The Product Innovation Mindset

Transforming the meeting & event industry

Since 1978 Southern Aluminum has had a longstanding partnership with innovation. Throughout the years, the company has pivoted to serve a diverse customer base in many markets where product lines are needed most. To put it bluntly, innovation is at the forefront of what we do. Our mission is to push the boundaries of design in every way imaginable through our innovation mindset.

That unwavering dedication to product design positioned Southern Aluminum to serve a multitude of markets within the hospitality industry as the pioneer of linenless meeting and event furniture in the early 2000s. Southern Aluminum coined the phrase “linenless,” providing the first-of-its-kind eco-friendly products to customers who wanted to better “green” their facility while looking for a fresh approach to activating and styling event spaces.

Club Commitment

The Ken Garff Scholarship Club of Utah, University of Texas Club, Baylor Club, Firestone Club and the Arizona Sands Club are some of the many notables that sought out Southern Aluminum to outfit their meeting, banquet, and event spaces, and we are honored they did.  By using our tried-and-true meeting and event tables, hand-etched Swirl tables, bar and beverage solutions, and retail displays, they are able to use their spaces to the fullest capacity.

Owen Wright of the University of Texas Club says, “We needed options to try and maximize our limited space availability when we designed the layout of our new suite level buffets. Southern Aluminum’s team introduced us to the vertical buffet shelf, allowing users more options and flexibility. Plus, they had a fantastic, clean, modern look and were a nice complement to the Southern Aluminum linenless tables that we were already utilizing.” Our longtime partnership with ClubCorp is our leading motivator in providing product design excellence and our commitment to accommodating them with product. As a proud linenless provider for the hospitality industry, we strive to actively consider our customers’ needs when designing new products.

Innovation + Product Design

Behind the design curtain sits Southern Aluminum’s Innovation+Design (I+D) team. Their mission is to deliver furniture solutions that elevate customer experiences while enhancing operational efficiencies through forward-thinking product design. A strategic mission with many layers to keep the company at the top of our game.

The I+D team have launched a series of products capitalizing on industry trends and customer needs. A recent product launch, AXIS, responds to the ongoing trend of attendee collaboration. AXIS is a flexible, mobile, flip-top nesting table designed to move seamlessly throughout any space and adjust to the customers’ purpose, whether the need is to train, educate, or meet.

As the industry evolves and new customer demand pivots from a response to global change, Southern Aluminum grows in parallel. With strength in turning insights and trends into “the next big thing”, delivering something new has become the norm for the I+D team. Any great business that deals in design has a healthy product roadmap, and our future outlook is strong. So, what do near-term product goals look like? Focusing on the shift to utilize more outdoor space, Southern Aluminum delivered a dynamic new product, VERGE, designed to activate outdoor leisure and dining. This collection is the modern take on our proud heritage line, Southern Piknik™, which has been a mainstay for the last 44 years. VERGE is multi-functional and built to activate outdoor settings with style. But this is only the start of a more layered approach to outdoor F&B and event furniture development.

As our team collaborates with customers, outdoor is at the forefront of the conversation more often than not. Let’s be honest, this trend was already in progress before we ever got to 2020, but what we have lived through has certainly accelerated the desire to move meetings, events, dining, and socializing to outdoor spaces. Hotels and venues are finding creative ways to accommodate this with existing infrastructure while new builds are amping up rooftops, event lawns, pool decks, and beach fronts for purpose-driven events. Winning in the outdoor space can mean winning more share of the business, full stop.

With outdoor entertainment trending, Southern Aluminum is working to provide the hospitality industry with the necessary tools to host successful events. On the docket for release in 2022 is a mobile cocktail table and a complete outdoor furnishing line.

Innovation is a journey, and our product evolution has always been substantial at Southern Aluminum, and we are very proud of that fact. As we continue to innovate, we can’t wait to show you what’s next!

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