JANUARY 2020 RETAILOBSERVER.COM
9
W
hile what happens in Vegas famously stays in Sin City, what's been
taking place recently in Napa Valley has been quietly spreading
throughout the luxury appliance industry and forever changing the
expectations of discriminating builders, designers and homeowners alike – all
while attracting the brightest thought leaders and innovators in the kitchen
design space.
That's the easiest way to describe the first-year impact of the Experience
and Design Center (EDC), the 23,000-square-foot showplace in Napa, CA.
Designed to give kitchen influencers a spectacularly hands-on way to compare
brands and products on behalf of their clients, the EDC celebrates the True
to Food
™
philosophy of Signature Kitchen Suite, while also exploring the many
other premium offerings of LG STUDIO and LG SIGNATURE.
In the 12 months since their debut, the EDC's thoughtfully designed kitchen
vignettes and hands-on showroom have attracted more than 1,400 designers,
builders, sales leaders, and industry partners, including American Society of
Interior Designers (ASID) board members, National Kitchen & Bath Associ-
ation (NKBA) "Thirty Under 30" and "Forty Under 40" honorees, Modenus
DesignHounds and Luxe RED Award winners – a Herculean achievement of
brand emergence in the crowded luxury appliance segment.
Among many other innovations, the EDC has helped introduce the industry to
the culinary wonders of sous vide thanks to the 48-inch Dual-Fuel Pro Range
with this cooking modality built-in.
"If there was ever a single appliance that was seemingly custom made for
forward-thinking cooks, it would be Signature Kitchen Suite's 48-inch Dual-
Fuel Pro Range, the only range in its class with built-in sous vide, induction
and gas burners all on the same cooktop," said Zach Elkin, general manager
of Signature Kitchen Suite. "We designed the EDC to showcase the latest
technologies that are transforming American kitchens and allowing us to make
good on our commitment to remain True to Food."
First-year EDC guests have taken advantage of everything from a best-in-class
demonstration kitchen, a futuristic Artificial Intelligence (AI) room and elaborate
dining and conference rooms, to hands-on cooking experiences inspired by the
growing Signature Kitchen Suite collection.