LAS VEGAS Despite the nation s economic worries and their effect on the hotel industry, design is still seen as key in creating profitable properties, as evidenced by the strong turnout at Hospitality Design (HD) 2001.
As HD drew to a close, exhibitors in general were pleased with the amount of traffic since the show floor opened Thursday, March 29th. According to show management, as of noontime, March 31, there were roughly 8,000 in attendance at HD, which serves architects, interior designers, consultants, developers, owners/operators, purchasing agents and specialists.
Many of the exhibitors that spoke with HOTEL BUSINESS. which represented a cross-section of vendors serving the hospitality industry reported they were busy during the show, and had received a number of “quality sales leads.”
When asked to share their thoughts about the economy, most answered that while they were concerned about the downturn it s been taking lately, they really hadn t been seeing too much of a slowdown in business. Some even reported having a backlog of orders that would likely carry them through if the economy keeps heading south.
Overall, HD exhibitors expressed a fair amount of optimism about surviving in the current market conditions. (4/2/01) Barbara Capella Loehr