|
August 14, 2008 - The Specialty Sleep
Association (SSA) reported
an outstanding outcome as it
opened its first-ever permanent
showroom at Las Vegas Market.
The premier advocacy
organization promoting the
category of specialty sleep said
that, according to the majority
of SSA members who leased space
within its new
15,000-square-foot showroom,
buyer traffic and interest was
“as good, and often better, than
most other showrooms.”
“Our members told us, nearly
unanimously, that traffic and
interest was quite brisk in our
space all week,” said SSA
President Dale Read. “Perhaps as
many as 500 individual retail
companies shopped our showroom
on the first three and a half
days, and we even had steady
traffic right up through midday
Friday. (read said that he
personally counted 24 separate
retail stores enter the space
Friday morning, when most other
venues were virtually inactive.)
“Having 27 individual
manufacturers and exhibitors in
one show space is a draw,” said
Read. As a result, immediately
following the market, the SSA
board of directors has decided
to increase its efforts to
promote the category well into
2009 and beyond.”
The SSA had produced its
show-within-a-show in the WMC
pavilions since the opening of
the Las Vegas Market in 2005.
This market was the
association’s first experience
in a permanent showroom, and
exhibitors relished the co-op
atmosphere.
“Not only did we write business,
we have enough sales leads to
keep our staff busy for the
foreseeable future,” said Rick
Snider, national sales manager
for Glideaway Sleep Products.
“The space in Building C made
our customer response rate about
twice as high as being located
in the tents. I would urge
anyone selling specialty sleep
to ask about leasing space in
Building C with SSA.”
THE SSA RECRUITS RETAILER
MEMBERSHIP!
The next phase for the SSA is to
attract to its membership those
retailers who are keen on
selling specialty sleep products
in their stores. Read continued,
“Specialty sleep products are
the “FUTURE OF SLEEP.” These
categories of visco-elastic
foam, latex foam rubber,
airbeds, new-technology
waterbeds, adjustable beds, gel
beds, and “green” natural,
all-natural and organic beds ,
as well as top-of-bed products
represent where retailers will
makes their future sales and
their margins. With our
expertise, we can help
mattress/bedding retailers sell
a better product with more
attractive margins. And with
memberships for retailers
starting at only $150, it’s a
win-win….Our fees are small ,
and we will use this support to
build the most profitable
category retailers can place on
their store floor.”
Journalists from both consumer
and industry trade media
attended Read’s informative talk
on “The Future of Sleep,” which
was held at the space and
featured a continuous loop of
the SSA’s television news
segments. The news segments,
produced in concert with
Steinreich Communications,
promoted a wide assortment of
products and brands of SSA
members, as demonstrated by
on-camera SSA spokespeople. At
“The Future of Sleep” event,
retailers, journalists and other
interested guests were treated
to complimentary Dippin’ Dots,
“The Ice Cream of the Future.”
Close to 30 companies were
represented in the show
including specialty mattress
manufacturers such as Magniflex,
Glideaway, Hollandia and ZedBed,
retailers such as
1800Mattress.com, as well as
accessories producers such as
FabricTech 2000 and Hudson
Industries. Additional SSA
members, including Tempur-Pedic,
Leggett & Platt, Comfortaire,
Latex International, Therapedic,
Englander and Natura World,
exhibit in their own showrooms
at the World Market Center in
Las Vegas.
For more information on the SSA,
contact SSA Executive Director
Tambra Jones, (559) 868-4187 or
(559) 676-8639.
Founded in 1995, the Specialty
Sleep Association (SSA) is a
national not-for-profit advocacy
and education association of
retailers, manufacturers and
suppliers who develop,
manufacture, market and sell
innovative, new technology
mattress and bedding products
including viscous-elastic memory
foam, latex rubber, air,
flotation, gel, adjustable,
futons and convertible beds,
(green) all-natural and organic
beds made from soy, bamboo,
wool, 100% cotton as well as bed
frames, pillows, sheets,
comforters, duvets, body
pillows, fabric guards and more.
Retailers and
manufacturers interested in
membership in the SSA should
contact SSA Executive Director
Tambra Jones, (559) 868-4187 or
(559) 676-8639. Visit
www.sleepinformation.org
|
