New 'must-have' technologies for kitchen showroom?

[Blakeatron]

I have just signed a lease to open a kitchen and bedroom showroom.

It is being fully re-wired and plumbed and we are in discussions with various suppliers about what technologies to put in.

Each display will have a couple of sockets and at least 5 cat5 cables - all cables will run back to the main server in the back office where the audio, visual and computing things are (I am not overly hot on technology sorry!)

I dont want to go super modern but feel a few new technology touches would lift it a bit and maybe help with add on sales/recomendations.

We are working with an av specialist who is supplying us with discounted equipment for some advertising space.

So far we have agreed for some of the displays to have a wirelessly controlled lighting with apple interface and wireless wall switches. Also some kind of apple controlled Audio.

There will be various Tv's/monitors dotted around showing video loops or interface software.

There will also be a sonos system in there somewhere.


So is there any equipment that i should really consider putting in, bearing in mind this is not an av showroom but a kitchen showroom with some twiddly extras!

[VEX]

From experience I would not pay for any of the techie hardware. If the av guy is confident enough in the marketing he should be giving it away free.

It also changes so often that you don't want to be stuck with worthless or low value kit, again the av man should be responsible for the devaluation and stock rotation.

Lots of housing developers got suckered/conned into putting systems into thier show houses and then never sold a bean resulting in one big cost and a very large up hill struggle to get stuff like it in again.

Oh and I am an av installer, not against the idea in principle, just hate seeing people getting caught out with something they think or have been told will work when it very rarely does.

V.

[Blakeatron]

Vex - yes he has agreed to fund most of the parts, we will pay for the tv's as they should last us quite a while, and we are paying for the wiring instalation.

[VEX]

Good News, just don't get stung on the cost of the wiring.

V.

[Grey Ghost]

If you are having "tech" stuff in the showroom perhaps sometihng like this up and working might sell ?

http://www.qooq.com/en/

I know my wife has her eyes on one to link into our home wifi system.

[fizz47]

Grey Ghost said:

If you are having "tech" stuff in the showroom perhaps sometihng like this up and working might sell ?

http://www.qooq.com/en/

I know my wife has her eyes on one to link into our home wifi system.

Might be barling up the wrong tree but couldnt you just get an Ipad which can do all the smae things but more - and can be used in other parts of the house....

[Cheib]

I definitely wouldn't be paying for the stock. Personally I would concentrate on solutions like the "qooq" that are specific to kitchens....things like TV's designed to drop down from underneath wall cabinets....or brackets that you can hang a TV on to do that job.

Trouble is that most people will look at stuff in your showroom and then go off to the web to find the best price.

Certainly my wife wouldn't want a lot of gadgets in the kitchen so anything offering a discrete solution would be good!

[oola]

Grey Ghost said:

If you are having "tech" stuff in the showroom perhaps sometihng like this up and working might sell ?

http://www.qooq.com/en/

I know my wife has her eyes on one to link into our home wifi system.

I can't see this product being a success if launched in the UK. Who pays for information such as recipes which are readily available on the net (69,800,000 results when I checked)? Our iPad is sat on the mount on the kitchen worktop so we can access music and recipes ... no need for another device dedicated to the job. Yes it looks like an app will be released but at 9.99 euro's a month (current pricing) I cant' see this working.

My advice would be to add something like the motorised in-wall iPad dock from iRoom. Available in black or white and portrait or landscape.

[Driller]

oola said:

I can't see this product being a success if launched in the UK. Who pays for information such as recipes which are readily available on the net (69,800,000 results when I checked)? Our iPad is sat on the mount on the kitchen worktop so we can access music and recipes ... no need for another device dedicated to the job. Yes it looks like an app will be released but at 9.99 euro's a month (current pricing) I cant' see this working.

My advice would be to add something like the motorised in-wall iPad dock from iRoom. Available in black or white and portrait or landscape.

That thing is a nice bit of kit but for the price it costs you could buy two brand new iPad 2s and have some change left over.

Think I'll stick to sticky velcro and a long iLead for the moment

[Toffer]

Some technology ideas here for the OP and good luck with his new venture!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE50vaI1ZeI

[oola]

http://inspire-av.com/showroom

Here's a pinky to our showroom to give you some ideas.

[oola]

Link not pinky!!!!

[oola]

B'std iPhone

Edited by oola on Saturday 14th January 09:01

[Driller]

[Driller]

oola said:

http://inspire-av.com/showroom

Here's a pinky to our showroom to give you some ideas.

[madmover]

New bang and olufsen beolit 12 from the new play range....

http://www.beoplay.com/