Bradley Beach, NJ, Release: For Immediate Release.
The Cookware and Bakeware Alliance (CBA) announces an exceptional lineup of industry experts and thought leaders for its 103rd Annual Spring Member Meeting, taking place April 30 – May 2, 2025, in Orlando. The event features critical updates on industry trends, regulatory insights, and strategic business development opportunities.
Craig Brightup, Chief Executive Officer of The Brightup Group LLC, kicks off the presentations with a comprehensive “Economic and Political Update and Impact on the Housewares Industry.” This session will provide valuable insights into tariffs and current market dynamics affecting the cookware and bakeware sector.
Previously, Brightup served as Vice President of Government Relations for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), where he established the organization’s Capitol Hill office in 1990. He managed all federal issues for the $30 billion commercial and residential roofing industry, including labor relations, worker safety, health care, energy, environment, transportation, insurance, procurement, regulatory reform, taxes, and immigration. His advocacy achievements earned him recognition in Fortune Small Business magazine’s Power 30 list of “influential insiders” in September 2000. In 2020, as head of The Brightup Group LLC, he was elected President of the Washington Industrial Roundtable.
Catalina Flores, Senior Research Analyst at Euromonitor, will present their latest “US Homewares Consumer Trends Report: Cookware.” Based in Chicago, Flores specializes in home and technology industries across the US and North America, offering members exclusive access to consumer behavior analysis and market trends. Euromonitor provides independent global business intelligence and consumer insights, with analysts in over 100 countries using advanced data science techniques to help businesses understand and navigate global markets.
Tom Lee, Partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, will deliver a crucial legislative update on the regulatory environment affecting cookware. His presentation will address state and federal regulations, extended producer responsibility laws, and other key topics vital to industry compliance and planning.
Lee serves as a trusted advisor on environmental matters in the firm’s Energy, Environment and Infrastructure Practice Group. He advises clients across real estate investment, food and agriculture, retail and consumer products, and chemical manufacturing industries.
His practice focuses on three core areas: transactional work, compliance counseling, and enforcement defense. Lee helps buyers and sellers navigate environmental conditions in real estate and corporate transactions, specializing in brownfield redevelopment. He guides projects from due diligence through closing and remediation, balancing environmental costs and risks. His compliance work includes facility audits, permit applications, and regulatory guidance. He also defends clients in matters related to the Clean Air Act, California regulations, Proposition 65, Green Chemistry Initiative, and TSCA.
Internationally acclaimed keynote speaker AmyK Hutchens headlines the event with “The Power of Profitable Conversations.” An Amazon #1 bestselling author and business strategist whose clients include Whole Foods, Expedia, and The Home Depot, Hutchens will share practical tools for enhancing leadership communication, driving team performance, and creating competitive advantages.
In this dynamic session, Hutchens will equip leaders with tools to boost performance and productivity in today’s changing business landscape. She emphasizes how mastering difficult conversations leads to success, sharing practical strategies for fueling top performance, strengthening partnerships, and promoting inclusion. Through a blend of humor and wisdom, she helps leaders unlock their potential and harness their teams’ collective intelligence to drive business growth.
CBA members can maximize their participation by purchasing the bundle ticket option—a hybrid attendance model that allows one team member to attend in person while another joins virtually. This flexible package ensures wider access to the event’s content and networking opportunities.
Non-members can experience CBA membership benefits firsthand by participating virtually in the event.
For registration and additional information, visit the event registration page at: CBA Annual Spring Member Meeting Registration.
About The Cookware & Bakeware Alliance (CBA)
The Cookware and Bakeware Alliance is a vital housewares trade association, delivering critical industry resources as a voice of authority and influence uniting the industry by setting engineering standards for product and consumer safety.
The CBA is recognized as a leader in developing and communicating product safety standards and innovative solutions for the cooking and baking industry. For more information about the Alliance, its upcoming events, and how to become a member, visit https://cookwareandbakeware.org/.