As Real As It Gets: Digital Installation Brings Madame Tussauds Experience to Life at 'The Crossroads of the World'

A giant new LED screen in New York City will give the tens of millions of annual visitors to Times Square - ’the crossroads of the world’ - the chance to see inside Madame Tussauds. 

The attention-grabbing 13 ft. by 12 ft. LED screen, which was installed on June 19th, is visible from 42nd Street. It is already proving to be a big hit with visitors to Times Square to enjoy a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the Madame Tussauds experience.

The project brief from Madame Tussauds (part of Merlin Entertainments Group) to Banner Managed Communication (BMC), its global marketing and communications agency, was to increase the attraction’s cut-through and audience share within the intensively competitive New York tourist scene. BMC brought in its digital experience design partner, OpenEye Global, a world leader in conceiving and delivering innovative visual technology projects, to create the experience from the eyes of the visitor. OpenEye also enlisted Scala and NanoLumens for content management and display installation, forming a solid team of expertise.

The Madame Tussauds and OpenEye teams developed a content strategy highlighting the brushes with fame (and infamy!) that could only happen inside Madame Tussauds. Using actors and a green screen to film reactions to their encounters with Madame Tussauds’ stars, crowds outside could get a real taste of the fun that awaits them inside.

Davey Barrett, Head of Product Development, Midway Attractions, North America at Merlin Entertainments plc said:

"BMC and OpenEye have helped us find a truly innovative way of communicating and visualizing the experience of visiting Madame Tussauds to a vast, untapped audience. We’re undoubtedly achieving our primary objective of grabbing the attention of many more visitors to Times Square. The 4.5MM digital display from NanoLumens delivers impeccable clarity and brightness essential in creating an invigorating experience.”

Catherine Burke, Managing Director of Banner Managed Communication, said:

“Creative thinking and leading-edge technology have combined here to inject new life and contemporary relevance into an attraction with a heritage stretching back almost 250 years.

The project is a perfect example of why we've partnered with OpenEye. They provide precisely the blend of digital innovation and execution expertise which BMC clients are looking for.”

Bryan Meszaros, CEO, OpenEye commented:

“It was clear to us that many people’s perception of Madame Tussauds lags way behind the modern-day reality. So our focus was on creating content and using technology to visualize and bring to life the Madame Tussauds experience, emphasizing what an incredibly dynamic and interactive attraction it is for visitors.”

Dina Townsend, Vice President of Retail, Scala commented:

"The Madam Tussaud's deployment is an excellent example of collaborative, best in class, digital engagement that seamlessly integrates technologies, form factors, platforms and strategic vision.

From the Scala perspective, our content management platform was leveraged to deliver digital signage as well as the #MTSelfie social media experience. Using the Scala platform as a true customer experience engine allowed Madam Tussaud's to integrate a variety of digital experiences all engaging the consumer across channels in new and unexpected ways, but all managed from a single and extensible console to provide the best possible outcomes in a most efficient delivery model." Dina Townsend, VP of Retail at Scala.

Burt Smith, Executive Vice President of NanoLumens commented:

“New York's Times Square is arguably the busiest intersection in the world," emphasized NanoLumens Executive Vice President of Business Development Burt Smith.  "Thousands of retailers, hotels, theaters, restaurants, bars and tourist attractions compete for the attention —and the business— of the millions of consumers who flock to this intersection every year.  Creating an engaging visualization solution that can work with the design limitations of any existing space in New York City is not an easy task for most solutions providers — except NanoLumens.  Our unique ability to listen to the Madame Tussaud team and design a solution in the shape, size, and curvature that works for them is what won the day.  We are very proud to have been a part of this very exciting project."

Panamax Wins 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for Innovative SM3-Pro System Manager

Commercial Integrator magazine today announced that Panamax, the leader in electronic and electrical protection, filtration and control products, has been awarded a 2015 Commercial Integrator BEST Award for its SM3-PRO System Manager. The award was presented today at InfoComm 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

The Commercial Integrator BEST Awards program recognizes the most noteworthy solutions for an integration business. A panel of industry experts, integrators, and the editors of Commercial Integrator chose the winners by reviewing all aspects of the products submitted, including innovation, functionality, competitive advantages, and benefits to the installer. The SM3-PRO won the Commercial Integrator BEST Award in the Power Conditioning, Surge Suppression, & Energy Solutions category.

“Receiving a BEST Award from Commercial Integrator is truly an honor,” Core Brands Director of Power & Accessories, John Benz, stated. “Panamax strives to provide integrators with products that not only protect and monitor electronics, but also make their jobs easier and more efficient. The new SM3-PRO is the latest product fulfilling this goal. It does so in a form factor well suited for a variety of components in commercial installations that may be located at some distance from the main system rack, such as smart digital displays and networking hardware.”

The SM3-PRO, along with other Panamax Pro Products (the M4000-PRO, M4315-PRO, and M3420-PRO) is sold in parallel with Furman Pro products to commercial integrators. All Furman commercial dealers have access to Panamax Pro.

Measuring only 10” x 7” x 1.75”, this compact device is small enough to mount behind a flat panel display, next to a projector, or inside a structured wiring cabinet. Along with robust power protection and filtering, the SM3-PRO’s BlueBOLT interface gives integrators the ability to perform remote hard reboots, monitor energy usage and network status, program scheduled on/off commands to reduce energy consumption, and create custom triggers for on/off, reboots and alerts based on environmental conditions and sensor input.

The SM3-PRO features three AC outlets in two controlled and monitored banks. Connected equipment is safeguarded with Panamax’s exclusive Protect-or-Disconnect catastrophic surge protection and AVM over/under voltage protection. The 2-port Ethernet switch delivers easy network connectivity to neighboring devices. Two accessory inputs, allow triggering of power outlets on and off (as well as email alerts) for highly customizable and flexible integration applications.

BlueBOLT enables a comprehensive systems management solution with monitoring of energy use and network status. Users and integrators can set energy usage budgets and receive alerts when nearing or exceeding defined energy use parameters. BlueBOLT’s network management feature allows any IP address to be “pinged” by the SM3-PRO and action to be taken (power cycle, power sequence, email alert, etc.) to be triggered when a device is not responsive on the network or if network connectivity is lost at the location.

The SM3-PRO System Manager has a suggested retail price of $349.00, and will be a featured item in the Furman Booth #3843 at InfoComm 2015.

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.”

James Koenig Promoted to Director of Sales for the CI Channel at Core Brands

Core Brands, a Nortek company (NASDAQ: NTK), today announced the promotion of James Koenig to the position of Director of Sales - CI Channel in recognition of his outstanding ability to develop brands on both a regional and national level. 

Effective immediately, Koenig assumes responsibility for the development and implementation of all regional and national sales and business development programs for the Core Brands’ brands sold through custom installation dealers.  He reports directly to Core Brands Senior Vice President of Sales Dave Keller, who today said, “Jim is a true sales professional who has demonstrated over the last 16 years a remarkable ability to grow brands in both challenging and expanding economies. He builds trust-based relationships with dealers and shares my belief that our top priority is delivering our dealers great service to match our innovative products.”

Koenig has held a number of positions within Core Brands and its predecessor companies since 2002 when he first joined ELAN Home Systems as a Regional Sales Associate.  In 2005 he was promoted to the position of ELAN National Distribution Accounts Manager.  In 2007, as National Sales Manager, he successfully launched the ELAN distribution brand ATON.  In 2010, The AVC Group was formed and he took on the role of Western US & Canada Regional Sales Manager for ELAN, ATON, and Sunfire brands.  In 2012 The AVC Group was merged into Core Brands where he became the South Central Regional Sales Manager, a position he held until becoming National Sales Manager for the CI Channel in February of this year.

Before beginning his successful career at ELAN and Core Brands, Koenig grew up in a family security business and possesses extensive knowledge of burglary, fire, CCTV, and access control systems.  After mastering those challenges, he moved into the Audio, Video and Automation side of the CI industry with positions including retrofit installation, retail and custom sales.

A native of Ohio, Koenig studied Computer Information Systems from 1989 through 1993 at Ohio State University and Management Information Systems from 2000 until 2002 at Franklin University. 

“I’m honored to be leading a great sales team and serving our amazing group of dealers,” James Koenig said today.  “And I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. We’re getting ready to bring to market a new generation of products for our key brands, all of which will create amazing new business opportunities for our dealers in the CI channel.”

Commercial Integrators Stand To Benefit From Renewed Investment In Technology By K12 and Higher Education Buyers

 It may require a suspension of disbelief, but a new Golden Era in K12 and higher education technology investment is now underway, and it’s about to snowball into one of the major industry stories of the year, today predicted Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly.
 
According to Kelly, two forces that seem to be unstoppable are driving this trend. “First, according to the Wall Street Journal more than 40 states had higher property tax revenue in 2013 than they did in 2012. Obviously, this increase is a direct manifestation of an ever improving national economy and, as everyone in our industry knows, property tax revenue is what determines a school district’s budget.”
 
What’s interesting about this economic recovery, Kelly explained, is that most of the money being invested in education is being spent on technology, and not on facilities or even personnel. Across the board, school districts now understand that an educational investment in technology is the best long-term way to improve the overall teaching and learning environment. The same understanding is taking hold at higher education state colleges and universities.
 
“And this leads directly to the second important trend to understand. The desire to connect and collaborate is rapidly becoming the imperative to connect and collaborate — and this is creating an enormous new business opportunity for commercial integrators. Tablets are the leading beneficiaries of this imperative. Millions of tablets are being purchased by K12 districts and colleges and, once purchased, they are being actively used to promote collaboration within the classroom.”
 
Kelly emphasized that the concept of “one to many” is also driving the imperative to connect and collaborate. Teachers need to be able to show their presentations and images on students’ laptops and solutions like KenAVision’s EduCam Software are enabling them to do just that. At the same time, students need to be able to show their work to one another and to the teacher! This “many to one” concept is resulting in significant new sales of innovation solutions like WePresent WIPG1500 wireless interactive presentation gateway and, of course, Apple TV.
 
“These trends are, in turn, generating the next generation of innovation in traditional product categories. For example, in the very near future one manufacturer will announce that it has created a special spot within the mold of the projector body to fit an Apple TV. How cool is that? Think of the sales this innovation will generate!”
 
Indeed, there isn’t a single area of the learning environment not being revolutionized by new technology. The industry is experiencing a surge in sales of short throw projectors because school districts have learned the hard way that an 80” touch-based display can’t really be seen all that clearly by students who are sitting five rows away from it.
 
As a result, schools are returning to ultra short throw projectors because they’re the only solution able to project a larger display image. In specific, the industry is seeing a surge in WXGA models to K12 schools and WUXGA models to higher education institutions. And projector manufacturers are weighing in on the whole Total Cost of Ownership issue by lowering the lamp cost of short throw projectors by up to 50%!
 
“The question is no longer is there a new Golden Era is education investment. The question is are you ready, equipped, and trained to profit from it?” Kelly asked.