Going to the IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association) Convention & Trade Show in San Diego on March 12-15 felt like going home. I’ve been into fitness since childhood and have had the opportunity to make it a focal point of my career. Our marketing communications firm has been...
I’ve been going to the Natural Products Expo West for almost as long as I’ve had my marketing communications firm, over 25 years. While many of the same brands that started the category back then remain icons today, there are so many new movers and shakers and exciting developments. My...
It was back-to-back gifts for me as I left the California Gift Show, January 15–21, for the NY NOW Gift Show, February 2–6, 2014. The trends I saw in the market proves that east meets west. Metallic Collections By far the hottest and latest material spotted on both coasts is...
I’ve been talking about getting “outsidey” since the summer Outdoor Retailer Show, thanks to Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the Outdoor Industry Association. As predicted, a lot more people are talking about it, too. They are talking about when it comes to fitness, food, fashion, furniture and other categories that touch...
I made a few predictions about emerging food trends before the annual Winter Fancy Food show, held in San Francisco January 19–21. Having walked the show for three days, I can say I have found key indicators that these predictions are not only right on, but they are rapidly gaining...
3-D printing, wearable technologies and robots are all making headlines for their Jetsons-quality lifestyle implications. These are not prototypes. High tech isn’t as conceptual as it once was. I walked the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) from January 7 to 10 in Las Vegas and I can tell...
In 2010, I predicted that 2012 would be the tipping point for all things “fresh.” As a professional trendspotter, I’m always a little ahead of the curve but never too far off the mark. I’m looking forward to fresh getting the recognition it deserves in 2014. The produce industry is...
An important part of my career in journalism and public relations has been guiding people to live more healthfully by telling them specifically what to eat and how to exercise, but it hasn’t been till recently that I realized how important furniture design is to your health. We spend a...
Trend watching from this summer’s Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City. I found the perfect fall cocktail party dress, but it wasn’t at Barney’s. It was at this summer’s Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in Salt Lake City. That was all the evidence I needed that the fusion of two concepts—“trails to cocktails”...
As the owner of a lifestyle PR firm and 30+ year veteran in the industry, I have done a fair share of TV interviews. It is never what you expect. That is what we tell our clients. And then we prepare for all the possibilities. We train our clients to...
