Rosemont, IL — The third edition of h+h americas, held May 1-3, 2024, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center, saw record attendance, exhibitor count and net square footage. More than 3,800 attendees visited the event’s 402 exhibitors, which were spread across 56,425 net square feet.
A major gathering of the North American craft industry, h+h americas this year featured live classes, hands-on learning labs, fashion shows, cosplay exhibits, masterclasses and more. Koelnmesse Inc., which organizes the show and its counterpart h+h cologne, also celebrated its 100th anniversary at the show.
“It’s impossible to see everything,” said Darrin Stern, h+h americas show director and vice president of Koelnmesse Inc. “People continue to thank us…it’s amazing how many people stop and say, ‘Thank you for bringing us together, thank you for giving us this forum.’”
Growth factors
Stern attributes h+h america’s explosive growth in part to the post-COVID recovery of the events industry.
Additionally, the event was moved to May this year to allow for more product launches at the show floor and increase attendance.
“One of the mantras I tell exhibitors over and over again is, ‘We can only be successful if we continue to introduce new products…if we don’t bring new products, we can’t attract new people,’” Stern said. “We’re now better prepared for show product launches, and companies are launching products on the show floor on a much larger scale…I’ve heard a number of companies simply say, ‘We plan to launch more products…now I get it.’”
Stern also added that h+h americas broke into the quilting industry this year, with professionals participating “in tenfold numbers, (and) were just off the charts.”
Increased investment in language-targeted YouTube ads (which saw an average completion rate of over 70%) also contributed to growth.
Related. National Restaurant Association Trade Show Sees Strong Growth in International Numbers Under Informa Connect Ownership
Improved show features
Stern explained that content creators are the craft industry’s preferred B2B media format and called them “the best way to amplify our voice.” To encourage participation and engagement, Koelnmesse, Inc. transformed an existing happy hour reception into a new Content Creator Summit with interactive sessions focused on education and collaboration.
According to a pre-show survey, content creators who attended the event had a cumulative reach of 16,995,455 consumers, and Koelnmesse, Inc. used Brand.24.com to determine the value of that exposure was $378,000.
h+h americas 2024 also offered a new Product Academy before the show, where exhibitors could book 30-minute, face-to-face sales pitch sessions. There were 36 sessions in total, and the average class had 25-30 attendees. This feature will be included and enhanced at next year’s show.
Coming in 2025
h+h americas will return to the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center May 7-9, 2025, and Stern expects further growth. Additionally, industry professionals can find on-demand courses, live content and more on h+h connect, the event’s free digital platform, throughout the year.
“We know why we need live events, but I still think the digital intersection is very necessary. That content platform where exhibitors can still live, show products, get news, (and) people can go back and watch things on demand because they didn’t get a chance to do that at the show,” Stern added.
Contact Darrin Stern at d.stern@koelnmesse.us.