Indianapolis — There is plenty of hard work to be done at the biennial trade shows hosted by the International Sleep Products Assn.
Seminars start at 8 a.m., the Industry Breakfast even earlier (7:45). The exhibit hall generally keeps bankers' hours — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — but the hectic social schedule begins the moment the show floor closes.
We've already run scores of stories on the business side of the ISPA gathering — the new products, people and programs that made news at Expo 2004. But only in this Bedding Notebook will you get a rundown on what went on when the sun went down in Indianapolis. This is your official guide to the bedding party scene, as yours truly experienced it.
'All Roads Lead to Indy' event starts our engines
We begin with the "All Roads Lead to Indy" Welcome Reception hosted on the first official night of the show by ISPA. I was one of the first to arrive at that party, walking into a huge and virtually deserted room. Bob Naboicheck, president of Gold Bond, was checking out the food. I joined him in an appetizer or two. Bob, one of the hardest-working guys in the bedding business, was looking for a little fuel to keep him going.
The room quickly filled up around us. Several minutes later I ran into ISPA President Dick Doyle, who said they were getting more bartenders. That's a sign of a party that is shaping up nicely.
This party had a sponsor, Great Lakes Chemical Corp., which had a display set up by the door. I picked up a brochure, which told me that "Great Lakes is the world's leading producer of Polymer Additives products, with the broadest range available." The company was touting its line of flame retardants at the show. It also had really cool packets of breath mints, in a clear plastic case.
I saw almost everybody who is anybody at the ISPA event before moving on to Party No. 2 of the night: A hospitality suite at Conseco Fieldhouse, which is located just a few blocks from the Indiana Convention Center, where the ISPA show was held.
I left the ISPA reception with Spring Air President Jim Nation, who had just returned from a business trip to China, and other members of the Spring Air team, including Tom LeDuc, the Spring Air licensee who would take over as ISPA chairman later that week.
Like any group of guys, we were unable to ask for directions. But we did find the field house on one of the maps of Indianapolis situated strategically in the downtown area.
This party was hosted by Burlington House, and it was in a room high up in spacious and airy Conseco Fieldhouse, where the NBA's Indiana Pacers were hosting the Dallas Mavericks. The turnout was top-notch. Sealy's Mark Hobson and Mark Wozniak were on hand, along with King Koil's Larry McKay and Dave Roberts.
I also saw the Griggs of Carolina Mattress Guild, which could be called The Other Mattress Producer Located Just Outside High Point. (Sealy, of course, is the most prominent bedding company in High Point's neck of the woods.)
Dennis St. Louis of Burlington House was a gracious host at the party, which the attendees left to attend the game. I stayed and visited with Susan Perry (no relation, by the way), the former ISPA salesperson who now heads her own company, The Perry Group. She helped stage the Burlington House event.
Then I moved on to Party No. 3, DuPont, held at the Hyatt.
Unfortunately, I arrived too late to catch the DuPont party in action, but I did spend some time visiting with DuPont execs John Dottore, Warren Knoff and Clay Helpinstill at a restaurant in the Hyatt. We watched the end of the basketball game, which was being nationally televised from the arena only three blocks away. The Pacers won.
On that happy note, Party Night No. 1 came to an end.
We shoot, we score!
Three parties were on tap the next night: King Koil, Latex Foam International and Western Nonwovens.
I started at King Koil, a traditional cocktail party with nice-looking skewers of chicken and satay sauce. Larry McKay and Dave Roberts welcomed me, and I saw several of the King Koil licensees who were at the big King Koil meeting in Las Vegas last fall. I also saw the team from Vita Nonwovens, a supplier with a High Point plant just 15 minutes from my home.
From the King Koil party at the Marriott it was off to the Olympic Suite at the Pan American Plaza for the Latex Foam party. I met up with Dave Tenuta of Aireloom on my way in. He and the new Aireloom team were much in evidence at the ISPA show.
At the Latex Foam party I chatted with Richard Diamonstein, a King Koil licensee who finished his term as ISPA chairman at the show. I filled him in on the King Koil party, which he was hoping he could attend later that night, although he did have a conflict.
I also visited with Tom Comer, a Restonic licensee, and his team. He had some good questions for me on the outlook for Chinese-made bedding. And I also spent some time with Kevin Stein, my regular contact at Latex Foam.
Then it was off to the NCAA Hall of Champions for the party hosted by Western Nonwovens. This was a major affair, put together by Susan Perry, that included a chance to meet four of the Indiana Pacers' cheerleaders, known as the Pacemates, as well as to spend some hoops time with two WNBA players.
The Hall of Champions was the perfect setting for a party, particularly on a night when the NCAA basketball tournament was in progress. I forced myself to get in a picture with the Pacemates. Then I joined a few dozen bedding guys and gals in the gym upstairs to shoot baskets with Kristen Rasmussen and Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever.
They played horse against the field. I hit a tricky four-foot shot in the lane and won one of the prizes, a book on the Final Four.
I also had a chance to meet Ken Hardin, president of Western Nonwovens, who is a big Tennessee fan. I shot his picture in front of a display on the Lady Vols.
The social scene ended with a bang the following night — the Leggett & Platt party. It was held in the ornate Indiana Roof Ballroom. The theme of the evening: Dancing Through Time.
I visited with top L&P execs Felix Wright and Dave Haffner while energetic dancers took the floor. As usual, this party attracted a who's who of the bedding industry. It was the kind of enjoyable, classy evening L&P is known for at these ISPA events.
I never did take the dance floor, but I did visit with many bedding friends.
And that was how I spent my evenings at Expo 2004. Too bad Expo 2006 is two years away.
