Rosemont, IL – May 11, 2026 h+h americas 2026 concluded its most successful and expansive edition to date, welcoming 6,073 industry professionals, a 14.56% increase over 2025, representing all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 41 countries to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. With 636 companies spanning 100,635 square feet of show floor space, h+h americas 2026 affirmed its position as North America’s definitive platform where the global creative industry convenes to discover new products, build relationships, and shape the future of the craft business.

Running May 6–8, with pre-show education beginning May 5, the show delivered an elevated experience across education, runway, art, and commerce, spanning seven distinct pavilions, including the newly launched Garment Pavilion, a dedicated destination for apparel innovation, garment construction, and fashion-forward sewing.

“h+h americas continues to set the global benchmark for the creative industry. The record attendance and breadth of exhibitors in 2026 reflect not only the strength of the North American market but also the industry’s desire to come together, innovate, and grow. We are proud to see this show grow into one of the world’s most important trade platforms for the industry.” - Gerald Böse, President & CEO, Koelnmesse GmbH

New Show Leadership

h+h americas welcomed Jessica Boweak as Show Director for Koelnmesse’s North American handicraft portfolio, overseeing two B2B wholesale events, the Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival consumer show, and leading the sales team responsible for bringing companies to h+h cologne.

Boweak’s appointment reflects Koelnmesse’s commitment to unified, strategic leadership across its growing North American platform. A Stronger, More Diverse Show Floor The 2026 show floor reflected both the breadth and momentum of the industry. Six hundred thirty-six companies from 27 nations spread across 100,635 square feet, with 113 exhibitors participating within curated pavilion environments designed to accelerate discovery and connection. The new Garment Pavilion emerged as a standout destination, signaling the growing convergence of fashion and the craft sector and offering buyers a focused environment for apparel sourcing and innovation.

Education, Innovation & Professional Development

Across four days of programming, h+h americas 2026 delivered more than 268 opportunities for education, networking, community building, and special events, the most comprehensive program in the show’s history. A revamped h+h University delivered structured coursework across five dedicated tracks Creators, Sewing Machine Dealers, ECommerce, Brick-and-Mortar Retailers, and Designers/Teachers meeting the full spectrum of professional needs. Product Academy expanded to 69 sessions of hands-on education and product demonstrations.

Sample It! drew more than 1,316 attendees across 127 tables representing 102 companies, up from 91 vendors in 2025, making it the largest and most-trafficked edition of the event to date.

A purpose-built Private Sewing Machine Supplier Meeting Space provided Handi Quilter, Brother, Janome, and Juki with a dedicated environment for confidential product demonstrations and strategic retailer conversations, a first for the show.

Runway, Fashion & Competition

The Cosplay Contest & Fashion Show, sponsored by Famore, featured 32 designers, including seven students and 21 professional entries, in a competition that continues to define the intersection of craftsmanship, costume design, and wearable art.

The Fashion Show returned in a fully reimagined format, hosted by Sharaun B, known for her role at the 67th Grammy Awards, featuring more than 57 looks on an extended runway with a VIP entrance, elevating visibility for textile innovation and fashion-forward design.

New this year, the “Dancing with the Stars” Garment Showcase, presented by fit specialist Joe Vecchiarelli, offered a special exhibition of professionally crafted garments, highlighting advanced costume design, embellishment, and couture technique.

Art Installations & Special Exhibits

The show floor featured a landmark collection of art programming: the Tula Pink: Legendary Quilts Exhibition, a vibrant Kaffe Fassett Quilts & Knitwear Exhibit, and the Studio Art Quilt Associates Exhibition “Connections.” Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics presented two narrative-driven challenges, The Abyss and Storytime, while Will Chatlosh’s “UNDERWATER” freeform crochet installation, sponsored by Skacel, was among the most talked-about features of the show floor.

Connecting Two Events, One Ecosystem

The 2026 edition marked the first year that h+h americas operated in direct proximity to the newly launched Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival (May 1–3, 2026), Koelnmesse’s consumer-facing companion event held just days prior at the same Rosemont campus. The back-to-back format created a seamless continuum between the consumer and trade segments of the industry, allowing brands to engage passionate makers and shoppers before transitioning directly into the B2B environment of h+h americas. The combined footprint established Rosemont as a week-long destination for the global creative community.

“Year after year, h+h americas demonstrates the extraordinary resilience and vitality of this industry. The 2026 show brought together the complete ecosystem designers, retailers, educators, suppliers, and creators under one roof to discover innovations, forge partnerships, and drive their businesses forward. What we’re building here goes far beyond a trade show. This is where the industry finds its community.” - Darrin Stern, Managing Director, Koelnmesse Inc.

Looking Ahead: h+h americas Fall & 2027

Building on the momentum of a record-breaking spring edition, Koelnmesse will launch h+h americas Fall Edition, a new wholesale event expanding the h+h americas platform into a second annual market.

The inaugural fall edition will take place October 1–2, 2026 in Houston, Texas (with conference programming beginning September 30), bringing the industry together for a focused mid-year opportunity to connect, source, and plan for the season ahead.

h+h americas returns to Rosemont for its 2027 spring edition, May 5–7, with conference programming beginning May 4. The Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival will again precede the wholesale show, April 30–May 2, continuing the back-to-back consumer-to-trade format that made 2026’s Rosemont week a landmark moment for the industry.

The Road Ahead

h+h americas is committed to growing alongside the full spectrum of the

creative industry, from emerging independents to established global

brands. The show’s strategy centers on deepening engagement across

every scale of business: small, mid-size, and large organizations alike.

Looking forward, the team will expand its focus on the garment sector and

accelerate momentum in needlepoint, spinning, and weaving categories with growing buyer demand and underrepresented supplier participation. At the same time, the show will continue to build on its established strength in crochet, knitting, and quilting, where supplier depth and community loyalty remain industry-leading.

Beyond existing categories, h+h americas will actively welcome new craft segments into the fold, broadening the show’s reach so that every business that makes a living selling craft supplies has a home on the floor. The vision is clear: a show that grows with the industry, reflects its full diversity, and unites everyone in the supply chain.

With record-breaking attendance for the fifth consecutive year and a global community spanning 41 countries and every corner of the United States, h+h americas enters its next chapter with clear momentum and an expanded platform purpose-built to serve every segment of the creative industry.

For more information, visit hh-americas.com or follow @hh_americas using #hhamericas2026.

Media Contact

Jessica Boweak Show Director
Koelnmesse Inc. | Cologne International Trade Fairs
8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Suite 1300 | Chicago, IL 60631
p: +1-773-326-9923
hh-americas.com

Koelnmesse – trade fairs for the handicraft industry

As an organizer of innovative and important trade fairs worldwide, Koelnmesse is the global market leader in the handicraft & hobby sector. h+h cologne is the leading trade fair for textile handicrafts and the industry’s largest international inspiration and order platform.

Koelnmesse also supports companies in reaching international markets, which is why it has expanded its fiber arts portfolio in the USA: h+h americas, a platform for the North American knitting, quilting, crochet, sewing, textile and craft industries, uses pioneering formats and online solutions to put the industry’s products and services center stage. The trade show in Rosemont, Illinois, offers both digital and on-site experiences to maximize reach and impact.

The Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival in Rosemont, Illinois, is a new consumer trade show that brings together crafters, creatives, and innovators for education and to showcase the latest trends, products, and techniques in knitting, quilting, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, felting, sewing, quilting, and cosplay.

h+h americas Fall Edition in Houston, Texas, is the new B2B marketplace for the North American creative industry in the fall. The event features a three-day trade fair and training program. Developed as an extension of h+h Americas, it is held under the motto: “Spring inspires. Fall delivers. Together they sustain the entire creative supply chain.”

Future Show Dates

Wholesale Events
h+h americas Fall – Conference: September 30 | Oct 1–2, 2026 –
Houston, TX fall.hh-americas.com

h+h cologne – April 2–4, 2027 – Cologne, Germany – hh-cologne.com

h+h americas – Conference: May 4 | May 5–7, 2027 – Rosemont, IL – hhamericas.com

Consumer Events

Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival – Conference: April 29 | April 30 – May 2, 2027 – Rosemont, IL – fiberfabriccraft.com