Attendees Came Armed With Interest, Projects & Cash: HD 2002 Vendors

LAS VEGAS— Attendees at the recent HD 2002 show here came with an appetite for new products, as well as with projects, and, in some cases, cash. This was a very positive sign for both the lodging industry and vendors, who reported that overall this years event had given them plenty of quality leads and hope for a strong finish in 2002. “The show has been excellent for us,” said David Hall, owner, Moto Art. He said the company made its debut about four months ago, and so the interest at this show for his companys products (art pieces made from antique airplanes) was key. “We probably had over a 1,000 people come by our booth, which is incredible since I was here last year with a different product, and I didnt even get near the same response,” Hall said. At the Trevira booth, Wolf Velbinger, textile marketing specialist, reported his company was also having a good show— which was impressive considering Trevira (a fabric well-known in the lodging industry, particularly among designers and purchasing agents) is re-entering the North American market after a three-year absence due to an agreement that allowed only Avora (another similar fabric) to be sold here. “A lot of people still remember what Trevira is. The brand recognition is very, very high. The reactions been exceptional,” said Velbinger. “The response weve had here was incredibly good. Weve spoken to many designers not only from hotels, but also from cruise ships,” said Ulrich Girrbach, Treviras marketing director. Meanwhile, according to Suzette McHugh with Avora FR Marketing for Kosa, the interest level in Avora was “very high.” Indeed, Franklin Trammell Jr., marketing manager/polyester textile filament, agreed, saying that designers at HD were “pleased with our Avora line, which is totally rounded out with Avora Plus [which will launch in the second half of this year]. The show has exceeded our expectations.” “Business was good at this show,” noted Arnold Glassberg, regional sales manager/lighting products and energy products group for Panasonic Home and Commercial Products Co. Glassberg further noted since 9/11, the company only experienced a dip in December, with numbers coming back again in January and February. Indeed, many vendors at the show reported that since 9/11 they experienced some drop in sales. However, all the vendors that spoke with HOTEL BUSINESS® noted their numbers as of late are coming back, which shows the lodging industry is interested in doing business, and is moving forward with various projects. According to Susan Rodriguez, marketing assistant with R.D. Olson Construction, HD 2002 was a “good” show for the firm, but more importantly, she noted, business has been “okay” since September, though like everyone else the company saw a drop immediately following 9/11. According to James Lesslie, president, Design Origins and Shaw Hospitality, “We felt the effect post-9/11 as a delay, feeling it more in December and January [with]a little slowdown. But things have picked up and come back really nice since then, and the last four or five weeks have very busy. Project activity is coming back. “People were bringing projects in, not just looking. They were coming in saying, We have a project. Lets work on it,” added Lesslie. HD 2002 was also very “strong” for Richmond textiles. “We actually wrote business at this show, which has never happened to me in my almost 40 years in business,” noted Paul Richmond, chairman/CEO and founder. Richmond attributes the business from HD 2002 and other newer business to his latest product Kinetics (a fabric designed specifically for the bed and windows) which hasnt even had “samples put out on the street yet.” He said despite that fact his company has already “delivered this product to several notable hotels.” While Richmond declined comment on the names of specific hotels, he said Kinetics is in a hotel “in the Northeast, one in the middle eastern coast and one in the Midwest”— all of which a