In a dramatic move that represents a tremendous investment in consumer marketing, Savant Systems, Inc. (Savant) is piloting a second New York City showroom concept in Manhattan’s trendy SOHO district called, appropriately enough, Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery. This new space joins the company’s long-running Flagship Experience Center, which is also in SOHO.
Why a second experience center in the same part of New York City? Read on…
I have written extensively about the Savant Flagship Experience Center in SOHO which originally opened in 2009 but was recently and extensively updated in a multimillion-dollar renovation, only to be scheduled to open in 2020. Yes, 2020…the year of COVID! The pandemic forced the company to reconceive the showroom experience as a virtual one that allowed integrators and their clients from around the world to visit the facility.
Now, this week, Savant has opened a second experience center in SOHO. However, this experience center comes with a dramatically different mission. And that’s what is so smart about it.
A Hip Retail Feel That’s Unintimidating and Fun
Calling it a “pop-up gallery,” the company says it is piloting the concept of the Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery – a 3,700 sq. ft. bi-level smart home space located at 120 Wooster Street, in New York City. Depending on its success, they will consider opening up more locations in more markets, as well as extend their commitment to this location. The showroom/education center will be open 7 days a week: from 11 am to 7 pm (Mon-Sat) and 12 pm to 6 pm (Sun).
The overall design has a hip, upscale retail feel to it, with several smart home technology displays and vignettes throughout the space. This facility is designed to be a fun, unintimidating, easy-going smart home education center for consumers to learn more about smart home possibilities, including experiencing them first-hand and learning more about what they can do and how easy they are to control.
Driving Smart Home Demand and Savant Awareness
Make no mistake, the Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery’s purpose is to raise the level of exposure to, and thereby the consumer awareness of, smart home as a concept and Savant as a leading smart home brand.
Until now, there hasn’t been a dedicated, interactive experience that educates consumers at every level and budget on the benefits of smart home and smart power solutions. Savant strives to be innovative at every level, including leading consumer education initiatives that highlight the value of energy management, smart lighting, smart entertainment and more
Bob Madonna, Savant CEO
Savant’s Flagship Experience Center is a Different Kind of Experience
The Savant Flagship Experience Center is an appointment-only space targeted for Savant integrators and their highly-qualified clients. It is designed to offer an expansive variety of experiences, almost all of which are tailored for a higher-end clientele. It also exposes clients to an extended range of system options and opportunities, such as sophisticated lighting design and smart energy solutions – but all of these options are geared toward the more upscale client.
Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery Speaks to a Wider Audience
However, the Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery is designed to be more of a multi-level experience for all types of customers, from do-it-yourselfers looking at some simple GE Cync lighting products all the way up the most sophisticated solutions. Savant SOHO will at all times have staff available that can handle everything from selling a Cync light bulb, to assisting customers with professionally installed, highly advanced smart entertainment, networking, security, energy, and lighting solutions.
Of course, this space will not replace the Savant Flagship Experience Center, which will still be available for integrators to reserve for select high-profile clients, but this space will be more accessible, more education focused and perfect for specifier, builder and client meetings. It will be fully staffed and have great education and consultations space focused on lighting, energy, entertainment and more.
Angela Larson, Savant Vice President of Customer Operations
Savant Vice President of Customer Operations Angela Larson told me in an email exchange that the company fully expects the Savant SOHO’s education center to generate a lot of leads to be passed on to top Savant Ambassadors. This makes sense as New York City’s SOHO district is a large and popular destination for visitors to the city – so those leads are likely to come from anywhere and everywhere in the U.S., or around the world for that matter.
Two Levels of Space Directed to Two Levels of Interest
There are two levels at Savant SOHO. The street level is dedicated to immersive smart home residential vignettes and examples of how certain DIY smart home products can provide a base level of enhancement. There will be multiple examples of Savant’s GE-branded Cync incorporated into these vignettes, and visitors will have the opportunity to operate them via the simple and intuitive Cync app.
The Gallery will offer some fun events, such as visitors creating unique wall designs using Cync Full Color Light Strips and a color-changing selfie station. The facility will also be offering smart workshops and informational and décor focused classes.
The Lower Level Takes Things Deeper
The lower level takes things deeper (no pun intended). Here, homeowners looking for professionally installed smart home solutions can meet with Savant experts to learn more about how smart entertainment, networking, security, energy, and lighting solutions can elevate their experience. The lower level will also feature key technology demonstrations and provide a comfortable consultation area that can be reserved by Savant integrators.
This is an amazing investment by Savant in consumer education on smart home technologies and opportunities. Given the cost of Manhattan real estate, there are not many brands who could choose to engage in a space like this – so hat’s off to Savant. This is truly something quite unique.
An Interesting Experiment with a Different Approach
Also unique, is the idea that the Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery will be designed to address all levels of smart home solutions – from simple DIY solutions to the most sophisticated system solutions.
This investment is very different than a by-appointment-only showroom that most of the industry is used to. We will be attracting consumers of all kinds – some that will want to embrace a do-it-yourself product and some that want a more in-depth smart home consultation. And of course, the leads we generate will be pre-qualified and shared with our top Ambassador integrators.
Angela Larson
I guess the best smart home solutions come from smart manufacturers! Or at least those who engage in smart marketing! It will be fascinating to track the success of this new concept Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery.
You can learn more about the Savant SOHO Smart Home Gallery at savant.com/soho.
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