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."

New Yorkers Can Find Out If They Have What It Takes To Be A Professional Drone Pilot

For the second time in two months, New York metropolitan area career hunters will have the chance to find out if they have what it takes to become a certified professional drone operator, as Unmanned Vehicle University (www.uxuuniversity.com) flies into New York on May 14th to host a special three-day seminar at The Regus Business Center located at 340 Madison Avenue (19thFloor). Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Unmanned Vehicle University is the only university in the world that is licensed to offer graduate degree programs in Unmanned Systems Engineering Engineering and Project Management Certificates in unmanned systems technology.

“According to the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of the unmanned systems and robotics communities, the rapid adoption of drones in a wide variety of commercial markets is going to create more than 100,000 jobs and $82-billion in economic impact over the next ten years,” Unmanned Vehicle University Provost John Minor said today.  “I don’t think there’s another career field creating as many opportunities as this anywhere in the United States, let alone the world.”

The range of career opportunities waiting to be filled in a variety of commercial markets is vast and growing larger every day, according to Minor — Delivery and fulfillment, Logistics, Security and Law Enforcement, First Responders, Wildfire Management, Search and Rescue, News Gathering, Photography, Film and Television Production, Oil, Gas and Mineral Exploration, Disaster Relief, Live Event Production, Agriculture, and Real Estate top the list of an ever growing number of commercial markets.  “As FAA regulations become finalized, and they will, you are going to see drones incorporated into just about every industry known to man,” Minor asserted.  “Drones reduce risk, save money, and dramatically increase the productivity of every field they are used in.”

The New York seminar, which runs from May 14 to May 17, is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive introduction unmanned aerial vehicles and the many high paying career opportunities this rapidly growing field is likely to create over the next ten years. “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have already revolutionized the way our military conducts field operations,” Unmanned Vehicle University Provost John Minor said today.

For $1,499, participants will receive a comprehensive introduction to one of the fastest growing career opportunities in the world.  “Our three-day seminar is optimal for people looking to increase their UAV employment opportunities, start their own UAV business, or begin a career as a UAV Pilot,” Minor said. “Plus, the seminar counts as four credits towards a univesity degree program.”

For more information on registration, visithttp://www.uxvuniversity.com/. Any active duty member of the United States Armed Forces will automatically receive a $100 discount off the $1,499 seminar fee.  Please call 602-759-7372or email jroetzer@uxvuniverstiy.com to claim your coupon code for online ordering.

Integrator Combines ELAN g! with Brand New Display Technology to Help Hoboken's Hottest New Nightclub Compete with NYC's Best

Hoboken, New Jersey is the newest unofficial borough of New York City, drawing Manhattan workers to its upscale downtown neighborhood full of trendy restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The owners of Hoboken’s newest nightclub, Reign, knew they needed to crate a unique experience to stand out among the area’s stiff competition. This meant designing an immense AV system using an ELAN g! system for control, Sound Tube Pendant speakers and subwoofers for put-it-anywhere audio and the first North American installation of a new 10-foot by 20-foot PrimeView Smart Film double-sided glass projection surface. 

Integration firm Serious Audio Video knew that their bid would likely be the highest, at nearly $350,000, well above the $200,000 budget requested by the owners, but they also knew that no one else would match their vision and unique style for the club’s AV systems. The core of the lounge’s AV installation is a powerful ELAN g! system that automates the lighting, audio and video, giving the owners fast and easy control of the entire establishment from their smartphones. With more than 90 speakers and subwoofers producing 30,000 watts and a plethora of specialized lighting, tying everything together into a single easy-to-use interface was a crucial factor in the success of this installation.

“The ELAN g! platform allows us to focus on our clients’ needs and without worrying about overwhelming them with complicated interfaces,” said Casey S. Johnston, owner of integration firm Serious Audio Video. “It’s simple to use and can be run entirely from a smartphone or tablet if they choose, so they never have to leave the club floor to make adjustments to volume, lighting intensity or video content. It also gives them the easiest start-up and shut-down procedure for the club’s systems, since they can use a single “Open” or “Close” button that we programmed to turn entire systems on or off.”

According to Johnston, an installation of this caliber also requires special design. In this case, the integration firm created a unique vortex chandelier of Sound Tube pendant speakers that hang just out of guests’ reach on the second floor, and right above guests head on the first floor in an open overhang. “This specialized design took a lot of tinkering to perfect the installation, but the finished product is more than a simple AV system. An eye-catching arrangement of premium quality speakers and subwoofers reflects the lounge’s chic and trendy atmosphere, and when combined with the amazing PrimeView Smart Film projection display it projects an air of exclusivity that guests can’t find anywhere else in Hoboken or Manhattan.” 

In fact, this was the very first installation of the see-through PrimeView Smart Film display in North America. It is so new that the instructions were only available in Cantonese, so they flew in one of PrimeView’s technicians from Hong Kong to help with the installation. The resulting screen sits just above the speaker chandelier on the third floor and can play any manner of digital video effects. With the ability to change the appearance of the glass from clear to frosted with the push of a button, the possibilities are nearly limitless and certainly push the club’s atmosphere to new heights.

“Night club installations regularly involve millions of dollars of equipment and this was our first night club project,” Johnston said. “We hit it out of the park so we are hoping to grow that aspect of our business and bring other owners the same level of functionality and unique design in the future.”