For nearly 30 years, Electro-Media Design Ltd. has been bringing the science of “ArchiTechnologySM” to hotels and conference facilities across the globe. This month at HD Expo 2019, company executives will be discussing this concept with designers, architects, developers, owners’ representatives and asset managers explaining to them why lighting, acoustics, architecture and event technologies need to be conceptualized together to deliver a quality experience for attendees. Wanting projects to look good is only the first step; ignoring acoustics can make the most beautiful ballroom reverberate like a train station, and poor lighting can cause speakers and attendees unintentional stress and distract from the messaging.
“In the early 1990s, we coined the term ‘ArchiTechnology’ to describe the study of how technology, interior design and people work together,” said EMD President Jeff Loether. “Operating in today’s digital world can be challenging for venues that have an outdated infrastructure. Asset managers and owners don’t want to spend money on renovations no one will ever see. However, building in the right technologies and placing the right hard and soft surfaces into the space from conception is an investment that will pay off almost immediately in customer satisfaction and repeat business.
“Think about how important it is to have a good meeting room or event space,” Loether said. “You can’t fix a noisy room or dimly lit space by bringing in portable equipment or by adding more technology. The room needs to be designed well from the onset and accommodate the needs of presenters and meeting planners. Some may bring in their own technology or their own AV production from the outside. The hotel and conference center environments are public venues to serve the guests and that’s why the reliability, ruggedness and flexibility of the room itself are so important today.”
For the first time at HD Expo, EMD will introduce a solution for venue operators that will make the self-managing of AV technologies easy. Called AVaStar, the solution is designed for in-house staff responsible for managing event technology processes and coordinating equipment rental, set up and servicing. AVaStar is the ideal solution to protect the owners’ integrated technology and infrastructure investment. It enables facilities to maintain control over their AV operation and retain 100% of AV revenues.
“AVaStar is a single, dedicated software as a service (SaaS) platform for conducting all AV technology activities, including planning and providing audiovisual services, managing meeting needs, scheduling resources, and tracking financial performance,” said Eric Bracht, AVaStar Managing Director. “It ensures that equipment and services are delivered and meeting customer expectations by guiding the sales and planning procedures and supporting the operational staff with step-by-step processes. When it comes to service and maintenance, AVaStar’s ticketing system and maintenance schedule reduces downtime and ensures that everything works. Until EMD designed AVaStar, no tool existed that provided this level of comprehensive self-managed AV service.”
