Experience center is more than a showroom – visitors get access to home experts and their best ‘life hacks’
Today, Whirlpool Corporation unveils a new consumer experience center in the heart of Chicago, expanding the mission of its immersive culinary and appliance showcase, the World of Whirlpool. Going beyond the typical appliance showroom, the new, discovery-based destination offers the general public a chance to interact with Whirlpool Corporation experts and learn unique “life hacks.”
“We’re so excited to expand the World of Whirlpool to the benefit of the Chicago community and beyond,” said Joe Liotine, head of North America for Whirlpool Corporation. “With over a century of leadership in this industry, our design team and home scientists crafted this center knowing consumers crave personalized, interactive experiences as well as tips and tricks that enhance their everyday lives.”
At the center, visitors can engage with life hacks to help them feel like a pro in no time: the best way to brew coffee at home; the key to perfecting zoodles; how to extend the life of your produce; how to outsmart the peskiest of stains; and more.
The center will offer hands-on, self-guided cooking, cleaning and washing experiences grounded in research that shows a consumer need for “how to” guidance. For example, according to a study done by Google News Labs, 35% of the top 100 Google searches are about “how-to” clean, organize, or cook various meals in the home. This new space within the World of Whirlpool aims to help answer these questions. Discovery-based experiences range from building knife skills to getting the most from your dishwasher. Experts of industry-leading brands Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid are also on hand.
“We continue to see people searching for guidance on the things they do every day — even for tasks like boiling an egg,” said Brett Dibkey, Whirlpool Corporation vice president, brand and strategy in North America. “We know we have the experts who can help. That’s why we are introducing this experience, to help people do the things they do every day, better.”
Today’s grand opening of the Experience Center features a ribbon cutting at 11:00 a.m. CST from Whirlpool Corporation executives, including Joe Liotine, president, Whirlpool North America, as well as a live demonstration from award-winning TV Personality and Chef Andrew Zimmern at Noon CST.
Located in the historic Reid-Murdoch building in downtown Chicago, World of Whirlpool is the international brand experience center for Whirlpool Corporation. With over 60,000 square-feet throughout the building including the awe-inspiring Penthouse & historic Clocktower, World of Whirlpool is a state-of-the-art facility that highlights the Whirlpool family of brands with 14 demonstration kitchens, interactive laundry showrooms and a connected appliance experience showcasing the latest in smart home technology.
The new consumer experience center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Consumers are encouraged to sign up for workshops as available on an ongoing basis. For a full schedule and more information visit www.worldofwhirlpool.com.