Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
If you want to learn more about popular home improvement projects and the trends, technology and talent driving them forward, plan to attend the 2018 Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) Insights Conference.
Held at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, Illinois, Sept. 18-19, this year’s HIRI Insights Conference unites retailers, home improvement professionals and researchers to take the pulse of the U.S. home improvement market. Attendees will discover the opportunities they have to capitalize on emerging home improvement trends and network with other members in the market.
Terri Hulesch, president of the HIRI board of directors, says independent retailers should attend this year’s conference to stay up-to-date with industry information that can strengthen their bottom line and help them understand their customers’ needs. “A lot of small businesses don’t have a market research department, so the information that’s gained at the HIRI Insights Conference is vital for them,” she says. “At HIRI, the speakers present a huge amount of information for independents to use internally without having to hire a specialist.”
Hulesch emphasizes that all retailers and people interested in the home improvement marketplace are invited to attend, even retailers who aren’t HIRI members.
“The Insights Conference gives such a great overview of what’s happening in the industry; it’s a benefit to everyone who attends,” she says. “The information applies to so many areas of home improvement: consumer forecasts, trends in smart homes and millennials.”
Over the course of the two-day conference, speakers from Nielsen, the National Association of Realtors, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University and others will present informative sessions. Topics will include profiles on new and existing homebuyers, rental housing market overviews and information on healthy homes, a topic specifically requested by last year’s attendees.
For more information on the 2018 HIRI Insights Conference and registration information, visit hiri.org/conference-information.
