A television appearance, several newspaper stories, and an opportune weekend cold front boosted traffic at the Life-Changing Products Exhibit at the 2017 Pittsburgh Home & Garden show. The Exhibit returned to Pittsburgh for its third consecutive year.
Kevin Kirkland got things off to a fast start with a preview piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that focused on five products from the exhibit. Kirkland made light of the fact that the exhibit includes 13 life-changing products when it’s only supposed to contain 10. The extra products helped to produce vignettes — a virtual nursery and elder-case system in particular. The exhibit features interactive exhibits that allow show-goers to test drive new smart water valves, deadbolts, and energy monitors.
Bob Karlovitz in a piece for the Pittsburgh Tribune focused on the lifestyle benefits of the products for people working from home. The Gate deadbolt enables people to answer the door from a smart phone. With the Mimo baby monitor, parents can check on the baby from any room inside, or outside the house.
Kirkland followed up with a second piece that focused on an important consumer issue raised by the exhibit. Maybe one day all smart home products and systems will be inter-operable. But currently home owners need to make informed purchase decisions. Digital assistants such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s Siri may not connect to your smart lights or thermostat.
I got to demo several Top 10 products with KDKA morning anchors Christine and Jon at the show. A smart valve from Triple Plus stole the show. It closed automagically after a sensor was dipped in water. You could be at work, and if your hot water heater leaked, it would close the water valve before your basement turned into a swimming pool.
