NEW YORK — Manufacturers of laundry machinery, textiles and chemicals made use of the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) here to exhibit a wide variety of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and upscale products for the hotel industry. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s West Side hosted the annual show in November.
A total of 15,122 people attended the show, down from 15,996 in 2013. Show management did not offer a reason for the decline in attendance.
Energy and water savings are playing an important part in the decision-making processes of many hotel managers who have become more environmentally conscious, according to Tony Johnson, senior marketing manager for the Institutional Division of Ecolab, a major chemical and detergent manufacturer based in St. Paul, Minn. The company exhibited its Aquanomic laundry system, which enables laundry managers to wash at temperatures as low as 100 F, reducing energy and water consumption by up to 40%.
“Water and energy savings and sustainability have been a focal point of this show,” he says. “In today’s environment, hotel managers are always looking for ways to reduce the impact of their properties on the environment. What we are offering them is another complementary technology to achieve that sustainability.”
Johnson was “encouraged by a lot of good traffic” at the company’s exhibit, he adds.
Hotel managers were also drawn to P&G Professional’s environmentally conscious exhibit, featuring its Tide® Professional Coldwater System, which aims to reduce energy use by 75% and water use by 40% in laundry operations. Washing in cold water requires fewer fills of washers and conserves water resources for hotels, according to Joe Davis, senior account executive for the company, based in Cincinnati.
“We’ve been busy at this show,” he says.
Xeros has built “greater brand awareness” among hotel managers at the show over the past two years with its patented, environmentally friendly laundry system, according to David Kaupp, vice president of the company, with U.S. headquarters in Manchester, N.H.
The system combines a proprietary polymer bead technology with a proprietary detergent solution to use 80% less water, 50% less energy and 50% less chemicals compared with traditional laundry operations, Xeros says.
“The show has been busier for us this year,” says Kaupp. “This year, there has been a different level of interest. Last year, there was curiosity about our system. Now that we have numerous installations to show, there is much more credibility. So, we have had a different level of conversation with hotel managers this year. We can demonstrate the savings on water, chemicals and utilities. So, they require less convincing.”
Textile and uniform manufacturers at the show also took a page from the sustainability playbook. Cintas, a uniform and apparel company with headquarters in Cincinnati, was recently honored by Marriott International with its 2014 Supplier Sustainability Award in recognition of the “significant impact” Cintas had in helping Marriott meet its environmental goals, including reducing water and energy consumption.
Nearly 2.5 million plastic bottles have been diverted from landfills around the world, thanks to Marriott’s use of 96,000 eco-friendly Cintas garments, which are composed of recycled polyester and flakes of post-consumer plastic bottles.
“Cintas has been a true partner in helping us reduce our environmental footprint,” says Denise Naguib, vice president of sustainability and supplier diversity for Marriott International.
In all, the worldwide use of Cintas’ eco-apparel programs by all Cintas customers resulted in the diversion of more than 19 million plastic water bottles from landfills in 2013.
Standard Textile took the opportunity to launch two new product offerings to the hotel industry: Vidori luxury sheeting, offering extended durability, and a stylish new robe collection by New York fashion designer Heidi Weisel. In Vidori sheeting, long-staple, combed cotton yarn encapsulates synthetic microfilament bundles. Therefore, the surface of the sheet consists almost entirely of 100% cotton yarns, according to Richard Stewart, corporate vice president of product development and sustainability for Standard Textile, based in Cincinnati.
“Essentially, Vidori has the look and feel of cotton, which many hotel guests desire,” Stewart explains. “However, the hotel manager will experience significantly higher tensile strength and product service life with Vidori. Both we and the hotel industry recognize the high operational costs associated with cotton linen. That’s why we engineered Vidori specifically for the hospitality market. Its additional strength makes it more cost-effective in the laundering process.”
The company attracted traffic and generated interest at its exhibit by using fashion models to display its new collection of terry robes.
It was a banner show for Cuddledown, maker of down-filled and blended-fill pillows, according to Ryan Scott, a hospitality sales associate for the company based in Yarmouth, Maine.
“On Sunday, we enjoyed great traffic and got many solid leads,” says Scott. “This could be our best year ever at the show.”
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