Checking out the little hotel room setup at the LG booth (5321), I noticed the Pro:Centricâ„¢ LCD Widescreen monitors there, and soon found my self in a chat with LG National Sales Manager Ron Lindeman about the present and future of the hospitality market. Ron explained that the movement of LG and other manufacturers into the “smart” side of hospitality, or as he calls it, the “solutions side” is moving ahead far quicker than many of us might have imagined.

Despite the economic downturn, Ron said several major hotel chains are already partnering with LG dealers to upgrade and install user-oriented solutions networked with LG monitors designed to make visits to such hotels, and repeat visits especially, more luxurious. The notion is that they need state-of-the-art, high-end technology infrastructures to lure visitors in this challenging economy, and more importantly, after the economy finally improves.

“Imagine, when you check in and turn on the (HDTV), the system remembers your last vist and preferences for food, drink, wakeup calls, appointments, movies, and so on,” Ron suggested. LG, he added, is also working with other manufacturers to initiate whole-room control systems in hotels that operate all electronic functions in a hotel room with the push of a few buttons on the TV remote.

Lots of other interesting stuff going on at the LG booth, as well, and, I noticed, lots of partnerships. For the education market, for instance, the SmartVine N-series of monitors are on display, in partnership with N Computing. These are the kinds of systems that should really be in my kids’ elementary school—control of up to 11 LG monitors from one PC via an N Computing X550 PCI card and corresponding software to create a virtual desktop situation for classrooms. The company is also upping the ante with its giant (65-in.) LCD monitors for large space network systems, like bus stations and airports, and lots more.

–MG