With all due respect to the countless trade shows that are peppered throughout the year, there’s nothing quite like a real-world experience to fully understand what is possible in a fully integrated space. It makes sense, then, why shows try to provide those sound room experiences, or why brands will take over a massive suite in a nearby hotel to set their product up in an application that’s closer to “real world.”
But they still fall short of the real thing.
That’s why I’ll gladly take time to stop by a manufacturer’s experience center, showroom, brand hub, interactive space, engagement arena—whatever fancy name you want to throw on it. I understand fully we’re still talking about an environment that is tailored to a specific product or platform. But what you see is as close to an actual in-home or commercial application as you can possibly get.
And I recently had the opportunity to swing by one such space while up in New York City. There, the Savant Experience Center has been nestled in the heart the SoHo district since around 2009. While “older” the company has done much and more to ensure their center remains not only relevant but exceedingly ahead of the curve when it comes to being a smart space.
Most recently, Savant expanded their footprint by acquiring the adjacent unit and creating one cohesive space that tells the entire Savant story. The 8,000-square-foot Experience Center now includes everything from power and lighting, to control and automation in both residential and commercial applications. It’s an impressive and immersive experience for any client to be walked through, which is the intended use of the space—appointments are made through local integrators.
Savant’s VP of Product Marketing Ian Roberts played the role of host for me during my tour, and what stood out most as we talked from room to room was how adaptable each space was to the demands of the user, but also the technology itself over time.
To the former point, Roberts showcased how simple commands or a few taps via the Savant app could soften the lighting, lower the shades, and turn on some soothing music for a calm evening at home. Those moments, especially when they work as intended, always make me stop and just nod my head while all the changes take place. It’s one of those satisfying experiences that drills home the impact an expertly integrated system can have on the homeowners day-to-day. And elsewhere in the Experience Center, I got a glimpse at how those systems could be employed in an upscale hotel lobby bar and conference room.
On the latter point, regarding the adaptability of the technology, it’s not something that you’d see, or a client would pick out during a single tour of the Savant Experience Center. But understanding brand’s story and how this space has progressed over time helps to paint that picture. In a small training/storage looking room, you’ll find the GE Lighting product. The rack wall, which has seen a reduction in the number of processors and other black boxes over the years, is an example of more being done across the space with less. And you could go room by room and pick out touch panels, lighting fixtures, keypads, and more that have been upgraded over time.
Savant has maintained this like a real home or office by ensuring the latest product is employed, which should give any integrator, let alone their clients, comfort in the fact that it is possible to adapt a Savant system over time to the latest and greatest.
Savant’s AI in the Real World
Speaking of latest-and-greatest. While in the newer loft area of the Experience Center, Roberts allowed me to play with the forthcoming Savant AI platform. First showcased to us at this year’s Builders’ Show, the platform promises to be an incredibly capable voice platform right out of the box. Savant leans in its myriad in-house solutions and countless partnerships to create a robust controllable product base.
As impressive as that is, the platform wouldn’t amount to much if the AI didn’t provide an experience that’s easy enough for, say, Grandma to understand. And that’s, really, where Savant’s AI shines. Of course, you can have scenes set up and ask the AI assistant to execute them. But, as someone who was sitting in this space for the first time, Roberts allowed me to ask the platform to set up a new scene. That could be accomplished by prompting the assistant with specific asks (turn the lights to a certain temp, lower the shades halfway, etc.), or by asking it to create a scene based on my mood (“I’m tired and just want some chill music, what would you recommend?”).
Through a back-and-forth, natural dialogue with the assistant, I was able to land on a scene I liked, which also happened to include tuning the TV to ESPN, and timing it for my arrival home. And, once set, Savy (Savi, idk, still not sure there) asked if I wanted to save the scene for future use.
No apps had to be messed with. No coding necessary. Just a simple conversation with the AI assistant, and we landed on a set up that fit my needs.
The simplicity of that experience is what I appreciated most. It wasn’t awkward or clunky. And it actually worked. Of course, I look forward to seeing what improvements will come by the time I see their team in Denver at CEDIA Expo in a few weeks’ time. But I’m already counting the days until I can get back to SoHo to see how these things play out in a truly integrated environment.
