Boston Red Sox Catcher Jarrod ‘Salty’ Saltalamacchia Upgrades His Home Entertainment To The Big Leagues With ELAN® g!

The Boston Red Sox’ starting catcher, Jarrod ‘Salty’ Saltalamacchia, has been playing baseball his whole life, and now plays with some of the best athletes in the world.  At his West Palm Beach, Florida home, his family loves listening to music and watching TV and movies, so now he’s upgraded his home’s AV system to the major leagues with the incredibly easy-to-use, high fidelity ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System.  What’s more, after just a few weeks using the g! System, Saltalamacchia was ready for the full ELAN g! treatment and expanded the system to integrate control of the home’s lighting, heating and cooling, security and surveillance.

 

“Living with the ELAN g! System is almost like living in a different house,” Saltalamacchia said.  “It’s such a better experience than using the Bose system I was used to.  Not only is the sound clearer, louder, and distributed all over the house, but all my music and movies are automatically connected to the system so there’s no need to plug in my iPad.  I also love using the g! iPad app to control the TVs, especially in the game room, where it’s easy to use three side-by-side TVs that are clearly labeled TV one, two and three on the g! screen.  If I ever move to a new home there’s a good chance that getting an ELAN g! System will be one of the first items on my to-do list.”

Dave Febbraio of Connecticut-based Structured Home Solutions integrated nine audio zones, eight video zones, 22 security zones, 12 Lutron lighting zones and several surveillance cameras into Saltalamacchia’s g! System, filling the entire house — indoors and outdoors — with the latest in AV and control technologies. 

“Like a lot of homeowners, Jarrod had never used a whole-home AV system before,” Febbraio said.  “The beauty of the ELAN g! System is it’s easy enough for new users to dive right in, but also powerful enough for them to set their own schedules for lighting, heating, security, irrigation and more.  It’s also very expandable, which obviously helped in this case when Jarrod wanted to add in his lighting, HVAC, security and surveillance systems.  I recommend ELAN g! for all types of clients, from those building a single room AV system to homeowners who want whole-home automation.  It’s very robust and compatible with a ton of popular third-party systems, while allowing users to add more zones and more subsystems as they desire.”

 

Inside the home, 14 Niles in-ceiling speakers provide audiophile sound in nearly every room, while nine Samsung LED TVs ranging from 26” to 55” and a Sharp 70” LED TV offer the family an endless selection of TV and videos from 12 DirecTV receivers and a 2 terabyte NAS drive.  A Logitech Squeezebox adds Pandora and Rhapsody streaming services to the mix, which also includes AM/FM, Sirius|XM® Satellite Radio, iPods, iPads and the family’s iTunes library.  When they venture outdoors, the family never misses a beat thanks to the well-appointed poolside patio that features six Niles outdoor speakers and three LG LCD TVs.  In addition to the iPads with the g!Mobile app, several rooms and the patio have their own ELAN HR2 remotes that make choosing the family’s favorite music and videos a breeze while offering the reliability and familiarity of a traditional TV remote control.

 

“The system is so easy to use that my 6-year-old daughter jumped right in and started using my iPad to control the TV without any help,” Saltalamacchia added.  “For my wife and me, one of the best features is the remote access, since we spend a lot of time in Boston.  Now we can check in on the security system and look through the surveillance cameras, and even set a lighting schedule so the house isn’t dark when we’re away.  It’s comforting to know that we can always look in on the house and even make it seem like people are home when we want to.  And I can’t say enough good things about Dave Febbraio.  I had him come down to Florida from Connecticut because I’ve dealt with all kinds of electricians and contractors, and Dave exceeded my expectations at every turn.  He always responds to my calls and texts right away and all the work he did was exactly how we had discussed and was done in a very clean, professional manner.”

The home’s ELAN g! System comprises ELAN’s HC6 Controller, an ELAN V85 video switcher, an ELAN S1616A, five ELAN HR2 Remotes, an ELAN TS7 in-wall touch screen, an ELK security system, Lutron RadioRa2 lighting, two Aviosys IP video servers and a Panamax BlueBolt surge protector and battery backup.

Besides having the longest last name in the history of Major League Baseball, Jarrod Saltalamacchia has made a name for himself since his major league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2007.  Over his 474-game career, which includes playing with the Texas Rangers and his current position as starting catcher for the Boston Red Sox, the 27-year-old switch-hitter has earned an impressive 376 hits, 64 home runs, 210 RBIs and a batting average of .239.

Structured Home Solutions is a complete custom integration firm based in Sherman, Connecticut, and serves the entire New York tri-state area.  For more info, please visit www.shomesllc.com.

Photo credit: (second photo) Action shot taken on May 21, 2012 by Keith Allison.

About ELAN Home Systems:

Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide.  To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

ELAN is part of the CORE® Brands division of Nortek, Inc. CORE Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work.  Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

Stampede Awarded 2013 DIGI Award For Best Deployment Of Digital Signage In An Entertainment Setting

Underscoring its position as the industry-leading provider of high value added ProAV system solutions, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded a 2013 DIGI Award from Digital Signage Magazine in the category of Best Deployment, Entertainment. Stampede was recognized for providing BrightSign media players and superior ProAV knowledge to Matt Seibert Designs for Seibert’s work on the Chuck Jones Experience at the Circus Circus Resort in Las Vegas.

 
“It’s with tremendous pride that we accept this award from Digital Signage Magazine,” said Kevin Kelly, President & COO of Stampede. “Our sales and support team members put a great deal of thought into each and every solution we design with our valued customers, so we are thrilled to have our work on the Chuck Jones Experience recognized by Digital Signage. This project was a perfect example of we work with out dealers to achieve their AV goals.”

The DIGI Awards recognize the resellers, integrators and service providers who have gone the extra mile to ensure success for their clients, thereby furthering the digital signage industry as a whole. Additionally, Digital Signage recognizes the best New Products for the digital signage and DOOH market.

“As Chair of the Judges Committee for the DIGI Awards–administered by NewBay Media's Digital Signage magazine– I want to congratulate all the winners of 2013 DIGI Awards. Each year, the task of choosing winners becomes a more daunting one, as the world’s top digital signage and DOOH providers continue to raise the bar for excellence,” said David Keene, Executive Editor of Digital Signage. “In myriad ways, the entrants in the 2013 DIGI Awards showed new and creative ways to address customers’ challenges– whether for digital signage in the retail space, for transportation, for entertainment venues, corporate applications, or educational institutions.”

The Chuck Jones Experience utilizes more than 20 BrightSign media players, distributed in multiple zones throughout the 10,000 square foot facility and providing content for TVs, projectors and even touchscreens.  Visitors are greeted at the entrance with screens looping informational content about the exhibit.  Inside the hall, one wall features a dramatic installation that includes 15 LG LCD TVs ranging from 22 to 32 inches that are capable of displaying separate content or tiling together to showcase integrated content that spans the entire wall.  The exhibit has interactive elements as well, allowing visitors to draw and color their own cartoons on three big screen NEC touchscreens.  A Christie projection system with Pioneer surround sound shows full-length cartoons from throughout Jones’s career.

About Stampede

Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,” an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

Advanced Awarded 2013 DIGI Award For Integrating Groundbreaking AV Solutions In GE's Grid IQ Global Innovation Center

Advanced, Canada’s premier AV and IT integrator, today announced that it has been awarded Digital Signage Magazine’s 2013 DIGI Award in the category of Interactive Technology, Rollout, for its design and installation of AV solutions in 55 rooms of GE’s $40 million, 200,000 square foot facility in Markham, Ontario.  The installation included a one-of-a-kind Customer Experience Center designed to educate customers on GE’s full suite of energy management tools.

“In receiving this award, we are honored and excited to have our work recognized by Digital Signage Magazine,” said Advanced President & CEO Mark Mulford. “After a comprehensive search, we were chosen by GE to design and install AV solutions that would offer their customers an unparalleled visitor experience. In the end, we integrated cutting-edge AV solutions throughout their facility, including a 58-foot Prysm LDP video wall in their Customer Experience Center, giving them all that they asked for and more.”

The DIGI Awards recognize the resellers, integrators and service providers who have gone the extra mile to ensure success for their clients, thereby furthering the digital signage industry as a whole. Additionally, Digital Signage recognizes the best New Products for the digital signage and DOOH market.

“As Chair of the Judges Committee for the DIGI Awards–administered by NewBay Media's Digital Signage magazine– I want to congratulate all the winners of 2013 DIGI Awards,” said David Keene, Executive Editor of Digital Signage. “Each year, the task of choosing winners becomes a more daunting one, as the world’s top digital signage and DOOH providers continue to raise the bar for excellence. In myriad ways, the entrants in the 2013 DIGI Awards showed new and creative ways to address customers’ challenges– whether for digital signage in the retail space, for transportation, for entertainment venues, corporate applications, or educational institutions.”

The installation at GE’s Grid IQ™ Global Innovation Center encompassed 55 rooms including the Customer Experience Center, executive offices, boardrooms, training rooms, and meeting rooms, all of which utilize state-of-the-art AV equipment including video conferencing systems, interactive touchscreens, in-ceiling speakers and microphones.

About Advanced

Advanced is a leading audiovisual and collaborative communications company working with corporations, government agencies, healthcare, and educational organizations throughout Canada and beyond.  Dedicated to innovation in technology and services, Advanced has a strong set of businesses aligned to meet today’s needs.  The company offers presentation and videoconferencing solutions in addition to complete integrated systems, visual collaboration systems, rental and staging services, repair, maintenance, and value-added integration services including design and engineering, installation and audiovisual consulting. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Advanced also has offices in Toronto, Ottawa, London and Sudbury with partner offices located in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. To learn more visit www.advanced-inc.com.

Take 1 To Support Event Safety Alliance And Distribute The New ESA "United States Event Safety Guide" To Clients

Reinforcing the growing importance of advancing event safety to all live event producers and organizers, Take 1 Insurance, the entertainment industry’s forward looking insurance solutions provider, today announced its full support of the Event Safety Alliance (ESA) and that it will begin distributing the ESA’s new United States Event Safety Guide, which is now open for peer review and comment on the ESA web site www.eventsafetyalliance.org. 

“We have all seen the horrible consequences of what can come from a live event that goes terribly wrong,” said Scott Carroll, Executive Vice President and Program Director of Take 1 Insurance.  “And, while we cannot control weather or the suddenness of an unforeseen event, we can learn how to plan better for these events.  This conviction led Jim Digby and other far-sighted industry professionals to form the Event Safety Alliance.  Take 1 supports their efforts 100%.  You can’t take a chance when it comes to safety.  The consequences are simply too great.”

According to Carroll, Take 1 will begin distributing copies of the new U.S. Event Safety Guide to its clients as soon as the final edition becomes available.  “We plan to include the guide, in digital form, in all of our presentations to prospective live event producing clients and we will also provide digital copies to our current clients who request it as part of our ongoing policy review and education efforts.  We will also make the brochure available for download at our web site.”

Commenting on Take 1’s plans, Event Safety Alliance Executive Direct Jim Digby noted that, “We appreciate the support of Take 1 as we begin to expand our educational outreach to the live event community.  All of us need to do more to be better prepared for any on-site eventuality.  Our guide is one step forward in this effort and the more professionals we can get to implement the recommendations in this guide the safer all future live events will be.”

To find out more about the initiatives of the Event Safety Alliance, register to become an ESA member, and to provide valuable feedback on the new Guide, please visit www.eventsafetyalliance.org.  

Take 1’s specialty program has designed inland marine coverage, among other specialty coverages for the entertainment industry, that automatically applies everywhere in the world, without the need for additional riders or endorsements.  It eliminates co-insurance, thus protecting 100 percent of the insured value of the equipment covered; provides automatic replacement cost valuation; allows for separate limits in key individual coverage areas like owned equipment, equipment rented from others, equipment in the insured’s Care Custody and Control (CCC), and equipment in transit; flood coverage for equipment in transit; and blanket limits that eliminate the need for clients’ to itemize each and every piece of equipment, cable, LED panel, etc. being covered.

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group
U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. (www.usrisk.com) is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 11 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (London), Advocate Reinsurance Partners, LLC, and Unisource Program Administrators.

Stampede Kicks Off 2013 Big Book of AV Tour Today in New Orleans!

The 2013 Big Book of AV Tour kicks off today in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it promises to be nothing short of a blockbuster start to the new roadshow season with the announcement that Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. is teaming up with the International Technology Rental Association (ITRA), the world’s largest technology rental association. 

According to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, “By partnering with the ITRA our goal is to provide their members and our manufacturer partners with an unprecedented opportunity to meet and discuss the latest Pro AV products and technologies.   The ITRA is holding their annual membership meeting in New Orleans, at the Crowne Plaza Astor New Orleans, at the same time as our tour stop.  By partnering with the ITRA we are therefore able to schedule an ITRA Members Only afternoon session at no additional cost to our exhibiting partners.”

According to Kelly, over the course of the 2013 BBOAV tour Stampede will partner with other vertical market associations and organizations in order to take the impact of our shows to the largest possible audience of dealers and end users.  “Our goal is to expand the size of the overall ProAV market by identifying and reaching out to new vertical markets that can immediately benefit from the products and systems solutions offered by our manufacturing partners.  Our commitment to expand the size of the overall market for ProAV solutions is, I believe, unmatched by any other distributor in the industry today.”

The New Orleans BBOAV event will take place at the New Orleans Crowne Plaza Astor Hotel (739 Canal Street).  The regular exhibit hours will run from 9:00AM until 1:30PM.  The ITRA exhibit hours will run from 2:00PM until 5:00PM, which will be followed by an ITRA Member Reception that all BBOAV exhibitors are invited to attend.   To find out more about the event, and the 2013 tour season, visit www.bigbookofavtour.com. 

About Stampede

Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,” a 1000-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

Stampede Sponsors First InfoComm Hosted Webinar Series On Mergers and Acquisitions

Effective business succession planning, one of the most important issues facing the current generation of ProAV business owners, is taking center stage in a new four-part, InfoComm-hosted webinar series premiering today, February 20, 2013, that is being sponsored exclusively by Stampede Presentation Products, Inc.

According to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, Stampede is working closely with InfoComm, Stiernberg Consulting, and the law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris, and Arthur LLP to create a complete and compelling webinar series that carefully introduces InfoComm members to every strategic and tactical issue involved in developing and implementing a successful succession plan.  “Many InfoComm members have spent the better part of their careers building very successful businesses that need not and should not fade away simply because the founders are approaching their own individual retirements,” Kelly emphasized today.  “For years, Stampede has offered its dealers succession planning counseling and now we are taking this commitment to an entirely new level by joining forces with InfoComm, Stiernberg Consulting, and Porter, Wright, Morris, and Arthur LLP to create the industry’s first association hosted series on this critically important issue.”

Kelly explained that the webinar series will cover a high level view of succession planning, including long-term exit strategy options; hypothetical examples of successful mergers and acquisitions including specific ‘do’s and don’ts;’ tips for developing an exit strategy including critical success factors; and the legal ramifications of mergers and acquisitions.  Each webinar will be recorded and hosted on the InfoComm web site.  After each initial webcast, the individual sessions will continue to be hosted on the InfoComm web site for six months.

Remaining webinars in this series include:

March 6^th at 1:00 p.m. EST - “So You Think You Want to Sell Your Company”
More information and registration here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35821.htm

March 13^th at 1:00 p.m. EST - “Successful AV Industry Mergers & Acquisitions”
More information and registration here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35822.htm

March 20^th at 1:00 p.m. EST - “Critical Success Factors for Your Long-Term Plan”
More information and registration here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35823.htm

About Stampede

Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,” an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

Design Studio Of The Future Features AV And Control From ELAN, Niles and Sunfire

Kris Turnbull Studios, one of Europe’s leading interior designers, recently demonstrated his belief that contemporary home design must incorporate integrated AV and control technologies. He did so by opening a new flagship design studio in Belfast, Ireland that features the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System, complete with multiple zones of Niles® and Sunfire® high-fidelity speakers. The innovative interior designer makes modern technology an integral design element in many projects and recognizes that chic, life-enhancing electronics add value to a luxury living environment.

“My luxury-minded clients desire breathtaking interiors that break convention and delight the senses,” Kris Turnbull said. “Modern design has reached a confluence between architecture, decoration and technology that provides an unprecedented level of comfort, security and enjoyment, seamlessly blending environment with enhanced home functionality. My experience in the modern design industry has led me to embrace the new realities of home living that require a ground-level understanding that technology is often as vital to a homeowner’s satisfaction as the furnishings, window dressing, accessories and lighting.

 

“This beautiful new showroom proves that AV and integration technologies can add significant value to any living space while remaining nearly invisible. The open layout of the showroom highlights my expertise in creating uniquely attractive and comfortable arrangements, and the installed technologies provide all the modern conveniences that today’s homeowners and homebuyers desire. ELAN, Niles and Sunfire make top-quality products that blend into any décor.”

To create the showroom, Kris Turnbull transformed a former church into an open floorplan design center that features 10 distinct areas including living spaces, bedrooms, dining areas and a walk-in closet that each present a unique modern design aesthetic. Using the finest materials and furnishings from the likes of Fendi Casa, Kenzo Maison, Donghia New York and Christopher Guy, he presents a vision of modern living that appeals to a luxury-minded clientele.

 

“The studio reflects the luxury market. I am currently designing homes in London, Paris, Portugal, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bermuda and Montenegro, so there is a breadth of architecture and regional stylistic influence that permeates my work across the globe. The one constant, no matter what location, is that if a client desires modern technologies, they want them to be unobtrusive and so easy to use that there is no learning involved. Technology adds value to a living environment when it makes traditional activities simpler and more intuitive. All of the electronics in the new design studio exemplify this mindset by providing enhanced comfort and usability in every type of space.”

The system was designed, specified and supplied by Indigo Distribution, the leading custom electronics distributor in Ireland. Several of the design spaces feature Niles in-ceiling and in-wall speakers that seamlessly blend into the décor with fully paintable magnetically-attached grilles, allowing the studio to present an ultra-premium sonic experience that is heard, but not seen. In one area that includes a high-definition TV, Sunfire’s audiophile bookshelf speakers are used to envelop the guests in a 5.1 surround soundscape that rivals the power and clarity of a commercial movie theater. The design offices, which are located on the second floor, also feature Sunfire speakers for listening to music during work.

The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System consolidates control of the design studio’s three TVs and multiple audio zones, which can be simply accessed and adjusted through two in-wall ELAN LCD touchscreens, two ELAN HR2 wand-style remotes with touchscreens, or the g!Mobile app for Android, iOS, PCs and Mac computers. In the spring of 2013, Kris Turnbull Studios will add Niles outdoor speakers that are designed to look like landscape lighting to complete the building’s audio system.

The award-winning Kris Turnbull Studios has grown to 16 employees in just six years and its work has been profiled in several major design and lifestyle publications. The company recently expanded beyond interior design with the addition of in-house architects and interior architects who provide creative input and technical designs, creating a full-service home design agency that can see a project through from conception to furnishing. For more information about Kris Turnbull Studios and to view a gallery of its work, please visit www.kristurnbull.com.

Photo 1:   From left to right: Simon Spears of ELAN Home Systems, Kris Turnbull and Matthew Booth of Indigo Distribution.

Photo 2:   The new Kris Turnbull Studios Design Center includes several areas that feature HDTVs and hi-fi home theater speakers and subwoofers from Sunfire and Niles.

Photo 3:   The new Kris Turnbull Studios Design Center launch party on February 9, 2013 drew more than 250 guests.

About ELAN Home Systems:

Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

ELAN is part of the CORE® Brands division of Nortek, Inc. CORE Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

Event Safety Takes On New Urgency For Attendees Of Event Live Expo 2013

Municipalities hosting large-scale indoor and outdoor live events have often required event organizers to prepare comprehensive Event Safety Plans that include specific engineering drawings that address the riggings of stages and roof structures, high wind action plans and comprehensive insurance policies.  Those plan may now also be required by insurance providers before approving coverage, according to a prediction made last week at Event Live Expo 2013 by Scott Carroll, Executive Vice President and Program Director of Take1 Entertainment Insurance. 

At a heavily attended seminar entitled “Insurance for Major Events: What You Need To Know,” Carroll warned live event producers and organizers to get ready for a new era of greater municipal oversight and new requirements.  “Municipalities do not want to be in the news for hosting a live event that goes terribly wrong because of accident, tragedy, or weather and they are putting a greater onus of responsibility on the shoulders of event producers and, in turn, their insurance providers to show that they are ready for almost any contingency,” Carroll said. 

Exactly how much more involved and complicated will it get, Carroll asked the audience?  “It’s quite possible insurance companies will now begin to look for engineering reports, particularly for events taking place out of doors.  They may want to see specifics that address the riggings of stages and roof structures, as well as an action plan in the event of high winds.  They may also want to see operations plans, management plans and structural engineering reports.”

The bottom line, according to Carroll?  “Gone are the days when the insurance sections of venue contracts are glossed over and rarely enforced.  We are entering a new age of intense oversight and greater requirements.”

As a result of both, Carroll predicted, insurance capacity in larger limits is going to become increasingly difficult to obtain from one or even two carriers.  “Now it is going to require several carriers to provide limits of $20-million or more.  This is the new reality facing the entire entertainment industry in general and the live event industry in particular.”

Carroll urged seminar attendees to take a close hard look at their current insurance coverage and the insurance companies providing those coverages.  “It doesn’t hurt to discuss with your insurance providers the kind of claims that can arise from the recent spate of tragedies in South Africa (Linkin Park concert scaffolding collapse), Canada (Radiohead concert stage collapse), Brazil (Santa Maria nightclub fire), and the United States (Indiana State Fair Sugarland stage collapse).  These discussions may help you to better understand how they might react and respond on your behalf if tragedy strikes and possibly point out gaps that may exist within your current insurance program.  After all, it’s always easier to discuss potential claims with insurance carriers before they actually happen.”

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group

U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 12 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Lighthouse Underwriters, LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Omnisure Consulting Group, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (London), Goss Reinsurance Brokers, LLC, and NovaPro Risk Solutions, LP.  Its entertainment division, Take1, has served as the official endorsed insurance provider for the last 15 years INFOCOMM, the leading association of A/V communications industry professionals.

ELAN® g! Puts Celebrity Baker Buddy Valastro in Total Control of an Expanding Retail Empire!

The world’s favorite celebrity baker, Buddy Valastro, is expanding his baking empire with the recent grand opening of the second Carlo’s Bakery location in Ridgewood, NJ, and he’s using the ELAN® g! system to provide simple and efficient A/V control.  Working with custom integrator 360 Media Innovations, Valastro now has three ELAN g! Entertainment and Control systems — one at his New Jersey home, one at the Carlo’s Bakery Lackawanna Cake Factory in Jersey City, NJ and one at the brand new Carlo’s Bakery location in Ridgewood, NJ.

“I use ELAN g! every day at home and at the Cake Factory,” Valastro said, “so I knew it was the perfect choice to give my employees and managers total control of the audio and video at the new Carlo’s Bakery in Ridgewood.  Technology is changing the way retail businesses operate, from the new ShopKeep app that allowed us to replace traditional POS systems with two iPads to the instant audio and video control the ELAN g! provides. As Carlo’s Bakery continues to grow I’ll need technologies that make it easier for me to manage operations at multiple locations, and one of the reasons I love the g! system is I can expand it later to provide remote access to security and surveillance.”

With plans to open several additional Carlo’s Bakery locations by the end of 2014, Valastro will benefit from the remote capabilities of the advanced ELAN g! system and be able to quickly check in on multiple locations right from his iPhone.  With the move to two iPads as POSes in the Ridgewood location, it’s clear that technology will play an increasingly important role in the bakery’s continued success.  It’s now possible for employees to take the cash register with them to take orders from anywhere in the store, and a simple four-finger swipe takes them right to the ELAN g!Mobile app where they can adjust settings for the store’s TVs and audio zones.  That means they can take an order, swipe to the A/V controls and swipe back to take another order in under 15 seconds.

According to 360 Media Innovations co-owner Abiose Gale, the technology at the new Carlo’s Bakery isn’t just the wave of the future, but the reality of the present that can make managing retail locations easier and even provide financial savings over the long term. “The ELAN g! system is a perfect solution for retail stores because its so easy to use there’s no learning curve and it can integrate everything from TVs to lighting to electronic door locks.  And as businesses continue to use apps for business purposes like the ShopKeep POS app, the ability to instantly switch to the ELAN g! app means they can avoid having all sorts of different remotes to control everything.  It’s pretty incredible that the whole store can be operated from a single iPad.”

Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood has two main areas — the storefront that features a Cake Building Station where customers can watch the baking artisans decorate their cakes and a Party Room for hosting birthday parties and special events.  Each area has its own audio zone and video zone, and the Party Room has HDMI presentation capabilities so guests can use their own media devices to display content on the two 47” LG TVs during their parties. 

 

360 Media Innovations installed a total of six 47” LG LCD TV’s and 13 in-ceiling speakers throughout the store which play content from an iPort IW20 in-wall iPod dock, a Fusion media server, two Cablevision cableboxes and a BrightSign XD230 digital signage player.  An ELAN HC6 is the brains of the control system, with an ELAN S86, SnapAV B300 4x4 matrix and Crown CDi 1000 amplifier providing distribution and power for the store’s speakers.  The store uses two WAPs to provide uniterrupted Wi-Fi which is vital for consistent operation of the iPads as POSes.

Photo 1 — Buddy Valastro cuts the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony at Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood.

Photo 2 — Abiose Gale, co-owner of 360 Media Innovations, and Buddy Valastro at the grand opening of Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood.

Photo 3 — Carlo’s Bakery Ridgewood uses two iPads as POS terminals and to run the ELAN g!Mobile app, allowing for quick and simple control of the store’s AV system.

Photo credit: Joe Polillio

About ELAN Home Systems:

Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select dealers and distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide.  To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.

ELAN is part of the CORE® Brands division of Nortek, Inc. CORE Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work.  Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

Forward-Thinking Integrator Sensory Technologies Turns To NanoLumens For One-Of-A-Kind LED "Sculptural" Solution

When Sensory Technologies was hired to redesign the visual experience of a Fortune 500 company’s lobby in Indianapolis, Indiana, the forward thinking integrator knew that the location called for a digital sculpture unlike anything else in the world, which is why they chose the visionary team at NanoLumens® to bring their vision to life by producing a 5-foot tall by 13-foot long LED display in the shape of the letters “USA.”  The display, which can show any type of content that the company chooses, is the first installation of NanoLumens’ new NanoSlim DS Series (Design Specific), which allows every customer to ‘break out of the box’ and create truly unique displays in literally any shape and size.

“We needed to find a display provider that could offer not only an innovative LED display, but also provide us with impeccable service and support. The search stopped once we found NanoLumens,” said Andrea Nicholson, Business Development Manager at Sensory Technologies. “We were instantly blown away by their NanoSlim DS Series displays. The display solution we were looking for was highly unusual and NanoLumens was not only capable of handling it, they were eager to take on the challenge. They provided us with a state-of-the-art LED display that went above and beyond our wildest expectations.  Far more than just a display, the end result is truly a digital sculpture.”

The USA display is a freestanding sculpture that commands the attention of every visitor in the brightly lit, window-filled lobby of the Fortune 500 company’s facility.  NanoLumens’ LED display technology is perfect for installation in traditionally difficult locations such as public lobbies and retail establishments because it is extremely bright and durable, and generates very little noise and heat.  This particular display uses NanoLumens’ 4mm LED technology and was built to the company’s ToughFace standards, so people can bump up against it and touch it without affecting its quality or operation.  It can be used with nearly any video content management system, which allows the company to use their digital sculpture to present any content they choose.

According to NanoLumens President & CEO Rick Cope, “Our new NanoSlim DS and NanoFlex DS Series remove all the limits that confine traditional displays into squares and rectangles.  This amazing USA display proves that if you can imagine it, we can create it.  We’re the only manufacturer providing customers the opportunity to design the size, shape, curvature and pixel pitch of their own unique LED displays, allowing them to create an artistic digital canvas that can even stand alone as a sculptural work of art.”

Sensory Technologies was able to implement the NanoSlim DS with the help of the NanoLumens team and was so pleased with the support and service from NanoLumens, that the integrator has deemed the company their ‘go-to’ provider for installations that call for one-of-a-kind, large-format LED displays.

“The demand for unique digital signage applications is growing every day as corporations, universities and healthcare facilities become increasingly more interested in finding new and exciting ways to display their visual content ” added Nicholson. “Through this partnership, we quickly learned that NanoLumens stands head and shoulders above the field in terms of providing cutting-edge LED display solutions. With eight years worth of experience managing hundreds of AV installations, I was extremely impressed with the quality of product and the dedication to personal service that NanoLumens provides. The team has been top notch to work with and was always very responsive.  The product they create and quality they deliver is second to none and I am excited to work with them again.”

NanoLumens’ NanoSlim DS and NanoFlex DS Series are a bold departure from the traditional one-size-fits-all design paradigm that has been a mainstay of the display industry for decades.  Available in 4mm, 5mm and 6mm pixel pitches, the NanoSlim DS and NanoFlex DS Series allow customers to specify truly unique displays in their designs and open the door for corporations, retailers and venue operators to create a completely original digital experience.

NanoLumens displays are extremely slim, ultra-lightweight, energy efficient, and feature a bright, seamless, high resolution picture quality that can be viewed from any angle throughout the display horizon without color shift or image distortion. The company’s patented display technology, which allows customers to select from 4mm, 5mm, or 6mm pixel pitch (depending on the model), promises to transform the way marketers engage their customers in every type of trade show, retail, hospitality, stadium, arena, transportation and public event environment.

All NanoLumens displays accept input from nearly any device or content management system. There is no need for special software, hardware or special personnel to display content beautifully.  With a profile of only a few inches, NanoSlim DS and NanoFlex DS can be installed on virtually any surface without being obtrusive, adding the ‘WOW’ factor to any environment without taking up precious space.  NanoLumens’ patented display technology is optimized for indoor use, operating with virtually zero heat or noise while producing bright, rich, consistent color as well as superior off-axis viewing with no color shift or image distortion throughout the display horizon.
  NanoLumens’ technology has been named ‘Best Large-format LED Display’ of the year by Signage Solutions magazine in its 2012 Product of the Year awards program, as well as being recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as a 2011 future-proof tech trend and cited by The Wall Street Journal in its 2010 Technology Innovations Awards.  NanoLumens’ technology also received the 2011 Breakthrough Technology of the Year Award at the American Technology Awards.  Digital Signage Magazine awarded the NanoLumens NanoFlex a 2011 DIGI Award for “Best New Display Device – Non-LCD or Plasma.”

About Sensory Technologies:
Sensory Technologies is a leading audio-visual, telepresence system and collaboration solutions provider. Their customized solutions help to increase productivity and communication effectiveness for corporations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and government agencies nationwide.  Sensory Technologies provides fully integrated solutions consisting of system design and engineering, equipment procurement, system installation and integration, on-site service and Help Desk management and support services.  

About NanoLumens:

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, NanoLumens, Inc. (www.nanolumens.com) is a privately held corporation engaged in the research, product development, marketing and sales of unique flexible and fixed large-format LED display solutions in any size, shape, or curvature, that address a yawning technology gap in the $14 billion digital display industry.  Since its founding in 2006, NanoLumens has built a portfolio of more than 20 international families of issued and filed patents on its flexible display technology that effectively address the commercial market void between relatively small flat-panel displays and huge, limited application LED boards. NanoLumens technology is not constrained by standard sizes and shapes, or by the weight, heat, noise and cost issues traditionally associated with commercial LED products.