Smart City Networks and Origin Digital (an Accenture company) are partnering to offer a one-stop solution for video capture and live streaming from all of the convention centers they have under contract. “This is a good fit for us as we can now offer a simple package that combines sufficient Internet bandwidth with a top-of-the-line video production company that have developed solutions specifically for the event market,” said Mark Haley, president of Smart City Networks. “We can now go to the exhibitors and offer an opportunity to invest a little time at the event and budget into the creation of a tool that can be streamed immediately to views but also can be used on-demand throughout the year. It extends the value of their event participation.”
Streaming video and webcasting have become integral tools for the event industry as more trade shows and conventions use video to broaden the reach of the event experience to the virtual audience. In the new partnership, Smart City will provide the Internet connectivity and increased bandwidth necessary for Origin Digital’s high-speed video streaming and webcasting services.
“We’ll be focusing on the exhibitors and giving them an opportunity to show their demos, conduct education, do product launches and interviews,” noted Haley. “This is not exactly new for us, we have been doing some of this already but now we have a packaged offering. There is opportunity for the event producers as well.”
The new offering will feature Origin Digital’s streaming portal with social media integration and chat. The system also does real-time sync of slides should the vendor choose to add slides to their program. “The system uses Flash but can output into any file format so if a client wants to offer a version for an idevice, Android, Silverlight, etc., that’s not a problem,” said Darcy Lorincz, CEO of Origin Digital. “The sites landing pages to access the video are customizable and can include sponsor and event branding or you can simply embed the player into any web page you choose. “
Lorincz said that they have been having a lot of success with wireless streaming in the expo hall but of course, Smart City can drop a hard line if necessary at any booth location. “Of course you need to be mindful of what else is going on on the network at that time, so you don’t want to be trying to use a wireless streaming solution at a time when there is a lot of other traffic.” Their technology also plays a key role in that they can add a slight delay and allow the video stream to buffer so even with a less than optimal upload speed, you can still get a good user experience. Speaking of good user experiences, the social networking and ability for virtual attendees to ask questions live and have demos customized to their needs is huge according to Lorincz, “if you can’t add that interactivity you are missing a lot.”
Of course, one of the first questions people want to know is how much is this going to cost? Although I wasn’t able to get specific program pricing at the time I wrote this, Lorincz said that it would be a great option for the company with the smallest booth on the floor to the biggest.
