I was lucky enough to be invited to The TASSIMO Smart Talk Event last Saturday in downtown Toronto hosted by Sarah Richardson and Nik Manojlovich.  The incentive to attend was, every invitee received a FREE T45 TASSIMO On-Demand Coffee System and a chance to win a $10,000 6-piece BOSCH kitchen.  So, why would a company give away hundreds of coffee makers valued at $189?!  The same reason King Gillette gave away millions of razor blade handles.   The real money is in the razor blades.  In this case, it’s the coffee, latte, tea, and hot chocolate pods, along with the fact if someone has a TASSIMO, they are very unlikely to buy their competitor’s product.

The event was really well organized.  As people arrived, we were ushered into a big hall where there were over a dozen coffee stations.  Baristas made you the hot drink of your choice while demonstrating the TASSIMO.  They also had tables of sweets set up for us to enjoy with our drinks.  (I had the chai latte and ate the mini scones with cream. YUM!)  After everyone was “watered and fed” we went into the main hall where Nik and Sarah spoke about entertaining and home decorating.  They gave out coffee mugs and pod packs as door prizes during the talk.  Afterward, I had to go up and meet Nik as I used to watch his show Savoir Faire with my mom.  (Yes, he is even cuter in person!)

It’s been an interesting week to see how the new appliance has fit into our lives.  I used it for tea when I am not patient enough to wait for the kettle to boil.  My husband uses it to make his Starbucks on days he is working from home.  Our daughter likes the fact she can make her own hot chocolate.  I think the biggest benefit is yet to come.  It will be wonderful over the Christmas holidays as people pop in and out.  We can serve them any hot beverage they wish at a moment’s notice.  How convenient!