CHICAGO, IL — From March 5-7, ASM Global-managed McCormick Place welcomed back The Inspired Home Show (IHA), which was the first show to cancel at McCormick Place in March 2020 due to COVID-19. The show attracted 60,000 attendees and 2,200 exhibitors with an economic impact of $77 million prior to the pandemic and is expected to be the largest tradeshow held at McCormick Place in two years.
“After two years without a major home + housewares industry tradeshow, both retailers and suppliers are craving in-person product discovery and interaction,” said Derek Miller, IHA President, and CEO. “To ensure success and meet the expectations of our attendees, IHA has worked with Epistemix, a firm of epidemiologists and computational modeling experts, to help us develop policies and protocols to protect our guests and staff.”
In addition to masking requirements, all exhibitors and attendees were required to demonstrate proof of vaccination, negative COVID-19 test, or proof of natural immunity. This included exhibitors and personnel related to the set-up and tear-down of the event. Cleared4, a third-party company hired by IHA, facilitated the review of proof of vaccination and negative tests.
Q1 2022 has been busy for McCormick Place — an encouraging sign for the return to in-person events. The GBAC STAR-accredited facility has hosted six trade and consumer events, including the American Baseball Coaches Association National Convention, the Winter Volleyball Championship, the Chicago National Regional, the Chicago Auto Show, and the Chicago Dental Society’s Annual Midwinter Meeting. Following The Inspired Home Show, McCormick Place will host three more association tradeshows in Q1. The venue will welcome the American Physical Society Annual Meeting, March 14-18; the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons 2022 Annual Meeting, March 22-26; and the AMCP 2022 Annual Conference, March 29-April 1.
In Q1, tradeshows at McCormick Place are expected to draw an estimated 312,000+ attendees, generating an economic impact of $146.3 million (consumer events like the Chicago Auto Show are not included in the economic impact calculations).
Visit www.mccormickplace.com for more information.
