Greenwich Bay Trading Co. is a family owned and operated business, proudly making luxury signature amenities for the lodging industry since 1962. They are very hands on in every aspect of the business, from product development and design to manufacturing and sales. Everything is made at their plant in Raleigh, NC - so you can proudly share a Made in the USA product with your guests!


In a recent chat with Denise, she shared these thoughts with us about why she enjoys being an exhibitor at the MidAtlantic Innkeepers Trade Show & Conference:

I attend the show every year to keep in touch with our customers and meet the new and aspiring innkeepers joining the industry. Our products are very tactile. You need to smell and touch them. I truly believe in helping our customers find those signature pieces that are an extension of their unique property.

Plan to spend some time at the Greenwich Bay booth at the 2014 MidAtlantic Innkeepers Trade Show to see what's new.  Setting out their lovely soaps in your guest bathrooms is a sure way to inspire your guests to stop by your gift shop and purchase gifts for family, friends, teachers, babysitters and pet sitters!  Visit with Denise and learn more about how you can increase your revenues through retail and add-on packages with your existing clientele!


Very soon they will have bunny shaped soaps as well - perhaps in time for the conference!

Thinking about updating a guest room or sitting area, but dread the thoughts of investing in new carpeting, reupholstering your furniture or buying all new bedding?  Sometimes the smallest touch will freshen up the look of a room without breaking the bank, and our friends at J&S International are ready to lend a hand!

Each year Jay Sethi and his team work with talented fiber artisans around the world to bring to life contemporary as well as traditional designs which become high quality rugs and pillows - the perfect accents to bring new life to a tired room!

J&S International will be attending the MidAtlantic Innkeepers Trade Show & Conference in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania on the calendar for March 9-11, 2014.  Each year they bring a wide array of rugs and pillows available for innkeepers to touch & feel (and walk on).  Their team is experienced in helping find the right patterns and color schemes to compliment your existing or evolving decor. 



Stop by the J&S International booth and do some business with Jay at the MidAtlantic conference, you will love the look of your guest rooms with just a few updated decorating touches!

Each year we enjoy stopping by the dNj Specialties booth in the MidAtlantic Exhibitor Tradeshow hall to see what new items are available to help build brand awareness for innkeeper businesses!  David recently told us: "We look forward to the opportunity to share with innkeepers new and exciting products to assist them in promoting their inns."

There are all sorts of ways to promote your business, including a substantial investment in your online marketing tools.  Don't forget the items your guests touch once they arrive at your inn that might include your name & logo, such as your robes, glass ware, welcome mats, and napkins.  How about a collection of umbrellas at your front door with your inn name on it for a rainy-day walk?  Don't forget the affordable giveaways to support a chamber or other local event that might include a micro-fiber golf towel, golf balls, golf tees, water bottles or totes, as well as items available for purchase in your Gift Shop!

Here's a little product branding trivia:

• On average, how long does someone keep a branded t-shirt?
• How many promotional mugs does the average woman have in her cupboard?
• What percentage of people remember the advertiser on a branded product?

(answers can be found on the dNj Specialties website!)



What's New for 2014?
Do you need a convenient way for your guests to plug in all their electronic equipment on the desk or next to the bed?  Come see the new items we have to assist in making your guests say: “that is a great and convenient amenity”!

We recently caught up with Debbie Anderson of Victorian House Scones and chatted with her about her attendance at the 2014 Mid Atlantic Innkeepers Conference.  2014 will be her 7th visit to MidAtlantic Innkeepers Conference, and she looks forward each year to seeing many familiar faces as well as new innkeepers drawn from the entire east-coast region.

Debbie commented on the generous amount of ‘floor time’ opportunities afforded the vendors, giving her ample time for one on one conversations with individual innkeepers, as opposed to a 1 hour mob crush before everyone runs off to their next session.  Innkeepers like it too, a great chance to do business!

Introducing her scone mixes to aspiring and veteran innkeepers is the best part of the conference though.  Victorian House Scone mixes are a good fit because they do allow the innkeeper to bake from scratch, but by using a simple shortcut:  having the dry ingredients all weighed out precisely and ready for them.  These mixes are NOT made by some commercial factory, but rather each ingredient is hand weighed and measured into the bag, and then the bag is re-weighed, sealed, labeled, and sent to you.  She uses the term ‘mix’ because it takes up MUCH less room on a label than saying “the good baking fairy stole into your kitchen late at night, did all the measuring for you, and left it ready for you to use in the morning” ... much easier to call it a mix!

Craft innkeepers quickly learn that choosing to use a product for ‘convenience’ does NOT mean they sacrifice anything at all in terms of quality.  We offer base mixes for scones, muffins, and pancakes which then allow you to add all sorts of ingredients to create your own unique flavors.  We have innkeepers who tell us that they only bake from scratch—but they do use our mixes—because they are still baking from scratch.

What's New for 2014? 
They have JUST introduced 2 muffin mixes (Classic Homestyle and Oatmeal) and 2 pancake mixes (Buttermilk and Oatmeal).  Each of these mixes does precisely the same thing as their scone mixes—they are fabulous ‘plain’, but really are the base mixes to create any number of flavors innkeepers may want to explore and change up based on their mood or seasonal complimentary ingredients!

Make sure to stop by and visit Debbie at the Victorian House Scones booth in the Vendor Exhibit Hall, and check the conference schedule for her demonstration workshop!

Pete Holladay of TMG Virginia Inn Brokers has had a long running relationship with innkeepers, not just in Virginia but throughout the MidAtlantic region.  For more than 20 years, Pete has successfully paired aspiring innkeepers with long-time innkeepers selling their Virginia and West Virginia inns ... and in his spare time  coordinated the MidAtlantic Innkeepers Trade Show & Conference!

Any of you who have had the good fortune to meet Pete personally at the MidAtlantic conferences over the years know that his charm and enthusiasm for the innkeeping industry is only surpassed by his unending energy as he deftly navigates between the trade show floor, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions.  Just try and keep up with him!

In a recent conversation, Pete shared that "as Coordinator of the Mid Atlantic Conference, we take great pride in presenting our Aspiring Innkeepers Seminars. This seminar, held each year in conjunction with the Mid Atlantic innkeepers Trade Show & Conference, has always been well attended and the presenters are the 'best in the business'!"

Pete is committed to mentoring individuals and couples as they consider entering the life of innkeeping.  That includes putting them in touch with, as he says, the 'best in the business':  vendors and industry experts who know their products and how to help innkeepers get the best value for their time and money invested in products and services that are key to running a successful bed and breakfast.

But before an innkeeper can start buying the perfect linens, robes, and coffee mugs for their inn or build their website, they first need to decide on the property!  Location-Location-Location!  This is where Pete shines by pulling out all the stops as he markets inns for sale and finds the perfect buyer for each property.   He has been assisting buyers and sellers of B&B's and Country Inns since 1992, so whichever side of the sale you find yourself on, make sure that you are working with an expert in the B&B real estate industry:  Pete Holladay at TMG Virginia Inn Brokers should be the first person you call.

You can count on Acorn Internet Services for the most up-to-date information about what is required to market your business in today's rapidly evolving internet marketing world.

Lisa and Mark Kolb, owners and founders of Acorn Internet Services have been teaching and supporting innkeepers since 2002 with website development, optimization/marketing, customer development, and statistical analysis.  Their frequent webinars include information sharing on latest trends as well as detailed teaching for those interested in doing much of the work themselves.  As always, their team of experts stand ready to lend a technical or supportive hand.

It's a little hard to predict what might be breaking news by the time the conference rolls around in March 2014, but here are a few items Lisa plans to talk about during her presentations at the next MidAtlantic Conference when we all gather in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania:

Go-Trippin powered by Acorn ... putting the power of synergy and authorship at your fingertips!

Responsive Web Design ... what is it and why you need it!

Review Management Software ... helping you keep pace & manage your social media reviews!

Make sure to stop by the Acorn Internet Services vendor booth and talk with the good folks at Acorn about your internet marketing needs, questions, and concerns.  There is so much to digest and it is easy to get confused about where to start, but they can help you navigate those waters.  Their team is  ready to assist aspiring innkeepers get off on the right foot, and help veteran innkeepers stay on track!

Need a little entrepreneurial inspiration?  Stop by and visit with Peter & Niles Deneen, father & son team of Deneen Pottery, at the 2014 MidAtlantic Conference and ask them about their Second Chance success story while you shop for a set of coffee mugs for your inn.

A recent story appearing in the Twin Cities Pioneer Press highlights the ups and downs and ups again of Peter's 40-year career as a Master Potter (well, we may have made up that term, but he does have a Masters Degree in Pottery!). It isn't often that we are given the gift of a fresh start, but that is exactly what Peter experienced as his pottery business grew to 40 employees and over $1 million in annual revenue up through 1988, only to collapse when one of their large customers failed and dragged Deneen down with them.  To quote Peter:  "Walt Disney filed bankruptcy numerous times before he found the right business model."

Peter restarted the business and now works closely with his son Niles and other talented crafts-people to supply small-demand clients with hand-crafted clay mugs using the innovative plastic molding technique of his own design to incorporate client logos.  Did you know that each mug passes through 24 creative & loving hands before it is ready to ship?

What's New for 2014?
2 new colors are coming online:  Sea Glass and Sunset (in addition to their recently announced Powder Blue)
2 new mug styles will be introduced as well!
In addition to their line of coffee mugs and tableware, they customize clay holiday ornaments, leather key fobs, magnets, do-not-disturb signs, and coasters.  Don't miss the petite bud vases they can customize as well - everything you need to set the perfect table or supply your Inn's gift shop.  Be sure to visit the Deneen Pottery booth in the 2014 MidAtlantic Tradeshow hall for a little story-telling and shopping!