By Tambra Jones, SSA Executive Director
The movers and shakers of the sleep gathered in Columbus, OH last week for a very vibrant and upbeat International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) Expo. I was lucky enough to connect with several members and friends of the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) to find out what they hoped to accomplish at the expo. My question to all was “what is your main reason for being here at ISPA”. My answer is CONNECTING - which is what the SSA does as a modus operandi. Here are some of the answers I got from others. Thanks everyone for connecting with me and sharing your ISPA aspirations!
Stephen Anstey at SSI: We are here to connect with mattress manufacturers who supply retailers, to show them our Retail Engagement System and help them understand how to use the data generated to improve their conversion rates in the store. Our system helps them manage their retail showroom in much the same way that Google Analytics works on their website. How many people go to your website, are you getting enough traffic to that web page, is that traffic converting into sales. So we can help figure out if it is a traffic problem meaning you need more people to try the product, or is a conversion problem where people are trying the product and is it selling.
Nate Cangemi of Vita Talalay: We're here to not only connect with our current customer base, but also to explore new opportunities with new customers and to present and remind the market of our world class capabilities, and the footprint that we have around the world.
Scott Frisch of Frisch Enterprises: This has always been an industry of change, whether it be the products or the people, They're always moving.
It could be said that the industry is not going full throttle right now which may be even more reason for the change to happen, and then even more reason to stay connected to the change. Just walking around here and you see people you haven't seen before, and companies you haven't seen before. You also see people you know that are working somewhere else. I want to stay connected to what is going on in the industry right now so I am here.
Trent Ranburger of Trent Bedding: I came to this event to reconnect with friends and new friends and just see what's coming for the retailers in the next six months to a year, and I am speaking tomorrow!
Greg Fowler at Motv8 Products: We are here showing how to build a foam bucket for the mattress, with one guy, our machine, half the amount of glue and this expandable rotating table. It is a small footprint for the factory floor, it is very efficient and an operator can be trained to build the bucket and work alone in one day instead of several days. We’ve been getting a great response here with our SARGE GK50 model.
Jim Gutierrez at SABA North America, LLC: At this show we are focusing on sustainability and circularity in the life of a mattress. We are showing the adhesive that we created which can be recycled along with all other items within a mattress, which allows our industry to create more sustainable and circular products.
Anthony Klatt of Sleeptronic: I’m here looking to the future with optimism and excitement about what innovative, beautiful, and compelling designs I can find. That’s what our industry is all about - customers buy first with the eyes and then with their hands. I am looking for fabrics that excite the eye and compel a touch. I am standing here with Camilla, one of the best textile designers in our industry, who is ready to work with me to create a fabulous 2025.
Camilla Franklin at Creative Ticking: Indeed the fabric is the enticing portion of buying a mattress, we are the packaging. It is our job to grab the interest of the customer and get them to try the bed in the store.
Denny Boyd at Boyd Sleep: With Boyd’s 40 US patents, we are able to offer several sleep products to a variety of buyers, with a particular focus this market on the international buyer who can purchase from us direct. We are experiencing good interest in our high end air beds, occasional air beds, specialty toppers and also adjustable bases.
Joy von Dorp at Withit spoke with Tambra about opportunities for women retailers at their upcoming conference in June. Contact Joy for more info.
ISPA’s own Mary Helen Rogers and Beth English had a Giant Jenga rematch in the FUN ZONE.
Paul Kraus of Electropedic: Im here to network.
Ryan Gordon at Supernal Sleep System: We are here talking with retail outlets about the adjustable bases we supply for their clients with disabilities and medical needs.
Tim McRee at Wm. T. Burnett: We are here promoting our natural and renewable products, including our new Java wool as well as our new renewable fire barrier.
Pascal Roberge at Beaudoin: We are here showing at ISPA to meet new people, form new relationships and develop the best under-bed solutions for them. It has been an exciting show and we are building lots of new connections.
Vincent Passanisi of Sinomax: It’s super beneficial to be here we have a lot of customers all in one place plus we get to see so many new product lines - things that are going to be coming out in the next 2-3 years. Seeing new technology is important, everyone is looking for that new thing out there. We are all selling white puffy rectangles right so we are looking at new ways to differentiate ourselves from our competition.
Suzanne Diamond of The Futon Shop (pictured here with Henry McRee at Wm. T. Burnette): I’m here looking for new products, machinery and new packaging solutions. California is passing a new law that will affect all product packaging and I am here to find the best packaging solutions for my company.
Joel Buhr (also pictured Chelslea Molina) at Connect 360: We came to ISPA because we wanted to understand the whole chain of events in the industry. How things are made and then delivered to the finished product market. In addition we are looking to connect and collaborate and we are finding that in abundance here. Everyone is interested in helping the industry grow, and willing to share ideas to create a better tomorrow in business.
Owen Shoemaker, Steven Antsy, Tambra Jones and Anthony Klatt strike a pose.