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I’ve been a part of this industry for nearly 30 years. Throughout that time, the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) has had a long history of support and collaboration with the National Hardware Show (NHS).

NHPA represents the interests of the industry’s 35,000+ independent retailers—retailers just like you. At NHS, the goal is to build an event that is meaningful and reflects the needs of the market, and obviously, independent retailers are a BIG part of this industry. So it’s easy to see why NHPA’s relationship with the NHS remains strong today.

Every year hundreds of independent retailers attend NHS to source new products, network with industry peers outside their respective affiliations and make new contacts to support the growth of their own businesses.

In 2024, NHPA and NHS are excited to work together on new programs we hope will elevate the experience for independent retailers and offer more networking and peer-to-peer connections than ever before.

None of this planning happens in a silo. In the lead-up to NHS 2024, NHPA and NHS engaged with a select group of retailers who are helping to guide our strategy and who offered insights to others who might be interested in the NHS experience for the first time.

So what can you expect at NHS 2024?

1. NHPA will be hosting its Foundations of Merchandising Management Live! program on March 26-27 during NHS 2024. Through this program, students will get hands-on training and gain actionable merchandising management, assortment planning, vendor relations and customer experience strategies to take back to their stores.
2. NHPA and NHS are creating an Independent Retail Center (IRC) on the trade show floor where we will hold roundtable discussions that focus on succession planning and selling or buying a business. IRC will also be a destination where experts will be on hand to give advice and help you navigate regular business challenges.
3. NHPA and NHS will again hold their Retailers’ Choice Awards and NHS awards ceremonies where we highlight some of the favorite products for the independent channel coming out of NHS.
4. Based on feedback from NHPA and the independent retail community, NHS is also making it easier for independent retailers to find companies on the show floor that want to establish relationships directly with independent retailers. This list is readily available on the NHS exhibitor list online and will also be accessible in the IRC.

NHS has long been the event that unites the industry by bringing together thousands of global professionals from across the home improvement channel, and while that is important to the DNA of the overall event, we also know it can be overwhelming for independent retailers to navigate.

As a team, NHPA and NHS are focused on creating a better experience that helps connect the independent retail community at NHS. The IRC, Foundations of Merchandising Management Live!, and our awards programs are great ways to engage. We will also make it easier to identify each other by adding a blue strip on all independent retailer badges.

Together, NHPA and NHS look forward to welcoming the independent retail community to Las Vegas on March 26-28!

Dan Tratensek
NHPA