Inspired by my column last month and InfoComm’s mission to deliver memorable conversations with the brand-new Center Stage presentation program and wondering what other talks you should add to your show calendar? Here’s Part Two of what we have in store for you:
Wednesday, June 14
1:00 p.m: Ever wonder if architects and chefs share our grief about terrible restaurant acoustics? Well yes, yes they do. The venerable Niels Guldager, designer of many a chic New York restaurant for Rockwell Group and previously with his own studio, will be quizzed on stage by sound designer extraordinaire David Schwartz, founder and president of Essential Communications. These two collaborators will talk about how to match the luxury of fine food with a tasteful sonic environment (and why so many restaurants miss the mark) in this don’t-miss session: “A Chef's Perspective - Why Restaurant Acoustics Matter.”
Cameron Smith Even minor-league ballparks are getting super hip with artisanal hot dogs and craft beers, which means sports venues must be seen in a new light—a potentially very profitable new light as stadiums of all sizes reinvent themselves for the fan experience era. Leading the cultivation of a thoughtfully integrated aesthetic that sportingly incorporates fan favorites, team colors, local food outlets, and brand partners into the look and feel of stadiums and arenas is a company called Infinite Scale. One of the firm’s co-founders, Cameron Smith, will be dazzling us with a philosophical take on the look and feel of fan engagement in his session, “Stadiums Are the New Theme Parks - Designing for Sport in the age of the regionally specific, fan-centric entertainment district.” I happen to be the moderator on this session, so expect me to be over-excited about sports again.
Thursday, June 15
11:30 a.m.: There it is. A web camera is haphazardly taped to the top of a high-end videoconferencing unit that isn’t getting the job done. Why is this happening? We’re going to find out when incisive and observant associate principal Rob Badenoch of TAD Associates goes on stage with end-user clients to reveal the stunning drama of “What Still Doesn't Work at Work - Where enterprise users are still relying on AV substitutions instead of the real thing.” Find out how to create better outcomes from the people who are left to help AV systems prosper in the real world.
1:00 p.m.: Remember when I wrote about that company Britelite Immersive in last month’s “The Nine Experience Design Companies that AV integrators Need to Know?” Well, that’s because the firm is doing many of the projects that cause AV integrators and live event producers to wonder, “Who did that?” But they’re not just about whiz-bang technology use cases, they’re all about storytelling. Find out how to get past the gear and into atmosphere when the trio of Britelite Immersive founders, John Flores, Justin Gelinas, and Jeremy Rosenblum encourage you to “Look Beyond the Bright, Shiny Box - Getting past the technology to focus on storytelling in immersive experiences.”
Dr. Thomas Osborne This topic is so grand, it actually defies the truism we hear too often on AV projects. It turns out, “We ARE Saving Lives Here - How the future of healthcare depends on AV technology.” And we are very fortunate to have as our presenter the Harvard- and Dartmouth-educated Dr. Thomas Osborne, director of medical informatics at Virtual Radiologic and director of research at MEDNAX. Dr. Osborne is quite compellingly and entertainingly engaged by what AV integrators can bring to medicine, and he’ll present a dynamic show-stopper of a session with glimpses at telehealth, VR/AR, assistive robotics, smart homes, IoT, sensors, wearables, and the challenges and opportunities these technologies present.
Friday, June 16
Joe' Lloyd
Rick Cope
John Vidalin
1:30 p.m.:The sports experience is definitely moving beyond the confines of stadiums, and the potential for engaging fans and the community at large is magnified when technology enlivens previously unused real estate. Providers of dazzling outdoor-friendly video displays that can withstand the challenging elements of Miami, NanoLumens, will lead a discussion with the innovator of public space who added a large-scale video display to a new covered outdoor extension that made it cool to go to Heat games. Make sure to check out the conversation had by NanoLumens CEO Rick Cope and Joe' Lloyd, NanoLumens director of global marketing, when they get the inside story on outside development with John Vidalin, EVP and chief revenue officer for the Miami HEAT in “Extending the Arena - How the Miami Heat transformed under-utilized outdoor space into a fan engagement zone.”
- And again, don’t forget the hour-long Center Stage finale is something you will want to stay longer for on Friday. At 2:00 p.m. come to the high-tech closing ceremonies hosted by Brian Dickson, director of video production for No Static. Seriously, you’ll never look at standard AV gear the same way again when you see how he invents new experiences with live video production, VR capture, streaming, and the extremely creative integration of all of the above.
