Allison Zisko// Editor in Chief//June 23, 2026
Target's Mara Sirhal will give the CHESS keynote address this year. (Images courtesy of the International Housewares Association)
Allison Zisko// Editor in Chief//June 23, 2026
Target Home SVP Mara Sirhal will deliver the keynote address at the International Housewares Association‘s CHESS event in September, the IHA said.
CHESS stands for Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession and it is an annual event hosted by the IHA to provide education and networking opportunities for its members. This year’s CHESS session will take place Sept. 29-30, 2026, at the Hilton Rosemont near Chicago’s O’Hare airport.
Target‘s new leadership team has pledged to drive growth by refortifying Target’s reputation as a design and trend-forward mass merchant with unique items at affordable prices. Sirhal, who leads Target’s merchandising strategy for home and housewares, will provide insights into the significant role home plays in those plans, the IHA said.
In addition to Sirhal, the CHESS education program will feature experts from the housewares industry, retail and related fields. Other keynotes, panel discussions and sessions will address 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 train employees to use it.
For more information and how to register for CHESS, click here.
