Westin Long Beach Hotel Hosts Local Businesses and Events in High-Tech Meeting Space Protected by Furman

Competition is stiff among hotels that want to host events and corporate meetings for local businesses. To attract the event planners and meeting managers, the Westin Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach, California, recently transformed its large ballroom into a 4-room convertible space with divisible walls. To further enhance the space, the hotel turned to local integration firm Spinitar to incorporate the latest audio system and technology. According to Rudy Zavala, Associate Systems Designer at the firm, the goal of the installation came down to three things: simplicity, functionality and reliability.

“One big ballroom is great if you want to host large receptions or conferences, but the ability to split the space into four smaller rooms offers the hotel greater revenue opportunities and opens access to smaller parties and budgets,” Zavala explained. “But it’s not as simple as just putting in some convertible walls. Separate rooms mean you need separate audio systems and control interfaces that can also function as a single unit when the room is fully open for a larger event. To do this we used QSC’s Core 500i network audio solution backed by the protection of a BlueBOLT-enabled Furman F1500-UPS to ensure smooth, effortless operation 365 days a year.”

Routing all the power through the Furman UPS boasts multiple advantages. Utilizing the BlueBOLT cloud-based power, energy and network management platform, the device enables Spintar to access the equipment at its power source from anywhere in the world using any Web-enabled device. In case of a locked-up device or system power issue, the integrators can do remote hard resets of the touch panels, amplifiers and network switcher, even the entire QSC system if needed, greatly reducing service calls. This provides efficiency for both the hotel and the integrator, saving them time, money and frustration.

Featuring Furman’s advanced Series Multi-Stage Protection (SMP) surge/spike protection circuit, Extreme Voltage Shutdown (EVS) and Linear Filtering Technology (LiFT), the F1500-UPS provides the hotel with professional-level protection, filtration and backup combined with features engineered specifically for the needs of A/V systems. Fully programmable, the unit features an intuitive LCD front panel interface, which displays valuable system and diagnostic information, such as battery time remaining based on current load and voltage input/output. Additionally, critical load management capabilities allow hotel employees to prioritize allocations of battery power to connected equipment while the unit’s programmable IR blasters provide safe shutdown of remotely based equipment.

“Easy-to-use is an all encompassing term,” Zavala concluded. “This means that guests must be able to walk in to the space and use the system right away, every time. Additionally, the hotel managers and staff should be able to operate the meeting rooms without worrying about complicated technology. The GUI we created for the audio system is a floorplan of the space, with each touch panel opening up to its section of the room, and all the other sections are available by simply flipping to the next page of the interface. This way presenters can quickly use the input panels to hook up a microphone, iPod, or video player to one section or the whole room, while setting volumes for each specific area.”

Best of all, the system is designed to be easy-to-use for the integrators themselves. Incorporating the Furman F1500-UPS into the system simplifies the configuration, ultimately saving Zavala and his team time and money through BlueBOLT remote power management.

To download additional photography, click here.

Mandeville Beer Garden Focuses On The Details With The ELAN Control System

Launching a restaurant is often a sink-or-swim moment. It’s stressful, exciting and demanding, so any help keeping things organized and flowing smoothly is essential. Just ask Rebekah Gelvin, the proud owner and operator of the new Mandeville Beer Garden in Sarasota, Florida. With 30 draught beers, 150 bottles and a classic beer garden-style food menu, the last thing the staff wants is to have to remember tricky procedures for operating TVs, stereos and other utilities on site.

As the city’s first-ever beer garden, Gelvin knew it might be popular, but was pleasantly surprised at the community’s overwhelming response. Luckily, she thought ahead and outfitted the establishment with advanced technologies designed to lighten the load for her and the staff, centered around an ELAN control system that automates the audio, video, lighting, surveillance cameras and HVAC.

“It’s nice not to worry about turning things on and off,” Gelvin said. “It might seem like a little detail, but there are hundreds of little details that we need to nail every day, so anything that checks a couple items off the list is a big help. As far as grand openings go, ours has been wildly successful, but that does mean that the staff can sometimes be racing around to keep every customer happy. In that environment, giving the bartenders the ability to change TV channels or turn up the music from their personal smartphones is a big help. It saves time and frustration, and even attracts the customers’ attention when they ask how we did that.”

Automating the utilities of the beer garden was a core consideration during construction, according to Mark van den Broek, owner of the Sarasota-based electronics integration firm Smarthouse Integration.

“Technology is basically a given for a modern bar or restaurant, and Rebekah knew that going in,” van den Broek said. “But where legacy owners might see TVs and speakers as the end-all be-all, she recognized that more could be done to simplify operations and free up staff to attend to customers quicker and more effectively. In addition, the energy savings can be considerable. For instance, the beer garden’s lights, TVs, and speakers all automatically turn on 30 minutes before opening and off 30 minutes and after closing. This eliminates the need for a worker to be responsible for these duties, and ensures that it always happens. Even if someone did turn on a light after closing, Rebekah can see that and turn it off using the ELAN g! mobile app on her smartphone or tablet.”

In addition to the automated on/off settings, van den Broek worked closely with Gelvin to create a smart lighting timeline that self-adjusts the lighting levels throughout the day to match ambient light. Combine that with an intelligent HVAC schedule, an integrated security system, 10 IP surveillance cameras and three separate zones of audio and video, and it’s clear the ELAN control system plays an essential role in the beer garden’s operations. It even gives the staff instant control over the beer garden’s functions through their mobile phones.

“Another thing we knew going in is that every customer wants WiFi. They want to take pictures, upload them, search for our beers on apps and be as connected as they are at home,” Gelvin added.

To satisfy this insatiable desire to be connected at all times, van den Broek installed Luxul networking equipment to provide a private network for the staff and a public network for customers. To keep customers informed of specials and restaurant info, two commercial LG display panels show special info and menus as well as TV programming through digital signage software.

The installation includes a variety of indoor and outdoor speakers from JBL and SpeakerCraft with Niles and Crown amplification, all distributed through the ELAN system. Each audio and video zone can be controlled independently from the ELAN mobile app or a 7-inch ELAN touchscreen mounted behind the bar. To keep all the equipment running smoothly and reliably, van den Broek utilized the Panamax MB4315-Pro Power Manager to deliver clean, consistent and protected power.

Vancouver, British Columbia is the Next Stop on the 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV Tour & Conference Series

ProAV dealers and end-user customers in the great Pacific northwest will have the opportunity to learn how to profitably integrate drones, video conferencing, and video walls into their long-term business development plans when the 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV (BBOAV) Tour and Conference series makes its next stop at The Westin Wall Centre at the Vancouver Airport (3099 Corvette Way, Richmond, BC) on May 14, 2015. Registration information can be found at www.bigbookofavtour.com. 

The ProAV industry’s biggest annual traveling roadshow is going to provide Vancouver-area dealers and their customers with a jam-packed agenda of manufacturer exhibits, information-rich presentations, and CTS-certified training classes that emphasize both mainstream ProAV product categories and new revenue-generating platforms like drones.

“The Stampede Big Book of AV Tour & Conference series is the industry event that it is precisely because it consistently shows dealers how to continue to maximize their sales of traditional ProAV solutions while learning how to add new product categories into their mix,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today. “The Vancouver stop will be a great example of this.  We’re going to provide dealers with terrific information about profiting from the continued adoption of low cost video conferencing and video walls in more and more vertical market applications and, at the same event, we are going to introduce them to the next generation of drones from many of today’s leading drone manufacturers.

Specifically, the Vancouver stop will feature drone-centric training sessions on UAV Fundamentals: Overview of the Technology and Use in the ProAV Industry and UAV Applications for the ProAV Industry.

“Drones are poised to become a major revenue stream for ProAV dealers because many businesses, in a variety of fields, are beginning to understand just how much value they add to their operations,” Kelly explained. “Only Stampede, with its strategic alliance with Unmanned Vehicle University, has the capability to provide dealers with a wide range of drone options and the training courses required to certify operators.  This is a combination that no other company can offer ProAV dealers.”

This stop will also feature a session about Video Conferencing Fundamentals for the ProAV Industry and a presentation fromNEC Account Manager, Channel Sales Mark Weniger, briefing attendees on NEC 10 Steps to a Successful Video Wall. Attendees in this class will come away with a better understanding of what goes into a video wall solution including tips for mounting, ventilation, color calibration, power management and content creation.

Furthermore, Stampede will offer event incentives such as a $500 Stampede credit to qualified attendees and a $50 Amex gift card to all in attendance the day of the Tour and Conference. Every attendee will also be entered into a drawing to win a 60” LG LED HDTV.

Manufacturers participating in the 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV Tour & Conference include Optoma, Sharp, Chief, Mustang, Ken-a-vision, Lumens, Sony, Christie, Hitatchi, Hitachi Starboard, Samsung, Ladibug, Atlona, Balt, Iogear, Epson, LG, Vision, NEC, Benq, Da-Lite, Casio, AVteq, Canon, Peerless AV, Hall Research, DynoScan, Vidyo, Circle Technology, WHOOSH! Screen Shine, Gefin, MediaPointe, AmpliVox, Audio Solutions, Vaddio, Luidia, and BrightSign.

NanoLumens Introduces NanoClear™, the Next-Generation Transparent Visualization Solution!

NanoLumens®, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of visualization solutions in any size, shape, or curvature, today announced the introduction of the next great advance in its solutions offerings — the groundbreaking, fully-transparent NanoClear™ display platform.

“NanoLumens has always been unique in its ability to provide customers with visual solutions in any size, shape or curvature — solutions that in every respect live up to their imagination,” NanoLumens Vice President of Marketing and Business Development Nate Remmes explained. “However, the introduction of our transparent visualization technology takes the company to the next level of innovation. We’re proud to be one of the first companies to commercialize this industry-changing technology, and provide exceptional solutions to customers around the world.”

Utilizing state-of-the-art nano-optical particle diffusion, the new NanoClear display platform allows objects to seamlessly float in space. The display can accept input from nearly any device or content management system to produce specific messaging on the clear display. Extremely slim and ultra-lightweight, NanoClear, like all NanoLumens visualization solutions, is also energy-efficient and feature a bright, seamless, high-resolution picture quality.

The company’s patented display technology and highly innovative visual solutions are transforming the way companies engage their audiences in every type of higher education, retail, hospitality, stadium, arena, casino, transportation and public event environments.

In fact, according to Remmes, NanoClear has recently been installed in major retail locations, airports, and arenas, including the TD Garden in Boston. “We’re thrilled to see this new technology already changing the atmospherics in so many diverse installation environments,” he said.

Drones Offer Pro AV Dealers an Unprecedented New Revenue Opportunity as Surveillance Applications Take Off

Drones are becoming increasingly important in assisting first responders and law enforcement officials in the area of surveillance, according to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, who today asserted that this increase in drone usage offers ProAV dealers an unprecedented new opportunity in security, live event, and law enforcement surveillance applications.

“It should come as no surprise that one of the most immediate and promising applications of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, is in the area of surveillance,” Kelly said. “Law enforcement officers, first responders, live event producers — anyone engaged in the critically important tasks of security and surveillance are quickly understanding the benefits of drones, and the FAA is beginning to allow their use for these applications.” 

Just last month, according to Kelly, the Michigan State Police department became the first police force in the nation to receive statewide authorization by the FAA to use drones for law enforcement purposes. After reviewing the department’s safety and program procedures, the FAA approved the use of an unmanned aircraft to photograph crash sites, search for lost people, inspect natural disasters and conduct surveillance. 

“All of these applications are casebook examples of how an exciting new technology like drones can be immediately incorporated by ProAV dealers into their product mix,” Kelly added.  “Our industry, collectively, has the dealer network with the expertise in the video category and the vertical market end-user relationships required to seamlessly integrate drones into meaningful solutions that save time, money and in some cases, lives." 

According to Kelly, two issues have stood in the way of making the use of drones a practical reality for customers who need and rely upon cost-effective surveillance solutions in their day-to- day life — concerns about privacy and the availability of educational resources to train drone operators.  “In my opinion, both of these concerns can now be addressed in a way that allows for this remarkable new technology to quickly become a mainstream part of 21st century surveillance,” Kelly commented. 

The FAA has made it very clear that it is in the process of developing standards and guidelines for the safe and legal use of drones in commercial applications, in ways that do not violate an individual’s right to privacy. The guiding principle in this process is to make sure that drones are used, not in a broad general way, but rather in an controlled environment where the owner/operator would have a right to have a security professional present. “The altitude limit of 500 feet further ensures that drones used for surveillance will not be used to monitor the activities of the at large general population,” Kelly added. 

Secondly, Kelly said, there is now a very clear path forward for ProAV dealers seeking to offer their drone customers a complete solution.  “Thanks to a strategic alliance Stampede has formed with Unmanned Vehicle University (www.uxvuniversity.com) ProAV dealers will now be able to purchase and resell to their customers specific certified courses that will enable them to operate drones in a safe and sanctioned way,” he added. 

Unmanned Vehicle University is now designing dedicated manufacturer based product training that is customized to show vertical market specific dealers how to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into their product offerings to customers.  Finally, there is a way to educate dealers on how to integrate drones into their commercial offering and then provide the necessary training to both their employees on the category and their customers on how to operate the drones, providing a complete turnkey solution.  What’s more, the dealers will profit when they resell UVU’s unique training courses.  

“The size commercial drone market will grow to be 12% of the $98-billion in cumulative global spending on aerial drones over the next decade,” Kelly added. “This partnership with UVU will help our customers to be ready to go when these licensing and training regulations are finalized. It will also allow our dealers to offer UVU’s training courses to their end-users as part of their camera drone offering and profit on every class they sell.”