[Report] LG Premium Appliances Receive "Awesome" from US Locals... Energy Efficiency and Luxury Appliances Catch Attention

Visiting North America's Largest Kitchen and Bath Show, 'KBIS 2024'

At 9 a.m. local time on the 27th at the Las Vegas Convention Center, USA, the LG Electronics booth was bustling with visitors eager to explore LG's premium built-in appliance lineup, including the Signature Kitchen Suite, on the opening day of KBIS 2024, North America's largest bathroom and kitchen exhibition. LG Electronics set up one of the largest booths at the event, measuring 1,022 square meters, second only to General Electric (GE). From the moment the exhibition opened, construction industry professionals, interior designers, and kitchen designers flocked to the LG booth, filling it to capacity. Along with LG Electronics, global appliance companies participating in the exhibition attracted visitors' attention by showcasing energy-efficient products and the future of smart homes.

LG Electronics Booth Bustling from Opening... Strengthening B2B Strategy with Premium Appliances

LG Electronics booth set up at the 'KBIS 2024' exhibition hall

The most eye-catching area at the LG Electronics booth was the Signature Kitchen Suite kitchen appliance exhibition zone. At 10 a.m. that morning, chefs Austin Kang and Nick Rich held a cooking show in this space, demonstrating LG kitchen appliance features while preparing dishes using steak and whole chicken, captivating visitors' interest. One of the key features demonstrated by the chefs was the 'Gourmet AI' technology, where an internal oven camera recognizes ingredients and recommends various customized recipes.

Chef Nick Rich placed the prepared whole chicken into the oven and closed the door, then told visitors, "The oven's internal camera automatically recognizes the food based on stored menus." Immediately, recommended menus appeared on the oven's LCD screen. He explained, "There are 80 automatic cooking guides, and you just need to follow the instructions. The oven recognizes the ingredients and suggests automatic cooking menus, and when making whole chicken, the time and temperature are set automatically." He added, "Cooking becomes easier."

An American dealer participating in the LG Electronics booth exhibition said, "The Signature Kitchen Suite exhibition zone is the most awesome part of the LG booth," and praised the product combining induction, gas range, and sous vide functions as impressive.

Based on its success in the premium appliance market in the U.S., LG Electronics is also considering launching products in the Mexican market. An LG Electronics official explained, "We are preparing to launch the premium kitchen appliance lineup, Signature Kitchen Suite, not only in the U.S. but also in Mexico."

LG Electronics booth set up at the 'KBIS 2024' exhibition hall

Visitors to the LG Electronics booth thoroughly explored LG's exhibition zones, which featured customized packages for bathrooms, laundry rooms, and more. LG Electronics introduced bathroom solutions for the first time at this exhibition and unveiled the all-in-one washer-dryer 'WashCombo,' which is very popular locally in the U.S., as well as the premium water purifier and humidifier 'HydroTower.' LG Electronics plans to provide these customized packages to builders constructing residential or commercial buildings, intensifying its business-to-business (B2B) market strategy. Through this, the company aims to expand its presence in the North American premium appliance market.

Additionally, LG Electronics showcased the future of AI-based smart homes under the concept of the 'Zero Labor Home.' A large display installed at the exhibition featured a smart home AI agent acting as a household helper. In the video, the smart home AI agent notified a user doing home training that the laundry cycle was complete and, if the customer could not immediately attend to it, suggested using the 'Post-Cycle Laundry Care' course to reduce wrinkles in the unattended laundry. LG Electronics plans to develop the smart home AI agent to communicate more smoothly with users through strategic cooperation with Microsoft (MS).

Global Appliance Companies Showcase Energy-Efficient Products... Spotlight on Smart Home Future

Global appliance brands presented high-efficiency appliances applying energy-saving technologies and visions of the smart home future.

GE, in collaboration with U.S. smart home company Servant, unveiled the 'GE Appliance Eco Balance System,' an energy-saving system. It demonstrated generating and storing energy via solar panels installed on the roof and supplying necessary power to the home during outages using stored energy. An electric vehicle charging scene was also showcased. This GE energy solution is integrated into an application for comprehensive management. GE's system applies to energy-efficient refrigerators, dishwashers, cooking appliances, heat pump washer-dryers, heat pump HVAC systems, heat pump water heaters, inverters, batteries, electric vehicle chargers, solar panels, and generators.

Whirlpool also introduced refrigerators featuring the insulation technology 'SlimTech.' Earlier this year at CES 2024, Whirlpool revealed the SlimTech insulation material, a vacuum insulation structure (VIS) technology, for the first time in North American refrigerators. Applying this insulation reduces wall thickness by up to 66%, increasing internal refrigerator capacity by up to 25%. Increasing insulation wall thickness reduces thermal conductivity, enabling up to a 50% improvement in refrigerator energy efficiency.

LG Electronics also exhibited energy-efficient products. The WashCombo, equipped with an inverter heat pump, is an all-in-one washer-dryer that completes washing and drying with a single operation. It features excellent usability and relatively low carbon emissions. The dual inverter heat pump water heater displayed alongside obtains over 70% of the energy needed for operation from outside air. Incorporating LG Electronics' core component technology 'CoreTech,' the actual electricity consumption is less than 30% of conventional heater-type water heaters.

The future of smart homes was also a trend at the exhibition. Besides LG Electronics' Zero Labor Home, Chinese company Midea unveiled its own smart home platform called 'Smart Home.' This platform recognizes washing machine courses and provides the most suitable drying programs, as well as offers energy-saving tips through monitoring household energy usage.

Luxury Appliances Also Draw Attention... Monogram Gallery Bustling

Monogram booth set up at the 'KBIS 2024' exhibition hall

At this exhibition, booths featuring premium appliance lineups attracted frequent visitor traffic. The traditional premium brand Monogram created the 'Monogram Gallery,' showcasing the essence of luxury appliances. The Monogram booth, decorated by combining wine cellars, cooktops, ovens, and refrigerators with French-style furniture and paintings, was continuously visited by attendees. An American kitchen designer who visited the Monogram booth commented, "The luxurious feel of the Monogram booth was the most impressive at the exhibition."

Entry-level built-in appliances targeting small homes also caught attention. Chinese company Haier presented a package designed to maximize internal space while maintaining compact appliance designs aimed at small homes. A Haier representative said, "We designed a practical booth targeting small apartments with small kitchen sizes but maximizing space utilization. The refrigerator, oven, and dish dryer all have maximized internal space. The wine cellar looks small but can hold 44 bottles of wine."

Meanwhile, KBIS is North America's largest exhibition in the kitchen and bathroom sector. Over 500 major global appliance companies participate to showcase new products and solutions reflecting the latest trends. Samsung Electronics significantly reduced its booth size compared to last year at this year's exhibition.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.