A House is Made of Walls and Beams; a Home is Made of Kitchen Gadgets and Color Schemes

From home necessities like air cleaners and kitchenware to the more wacky knickknacks like toilet tattoos and mothball deodorizers, the Homewares Show® at the National Hardware Show® is the ultimate resource for every household wish. The "show within a show” launched last year and has now added an awards component to recognize the most innovative and unique household products of the year. The National Hardware Show and HomeWorld Business are seeking exhibitors at the Homewares Show who truly stand out in their product category. Senior buyers from the largest specialty retailers in the country, including ACE Hardware, Amazon.com and The Home Depot, will be judging entries from exhibitors who have chosen to participate. Scores will be based on "sell through” benefits, such as aesthetics, uniqueness, consumer friendliness, value and packaging. "Product innovation is the lifeblood of the housewares market, and the Homewares Show Awards program is a great way to showcase the many new products on display,” said Peter Giannetti, editor, Homeworld Business. "We hand selected retailer judges from the merchandising excellence honorees at the Housewares Design Awards. They have already demonstrated a commitment to driving growth by exploring and offering the latest in value-added design and innovation.” Plaques will be presented to Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention contestants at a special awards ceremony during the Homewares Show. Pride of the Product Pack Exhibitors have been asked to submit descriptions of their homewares product that would fall under one of the following merchandising categories for consideration: Cleaning Supplies Storage and Organization Small Appliances (fans, heaters) Home Health and Safety Impulse Items (air fresheners, furniture wedges) Housewares and Kitchen Gadgets Retail Rockstars: Retailers Judge a Winner by its Product A panel of retailers who have been previously recognized by HomeWorld Business as recipients of a Merchandising Excellence Award will be attending the Homewares Show and selecting the winners, as well as looking for new products to line their store shelves. This year’s judges include: --   ACE Hardware   --   Sarah Johnson, Buyer for Storage and Organization, Chicago -- Rich Neal, Buyer for Kitchen Products, Chicago -- Amazon.com -- Thom West, Senior Buyer for Kitchen Tools, Gadgets and Cutlery, Seattle -- Nicole Chandler, Associate Buyer for Kitchen Tools, Gadgets and Cutlery, Seattle -- Scott Sayes, Category Manager for Kitchen, Seattle -- The Home Depot -- Jody Carlson, Decor Visual Merchant, Atlanta -- JCPenney -- Maryida Lira, Senior Buyer for Electrics, Dallas -- Kitchen Kapers -- Bob Kratchman, President, Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Richard Kratchman, President, Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Ron Kratchman, President, Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Organize.com -- Deborah Schearer, Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing, Riverside, Calif. -- Terry Schearer, President, Riverside, Calif. -- ShopKo -- Rod Ghormley, Senior Vice President for Home, Green Bay, Wis. -- Tags Ace Hardware -- Simon Shapiro, President, Cambridge, Mass. "We’re proud to introduce the Homewares Show Awards at this year’s National Hardware Show and believe it will be a fixture of shows to come,” said Dean Russo, senior vice president for the National Hardware Show. "The wide array of household products on display will provide buyers with a sneak peek at the must-have gadgets in the housewares industry for 2009. Tradeshows are the ultimate environment for buyers to take advantage of a one-stop shop experience and the consumer benefits of the products should be evident.” Winners will be awarded at the Homewares Show Networking Reception on Wednesday, May 7 at 5 p.m. on the Homewares Show floor located in the Central Hall. Visit the "show highlights” section of www.nationalhardwareshow.com to see which products have been nominated for a Homewares Show Award and check back after the Show to read about the four winners. The National Hardware Show, featuring Lawn & Garden World®, Homewares Show® and New Product World®, is being held May 6-8, 2008 and will occupy the entire Las Vegas Convention Center in three halls. The combined events, featuring 150 product categories, will offer home channel retailers of all sizes a comprehensive preview of the entire home enhancement marketplace with over 3,500 exhibitors in over 2 million gross square feet of floor space. The National Hardware Show has added exciting, new programs while expanding on existing ones to reflect current consumer trends and provide endless opportunities. For all media materials from the 2008 National Hardware Show, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com. Reed Exhibitions, which manages more than 460 events worldwide, is a member of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading provider of information-driven services and solutions. Reed offers integrated market access programs covering exhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet to a database of 3.5 million in North America. Reed has North American offices in Norwalk, Conn., Waltham, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas and Toronto, and sales and operations offices worldwide. (NYSE:RUK)(NYSE:ENL)