So What Actually Happens at H+H? (with video!)
2025 was my second year to attend H+H Americas, the largest craft industry trade show in North America. I am extremely lucky in that it happens to be hosted every year in Rosemont, IL, only a reasonable drive from my home.
While my first trip in 2024 was a great learning experience in terms of getting a feel for how the show works, who attends, and how to make connections, this year I felt like I had some really substantive conversations with people about all kinds of industry topics. I even had a new client already booking work with me by the end of the week!
H+H isn’t *just* a fiber festival for yarn business. For starters, while a lot of yarn craft vendors are present, at least half the show is sewing, quilting, and embroidery related vendors, as well as marketing firms, publishers, people who make cards/stickers/merch for craft shops, nonprofit craft groups and trade guilds and almost anything else you can think of that might be useful to people running craft-focused businesses. Additionally there are public panels on various industry issues, classes on various topics for small businesses (for an extra registration fee), product demonstrations and networking meetups. So while you certainly can go just to walk the floor and visit individual vendor stalls to talk with people, make sure you take a look at everything the H+H program has to offer.
If you want to learn more about the amazing variety of cool people you meet at H+H and what they get out of attending, my friend Meg (of Megs & Co Yarn) did a series of interviews throughout the event (including me, around the 55 minute mark).
I should note that this event is not open to the public – you do have to be working in the craft industry in some capacity to register (although it doesn’t have to be full-time, there are plenty of attendees whose craft business is their side gig). However, for 2026 H+H is trying out hosting a public festival the weekend before the trade show itself. I will say many of the vendors I talked to this year were not sure yet if they wanted to commit to both events, so we’ll see how the festival shapes up as we get closer to May 2026.
Did you go to H+H this year? Would you consider going in the future?