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Buyers from around the world came to Chicago for the Inter-national Hardware Week. The range of countries represented by the exhibitors was just as international as on the visitor side
Optimism characterised this year’s International Hardware Week (IHW), which was held at McCormick Place from 13 to 16 August in conjunction with the National Hardware Show and the Building Products Exposition. The events were sponsored and conducted by the American Hardware Manufacturers Association (AHMA).
The exhibition site covering more than 120 000 m² was totally sold out. The number of exhibitors increased by nine per cent over last year to 3 627. The number of exhibitors from outside the United States was up 20 per cent to 1 172, and a total of 18 international pavilions were organised.
It is estimated that international visitors accounted for more than 20 per cent of the attendance figure. Continuing a recent trend, there were more visitors from the specialist retail sector, including discounters, pet supply, electronics, giftware and housewares merchants, which is attributable to the aggressive advertising strategy of the AHMA. But the big names in the American DIY industry, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Sears Hardware, Payless Cashways, Homebase, Ace Hardware and Truserve, all had representatives at the show as well.
On the opening day the buyers flocked first to the New Product Exposition, which occupied a separate area, to get an overview of the range of new products being launched at the show. Visitors also had the opportunity to find out about industry trends and other issues. This year’s IHW education programme offered eight one-hour seminars on a wide range of industry issues such as convenience formats, e-commerce and garden trends, as well as employee diversity.
In response to several non-exhibiting companies which were sponsoring events outside McCormick Place, AHMA president and CEO William P. Farrell said that the association intended to intensify its efforts next year to curtail these “parasitic events”.
Increasing internationalism and more exhibitors than last year cha-racterised this year’s industry event in Chicago.
Also causing a stir was the delegation from China, who left their stands at the end of the second day in protest at the displaying of the Taiwanese flag on the pavilion of Taiwan. Farrell explained that the Chinese delegation had been informed in advance that such a demonstration would violate their show contract, which would not be renewed for 2001.
The exhibition site covering more than 120 000 m² was totally sold out. The number of exhibitors increased by nine per cent over last year to 3 627. The number of exhibitors from outside the United States was up 20 per cent to 1 172, and a total of 18 international pavilions were organised.
It is estimated that international visitors accounted for more than 20 per cent of the attendance figure. Continuing a recent trend, there were more visitors from the specialist retail sector, including discounters, pet supply, electronics, giftware and housewares merchants, which is attributable to the aggressive advertising strategy of the AHMA. But the big names in the American DIY industry, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Sears Hardware, Payless Cashways, Homebase, Ace Hardware and Truserve, all had representatives at the show as well.
On the opening day the buyers flocked first to the New Product Exposition, which occupied a separate area, to get an overview of the range of new products being launched at the show. Visitors also had the opportunity to find out about industry trends and other issues. This year’s IHW education programme offered eight one-hour seminars on a wide range of industry issues such as convenience formats, e-commerce and garden trends, as well as employee diversity.
In response to several non-exhibiting companies which were sponsoring events outside McCormick Place, AHMA president and CEO William P. Farrell said that the association intended to intensify its efforts next year to curtail these “parasitic events”.
Increasing internationalism and more exhibitors than last year cha-racterised this year’s industry event in Chicago.
Also causing a stir was the delegation from China, who left their stands at the end of the second day in protest at the displaying of the Taiwanese flag on the pavilion of Taiwan. Farrell explained that the Chinese delegation had been informed in advance that such a demonstration would violate their show contract, which would not be renewed for 2001.
