Hospitality Design Exposition
HOSPITALITY DESIGN EXPOSITION
LAS VEGAS 18-21 MAY, 2010
Lavish, luxurious, quite beautiful are some of the words that came to mind as we walked through the halls of this huge convention. While some people commented that this year the convention was smaller than the year before, we could not cover the entire show in one afternoon. The show is aimed at hotels, motels, contractors designing expensive homes, meeting rooms; there was very little that the private individual could obtain easily on his or her own. However, there were quite a few products that are, or shall be, available that Seniors will find both useful as well as improving their quality of life.
Before describing those products there are two things that need to be stated: the Green movement has spread to many of the products being displayed; some of them shall have specific mention; the second is to remember what was said above: we could not and did not cover the entire show!
One example of Green was displayed by a company called “Green Suites”. The products that are being sold to hotels and other service agencies are now packaged in paper rather than plastic. Items such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion and body wash are now in small paper containers. In addition to eliminating the plastic, these products are also easier to ship, lighter, and can stand up on their own. It shall be interesting to see if this product moves from only commercial distribution and become available to the general public.
A young lady developed a product that would help her son battle his problems with eczema. Called “Kevin’s Cure” it is designed to revitalize the skin with natural products developed from a reading of Native Indian herbs. If successful, this product would be equally useful for Seniors. Most, if not all, of us have some skin problems, and this product is worth testing! This company, “Sister Sky” has some other skin products that are both natural, smell great, and help bring moisture to the skin.
Aromatherapy is another natural product line by “Spazazz” that promises a healthy Spa experience. We have smelled the products and if that is the only criterion, they shall be a huge success. Shall they cure tired feet, tired bodies, and cure sinus problems — well, that would have to be tried out.
A product that we were wishing we could take with us is “KUULAIRE”. This all-natural evaporative cooler is a modern, sleek copy of the old swamp cooler. It works on the same principles but has many useful bells and whistles such as an automatic turn off when the water is used up. Since we came to Las Vegas from Laguna Woods (close to Laguna Beach, CA) this product seems quite useful! The coolers range in size from small room to fairly large living rooms.
I have no idea how many Seniors are interested in installing a safe to hold their valuables. There is a company that makes them in all sizes, with a broad variety of security precautions. “Safemark” is only one line marketing these safes that are predominantly aimed at hotels, and other commercial businesses but could easily be adapted to home use.
In order to find some of these useful products for Seniors we were “forced” to walk through many aisles of carpeting, drapes, kitchen and bathroom faucets, shower heads, Danish modern furniture (that cost about one years Social Security),weatherproof outdoor rockers, and the list goes on. One would need that huge house and an unlimited budget. The towels and linens felt soft to the touch and brought a touch of envy to my partner. One saw top of the line kitchen appliances (that would not even fit into our condo), as well as bedroom furniture and accessories that one would find in 5 million dollar homes. It was wonderful to see how the other half lives!
Back in the real world—we saw a product that is a natural candle; no flame but battery operated. This is a safe alternative to the candle that, often unwatched, has caused fires. While expensive, it is worth thinking about if one really needs that light.
If we should be able to attend this show again, roller blades or something similar would be well worth it.
The staff that put this huge show together did an awesome job! It was assembled well, and staffed with knowledgeable vendors!
By, John Lustig, Senior Reporter