Multimedia Audio Visual

5 steps to your Wow’s worth from event technology

Acie — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:43 +0000

MAV is founded, in part, on an innate technophilia. We’re geeks for technology and we don’t care who knows it.

For example, we invested in a Vista Spyder knowing that the number of shows for which it would be used would be few. We want to be Denver’s “go to” company for larger-budget, content-intensive experiences, so we need the tools. The Spyder and our in-house expertise give us that ability.

We frequently hear, “We want, ‘Wow!” And, man, do we love to deliver, “Wow!” Trick is to know when, “Wow!” is relevant and achievable in the production of the event. Before we assign the Spyder, for example, to your show, let’s make sure the elements are in place to take advantage of the tool.

Here are five principal areas about which all parties must look each other in the eye and be honest:

Is this what your audience wants?

Especially in today’s economic climate, effects that appear very “showy” and expensive may leave some stakeholders wondering if their investments are being managed with a proper degree of conservatism and diligence.
Does your content fit your vision?

Do you have, or do you have the means to create, a presentation that will utilize the technology? Content is king. Let it guide your use of technology. Do not try to manufacture a presentation that works for a cool new toy.
Do you have the time?

The more intricate the presentation, the more drafts, revisions, details, setup, rehearsals…you get the idea. Even if you are planning several months ahead of the actual show date, factoring in distractions is a must. In business, the most urgent item always takes precedence.
Do you have the commitment?

Not just from yourself, but from clients or executives who will need to approve the concept and content, and be available and attentive at crucial decision points.
Do you have the money?

The rubber always meets the road here, doesn’t it? When planning out your convention, be honest with yourself about the absolute necessities. Your breakouts, your trade show, your emergency/ad hoc items, your audio gear…make sure these are sufficiently addressed before insisting on lasers, pyrotechnics, 3-D…

If you have a good, solid, “yes,” response to all of those, move forward confidently. Otherwise, let’s talk alternatives. Just because it doesn’t make sense to buy the fastest, most fashionable car on the lot doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride.

Innovations for Live Events and Corporate Meetings: Social Media

Acie — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:01:24 +0000

Not all technology coming to the meetings and events these days is hardware. We’re seeing cloud-based software applications employed in innovative ways that save money and time while improving the audience experience.

We recently launched a social media presence—this blog, our Facebook Page, Twitter account, Flickr gallery and LinkedIn profiles, primarily—in part to stay abreast of the trends and opportunities available to our clients. Here are a couple:

Twitter

Q&A time at the General Session presents a few less-than-ideal alternatives. Traditionally, the debate—usually after, “Must we?”–is whether a couple of crew members will carry wireless microphones around the floor or place a couple of mics on stands and let attendees leave their seats to line up and wait their turn. In either case, multiple attendees often ask the same or similar questions, some of which aren’t relevant or well-stated. This puts the moderator or speaker in a precarious position and diminishes the experience for the larger audience. Plus, there’s the cost associated with the microphones.

Now, attendees can load Twitter onto their handheld devices and deliver questions at their leisure to an online place accessible by the moderator, who can decide based on urgency and popularity which questions deserve the most attention. Incremental cost: Zero. This also addresses and eliminates the disruption of moving bodies, the fear many people have of standing and speaking, and the cost of the microphones.

Twitter Fountain

Twitter Fountain provides a cool visual of all the Twitter activity generated at and about your meeting. From an AV standpoint, it’s just another monitor feed here and there. From yours, it’s an easy way to present a savvy image and keep the conversations going as you move people from trade show to workshop or from breakfast to the Genny.

Both of these applications allow people who cannot attend to get a sense of what is hot and happening at your convention. The buzz you’re creating can go increasingly viral, instantly…and at no additional expense.

Have you used these solutions, or similar ones, at your event? What did you think about them?

Experience delivers victory for live events.

Neal — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:19:38 +0000

Happy football season!

We hear a lot about “reps” (repetitions) this time of year. Quarterbacks and receivers needing to know each other’s preferences and tendencies, the development of unspoken communication, the broadening of a comfort level.

Team play is important for football teams and event production teams.

It’s no different in our business. Just as points on the scoreboard demonstrate the degree to which the players on sports teams synergize, the experience of your event’s audience is dictated in large part by the experience, professionalism and mutual familiarity of the production crew.

Joe Montana and Jerry Rice built Hall of Fame careers around the synergy they developed with each other. It didn’t happen on their first day of practice or even in the first season they played together. It developed over time. They probably couldn’t explain it to you, but all those Super Bowl rings say everything for them.

Big plays and victories come from moments when the receiver and quarterback understand in a split second, in loud stadiums, standing 20 yards apart, facing a formidable defense, that unforeseen circumstances dictate now as the moment to adjust the route just called in the huddle. We expected the safety to drop back and instead he moved toward the line. I’m supposed to turn in after 8 yards but I’m going long instead. You’ll expect this because this is the way we’ve practiced this situation You’ll throw it to where I’m going and we’ll score…

Like a football game, your live event is a collection of moving parts. When your on stage CEO calls for the wrong roll-in, the show can still go on, seamlessly…if the team in the shadows on headsets knows what to do in that situation. No problem, roll 3 and go dark in the house. We have 30 seconds, plenty of time. Stage, does he want to come back around to 1 and/or 2? If we need to change the order of slides, now’s the time…

When budgeting for your event, ask yourself which combination will deliver the desired experience for your audience. Your unanticipated moment has arrived: Will you crash and burn or make magic? For your production team, is this moment a problem or an opportunity?

Experienced teams impart the thrill they feel in these moments to your audience.

We deliver victories.

Act NOW to WIN 3 Free Tickets…

John Wigginton — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 20:07:58 +0000

…to a concert featuring Craig Morgan, Joe Nichols and more at the Greeley Stampede, this Friday. To win:

Visit our Facebook Page.
“Like” the post that references “Win 3 Free Tickets.”
Tell your friends to “comment” on this message with your name and the name of your business.

At Noon MT Thursday, we will close the contest. The individual with the most referrals to our Page wins the tickets.

Multimedia AV is a proud partner of the Greeley Stampede again this year!

Five Questions to Ask Before Your General Session Starts

Neal — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 12:00:19 +0000

Most people will admit they couldn’t handle the pressure of producing a live event. That makes you special. You’re willing and able to put it all on the line in front of everyone, to sprint across a tight rope without a net below. Your success is dependent upon countless intangibles and a limited number of things you can control. Here are five questions to which good answers provide a strong foundation for success.

Who is calling the show? Have you budgeted for a Show Manager? An experienced voice at the helm is critical for everyone on headsets, and for the smooth appearance of your stage presentation. Here’s 1a: Who is backstage moving your talent on and off?
What do you want recorded? Do you need isolated records of both cameras? Are there multiple audio feeds to be archived? Do you want your graphics to be superimposed over “talking heads” or do you want the elements separated? Is there a need to differentiate between the video stream that goes to the screen(s) and the one(s) being recorded?
Do you have the content to support your technology? Our earned reputation as technophiles nets us a lot of, “We want wow!” And man, we love to deliver, “Wow.” We don’t, however, love charging you for gear that your presentation doesn’t support. You’ve heard how cool the Vista Spyder is but you don’t have the time or budget to create a widescreen presentation? There’s a more affordable option that addresses your needs more effectively and can still pop. Keep your eye on the forest; we’ll trim the trees.
Is there enough time for load-in? The days leading up to the show are critical. Larger productions, especially, require tedious technical checks and re-checks. It’s always something (Who are we kidding? It’s always audio.) Quality customer experience comes from a quality show. Quality shows are rehearsed. Quality rehearsals are enabled by time spent on fine-tuning the content and presentation, not chasing down oddities somewhere in the line array.
What are your points of “No,” return? Listen, we are “Yes,” people and we know the importance of finding or making a way. Every production, however, reaches checkpoints beyond which making adjustments to single elements compromises the entire show. No two events are alike, so you’ll want to know these going in, and just as importantly, communicate them to your client beforehand. In writing.

For those of us who have chosen this business, we understand the unique exhilaration of a successful event. It’s a feeling that only “live” can deliver. Asking all the right questions can help make your moment a triumph.

Can your event afford “volunteer” labor?

Neal — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:00:34 +0000

The signature moment of Super Bowl XLIV was an onside kick at the start of the third quarter. Everyone saw the play and the result. We didn’t learn until after the game that the Saints had practiced that play every day for two weeks prior to Super Bowl Sunday. Head Coach Sean Peyton told the referees a few days before the game that they were going to do this, at what point in the game it would come, in what formation the team would be and which player would recover the ball. The officials listened and then intoned a question. “If,” one offered, “you do this…” Peyton interrupted, “It’s not ‘if.’ We are going to do it. It’s going to be early in the third quarter. We will be in our regular kickoff formation. Number 39 on our team is going to end up with the ball on our 45 yard line.”

It was the first onside kick ever attempted in a Super Bowl prior to the closing moments of the game—the first time the play had been employed out of strategy rather than desperation. The Saints practiced the scenario again and again, with the same personnel running the same patterns. Safety Chris Reis was not chosen for the job because he had the time or bandwidth; the kick went to him because he consistently demonstrated that he had the right combination of discipline (run to where the ball will be), speed and agility (go get the ball), hands (grab the ball), strength (hold on to the ball at the bottom of the ensuing pile) and familiarity with the team.

Excepting that number 39 Chris Reis emerged from the pile with the ball on the 42, the play ran exactly according to script.

For any number of reasons (usually budget) you may be tempted to assign salaried labor to tasks that seem less demanding in terms of skill set. We understand the notion. Unfortunately, those volunteers haven’t practiced with our team. They don’t know our jargon, our strengths and our expectations— the way we run our plays. Live events require decisions to be made in an instant; throwing a client representative into the production mix changes everything about communication. Because “volunteers” are clients, too, if they don’t show up, we are without recourse.

Your event is your big game. Form your plan with skilled personnel in mind. Execute your plan with an experienced team.

In these ways, champions are made.

Five Questions to Ask Before Booking Your Event Venue

Neal — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:10:54 +0000

Without question, your venue is important. Surroundings are a tremendous part of the attendee experience. If you want them to leave talking about your message, your objective for venue selection should be to find one that truly fits. You know there are tons of questions to ask. Here are five.

Is it convenient for my attendees? For a national convention, the city needs an airport with direct flights to and from other large metropolitan areas. In this case, your audience is probably not just coming for your event so a nice balance of “stuff to do” within walking distance of the anchor venue is a big plus. For a local or regional event, ask yourself how easily it is to drive there…and when they get there, is it easy and affordable to park?
How’s the weather? Example: Minneapolis is wonderful in July but there’s a good reason such fine space is available so cheap in December.
How big is the room for the General Session? Would you prefer standing room only to a bunch of empty seats or do you think you’re better off with some room to spare? If your attendee numbers are variable, are there air walls or other available elements that can help you minimize the empty space?
What is the facility’s policy on audio visual? Large variances in what venues consider policy and what is negotiable. Patch fees? Outside vendors? What are the options, the tradeoffs?
Is there construction planned on or around the venue at the time of your event? If the answer is, “I don’t know,” your response is, “Where can I find out?” Noise, dirt and traffic are elements that can impact your attendee experience and having you say, “I wish I’d known…”

One way to simplify your workload, especially if you’re looking at Denver, is to call Multimedia Audio Visual first. We know the places and the right answers. If we know your objectives, your audience and your message, we can do more than make recommendations. We’ve encountered the dead spots that affect wireless transmissions and the service hallways that weren’t thought all the way through and we know the workarounds. With 18 years of experience and community involvement, we’re plugged in to every joint in town and we’re happy to play matchmaker.

Do you have a “wish I’d asked,” story? We’d love to hear it.

MAV Springs Forward

Neal — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:00:14 +0000

Spring – (v) to rise, leap, move, or act suddenly and swiftly, as by a sudden dart or thrust forward or outward, or being suddenly released from a coiled or constrained position

Spring – (n) a season which, in Denver, connotes sunshine, warmth, golf and skiing in the same weekend and an increase in meetings and events. Especially outdoor events. Did we mention how nice it is here?

Okay, we took a few liberties with that second definition. If blogging can’t be a little fun, we’ll pass.

We at MAV love Spring, and we’ve decided it’s the perfect time to launch our new website, blog and our social networking sites.

Why this stuff? Why now?

We’ve always been grateful for our customers and partners but the last several months have really driven home the value of relationships. Our business will always have its transactional element but there’s no reason we can’t use those opportunities to form long term business friendships.

Welcome to our new website, our new blog and the new direction for our Internet presence. We hope you’ll use this blog and our new web assets as another avenue to let us know how we’re doing, what you need and how we can be a better partner for you.

In the coming months, we’ll use this blog to explain our outlook and solicit your feedback. In between these longer posts, hope you’ll join us on Facebook and Twitter for tips and dialogue about hosting an event in Denver. We hope you’ll interact with us about the shorter, more ad hoc stuff that comes at all of us from time to time. Let us know how you’re doing, that you’re out there. Do you have a Facebook Page or Twitter account? Please let us know. We’d love to follow you back. At the end of the day, let’s face it: We’re a community. Let’s act like one.

Remaining ready at all times, able to respond quickly while deepening and developing long-term relationships. That’s our mantra. That’s MAV, springing forward.

Thanks for joining us.

Multimedia Audio Visual

5 steps to your Wow’s worth from event technology

Is this what your audience wants?

Does your content fit your vision?

Do you have the time?

Do you have the commitment?