Technically Speaking
Advances in A/V Show Big Things Come in Small Packages
by Mark Wathen | Published in April 2006 Focus on Technology
Advances in audio, video and lighting technology have vastly affected the event planning industry. Meeting planners can offer their clients unlimited A/V solutions with creativity and pizzazz! Instead of the typical single screen with basic sound and lighting packages, meeting planners have the advantage of offering multiple screens with multiple sources, dynamic surround-sound and elaborate lighting effects. Dynamite in a small package, the new technology is more compact, resulting in less setup and tear-down time, fewer technicians and ultimately a lower cost.
The advances in technology have not only made presentations more exciting, they have made the production process easier. As clients demand more complex productions, technicians are able to focus on new challenges to produce events that set the stage on fire! Whether it’s to captivate audiences, launch new products with style, or motivate and re-energize attendees, there’s no doubt that planners and attendees alike are benefiting from these exciting technological advances.
Increasing the Versatility of Your Presentations
The advancement in widescreen video blending technology offers endless versatility for presentations. You have the simplicity of one screen with the flexibility of content on multiple screens. The multi-source picture-in-picture feature allows for an interactive multimedia presentation canvas that rocks! This advanced system is ideal when a group of presenters comes together, each with their own presentation, to collaborate on the final message. The on-site content development and changes are done with ease. Yes, the technology and functionality are amazing. Now, how about that sexy, cutting-edge stage appeal?!
Lighting with LEDs
One of the latest advancements in lighting is the introduction of LED technology. The digital intelligence offers a virtually unlimited sea of colors and dynamic visual effects. Because strong corporate branding is essential to the corporate planner’s business, the ability to match color to corporate logos becomes a key advantage of LED. In addition, the amazing palette of changing colors allows for differentiation between sessions as well as allowing alternate stage set elements – all this while maintaining your budget! What better way to electrify your audience after a long session? The LED lighting application is a valuable tool in multiple scenarios, including corporate meetings, trade show booths and special events. Other benefits include the fact that LED technology is lightweight, portable, less complex and very efficient. The efficiency of the fixture allows for a substantial savings in electrical costs!
Using Digital Audio
Digital audio consoles are here to stay! Manufacturers have listened to the technicians in the field and made them easy and quick to navigate. The size and weight of these boards are half the size of their analog brethren. Audio World can fit into a much smaller area, freeing up valuable space. What does this mean for event planners? Each presentation is crystal clear and concise – no gain noise. The system allows for fine adjustments to be made quickly and accurately on the spot. Most importantly, it allows for savings in setup time and labor costs while producing exceptional-quality sound!
About the author: Mark Wathen
Mark Wathen is show operations manager at Hi-Tech Rental & Staging. Angela Dills, Chris Lamp and Kent Worley also contributed to this article.
Contact: info@hitechrent.com