked off with high attendance on Saturday and the positive buzz continued throughout the exhibit halls through Tuesday,” said Phil Brandl, president/CEO of the not-for-profit International Housewares Association, which owns and operates the Show.

“The Show’s Saturday morning opening is a proven success and was supported by the New Exhibitor Preview event, which allowed 60 new exhibitors to engage with hundreds of buyers and news media in advance of the official 10 a.m. Show opening,” Brandl continued. “The Show’s 442 new exhibitors and the more than 10,000 new products on display drew much attention from buyers and media alike.”

Media attendance included a significant increase in bloggers, coverage by NBC’s Today Show, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, Xinhua News Agency, Sinovision, home-focused YouTube channels and live remotes by Chicago TV stations. The Show will generate in excess of 350 million consumer impressions through broadcast, print and Internet coverage.

The Show also included a series of thought-provoking educational sessions, including keynote programs on the convergence of housewares and giftware, color trends by Lee Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute, an overview of consumer trends by Tom Mirabile of Lifetime Brands, and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaking at the annual Industry Breakfast. In addition, the Innovation Theater offered 21 presentations on social technologies, retail design, branding, intellectual property protection and global lifestyle trends. Audio and video recordings of the educational sessions are available at http://www.housewares.org/kc/ed/15.aspx.