This past week I attended the Hospitality Design Expo & Conference in Las Vegas, including Green Day, which prefaced the main event. Attendance was down by more than 50 percent for Green Day, when compared to last year. One Hospitality Design representative told me attendance for the Expo & Conference, including exhibitors, was comparable to 2008. All I can say is that there were times when there was good aisle traffic and other times when one could have rolled a bowling ball down an aisle without hitting anyone. As with most trade shows, some vendors were ecstatic with their leads, while others complained. Such is the nature of trade shows. If overall attendance really was lower, it would not be a surprise at all given the current downturn in our industry.
What was fascinating to me about attending this year’s event was learning about the new green products suppliers are offering, as well as expansions to vendors’ existing green lines. It is amazing how much research and money has been invested by companies to offer you environmentally friendly alternatives to more traditional products. None of these products are perfect, but each in its own way is one step closer to being truly green. What I mean by that is these products last longer than previous versions, help eliminate waste, reduce energy and water consumption, and in some cases provide a quick, measurable return on investment.
Which product trends struck me as most interesting this year? New fiber types, specifically from the Eucalyptus and beech wood trees, are showing up in fabrics and linens, and even as filling for pillows. Organic cotton, bamboo and recycled polyester are also becoming more common ingredients in soft goods. The feel of some of these new products is incredible. Soy-based foam is increasingly being used in furniture construction. Recycled glass is now quite common in hard surface finish materials and plastic made from recycled soda bottles is easy to find in outdoor furniture lines. At least three manufacturers at the Expo featured replaceable mattress tops. These innovations will double the life span of thousands of mattresses. Another mattress vendor was on hand with its waste-saving modular bed system.
Key Card Systems Introduced
Two vendors featured key card-based guestroom energy management systems—one based on wired technology, another on wireless. These types of systems are becoming more sophisticated and also more accepted in U.S. hotels. Carpet manufacturers introduced new recyclable collections made with a minimum of 25 percent pre-consumer recycled content and new and returning exhibitors promoted sustainable hardwood flooring and fine furniture.
Here are just a few more trends I noticed at the Hospitality Design Expo & Conference:
• Well-known designers with backgrounds in areas such as fabrics, soft goods and general hotel interior design are lending their talents to furniture manufacturers, creating new, highly functional lines with green elements (e.g., bamboo and other sustainable wood types).
• In conversations with suppliers, the focus was not only on new products, but the way they are made. In other words, more attention is being paid to eliminating inefficiencies, pollution and waste in manufacturing processes.
• Wallcovering makers continue to expand their lines that include recycled content. At least one supplier representative at the Expo said her company’s wallpaper take-back (recycling) program is gaining momentum.
• One faucet supplier introduced a custom fixture design program that allows any hotelier or designer to add their own nature-inspired design to a low-flow fixture (e.g., faucet, showerhead).
Stylish Recycling, Amenity Containers
• Luxurious and sleek, yet functional. These are not words often associated with recycling containers and amenity dispensers but these items are now available in classy designs for guestroom and public areas.
• I always thought that “green leather” was a bit of an oxymoron but leather processors are increasingly offering high-performance product that is PVC free and that does not include heavy metals, ozone-depleting chemicals, formaldehydes, or plasticizers during production.
• Product certification is a very hot topic. Among all the events on Green Day, the session that interested me most was the one on this topic. One speaker said there are currently more than 1,200 environmental product labels. Look for this to remain a topic of conversation as architects, designers and others continue to sort out which labels matter most.
If you would like to know which specific suppliers are offering any of the items described above, don’t hesitate to contact me. So as not to leave any of the good “green” companies out of this column, I decided not to mention any specific ones. Look for news about them, however, in the Vendor News section of Green Lodging News, as well as in future feature articles. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (440) 243-2055.
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