Electrical Equipment Presentation Centre

Technology advances at a dizzying pace and virtually no segment of life is immune. The speed with which new products are accepted, or indeed fail, is direct dependant on the manufacturer's ability to rapidly communicate features and advantages to customers. Alacrity is critical because new options emerge daily and the only word that mitigates the punch of 'new' is 'improved'.

This is especially true for traditional items, things everyone knows. Few give these products much attention so innovation is particularly difficult to communicate. One rapidly growing approach to this problem is a dedicated product knowledge centre.

In this case the client, and well-known manufacturer of every-day electrical component (switches, plugs, etc), wanted to communicate innovation to those who selected and installed the components. They also had many other innovations of interest but electrical contractors thought of them only in terms of the components with which they were familiar.

The plan was to build a facility where the manufacturer could demonstrate the full range of products sold through electrical contractors and wholesale outlets, as well as showing them how to specify and install the equipment. The Centre was designed to accommodate two groups simultaneously, with a demonstration areas and a classroom for in-depth training. A small cafe provided a friendly atmosphere for refreshments, doubling as a third presentation space, should the need arise.

Demonstration centres, incubators and development labs are a rapidly growing technique for cost-effectively communicating and synthesizing innovation. They are also an area of particular strength for MDA.