CHICAGO — Cologne, Germany–based trade fair organizer Koelnmesse is bringing its trademark h+h cologne trade fair for the handicraft industry to the U.S. next summer when it debuts h+h americas at the Donald E. Stephens Convention & Conference Center in Rosemont, Ill., June 22–24, 2022. The European version has been held annually at the company’s international trade fair and exhibition center in Cologne, which hosts a variety of trade shows and conferences every year.
Koelnmesse decided the time was right to launch a North American version of its successful annual Cologne textiles handicrafts show due to recent double-digit growth in the industry in the U.S., where people turned in droves to crocheting, knitting, sewing, quilting and embroidering during the pandemic. The goal of the U.S. show, which will include a digital option, is to establish an ordering platform in the U.S. for North American buyers of home textiles, tapestry, sewing, knitting, crocheting, haberdashery, quilting, needlepoint, and business software and marketing solutions. It will be held in partnership with the Craft Industry Alliance, a membership organization that has served the craft professionals community since 2015.
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“Our decision to launch h+h americas is in line with our strategy to make shows more international and more accessible to our customers via online channels,” Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, said. “This step will strengthen our trade show in Cologne while responding to the growing demand in the American market.”
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The North American show is being organized by Koelnmesse’s subsidiary, Koelnmesse Inc., in Chicago. “For many years we have been asked by our customers when h+h would come to North America as not everyone can travel to Cologne,” Mette Petersen, President and Managing Director of Koelnmesse Inc., said. “The COVID situation has accelerated the demand for soft craft products in North America and we feel that now is the right time to bring the well- known h+h brand to the U.S.” Peterson added that Chicago’s easy domestic and international air accessibility, combined with reasonably priced hotels, make it the right destination to launch the new show.
Reach Mette Petersen at (773) 326-9921 or m.petersen@koelnmessenafta.com
