Target Home SVP Mara Sirhal To Deliver Keynote At IHA’s Chief Housewares Executive Suprsession (CHESS) 2026

ROSEMONT, IL (June 23, 2026)– Housewares suppliers will get to hear firsthand about Target’s plan to reinvent its home business when Mara Sirhal – Target SVP, merchandising home – keynotes the International Housewares Association’s (IHA) Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS) 2026. This annual education and networking event will be held September 29-30, 2026 at the Hilton Rosemont near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. 

“CHESS 2026 offers a unique opportunity for home and housewares leaders to briefly step away from the everyday and immerse themselves in learning and connecting on the industry’s most critical topics of the day,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO. “Attendees will walk away from this event better prepared to succeed in a quickly changing marketplace through exclusive insights, direct connections to subject matter experts, and peer-to-peer networking.”

At Target, a new leadership team has put in motion a strategy to drive growth by refortifying the retailer’s reputation as a design-, style- and trend-forward mass merchant with unique items at affordable prices. In her keynote, Sirhal – who leads Target’s merchandising strategy for home and housewares – will provide insights on the significant role home products will play in these plans.

Sirhal joined Target in November 2025, bringing more than 20 years of experience in merchandising, brand development and sourcing across department and specialty retail. She previously held several senior leadership positions including Chief Merchandising Officer at QVC & HSN U.S., Chief Merchant and Brand Officer at Saks Off 5th, Brand President at Bed Bath & Beyond, and various roles at Macy’s. 

In addition to Sirhal, the CHESS education program will feature a variety of high-profile experts from the housewares industry, the retail ecosystem and related fields. Other keynotes, panel discussions and sessions will dive into the latest updates and insights on tariffs, shipping, consumer/market trends, the retail landscape, and other legislative and regulatory issues.

A key focus of CHESS 2026 will be on balancing the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence (AI). Several sessions will be dedicated to the latest in agentic commerce and generative AI, and how companies can evolve their teams to play a successful role in the application of this transformative technology.

CHESS will also provide attendees with networking opportunities and the chance to share information and ideas with industry peers in a collaborative face-to-face environment – an invaluable aspect of the annual event.

Registrationfor CHESS 2026 is now open. More information, including a link to discounted room rates at the Hilton Rosemont, is available on IHA’s website. 

The International Housewares Association (IHA) is the 88-year-old voice of the home and housewares industry, dedicated to bringing buyers and sellers together. IHA hosts its premier exposition of products for the home, The Inspired Home Show, in Chicago every March. Each year, the Show brings together thousands of unique brands and hundreds of thousands of products with both global and domestic buyers; U.S.-based attendees alone represent more than 100,000 retail locations and nearly $75 billion in buying power. The not-for-profit, full-service Association also offers member companies a wide range of services including industry and government advocacy; export assistance; trend reports; executive management peer groups; group buying discounts; and an independent news and information platform, HomePageNews.com.