h+h americas Fall event, a strong launch into a new market, and personalization provided by Markus AI
h+h americas Fall event, a strong launch into a new market, and personalization provided by Markus AI
Fall Delivers:
Inside the First h+h americas Fall Edition in Houston
How Koelnmesse launched a brand new show with a personal experience for every visitor, enhanced value for the Exhibitor, and what happened when they offered new event tech, powered by Markus AI.
When a trade show launches a new edition, everyone is building something together. Exhibitors take a chance on a booth. Buyers make time for a show they have never visited. The organizer has one shot at a first impression.
That is what made the first h+h americas Fall Edition so special. From September 30 to October 2, 2026, the craft industry came together at Reliant Center in Houston, Texas, with 2,005 total attendees.
Koelnmesse worked with Markus AI to make sure each of them could find the right booths, the right sessions, and the right people. Our team was on site the whole time to help.
For more context on their selection process for this event technology -
Why Markus AI:
"Launching a new show in a new market, we knew seven in ten buyers would be walking our floor for the first time. We didn't need another event app. We needed every visitor to feel the show was built around their goals from the first hour. Markus treated personalization as the core of the experience, not an add-on, and they were willing to build it with us through every round of testing. That partnership mindset is what made the decision.”
Darrin Stern, President & Managing Director, Koelnmesse Inc.
The show at a glance
2,005 total attendance at the first Fall Edition
256 exhibiting companies
38 international exhibitors
70% of buyers were new to h+h americas
47 states represented
19 countries
44,215 net square feet of exhibits
A first-year show needs a personal touch
With seven in ten buyers brand new to h+h americas, the first few hours mattered a lot. New visitors did not know the floor, the schedule, or the exhibitors. Koelnmesse wanted each of them to feel that the show was built around their goals.
the h+h americas mobile event app, built by Markus AI, offered personalized journeys and a pre-event experience. It helped visitors:
Set personal goals for the show
Match those goals to exhibitors
Get session recommendations
Bookmark the exhibitors and sessions they cared about
Send meeting and connection requests
It helped Exhibitors too:
With their own section in the app, including lead capture with voice notes, so every conversation was saved in one place.
The Agenda, their goals, and a game plan, in every attendee’s pocket.
The h+h Event App was intuitive and built with pre, during, and post event capabilities in mind
Markus AI Offered Unified Event Technology
Houston was also a great example of tech solutions that integrated and played well together:
Registration: Swoogo
Floorplan: ExpoFP
Attendee personalization, Journey Mobile Event App, and clear action items: Markus AI
Getting there took real teamwork. The Koelnmesse team tested three rounds of builds, sent detailed feedback after each one, and pushed the Markus AI team to deliver a better end-to-end experience.
When integrations work smoothly, attendees do not think about the tech at all. They just find the right booths, have better conversations, and leave with a clear list of next steps.
The results: a path to real success
Here is how the audience used Markus AI across the three days:
53% of buyers on site utilized the app, along with about half of exhibiting companies
954 goals were set by 111 attendees, an average of 8.6 goals each
18.2 exhibitor bookmarks per attendee on average, with 1,912 bookmarks from 105 attendees
For a first-year event with no historical attendee data, Markus AI generated insights from 112 attendee conversations, helping the team understand buyer goals and interests in real time.
h+h americas Fall used this new technology to identify attendee priorities, uncover emerging interests, and gather actionable feedback that will help shape future editions of the show.
People with goals did more
Attendees or Exhibitors who completed the Markus Journey interview got more context and were the most active people at the show. 40% of goal-setters sent a meeting or connection request, compared with 5% of everyone else. They also saved & bookmarked 3.7 times as many exhibitors. In this event’s first deployment of this technology, one takeaway stood out: when people know what they came for, they go after it.
Actions and Follow Up Made Easy
Both the attendees, and the Exhibitors were able to export their connections and leads. Giving value to each end user.
Session suggestions hit the mark
37% of session scans were for a session Markus AI had recommended to that person. That is about three times the rate for sessions it had not recommended.
Exhibitors liked having every lead in one place
Exhibitors who used the app liked having all of their leads together. One said they "really liked the voice notes feature and had used it extensively."
What the craft community came for
Goal setting also gave the h+h americas team a clear view of what their buyers want.
Here is what attendees told Markus AI they came to achieve, by share of all goals:
Supplier partnerships and product sourcing: 40%
Trendspotting and market innovation: 25%
Equipment and tools acquisition: 15%
Strategic networking and collaborations: 12%
Business strategy and growth: 8%
Sourcing was the clear leader. Nine in ten goal-setters had at least one sourcing goal. The most goals came from e-commerce businesses, quilt shops, and educators.
The takeaway is simple. The floor already delivers on sourcing. The opportunity for next year is more content on retail operations and online selling, which will serve both the agenda and the sponsors.
On site with the Support Help Desk
Being on site for a first-year show is special. Everyone is building something new together, and you can feel it. The Markus AI team stayed late, got up early, and enjoyed every minute. We were there to help attendees get started with the app, support exhibitors with lead capture, and assist the organizer in delivering a remarkable experience. The people and the energy in the room stayed in the spotlight.
Shifting focus now to 2027.
”Seeing it in action, three things have me excited for 2027.
First, matchmaking that starts weeks before the doors open, so buyers and exhibitors arrive with meetings already on the calendar. Second, the goal data itself: for the first time, buyers told us directly what they came to accomplish, and that will shape our conference program. Third, giving exhibitors clearer proof of ROI, with every lead, note and follow-up in one place.”Darrin Stern, President & Managing Director, Koelnmesse Inc.
”Darrin and his team trusted us to build the experience for a new show in a new market, and we’re proud to have worked side by side to design something that made it personal. Attendees found the right people, and exhibitors kept every lead in one place. We both learned a lot in Houston, and it has us excited to build something even better together for 2027. That’s what a real partnership looks like, and it’s how we love to work with every organizer.
Max Gabriel, Co Founder & CEO, Markus AI
About Koelnmesse and h+h
Koelnmesse is one of the world's leading trade fair companies. Founded in 1924 and based in Cologne, Germany, it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 and runs around 80 trade fairs and events every year, in Cologne and in key markets around the world. Its North American team, Koelnmesse Inc., is based in Chicago.
In the craft world, h+h is a big name. h+h cologne is the leading international trade fair for textile handicrafts. h+h americas brings that same energy to North America every spring, bringing together the knitting, quilting, crochet, sewing, and wider creative industries.
The new Fall Edition in Houston adds a second moment in the year, under a motto we love: spring inspires, fall delivers. It is a B2B marketplace where retailers and brands connect, place orders, and plan their seasons.
The venue: Reliant Center, Houston
Houston is a natural home for a second show. The city is a major travel hub, with Hobby Airport about 15 minutes away and Bush Intercontinental about 30 minutes. The show took place at Reliant Center, one of the largest convention centers in North America, with on-site parking and a METRO light rail stop right at the park.
For a trade show built around buying and selling, that space matters. Buyers had room to browse 256 exhibiting companies across 44,215 net square feet, sit down for sessions to learn business insights, and stop for a conversation without feeling rushed. The central location also made travel easier for exhibitors and retailers coming from across the South and beyond.
What is next: h+h americas Fall Edition 2027
The first Fall Edition showed what this community wants: new products, new ideas, and the right people in the same room. Buyers came from 47 states and 19 countries, and most of them were new to the show.
h+h americas returns to Reliant Center in Houston in 2027. Booth applications are open now. If you want to put your brand in front of qualified wholesale buyers, independent retailers, and craft industry professionals, apply to exhibit at h+h americas Fall Edition or get 2027 updates.
Coming up first this spring, h+h americas returns to Rosemont (Chicago) on May 5 to 7, 2027.
Then, you can look forward to the Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival Houston, which will be October 22–24, 2027.
Resources
Fall Delivers:
Inside the First h+h americas Fall Edition in Houston
How Koelnmesse launched a brand new show with a personal experience for every visitor, enhanced value for the Exhibitor, and what happened when they offered new event tech, powered by Markus AI.
When a trade show launches a new edition, everyone is building something together. Exhibitors take a chance on a booth. Buyers make time for a show they have never visited. The organizer has one shot at a first impression.
That is what made the first h+h americas Fall Edition so special. From September 30 to October 2, 2026, the craft industry came together at Reliant Center in Houston, Texas, with 2,005 total attendees.
Koelnmesse worked with Markus AI to make sure each of them could find the right booths, the right sessions, and the right people. Our team was on site the whole time to help.
For more context on their selection process for this event technology -
Why Markus AI:
"Launching a new show in a new market, we knew seven in ten buyers would be walking our floor for the first time. We didn't need another event app. We needed every visitor to feel the show was built around their goals from the first hour. Markus treated personalization as the core of the experience, not an add-on, and they were willing to build it with us through every round of testing. That partnership mindset is what made the decision.”
Darrin Stern, President & Managing Director, Koelnmesse Inc.
The show at a glance
2,005 total attendance at the first Fall Edition
256 exhibiting companies
38 international exhibitors
70% of buyers were new to h+h americas
47 states represented
19 countries
44,215 net square feet of exhibits
A first-year show needs a personal touch
With seven in ten buyers brand new to h+h americas, the first few hours mattered a lot. New visitors did not know the floor, the schedule, or the exhibitors. Koelnmesse wanted each of them to feel that the show was built around their goals.
the h+h americas mobile event app, built by Markus AI, offered personalized journeys and a pre-event experience. It helped visitors:
Set personal goals for the show
Match those goals to exhibitors
Get session recommendations
Bookmark the exhibitors and sessions they cared about
Send meeting and connection requests
It helped Exhibitors too:
With their own section in the app, including lead capture with voice notes, so every conversation was saved in one place.
The Agenda, their goals, and a game plan, in every attendee’s pocket.
The h+h Event App was intuitive and built with pre, during, and post event capabilities in mind
Markus AI Offered Unified Event Technology
Houston was also a great example of tech solutions that integrated and played well together:
Registration: Swoogo
Floorplan: ExpoFP
Attendee personalization, Journey Mobile Event App, and clear action items: Markus AI
Getting there took real teamwork. The Koelnmesse team tested three rounds of builds, sent detailed feedback after each one, and pushed the Markus AI team to deliver a better end-to-end experience.
When integrations work smoothly, attendees do not think about the tech at all. They just find the right booths, have better conversations, and leave with a clear list of next steps.
The results: a path to real success
Here is how the audience used Markus AI across the three days:
53% of buyers on site utilized the app, along with about half of exhibiting companies
954 goals were set by 111 attendees, an average of 8.6 goals each
18.2 exhibitor bookmarks per attendee on average, with 1,912 bookmarks from 105 attendees
For a first-year event with no historical attendee data, Markus AI generated insights from 112 attendee conversations, helping the team understand buyer goals and interests in real time.
h+h americas Fall used this new technology to identify attendee priorities, uncover emerging interests, and gather actionable feedback that will help shape future editions of the show.
People with goals did more
Attendees or Exhibitors who completed the Markus Journey interview got more context and were the most active people at the show. 40% of goal-setters sent a meeting or connection request, compared with 5% of everyone else. They also saved & bookmarked 3.7 times as many exhibitors. In this event’s first deployment of this technology, one takeaway stood out: when people know what they came for, they go after it.
Actions and Follow Up Made Easy
Both the attendees, and the Exhibitors were able to export their connections and leads. Giving value to each end user.
Session suggestions hit the mark
37% of session scans were for a session Markus AI had recommended to that person. That is about three times the rate for sessions it had not recommended.
Exhibitors liked having every lead in one place
Exhibitors who used the app liked having all of their leads together. One said they "really liked the voice notes feature and had used it extensively."
What the craft community came for
Goal setting also gave the h+h americas team a clear view of what their buyers want.
Here is what attendees told Markus AI they came to achieve, by share of all goals:
Supplier partnerships and product sourcing: 40%
Trendspotting and market innovation: 25%
Equipment and tools acquisition: 15%
Strategic networking and collaborations: 12%
Business strategy and growth: 8%
Sourcing was the clear leader. Nine in ten goal-setters had at least one sourcing goal. The most goals came from e-commerce businesses, quilt shops, and educators.
The takeaway is simple. The floor already delivers on sourcing. The opportunity for next year is more content on retail operations and online selling, which will serve both the agenda and the sponsors.
On site with the Support Help Desk
Being on site for a first-year show is special. Everyone is building something new together, and you can feel it. The Markus AI team stayed late, got up early, and enjoyed every minute. We were there to help attendees get started with the app, support exhibitors with lead capture, and assist the organizer in delivering a remarkable experience. The people and the energy in the room stayed in the spotlight.
Shifting focus now to 2027.
”Seeing it in action, three things have me excited for 2027.
First, matchmaking that starts weeks before the doors open, so buyers and exhibitors arrive with meetings already on the calendar. Second, the goal data itself: for the first time, buyers told us directly what they came to accomplish, and that will shape our conference program. Third, giving exhibitors clearer proof of ROI, with every lead, note and follow-up in one place.”Darrin Stern, President & Managing Director, Koelnmesse Inc.
”Darrin and his team trusted us to build the experience for a new show in a new market, and we’re proud to have worked side by side to design something that made it personal. Attendees found the right people, and exhibitors kept every lead in one place. We both learned a lot in Houston, and it has us excited to build something even better together for 2027. That’s what a real partnership looks like, and it’s how we love to work with every organizer.
Max Gabriel, Co Founder & CEO, Markus AI
About Koelnmesse and h+h
Koelnmesse is one of the world's leading trade fair companies. Founded in 1924 and based in Cologne, Germany, it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 and runs around 80 trade fairs and events every year, in Cologne and in key markets around the world. Its North American team, Koelnmesse Inc., is based in Chicago.
In the craft world, h+h is a big name. h+h cologne is the leading international trade fair for textile handicrafts. h+h americas brings that same energy to North America every spring, bringing together the knitting, quilting, crochet, sewing, and wider creative industries.
The new Fall Edition in Houston adds a second moment in the year, under a motto we love: spring inspires, fall delivers. It is a B2B marketplace where retailers and brands connect, place orders, and plan their seasons.
The venue: Reliant Center, Houston
Houston is a natural home for a second show. The city is a major travel hub, with Hobby Airport about 15 minutes away and Bush Intercontinental about 30 minutes. The show took place at Reliant Center, one of the largest convention centers in North America, with on-site parking and a METRO light rail stop right at the park.
For a trade show built around buying and selling, that space matters. Buyers had room to browse 256 exhibiting companies across 44,215 net square feet, sit down for sessions to learn business insights, and stop for a conversation without feeling rushed. The central location also made travel easier for exhibitors and retailers coming from across the South and beyond.
What is next: h+h americas Fall Edition 2027
The first Fall Edition showed what this community wants: new products, new ideas, and the right people in the same room. Buyers came from 47 states and 19 countries, and most of them were new to the show.
h+h americas returns to Reliant Center in Houston in 2027. Booth applications are open now. If you want to put your brand in front of qualified wholesale buyers, independent retailers, and craft industry professionals, apply to exhibit at h+h americas Fall Edition or get 2027 updates.
Coming up first this spring, h+h americas returns to Rosemont (Chicago) on May 5 to 7, 2027.
Then, you can look forward to the Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival Houston, which will be October 22–24, 2027.