Philips unveils future design concepts for easier day-to-day living at the 2007 Simplicity Event

London, United Kingdom – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) will today unveil new and innovative design concepts based on the company’s “sense and simplicity” brand at the 2007 Philips Simplicity Event at London’s Earls Court 2 exhibition centre. At the three-day event, Philips will showcase to a select group of customers, business partners, healthcare professionals and public sector representatives its vision of how in five years the clever use of technology married with intuitive, personalized design can lead to unexpected approaches to caring for people’s well-being at home, in the hospital and on the move.

Philips approaches caring for people’s wellness from three perspectives – caring for guests, caring for families and caring for patients – a focus that reflects Philips drive and commitment to creating concepts and products that are designed around people. Andrea Ragnetti, Chief Marketing Officer of Philips explains: “The heart of our Simplicity Event here in London is showing our stakeholders what the Philips brand of ‘sense and simplicity’ means for our customers when it comes to our vision for tomorrow’s products. And that means designing concepts and products around consumers’ needs. Today’s event is a way to stimulate creative thinking in design, as well as spark a dialogue with our stakeholders on how to address a growing desire for products catering to wellness. And we draw on this feedback when coming up with solutions that are not only easy, but also enjoyable to use.”

The theme at the 2007 Simplicity Event of “caring for people’s well-being” builds on ongoing societal trends that Philips has been tracking closely: populations are getting older, healthcare is increasingly consumer-driven and business travel is now more extensive and hectic. In light of these trends, Philips employed the creativity and expertise of anthropologists, sociologists, designers, engineers and business leaders to come up with design concepts that address these converging trends. The result: Philips will present concepts that take a holistic approach to healthcare, in which health and wellbeing touch on all aspects of a person’s daily life. Focusing on relaxing, healing and providing enjoyment, design concepts at the show explore the role of simplicity in Philips three core businesses – healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle.

Design concepts will be demonstrated in ‘real-life’ scenarios, with follow-up discussions allowing viewers the opportunity to provide feedback and give their view on the future of care. One trend Philips will explore is the growing prevalence for couples to start families later in life. For example, according to Eurostat, between 1980 and 2004, the average age for women in the United Kingdom to have their first child jumped from 25 to roughly 30 years of age. Older parents tend to have greater disposable income and means to invest in experiencing and enjoying their pregnancy. In the ‘Celebrating Pregnancy’ design concept, Philips will showcase how through advanced technology and a creative approach to design, prospective parents can experience the wonder of a view inside the womb. Other scenarios include ‘Ambient Healing Space’, offering patients the ability to make their hospital stay more comfortable while allowing hospital staff a method of involving patients in their own care and ‘Daylight’, a hotel scenario suggesting that travel to different time zones can be refreshing rather than exhausting.

Note to Editors:
In addition to the ‘concepts’ presented, Philips also “showcased” an array of consumer lifestyle, lighting and healthcare products in its High Street area. These included products launched in the second half of 2007 and previews of products planned for introduction in 2008.

• Click here to read more about the Simplicity Event 2007 in London

• Click here for more information about the concept collection

• Click here to read more about Andrea Ragnetti, Steve Rusckowski, Rudy Provoost, Stefano Marzano and Geert van Kuyck

• Philips introduces simplicity to the hotel experience, October 23, 2007
• National Theatre lights up London, October 22, 2007

Watch the video below to get an impression of the 2007 Simplicity Event in London.

• Click here to watch the Simplicity Event video

Watch the video below to see the making of the 2007 Simplicity Event in London. Philips Design shows how creative ideas evolve into the innovative concepts.

Philips board members Andrea Ragnetti (pictured left), Rudy Provoost (pictured center), and Steve Rusckowski (pictured right) are seated in front of Philips' care for guests concept called 'Daylight'. The concept invites hotel guests to explore the properties of natural light and shade to create their ideal ambience using a range of decorative virtual blinds and color gradients. Such experiential moments are designed to help business travelers and tourists relax, unwind and re-energize. This design concept is being shown at the 2007 Philips Simplicity Event at London's Earls Court exhibition center from October 23 to 25 as part of Philips' vision for the future of caring for people's well-being at home, in the hospital and on the move. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Nils van Houts)

'Celebrating Pregnancy' is a pregnancy scenario for the future. From conception to childbirth and beyond, bringing a child into the world is both a joy and a challenge. While medical advances have made the experience safer than ever, hospital environments have hardly changed.  Mothers (and fathers) are often treated like patients with an illness, rather than parents-to-be. Wouldn't it be wonderful if prenatal care and, in particular, fetal ultrasounds were as comfortable as they are exciting?  And what if the entire experience was one that could be shared with the entire family, including the experience of that first view of the baby?  If a picture is worth a thousand words, a 4D virtual image with audio is priceless. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

'Ambient Healing Space' is a hospital scenario for the future
Wouldn't it be amazing if, while in hospital, patients could relax, feel comfortable and focus on participating in their own care? Imagine providing patients with multi-purpose spaces where they can rest and feel comfortable - talking to their families, fellow patients and medical staff. Imagine customizable healing spaces, even in hospital rooms with more than one patient, where patients can choose privacy or sociability, and where medical information flows seamlessly from doctor to patient. Imagine a hospital room that feels more like a hotel suite than a medical ward, and where the focus is on comfort and service. Imagine placing patients in entertaining, non-confrontational environments that are tailored to their personal needs, and which put them in control of everything from lighting to audio. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

'Daylight' is a hotel scenario for the future. The hotel industry is dominated by large chains that provide consistent service, but often lack a personal touch. Luckily, the rise of private, theme-oriented hotels is ushering in a new age of hospitality, one in which guests control virtually every aspect of their stay. New applications of technology will empower customers and provide them with better, more comfortable surroundings in which to relax and re-energize after a long journey. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

Philips offers full multi-channel surround sound without the hassle of cables or speakers with its I-piece, integrated home theatre system.© PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen).

Build and assemble prefabricated hotel rooms onsite with the Philips One Star is Born concept. Partners are able to create and bring to market innovative applications of the concept such as the Citizen M hotel - a hotel for mobile citizens of the world. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Nils van Houts).

Enjoy a high quality Espresso, Cappuccino or Latte Macchiato made from fresh beans and fresh milk simply at the touch of a button. Launched October 2007. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen)

The HeartStart MRx unites leading monitoring technologies with superior diagnostic measurements and Philips' patented SMART Biphasic resuscitation waveform in a single, thoughtfully designed, lightweight device. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Nils van Houts).

Extract all of the goodness from fresh fruits and vegetables effortlessly. Insert whole fruits and vegetables - peels, cores, seeds and all - and extract only the finest juice.
© PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Nils van Houts).

Breathe new life into your clothes. A unique combination of an iron, a steamer and a garment refresher that keeps your family's clothes in beautiful shape and saves you time and money. © PHILIPS (Photo: Capital Photos / Gerald van Daalen). This photograph is free for editorial (non-commercial) use with Philips-related subjects

• Click here for more images from the 2007 Simplicity Event in London