(Pictured above L-R: Vanguard LED’s Accutemp, a state-of-the-art temperature admittance device, and ProGlobalEvents’ BeyondLive, a 3D-immersive, virtual-experience platform)
Just like the hurricanes and tornados swirling up and down the Eastern Seaboard, a wind of change is sweeping across the tradeshow and event industry. With that change has come not only devastation and destruction but also, opportunities for invention, innovation and outside-the-box thinking. Here’s this week’s examples:
In the cozy central Florida community of Lakeland, fixed installation and staging display firm Vanguard LED, has added a state-of-the-art temperature admittance device to its inventory. Dubbed Accutemp (pictured right and above left), the interface sports an HD camera supported by an infrared mode for night use, as well as alarms that activate after sensing temperatures out-of-normal range.
“As with many suppliers to the tradeshow industry,” explains spokesperson Steve LaManna, ”we found it valuable to pivot to products that would address safety concerns during this unique time. But the Accutemp will also be just as valuable to the industry going forward, to help identify potential health issues, beyond the current COVID-19 crisis.”
An hour to the northeast of Lakeland sprawls Orlando. Keeping the city on its toes is nimble design-and-build firm SunDog Design. In the wake of COVID-19, SunDog pivoted their production capacities and rolled out a swath of branded PPE and display solutions, including custom-branded masks, floor stands, partitions, kiosks and sanitization stands, as well as floor decals to indicate foot flow and social distancing requirements. All products are customizable and are designed for use in events of all sizes.
In California, ProGlobalEvents chose the 30th annual Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) Summit (being held virtually for the first time) to launch BeyondLive, a 3D-immersive, virtual-experience platform (pictured up top). Attendees were shown how the platform allows users to explore a virtual venue, can interact with others, collect and view content, purchase swag and experience an “escape room.” And what’s particularly attractive about BeyondLive is that the user neither needs to download software nor purchase special equipment. As Dick Wheeler, board member at CEMA and president of ProGlobalEvents explains, “CEMA was the perfect event to launch BeyondLive, and the initial feedback is that it inspires new brand opportunities where companies can create stimulating and engaging experiences that go beyond what is possible in the real world.”
Smash Booth of Las Vegas, providers of interactive photographic experiences, has launched a line of digital products to support a socially-distanced world. These innovative items include a virtual booth where all the bells and whistles of a photo booth experiences are installed directly on any personal device, as well as a virtual mosaic allowing remote individuals to come together in a single image.
Image Audiovisuals of Denver recently launched an enhancement to its trademarked e-Attend technology platform. Known as “The e-Attend Virtual Experience,” this fully-customizable, one-stop solution is designed to “take virtual experiences and attendee engagement to the next level.”
“With over 30 years in the recording and streaming industry,” says Diana Mueller, CEO of Image Audiovisuals, “we were fortunate to already have a platform in place to support the rapid shift to virtual events. This latest addition is a natural evolution to our expanding platform and another step forward in developing a suite of services designed for the future of events.”
The e-Attend Virtual Experience can be customized for use by any brand, and includes a main virtual lobby, auditorium, meeting rooms, hospitality suites, networking lounge, expo lobby, exhibit hall and exhibitor booths. Additional features include registration and e-commerce, unlimited sponsor impression opportunities, personalized conference schedules with attendee push notifications, detailed analytics, API integrations, chat functions in each room and award-winning support before, during and after each event.
Similar developments are occurring in England too, where venerable creative design agency, Iguana Group, has been breaking down the walls of convention and pioneering the concept of the virtual exhibit floor. In a bid to deepen their understanding of their clients’ products and services in the wake of COVID-19, Iguana introduced the Virtual Xhibition Xperience (VX2). Users experience a fully immersive walk through of the stand, followed by the freedom to explore individual products in detail. A simple but flexible hot spot system offers a range of media to explore, include graphic, video and PDF content. The technology also allows quick and easy sharing, making the impact that much more.
Is this looking at the future, even after the pandemic has ended? It might just be.
Upcoming stories in this series will feature companies and individuals who have risen to the occasion to build temporary medical facilities, masks and whatever is needed during the current crisis. If your company is going above and beyond to assist in this fight, please email us at newsdesk@exhibitcitynews.com and Amadeus at amadeus_finlay@hotmail.com for inclusion in future stories in this series.
