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Mr. Gary Hanick-President NatureMaker, Inc.
1) Please tell something about your organization, key achievements and benefits you provide to global hoteliers?

NatureMaker, founded in 1983, specializes exclusively in the design, engineering, custom fabrication, and worldwide installation of original arboreal sculpture -- Steel Art Trees. Each tree, ranging in height from one to ten-stories, is a one-of-a-kind synthesis of art and engineering. Our public Studio, located in Southern California, includes a growing team of thirty artists, engineers, certified welders, sculptors, painters, scenic artists, and craftsmen.

Our primary achievement over the past quarter century has been to introduce photo-realistic, three-dimensional tree sculpture into a myriad of public spaces -- including, but not limited to hotels, resorts, casinos, fine dining, entertainment venues, museums, libraries, zoos, airports, shopping centers, nature centers, health care, lobbies and atriums. Thousands of people around the world have opportunities on a daily basis to enjoy our art -- contemplate, meet, dine, engage in sports, read, view exhibits, and shop under the giant, graceful canopies of NatureMaker trees.

NatureMaker trees help define, bring in a "sense of place", and create memorable interior environments. By introducing Nature indoors, NatureMaker trees engage all the senses and add warmth and ambiance to the largest or most intimate settings. The most exotic trees, such as banyan, kapok, ceiba, sycamore, oak, and olive, can now be organically introduced as art, design, and architectural enhancements in a variety of hospitality settings -- lobbies, restaurants, adjacent expo centers, and indoor water parks. NatureMaker trees have lower weight bearing loads than similar sized live specimens, no special soils, lighting, insect treatment, or irrigation are necessary. NatureMaker trees include recycled and renewable materials, which help support green and sustainable design. Architectural solutions, such as transforming giant columns into monumental trees, are now possible. Most importantly, guests tend to stay longer, respond positively, and return more frequently to nature-oriented spaces, especially those designed with a sense of aesthetic, authenticity, and sensitivity to human scale.

2) How has the economy downturn affected your business? What steps have your taken to help hoteliers in this economy? Any special deal, discount, or offer?

Clients are now more "value-oriented". They want to understand the long-term benefits of what they are purchasing. It's been a greater challenge than ever to educate the designer, architect, or end-user that buying the lowest priced item now may end up costing them more in the future. Highlighting quality, durability, and flexibility is more important than ever. Fortunately, NatureMaker's art is very much a "niche" market. Our clients have always been very high end and design oriented. Decisions often take longer due to financial issues. Some luxury projects have been put on hold.

NatureMaker collaborates with the hotel's designer, architect, or purchasing company to provide "value engineered" solutions. Since each NatureMaker tree is one-of-a-kind, we have the experience and design expertise to suggest alterations to tree type, height, or canopy size -- all to bring maximum visual impact at perhaps a lower price. We find creative solutions to handcraft as much as the tree as possible in-house, thus shortening the duration of installation and lowering the overall cost of the project.

We make every effort to explain that quality is always a bargain in the long-term. Our art is very labor intensive and we cannot arbitrarily slash our prices. We understand that once that policy is put into place, it is even more difficult to raise prices when the economy turns.

3) What do you see as the future of Hotel industry? What major trends will impact hotel business in coming 20 years?

The hotel industry will become increasingly segmented into targeted markets: business traveler, with amenities geared to this group; leisure travel, with ever more luxurious, amenity-filled interiors and locations in new and developing resort and big city destinations; and family-friendly hotels and resorts that include such features as children's play areas and indoor water parks. All of these market segments, despite fluctuations in the economy, will continue to increase their travel time and spending -- in the long-term benefitting all hotel groups. As the population continues to age, retiring baby boomers and Gen X'ers, will spend more of their incomes on travel to ever more exotic places. They will continue to demand an ever more authentic, immersive experience. Hotel interiors will ever more evolve to define their ambiance based on location. Business travelers will expect more conveniences and service. Families and leisure travelers will want to travel to a resort and enjoy its many amenities -- restaurants, entertainment, shopping, golf, and athletic -- without having to leave the property. Older properties will have to continue to renovate and expand to keep up with newer hotels and resorts that will continue to get built.

4) What benefits and key advantages you offer over competition? Why should over readers consider doing business with you?

NatureMaker's art is a true "niche specialty". Given the extreme detail and specificity of our designs, we are often "unclassifiable", putting us in a separate category versus "artificial trees" and live landscaping. NatureMaker trees typically are included in the art or FF&E budgets.

Our advantages over standard production line "artificial trees" starts with the sheer scope, scale, and variety of the tree designs offered by NatureMaker. The authenticity and beauty of intricately sculpted and hand-painted textural bark over an engineered steel structure versus mass-produced trees built on wood trunks with predictably manicured "tops" is the difference between "assembly line" and "handcrafted".

It is understood that NatureMaker's audience is typically the top 3% of the luxury market.

Our three decades long experience also affords a vast knowledge of tree design applied to unique architectural solutions, such as column clad trees, walk through trees, wall mounted specimens, and larger than life trunks that can accommodate millwork, equipment, lighting, and signage. Versatility of design is our challenge and inspiration.

NatureMaker also offers a full range of services, from design, shop drawings, model-making, sample submission, engineering, custom fabrication, world-wide shipping and professional installation. The artists responsible for the handcrafting of the trees also travel to hundreds of destinations annually to see their creations reassembled and detailed on site. The level of artistic pride is commensurate with NatureMaker's handcraftsmanship.

5) Do you provide E-commerce or online payment facility? Can our readers book your products or services online?

NatureMaker's website, www.naturemaker.com, offers an extensive and ever-expanding portfolio of designs, video presentations, media page, and background on our unique processes and artistry. As original art, a visit to NatureMaker's website is typically the first step in the process of developing a communication with our design team. Many weeks or even months may ensue in the creative design process. There are no "standard" designs shown on our website, therefore NatureMaker offers no on-line payment facility.

For more information: Call: 760 438 4244 Fax: 760 438 4344 or
Visit www.naturemaker.com
 

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