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The inaugural DIY CON took place Nov. 6-8 in Dallas, bringing HGTV personalities, online creators, makers, retailers and DIY consumers together for talks, workshops and product demonstrations. Organizers said the event aimed to help attendees turn project inspiration into practical skills and confidence, but attendance figures and a full sales or business impact were not provided in the report.
The inaugural DIY CON brought HGTV personalities, online creators, woodworking experts, retailers and DIY consumers together in Dallas from Nov. 6-8 for three days of talks, hands-on workshops and product demonstrations. The event sought to connect people who find project ideas online with in-person advice, tools and practice they could use to decide how to approach projects at home.
DIY CON combined Main Stage conversations with workshops aimed at beginner, intermediate and experienced makers. The Main Stage featured HGTV personalities including Drew and Jonathan Scott, Ty Pennington, Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, and Cole and Chelsea DeBoer. Attendees could also meet creators, try products and speak with vendors on the show floor.
Hands-on sessions covered deck-building fundamentals, live-edge charcuterie board construction and pocket-hole techniques. Workshop leaders included Brent Gentling of BYOTools and Anika Gandhi of Anika’s DIY Life; Mason Smith of DadSocial led other creator experiences. The event also included The Den, where attendees could meet makers and create a keepsake, and a Backyard area with a beer garden and a kid-friendly space.
The show floor included more than 75 vendors and manufacturers, according to the report, offering product demonstrations and special show deals. The North American Hardware and Paint Association brought products from its 2026 Retailers’ Choice Awards for attendees to see. The report does not give total attendance, exhibitor sales figures or a full assessment of the event’s commercial results.
From Online Ideas to Hands-On Skills
The event addressed a challenge identified by its organizers: DIY consumers have abundant project content online but may struggle to judge which advice is reliable, what tools to choose and whether a job is within their abilities. Putting creators and product makers in front of attendees offered a setting to ask questions, test products and practice techniques rather than relying only on video demonstrations.
That distinction matters for projects with cost or safety consequences. Event director Hector Morfin-Chong said consumers want to understand when they can do work themselves and when they should call a professional. The report describes workshops and advice, but does not establish that attendance improved participants’ project outcomes or safety. The practical value will depend on how attendees apply what they learned and whether they can identify work that requires qualified help.
The gathering also had a business dimension. Sterling Cherry and Caitlin Driscoll, executives at Madison Lumber & Hardware in Ketchikan, Alaska, attended to find ideas for the store’s DIY workshop and ways to attract more DIY customers. Their example shows how retailers may use creator-led programming to build relationships with customers, although the report does not say whether their plans changed after the event.
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A New Gathering for DIY Audiences
DIY CON was described as a brand-new show designed to bring together personalities from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, HGTV and the maker community. Lifestyle expert Kathryn Emery compared its mix of creators and fans to Comic-Con, while describing an atmosphere that included meetups, live music and a beer garden. Those are her characterizations of the event, not independent measures of its scale or audience response.
The program combined celebrity appearances with instruction and product access. That format reflects the event’s stated aim of moving beyond viewing project content on a screen: attendees could hear from well-known presenters, learn from specialists and see products from more than 75 exhibitors. The report identifies the activities and participants but does not provide a detailed schedule, ticket numbers or a comparison with other DIY trade or consumer events.
For retailers, the show also connected consumers with products and the independent hardware channel. NHPA displayed its 2026 Retailers’ Choice Awards products, while vendors demonstrated goods and services. Exhibitor Rick Goren, owner and inventor of Wristbeams and Rotoshovel, said the event helped him make vendor and independent-channel connections and put products in front of consumers.
““Today, the challenge is deciding which advice to trust, which tool is right, whether a project is realistic and how to get started.””
— Hector Morfin-Chong, DIY CON event director
Attendance and Results Not Reported
The report does not state how many people attended, how many exhibitors recorded sales, or whether organizers plan to repeat the event. It also does not provide a complete sales total or a measured assessment of whether workshops led attendees to complete projects. Goren said sales during the three days were “through the r” in the supplied source text, which ends mid-sentence; the incomplete wording does not support a conclusion about sales performance.
Comments from Emery, Morfin-Chong, attendees and exhibitors describe their experiences and aims, but they are not a survey of all participants. The report offers no attendee satisfaction data, independent evaluation or figures showing whether retailers gained customers after the show. Those outcomes remain unconfirmed.
Watch for Follow-Up From Organizers
The Nov. 6-8 event has concluded. The supplied report does not announce a date or location for another DIY CON, or identify a next program milestone. Further information from organizers would be needed to confirm whether the show will return and what changes they may make.
Readers looking for evidence of the event’s longer-term effect can watch for organizer updates on attendance and future plans, along with follow-up from exhibitors and retailers on sales, customer interest or new workshop programming. For now, the confirmed record is the three-day Dallas program, its listed speakers and activities, and the participation of more than 75 vendors and manufacturers.
Key Questions
When and where did DIY CON 2026 take place?
The inaugural event ran Nov. 6-8 in Dallas, according to the report.
Who appeared at DIY CON?
The Main Stage featured HGTV personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott, Ty Pennington, Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, and Cole and Chelsea DeBoer. The event also brought in DIY creators, makers, woodworking experts and vendors.
What could attendees do at the event?
Attendees could join workshops on topics including deck-building fundamentals, live-edge board construction and pocket-hole techniques; meet creators and makers; and watch vendor product demonstrations. The program also included family-oriented activities.
How many vendors took part?
The report says the show floor featured more than 75 vendors and manufacturers. It does not give a total attendance figure.
Has another DIY CON been announced?
The supplied report does not announce a date or location for a future event. Whether DIY CON will return remains unclear.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
