With the holidays approaching, it’s the perfect time to begin dreaming about your next big vacation. TUUCI shade structures can be found in some of the most luxurious hotels and resorts around the world. Close your eyes and picture yourself sitting under a beautiful TUUCI umbrella and enjoying one of these exotic locales.

Do the sparklingly blue waters of the Greek Isles tempt you? Visit Karpathos, Greece and enjoy sunbathing, swimming, scuba diving, wind surfing and relaxing comfortably under beautiful TUUCI parasols on the beach.

Maybe the allure of Monte Carlo is more your pace. Take in the spectacular views from the rooftop of the Fairmont Hotel in Monaco. These TUUCI Zero Horizon parasols will block the sun but not the view!

Are you a night owl who wants a vacation destination with endless nightlife opportunities? Visit Key West, Florida and enjoy a refreshing beverage under a TUUCI parasol at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa.

Skip the crowded Cancun beaches and go to nearby Playa del Carmen, Mexico which boasts a charming shopping district. After you’ve shopped till you’ve dropped, put your feet up under a TUUCI umbrella at the Canibal Royal.

Taking the whole family for a vacation? Check out the Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. With infinite activities for your whole family, you just might be able to sneak away and enjoy a quiet moment alone under a TUUCI parasol at the marina.

Which of these destinations is the most tempting to you? Share your vacation plans below and if you happen to spot TUUCI during your getaway be sure to snap a photo and share it with us on our Facebook page!

We at TUUCI appreciate how beautiful the environment is and we are always working to protect that beauty through our various initiatives.

The environment has provided endless inspiration in the design of our shade structures – complementing the comfort and accessibility of natural environments. Since our business is all about enjoying the outdoors, it’s no secret that we love and respect the environment.

We have taken on a number of environmental initiatives to minimize our footprint as much as possible while manufacturing marine-grade, high-quality shade structures. In addition to our efforts to conserve energy in our factory, we have a streamlined process for recycling plastics, aluminum, steel, paper and cardboard. In addition, we participate in the Sunbrella® Fabrics “Recycle My Sunbrella” program which sends our fabric excess back to their manufacturing facility for use in other products. We understand that what we do today ultimately affects tomorrow, and we never forget that fact.

TUUCI and its employees also support many environmental causes, including The Coastal Conservation Association, The Sierra Club, The Friends of Biscayne Bay Association, The Miami Museum of Science, The Kampong Botanical Garden, David Fairchild Botanical Gardens and The Coral Gables Garden Club.

 What are you, your friends and family, or co-workers doing to help reduce, reuse and recycle? Share your experiences and tips in the comment section below!

As 2011 winds down, here at TUUCI we’re wrapping up an exciting trade show season. This year, TUUCI has been jet-setting across the country, always glad to see familiar faces along the way. Here’s a quick recap of our travels and successes:

Hospitality Design Expo

Las Vegas, NV

We had a blast demonstrating our umbrella strength at the booth during the Hospitality Design Expo in Vegas this year. Nothing says ‘durability’ like someone hanging from the umbrella’s hub! Check out our latest product offering, the Plantation MAX Cantilever, featured in the bottom photo.

National Restaurant Association Show

Chicago, IL

Our booth at the NRA show felt like an outdoor café, greeting the thousands of visitors that came by our booth over the four days of the show. We were pleasantly surprised by the flash mob that broke out right in the middle of the day!

NeoCon World’s Trade Fair

Chicago, IL

This year’s NeoCon fair was an exciting one as we debuted our new permanent showroom at the Chicago Merchandise Mart. Located in Suite 1555, the space features products for every style, contemporary to traditional, including parasols, lounges, cabanas and pavilions. Stop by and visit us if you’re in the Windy City!

Hospitality Design Boutique

Miami Beach, FL

HD Boutique was one of our favorite shows of the year because it was right down the street in beautiful Miami Beach. We love the people of Miami because they are beautiful and glamorous, just like our shade products. And HD Boutique recognized how special our products are by awarding the Plantation MAX Cantilever an Honorable Mention at the Best of Boutique Awards.

International Casual Furniture Market

Chicago, IL

The International Casual Furniture Market was an exciting time for the TUUCI team as we were presented with a Design Excellence award for our Plantation MAX Cantilever. We were thrilled to accept this award (for the second year in a row!) and participate in the three-day trade show with many other incredible designers.

Also at this show, The International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) elected its 2012 officers and we’re proud that our very own Ward Usmar, Senior VP of Sales, was elected vice chairman.  Congratulations Ward!

But we’re not done yet…

We’d love to see more friendly faces! Feel free to stop by our booth and check out all of TUUCI’s beautiful, durable shade offerings at these upcoming shows:

Boutique Design

New York, NY – November 13-14, 2011 – Booth #3017

IAAPA Expo

Orlando, FL – November 15-18, 2011 – Booth #3047

When developing your outdoor space, you want that area to be an extension of your home, a place to entertain guests any time of day, any time of year.  While an umbrella is traditionally used to guard against the sun and provide a cool retreat, it can also enhance your outdoor space by having the ability to utilize it in the evening hours to provide warmth and light.

Adding lights underneath a parasol is the ideal way to add ambiance to your outdoor space and prolong your enjoyment past sunset.  A circular lighting mount can be attached above the hub, with the electrical wires hidden in the mast of the umbrella.  Four attached lights rotate 330 degrees and pivot up to a 90-degree angle, shining light directly beneath the umbrella, letting off a warm, diffused glow with the shine into the canopy.

Sharing a power source with the lights, a heater can extend the life of your outdoor space into the cooler months.  The heaters attach to the canopy struts, utilizing infrared technology to provide heat to a direct object as opposed to an energy-wasting entire area.  The heating system is UL approved and both the lights and heaters automatically power off when the umbrella frame is closed; incredibly innovative!

With the additional of lights and a heater to your canopy, you can now enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the cool shade and curl up under the same canopy at midnight to gaze at the stars.

These accessories are only available with our Ocean Master MAX and Plantation MAX center pole parasols.

This year we had the pleasure of being a Key Contributor for the Southern Living Idea House. This annual project moves from city to city throughout the southern portion of the United States and this year is located in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, a town northwest of Austin. The house is part of the lakeside community Escondido and sits on Lake LBJ.

Our Bali Bed & Sun Lounge and Ocean Master Crescent Parasol were ideal shade structures to emphasize the European inspired architecture of the home. Placed on the lower sunbathing deck, this particular Bali features a retractable sunroof and sheer privacy curtains. It is covered in a selection of TUUCI TUFF SKIN Sunbrella® Fabrics – Canvas Taupe, Canvas Cornsilk and an accenting stripe, Foster Metallic – to accent the golds, blues and clay colors of the home’s exterior. The Crescent umbrella we sent for the project has a Canvas Taupe canopy and is located on the “beach” lawn near the water’s edge. Such a beautiful setting for our products!

The Southern Living Idea House is open through October 2. For more details on the daily schedule and admission pricing, check out the Idea House page on the Southern Living website.