By Gary Dretzka Dretzka@moviecitynews.com
Skip the butter, add the floss
Much of the fun for civilians attending ShoWest comes in strolling through the aisles of the exhibition hall, where the latest trends in concessions, furniture, cleaning supplies and technology are put on display. This year, there were few products that caused any kind of a stir, but one or two managed to stand out in the crowd.
The attractive soda jerks at the Coke and Pepsi booths were pushing energy drinks and flavored water, alongside staple soft drinks. Even Tab was juiced up with caffeine – and some kind of Chinese root or herb – so it could compete with the high-octane youngsters. Coke unveiled its new Black line, which combines the familiar tonic with coffee. I hated it, but it appears as if I’m in the minority.
The single most intriguing new concession item was StaiNo’s Floss ’N’ Toss, which qualifies as one of those why-didn’t-I-think-of-it ideas. The product is sold in the same vending machines that typically dispense plastic capsules filled with cheap trinkets and candy. The company simply has crammed its retail dental floss device into the bubbles, in hopes of attracting consumers who enjoy a good floss after their popcorn. Each 50-cent capsule contains four flossers, which, one hopes, will be disposed of in an empty popcorn box or napkins, instead of being thrown on the floor with the uneaten nachos. Sounds bizarre, but I think it will be a hit.
If any further proof of America’s obesity crisis were needed, representatives of seat manufacturers confirmed that the width of the average chair has expanded from around 18-20 inches, to 22-24 inches. Since volume is important to exhibitors, it’s logical to think that this adjustment was made necessary for reasons other than pampering their customers’ rear ends. They probably got tired of using shoe horns to extract patrons from their seats.
