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Housewares Show Registration Up; Celebrity Chefs a Draw

By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 1/21/2009 11:23:00 AM

Rosemont, IL — The 2009 International Home + Housewares Show set for March 22–24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, is showing strong early buyer registration numbers, according to the International Housewares Association (IHA). Registration for U.S. buyers is up just over 10 percent and up 8 percent for Canadian buyers; Additionally, buyer hotel reservations for the show are also significantly ahead of last year, matching the pace of registrations.

“Our North American buyers are telling us that March will be critical to them as they look to emerge from a difficult year,” said Phil Brandl, IHA president. “In our recent meetings and conversations with buyers, it is clear that they will be aggressively scouring the show for new products and innovative, sales-driving programs that will ignite their business.”

Helping to boost interst in show attendance is a sizzling line-up of celebrity chefs who will be making appearances in the GOHO Cooking Theater at the Housewares Show. The GOHO Cooking Theater will feature chef demonstrations beginning between 9–9:45 a.m. each show day. The current line-up includes such well-known celebrity chefs as Paula Deen, Rocco DiSpirito, Todd English, Tyler Florence, The Hearty Boys, Morimoto, Marcus Samuelsson, Suvir Saran, Michael Symon and Ming Tsai. Also included are those national celebrity chefs who call Chicago home, including Rick Bayless and Gale Gand, and the new batch of TV chefs born from Top Chef fame, including Stephanie Izard and Tre Wilcox.. In addition to appearing in the Cooking Theater, Tyler Florence will present the keynote address at 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning in Room S100/Grand Ballroom in the South Building.

The GOHO Cooking Theater is the focal point of the Gourmet District (GOHO), which features exhibitors of specialty and gourmet treats and the tools used to prepare them.

To register at no charge for the show, visit www.housewares.org or call the Housewares Registration Desk at (800) 752-1052 or (312) 527-7294 prior to March 8.

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