Seminar teaches hotel owners and operators importance of bed bug management
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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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| SAN JOSE (September 28, 2009) –
Protect-A-Bed®, a leading provider of bed bug entry, escape and
bite proof mattress encasements, will sponsor an educational seminar on
bed bug management for hotel owners and operators attending the
Northern California Hotel & Lodging Conference on Oct. 1 in San
Jose, Calif.
The hour-long session, titled “Itch, Scratch, Splash,” will kick-off the conference at 8:30 a.m., giving attendees a valuable opportunity to learn more about proactively managing bed bug infestations and their associated liabilities for hotels. The seminar will be presented by Carl Morello, the Vice President of Loss Control for Strongwood Risk Management Solutions based in Monterey, Calif. According to Petra Minoff-Michael, Vice President of Sales for Protect-A-Bed’s Hospitality Division, bed bugs are anything but selective in their choice of a home and not surprisingly, they have made hotels their own home-away-from-home. “Bed bugs have undoubtedly escalated into a serious issue now affecting even the cleanest and most affluent hotel properties in every corner of the country,” she said. “And with that comes an impact that can be devastating to a hotel’s budget, not to mention its reputation.” According to Minoff-Michael, for a hotel owner or operator whose property encounters bed bugs, business suffers almost immediately and damage to the infested hotel’s reputation can take years to repair. Plus, once bed bugs infest a bed, it is recommended the mattress and box spring be replaced and the room treated, all adding up to “one potentially very expensive problem.” With the resurgence of bed bug infestations has come a heightened awareness among hotel owners and operators who understand the need to be proactive with the problem. In response, Protect-A-Bed has developed a full line of encasement products to protect pillows, mattresses and box springs and therefore enable hotel owners and operators to create a healthy, clean and comfortable sleep environment for their guests. “In the fight against bed bugs, fully encasing your mattresses and box springs can go a long way, enabling a hotel operator to quickly detect a potential bed bug infestation,” Minoff-Michael said. “Protect-A-Bed is committed to teaching hotel owners and operators how to put proactive measurements in place and execute them. This includes training employees to perform frequent inspections for early detection of bed bugs.” During the seminar, attendees will learn that in order for an encasement to be effective, it must be both bite-proof (meaning that the bugs cannot feed through the material) and entry- and escape-proof (meaning that the bugs cannot get in or out of the encasement after it has been installed). Conversely, attendees will learn the disastrous effects if not proactive in the fight against bed bugs. “In the end, we hope hotel owners and operators feel equipped with the knowledge to avoid the problem of bed bugs altogether,” Minoff-Michael said. “Being proactive is absolutely essential and will pay dividends for a hotel property.” To learn more about Protect-A-Bed’s mattress and pillow protection products, visit Minoff-Michael on Oct. 1 at table 29 at the San Jose Doubletree Hotel’s Northern California Hotel & Lodging Conference or visit www.protectabed.com. About Protect-A-Bed® Protect-A-Bed produces mattress protectors that provide consumers with a healthy and comfortable sleep environment. The Protect-A-Bed Premium product was developed in South Africa in 1980 and Protect-A-Bed was first established in the USA in 2000, and offers AllerZip®, the world’s first scientifically proven bed bug entry, escape and bite proof mattress encasements with the patented Bug Lock™ Secure Seal® and Allergen Flap. The product is now sold in 27 countries and Protect-A-Bed is the leader in mattress protection innovation. Protect-A-Bed products are listed as a Class 1 Medical Device with the Food and Drug Administration and have received the Good Housekeeping Seal. For more information, visit www.protectabed.com. |
| Contact: Bridget Castellini [email protected] |