I cannot believe that there is anything much higher on the list of bug-bearers than the annoyance of having to carry multiple adaptors as we jet around the world and stay in different hotels in different countries. Traveling around Asia for example between Hong Kong, Vietnam, China, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia will probably see you carrying 6 different adaptors. 

In this 3rd millennium when we can do all sorts of wonderfully innovative things like build space stations and put men on the moon, why can�t we come up with such a simple thing as a Universal power socket? Visiting a website http://kropla.com/electric2.htm shows that there are some 15 different types of plugs and associated sockets. Why is this? Why can�t the worlds finest hospitality related technical brains that exhibit and visit HITEC, take the initiative and finally resolve this niggling issue.

Surely I cannot be the only one in the world who feels this way � can I? I cannot believe that the millions of people who travel around the millions of hotels rooms in the hundreds of different countries don�t want this problem to be resolved. You can meet them quite easily at airports and train stations.

To me it seems very simple. And why is that? Because the Hotel groups, and especially those that have multiple properties that straddle multiple countries and want to earn their 6th-star ©  (www.6th-star.com), they must be the ones to drive this, and make governments and safety organizations agree. It must be the hotels, the places where travelers take temporary refuge and need to connect the numerous power driven devices they lug around such as notebook computers, mobile phones, electric razors and toothbrushes (not to mention hairdryers) � to have this kind of plug n play service. Here we are not talking about the residential market � but hotel rooms. Let me tell you that to personally combat this issue I carry my own power bar � which may technically violate certain safety rules � but what other choice do I have�

So my challenge to the wonderful exhibitors and attendees of HITEC 2002 is for just a moment to forget about revenue management systems, electronic door-locks, high-speed internet access, restaurant and room management control systems, and fix a real problem � THE UNIVERSAL POWER PLUG. & SOCKET

Power to the people � that�s what I say!