Hottest Homewares Products Heat Things up at 2008 National Hardware Show(R)

First-Ever Homewares Show(R) Award Winners Announced in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — The most notable homewares products were announced Wednesday, May 7 in Las Vegas at the 2008 National Hardware Show(R). Four innovative products received top honors at the first-ever Homewares Show(R) Awards Ceremony, where entrants ranged from cleaning supplies and organizational tools to small appliances and gadgets.

The award-winning products include:

-- GOLD AWARD WINNER: Reynolds Consumer Products, Reynolds(R) Handi-Vac Vacuum Sealer - Reynolds has designed an innovative product to improve freezer storage. The kit includes a unique hand-held Vacuum Sealer that removes air from the patent-pending Vacuum Freezer Bags. Storing food with the Handi-Vac System helps to preserve the texture and appearance of fresh foods by virtually eliminating freezer burn.

-- SILVER AWARD WINNER: LightWedge, USB Flex Neck2 LED Light - LightWedge has developed a new traveling lamp for laptops. The light is powered by USB or batteries, and can be used for airplanes, cars or other dark areas.

-- BRONZE AWARD WINNER: Davom Products, Inc., PROLOCK Propane Safety Cap - PROLOCK is a child-resistant, tamper-resistant safety cap to prevent unwanted access to the propane tank valve, addressing a critical need for parents. It is durable, equipped with lock and key and easy to install.

-- HONORABLE MENTION: Telebrands Corporation, Ped Egg(TM) - Telebrands has created an evolutionary foot file to make feet smooth and healthy with no mess. Ped Egg's precision micro-files gently remove calluses and dead skin and a convenient storage compartment collects all the skin shavings.

Visit the "show highlights" section of www.nationalhardwareshow.com to learn more about the award winners and see the complete list of contestants.

"The Homewares Show Awards program was designed to showcase the many new and innovative products in the housewares market," said Peter Giannetti, editor, Homeworld Business. "All of the winners provide unique solutions for consumers, and we are excited to recognize the innovation and design that has gone into their development."

The Homewares Show Awards was created by the National Hardware Show and HomeWorld Business to recognize the most innovative and unique household products of the year. All manufacturers exhibiting at the Homewares Show were invited to participate in the program. Entries were judged by senior buyers from the largest specialty retailers in the country, including ACE Hardware, Amazon.com and The Home Depot, and scores were based on "sell through" benefits, such as aesthetics, uniqueness, consumer friendliness, value and packaging.

"In 2007, the National Hardware Show launched the Homewares Show, in order to provide attending retailers with buying options for every single home product category in one place," said Dean Russo, senior vice president for the National Hardware Show. "We were thrilled with the success and array of entries in the first annual Homewares Show Awards and look forward to continuing the successful awards program at future shows."

Retailer Recognition

A panel of retailers who had been previously recognized by HomeWorld Business as recipients of a Merchandising Excellence Award attended the Homewares Show and was responsible for selecting the winners. This year's judges included:

ACE Hardware

-- Sarah Johnson, Buyer for Storage and Organization, Chicago

-- Rich Neal, Buyer for Kitchen Products, Chicago

Amazon.com

-- Thom West, Senior Buyer for Kitchen Tools, Gadgets and Cutlery, Seattle

-- Nicole Chandler, Associate Buyer for Kitchen Tools, Gadgets and Cutlery, Seattle

-- Scott Sayes, Category Manager for Kitchen, Seattle

The Home Depot

-- Jody Carlson, Decor Visual Merchant, Atlanta

JCPenney

-- Maryida Lira, Senior Buyer for Electrics, Dallas

Kitchen Kapers

-- Bob Kratchman, President, Cherry Hill, N.J.

-- Richard Kratchman, President, Cherry Hill, N.J.

-- Ron Kratchman, President, Cherry Hill, N.J.

Organize.com

-- Deborah Schearer, Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing, Riverside, Calif.

-- Terry Schearer, President, Riverside, Calif.

ShopKo

-- Rod Ghormley, Senior Vice President for Home, Green Bay, Wis.

Tags Ace Hardware

-- Simon Shapiro, President, Cambridge, Mass.

About the National Hardware Show

The National Hardware Show, featuring Lawn & Garden World(R), Homewares Show and New Product World(R), was held May 6-8, 2008 and occupied the entire Las Vegas Convention Center in three halls.

The combined events, featuring 150 product categories, offered home channel retailers of all sizes a comprehensive preview of the entire home enhancement marketplace with over 3,500 exhibitors in over 2 million gross square feet of floor space.

For all media materials from the 2008 National Hardware Show, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

Reed Exhibitions, which manages more than 460 events worldwide, is a member of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a world-leading provider of information-driven services and solutions. Reed offers integrated market access programs covering exhibitions, trade publications, direct marketing and the Internet to a database of 3.5 million in North America. Reed has North American offices in Norwalk, Conn., Waltham, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas and Toronto, and sales and operations offices worldwide. (NYSE:RUK/ENL).