Award Winning Innovations
Plus All The Highlights From The 2008 Travel Goods Show

Princeton, New Jersey — “Award Winning Innovations: Plus All The Highlights From The 2008 Travel Goods Show” held in March in San Diego is the focus of the April/May 2008 edition of Travel Goods Showcase magazine. “It was pretty unanimous — this year’s most popular color was environmental green. More green products launched at this Show than ever before, with pb travel, Vallavista, Ricardo Beverly Hills and dozens of others debuting eco-friendly lines,” says Michele Marini Pittenger, president of the Travel Goods Association. “And that was reflected as well in this year’s Buzz Award for the most talked-about item in the New Products Pavilion — Shoreline for its act2 Bottles to Bags laptop sleeve.”

Travel Goods Showcase also reports on the trends for 2008, with a comprehensive review of the new products and companies that made their debut in San Diego. An article interviewing 11 smart and savvy retailers at The Show gives great insight into what products they think will peak their customers’ interest and draw them into their stores.

Other featured articles in this issue:

• “TGA’s Opening Night Reception and Awards Ceremony” reviews the winners of the three Product Innovation Awards, the Community Service Award and The TGA Award given to Toni Ray, founder of Hobo International.
• “The Travel Goods Specialist Certificate Program” details the exciting new sales training program that can be completed online and will bring retail sales staff up to speed about travel rules and regulations, types of travel, the various products available, and in-depth instruction on the materials and construction that go into the production of luggage and other travel bags.

Travel Goods Showcase is published five times a year by the Travel Goods Association (TGA), the voice of the travel goods industry. Based in Princeton, NJ, TGA is the national organization that represents manufacturers and retailers of travel products. Comprising a $20-billion-a-year industry, travel goods include luggage, casual bags, computer cases, backpacks and travel accessories — those items consumers use every day while traveling to work, across campus or around the world. For additional information about the association, please visit www.travel-goods.org.