|
 by
Jacqueline Monahan
jaxn8r@msn.com
Hospitality
Quad Visits Las Vegas Convention Center
The Hospitality Show, in town from February 24-27, actually turned out
to be four shows in one, thankfully housed under one enormous roof. Your
intrepid yet humble correspondent ventured out onto the convention floor
to bring you these observations and innovations:
Coffee & Tea
The smallest of the shows, this one was also the most charming. Quaint
displays of product, many times accompanied by pastries and chocolates,
beckoned the visitor to step a little closer. Samples were readily
available, and if it was a caffeine rush you were after, you could have
achieved it just a few steps.
The Maya Tea Company specializes in loose leaf teas in black, green,
white, scented, oolong and herbal. Tea titles reflect the exotic appeal
and sometimes utter whimsy of varietal uniqueness: Darjeeling 2nd Flush,
Cosmopolitan Gunpowder, Preferred White Peony, African Rose, and my
favorite, Monkey Picked Tie Guan Yin Oolong.
Green Tree Coffee and Tea was especially hospitable, sending me home
with several pounds of product. The Gourmet Black and Gourmet Passion
Fruit loose teas are best served cold. The Arabica roast coffee in
single serving “pods” and four-cup coffeemaker quantities also comes in
decaf. Other coffee varieties include Island Blend, Mountain Blend, and
World Blend.
Al Madina Foods sent me away with a pound of their loose green tea. They
also feature hard and soft candy, olive oil, tomato paste and assorted
chocolates.
Healthwise Gourmet Coffee is low in acid, high in yield and less bitter
than its regular counterpart. It’s also high in minerals and
micro-nutrients and is 100% Columbian, made from Supremo beans.
Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company offers exotic varieties such as Rwanda
Cylya Mugambira, is full of nutmeg spice with a velvety smooth texture.
They also offer organics from Ethiopia and Sumatra, roasting orders as
they come in for maximum freshness. Loose teas are also sold, but coffee
is definitely the emphasis here
Hotel
What do you think of when you hear the word “hotel?” Most likely beds,
ice machines, and those funny hangers with detached hooks. They are all
here, along with surprising amenities that don’t automatically come to
mind, but you’ll be glad someone thought of them as you book your next
room for the night.
BluWorld of Water offers designs to enhance the ambiance of hotel
lobbies and restaurants. You may not want a waterfall in your room, but
who doesn’t appreciate the calming sounds of rushing water at the end of
a long day? Their Bubble Panel made for a hypnotic oasis in the middle
of a bustling show.
Oxygenics Showerheads continue the water theme, only this time it’s
inside your room. The TriSpa model incorporates patented smart
technology into an all-new revolutionized multi-spray showerhead. It
offers three pressurized spray patterns for a dynamic and luxurious
shower experience and can be fixed to the wall or offered as a handheld
device. All this, and it conserves water, too.
Sanitaire Commercial Vacuums, the little red vacuum with the big suction
power, had a monochromatic, eye-catching booth that just screamed
“hotel.” Although you don’t expect to vaccum while in your room, you’d
like to think that one is used daily with sparkling results. Sanitaire,
a Eureka offspring, is a line made to live long and work hard, providing
filtration and eliminating bags. Built to last, and serving commercial
cleaners for 30 years, some machines are still going strong after 20
years of use. This is one time when you want a product to suck – a lot.
Sanitaire does, so your hotel room and communal spaces won’t.
The Mobile Pack is an innovative, cartless solution to bulky
housekeeping monstrosities that block hallways and doorways. Looking
more like streamlined luggage, Mobile Pack is constructed of ballistic
nylon and contains removable inner caddies for restocking supplies.
There are outside pockets for bottles and brushes. The whole thing is on
wheels with a telescoping handle and less than half of the size of what
you’re used to seeing as you try to squeeze past it on your way in or
out.
The rest of The Hotel Show dealt with beds (who wouldn’t want a Simmons
Beautyrest?) and trade products such as “revolutionary” flat screen TV
wall mounts. Furniture and lighting were explored in a way that buyers
could appreciate. Admit it, as long as you get a daily sheet change and
a shot at the mini-bar, you’re happy with your stay, right? Let’s be
thankful to the people who think of everything else so we don’t have to.
Restaurant
There’s food here, people. Like a heat-seeking missile, your humble
correspondent sought out morsels to munch on in the name of journalism,
finding comfort and joy in the following offerings:
Mt. Olive Gourmet Foods, Inc. is responsible for portable falafel sticks
and burgers, as well as accompaniments such as hummus, tahini and pita.
This Middle Eastern fare has never been so convenient. It’s low-fat,
contains protein and fiber and contains no preservatives. Falafel is
made of ground chickpeas, and tahini is a sesame paste. If you’ve never
tried this amazing combination of flavors, make this the year you give
in to the urge. Did I mention that they’re vegan and kosher too? What’s
not to love?
The Japan Miso Promotion Board was eager for us to try their soup, as if
I needed any persuading other than a good look at the product. Small
cups were filled with chunks of tofu and seaweed slivers. Hot miso soup
(a soybean by-product) was then added at the last minute to be savored
with tiny spoons. There are different types, like Kome (rice-malt) Mugi
(barley-malt) and Mame (soybean malt) which adds to flavor variations.
Full of protein and isoflavones, miso is good for you, too. I’m already
a soy cheerleader and this was just one more thumbs-up for the versatile
bean.
If salad dressing is your turn-on, you’d be positively orgasmic at the
Girard’s booth. Their accompanying pamphlet is as large as a six-page
restaurant menu, except that every entry among the hundreds listed in
small print is a salad dressing. There are four different kinds of bleu
cheese dressing. Reduced Calorie gets its own section, as does Fat Free.
There are too many types of vinaigrette to count, and the mayonnaise
descriptions might have you dreaming of your next sandwich encounter.
Their booth featured as many colorful dressings as they could fit into
the allotted space. Visitors grabbed a carrot stick and sampled to their
heart’s content; it was hard not to, even with the threat of an eventual
“double-dip.” Anything to bring the story to you, dear reader.
Meanwhile, the Mulay’s All Natural Sausage booth was busy serving up
their nitrate/preservative/hormone-free sausages to an endless line that
kept forming and re-emerging. With Italian and breakfast varieties to
try, there were many anonymous excuses to go back for just one more
bite. Mulay’s never disappointed, making me feel better about my rare
carnivorous foray into the world of red meat.
Atkins Elegant Desserts offer up a new sugar-free dessert Line featuring
four cheesecakes: New York, Strawberry Swirled, Triple Chocolate, and
Rich Caramel. These are indistinguishable from full-sugar cheesecakes.
Beware, though. Sugar-free does not mean calorie-free, so erase those
visions of burrowing through an entire pie in one sitting. I know; so
close and yet so far.
Look for Bagel Holes, which are like their donut counterparts, only warm
and stuffed with cream cheese. The bagel dough and cheese vary to make
hundreds of combinations. After taking a bite, I found I was not able to
have my mouth back for several minutes due to the combined chewiness and
creaminess. I’m not complaining, though. It was quite a nice way to shut
up for awhile.
Other aspects of the Restaurant Show included booths on restaurant
equipment, chef uniforms and cleaning supplies, but I didn’t get their
names. I was too busy trying to get my mouth around the frozen yogurt
dispenser for a more direct sample. Anything to being the story to you,
dear reader.
Nightclub & Bar
This show was like the wild, older sister of the other three; one who
likes to party, stay out late and drink – a lot. The one who likes
pounding house music, tattoos and bling, has a collection of club
wristbands and yard-long drink glasses.
Nightclub & Bar was the place to be, the most crowded and thankfully,
the largest space dedicated to a particular show. Here was the booze and
the noise and the gadgets and the energy drinks. Vodka was everywhere,
from Sweden (Svedka) and Russia (Slavianskaya). There’s even a
vitamin-infused brand (V2) and one for the fashion conscious (Bling).
As for containers to capture all of that lovely liquor, Tooters supplies
shakers, shot glasses, lighted tubes, martini glasses, football cups,
injector shots and yard-long glasses for all types of libation fun. The
Twist ‘n Shot people want you to know that there’s now a container in
which to make Jell-O shots with a swivel interior to loosen it right
into your mouth. A faster high for everyone. Score!
You want energy drinks? Represented were Sex Drive, Go Girl, 5-hour
Energy, XL, Fuel Cell, Zipfizz, Powerock, The Jimi Hendrix Liquid
Experience, and the one and only Red Bull. Dancing club girls celebrated
Radioactive.
Here an entire booth was dedicated to hangover remedy, Chaser Plus.
Another, Olive-it, celebrated hand-stuffed olives (not just pimientos,
but bleu cheese, almonds, lemon twists, onions, jalapenos, garlic, hot
peppers).
Flavored cigarettes and cigars from Zanzibar found a rare, receptive
audience. Cherry, Vanilla, Chardonnay, Latte and Citrus cigarettes were
stacked side by side with Honey, Grape, Sour Apple, Peach Passion,
Raspberry and Strawberries & Cream cigars. Stonewall offered a hard
snuff tobacco product which is powdered and designed to dissolve in the
mouth, one way for a club to stay smokeless.
Money counter machines were also on display featuring counterfeit
detection, remote display and retractable handles. All that wonderful
Sin City money will be safely and swiftly counted. Royal Sovereign’s was
full of the real stuff when I looked at it. These guys are in the right
place, for sure.
Playing a table game but afraid your drink will get warm? The ChillDisc
people have come to your rescue. Their gaming table has chilled
compartments for your drink so you can concentrate on your game without
the threat of a lukewarm Screwdriver swig to distract you.
The people at J.J. Jinkleheimer can put advertising absolutely anywhere,
as demonstrated by their printed urinal pads stating, “Don’t piss your
money away on promotions that don’t work.” Okay, they got my attention.
This company also had cleverly wrapped T-shirts packaged to look like
cars, trees or other objects. There doesn’t seem to be anything on which
they can’t put a logo, saying or graphic.
Sound systems, promotional models, micro-chip embedded VIP cards, bar
stools, wine bags, corkscrews, pour spouts, bar sets, mixers, snacks,
ice chests, college and NBA bottle covers, and flasks (some shaped like
cell phones and binoculars) were all represented at the show. Girls in
tiny costumes trying to cover big assets were everywhere. Guys watching
girls in tiny costumes were everywhere. You can imagine the atmosphere.
Hospitality means many things, from a handshake in the lobby of a
five-star hotel, to a Stoli shooter from a pink-lipped shot glass in a
smoky club after midnight. It’s a gourmet meal from a celebrity chef or
a scone with a cup of tea in a little neighborhood shop. It’s one great
big show featuring four very different siblings. I’m always glad to get
a chance to visit whenever they’re in town.
Footwear
Goes Global: WSA Show Walks Through Las Vegas
Imelda Marcos would be impressed. Even the former first lady of the
Philippines and noted shoe hoarder (she had 2700 pairs) could not
compete with the World Shoe Association, in town from February 3-5 at
the Venetian/Sands Expo/Mandalay Bay exhibits which covered thousands of
square feet (no pun intended) with shoes, handbags, shoes, accessories,
and shoes!
The massive space, which took up several convention floors and suites in
three separate locations, displayed every color, shape, style and
material possible to cover a human foot. Accessories included matching
handbags, credit card cases, and shoe jewelry.
Among the finds at this year’s winter show:
Issac Daniel Running Shoes – GPS enabled
GPS technology, embedded into seven different men’s and women’s sneaker
models with 19 color combinations, are outfitted with a microcomputer
with satellite tracking communication that, in the event of a perceived
crisis by the wearer, can activate a Covert Alarm Locator. The alarm
generates an emergency signal to the company’s ID Conex monitoring
station, pinpointing the shoes’ location anywhere on earth. The
whereabouts of the wearer are then communicated to law enforcement
authorities.
ICON
 Shoes,
handbags and accessories are crafted of soft, top grain American
leather. ICON uses an innovative printing process to bond images to
leather.
 This
process creates exact replicas of fine art. Along with up and coming
artists, Icon features products that bear the images of classic masters
such as Modigliani, Renoir, Seurat, Monet, Henri Rousseau, Van Gogh,
Vermeer. It was the Hygeia image by Gustav Klimt that drew me into the
suite, where handbags, totes, credit card cases, Mary Jane wedges and
athletic mules awaited in splendid form.
Donald Pliner
The Donald J. Pliner Spring 2008 collection combines humanitarian goals
with fashion. Throughout the collection you’ll find shoes and handbags
detailed with the three-pronged peace symbol. Anytime one of these items
is sold, Donald J. Pliner donates a percentage to the Peace for the
Children Foundation. This company created a custom alligator dress shoe
for NBA star Shaquille O’Neal in a size 22, big enough to hop aboard and
take a cruise in. The high end offerings found in the Spring 2008
collection will keep you in fashion Nirvana and help with a good cause.
Apara/Yaktrax
These gel inserts for shoes are placed either inside or outside to
assist with fit, comfort or safety. They are a girl’s best friend in the
ongoing love/hate relationship with high heels. This company also
manufactures Yaktrax, a spiky, gripper attachment for shoes that have to
brave ice and snow. A model demonstrated on a nearby block of ice. We
like our shoes, but don’t want to risk our lives wearing them. Thanks to
Apara, we don’t have to.
Silvia Zumarraga’s SZ collection
Her newest collection of handbags and satchels was breathtakingly
presented in her Venetian suite. The Argentina native features original,
large leather bags that each say class and elegance in their own way.
Roomy and stylish, you won’t mind carrying all that weight when you look
this good doing it.
Booty Up
Invented by Australian TV personality Jennifer Hansen, these boot
inserts prevent “boot droop”. The conical forms have a removable cap to
stack easily for storage or to add extra weight to give stability to
very high heeled boots. These are portable and as light or heavyweight
as you make them – a great invention from down under to keep boots
standing tall.
The Nomass Jimi Hendrix Collection
The guitar master is immortalized in paisley, flower and psychedelic
prints as well as solid colors. The Purple Haze face print on a high or
low-top athletic shoe is sure to rock-chic any outfit all along the
fashion watchtower.
Grafeetti
Re-Markable shoes change with your mood and transform your look. They
are the only shoes you can write on and erase, over and over again. Re-Markable
by Grafeetti, designs by you.
Totles
This shoe jewelry lets you change your shoes without taking them off.
Start with a base of sandal or wedge in a solid color. Add jeweled
adornment, in crystal or multi-colored beads. Variations are endless, so
it’s possible to pack one pair of shoes and bring along ten different
looks, all fitting into a cosmetic case or smaller.
Kashi Kicks
Las Vegas homeboy Liberace gets his own line from Kashi Kicks. With
names like Mink, Rococo, Matador, Pink Glass and Butterfly, the sneakers
feature a piano key design which adorn the sides of the sole and tongue
along the upper panels. Butterfly is mauve, orange and pink on a white
background. Matador is red, Rococo and Mink are black, with the addition
of mink on parts of its namesake shoe. Designs are based on actual
Liberace costumes, found in the museum which bears his name.
Draven
 Draven
is a California based company combining cutting edge foot fashion and
bold rock ‘n roll inspired styles. This hip line of footwear brings
together art, music, and skateboarding in a fusion that helps define the
company through innovative designs
Lilly Pulitzer
 Yes,
that Pulitzer. The resort and lifestyle designer features magnificent
art-inspired shoes that you will gladly show off as your own personal
prize. With ease of wear in mind, the shoes are colorful, comfortable,
and well crafted. To follow your busy lifestyle, the Lilly Pulitzer Shoe
Collection includes a range of styles from fashionable evening footwear
to flip flops for around town.
Steve Madden
 One
of the footwear fashion icons of the 21st century, Steve Madden has
maintained the direct day-to-day responsibility for the design and
marketing of the company's trend setting shoes for the past two decades.
With over $500 million in sales to date, Steve Madden, Ltd. is one of
the most successful brands in the fashion footwear market. Consistently
featured in the media, the brand maintains global recognition and
appeal. Your humble correspondent has a pair of black boots that draw
raves, so that’s another reason to be mad for Madden.
Diesel
 With
its stunning clothing line making waves in the fashion industry, it’s no
wonder that Diesel shoes are making an impact as well. Diesel is an
innovative international design company, producing a wide-ranging
collection of clothing and accessories. The company is present in over
80 countries. Diesel design is innovative and at times a bit radical,
just like its growing customer base.
Ragg Footwear
 Featuring
fun, casual footwear for all ages in the U.S., Canada, and Australia,
Ragg Footwear’s line of children’s shoes in whimsical colors and styles
(like the Jellies) will make it fun and fashionable to be seen in Raggs
no matter what the occasion.
Shoetube.tv
This online shoe community for women features videos, blogs, insider
information and links to deals in the footwear world.
I wore out a good deal of shoe leather covering the multi-sites of the
WSA, but can be assured, just by the scope of the event and the quantity
of styles, collections and interest that I will have a longer way to go
before I ever run out of footwear.
For further information:
http://www.wsashow.com
|
