LG Electronics Encourages Enthusiasts to ‘Rethink Everything’ at World Maker Faire New York

NEW YORK, September 16, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Encouraging U.S. consumers to “Rethink Everything,” global innovator LG Electronics will tap into the passion and enthusiasm of the maker movement this weekend at World Maker Faire New York 2014.

As a top-level sponsor of the family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourceful-ness, Sept. 20-21 at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows, Queens, LG will host its interactive Rethink Everything exhibit – a celebration of open innovation and environmental sustainability, complete with activities designed for makers of all ages.

“Innovation has been the key to LG’s success; it’s at the heart of every product we create,” said Wayne Park, global sales & marketing officer, LG Electronics, Inc. “And there’s no better way for us to grow in the U.S. as a brand that’s synonymous with relevant, inspired innovation than to be a part of the maker movement.”

Dale Dougherty, CEO and founder of Maker Media, said Maker Faire represents “an important consumer engagement opportunity for leading companies like LG that embrace the maker movement. LG’s ‘Life’s Good’ mantra and their focus on open innovation are consistent with Maker Faire’s mission to foster creativity and experimentation.”

In keeping with the do-it-yourself spirit of the event, makers visiting the LG Rethink Everything exhibit will have the opportunity to participate in a number of fun, hands-on activities highlighting open innovation and how some LG products are made:

• LG ambassadors will be on hand to help visitors young and old create and take home their very own LG Sound & Light boards. The boards – which double as wearable art –will be assembled using the same components used to make LG washing machine control boards.
• Makers will be invited to play a game of Tick-Tock Magnet Go-Round, creating their own characters to race on top of LG Direct Drive™ motors used in making LG washing machines.
• To take pictures and print photos of their Made creations, makers will use the premium LG G3 smartphone’s unique selfie technology and the LG Pocket Photo mobile printer.

Nowhere is LG’s commitment to open innovation more evident than in its leadership in environmental sustainability. A prime example of such innovation is LG’s award-winning, ENERGY STAR-certified EcoHybrid™ Heat Pump Dryer – the first commercially available dryer in the United States made with heat pump technology to capture and recycle energy generated during the drying process. Demonstrated in New York for the first time at Maker Faire, this innovative dryer saves up to 50 percent more energy than conventional electric dryers without sacrificing on LG’s cutting edge design and high performance technology.

Kids attending Maker Faire will learn how to give new life to parts commonly found in LG washing machines to make their Sound & Light boards. And they’ll learn about how LG’s Direct Drive motor that powers LG’s ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2014 washing machines can help conserve energy. The motor’s six motions allow for more precise spin speed control and inner drum movements, saving substantial amounts of electricity and water while delivering superior wash performance.

Both products exemplify LG’s commitment to environmental sustainability – helping consumers address climate change through appliance innovations that enhance their lives.

“Makers represent the future of innovation, and it’s a future we all share,” said David VanderWaal, head of marketing for LG Electronics USA. “For LG, it’s essential that we engage with young, early adopters of new technology, to see them in action at Maker Faire, and to make sure we maintain ongoing communication with them. From innovation to creativity to sustainability, the spirit and mission of Maker Faire will continue in our products and communication far beyond this memorable weekend event in New York.”

In addition to VanderWaal, LG’s U.S. head of sustainability Christine Ackerson will be on hand to talk about how LG’s own open innovation and sustainability goals fit into the maker movement. For more information on LG’s complete line up of innovative, energy efficient home appliances, please visit www.lg.com/us/appliances.

Media interested in attending Maker Faire can register online at http://makerfaire.com/press-registration/.

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About LG Electronics, Inc.
A proud 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 82,000 people working in 119 locations around the world. With 2013 global sales of USD 53.10 billion (KRW 58.14 trillion), LG comprises five business units — Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliances, Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions and Vehicle Components — and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. For more LG news and information, please visit www.LGnewsroom.com.

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $53 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. LG Electronics, a 2014 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Partner of the Year, sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions in the United States, all under LG’s “Life's Good” marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.

About Maker Faire
Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth -- a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the maker movement. It's a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather together to show what they are making and share what they are learning. Maker Faire launched in 2006 in San Mateo, California, less than a year after its parent publication, MAKE Magazine, launched in 2005. Maker Faire celebrated 100 Faires in 2013 alone and has reached over 1.5 million attendees globally since its inception. The ninth annual Maker Faire Bay Area welcomed some 1,100 maker entries and over 130,000 attendees. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in five years to 700+ makers and 75,000+ attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Rome, Paris, Oslo, Trondheim, Newcastle (UK), Orlando, Silver Spring, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Tokyo and Shenzhen host the "featured" Maker Faires (200+ makers), and community-driven, independently organized Mini Maker Faires inspire and ignite creative communities everywhere around the United States and internationally.

Media Contacts:

LG ELECTRONICS USA
John Taylor
847-941-8181
john.taylor@lge.com

MAKER MEDIA
Bridgette Vanderlaan
(727) 278-2888
bridgette@makermedia.com