That’s using your helmet
I’m often asked during big events, such as the recent National Hardware Show, for my take on industry developments at or near the surface of the convention show floor.
The question comes early and often. And the answer is usually complicated.
To speed things along, I’ve learned to scout the show floor as soon as possible, seize the first memorable product, and craft an easy-to-serve answer around it. This year, I seized a safety helmet with built-in, retractable shades. So, most of my early-show conversations went something like this:
Q: “What’s new, seen anything?”
A: “Yes. The combination of a job-site helmet with retractable and somewhat stylish safety glasses seems to me an idea whose time has come. Darth Vader meets Bob the Builder.”
For an event the size of the National Hardware Show, with 2,800 exhibitors and some 30,000 industry pros, one needs to drink it all in and digest it all thoroughly. A person can choke on quick answers. It’s not until one returns to his desk and organizes his thoughts in the Evernote app that meaningful answers emerge to the “What’s new” question.
For instance:
I felt a thrill of discovery when I saw the rotating head of the Worx power drill. It’s a two-headed monster of an idea. A user can drill a hole and tighten a screw without touching a bit. (The Product Video Network has an admirable demonstration.)
I was also thrilled at the sight of “The Magnetic Finger,” a single-digit slip-on “glove” that gives the wearer Ironman-like magnetic powers. And The Spin Chill uses forced convection to chill a beer or a can of pop in about 60 seconds. (Though a bottle of wine takes about five minutes.)
Less impressive from my viewpoint were the world’s first bird feeder/bird cam and the sink mat that rolls out when your dog needs a bath.
Words that buzzed with increased buzzworthiness: “Safety,” “Simple,” “Fast,” “Outdoor,” “Trump” (the man, not the verb), “Consolidation” and, happily, “Growth.” My favorite: “The überfication of hardware.”
Exhibitors pushed the simplicity button extra hard. Booths proclaimed “Easy this,” or “Simpler that” or “No need for this other thing.” The takeaway is that the world is an overly complicated place, and the home improvement retailer is in a perfect position to provide the solutions and the advice to make it simpler.
And, of course, there was a nifty safety helmet with retractable glasses.
Did you hear a new buzzword at your latest industry event? Send it to [email protected].