Digital Signage

For many of the corporate events we do, digital signage is becoming a bigger add-on. It used to be more of a lower line item, but now, we are seeing it more and more including multiple monitors throughout the venue.

For those of you that don’t know, digital signage is, in its simplest form, a plasma or LCD screen that displays specific content created by our client. This content is usually pretty important to the event and many people are going to need to see it. So having the screens set up in key areas is crucial, that way everyone at the event will know what is going on. For example, it could be a screen in the hallway of a trade show telling you where the seminars are.

We have invested in some great technology that allows our customers to get creative and bring an interesting “style” to their next event or convention. While the simple screen on a stand is typical, our clients are always looking to add that next level of design, something that makes their event look different, without killing the budget.

There are also some big benefits to digital signage that are usually overlooked. It is a great way to generate revenue because the same screen can be used as advertising for the convention. This could in turn keep the cost of the ticket lower. It is also a great way to stay green. Imagine having to create all those signs for a one time purpose and then throw them out after!

The next time you need to get multiple points of information to guests or attendees give us a call and let us help you with creative digital signage!

-Jason

What is a Lumen? Why does a lens matter?

When companies call us for a corporate event and need a video, slide show or power point presentation shown at their event, they usually just ask for a projector and a screen. Some of our customers know the difference, but others haven’t the slightest idea of what goes into the type of system they could get. So the next series of blogs is going to go into detail about the common nomenclature of the A/V world, specifically, screens and projectors.

We are going to start with projectors. Projectors are always rated first on how bright they are. So, when you see the term “lumen,” that is telling you how bright the projector is. The higher the lumen output, the brighter the image will be. And, as you can imagine, the higher the lumen output, the higher the price. Most professional projectors range from 2500 lumens to 10,000 lumens. The projectors you see at concerts can be upwards of 100,000 lumens. The most common lumen output you will see would be in the range of 4500-6500.

The higher the lumen output the better the picture will be. The blacks will look better, the contrast ratio is typically higher and the image, most importantly, will be easier to see. It really comes into play with the general lighting in the room. If you are having an event where you expect the lights on, or it may be in the afternoon in a venue with a lot of windows, a high lumen projector will be necessary. When I say high, I mean at least 5000 lumens. You don’t want your client to be complaining that it isn’t bright enough. Ultimately that will be what happens.

The next thing you need to know is the projection distance, or how far you have to “throw” the image. In most cases you will project the image onto a screen, and that screen is relatively close to the projector. But in our world, we need exact measurements to make sure we fill up the whole screen. That’s where the lens comes in. Lenses are sometimes called “glass.”

The lens, or glass, will allow you to “throw” the image very wide if you are extremely close to the screen or keep it very tight if you are far away from the screen. Both wide angle and short angle lens's can get expensive to rent. And those lenses tend to need a higher lumen projector. So knowing where the screens will go, in relation to where the projector will be are very important to us. All lenses are numbered. The number is what tells you the distance you can be from the screen to fill it completely. For example, a 1:1 lens means you have to be 12 feet away to fill up a 9x12 screen. Pretty simple.

So now you know a little more about projectors. Next up will be the screen! As always, any additional questions you have, don’t hesitate to call Matt or Michael and they will help you through the process.

-Jason

Thought You Might Be Curious

Since we are an A/V company, we get asked by our friends, family or just the average person what the “two pieces of clear plastic” next to the president are when he speaks. Well, the answer is his… teleprompter.

The “contraption” resembles a mic stand with a piece of glass attached to the top of it. From the audience's perspective, the high quality prompter glass is transparent, giving the impression that the presenter is speaking fluently and professionally without any assistance. From the presenter perspective, the glass displays a mirror image of the pre-prepared speech from the LCD monitor at the base of the stand. Whenever you have a behind the shot view of the president, you can usually see wording on the glass.

So now you know what it looks like and what it is.

-Jason

Hamels Foundation Event

We had the pleasure of doing the lighting, staging and sound for an event for the Hamels Foundation at the Crystal Tea Room last month.

The Hamels Foundation is a wonderful cause with a dual mission to provide support for quality education in the United States and establish a school in Malawi, Africa. The Hamels Foundation is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and giving them the tools to achieve their goals.
At the event, we had the chance to work with Country superstar Martina McBride for a 30 minute set towards the end of the evening.

We put together a really good design and addressed the needs of having over 800 people in one room. We hope we are asked to be a part of it again next year.

-Jason

A special corporate event

Back in September, Bryn Mawr Hospital hosted their 40th Anniversary Gala, and they contracted us to provide the A/V for it. This was a special event for them because they had invited Bob Woodruff, the ABC News journalist who was injured in Iraq, to be their keynote speaker.

So many people wanted to attend the event that the production design was a little challenging. Instead of your typical projector and screen, we had to set up six 60 inch plasma screens throughout the room that ran three different feeds. All I can say is wow! We've never had so many screens that big before. But it looked awesome.

The hospital loved everything that we did. The project leader from the hospital said "You guys did a great job! Your team was great to work with." The producer of the event told us, "That was a tough job and you guys did a real nice job."

Jason was the the project manager for this event. "This was a challenging event, because we had to manage getting two separate sources of video on the screens at the same time. Logistically we were able to make it work and still come in on budget."

The one big thing we try and shoot for is keeping the event on budget without sacrificing the look and sound of it. This particular project was one that we did just that.

ISES and the March meeting at North Bowl

We are currently the in-kind sponsor for A/V and Lighting for the Philadelphia chapter of ISES (International Special Events Society). ISES is a great organization for professionals in the event industry to learn, network and promote the industry. We have worked with an amazing board and President in Larry Ott (Open Aire Affairs).

March's meeting was a lunch and learn at North Bowl in the city. North Bowl is a very cool place - not just for bowling, but also for events - it's a great space. We provided the A/V and lighting for the event. With our sponsorship coming to a close, Eric Alan, VP Programs/Education pproached Jason. “So Jason,” he said, “We would love to have you sponsor again for 2010, would you be interested?” How could he say no? So for 2010, Synergetic will again be the A/V sponsor for ISES meetings. We look forward to helping in any way we can and hope to see many new faces, and keep up with all the great people we already know.

Thanks so much to Valentin of Jean Valentin Photography for the images of the March meeting.