New Products Seen at ASD Las Vegas

18.05.12

What makes Las Vegas the world’s greatest tradeshow venue? For openers, it has 10.6 million square feet of exhibition space. This includes the 2.3 million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center where ASD Las Vegas takes place twice a year in March and August. With a venue like no other, Las Vegas reigns supreme and has been North America’s top tradeshow destination for 17 years, hosting over 19,000 meetings, conventions and other programs annually.

In fact, Las Vegas hosts the largest share of North America’s 250 largest tradeshows, more than its next two competitors, Orlando and Chicago, combined. The city offers more than 150,000 hotel rooms ranging from budget to five-star luxury. Additionally, a recent Hotels.com survey found Las Vegas hotels to be the most affordable of any major destination.

Las Vegas is also one of the easiest places in the USA to get to. McCarran International Airport offers over 900 daily flights, with nonstop service to 130 cities. And we all know the city is famous for top restaurants and shows, not to mention the casinos and other attractions that make people want to attend meetings there. Las Vegas makes working a trade show fun and it’s a very accommodating city.

Source: TopTenWholesale News

Jewelry store owners believe new boutique will be gem on Connellsville's West Side

18.05.12

Are you looking for a Steelers yoga mat, a special keepsake for mom or a cute little baby gift?

You may want to visit the new West Side Boutique to find such items and much more.

The boutique, above West Side Jewelry, is owned by Tom and Lynda Sparks.

The Pittsburgh teams room has black-and-gold attire and items. Items include new Penguins glitter shirts -- Lynda's favorite -- and frames, Terrible Towels, hats, wallets, purses, beverage bottles, umbrellas -- at reasonable cost.

In the main gift area, there are colorful, seasonal items for Easter, spring and Mother's Day. There are keepsakes and decor to accentuate homes, inside and out. There are handmade, one-of-a-kind wreaths that look expensive but aren't; Sparks' mother, Jean Peperak, makes the wreaths.

The boutique also offers bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, garden sticks, planters and wind chimes.

"We've already had people tell us as they're checking out that they're so glad we're here so they don't have to drive out of town for nice, small gifts," Sparks said.

Source: Connellsville Daily Courier

2012's Food & Wine Festival in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

18.05.12

· Friday morning, Michael Symon started off his first day in Mexico (ever) with a spicy pork shank demo. He told the crowd he was bummed his wife was stuck at the Viceroy in Santa Monica. "My Viceroy kicks her Viceroy's ass." He also shared his take on "the most tragic thing in the world": steak over mashed potatoes.

· Mark Oldman was everywhere, leading seminars on wine, tequila, and mezcal throughout. He kicked off Thursday morning's "breakfast wine" seminar with some take-aways: 1) wine from Mexico "got good in the 1980's," 2) the country doesn't necessarily have a "signature grape." Also: Mexicans and Americans laugh equally hard when they learn the meaning of wine term, pipi de chat .

· Late Friday afternoon, Samuelsson led a demo by the beach, sipping a Michelada as he served up tostadas and fried whole fish to the crowd. He let his Mexico-born assistant say the hard words. "I'm not going to be the brown gringo to mispronounce everything."

Source: Eater National (blog)