TRADE SHOW NEWS
HX17 Show Brings Full Slate of New Restaurant/Foodservice Design Build Solutions to Javits November 12-13, 2017 / Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
T
he headline on the press release that was dropped off in the Total Food Service booth on opening day of this year’s HX Show read: “HX: The Hotel Experience to Transform to HX365 Under New Ownership.” Based on the years of emotional equity that the show’s manager Phil Robinson looks for ‘365 to once again emerge as a must exhibit and must attend event. The Hotel Experience, one of North America’s largest trade events for the hospitality industry (formerly IHMRS), announced at the opening of its 2017 show that it has transitioned to full ownership under Hospitality Management Group (HMG), a division of ST Media Group. HX was previously co-owned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC), and the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association (NYSHTA). The HMG acquisition also includes purchase of the 50% share of Boutique Design New York (BDNY) owned by AHLA, HANYC and NYSHTA, giving HMG full ownership. BDNY was launched in 2010 as joint venture between HMG and the three associations. There are a number of factors that
point to the show’s rebirth as “circle those dates” entry into Metro New York’s restaurant and foodservice calendar. First and foremost is with a single owner and Robinson at the helm, show management will have the ability to turn the key decisions around on a timely basis. It might be a commitment to a keynote speaker or celebrity chef demo or
the expansion of the show’s on going technology platform. Secondly, the co-joined BDNY show owned by ST Media has brought “sexy” back to the show’s aisles. Some of the world’s hippest design firms have brought elaborately designed booths to the Javits. With BDNY has come a whole new look to the type of attendee that comes to see the
latest in hotel furniture and amenities. Many of those goods and services are infact earmarked for the food and beverage operations of hotels and could easily create dynamic design solutions for Metro New York’s restaurants.
continued on page 14
Pack’N’Woods’s Melanie Gasior and Lena Lebecq
(L to R) Friendly rivals Andrew Wolfe of Wolfepack Marketing and PBAC’s Larry Cantamessa
Con Edison’s Juan Jimenez unveiled several new kitchen energy saving strategies
(L to R) Evo’s Scott Heim and Tavelle Cox of Johnson and Wales
Mohegan Sun’s Abedel Anquar shopped the show
(L to R) The CLVMarketing team of Tom O’Halloran and John O’Halloran
12 • December 2017 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com