Join us for an exclusive recap of ISPA EXPO’s first day, where BedTimes and Sleep Savvy editors Beth English, Waynette Goodson, and Kathryn Greene share their firsthand experiences and highlights from the event.
Transcript
Beth English
Hi, Beth English. Welcome. to ISPA EXPO day one. First day wrap. We are so excited to share some of the things we’ve seen today. But first of all, I have to say the attendance here is wonderful. It’s higher than prior years. We’re about 30% international visitors, so we are so excited. I also got to attend our panel session on government actions that will affect your upcoming business.
Beth English
We’ll be writing about that. Look for things about packaging, product safety, and anti-dumping. I also got to visit Hickory Springs and saw their MICRO 3D PLUS. It’s a brand new product, and it’s microcoils backed by a spacer fabric. It looks really cool and really comfortable. So Waynette, what have you seen?
Waynette Goodson
Well, I want to give a big shout-out to TieTex International and Marty Wildeman. They’re kicking off their 50th anniversary here at the show, and they have brought this very innovative new product. It is a new SmartCap FR barrier that’s like a fitted sheet and goes on the bed like a fitted sheet. So it’s an alternative to an FR Sock, and it’s supposed to be easier to put on the bed.
Waynette Goodson
So next, A Lava, everybody’s talking about the round bed, right? So I had to get on the round bed. The idea behind this is that they are showing what they can do. Their clients come in with ideas, and then they put those ideas together for the client to bring them to light. And finally, Creative and Camilla Franklin has what she’s calling a super cooling, super soft Mélange polyethylene fabric that’s supposed to be very luxurious, has high loft, and has lots of value.
Waynette Goodson
So, there was lots of innovation and lots of great ideas. Kathryn, what have you got?
Kathryn Greene
Well, this is my very first EXPO, so there is so much to see. I don’t even think I’ve barely made a dent today. But that’s okay because there are days two and three to look forward to. So, you know, I stopped by Wright Creative Labels, and they were showing off just everything they can do, including ticking and branding. And so they made four mock brands for people to take a look at to flex their muscles.
Kathryn Greene
So there was Deja Vu, which is kind of their 1970s retro-inspired one, and Estuary, which is a little beachy coastal. Let’s see. They had Eden, which was totally floral, and then Adoro, which was kind of like a super luxury Italian royal purple. So it was really pretty to see all the different things that they could do.
Kathryn Greene
I also stopped by Mountain Top Foam, which currently makes the only gold-certified foam in the U.S., and it comes in four different firmnesses. So, there is lots of flexibility and choices. Also, something to note is Aydin, which had a mattress ticking called Collasea made out of marine collagen. So that’s supposed to be eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, and have all these great health benefits.
Kathryn Greene
So I thought that was really cool. I’ve not seen that before.
Beth English
As you can see, there’s quite a lot to see and do here. We look forward to checking back in with you on day two.
Waynette Goodson
Day two.
