It's in the Bag!

IT'S A WONDERFUL, WIRELESS WORLD. Text-messaging cell phones, Blackberries and WiFi hotspots are commonplace, making us more connected, and more mobile, all at once. Today's electronics let you set up office anywhere—at home, the local Starbucks, even on the commuter train—provided you take technology with you. And you can, with the new generation of business cases.

Once consigned to travel use, laptop carriers have become a hot commodity, with business and computer case retailers reporting 10% sales increases across the board. Today's laptop cases have become everyday accessories—no longer confined to basic black nylon—and are as much a personal statement as a handbag or necktie.

How you carry your laptop has become almost more important than what you carry. You can choose from dress-down, messenger bag-inspired cases and casual backpacks to dress-up designs in top-quality leather or high-tech materials that masquerade as designer totes. And just like purses, people seem to need more than one business case, often opting for a compact, minimalist case for shuttling between work and home, and larger, wheeled cases for airport travel that can swallow laptop, accessories, PDA, iPod, cell phone and mobile printer in a single gulp.

Paradoxically, as electronics have become lighter and more compact, our travel load has become heavier. Today's traveler is likely to pack a PDA, cell phone, MP3 player/backup hard drive and all the attendant power adapters with their laptop. Plus, there's the usual plethora of business papers, reading material, etc. Modern laptop cases lighten the burden with wheels, shock-absorbing shoulder straps, contoured carry handles and designs that convert from airport-friendly backpack style to office-chic briefcase. There are even sleek, svelte wraparound skins with built-in access ports so you don't even have to remove your laptop to get to work—just crack the case open and type.

We're definitely a society on the move. Last March marked the first time laptop computer sales outnumbered desktop purchases in the U.S., and that means more people are taking their technology on the road.

“Technology is allowing us to be productive everywhere,” notes Michele Marini Pittenger, president of the Travel Goods Association, and business case manufacturers have accommodated this with new designs that work for the everyday commute, the business overnighter and the extended-stay trip. “There's never been a wider array of choices for style-savvy travelers,” notes Pittenger, “so you can look good, be more productive and efficient all at once. It's a portable world—all you need to do is grab a bag and go.”

For more information, see the September/October 2005 issue of Travel Goods Showcase. Contact John Misano at the Travel Goods Association, 609-720-1200 x-205, john@travel-goods.org, or visit www.travel-goods.org to request a copy or obtain further info.

The Travel Goods Association is the voice of the travel goods industry. A national trade association, TGA represents the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of luggage, leather goods, business and travel accessories, business and computer cases, handbags, and other products for people who travel.