17th October 2013

Social media LED the Aztec way

Aztec Event Services put some serious shine on IP EXPO 2013, 16-17 September at Earls Court, with an 18 meter wide twitter wall greeting the estimated 14,000 visitors to the Social Media Lounge. The compelling, full spectrum, media wall became the talking point amongst many of the delegates.

Aztec Event Services put some serious shine on IP EXPO 2013, 16-17 September at Earls Court, with an 18 meter wide twitter wall greeting the estimated 14,000 visitors to the Social Media Lounge. The compelling, full spectrum, media wall became the talking point amongst many of the delegates.

The organisers of IP EXPO 2013, Imago Techmedia, devised the LED wall with Aztec as a way of boosting participation in, and engagement with, the show's social media sphere as well as providing a showstopping central feature with opportunities for liberal sponsor branding.

Jovan Maria, account manager at Aztec recounts its development: "Imago Techmedia wanted an inventive way of making social media a more gregarious experience, and to create a feature that wouldn't fail to impress a technologically sophisticated audience. We suggested the LED wall with a twitter feed to begin with, but then things really took off, and in the end we were bringing in data and media from all over the show, and aggregating it in real time. I think it really knocked peoples' socks off."

Aztec used EventIgnite in combination with the LED wall in order to give Imago Techmedia the ability to fully manage the twitter feed displayed on the 36m2 screen. Using EventIgnite's intuitive interface, Imago Techmedia's personnel could log into the system and moderate tweets and select tweets to highlight in real time. By collaborating with the Imago's digital signage providers, Aztec was also able to include schedule information and other show announcements in the mix of images and video footage made available from other sources. Three Aztec technicians remained on-site to manage the LED wall's overall operation.

To manage the LED wall twitter output and for general operational duties, Imago's personnel were supplied with 18 iPads by Aztec, whose technicians trained them in the use of the EventIgnite platform and how to moderate and configure the live feed.

In addition, Aztec broke its own record for the number of screens supplied to an exhibition; installing more than 160 wallmounted HD screens from its warehouse. With the additional equipment for 17 seminar theatres with full PA and HD rear projection facilities, the Aztec's total manifest for IP EXPO 2013 filled four articulated lorries.

John Robson, Aztec's managing director, commented: "IP EXPO is a technologically demanding show, and this year the whole team has done an outstanding job. Our capacity to simultaneously deliver large scale exhibition AV and create innovative signature features depends on their imagination, talent and commitment."

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