Los Angeles, CA – When it comes to new artists utilizing Youtube and online distribution to launch their careers, Clairo is the most recent phenomenon to be catapulted. After her first full-length album dropped in early 2019, her popularity quickly grew out of the fan base she established via Youtube. Her recent US tour generated a buzz that has yielded a number of sold out performances along the way.

Tours of this size often play in clubs from House of Blues, to historic venues like The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Unlike other venues with house systems, the Wiltern required a sound system be brought in for the performance. Clairo’s Front of House Engineer, Tomas Wolfe, was given the ability to spec out the system for the Wiltern show. Wolfe contacted VUE’s Shawn London and with the help of Harmony Event Productions, an al-12 array with ACM hs-221 dual 21” subwoofers was brought into the Wiltern.

Wolfe had some prior experience with VUE’s al-Class line arrays and the clarity of the Beryllium HF compression drivers on previous gigs which prompted his decision to request VUE for the Wiltern. “I had heard about the VUE al-Class rigs and their reputation for clarity. I had been waiting to hear them and mix through a system personally. My first experience with a VUE rig was about a year and a half ago. I had been hired by Sound Image to work a private event in Hollywood. I was mixing on an al-8 array ground-stacked on top of hs-28 subs. The sound was warm with a clear top-end. It was very transparent and easy to mix through. Then I was able to experience an al-12 system in Philly mixing a show for Run The Jewels. It’s a hip-hop show that needed to be loud and in-your-face. Even when I pushed the system, it never got harsh or ear piercing.”

The Wiltern in Los Angeles is an historic venue originally built in 1931 as a vaudeville theater. It has been preserved through the Los Angeles Conservancy as an architectural heritage of the city. However, the design does not lend itself to ideal live audio conditions. Wolfe explained why he chose the al-12 rig for the Wiltern. “I’ve mixed ten to fifteen shows at the Wiltern over the years. I’m very familiar with the sound challenges in that room. First, there’s a balcony and under balcony area that pose issues. Then there’s a strict SPL limit especially with the low frequencies. We wanted a full low-end but we can’t shake the building too hard due to the age of the ornate walls and ceiling. We can’t risk things falling off the walls during a show. So I wanted the clarity of the al-12 along with the efficiency of the hs-221 subs. We have plenty of sub-capabilities when needed, actually more than enough. I walked the room once the system was tuned and was really impressed at the efficiency of the throw. There was no need to have under balcony fill speakers.” The other challenge Wolfe faced was Clairo’s vocal level. Some might describe Clairo’s vocals as a bit delicate. This can pose feedback issues as Clairo’s microphone preamp must be brought to higher levels of gain. And to add another level of difficulty, she often kneels at the very front of the stage during her performance. This position, at high gain levels, can initiate feedback if it starts to pick up the house mix spilling wide onto the stage. Wolfe commented about feedback control. “It really helps to have a well designed system like the al-12, with good focus and rejection to keep spill off the stage and help control feedback”

The sold-out crowd at the Wiltern not only enjoyed the clarity of Clairo’s vocals, but also great separation from the guitars and keyboards that provide sonic texture to Clairo’s performance. The lyrics were intelligible even when the sold-out crowd sang along. After the show, VUE Audiotechnik’s CEO Ken Berger, met up with Wolfe in San Diego at the House Of Blues. Wolfe stated “I can’t wait to take an al-12 or al-8 rig out on tour” The 2019 leg of the Immunity Tour recently wrapped and is now in the UK with more dates coming for 2020.

AMSTERDAM, 11 DECEMBER 2019: Integrated Systems Europe 2020’s professional development programme will feature over 200 leading experts from a wide variety of disciplines and subject areas across five days of keynotes, conferences, masterclasses, workshops and presentations.

Presented under the umbrella title ‘Learn. Discover. Be Inspired’, the programme has been produced by Integrated Systems Events working in close co-operation with AV industry bodies – in particular, its co-owning associations AVIXA and CEDIA – media partners and other independent organisations.

The programme includes an Opening Address; 13 conferences across five days in the Hotel Okura and RAI Amsterdam, organised by ISE, AVIXA, CEDIA and media partners – a record number for ISE; a four-day training programme from CEDIA; AVIXA FlashTracks (on Stand 13-N110) and CEDIA Talks (on Stand 1-E20), and a full programme of free thought leadership sessions on the Main Stage in Hall 14 (sponsored by Shure).

Special guests

The Opening Address on Monday 10 February will be given by Duncan Wardle, a consultant to Disney who was previously Head of Innovation and Creativity at the entertainment giant. His presentation, ‘Think Different’, will look at how companies can re-awaken traits in their employees such as imagination, intuition and curiosity to create an environment that fosters creativity and innovation.

Integrated Systems Events is delighted to welcome the Hon. Mrs Àngels Chacón to ISE 2020. Mrs Chacón is Minister of Enterprise and Knowledge in the Catalan Government. She will be addressing the AVIXA Women’s Council on Wednesday 12 February on the Main Stage. She will also take part in the Hola Barcelona! Event in the Forum on Friday 14 February.

Experts from AVIXA and CEDIA

On Monday 10 February, CEDIA’s Cybersecurity Workshop will be led by Jeff Sonnleitner, a professional network and security instructor with over 35 years’ experience. He is a Network Specialist and Information Security Instructor at Moraine Park Technical College, Wisconsin. The workshop will cover all aspects of network security and privacy for professionals working in either the residential or the commercial space.

Business advisor, President of North of 10 Advisors and Chairman of the AVIXA Board of Directors, Jeff Day will be speaking on Tuesday 11 February at an AVIXA FlashTrack session (on Stand 13-N110) entitled ‘AV Wellness Trends – Must Know Applications and their Impacts create Real World Opportunity for Integrators and End Users’. The next day he will chair an AVIXA panel discussion, ‘The Experience Revolution – How Content and Experience Change Everything in a Brand Activated World!’, on the Main Stage.

Conference speakers

On Monday 10 February, the award-winning architect Aryanour Djalali, founder and CEO of DNA Barcelona Architects, will give a keynote at the Smart Building Conference. His keynote will be entitled ‘Smart Nature, Smarter Buildings’.

Speaking at the inaugural Control Rooms Summit ISE on Tuesday 11 February will be Rossano Giachino, Control Centre Manager at CERN since 2008. Giachino was in charge of control centre operations for the Large Hadron Collider during its operation, as well as for two other particle accelerators, the Super Proton Synchrotron and the Large Electron Positron.

Giving the keynote address at the XR Summit ISE on Tuesday 11 February will be Hilary McVicker, VP of Business Development at The Elumenati – a leader in the field of immersive projection design in education, enterprise and entertainment. Her keynote will be entitled ‘Immersive XR and Pushing Creative Boundaries’.

Main Stage

Alexandra Hussenot is the founder and CEO of Immersionn, the world’s first VR Discovery Engine. She is also the UK lead for Women in Immersive Technologies, a community of 1,000 members that aims to empower European women working in XR. She will give a Main Stage talk, presented by ISE, on Wednesday 12 February, entitled ‘Surrounded! How Immersive Technology Dominates the Experiential Market’

Glenn Kelly is Head of Production at The Imaginarium Studios, the UK’s leading performance capture studio – founded by actor and director Andy Serkis, where he is exploring how motion capture developments will affect various media. In a Main Stage session on Thursday 13 February presented by AV Magazine, he will be talking about ‘Mixed Reality in Theatre Productions’.

New show features

Two more show features have recently been added to the ISE 2020 content programme. In Hall 14, the VR at ISE feature will contain two very different interactive virtual reality exhibits. Two Digital Projection Multiview VR systems will be demonstrated, each of which allows up to three people to view and interact with a stereoscopic 3D virtual model. Each person sees the object from their own viewpoint.

The other part of the VR at ISE feature will be an immersive VR theme park ride. Designed and run by Lightspeed Design, this DepthQ VR attraction will take attendees on an interactive fantasy ride through aquatic environments.

A spectacular projection mapping on the RAI’s Elicium building will delight ISE 2020 attendees and Amsterdam locals each evening of the show. The upper floors of the futuristic nine-storey building at the front of the exhibition centre will be transformed by the projection, specially created for this location. The projection will be produced by ISE and the RAI, supported by seven technology partners.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, said: “I’m very pleased to acknowledge the role of AVIXA, CEDIA and our many content partners in producing such a compelling line-up for ISE 2020. Added to this, the Elicium projection mapping and the VR at ISE feature are two more opportunities for our attendees to ‘Learn. Discover. Be Inspired’.”

“‘Learn. Discover. Be Inspired’ is more than a tag line. For an AV professional, it must be at least a career plan, if not a life commitment,” said AVIXA Chief Executive Officer Dave Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD. “We are proud to have been part of the organising team that brings these brilliant leaders to the ISE stages and implore you to experience as much of them as you can while you’re there.”

Tabatha O’Connor, CEDIA Global President and CEO, said: “With the technology market continually evolving, it’s important for professional development to reflect this and stay ahead of change. We’re thrilled to be able to contribute to ISE’s comprehensive professional development programme at ISE 2020, which provides attendees with full, varied and high-quality training across a range of industry topics taught by experts. Whatever the level or role of attendees within the industry, there’s something for everyone at ISE.”

Details of ISE 2020’s professional development programme can be found on the ISE website at http://www.iseurope.org. Further details will be available later this month in RISE, the official magazine of ISE 2020; and the ISE 2020 Professional Development Guide.

Sinocan International Technologies Co.’s ‘Bestboard’ is a high-end interactive touch panel display, purpose-built for corporate collaboration.

Bestboard’s high-end interactive touch displays eliminate the need for stand-alone projectors, PCs, TVs, whiteboards, cameras, microphones, and speakers by folding all of these technologies into a single slim, wireless and modular panel.

Bestboard’s stunning 1.7cm ultra-slim panel has a massive 88.9% screen-to-panel ratio while sporting an LG LCD anti-glare display with ultra-HD 4K resolution. Running either Windows 10 or Android 8.0, Bestboard provides 10-point touch with a 0.04 second, ultra-fast response speed due to the panel’s Cortex A72+ dual-core A53 1.5GHZ high-speed processor. Bestboard’s remote screen sharing functionality supports up to 32 on-screen participants and with two-way panel control, remote meetings become truly collaborative online environments where all parties are empowered to share and interact with content. Using EMR assisted pens, it’s easy to communicate ideas on the built-in interactive whiteboard application that supports the placement of images as well as the creation of shapes and annotations. Bestboard’s powerful hardware, strong corporate focus, and excellent performance are quickly making it the industry-leading display for all-in-one local and remote video conferencing.

Learn more about Sinocan International’s Bestboard.

London, UK — December 11, 2019 — Polar Graphics, has taken a stand with one of its longest-serving partners Bluefish444 for ISE, taking place at the Amsterdam RAI from 11-14 February 2020.

Bluefish444 is a manufacturer of the professional video industry’s highest-quality uncompressed 4K SDI, ASI, Video Over IP & HDMI I/O cards. Bluefish444 also offers IngeSTore Server, a recording appliance supporting SDI, HDMI, NDI, RTP/RTSP and SMPTE IP capture, suitable for any live production workflow in the AV market.

Polar Graphics Managing Director Peter Rowsell said, “Although I have been personally visiting ISE for a dozen years, 2020 will mark our first participation as a co-exhibitor. It will be an excellent opportunity to further expand our business and that of our valued partners.

“We represent a range of products that are ideal for the AV market, and as the world’s largest pro-AV show, ISE is the ideal venue to discuss our entire product range while featuring one of our most relevant product partners.”

Alongside a focus on Bluefish444, Polar Graphics representatives will be on hand for discussions on other brands represented: Apantac, Cinedeck; Imagine Products; MagStor; Mediaproxy; Stardom; StorageDNA; and Studio Network Solutions (SNS).

In addition to Polar Graphics’ expertise, its ISE 2020 stand will feature a designated pod to demonstrate Bluefish444’s high end I/O cards, including the new KRONOS K8 video I/O card.

Bluefish444’s KRONOS K8 supports eight independent channels of 3G/HD/SD and is ideal for many applications in pro-AV, Post and Broadcast, providing quality, reliability and flexibility, including for virtual or augmented reality workflows.

Bluefish444 will also introduce a 4- and 8-channel video recording appliance, the IngeSTore Server, a high-quality and reliable multi-channel, multi-format real-time recording device that supports multiple video interfaces and can be connected to network storage where files can be recorded and shared for collaboration before being broadcast, streamed or archived.

Bluefish444 Managing Director Craige Mott said, “Like Polar Graphics, we’re very much focussed on the pro-AV market, particularly live production where our video cards are a great option for developers wanting high quality and low latency SDI I/O; and where our IngeSTore Server recording appliance has already been deployed for use by corporates, educational, medical, government, security, military, houses of worship, TV stations and live events.”

Polar Graphics’ Rowsell added, “We have a long history of success with Bluefish444 and look forward to showcasing the multiple benefits of their IngeSTore Server recording appliance and market-leading I/O cards to the AV industry.”

Polar Graphics, and Bluefish444 products and information can be found in Hall 15 on Stand T290 throughout ISE 2020.

More about Polar Graphics here: https://www.polar-graphics.com/by-product/.

Woodbury, NY, December 11, 2019 — 42 years after being named for its neighborhood within the city of Edmonton, Alberta, the church originally known as Mill Woods Assembly changed its identity to Hope City Church last year to reflect its expansion into new communities. Wanting to maximize the quality of the live video being fed to its new satellite campus, Hope City purchased three Z-HD5500 cameras from Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, Ltd. (Hitachi Kokusai) to capture its Sunday worship services for remote distribution and in-venue image magnification.

A total of roughly 3400 congregants attend three Sunday morning services at the Mill Woods campus each week, while up to 300 more come to services at the newer Terwilligar location that opened in October 2018. While the Terwilligar site has its own pastor and live music, the centerpieces of its services are time-delayed, live feeds of Lead Pastor Phil Kniesel’s sermons from Mill Woods. Already displeased with the quality limitations of their existing cameras, the launch of the new campus provided the impetus for the church to upgrade.

“Our old cameras didn’t allow us to achieve the quality we wanted, with insufficient low-light capabilities and consumer-grade controls,” said Dan Mandryk, technical director at Hope City Church. “We needed to replace them, and our expansion gave us the big push to get new cameras on board. Video enables us to multiply our presence, allowing us to deliver the same message across campuses while still creating unique experiences at each location. We wanted to go to a broadcast-grade camera because the video feed would essentially stand in for a live pastor, so must be high-quality.”

Taking note of the accolades that the Z-HD5500 was receiving in trade press, Hope City Church knew they needed to investigate it. “We narrowed our choice to two major brands, and Hitachi Kokusai worked closely with our dealer, Applied Electronics, to put together a package that met our needs at a price that worked for us,” explained Mandryk. “The Hitachi cameras’ ability to integrate with the Ross Dashboard control system was also important, as we are considering adding a Ross switcher in the future.”

Hope City’s three Z-HD5500s are now stationed on pedestals in the Mill Woods campus’ 1235-seat main sanctuary. In addition to serving the live video link between campuses, the cameras also power IMAG for the auditorium’s two 20-foot-wide, rear-projection side screens and 19-foot-wide center screen. An additional 26-foot screen in an overflow room is used for special events, while services are also streamed live via the Church Online platform and available on-demand on YouTube.

Mandryk highlights the Z-HD5500s’ ease of use as one of his favorite attributes of the cameras. “The best part has been how volunteer-friendly they are, even though they’re high-end cameras,” he elaborated. “We have operators who have never touched a camera before, and focus is always one of the hardest things for new camera users to master. The Focus Assist feature on the Z-HD5500 has made it so much easier for them, giving them something to check their focus against.”

The exceptional video quality of the Hitachi cameras has also earned praise from the church and its attendees. “The Z-HD5500s deliver an obvious quality boost from our previous cameras,” said Mandryk. “The color reproduction is also fabulous, as we finally see on video exactly what we see in the room. The first day we put them in, our congregants could see the difference, and were excited to see more vibrant colors.”

Mandryk also commends the Hitachi cameras’ handling of lighting conditions at both ends of the spectrum – their sensitivity in low-light situations, as well as their ability to acquire flicker-free images against a mix of LED lighting. “We push the boundaries on lighting, so sometimes we have to get a shot where there’s not a whole lot of light, and the Z-HD5500’s low-light handling is far superior to our old cameras,” he explained. “Conversely, we use a lot of LED lighting of varying quality in our sets – from high-end professional lights all the way down to do-it-yourself LED tape lights in our set pieces – and we’ve never had a problem with these cameras capturing great video.”

Summing up Hope City Church’s satisfaction, Mandryk shares that the Z-HD5500s have fulfilled all of their objectives. “The Hitachi cameras have elevated the quality of our visual experiences for our in-person and online congregants, while enabling an exceptional video link to our remote campus.”

Wallern (Austria), 11th December 2019 – Matt Finke and his loop light team are known for delivering innovative show designs as well as cutting edge fixed installations. Recently, the German company invested in six PIXERA Octo Uncompressed Player licenses, due to the increased demand for reliable playout solutions that can handle ultra high resolutions and uncompressed video content.

PIXERA has been used by loop light on a number of high profile projects since then, together with AV Stumpfl RAW servers. The multi award winning PIXERA system performed very well, especially with regards to reliably synchronising uncompressed content across multiple media servers.

loop light media server expert Christopher “Fletch” Fluegel shares his impressions from working with the new PIXERA version 1.2: “The performance during the programming and rehearsal stage was remarkable. One often has to scrub through film clips, jump to different positions and to generally be able to react to the director’s input in a flexible way. PIXERA handles all of these requirements really well and without any jitters, keeping in mind that the system is handling vast amounts of data when processing uncompressed video content.”

International tech expert Fluegel found some of the brand new PIXERA 1.2 features particularly helpful: “The live preview editing function allows me to make instant changes to a running show, without having to disturb the rehearsal process in any way. In addition to this, “blend to time” and “blend to cue” are a lifesaver when dealing with sudden changes to the project schedule! Skipping cues has never been possible before in such a smooth and safe way.”

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a video on LinkedIn of a projection mapping project at a restaurant in New York City. It was gorgeous, powerful, it told a story and evoked emotions in the intended audience. In our AV language, we would say it created a real experience. For me, and maybe others, it launched new ways of thinking about how projection mapping can be used. The video I am referring to can be seen here. (Trust me, it’s worth viewing.)

The project was developed by Bravo Media, headquartered in New York City. I reached out to David Title, a partner at Bravo Media and talked to him about the project, the company and what they try to do. Interestingly, Bravo Media straddles the fence of being in the AV industry. Clearly, much of their work (if not all) needs AV in order to be delivered, and they have experts on hand that know the technology. However, their main focus is on storytelling and being sure that their work engages the intended audience. To that end, just like an integrator, they spend time with their customers discussing each project. They make on-site visits to determine what is technically possible and what will be a challenge. Just like an AV integrator, they need to consider lighting, power, movement of people, size and location as factors that determine how the final product will end up. After Bravo has done this initial work, they bring in AV firms and consultants to help with equipment and installation discussions.

The real success story of Bravo Media and other companies like them is that they listen carefully to what their customers need, they provide feedback on what is possible, what a budget would look like and then they provide them a service. The value that Bravo brings is not in the equipment they rent or sell, but rather in the entire end product, the experience. This is where the AV industry can benefit by learning from such companies.

David told me that two big changes have made a difference in the popularity and presence projection mapping in the past few years. The first was the lampless projector. This allows for installs to be in place for a much longer period with significantly less maintenance to maintain the originally designed look and feel of the installation. The second is the saturation of the screen in front of the room. That is now expected, it’s boring and it’s difficult to impress people using it. Yet, the basic work that goes into creating content for the screen in front of the room is the same that goes into making an image mapping project. Video work, animation and storytelling are the same, the “canvas” is the only difference.

Some of the reactions I have seen to projection mapping projects range from, “Wow, that’s cool” to “All that does is show a ‘wow factor,’ but what real use does it have?” To answer that, we first need to get over the belief that the “wow factor” is useless. It is NOT useless. I work in higher ed, and like many industries, we need to do a lot of fundraising. Good fundraising must appeal to people’s emotions and feelings. People want to know that what they are giving to is for a good cause. Telling these stories in a way that makes people say “wow” has great value. Imagine a fundraising event where the people at your table get to see and interact with a story, directly at your table. A story that has likely been cultivated specifically to your philanthropic interests. That is pretty powerful.

Now, let’s think about some recurring revenue stories. The table project I shared a link to at the start of this article was a one-time event in New York City. However, it does not have to be that way. People go out to dinner for experiences. Food, drinks and company are all an aspect of that experience. Today, for special events, video often plays a role in the experience, usually via a direct view screen or a projector. What if for a special birthday, anniversary, engagement or any other event, you could go to the restaurant and have that experience customized to you? An AV company could provide this entire experience to the restaurant, as a service. The company would do the install and provide the creative services. Basic rules would be set between the restaurant and the company about table layout, time needed to provide the creative content, number of meetings between the customer and the creative team, etc. Then, the restaurant would offer the space and, more importantly, the experience as an add-on option for its customers. By providing this as a service, the restaurant does not have to get into the AV business or the creative content business, but still get the value of having this as a feature. As we think about highlighting “the experience” in the AV world, this would be an amazing one.

While the dinner table is one that provides a lot of fodder for the imagination, there are all kinds of other options for recurring revenue. Corporate office lobbies and nightclubs are two places that Bravo Media has done work in as well. The creativity that is allowed with image mapping changes the standard digital signage that may have previously been used in these locations. Content that changes on a regular basis and is targeted to a specific audience can serve a very useful purpose in both of these environments. By learning how to develop new services, and moving away from only selling products, AV companies can continue to flourish among diminishing margins and internet sales.

MERIDIAN, MS — Following the success of the inaugural Loudspeaker System Showcase at the 2019 NAMM Show, Crest Audio®, a Peavey® Commercial Audio brand, is flying in for round two with its Versarray™ PRO powered line array system in tow. The Loudspeaker System Showcase offers NAMM Show attendees a unique opportunity to hear the Versarray PRO in the real-world environment of the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. This professionally organized and controlled event at 2020 NAMM will be this year’s premiere occasion to experience Crest Audio’s revolutionary loudspeaker technology first-hand.

The 2020 NAMM Loudspeaker Showcase has been organized in collaboration with the producers of Live Sound International Magazine. It will take place near the pro-audio hall within ACC North over the course of three days: Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 16-18, 2019. A total of 14 sponsors are scheduled to participate, each slated for a 20-minute individual demo per day. During its individual sessions, Crest Audio will be permitted to play the Versarray™ PRO system louder than the full-demo sessions, yet still at a reasonable level that will highlight the system’s dynamic range.

Crest Audio invites attendees to experience Versarray PRO at the following times:

• • Thursday, Jan. 16 at 4:40 p.m.
  • Friday, Jan. 17 at 10:20 a.m.
  • Saturday, Jan. 18 at 12:20 p.m.

Attendees can have another listen during round-robin demos scheduled for 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. on each day. They can also learn more about Versarray PRO during 4Wall educational sessions scheduled to take place at 1:00 p.m. on each day. Crest Audio representatives will also be present at booth A13 to answer any questions.

The Loudspeaker Showcase will be held in a well-defined listening area within the arena, with loudspeakers located above or in the booths. Crest Audio will be flying the Versarray VR112 PRO line array cabinets above booth A13, and will pair them with Versarray VR-PRO 215 subwoofers. The VR112 PRO features Crest Audio’s latest-generation Mark III ribbon drivers and proprietary CLEAR FORM™ Waveguide for crystalline high-end reproduction. The low end is supported by a 12” NEO Black Widow neodymium loudspeaker with dual 4” voice coils, which work in conjunction with Crest Audio’s Ram Air Cooling (RAC) design for even greater efficiency and power handling.

The compact, flyable VR-PRO 215 sub, also with RAC design and the UniVent™ venting system, features dual 15” Black Widow Low Rider drivers and delivers full power down to 35 Hz and a peak SPL of 135 dB. Both elements benefit from 3,000 W of available dynamic power and are Dante-enabled. Combined with the innovative FlyQWIK™ hardware, the Versarray PRO system can be accurately deployed in a fraction of the time required by competing systems.

Attendees will witness the innovation of Versarray PRO during an optimal experience. The primary listening area will be carpeted and further blanketed via heavy drapes around the perimeter. Level setting, including SPL measuring, will be managed by Rational Acoustics working with the showcase tech staff.

Overall, the 2020 NAMM Loudspeaker System Showcase is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for manufacturers to reach new potential customers from across the U.S. and beyond. Crest Audio looks forward to welcoming show attendees to the Arena and booth A13 for this special exhibition.

Paris — December 11, 2019 — Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecommunications group and BrandSpace — a specialist division of Scentre Group, owners and operators of the Westfield Living Centre portfolio in Australia and New Zealand, partnered with Quividi, the World #1 audience & campaign intelligence platform for Digital Out of Home (DOOH), to optimize the recent launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S10 Smartphone.

To promote the new handset to different demographic audiences, Optus used The Scentre Group BrandSpace SmartScreen Network, a media portfolio of thousands of screens located within Westfield Living Centres, all equipped with Quividi’s technology. They wanted to test how Quividi’s suite of audience and brand new Campaign Intelligence products would help enhance the targeting of the campaign, increase shoppers’ engagement and provide valuable insight to finetune their DOOH communication strategy moving forward.

An A/B test was devised across 20 Westfield Living Centres. In 10 of the selected ‘test’ centers, tailored artwork was triggered in real-time using Quividi’s technology to target and engage each of Optus’ audience profiles: young females, mature females, young males, mature males and families. The 10 ‘control’ centers displayed a generic Optus advertisement.

The results of this approach were significant. Serving targeted messages created higher engagement and cut-through with a 65% increase of watchers per play compared to the network benchmark and a 29% uplift in average attention time from the target audiences. The contextualization strategy also led to higher campaign efficiency: 73% of the total campaign audience saw a targeted creative.

But what made this campaign a first-of-a-kind in Australia was the use of Quividi’s Campaign Intelligence to gain richer insights and analysis of all audience dynamics, enabling attribution of the effects of the contextualized content strategy and its impact on brand engagement and in-store behavior.

“The campaign has exceeded our expectations, with real-time optimization driving a measurable increase in views, engagement and efficiency”, said Angela Greenwood, Director Acquisition & Customer Marketing, Optus. “Based on the successful results we have seen, we are really excited to extend this, try new things, tailor different products to different demographics and really test out this technology to its limits.”

“In partnering with Quividi and Optus for this campaign, we now have tangible evidence that we are capable of engaging with specific audiences in the most effective way”, said Lauren Mullane, Group Manager – Sales, Scentre Group Brandspace. “No advertising is perfect, but smart application of technology which maximizes the opportunity to speak to the audience we need to speak to is the Holy Grail.”

“With Quividi’s Campaign Intelligence, Optus and Scentre Group BrandSpace were able to analyze all the audience dynamics in real-time and understand in detail how each audience reacted to the campaign”, concluded Laetitia Lim, Quividi’s COO. “That’s really valuable insight to optimize any DOOH communication strategy”.

A comprehensive written case study of the campaign is accessible here: https://quividi.com/case-studies/scentre-group-brandspace-optus/

A video case study can be viewed here:

Quividi will be presenting its new Campaign Intelligence product at NRF Retail’s Big Show (NYC, 11-14 January 2020) and at ISE (Amsterdam, 11-14 February 2020).

Mount Vernon, NY – December 11, 2019 – Key Digital, the leaders in digital video and control systems, presents their new line of plenum active optical HDMI fiber cables available in lengths from 10 m / 33ft to 100 m / 328 ft.

“We are extremely excited to unveil our first ever plenum-rated HDMI cables,” said Jonathon Ferry, National Training Manager for Key Digital. “This release is representative of Key Digital’s growth in commercial new-construction audio visual projects. The flame retardant and low smoke characteristic cables are UL approved for installation in plenum spaces. These features and certifications go hand-in-hand with the plenum AOCH cable series, which allow AV integrators to extend HDMI 4K/18G signals at an unprecedented length up to 328 feet or 100 meters.”

This active optical copper hybrid cable series offers the latest in 4K resolutions with Ultra HD/4K support up to 4096×2160 or 3840×2160 50/60Hz at 4:4:4 with 18 Gbps bandwidth high speed performance for the latest HDMI video specifications. Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are directional with each head containing specific handling for optimal performance.

The Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables include KD-AOCH33P, KD-AOCH49P, KD-AOCH66P, KD-AOCH98P, KD-AOCH131P, KD-AOCH164P and KD-AOCH328P.

Unlike traditional copper HDMI cabling, the Key Digital active optical copper hybrid cables deliver full 4K/18Gbps signals at greater distances.

The signal of the video and audio layer is not subjected to typical signal degradation due to sending the TMDS channel, the heaviest portion of HDMI signals, over optics. A minimal amount of copper wiring is included inside the cables to carry power and essential EDID handshaking information, HDCP authentication and more.

With 28 AWG measurement, Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are thin, flexible and support a tighter bend radius than traditional HDMI.

Key Digital’s Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables are HDCP 2.2 compliant and backward compatible with previous HDCP versions.

These cables have been designed using Open Eye Technology and each is tested for noise-free performance. Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cable series has deep color support up to 4K 24/25/30Hz 4:4:4/12 bits or 50/60Hz 4:2:0/12 bit as well as HDR10 (High Dynamic Range) delivering life-like images through the use of a greater range of luminance levels.

Key Digital Plenum Active Optical HDMI Fiber cables supports Audio Return Channel (ARC), allowing audio to be returned from the display back to the HDMI source for amplification and display. Support for digital audio formats includes Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio. The Ethernet channel on the cables supports up to 100 Mb/s of Ethernet speeds between two HDMI connected devices.

WESTMINSTER, CO – December 11, 2019 – PSA, the world’s largest security and systems integrator consortium, today announced general registration has opened for PSA TEC 2020. Discounted early bird pricing is available until January 12, 2020, for all attendees. Attendees are encouraged to register promptly to secure their seats. Waitlists will be utilized for sessions and certifications that reach capacity. Register Here.

“Our team has worked hard to compile a top-notch line up of educational sessions for PSA TEC 2020,” says Anthony Berticelli, vice president of operations for PSA. “Important trends this year are managed services, recurring monthly revenue, AI and cybersecurity.”

Sneak Peek of What to Expect at TEC 2020

Sneak Peek of What to Expect at TEC 2020 from PSA Security Network on Vimeo.

PSA TEC will be held April 20 – 23, 2020, at the Sheraton Downtown in Denver, CO. This is the premier education and networking event for all professional systems integrators in the security and audio-visual markets. This year’s conference will feature over 125 sessions, workshops and certification trainings from industry-leading experts and partner organizations categorized into dedicated learning tracks focused on job function.

The educational content includes sessions for systems integration professionals with a desire to stay relevant and thrive in changing markets through personal and professional development. Attendees will leave TEC with ways to improve operational efficiencies, add additional value to their businesses and their customers’ journeys and support emerging market trends from their own vantage points. A complete list of the sessions can be found at http://www.psatec.com/sessions.

“One of the most notable changes for PSA TEC 2020 is a new direction and expansion of our cyber track,” said Candice Aragon, director of marketing for PSA. “Cybersecurity concerns are among the most pressing issues facing our industry so we have partnered with the Security Industry Association (SIA) to bring extensive sessions on the topic.”

Additionally, this year, the exhibits will return to Wednesday, April 22, 2020, and will feature nearly 100 leading manufacturers and service providers. For more information on who will be exhibiting at TEC 2020, visit https://www.psatec.com/floor-plan/.

The special room rate for PSA TEC at the conference hotel, Sheraton Downtown Denver, is $204/night (plus tax and fees). Rooms are subject to availability and attendees are advised to book their hotel room promptly after completing their PSA TEC registration. For more information on where to stay and to book your hotel room, visit https://www.psatec.com/where-to-stay/.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Dec. 4, 2019 – Anytime Fitness has named LG Business Solutions USA as the preferred commercial display vendor for the more than 2,800 Anytime Fitness franchise locations in the United States. LG displays will enhance engagement in Anytime Fitness’s new “functional training area” that offers interactive training programs for a range of fitness activities.

Anytime Fitness will offer LG commercial displays to its franchisees to be used in conjunction with heart rate monitoring during the training programs, according to Anytime Fitness Senior Vendor Relations Manager Kathy Dusek. “We are excited to announce our partnership with LG, offering top quality commercial grade TV options to our Anytime Fitness franchisees,” she said.

Each LG display offered to Anytime Fitness franchisees provides superb image quality and an optimal viewing experience thanks to LG’s built-in in-plane switching technology that delivers true-to-life colors, deep black levels and rich colors for amazing contrast and color detail from virtually any viewing angle.

As franchisees launch new locations in late 2019 and 2020, LG’s leading display solutions will be the preferred option for standard technology. Existing franchisees will also be encouraged to upgrade to LG displays for renovations outside of the functional training area, in spaces such as cardio and free weight sections that may require display replacements.

“As the fitness industry increasingly embraces digital solutions to aid fitness goals, enhance member engagement, and boost fitness centers’ capabilities, LG is delivering class-leading technologies custom-suited to active customer environments,” said Jake Benner, fitness sales director, LG Business Solutions USA. “We’re proud to work with Anytime Fitness to help them capitalize on the latest trends in virtual, personalized fitness regimens and enable all franchisees access to the latest display technologies, ensuring a consistently excellent customer experience across all locations.

Benner said the new alliance with Anytime Fitness underscores LG Business Solutions’ commitment to serving the fitness market with turnkey display solutions designed to drive revenue growth for fitness club operators while communicating messaging, strengthening brand positioning and promoting class schedules. For more information on LG’s commercial display portfolio, please visit LG Business Solutions’ website.

Recently, a study of 1,500 employees by ResumeLabs showed that companies that offer an open layout with some private offices have high employee morale. As open office plans continue to provide a collaborative work environment and increased job satisfaction, some employees still need to take calls and private meetings from a desk. With the newly available Logitech Personal Collaboration Kits, users can collaborate from their workspace, and Logitech claims all distractions will be blocked out.

Each Personal Collaboration Kit comes with a Zone Wireless Headset and a Logitech office webcam. The Pro Personal Collaboration Kit ($399) includes the Logitech BRIO 4K webcam, while the Personal Collaboration Kit ($299) comes with the Logitech C925e webcam. Both solutions provide a streamlined video collaboration experience from any workspace, are business-certified for Microsoft Skype for Business, and work with other popular applications such as Zoom and Google Voice/Hangouts Meet. Plus, the Pro Personal Collaboration Kit supports Windows Hello secure login.

According to Logitech, the point of the Collaboration Kits is to hold video conferences straight from a desk or personal workspace without needing to find a huddle room. According to Logitech, the Zone Wireless headset tunes out surrounding noise with a flip-to-mute mic.

More information on the Personal Collaboration Kits is here.

JBL Professional released the JBL EON ONE Compact all-in-one rechargeable personal PA. Perfect for musicians, DJs, entertainers, fitness instructors and presenters, the EON ONE Compact offers best-in-class audio performance, Bluetooth broadcast and control, a built-in professional-grade digital mixer and much more. In related news, the JBL Compact Connect App is also now available, giving you even more control over EON ONE Compact’s mix and effects.

The EON ONE Compact offers more inputs than any system in its class. Two XLR/TRS combo jacks, one 1/4-inch hi-Z guitar input and one 1/8-inch aux input connect microphones, line-level instruments and audio playback sources; phantom power supports condenser microphones, and pro-grade preamps deliver full, rich sound from any microphone. Plus, a 1/4-inch passthrough lets you expand your system with additional EON ONE Compact units. Use the built-in headphone jack to rehearse privately or dial in presets before performances. Two high-power USB 3.0 ports allow high-speed charging of tablets, phones and select DJ devices.

Get all the specs on JBL’s website.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Dec. 11, 2019 — Women in Consumer Technology, an organization that promotes the advancement of women in the consumer technology industry, today announced the six recipients of its 2020 Legacy Awards. The awards honor remarkable women who are changing the landscape of the consumer technology industry through their leadership in the retail, distribution, sales, marketing, merchandising, integration, publishing, and trade association segments. They will be recognized during the Women in Consumer Technology’s annual networking reception on Jan. 7, during CES 2020.

“We’re beginning our second decade of honoring the women in our industry who are not only role models but also innovators,” said Carol Campbell, founder of Women in Consumer Technology. “Every year our pool of nominations grows larger, and it becomes harder to select the final recipients because each one of them embodies the spirit of what the Legacy Awards represents. It’s a truly wonderful problem to have as an organization committed to empowering women in the technology field. We’re so proud of all our nominees and wish to congratulate this year’s stand-out award recipients.”

Meet the Women in Consumer Technology 2020 Legacy Award Honorees:

Laura McNew, Vice President of Merchandising at Petra Industries: For more than two decades, McNew has been a driving force behind Petra Industries’ thriving product offering. Through a keen understanding of the market and discerning leadership, McNew creates new, innovative opportunities for Petra in untapped markets and cultivates crucial relationships that allow Petra to grow and thrive. Her strategic approach, industry knowledge and foresight enable Petra to pursue new technology, product lines and vendors and adapt to changing markets.

Petro Shimonishi, Director of Global Marketing at URC: Shimonishi has over 20 years’ experience in global consumer marketing and product management with many technology leaders, including Sennheiser, Klipsch, and Denon — to name a few. She holds an MBA in international business from Arizona State’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, speaks five languages, and also has expertise in computer coding. Shimonishi serves on several boards, including the Women in CT advisory board. Along with volunteering with UNICEF, she started her own organization to educate children in developing countries on computing and new technologies.

Cindy Stevens, Senior Director of Publications for the Consumer Technology Association™ (CTA™): Stevens serves as Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of CTA’s award-winning bi-monthly magazine, It Is Innovation (i3), oversees many of CTA’s other publications, and directs the CT Hall of Fame program. Previously, she was Wireless Business & Technology magazine’s Editor-in-Chief and directed the editorial efforts of three additional magazines. She served on the CTA Foundation’s board of trustees and on the Publishers Advisory Committee for BPA Worldwide. Stevens holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland.

Christa Wittenberg, Director of Global Retail Sales for the AR/VR Division of Facebook: Wittenberg leads the global retail team focused on developing channel strategies and growing the install base for Facebook’s hardware efforts. She joined Oculus in January 2016, where she launched the first hardware device — Oculus RIFT — for Facebook. Wittenberg has continued to launch multiple virtual reality and smart home products including Oculus GO, Oculus Quest, and Portal hardware. Prior to Facebook, she held various marketing and sales positions with several companies within the video game industry, including Sony PlayStation, Midway Games, and Nintendo of America.

Woman to Watch Honoree: Danielle Karr, Architect & Designer Program Manager and Certified Showroom Program Specialist at Control4: Karr connects with interior designers and architects to explore and shape the future of smart homes and the professional design industry. Prior to Control4, she held copywriting positions with Cricut, Vivint Smart Home, Ultradent Products, Dereset Book, and BYU Broadcasting. Karr holds a Master of Science in technical and professional communications from Utah State University.

Carol Campbell Inspiration Award Honoree: Megan Pollock, Vice President, Strategic Communications of Samsung Electronics America: Pollock is responsible for creating the message, identifying the key audiences and securing the means by which to educate policymakers and the policymaking community about Samsung’s employees, innovation, investment, and philanthropy in the U.S. She also oversees the strategic planning and partnerships for Samsung’s Veterans and Military Families portfolio. Prior to joining Samsung, Pollock was Vice President for DKC Public Relations and the Director of Division and Policy Communications for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). She was responsible for developing and implementing media outreach and public affairs strategies for many of CTA’s key campaigns and also served as a spokesperson during CES. Prior to joining CTA, Pollock was project manager for the nonprofit organization Internet Education Foundation (IEF).

The annual Women in Consumer Technology networking reception will be held during CES 2020 on Jan. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Marcello Ballroom 4405 in the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The awards ceremony starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are now available for purchase online.

MONTREAL, Dec. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Siyata Mobile Inc. is pleased to announce that Tango Tango, a FirstNet Certified™ Push-to-Talk application and communications service provider, has partnered with Siyata to offer the Uniden® UV350 dedicated in-vehicle device to its first responder customers in the United States.

Tango Tango uses advanced networking, mobile and cloud technologies to leverage LTE and WiFi networks and expand the radio coverage and capabilities of public safety agencies. With the Tango Tango application, smart devices can integrate with any existing radio system, creating seamless interoperability across agencies, regardless of carrier. Tango Tango allows users real-time, two-way communication on any authorized channel, on any device and sends messages to both radios and smartphones.

“We are excited to work with Siyata and are eager to see the lasting positive impact that this partnership will have on our public safety customers and the school systems we serve across the country,” says Tango Tango CEO Phil Kovacs. “Partnering with an industry pioneer like Siyata to better help our First Responders is a great opportunity for Tango Tango, especially as we are expanding in the coming year.”

Public safety agencies and commercial vehicle drivers have been propelling the success of Tango Tango, after seeing increased success in limitless communications. Today, over 200 agencies in the U.S. are using the Tango Tango app, and will now have direct access to the Uniden UV350 through Tango Tango, a company they know and trust.

Marc Seelenfreund, CEO of Siyata Mobile states, “Tango Tango and Siyata are aligned when it comes to providing a safer, more seamless way for commercial vehicle drivers and public safety professionals to communicate. Adding this sales channel is extremely exciting for us, as we are partnering with a company that has already seen dramatic success with police forces, first responders and commercial vehicle drivers across the U.S.”

The Uniden® UV350 is the world’s first LTE in-vehicle communications device with a Push-to-Talk Over Cellular (PoC) function, crystal-clear sound for voice calls, Android data applications, and more. This device was built and designed to minimize excessive clutter often found in commercial vehicles by incorporating the functions of multiple devices into one. The carrier-grade PoC network allows drivers to have nationwide seamless communication between one another at the push of a button, ensuring safe communication for professional drivers in the paving and construction industry.

About the Uniden UV350

• LTE high speed data
• 5.5” widescreen LED display for easy monitoring
• Dedicated microphone and speaker for crystal-clear extra loud sound quality
• In-vehicle installation ensures device is always powered by the vehicle’s battery
• Extended cellular and GPS coverage with external antenna included
• Push-to-Talk Over Cellular (PoC) ensures instant communication at the push of a button

The UV350 is the first 4G/LTE all-in-one in vehicle fleet communication device that delivers crystal clear cellular voice calls, Push-to-Talk Over Cellular, data applications and more. This device was designed specifically for commercial vehicles ensuring safer communication for professional drivers.

For more information the Uniden UV350 visit the Siyata Mobile website.

Culver City, CA, December 5, 2019 – mLogic and axle ai announced immediate availability of a complete media archiving solution at $9,995 which integrates software from axle ai, Inc., mLogic’s mTape Thunderbolt LTO drive and Apple’s most powerful Mac mini computer. The system brings many of the capabilities of high-end media asset management (MAM) systems directly to the desktop of data managers, editors and DIT’s (digital intermediate technicians). Each of the companies is a leader in its segment of the video market – mLogic pioneered the use of desktop Thunderbolt-attached LTO tape storage, and axle ai has done the same for AI-driven transcription and tagging capabilities. Together, these two companies have built a bundle that make it possible to create a searchable, “smart” archive where media files can easily be identified not only by name, but also by browsing proxy versions of the file in a radically simple user interface, and even by searching automatically-generated transcripts from the axle Speech cloud service as well as other AI-sourced tags (people, objects and even sports highlights) based on the contents of the file.

The Smart mTape solution includes the following:

1. mLogic LTO-8 mTape drive with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, LTFS; capacity 12 terabytes per tape
2. axle ai 2019 2-user software with browser-based front end, H.264 proxy generation and metadata fields
3. axle ai Speech 1500 minute credits to generate automatic transcript metadata for video and audio clips
4. axle ai 2019 interface module connecting to IBM LTFS storage driver
5. Apple Mac Mini 6-core i7 CPU with 32 GBytes RAM, 256 GBytes SSD, 10/1 Gigabit Ethernet
6. 8 Terabyte external USB 3.0 hard drive for proxy media

The axle ai software includes a browser front end allowing multiple users to tag, catalog and search their media files, as well as a range of AI-driven options for automatically cataloging and discovering specific visual and audio attributes within those files. Given the large amounts of video – often terabytes – that can be accumulated by a video team in a single shoot, this system allows rapid search and management of those files. The bundle also includes 25 hours of transcription processing for media content that is being sent to the LTO-8 tape drive.

Roger Mabon, CEO of mLogic, said “The market has responded very strongly to our mTape LTO-based storage systems, and we’ve sold thousands of them to creative teams worldwide. Integrating axle ai’s radically simple video search with this powerful archival storage means that customers can easily search for a the right files they need, before retrieving them from the mTape external drive.” Sam Bogoch, CEO of axle ai, echoed Mabon’s comments and said “We’re delighted to team up with our counterparts at mLogic as market leaders to offer this kind of groundbreaking value to the creative community. This kind of searchable media archive used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take up racks of equipment, and we’ve been able to bring it to the desktop.”

Pricing and Availability

The Smart mTape bundle is available immediately from mLogic, axle ai and their resellers, at a list price of $9,995. Additional software modules including AI-driven speech transcription, face recognition and object recognition are available at additional cost with prices starting at under $2.00 per hour of footage analyzed.

ISE 2020, the world’s biggest pro AV show set to break the 81,268 total attendees record, is just under three months away. Here is the updated list of exhibiting companies as of Tuesday, November 19, 2019 — yes, all 1,000+ of them.

Headed to Amsterdam? Don’t forget to register for ISE for free with rAVe’s EXCLUSIVE offer code. If not, rAVe’s comprehensive trade show coverage, rAVe [NOW], is the best way to experience the show without being there. All of our coverage from ISE 2020 can be found on the dedicated microsite.