THE SPECIAL EVENT (Jan. 5-8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center) offers more than outstanding education and thrilling events — it also debuts the latest products and services for event professionals. Here, a sample of some of the many innovations you will find on The Special Event 2005 exhibit floor:
Fortune Products (Booth 354) will shed light on things with its new mini lantern — a battery-operated lantern providing low-level mood lighting in gentle white or blue hues. Table Decor International (Booth 818) is going retro with its newest table lamp, which uses a tea light, 10-hour votive, new eight-hour liquid fuel cell or new flicker battery cell as the lighting source. The new Lumenae line from Panache Party Rentals (Booth 218) combines the warm flame of a traditional pillar candle with an LED in the base, which holds one color or progresses through the rainbow. The classic good looks of candelabras will get a new spin with S.N.K. Enterprises' line, which features center bowls and disks to accommodate tapers or votives (Booth 1066).
TOPS ON TABLES
The new line of Asian tasting dishes from International Event Products (Booth 117) offers small square and rectangular trays as well as a range of insets, giving remarkable flexibility to caterers. So Cool Events (Booth 1161) will debut its inventive Ice Shots — edible shot glasses made of intensely flavored ice. And Welded Bliss (Booth 965) will take the cake with its line of cake toppers that live on after the wedding as sculptures.
Nothing tops a table like luxurious linen, which Tabletoppers Inc. (Booth 817) will supply with its new Pucci Velveteen, rich fabrics edged with matching beaded fringe. A-1 Tablecloth Co. (Booth 1130) will display its glowing Iridescent Crush in four new colors: watermelon, sage, sky blue and maize. Making fountains function for smaller groups is the new, 27-inch chocolate fountain from Sephra Fountains (Booth 847). Chillin' Products (Booth 1169) will offer one cool table — its Fill 'N Chill collapsible table, filled with ice — to keep everything from seafood to ice sculptures frosty fresh.
Beautiful tables deserve beautiful chairs, and the new Max resin chairs from CSP Events (Booth 1137) look like wooden ballroom chairs while offering all the durability and easy care of resin. The good looks of bistro chairs combine with ergonomics and durability in the Barrel chair from RPS (Booth 1121). Taking event furniture to a new level, Lounge 22 (Booth 1050) will be on hand to display its high-end designs to create signature environments. And when it comes time to put the room environment together, CORT Event Furnishings (Booth 752) will outline its new capabilities to help event planners generate virtual layouts, as well as its free downloadable library of event rental furnishings for CAD users.
NOW PRESENTING …
That event essential — entertainment — will be on display, ranging from the new “walkabout tray” from Neon Concepts (Booth 1248) — a glowing neon portable tray for food items or shooters based on the classic cigarette tray — to the customized musical theater productions from Lyrical Edge Productions (Booth 555). Look-alikes from Mulligan Management (Booth 867) help you bring stars from the TV show “American Idol” to your event, as well as “Paris Hilton” and “Donald Trump.” The new modular Dream Machine oxygen bar from Airheads Oxygen Bars (Booth 553) does double duty, serving as both an oxygen/aromatherapy bar and a backlit billboard to convey a company logo or message.
Events can go anywhere in the right tent, and Starrett Brothers Tent Manufacturing (Booth 265) will debut its new high-peak tent. The new, easy-to-install high-peak tent from Nelson's Tents (Booth 1268) goes up without driving stakes or installing center poles, while inflatable shelters from FullScale Event Productions (Booth 468) run on as little as 2 amps of power and can stay inflated for up to 36 hours if power fails. Adding an elegant touch, the line of handmade wedding canopies from Big Sky Tents (Booth 1234) in embroidered organzas, appliqued voiles or custom block-printed cottons also make for distinctive chuppahs, entranceways or even wedding cake presentations.
Underneath it all, the new Event Deck Ultra from Signature Fence & Flooring Systems (Booth 447) is a portable, modular, interlocking flooring system that is both economical and durable. IFAI award-winning TemFloor roll-out flooring (Booth 1210) is 100 percent permeable, flame-retardant, and mold-, mildew- and UV-resistant. The new Comfort Elite series of air-conditioned, portable restroom trailers and showers from Wells Cargo (Booth 1044) offers upscale sanitation services to event guests.
FINISHING TOUCHES
The right decor elements put events over the top, such as new wire structure decorations with sparkling mini lights from Anderson's Party Supplies (Booth 820). A new line of aluminum trumpet vases from Home Decoration Accessories (Booth 101) comes in six sizes and suits both simple and elegant environments. New Oasis sisal from Smithers Oasis (Booth 945) adds texture and dimension to floral arrangements and wedding bouquets. And when the party's over, the MagPole system from MagMover Inc. (Booth 474) enables designers to remove decor and display items without a ladder.
For more information about The Special Event 2005, call 800/927-5007 or 203/358-3751, or visit www.thespecialeventshow.com.
