IHA Partner With SPLiCE® To Bring First-Ever Licensing Hub To The Inspired Home Show® in 2026

ROSEMONT, IL (September 30, 2025) –The world’s premier exposition for the home and housewares industry will now feature a dedicated platform for retailers and product suppliers to connect with brands interested in licensing deals, thanks to a new collaboration between the International Housewares Association (IHA) – host of The Inspired Home Show – and the Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence (SPLiCE).

The new SPLiCE Licensing Hub will debut at The Inspired Home Show 2026, which will take place March 10-12, 2026 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“The Inspired Home Show is known as the place where the world’s home and housewares retailers and product suppliers unite,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO. “While some exhibitors have brought licensors and already licensed products to the Show in the past, we’re pleased to add this formal connection point for both exhibitor and buyer attendees to identify new licensing opportunities to help them grow, innovate and expand their brand’s reach.” 

“At Dash, we’ve seen firsthand how licensing partnerships bring new energy to housewares,” said StoreBound CEO Evan Dash. “The addition of licensed properties to the housewares category elevates the entire industry. It opens doors for innovation, creates stronger connections with consumers, and helps our products stand out in an increasingly competitive retail environment.”

The SPLiCE Licensing Hub is a collaboration with a purpose-driven association with clear vision to continuously improve brand licensing and protect the brand from misuse. As an active community of licensors and brand owners, the membership discusses best practices and is dedicated to helping Member organizations protect, promote and enhance brand integrity, ultimately building brand equity.

SPLiCE Member companies span more than 50 industry product categories including over 500 global brands. The membership hails from academic, corporate, military and nonprofit sectors and accounts for more than half of licensed merchandise sales revenue ($369,6B). Brand licensors represent their organizations through participation in regular benchmarking as well as onsite conferences and workshops. The Board of Directors includes ten seats, nine of which are occupied by individual Member representatives. As of October 1, Caterpillar Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, The Life is Good Company, McDonald’s Corporation, Monster Products, Inc., NBCUniversal, The Ohio State University, Philips, The Procter & Gamble Company, and The Walt Disney Company will make up this esteemed group of thought leaders.

“Since 2003, SPLiCE has consistently positioned itself as a collaborative community and leading think tank dedicated to elevating standards in brand licensing. Through benchmarking and studies, we consistently poll our membership for what is most meaningful to them, and over the past five years, Housewares/Home Décor and Gifts/Novelties have been in the top three key growth categories,” said Kimberly Kociencki, SPLiCE CEO. “The Inspired Home Show offers an opportunity for SPLiCE and its Members to engage with new and innovative approaches from international manufacturers, licensees, and retailers in a licensing context, as well as the educational aspects of the Show. With our Board of Directors, we are absolutely thrilled to be working with Derek Miller and the team at IHA to bring this hub to fruition.”

The SPLiCE Licensing Hub will be a prominent destination located in the Dine + Décor Expo in the South Hall of McCormick Place. Exhibiting licensors will receive a kiosk-style booth set-up, as well as two exhibitor badges, access to exhibitor marketing services, and a year-round listing in Connect 365, IHA’s Digital Marketplace.

The new destination will allow SPLiCE Members to put their brands in front of the home and housewares industry’s leading product manufacturers, as well as top GMMs, DMMs, buyers and distributors from around the world. 

The Inspired Home Show brings together more than 2,000 unique brands and 300,000 products with both global and domestic buyers; U.S.-based attendees alone represent more than 100,000 retail locations and over $64B in buying power.

The 2026 Show will include five expos: Clean + Contain, Dine + Décor, International Sourcing, Travel Gear + Luggage, and Wired + Well. It will also feature attractions including the Inventors Corner, the Debut incubator, Global Design Points pavilions, the Pantone® ColorWatch display, robust education lineups on the Keynote and Inspiration Theater stages, and unmatched networking opportunities throughout the Show’s three days.

In addition, the Pet Products Pavilion and the Candle Pavilion – both new in 2025 – will return in 2026 with bigger footprints.

More information about exhibiting in the SPLiCE Licensing Hub can be found on The Inspired Home Show website at TheInspiredHomeShow.com/Exhibit/SPLiCE. Interested licensors can also contact Joe Clark, IHA Manager of Trade Show Sales, at jclark@housewares.org or Kimberly Kociencki, SPLiCE CEO, at  Kimberly@SPLiCElicensing.com

For more information about the Show and to register, visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com.