Home & Housewares Show

Is the Home & Housewares show at McCormick place completely closed to the public?

It'd be nice to wander around in there. Any ideas?

Many thanks!!

Got a business card and the price of admission? You're in.

Hi,

I went over to the Housewares website and signed up for a trade pass. I did it principally to learn how much does it cost, which I never found out. If you really want to go and expect to pay, find out how much before you depart.

I don't go to trade shows unless I am in the industry and someone sends me a complimentary pass, which happens every time. I have seen entrances fees to trade shows at $40, which is more than I'd pay to satisfy my curiosity. However, if I was seeking a job and wanted to study the market, then it is a good investment.

Steve Drucker, our poster from Atlanta, has gone to houseware show in the past. He advised small appliance celebrities like Ron Popeil are usually there.

The trade show I don't get passes to and would love to attend is the Fancy Food Show or whatever it may be called. In looking up that details, I found plenty of other shows interesting to the food trade:

Feb 25-27
CoffeeFest/Great American Dessert Expo
Navy Pier
Delegates: 5,000
www.coffeefest.com

Mar 20-22
International Home & Housewares Show
McCormick Place
Delegates: 60,000
www.housewares.org

Apr 16-18
Retail Bakers of America - RBA's Marketplace 2005
McCormick Place
Delegates: 9,000
www.rbanet.com

May 1-3
International Fancy Food & Confection Show
McCormick Place North
Delegates: 15,000
www.specialtyfood.com

May 1-4
American Dairy Products Institute - Annual Meeting
Fairmont Hotel
Delegates: 1,000
www.americandairyproducts.com

May 1-3
All Things Organic Conference & Trade Show
McCormick Place North
Delegates: 4,000
www.atoexpo.com

May 14-20
Digestive Disease Week
Lakeside Center at McCormick Place
Delegates: 14,000
www.ddw.org

May 21-24
National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show
McCormick Place South
Delegates: 75,000
www.restaurant.org

Jun 14-16
National Confectioners Association - ALL CANDY EXPO®
Lakeside Center at McCormick Place
Delegates: 17,000
www.allcandyexpo.com

Jun 14-15
Chicago Pizza Expo™ 2005
Navy Pier
Delegates: 2,000
www.pizzaexpo.com

Jun 25-28
International Food and Agribusiness Management Association
Fairmont Hotel
Delegates: 400
www.ifama.org

Aug 18-20
U.S. Apple Association - Annual Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Delegates: 325
WWW.USAPPLE.ORG

I've never been lucky enough to get into the restaurant or specialty food shows -- more's the pity. I'm going off topic here a bit, but as fellow collectors, afficionados and addicts, I beg your indulgence.

Trade shows seem to be divided into those that give out free samples (usually just pins, pens and other tchotchkes), and those that don't. The former includes the pharmaceutical industry (duh), the auto show (they can't hand out Miata's? They fit in *my* pockets), and consumer electronics (you think you could get some free RAM at least).

The one in the latter category I'm lucky enough to get to costs $50 to get in: BookExpo America. For years, it was hosted in Chicago at least 1 out of every 3 years but is supposed to spend more time elsewhere in the future (I'll go anyway with Mrs. F's biz).

Almost every publisher gives out books. The hard part is not taking them *all* home. I often end up taking books I'm certain I'll never read. I won't pass up a cookbook (even Ruby Ann's Down Home Trailer Park cookbooks -- I got one signed and SWAKed by her) -- ah, at last I'm back on topic.

Even better than picking them up at the show is if you stay at the convention's official hotel, where the 'book fairy' visits during the day, leaving a bag of books on your pillow from the publisher sponsoring that day of the show.

Can't wait for June. NYC this year. I'll be looking for some good slices, and maybe one high-end dinner while out there.

Well, I just tried to sneak into the Housewares Show as the owner of "Giovanna's Place", a gourmet food retailer, and they were willing to let me in for $100.

Didn't want to go that badly.

Giovanna

I went to the international home and housewares show this afternoon. Quite the experience. I just missed Mario Batali's cooking demonstration, but in the next three hours, I saw Arun cook up some potstickers, watched men flock to Rachel Ray for autographs like she was a siren, and even met and procured Emeril's autograph. It was like food network in the flesh all day long.

The Gourmet Food Pavillion was pretty impressive, literally a mile of vendors of every kind of specialty food. Creme brulee coffee everywhere...must be the next big thing. Nothing incredibly new or outstanding though.

As far as getting in...if you register ahead of time on the website, there is no charge. They send you a badge and you are done. While I had a legitimate reason to go, my wife did not. We registered her as a fake housewares company and they had no problems with her being there.

My parents went to the Housewares show every year until closing their business last year. I went a couple of times as a "buyer" even though I was no longer working for them. I also dragged my husband with me before we got married -- we got a good look at all the newest appliances before we put together our wedding registry. We also watched Jeff Smith give a cooking demonstration. I remember he made jalapeno brownies, which my husband really enjoyed. We also hit the gift show twice a year. It's very tiring to walk through all those displays.

Thanks for the replies. And the digging around for other interesting events. If I do wander into any, I'll post my experience.

Just an FYI that the Apple meeting at the end of August, about which Cathy posted, is not a convention per se but merely a series of meetings and conferences attended primarily by apple producers and processors. There aren't any exhibits or displays. Unless you plan on buying or selling large quanities of Apples and/or industrial-scale apple products (juice, puree, concentrate, bits, IQF pieces, etc.), it's fairly useless.

=R=