I’ve always loved attending the International Sleep Products Association’s EXPO. It’s an opportunity to get a sense of what’s going on in the bedding industry and catch a glimpse of what’s to come. To get a taste of everything we experienced, please see our coverage of the March 12-14 show in Columbus, Ohio.
I can’t tell you how many exhibitors I talked to who emphasized new products or formulations to make things more cost-effective for manufacturers, which makes sense in light of the tough time our industry is experiencing. Coil producers came out with taller springs so bed makers could use less foam, if desired. Foam makers created taller, softer and, in some cases, lighter foams.
But the biggest buzzword for the show was sustainability. I don’t think I saw one exhibitor that didn’t mention it in some form or another. Almost every adhesive maker offered some kind of bio-based formula, and most said the cost was on par with other glues in their product portfolio. Several introduced adhesives that can be recycled right along with the polypropylene fabric used for pocketed coils. Coil producers, for their part, used those adhesives in pocketed springs, touting the recyclability of their units.
In the world of textiles, many ticking suppliers showcased fabrics either made from recycled or eco-friendly fibers. In a fun twist, a few producers brought fabrics created with the help of artificial intelligence. The designs were beautiful, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the use of this technology evolves.
Of course, machinery that helps automate the plant floor continued to be popular, along with cooling products.
Another joy: seeing the creativity of some of the booths on the floor. Aydin Tekstil/Nova Sunger constructed its booth with walls made from cardboard pieces slotted together. Domfoam’s booth enticed attendees with its eye-catching colors. A Lava counteracted the idea of a retail floor of rectangles with a round mattress to show its capabilities. Wright Creative Branding & Labels engaged the senses with four colorful mock collections. And those were just the ones I saw while covering my categories.
If you haven’t done so, I recommend taking a look at our social media channels to see special highlights. ISPA EXPO is such a big show it takes multiple types of media to capture it adequately.
I hope to see many of you at the upcoming ISPA Sustainability Conference Sept. 25-26 in Charlotte, North Carolina. So many at ISPA EXPO mentioned how instrumental previous conferences were in developing new eco-friendly products. Until then, I hope you feel inspired and ready to tackle the rest of 2024.
