The Future is Bright: - Travel Goods Association

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THE 2011 TRAVEL GOODS SHOW of the more successful design formulas. Antler’s Liquis 4-Wheel Roller Case sports a virgin polycarbonate A-Plus shell for a slick, tough-stuff persona at a svelte 8.4 lbs. ($399); the very smart INTUS business case with integrated handle scale shows off light weight in a flexible and impact-absorbing hardshell that helps travelers dodge baggage fees, from INTUS’ Sirus Collection (starting at $130); and Delsey’s Helium Breeze 3.0 Carry-On Trolley with EZ Glide 4-Wheel Spinner System, a softside with fiberglass frame, is light on the scales but heavy on durability ($149.99). In softsides, Ricardo Beverly Hills’ Expandable WheelAboard Carry-on from its Superlight Sausalito Collection garnered retailer attention with its sleek 7.1-pound frame and four-wheel Glide-Lite system, reflecting the new norm for 20” cases ($240). International Traveller, already known for its “World’s Lightest Collection,” shed some ounces with its IT-0-1 2nd Generation 4-Wheel, dubbed the “world’s lightest spinner” ($123 to $160). American Flyer’s McCool E2 [Extreme Exploration] bags, backpacks and messengers appeal to your inner James Bond with its rugged, ready-for-adventure-regardless-of-peril aesthetic ($70-$450). And Delsey’s Helium Breeze 3.0 Carry-On Trolley with EZ-Glide 4-Wheel Spinner System blurs the line between softsides and hard cases, with softside construction and a fiberglass frame that’s an appealing dichotomy of light-on-the-scales and heavy-on-durability ($149.99). “Carry-ons continue to be strong, thanks to travelers wanting to avoid checked bag fees,” noted Marini Pittenger, “This means travel clothing, organizers and other ways to reduce bulk are hot items as well.” One such marvel to debut at The Show was Shelves-To-GO ® , a collapsible hanging shelf unit designed to fit carry-on luggage (see Awards story, page 55 for more). You simply stow your clothes in Shelves-To-GO ® , arrive at your hotel, unzip, hang the entire unit in the closet and you’re already unpacked. With checked bag weight and carryon space at a premium, space-saving design is BIG. Max Mirani’s Crush lives up to its name by squeezing into a dresser drawer ($395/$22”), and its MOVE showed stylish dexterity: at your destination just hang, unzip and — voila! — instant “closet” with neatly organized shelves ($495). Balanzza’s TRUCO, billed as the industry’s first modular carry-on, reshapes itself to fit allotted space via a click-on system ($199). And Lipault’s twill nylon Foldable 0% cases ($180-$225 U.S.) impressed by collapsing to fit inside a space-saving pouch — in “Wake-up!” colors. UNWANTED HITCHHIKERS Whether the bed bug threat is real or imagined, the creepy crawlies have been in the news and several companies were all over it. RMB Group’s Rest Easy is an all-natural spray made from cinnamon, lemongrass, clove and mint essential oils that is both people-safe and earth-friendly and can be sprayed around the hotel room on arrival and on your luggage — bed bugs’ ticket to your house ($6.99-$7.99/2-oz. twopack). Its reusable bed bug bags offer even more protection ($7.99/six). “By placing and locking your clothing in these bags before your trip — and not putting them in the hotel dresser Left to Right: The compact and lightweight Slide Tech Bag by Briggs & Riley; GOAL ZERO ® ’s the Guide 10 Adventure Kit lets you be electronically portable, even off the grid; Roncato’s UNO Collection; Ricardo Beverly Hills’ Sausalito 20” carry-on exemplifies the new norm — bold colors with more compact size. — you avoid one of the simplest means of transferring the pest to your home,” says Brian Nachsin of the RMB Group. “Most importantly, all of your worn clothing should be packed into these travel bags as a way of quarantining it.” Also rolling out preventative bed bug sprays: the patented Stop Bugging Me!, with enough naturally-derived spray to treat two queen-size mattresses ($7.99/3-oz. travel size); and Bed Bug Patrol ® , which offers Bed Bug Travel & Luggage Spray ($11.85), chemical-free and non-toxic Bed Bug Traps ($19.95/8- pack) and Premium Bed Bug Luggage Protection Covers ($24) that are impermeable to the little buggers. ALL TECHED-UP “We’re seeing more emphasis on multifunctional everyday bags. They’re items you’d use between work and home, but help simplify travel with features like ticket pockets and water bottle holsters. These can be business cases, laptop carriers, even oversize purses — they’re stylish, fashion-forward, and supremely functional,” noted Marini Pittenger. And two words sum up almost everything happening in the high-tech/ everyday bag segment — iPad Case. Scads of manufacturers are catering to the perpetually plugged-in, with options for protecting and toting iPads, tablets and eReaders, further blurring the line between travel goods and everyday essentials. “There appears to be no end to the innovation as manufacturers continue to create products specifically designed to make travel less stressful and a lot more fun,” said Marini Pittenger. Upping the fun factor: the graphically dynamic e-Book Wraps and iPad Wraps from Hadaki by Kalencom ($30 and $50); Piel’s exquisitely designed iPad Flip Case that turns your iPad into a folio, with multiple pockets for business cards or papers, and transforms into a horizontal or vertical hands-free stand ($97); KIVA Designs’ Microtech Shoulder Bag in graphite, surf and glorious sunfire orange, whose main compartment has a tablet-size padded pocket ($39.95); and Clava, whose Carina iPad Cover epitomizes this segment’s esthetic of modern design simplicity and multifunctional versatility ($67.50). “At the very core of the entire collection are clean minimalist lines infused to PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BRIGGS & RILEY, GOAL ZERO, RONCATO, RICARDO BEVERLY HILLS 24 May 2011 Travel Goods SHOWCASE
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TRENDYKID, STEWART/STAND, HEYS USA, BELARNO high function,” says Clava designer Mia Hur. “Clean lines, reinforced exterior for protection, with a flap that can be used as a kickstand, pulled all the way back and snapped into place for reading, emailing or browsing.” Briggs & Riley appealed to on-thego professionals demanding 24/7 connectivity with the lightweight Slide Tech Bag for tablets and eReaders ($129); Sumdex embraced multi-taskers with its SpinWork Quick Stand, a hard plastic iPad case that spins for portrait, landscape or other angled views, and hangs for hands-free viewing ($49.99). It fits neatly into the company’s classically-styled North-South Business Brief, featuring a combination computer cradle for a MacBook Pro — or the SpinWork — and separate section for tablet ($129.99). “With smart phones and iPads managing our lives, I almost feel that our travel revolves around our technology,” says Chelsea Gosset, creative director at f ū l, whose Pivot ($40) — think enhanced sleeve with greater flexibility for viewing and using tablets — tucks neatly into the company’s Joint Venture MacBook Messenger with Detachable iPad Case ($69.99). LO & SONS, new to the luggage landscape, hit the ground running with its T.T. (travel tote-$260) and O.G. (overnight and gym-$295) bags. The bags have padded compartments for both a tablet and a laptop, yet maintain a slim silhouette. More importantly, they are lightweight and feature a patentpending internal support strap system — a design element that was key for company founder Helen Lo, who suffers from a bad back In teched-up bags, Powerbag’s Business Class Pack — a $179.99 checkpoint-friendly laptop backpack with a built-in 6000mAh battery for recharging portable electronics — earned third place in the Travel Goods Association’s Product Innovation Awards. The bag, from RFA Brands, features a full-size USB socket, micro- and mini-USB plugs and a 30-pin Apple connector, and carries enough juice to charge a typical cell phone battery four times over. And if you’re going off the grid, GOAL ZERO ® ’s portable solar technology keeps you powered up with the Guide 10 Adventure Kit ($139.95/ without rechargeable AA batteries; $159.95/with the batteries). It folds in your pocket, functions as a power pack, and solar-charges cell phones in one to two hours, charges AA/AAA batteries in three to five sun hours, and has a builtin LED flashlight good for nine-plus days per charge. BABIES ON BOARD Nemo, Curious George and Buzz Lightyear were some of the beloved characters appealing to pint-sized travelers in pillows, blankets and lovies — sometimes all three together — as kids’ comfort items took front and center with many exhibitors at The 2011 Travel Goods Show. “Function and versatility are the big trends, although they’re always part of the travel goods picture,” said Marini Pittenger. “Manufacturers continue to design and deliver products that make travel more convenient, comfortable, colorful, safe and secure.” Lewis & Clark fished up Nemo for its line of Li’l Lewis Explorers travel neck pillows. Cabeau put the warm-and-fuzzy in its Travel Blankid® ($29.99), a super soft plush animal that transforms into a blanket, travel pillow and backpack, and swept the Travel Goods Show’s Buzz Award. Zoobies’ Storytime Pals turns Curious George, storytime’s most famous monkey, into a plush toy, pillow and fleece blanket all-in-one and accompanied by a storybook ($35). “Even though a Zoobie wasn’t directly created with travel in mind, we have found that it is a perfect travel companion,” says Zoobies’ Sam Allen. “So many parents and grandparents have told me that a Zoobie took so much hassle out of their travels.” With its nesting Cuties and Pals travel duo, TrendyKid also gave a nod to making parents’ lives easier by pairing a sturdy hardshell 20” wheelie and a 13” backpack together ($89.99). The kid appeal of Trunki ($39.99) by Melissa & Doug is off the charts with these brightly colored ride-on/pullalong lightweight suitcases that were introduced a few years ago. Enhancing the cases are new Saddlebags ($14.99) that kids can drape over their Trunki for additional padding or carry as a shoulder pack. In either case, the saddlebags allow kids to tote more of their musthaves — art supplies, picture books, snacks, mad money — along on their adventures. And speaking of adventure, Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear and the whole Toy Story gang literally shine in Disney by Heys’ Fiber Optic Rolling Duffels ($110). Other flashing favorites in the line: Disney’s Fairies, Princesses and Cars. THE NEXT FRONTIER Getting attention are accessories that incorporate RFID-blocking technology to protect personal information stored on RFID chips finding their way onto passports and credit cards. Among them are Pacsafe’s RFIDsafe 50 RFID Passport Protector ($14.99), the Shielded SPIbelt ($29.95) carrier for small personal items, Royce Leather Gifts’ wallets and passport covers in different styles and colors from $30 to $52. And the drool-inducing, industrialgrade stainless steel men’s and women’s wallets, clutches and mini messengers from Stewart/Stand for $59.50 to $700 — but it’s beauty so sleek it’s worth every piece of silver you lay down for one. b Left to Right: Cuties and Pals travel duo by TrendyKid; Stewart/Stand’s sleek-and-stainless Mini Messenger Bag dazzles while providing RFID protection; Heys USA’s funky Fazzino Collection brings some lighthearted fun back to the travel experience; BelArno’s wallets, clutches and cross-body bags show that colors are hot, hot, hot! Travel Goods SHOWCASE May 2011 25
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The Future is Bright: - Travel Goods Association

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