August 7th, 2012 by TRT Blog

As we mentioned in our last blog post, we recently attended the BITAC Purchasing & Design East at the end of July and in addition to meeting some great contacts, we were also able to attend some very informative and educational sessions. One of which was a discussion with Bruce Ford, SVP of Business Development with Lodging Econometrics, a hotel industry research firm.

During the discussion, Bruce provided insight into the current hotel market, including why 27 months of industry improvement has increased the number of renovation projects.

Of the current construction trends, owners of hotel properties in need of renovation are increasingly making those restorations, instead of selling, with the goal of saving long-term money while enabling increased room rates. In fact, this trend has been so widespread, according to Bruce, hotel sale numbers are only half of what experts thought they would be for 2012.

Also, renovation tactics, including refinishing, reupholstering, and remanufacturing, are being used to meet corporate brand product improvement plans (PIPs), which can be pricey and difficult to fulfill. By renovating, as compared to buying new furniture, hotel owners are taking out fewer loans and minimizing upfront costs, while still maintaining their franchise status.

If you’re a hotel owner thinking about renovating, Bruce suggests you start planning now. Even though the summer, conference season and the holidays mean busy hotels for the foreseeable future, the offseason is right around the corner. To read the entire article on Bruce’s BITAC session, visit Hotel Interactive here.

And if you’re looking to complete renovations at your hotel, from armoire conversions to custom remanufacturing, contact The Refinishing Touch for a free quote.

armoire modification, BITAC, Bruce Ford, furniture asset management, hospitality, Hotels, Lodging Econometrics, refinishing, renovations, reupholstery, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch, Travel

August 3rd, 2012 by TRT Blog

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we always enjoy attending industry events because they allow us to meet other vendors, catch up with past customers, and connect with new, promising contacts. And last month was no exception – we spent a good portion of July flying across the country to attend ACUHO (Association of College and University Housing Officers – International) in Anaheim, CA and BITAC East in Hollywood, FL.

Our whirl-wind month began in Anaheim on July 7^th. The ACUHO event was held at the Orange County Convention Center and kicked off on Friday night with a group outing to the Angels baseball game. The next day, in spirit of the event’s theme of ‘Going Green’, we were able to speak with both newcomers and long-time ACUHO participants on the positive environmental impact that our services provide. While we attend the ACUHO event annually, this year it was great to see a large number of first-time attendees.

Next, we traveled to Florida for the BITAC East event, beginning on July 22^nd. We started the event with a wonderful dinner and networking session where we got to meet potential customers who are eager to get renovation projects in the pipeline. We also had the pleasure of speaking during Monday’s lunch about the financial and environmental benefits of furniture asset management – we even gave away ‘office dirt’, a little can of grass to brighten up any office desk.

Finally, we participated in The Peanut Butter & Jelly Challenge, an event-wide charity effort that provides sandwiches for needy individuals and families. This year the BITAC event helped feed over 1,600 people.

Now that these two events are complete, The Refinishing Touch is looking forward to connecting with the people we had the pleasure of meeting, while continuing to save our customers money and carbon emissions by embracing furniture asset management services.

Were you at the ACUHO and BITAC events this past month and didn’t get the chance to speak with us? Send us an email at sales@therefinishingtouch.com. We would love to connect!

ACUHO, Anaheim, armoire modification, BITAC, Events, furniture asset management, Hollywood, refinishing, reupholstery, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch

December 16th, 2011 by TRT Blog

As the temperatures begin to drop across most of the country, we were lucky enough to spend a few days last week in sunny Palm Beach, Florida attending the first ever BITAC Owners event. The event brought hotel industry executives and suppliers together to discuss thoughts and ideas on the current state and future direction of hotel branding.

The event combined panel discussions, attendee polling, and industry speakers. We were particularly interested in the panel discussion that tackled asset value for hotel brands, touching on social media, new technology systems, and the evolution of green hotels:

• 44% of attendees said that social media was the biggest challenge for them to keep up with, 38% said it was the ever-changing technological systems.
• 12% of attendees thought that half of hotel guests want green hotels, while 58% said the drive for green hotels is still in early stages.

We also had the opportunity to listen to Bruce Ford from Lodging Econometrics, a hotel industry project research firm, discuss the state of the industry, including lodging trends and markets, why top markets continue to dominate, and how brands and banks are forcing hotel owners to renovate.

The BITAC Owners event was a great experience for The Refinishing Touch, and we thoroughly enjoyed the event. We always love the opportunity to meet with hotel owners directly and create relationships across the industry.  We can’t wait for next year!

2011, BITAC, BITAC Owners event, Bruce Ford, event, hospitality, hotel industry, Lodging Econometrics, panel discussion

November 4th, 2011 by TRT Blog

October was a busy month for us. Projects were on-going, but more than that, a lot of us here at The Refinishing Touch took on the title of ‘jet setters’ for the month. We attended five shows throughout October, each with its own unique group of attendees that we were able to interact and connect with.   From hospitality events to university presentations, October was an excellent month for networking and learning.

The month kicked off with the AUCHO/APPA show in Orlando, Florida where our president and founder, Mario Insenga, spoke to the crowd about the importance for universities to maintain and increase sustainability efforts in housing and student facilities. Many university decision makers were in attendance and it was certainly helpful to connect with so many in that field.

From there, it was a short cross-town trip to the Hampton GM Conference. To say the show was a blur would be an understatement. From the moment our booth was setup, we had a constant stream of attendees stopping by our booth to inquire about armoire modification. After all the travelling between the two shows, it was great to enjoy some of the amenities Hampton provided, such as free massages and a luau reception.

Three large shows closed out the month for us, and it all started with BITAC West in beautiful Palm Springs, California. The show was centered on renovations, something we know quite a bit about. Throughout the three day event our team met with existing and potential clients to discuss renovations. Designers who spoke at the show—to groups and with us personally—all saw the benefit to refurbishing as opposed to buying new. It’s always encouraging when a variety of people see the value in the work we’ve been doing for so long. The event was a major success and we’re looking forward to attending the BITAC Owners show in December.

After BITAC, we flew to Las Vegas to take part in the InterContinental Hotel Groups tradeshow. This was another successful event where we were able to speak with many hotel decision makers regarding how our services could benefit their properties. Because IHG such a large, well-known brand, it made sense there would be well-known entertainment acts. We weren’t disappointed to see Ellen DeGeneres, Sugarland and Greyson Chance, who all performed to close the show.

Finally, on the 31^st, we were in attendance at the Best Western Convention, back in Orlando. Much like the Hampton event we were at earlier in the month, we were beset with requests for information on our armoire modifications. We spoke with multiple people across the Best Western family, many who made the trip down from Canada. The show also gave us a good look into the backend of the Best Western supply chain and offered us the ability to have our services and products displayed for owners and GMs.

While the month was spent flying back and forth around the country, it was immensely rewarding. We connected with potential clients, learned more about how our existing clients operate and were able to help spread the message about the work we do. We couldn’t have asked for a better month and are looking forward to developing new projects from the connections we made along the way.

ACUHO, Best Western, BITAC, Events, IHG

July 26th, 2011 by TRT Blog

The summer of travel continues for The Refinishing Touch. Last week we touched down in Orlando, FL, for this year’s Buyer’s Interactive Trade Alliance & Conference (BITAC). The details of each event are always carefully planned and this year was no different. From the beginning to the end, both our presence and the overall show was organized and executed perfectly. And it’s a good thing– with so much going on, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and miss out on the excitement.

Kicking off BITAC was the welcome dinner that The Refinishing Touch sponsored. Throughout the evening, our video presentation could be found on displays around the area and both Founder and President Mario Insenga and Lindsay Smith were introduced to the entire crowd. That night we broke the ice with those who attended with a few rounds of BINGO where everyone who won raised $25 for the Salvation Army. Yelling out “Bingo!” has never been so rewarding.

The next day is when everyone got to business. Introductions of hotel executives, vendors and suppliers took place and many were involved in interactive panels which offered insight into how executives have handled situations on their properties. After panel, attendees offered their ideas on how to handle these issues and the panel members each described their course of action. The panels were a great way to learn the needs and decision-making processes of those in charge of hotel properties.

Another great moment for us was when Mario was given an opportunity to showcase his knowledge of the hospitality industry during his own presentation and offering some hints to The Refinishing Touch’s ‘secret sauce’ recipe. It’s one thing to be able to meet with people in intimate one on one sessions at a booth, but having the opportunity to speak to a large group is a chance we never pass up. We hope everyone enjoyed the presentation as much as we enjoyed giving it.

We’d be remiss to not mention one of the more messy but worthwhile charity services events we’ve been a part of. Continuing the work with The Salvation Army, almost everyone who attended teamed up in groups to see which team could create the most peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in 20 minutes. All the sandwiches would later be paired with granola bars and drinks to be distributed to the homeless and less fortunate families in and around Orlando. Lindsay’s team was able to create an impressive 85 sandwiches in 20 minutes and BITAC ended up donating more than 1,600 sandwiches overall.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Orlando without a stop at Universal Studios. Dinner on our last night was held at the Universal Studios in Soundstage 33 followed by fireworks and exclusive use of two of the most popular rides there, Men in Black: Alien Attack and The Simpsons Ride. A playful end to a successful show.

BITAC was certainly a busy event. We were able to find time for more than 20 meetings with industry friends, old contacts and potential new ones, while also giving presentations, sponsoring other events and helping the less fortunate. This is one of the biggest shows in the hospitality industry and it goes without saying that we’re already looking forward to next year’s event.

BITAC, Events, hospitality, Orlando, Salvation Army

July 19th, 2011 by TRT Blog

The Refinishing Touch has made its name and secured its market-leading position by doing more than refinishing furniture and upgrading the working, living and resting conditions of travelers, government workers and students. We firmly believe in going a step further by providing outstanding and innovative products and services and forging a deep commitment to the communities and industries we work with. Whether it is volunteering in programs run by our friends in the university field or contributing ideas designed to improve the surroundings of those who serve, we know what it takes to truly get involved on a deeper levels with our clients.

We’re continuing this through an exciting program with Hotel Interactive where we’ve been sponsoring a series of informative podcasts. These weekly programs, delivered by one of the leading names in hospitality news, are designed to bring informative discussions to listeners across the industry.

We’re proud to have been the sponsor for some of Hotel Interactive most engaging and entertaining episodes yet. In mid-June host Glenn Haussman and co-host Mark Viola hosted from atop New York’s DREAM Hotel rooftop for its Summer Spectacular Episode, which was followed by the latest developments in Las Vegas. In its most recent episode, Glenn and Mark were back in NYC on Park Avenue for the Urban Resort report.  The two have racked up listeners, new followers – and, we would think a number of travel points!

Opportunities such as this are always fun when we know that our name is associated with a show whose listeners are getting great information from a trustworthy and reliable source.

Our involvement doesn’t stop there. As you read this, we’ll be in attendance at another Hotel Interactive event, the Buyer Interactive Trade Alliance & Conference (BITAC). This has been rated as the number one show in hospitality and we’re excited to be sponsoring and attending. Be sure to expect a full report on BITAC next week!

BITAC, Hotel Interactive, podcasts, sponsorship

July 21st, 2010 by TRT Blog

Being given the opportunity to spread our knowledge of renovation and sustainability within our industries is always exciting for us. So when our founder is able to get out there and give others the insight into the excitement and importance about the work we do, it’s hard not to be elated.

Recently our company had the good fortune of attending one of our favorite events of the year – BITAC (Buyer Interactive Trade Alliance & Conference) East in sunny Orlando, Florida.

Our founder and fearless leader, Mario Insenga, had the opportunity to address and present to this year’s attendees on Monday.

Mario had the chance to highlight the values that he has worked to instill in TRT, being rooted in the 30+ years of work that he has experienced in the refinishing business and the unending benefits that the practices of refinishing and reusing has been able to offer the hospitality industry.

BITAC is a fantastic event that brings together top level purchasers and suppliers in the hospitality industry to network and learn from each other each year. In the past we have been able to make connections and forge relationships with some of the great decision makers from within the industry, and this year’s event certainly did not disappoint!

BITAC, hospitality, Mario Insenga, Refurbishment