Each week we aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. In this weeks Techie Tuesday we look at Vision Foldback as part of your audio visual solution and how it can keep your speaker in the know and your audience engaged. Each week we aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. In this weeks Techie Tuesday we look at Vision Foldback as part of your audio visual solution and how it can keep your speaker in the know and your audience engaged. AV Discipline: Vision AV Category: AV Equipment AV Jargon: Foldback, Comfort Monitor What is Vision Foldback? Vision foldback describes monitors positioned along the front of stage, which are strategically angled for the talent on stage to review during an event. The monitors are used to display event information without the audience knowing or seeing any details. What type of event is Vision Foldback used on? Events such as conferences, meetings, annual general meetings, and video conferences commonly use vision foldback to assist presenters and panellists onstage with elements such as the slide presentation, session time keeping, speaker notes, video replay and online questions. With vision foldback positioned in their line of sight, this allows a presenter or panellist to always maintain eye contact with the audience and prevent the need to crick their necks to look up at projection screens behind stage. Source: Staging Connections | Learning & Development What are the benefits of Vision Foldback? One major advantage of foldback, is that it allows a presenter to step away from the confines of the lectern, and experience the freedom of the entire stage. This freedom brings an opportunity for a presenter to utilise body language in the communication of their message. What is required for effective Vision Foldback for presenters?! A few extra elements are required for effective vision foldback: Signal Splitter: a distribution amplifier is required to split the vision signal going to the projector(s). Computer: a laptop is required to run software such as the timing app. Monitor: a dedicated computer screen to display the event information A presenter, who is informed and never turns their back on their audience will ultimately convey confidence and build engagement with their audience. If you want your presenter to continuously engage with the audience, make sure to request vision foldback. Up next week... Next week we take a look behind the curtain and reveal what a kabuki drop is. In the meantime if you have any AV terms or words you would like our AV experts to tackle leave a comment on the blog post below or join in the conversation on Twitter @stgconnections using #techietuesday. Written by Andrew Thorne, ANZPAC Trainer & Assessor, Staging Connections. Andrew Thorne is ANZPAC Trainer & Assessor and drives our training programs at Staging Connections, including our Certificate III in Live Production and Services Program for our new trainees. Related Blogs Techie Tuesday: Talk Back Systems Optimise your event communication with design and production Techie Tuesday: What is a Graphic Equaliser and why do I need one? ... Read More

Our new Business Development Director, John Edwards shares his top 5 event tips for 2014 including live polling, projection mapping and the art of creating engaging multimedia content. 1. Live Polling Gaining feedback from your audience following an event or a speaker session is not a new concept. There are a multitude of ways that exist post event such as email, the traditional written form right through to SMS. However the ability to get instant and real time feedback is the new reality and we can help integrate live audience response systems into any type of event. For a simple add on to your existing equipment specification we can now get instant feedback and statistics from your audience. We can help you design questions for your audience and incorporate them into your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation. The audience uses their own mobile phone or tablet to either vote or ask questions and the results are shown live to screen in a graph format which is guaranteed to get your audience totally involved in any topic. At the end of the event we can send the organiser all the statistics and percentages from throughout the day allowing insightful and instant feedback. This is pure ROI for a minimum outlay which delivers maximum impact. 2. Projection Mapping for Stage Presentations Whilst the current trend and obvious use for Projection Mapping is to use this technology to light up large city buildings and iconic monuments as seen in many outdoor events such as Vivid Sydney and White Night, at Staging Connections we have been looking at alternative uses for this amazing effect. We have been busy working with this technology for some time and have perfected the use of projection mapping onto commercial objects that fit on a stage you would find at an indoor event of varying scales. To date we have mapped objects such as cars, trucks and even fridges creating a spectacular effect and unexpected experience for guests in attendance. 3. Widescreen Blending Rather than use the traditional method of two screens and two projectors with different content, we are able to create more dynamic effects through widescreen blending. We can show you how you can have multiple images and multi layered visual content over a larger screen surface using just one projector. Check out the AHA VIC State Awards timelapse where you can see widescreen blending in action! 4. Multimedia Content Engaging Multimedia content can transform an event experience and even create a living event space – think more than the traditional video loops on a screen – you can take your attendee on a visual journey using moving imagery, video or photography projected 360 degrees around a room creating the illusion that they are within an experience and not just at an event. Motion graphics and multimedia technology is developing all the time and can be combined with projection for vision or lighting that reacts to touch – letting the attendee drive and direct their experience. 5. Budgets Most people are concerned about budgets and quite rightly so. If you have a limited budget, your choice of AV can make all the difference. Well positioned lighting can set the scene and add drama to any event through programmed lighting stings. Combine lighting with vision or multimedia content and you can make a real impact, without stretching the budget. Written by John Edwards,Business Development Director, Staging Connections. John enjoys meeting people and being able to introduce new ideas and technology to a variety of events. He loves taking a concept all the way through to final production. ... Read More

We recently invited our loyal clients and valued venue partners to join us Backstage at our Queensland Head office. We recently invited our loyal clients and valued venue partners to join us Backstage at our Queensland Head Office. In our educational sessions our event experts went back to basics and spoke on a range of topics including Audio, Vision and Lighting as well as demonstrating the newest innovations in digital events including Webcasting. Our Event Design Manger Sean also covered the latest trends in the world of styling and design, giving his top predication's for 2014. If you want to get the insider knowledge you can download his presentation here. Don't forget to check out the album below for all the behind the scenes pictures from the day, and, if you would like to register your interest for our next Backstage Event series simply email your details to Susan on shamilton@stagingconnections.com. ... Read More

We have been lucky enough to be involved in some great events for our amazing clients over the last few months. So we thought we would share a few of our most recent awards nights and pass on a few top tips from our wonderful team of event experts on what to remember when staging an awards night or large gala dinner. We have been lucky enough to be involved in some great events for our amazing clients over the last few months. So we thought we would share a few of our most recent awards nights and pass on a few top tips from our wonderful team of event experts on what to remember when staging an awards night or large gala dinner. 1. cievents - Awards Night This annual awards night was held at The Royal Hall of Industries next to The Hordern Pavilion in conjunction with our event partner’s cievents. The concept was to tie the stage look in with the industrial vibe and feel of the venue. We wanted to create impact and a party atmosphere but were also conscious about making sure everyone had a great view of the stage as the evening was going to be heavily focused on the stage and the award winners. 2. AICD Gold Medal Awards Night Our newest in-house venue, the beautiful not long restored Brisbane City Hall, was home to the 30th annual AICD Gold Medal awards. The historic venue provided an amazing setting for the night as the stage provided a great vantage point for the awards to take place, making sure everyone had a great view of all the action. The newly restored dome provided a great backdrop for the lighting and our talented team created a bespoke lighting sting to showcase the new space and create some ‘extra’ entertainment for the evening. 3. AFTA Awards Night The AFTA awards were held in The Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. The awards ceremony is the premier industry event of the year so each year needs to be delivered bigger and better! This year was no exception and our talented team followed the brief to the letter. Our large scale stage set featured the Southern Hemispheres (and the world’s 5th) largest mirror ball weighing in at a massive 287kg and measuring 7ft in diameter!! It certainly had the wow factor and helped create the party atmosphere desired. The room also featured some amazing bespoke centrepieces from Qantas and the table layout created the stage walkway for the award winners and a floor space for the entertainment acts throughout the night which included three Aerial acts and Australian signer Jessica Mauboy. Our top tips for staging an Awards Night to Remember 1. Get inspired and watch the biggies Our creative teams get inspiration from the big commercial awards night such as the BAFTA’s, Academy Awards and home-grown Logies! Watch some of these awards nights and take on board any ideas or trends that you would like to replicate. An experienced technical production team will be able to reproduce some of the most complex looking staging with audio and video stings, lighting ballyhoo’s and dynamic set pieces. 2. Make everyone feel like a winner with clever sound, lighting and vision It’s important that you keep everyone involved and energised to create that celebratory mood for the night. Table positioning with clear line of site of the stage is paramount to keeping your attendees engaged. If the space doesn’t allow for clear vision think carefully about screen placement. The sound of the night can help create the buzz, think about introducing individual sound stings for each award winner or a pop song instead of the classic music. Lighting will also allow you to build up energy with lots of movement and changes in colour. 3. Set the formality of the event with Styling The dress code can have a big impact on the formality of the night and sets your guests expectations. You need to make sure the styling of the event reflects the formality. For instance if you are having a black tie event, adding black chair covers and black linens instantly sets the formality and the tone for the evening. 4. A strong MC to control that party atmosphere Choosing a MC for your awards night is a big decision as the choice of MC can have a huge impact on the mood of the night. They act as the thread that holds the evening together and they need to be there to raise the energy at the start as well as control the atmosphere as the night progresses. Always hire a professional with a strong portfolio of awards night hosting. It will add a sense of professionalism and credibility to the evening. 5. And finally, what awards night wouldn’t be complete with a PARTY a. The choice of act for the finale is key to keeping the party atmosphere going and ensuring the night ends on a high! You want to be dragging people off the dance floor as the event is packing down at the end of the night; there is no better sign of a successful evening. Written By, Stuart Buchanan, Sydney Sales Manager With event production experience spanning 17 years, Stuart’s local and international knowledge and know-how has set him up to be a true industry professional. From the early 1990’s Stuart worked as a music and fashion event promoter before moving into the corporate events field and has been with Staging Connections for over 12 years. ... Read More

When you want to turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary experience, you need to combine the best of technology, lighting and styling with impact and flair. When you want to turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary experience, you need to combine the best of technology, lighting and styling with impact and flair. From setting the scene for an intimate boardroom dinner, styling a contemporary cocktail function through to extravagant gala dinners or awards nights, styling is a powerful part of the events mix as it can ultimately be used to communicate your message and create an event experience that engages and is above all, memorable. We have come a long way from the days of a balloon archways and the best events now combine digital and technological elements such as visual projection and theatrical sound effects with traditional styling to create an immersive event experience for guests. Key ways to transform an event experience include; Fabulous florals, commanding centrepieces, furniture, props and linen The use of bold coloured lighting can convey branding and company messages. LED lighting offers an energy efficient, cost effective and varied solution to traditional lighting. ‘Digital Styling’ involves the use of projection, digital backdrops, banners and sets and provides a customised and tailored event space and experience. Image projection can transform a room into a living space – you can take your attendee on a visual journey using moving imagery, video or photography projected 360 degrees around a room creating the illusion that they are within the experience transporting them from the event space to a whole new world. The opportunities are truly endless. When considering the choices for your event styling, even if you have a limited budget, your choice of AV can make all the difference. Well positioned lighting can set the scene and add drama. Vision or multimedia content can make a real impact and create memories whilst traditional styling such as centrepieces and florals add the final polish to transform the event space and immerse your guests in the experience. Written by Ashley Gabriel – General Manager SA/ NT Ash shares with us that the best event he ever worked on was a Video conference for the Queen. He commented that whilst there were obvious challenges in ensuring technology worked in two countries, it was all worth it once the team saw the Queen smiling and amusing to see Prince Philip's reaction when he realised we were watching him back here in Australia. ... Read More

Fact: When it comes to marketing budgets, the budget for events tends to be the first to get shuffled around. Don’t be disheartened, it’s the perfect time to get a bit more creative, think differently and prove the value of an engaging, interactive and successful event, no matter what budget is allocated. Fact: When it comes to marketing budgets, the budget for events tends to be the first to get shuffled around. Don’t be disheartened, it’s the perfect time to get a bit more creative, think differently and prove the value of an engaging, interactive and successful event, no matter what budget is allocated. 1. Capture the attention of your event attendees Nothing puts a smile on the face of your boss more than his/her event attendees looking in awe and excitement at the scene in front of them. Yet when you think of creating that sensational event experience, you automatically hear the ring of a cash register. If you have a limited budget, your choice of AV can make all the difference. Well positioned lighting can set the scene and add drama to any event through programmed lighting stings. Combine lighting with vision or multimedia content and you can make a real impact, without stretching the budget. Transform a stale event environment into something special with the clever use of projection, strategically placed screens, plasmas and LED displays plus the latest in playback and edge blending technology. How about using multimedia content projected onto the stage instead of building a stage set from scratch. The opportunities are endless. Multimedia content truly brings an idea to life, whether it is aliens circling your audience, cars racing by on the walls of the venue, or snow falling from the sky. Consider the impact that technology could have on your event next time you’re handed the event budget. 2. Returning the investment for everyone Events now need to achieve more than yours or your client’s bottom line – an event has to create a return on investment for those who have dedicated the time to attend and be more than a stand-alone entity but an integrated branded experience for the attendee. At the earliest stage of idea generation, think about what does the person attending the event want to get out of the event experience? What’s in it for them? Placing the attendee’s desire at the top and getting their buy-in at the event will inevitably meet the event’s objectives for sales, customer retention, or employee engagement making the end goal more easily achievable. Be audience focused from the very beginning. 3. Think differently and think bigger – an integrated brand experience Be creative with your event design and ideas – think differently about the experience you want your attendee to have and how the brand message can not only be integrated into the event but also how you can use this opportunity to create an interactive and memorable experience that translates into a stronger more beneficial relationship with attendees. Do a walk-through in your mind and make a list of what the attendee will see, hear, touch or feel from start to finish at the event. At each audience touch-point from the entrance, to the table setting, entire event space or the stage, think differently about how to make the experience personal and interactive. Try creating an illuminated centrepiece using your logo or hero image; utilise intelligent lighting and projection carrying the theme, product or brand imagery throughout the event space and use motion graphics and projection mapping to design a stage set that gives the audience the sense of being in a completely different location. Imagery projection can transform a room into a living space – think more than the traditional lighting – you can take your attendee on a visual journey using moving imagery, video or photography projected 360 degrees around a room creating the illusion that they are within an experience and not just an event. Motion graphics and multimedia technology is developing all the time and can be combined with projection for vision or lighting that reacts to touch – letting the attendee drive and direct their experience. Written By Stuart Buchanan, Sydney Sales Manager With event production experience spanning 17 years, Stuart’s local and international knowledge and know-how has set him up to be a true industry professional. From the early 1990’s Stuart worked as a music and fashion event promoter before moving into the corporate events field and has been with Staging Connections for over 12 years. ... Read More

In this latest blog our Technical Director in Sydney, Tom Wilson tells us what 'Speakers Prep' is and why you need it for your next conference. What is 'Speakers Prep' and why do I need it for my event? Speakers prep is a service which helps your conference run smoothly by looking after all your speaker needs before, during and after the event. Before the conference starts speakers are provided with a unique email so they can provide their presentations ahead of the event direct to the technicians running the conference. On the day of the event a dedicated room is set up for speakers to 'check into' when they arrive on show site. In the speaker ready room they can comfortably review their presentation, make any adjustments and practice and load their presentation at a time convenient for them. Skilled PowerPoint technicians are available in this room to assist with presentation editing and also brief the presenter how to use the technology in the presentation room, such as the remote mouse. Once the presentations are loaded they are automatically distributed to the required room via a Local Network so the speaker does not need to fumble with cords or laptops. From the speakers prep room the technicians can remotely view all the screens of all of the rooms, allowing them to see the progress of each room and if a change in room occurs reroute the presentation instantly. Why do you need it? Preparation and organisation is the secret to a successful event, in particular it benefits three stakeholders, you as the event organiser, the speaker and the event technicians. Having a Speaker Presentation room allows you as the event organiser to delegate all speaker related matters, saving your inbox being clogged up with large presentations and multiple last minute edits and changes. Event Organiser Benefits Can always find a technician to help without needing to call someone Can find out if a presenter has checked in yet Keep a copy of all presentations at the end of the conference for distribution A well managed Speaker Prep room also reduces the stress for the speaker as they can feel confident that any last minute changes will be reflected in their presentation. They will also feel more prepared as they have been fully briefed by a technical team and they do not have to worry about access or passing the presentation onto anyone else once they hit the room. Speaker Benefits Central Place to load multiple presentations Skilled PowerPoint staff to help with edits Can check their presentation against formatting errors Can Preview Videos Can get themselves familiar with Remote mouse Can check email and download presentations from the internet Finally it allows technicians in the conference rooms to concentrate on the task of operating the show and not being overwhelmed by presenters. Event Technician Benefits Remote monitoring of all rooms Can educate presenters on how to use technology Can preview videos and check speaker requirements Written by: Tom Wilson, Technical Director – Staging Connections Sydney ... Read More

Building a presentation may seem straightforward, but sometimes presentations can turn very complicated when it comes to the delivery. One way to avoid the pitfalls is to remember to get the basics right Building a presentation may seem straightforward, but sometimes presentations can turn very complicated when it comes to the delivery. One way to avoid the pitfalls is to remember to get the basics right: 1. Before starting to create your presentation, ensure you adjust the page setup to match aspect ratio of the display device, so as to get rid of those black bars around our slides. 2. When styling your presentation, remember that dark backgrounds should be used for darker rooms and light backgrounds for lighter function rooms. 3. When authoring your presentation, check that your text is well contrasted against the background colour, so your audience can easily understand your message. 4. Knowing that a picture is worth a thousand words, check to see if any of your text can be swapped for images instead, as this will avoid your audience suffering “death by PowerPoint”. 5. When saving your presentation, make sure that any files linked to the presentation are saved with the presentation, so as to avoid that stress just before you present. 6. When setting up your laptop make sure you connect the power supply and have disabled any screen savers and power management, eliminating any surprises mid presentation. 7. When loading your presentation, save it first to the laptop and run it from there, this will reduce any lags or delays in the presentation moving from slide to slide. 8. Once you have your slides on screen during rehearsal, walk to the back of the room and double check that the text size is adequate for viewing from the last row of chairs. 9. Don’t forget to take a depth breath and relax just before walking up on to stage! While some of this sounds straight forward it is important to lay the foundation for the more complicated demands of an event by getting the simple things right the first time! Check out this link for more information: http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/support/microsoft-powerpoint-curriculum-guide-FX102832612.aspx Written by Katie McDonald Katie McDonald is the Digital Brand Manager and resident Brit at Staging Connections. Armed with post-graduate qualifications in Marketing and specialist skills in Digital Strategy, she is passionate about management, execution, and measurement of all digital efforts that enhance and humanize brands online. ... Read More

In this post our lovely event stylist Alana discusses how she created this stunning look for the Starlight Foundation Five Chefs Dinner using over 1000 candles! In this post our lovely event stylist Alana discusses how she created this stunning look for the Starlight Foundation Five Chefs Dinner using over 1000 candles! With a background in visual merchandising, Interior design and floral art, Alana brings a fresh and contemporary vision to creative event design in Adelaide. Working with many of Australia leading companies and associations, she has delivered unique event experiences that inspire and impress. Whether it’s funky, old school, retro or cutting edge, Alana has the contacts, experience and creative inspiration to turn ideas in to a reality. I wanted to share with you a theme inspired by Phantom of The Opera I recently worked on with the Starlight Foundation for the Five Chefs Dinner. It was a spectacular event held in the Ballroom at the Adelaide InterContinental where we used candles and smoke effects to create an intimate mood for the 330 guests attending. The client first came to me with a theme in mind and some images of the play/movie on a mood board. We then came up with some ideas of how to create this visually. A lot of pre planning went into the event to ensure we could create the right lighting effect. We needed to make sure that the hazer, glaciator and smoke effect would fill the room and create a mystical, enchanting environment! We used over a thousand candles to create the look including pillar candles on the table and oil filled candles in the candelabras. A lot of work went into selecting candle sizes, colours and those with the longest possible burn time, even the small tea lights had a 9 hour burn time! The biggest concern was positioning candles and ensuring they were not in the direct path of air conditioners cause this makes them burn much quicker. It is also very important that they are not lit too early to ensure they get maximum length. For this particular event we lit them around ten minutes before doors and many volunteers from the foundation helped out, in the end it took 20 people 10 minutes! Overall we had 33 tables of ten but it felt like a very intimate evening with great ambience all created by the glow of the candles! Check out the pictures and let me know what you think of the end result! Author: Alana Berryman, Stylist, Staging Connections Image Credits: Unless stated otherwise, all images are owned by us ... Read More