Architecture
Robert Ivy, the editor of New York City-based Architectural Record magazine, predicts that architects will go beyond the now-mature concept of ecologically minded, or “sustainable,” design and will shape structures that harness the energy of the wind and the sun.
There’s no better place for that to happen, he says, than at the former site of the World Trade Center, where a new, more responsible brand of buildings could replace the energy-hogging twin towers. “My own intuitive sense,” Ivy says, “is that the time is ripe for architects to reclaim . . . the power of design to integrate with larger natural forces that we have marginalized in the past. It’s rethinking architecture to be more responsible to the planet.”
Bionics
Big in 2002, says Margaret Drain, executive producer of the PBS series “American Experience,” will be “chipping” — the insertion of a computer chip that contains specialized information into the human body. “The range of information is wide — from medical history and blood type (useful if you get into a car accident) to visa information and criminal records (not useful if you’re from the wrong country or a badass). Chipping already exists in the livestock industry. Some people may protest, but they should be reminded that only a few thousand genes separate us from the lowly flatworm.”
Baseball
Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the White Sox, has two wishes when he looks ahead to 2002: the need for Major League Baseball to overcome its economic problems and the need for continued growth in fan appeal. “Baseball is amazingly resilient,” says Reinsdorf, “and it is extremely powerful in its ability to reach across historical, cultural and generational lines to help us heal. Just when critics write the sport off, baseball has the ability to offer up memorable events like Cal Ripken’s streak, the home run chases of past seasons or [2001’s] tremendous World Series. This resiliency, as well as the game’s ability to speak to many diverse people on many levels, is what makes baseball so much a part of America, our history and our future. I have great faith in the game and look forward to a 2002 season that leaves baseball fans cheering.”
Audio
Chris Copeland Gladwin, CEO of Chicago-based FullAudio, believes that the new year will bring with it an escalating demand for all sorts of digital music services, including those for music and movies. “The thing you’re going to see next year is the wide-scale acceptance of digital media services. You’re going to see companies that can offer music on demand or let consumers try different kinds of music. What matters is that you’ll get exactly what you want when you want it, and that will also be happening in video.
“2001 was the year the music industry changed. Prior to that, it was all based on physical media going back to wax cylinders. Going forward, it’s going to be dominated by digital media. The economics of the business have changed too. The industry has started to slow down in terms of manufactured product. That means fewer CDs and more paid music downloads.”
While it was thought that Napster users would rebel at the idea of paying for Internet music — and indeed, free music can still be had on the Web — people are already starting to get used to subscription services, says Gladwin. “It’s clear that the change has started.”
Radio
Says Ron Rodrigues, editor-in-chief of Radio & Records magazine, “It’s very possible that the government is going to further relax the ownership limits that big companies now face. You could see companies like Infinity and Clear Channel, which already own a lot of stations in Chicago, owning more stations in the market. These companies are lobbying hard in Washington and they’re getting a sympathetic ear. [Congress] should come to some sort of decision [in 2002], and it’s likely to be in their favor.”
Pizza
The delivery charge — something other than a token $1.50 — “is something that has been coming for awhile and it’s going to be here before long,” says Jeremy White, editor of Pizza Today magazine. “It’s still not really prevalent, but even the big pizza chains — Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s — have been experimenting with it. The fact that Domino’s, which is regarded as the leader in free delivery, is doing it is surprising. Your first thought is that the consumer isn’t going to like it, but so far, the delivery guys say their business hasn’t dropped off.
“Supermarket frozen pizzas from the restaurant chains will get bigger too. California Pizza Kitchen has a line of frozen pizzas that are doing well and some other chains will be doing frozen pizzas next year. There will be a little fight to see who gets that [limited] shelf space in the supermarket.”
Birds
“There are many issues that could have an effect on birding,” says Chuck Hagner, editor of Birder’s World magazine. “One of them could be global warming. Birders will notice birds arriving later and staying later. Another is a greater awareness of people’s footprints on the Earth, as issues like drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge come up for debate.”
Snacks
“I would expect jerky and meat snacks to increase in popularity this coming year,” says Tim McCook, spokesman for the Snack Foods Association. “They’ve been increasing in sales over the past few years at about 30 percent a year; it’s better distribution, and the high-protein diet has been good to the sector. You’ll also see more of other kinds, like turkey jerky and pork jerky.”
Publishing
Says Jim Milliot, senior editor for news and business at Publishers Weekly: “You’re going to see a continuation of a lot of the same comfort books — home, cooking, spiritual recovery. But after 9/11, I’m sure we can expect a lot of books with distinct heroes and villains. The one thing you probably won’t see much of will be books about the Winter Olympics. This event usually doesn’t produce many.”
Soccer
“The big story will be whether the United States men’s national team can achieve success in the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan,” says Paul Kennedy, managing editor of Soccer American magazine. “The debacle in France four years ago, 32nd out of 32 teams, was an embarrassment. The greatest single thing that could help soccer in America would be a long run in the Cup.”
Trends
Is that a cucumber behind your ear? If our spritzing, spraying nation is bored with “spring rain” and “pine forest,” maybe it’s time for “cucumber.” “It’s light and refreshing, and conveys images of cooling and summer,” says Lynn Dornblaser, Chicago-based editorial director of the Global New Products Database and New Product News. Expect the light scent to appear not only in body care and personal fragrances, but also in home fragrances, she adds.
A few other items on Dornblaser’s radar:
“Food products that pop, fizz and rocket through your mouth are going to increase next year,” she says, based on last year’s introduction of carbonated 100 percent juice from Switch Beverage and the arrival of White Soda and eMoo, both carbonated milk beverages.
Soy will also be big: “Look for strong marketing campaigns aimed at the 5- to 12-year-old market. These products will have unusual flavors, colors and positionings, but will get young consumers sold on soy.”
Not to mention grapefruit-flavored medicine and alcoholic beverages; Latino-inspired flavors, such as dulce de leche-flavored M&Ms; and spray-on tooth whitener that temporarily whitens teeth when needed
Dining out
Bud vases with flowers may disappear from restaurant tables. Chic placemats may replace white tablecloths during lunch at upscale eateries. And mediocre restaurants could call it quits. Those are a few things that may happen, according to Isidore Kharasch, president of the Hospitality Works consulting firm, as restaurants try to deal with the lousy economy and the after-effects of Sept. 11. So what about those flowers? You might see a bowl filled with polished rocks instead, says Kharasch. “It doesn’t seem like a big deal. But when you’re talking about $1.50 per flower per table, and you have to change them every couple days, you could knock a lot of money off your budget if you could take them away and present something that is still interesting and a quality presentation. Places that do white tablecloths for lunch and dinner may end up doing something different at lunch to help cut their laundry costs. One of our clients did a high-quality placemat out of cloth with their logo embroidered on it.” “We stay away from anything that is going to be a perception change to the customer,” says Kharasch, who favors tightening administrative costs over fiddling with the fare on the customer’s plate. His suggestions for those serving high-priced food items: “Remove it or live with it at a high price.”
Adds Kharasch: “This current environment is going to take every mediocre restaurant that was out there for the last 5 or 10 years, restaurants that were just living off of how busy their neighbors were and drive them out of business. I think the other thing that’s going to happen is that restaurants are going to have to be more creative. And if they want to stay in business, the key is customer service. You could change the menu, and do a lot of different things, but if you don’t have great customer service there are too many choices out there today to go back to a restaurant that has good food and bad service.”
Magazines
“This could be a bad year for launching new magazines,” said Samir Husni, a University of Mississippi journalism professor and CEO of Magazine Consulting & Research. “It appears 9/11 froze a lot of projects and, combined with the recession, there is no talk at this time of anything new in the works. That’s very unusual. Last year, the number of launches dropped considerably from 2000 and I expect the same to happen.”
Mind-body health
Dr. James S. Gordon, director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C., and chair of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, says he is looking forward to the March release of the commission’s report. “We are going to be presenting to the President and Congress a blueprint for ways to integrate the entire spectrum of complementary and alternative medicine into health care for Americans. And we’ll be addressing issues like what kinds of research should be done as well as that all medical professions should receive education in this field, and that there should be access to safe and effective complementary and alternative therapies.”
Noting that there should also be procedures for licensing the professionals who provide those therapies, such as herbalists, Gordon adds, “Programs of wellness and health promotion based on nutrition, exercise and stress management should be available to all Americans, including most particularly to children. We are in a pretty good position if we can teach kids some of these approaches to learn how to take care of themselves better and make better choices; they’re less likely to develop all the chronic illnesses that Americans seem to be developing.”
Animation
Look for the CG [computer generated animation] trend to continue — the “Shreking of America,” as some are calling it — with “Ice Age,” a prehistoric comedy from Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox, according to Bill Desowitz, managing editor of Animation Magazine. Says Desowitz, there’s also a minor 2D-animated comeback, with DreamWorks’ “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” a risky film told from the point of view of a wild mustang in the Old West, and Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” a beautiful-looking film that represents the studio’s first use of watercolors since “Dumbo” way back in 1940.
Paleontology
If Steven Spielberg is dreaming of a “Jurassic Park IV,” he might want to have his dino-makers check the Gobi and Sahara deserts. “If you ask where the big discoveries are going to come from, I think they’re coming from two big deserts that have already produced real surprises,” says University of Chicago paleontology professor Paul Sereno, of the Gobi and Sahara. He adds, “It just so happens I’m working in both those places [next fall].
“In the Gobi, you’re getting extraordinary preservation because you’re getting ancient lakes by ancient volcanoes. That’s where we find bird feathers [and] dinosaurs with skin impressions. In the Sahara . . . There is a whole world of cretaceous dinosaurs. That’s where the giant croc comes from. That’s where the spinosaur that they picked up as the theme of Jurassic Park III [came from]. . . . It’s like going back in time to discover the dinosaurs that no one’s found.”
Bicycling
“Next year we expect the six-mile Major Taylor Trail to open in the Beverly-Morgan Park neighborhoods,” says Randy Newfeld, Chicagoland Bicycling Federation executive director. “This is very significant for us. Major Taylor was a professional cyclist who was one of the first great African-American athletes here at the beginning of the previous century.”
Radio
“I think that radio is going to need to stay locally focused,” said David Santrella, general manager of contemporary Christian stations WZFS (FM 106.7) and WYLL (AM 1160). “With the entry of XM radio, satellite radio, it’s going to be more important that local radio maintain its regional and local flavor, otherwise we’ll see the listener base erode much the way TV saw its viewer base erode with the proliferation of cable TV.”
Theater
“Seven of the Top Ten plays in Time Magazine this year have some Chicago connection,” notes Martha Lavey, artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre. “People talk more and more of the work we do here, of how so much important drama now comes from the regional theaters. I look forward in 2002 to that work and to the energy that this city is [putting out]. We plan to do a piece with an African-American troupe called Congo Square, who just started their second season, and it’s that kind of work that excites me.”
Dance
The Chicago Community Trust has organized an ongoing Chicago Dance Initiative, a group put together to study how to improve Chicago’s dance community. “So far, this year, we’ve mostly met for preliminary discussions, but 2002 should be the year the initiative pays off,” says Fred Solari, manager of the Athenaeum Theatre. “Ultimately, hopefully, the trust and other foundations will come up with more money in light of this initiative. For dance, that suggests some bold new ideas and developments in 2002.”
