Color Splash

If there’s any place in this great, big world that’s fit for glass, that place has got to be Las Vegas. And last week in my Vegas hotel room window at The Palms (I was there for Glass Week) I could see some distinctive displays of glazing--the purple, red and blue Rio, the glittery gold Trump Tower and the Bronze Wynn and Encore. I’m sure many of you are with me when I say, what would Vegas be without glass?

I still get a kick out of walking the strip and looking at all the casinos. The exterior is one thing, but when you step inside some of the casinos, that’s when you can see decorative glass at it’s best.

From walls and floors and stairways, to shimmery mirrors … patterns, colors, textures … it’s all there. With all this glass, I’m sure many members of GANA (especially the decorative group) were feeling right at home last week.

The Palms was no disappointment when it came to decorative glass. From the cracked glass displays in the elevators, the colorful light fixtures, the Rojo lounge located in the nearby Palms Place, even a colorfully lit casino display, there was a lot to take in.

While I could not get pictures of every piece of glass, and some did not turn out as well as I’d hoped (those casinos are so dark, you know), I do have a couple here I’d like to share: the light fixture, the Rojo Lounge and the lit display.

And speaking of sharing, here’s something else I’d like to share—the link to our new website: www.decorativeglassmag.com. Check it out whenever you get a chance. We launched it on Monday this week and it’s gotten a really great response. You’ll want to check back often, as the site will be updated regularly with news, articles, blogs and much more. You can also sign up for an e-newsletter that we will be starting in the next few weeks.

Bundle Up

Yesterday evening there was a knock on the front door. When I opened the door (to a brisk 12 degrees), there stood a fellow, all bundled up in a heavy coat, scarf, hat, the works.

"Hello, I’m the new area rep for Time Warner. I see you use our Internet services. May I ask what you do for phone and TV?”

This fellow, we’ll just call him Frank, stood there in these below freezing temps trying to sell me on bundling phone, Internet and cable. And the funny thing is, we were just looking into doing that a week or so ago, but had yet to make a final decision. For that original package we talked to a rep, probably sitting somewhere in a heated office, who offered us a bundled price of something like $130 a month. Yet standing there in the cold, Frank was prepared to offer us the same deal for $90 a month.

“And if there is something you have with your satellite that you really want to keep let me know what it is and I will see what I can do to include that for you, too,” he told me.

And while I didn’t sign anything yesterday, I must tell you, that yes, it’s something we’re considering. What’s the hang up? I just really like the Sirius radio that comes with the satellite. Aside from that … we’ll see.

So with all this in mind, I ask you: Is this the direction we are headed? Door-to-door sales in below-freezing weather? Are you prepared to bundle up your best offers, slash prices and take your wares door to door? Architect to architect? Builder to builder?

OK, OK, I know bundling is nothing new and many glass industry companies have offered a bundled package for years. But let me ask you this: how are your selling packages changing in light of the economy and slow construction markets? Why not take a minute or two and tell me about some things your business is doing differently now compared to a few years ago.