Celebrity Chefs Will Star at IHHS GOHO Cooking Theater

Mario Batali, Alton Brown, Rocco DiSpirito, and Ming Tsai among others will showcase their culinary skills in the all-new, expanded GOHO District at the 2006 International Home and Housewares Show scheduled for March 12-14 at Chicago's McCormick Place.

These culinary stars will appear in the GOHO Cooking Theater, which is the focal point of the Gourmet Home and Food District, the show's fastest-growing section. Exhibitors of specialty and gourmet treats and the tools used to prepare them will staff the GOHO Cooking Theater. GOHO will also feature the Cook Book Nook and the NASFT Specialty Foods Marketplace. Wilton Industries/Copco, KitchenAid, and All-Clad Metalcrafters LLC jointly sponsor The Cooking Theater.

"We are please to host these well-known chefs who support this year's exhibitors of gourmet specialty foods and our new destination, The GOHO District, " said Phil Brandl, president of the International Housewares Association, the Show's sponsor. "Our buyer audience has told us that they appreciate being able to shop the gourmet foods category in conjunction with the visit to the Show. This category offers traditional home goods retailers a significant additional sales and profit opportunity. "

The GOHO Cooking Theater will feature chef demonstrations on the hour beginning at 9 a.m. each Show day. The current lineup of celebrity chefs includes: Jimmy Bannos of Ten Speed Press; Mario Batali of Wilton Industries-Copco; Alton Brown from Kershaw Knives; Holly Clegg with DuPont Teflon; Rocco DiSpirito of www.RoccoDiSpirito.com; Todd English of Ingenious Designs; Tyler Florence of Braun; Kathy Ireland, Chef Andre, and Nicholas Walker of Kathy Ireland Home by Hanna' s Candles; Nirmala Narine of Nirmala's Kitchen; Peter Robertson of Ecco La Pasta; Akasha Richmond from Hollywood Dish; Eyup Kemal Sevinc from Turkish Pavilion - IMMIB; Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger; and Dede Wilson of KitchenAid.
The dates and times each chef will perform will be posted at the Theater.

Also located in the new GOHO District will be the Cook Book Nook featuring just-released titles from many exhibitors around the Show and beyond. Buyers will be able to receive further information on any of the more than 100 titles and one lucky buyer who visits the Cook Book Nook will win the complete collection in a drawing held at the Show's conclusion. Books will also be offered for sale to all Show attendees adjacent to the Cook Book Nook.

To make GOHO a must-visit destination again in 2006, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) will host its Specialty Food Marketplace. The Marketplace will feature the products of more than 40 companies. "Each company will average five products available for tasting," according to Ron Tanner, NASFT's VP of communications and education. Buyers will be able to receive follow-up information on all products.

The 2006 International Home and Housewares Show will feature more than 2,000 exhibitors from around the world, including more than 300 new companies showcasing home goods, gourmet specialty foods, and housewares products for every room in the home, both inside and out. To register at no charge for the Show, visit www.housewares.org or call the Housewares Registration Desk at 800-752-1052 or 312-527-7294 (non-U.S.) before March 11, 2006.