As the only event uniting the entire independent channel, the 2026 Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI) promises to deliver practical takeaways, interaction with top industry vendors and chances to connect. Taking place July 29-30 at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes and hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) and The Hardware Conference, IHI will send attendees home with fresh inspiration and a renewed spirit of growth.

A key component of IHI is the educational opportunities, including breakout sessions and main stage general sessions, featuring industry heavyweights sharing real-world best practices covering the topics that matter most to independent retailers.

“Getting to know and learn from different people in the industry was my biggest takeaway from attending IHI in 2025. The breakout sessions were of great value and gave me different thoughts on approach, risks, marketing ideas and an overall feel that my team is on the right path,” says Gilbert Orona, district manager at Valle Vista Home Center in Hemet, California. “I feel stronger knowing we have support in our industry from others on the same level, who are facing the same struggles and need for advice, support and relationship.”

The educational lineup at 2026 IHI will be just as dynamic, with a renewed focus on the independent home improvement channel and a lineup of speakers and panelists who have walked in the shoes of retailers. Learn more about this year’s breakout session lineups and why IHI needs to be on your calendar in 2026.

Breaking Out the Topics That Matter

Each morning of IHI, attendees have the opportunity to attend breakout sessions following four unique tracks that cover operational areas most important to retailers: employee engagement; executive leadership; retail operations and technology; and marketing, merchandising and advertising.

From addressing labor challenges to navigating generational gaps with employees and customers, the employee engagement sessions provide solutions to guide employers to help their employees avoid burnout and provide a framework to develop committed, highly productive teams. Dr. Rob Mathews, executive director of the Ball State University Entrepreneurship Center, will lead sessions covering talent relationship management, what really matters in employee engagement and hiring business builders.

In the executive leadership track, attendees will take a deep dive into confidently becoming a leader who can foster innovation, guide through change and inspire high-performance teams. Webb Analytics president Craig Webb will take a deep dive into store consolidations and how those mergers and acquisitions will impact construction supply.

Curtis Gillman, founder of Legacy Retail Advisors, and Cody Goeppner, NHPA director of education and training, will share on succession planning and building a strong foundation for any operation. Goeppner will also lead panels on strategic and innovative approaches to succession planning and building the next generation of leaders.  

The retail operations and technology track will highlight how retailers can take on today’s operational challenges through small-scale tools or enterprisewide solutions. Specific topics include operational agility, protecting your business with margin management and the AI tools that are changing independent retail.

Founder of Bloom Retail Mike Aylen will take a look at the real story behind gross profit margin and how retailers can protect their business through margin management. Attendees can learn more about the AI tools that are changing the channel with NHPA editor and director of content development Lindsey Thompson.

For those retailers wearing multiple hats, the merchandising, marketing and advertising track will showcase must-know marketing trends and merchandising strategies that even the least experienced retailers can use to save time and find success. In this track, attendees will dig deep into branding, online visibility and store merchandising.

Merchant5 founder Tony Corsberg will present two sessions on merchandising best practices and making marketing work smarter not harder for your business, tapping into his decades of experience to leave attendees with helpful takeaways they can immediately apply in their stores. In another session, Thompson will show how fellow retailers have been able to turn online visibility into foot traffic in their stores.

“This year at IHI, we are leaning even more into what is most important to our channel and to our retailers,” says Cody Goeppner, director of education and training for NHPA. “From the breakout sessions to the main stage, we chose topics that resonate and speakers who can provide valuable insights that speak directly to those topics.”