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The inaugural DIY CON took place in Dallas Nov. 6-8, 2026, bringing DIY creators, HGTV personalities, makers and more than 75 vendors together for workshops, product demonstrations and stage conversations. Organizers said the event aimed to help attendees turn online inspiration into practical skills, trusted advice and connections.
DIY CON held its inaugural three-day event in Dallas Nov. 6-8, bringing HGTV personalities, online creators, woodworking experts, makers and home-improvement businesses together for workshops, product demonstrations and discussions. The event was designed to give DIYers a chance to learn directly from creators and test products, as organizers sought to connect online inspiration with practical project skills.
The program paired Main Stage conversations with hands-on workshops for beginners, intermediate DIYers and experienced makers. HGTV personalities Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott, Ty Pennington, Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, and Cole and Chelsea DeBoer appeared on stage. Workshop sessions covered deck-building fundamentals, live-edge charcuterie boards and pocket-hole techniques, among other activities.
The showfloor included more than 75 vendors and manufacturers, who presented products and services, held demonstrations and offered show deals, according to the event report. The North American Hardware and Paint Association also brought products from its 2026 Retailers’ Choice Awards, which recognize products the association describes as creative and innovative.
The event included social spaces and activities alongside the workshops and exhibits. Attendees could meet makers in The Den, make a keepsake, spend time in a Backyard beer garden and family area, or take part in activities in a Kids Zone. Sterling Cherry and Caitlin Driscoll, executives at Madison Lumber & Hardware in Ketchikan, Alaska, attended to gather ideas for the store’s DIY workshop and ways to reach more DIY customers.
Turning Online Ideas Into Skills
DIY CON’s format addressed a challenge its organizers identified: consumers have abundant project content online, but may have difficulty deciding which advice to trust, what tools to use and whether a project suits their abilities. In-person instruction and product trials give attendees a way to ask questions and practice techniques rather than relying on videos alone.
The event also connected consumers with retailers and manufacturers. For businesses such as Madison Lumber & Hardware, workshops and creator-led demonstrations can offer ideas for engaging customers who want to do projects themselves. That potential matters to independent hardware retailers looking to serve DIY customers as well as professional contractors, though the report does not establish how many attendees later took on projects or whether the event increased sales.
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A New Show for DIY Consumers
DIY CON was a new event, held for the first time in 2026. Lifestyle expert Kathryn Emery described it as a gathering for personalities from social platforms, HGTV and the maker community. Event director Hector Morfin-Chong said the show was intended to bring together creators that consumers already follow and offer a setting for direct interaction.
The programming blended entertainment and instruction, with celebrity-led conversations alongside practical sessions. The show also gave brands and inventors a chance to present products to consumers and make connections within the independent hardware channel. The available report describes the event and participants but does not provide attendance totals or a comparison with other trade or consumer shows.
““Today, the challenge is deciding which advice to trust, which tool is right, whether a project is realistic and how to get started.””
— Event director Hector Morfin-Chong
Attendance and Results Not Reported
The event report does not state how many people attended, how many participated in workshops or whether vendor sales rose overall. It also provides no post-event figures showing whether attendees completed projects or whether retailers saw lasting changes in DIY customer engagement. Those outcomes remain unclear from the available information.
The report quotes exhibitor Rick Goren saying his sales during the three-day event were “through the r” before the supplied source text cuts off. The full statement and any sales figures are not available here, so no conclusion about the exhibitor’s results can be drawn.
Future Events and Follow-Up Data
The source report does not announce a date or venue for a second DIY CON. Any plans for a future edition, as well as attendance, sales or workshop outcome figures from the inaugural show, remain unconfirmed in the material provided.
Further information from event organizers or exhibitors could clarify the show’s reach and commercial results. For now, the confirmed development is the completion of the first Dallas event and its mix of creator appearances, practical workshops, family activities and vendor demonstrations.
Key Questions
When and where was the inaugural DIY CON held?
The first DIY CON took place in Dallas from Nov. 6-8, 2026.
What could attendees do at DIY CON?
Attendees could watch stage conversations, take hands-on workshops, meet makers, see product demonstrations and visit a showfloor with more than 75 vendors and manufacturers.
Which HGTV personalities appeared?
The report lists Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott, Ty Pennington, Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, and Cole and Chelsea DeBoer among the Main Stage guests.
Did organizers report attendance or sales results?
The available report gives no total attendance or overall sales figures. It quotes an exhibitor, but the supplied text cuts off before his full statement is available.
Has another DIY CON been announced?
The source material does not announce a date or location for a future event.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
