The biggest buzz at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show, which concludes Tuesday in New York City, is the guestroom television. The show attracted several top TV manufacturers—Samsung and Panasonic—who have booths at the event, and at least one firm new to the field, GlobalVue. While not exhibiting, LG hosted a press conference away from the Javits Center. And RCA, once a top player in the field, announced its return to the market at another off-site press event.

Hoteliers have shown increased interest in guestroom TVs for several reasons. As the TV content landscape changes, with some properties jettisoning pay-per-view models for other options, hoteliers want to make sure their displays can accommodate all new systems, as well as the desire by many guests to view the media they bring with them on the guestroom TV.

Also, as an LG executive pointed out, the first flat-panel TV sets were installed in hotels in 2002 and ’03, and soon many of these early sets will need replacing. And while many flat panels installed in hotel rooms are 32-inch sets, some hoteliers are now able to consider larger units since costs have drastically been reduced (some early flat panels cost as much as $2,000; today, a similar set may be available for $400). Another emerging trend is LED TVs, instead of those with LCD or plasma technology. LEDs are thinner, brighter, have superior performance and use less energy to operate.

Other news and notes from the Show:

• The American Hotel & Lodging Association is holding its fall meeting in conjunction with the Show. The highlight for AH&LA was the inauguration of Nancy Johnson as the group’s new chairman starting in January. She is executive vice president and chief development officer for the Americas division of Carlson. Among other things, Johnson vows to work hard this coming year to spur the federal government to improve its visa system in order to accommodate more foreign visitors to the U.S.

• Industry veteran, franchisee advocate and author Stanley Turkel stopped by the Lodging Hospitality booth to discuss his new book, Built to Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York. The book, which will be published shortly and reviewed on the Lodging Hospitality website, is a follow-up to his excellent Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry.

• Most trade shows feature a celebrity or two. At this year’s IHM&RS, it was Jean-Michael Cousteau, son of famed undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. The younger Cousteau was at the Concept Amenities booth signing copies of his book, My Father, the Captain, and promoting an environmentally friendly line of bathroom amenities he developed in conjunction with the firm.

• Sadly, the size and importance of the Show continue to shrink. Show management says it has 700 booths, including 200 in a boutique design pavilion. While some exhibitors were pleased with the size and quality of attendees, more than a few believe the relevance of the Show for hotel vendors and attendees is on a long decline. As the Javits Center renovation continues, one wonders what steps show management will take to attract new exhibitors and, more importantly, to woo back the many defectors, especially the hotel franchise companies. If not, the Show will eventually devolve into primarily a regional restaurant industry event.

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