IHA gets acquainted with Katie Nisbet, director of marketing at SOVARO, which will feature its products for entertaining in style during its first appearance at the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show in booth N8705 in Discover Design.
Katie, tell us about how your company started.
Based in Batavia, Ill., a suburb west of Chicago, SOVARO was founded in 2015 with our flagship product, the hard-sided cooler. We saw a lot of great coolers in the marketplace but found there was nothing that was currently available for the “entertainer and socialite.”
In the summer of 2016 we expanded into the drinkware category and introduced a line of insulated tumblers. Finally in 2017, we expanded our coolers and drinkware line and introduced soft-sided coolers, backpack coolers, beverage bottles, wine chillers, stemless wine glasses and lowball tumblers. SOVARO embodies your casual, sophisticated approach to entertaining. With an eye to serious style that is elegant in its simplicity, SOVARO products accentuate every experience with innovative products that complement your style for years to come.
Was there a pivotal event or product that propelled the early success of your business?
Our flagship product, the hard-sided cooler. The cooler was designed and built with the entertainer in mind. It takes advantage of the natural insulating properties of cork and is built to hold wine bottles upright to keep your drink of choice where it should be—in the bottle, not the bottom of your cooler. The coolers also have luggage-style wheels and an extension handle for easy maneuverability.
How do you choose which idea to take to product development?
Our mission has been to raise the bar with unique, innovative and purposeful products built for wherever life takes you. We draw inspiration from the worlds of international fashion and state-of-the-art technology to provide sleek, elegant aesthetics and thoughtful, intuitive designs. Our goal was to create purposeful products that were both stylish and sophisticated, yet still durable in their performance.
How do you use social media?
We use social media to promote new product launches, colors and sizes. We also utilize the platform to share our lifestyle assets and favorite drink recipes with our retailers so they can promote the brand on their own sites as well.
Where are your products manufactured?
Our hard-sided coolers are proudly manufactured in the U. S. with sourced parts from across the world. The drinkware and barware products are currently made in China.
How did you learn about our Show?
We exhibited at other U.S. shows and heard that this Show would be great exposure for our line and that the Discover Design section would be a perfect fit for our brand. This is our first time to exhibit here in Chicago and we are thrilled to stay local and meet the global market!
Thank you, Katie, for sharing your story with us. We wish you great success at your first Show and look forward to seeing your presentation in your booth N8705. March will be here soon!
Discover Design is the premier destination at the International Home + Housewares Show for trend spotters who make design their priority. Retailers looking for the unique will find nearly 200 design leaders at Discover Design located at the front of the North Hall.
Anchored by renowned brands such as Alessi, Cookut, Joseph Joseph and Koziol, Discover Design welcomes new exhibitors, such as Witloft Bv, Ritzenhoff and Articulate Scotland, and introduces 11 emerging companies in the Design Debut incubator. Additional fresh offerings from veteran design-focused exhibitors such as Kikkerland, French Bull and Magisso will also inspire your choices for the coming year. Find more information on Discover Design exhibitors.
