One Meeting Planner’s Challenge Post COVID – the Answer is Short

At a recent gathering of professional meeting planners, they tapped into my AV industry experience to discuss how to keep people socially distanced but not have to rent a ton more meeting space while providing a great AV experience. I told them the answer was short… short throw!

I recently had the privilege to be involved in a meeting planner’s conference with a mix of agencies and in-house corporate planners to discuss the business of getting back to in-person meetings. Part of my role at Almo is to help plan and produce our own E4 Experience traveling show among dozens of other smaller tradeshows, events and summits with the help of an amazing events team. As the turmoil of COVID continues to linger, we all compared notes about “how are we going to do it… and SAFELY?”.

One major expense for any event is the rental of the meeting space – it’s usually wrapped into a package with catering and sleeping rooms but when you have a local event like an E4 Experience, the meeting space rental can be pricey. My fellow meeting planners there do not have the advantage of their own “house AV” comprised of many CTS Certified business development managers such as Brian Rhatigan to help spec and design the most effective solution.

The usual gold standard for a meeting is rear projection for that “wow” factor of the big stage with multiple screens without seeing that ugly stand and hoping someone does not walk in front of it, trip on a cable(s)… you get the picture. However, we all know that takes up a lot of space. Now that we have to socially distance six feet apart and still want that wow factor and NOT break the bank on meeting space, we’re lucky to have in our arsenal the short throw projector which, if used properly can still provide the “wow”.

Epson’s PowerLite Pro L series offers a full line of high-bright laser projectors ranging from 6,000 lumens up to 30,000 lumens, all with optional interchangeable lenses including those for short throw applications.  When it comes to rear-projection, a typical projector will require about 25 feet of clearance behind the screen.  This can be reduced significantly by using one of Epson’s short throw lenses shrinking the required distance down to under 10 feet.  For a 75-foot-wide ballroom this gives you an additional 1875 square of usable space while maintaining the clean and clutter-free look of rear-projection.

My meeting planner colleagues were also discussing various ways to produce more revenue for sponsorships or reduce the cost of printing large signs and paying for rigging for, in many cases, union labor (not to mention the environmental impact of all that vinyl in landfills). I introduced them to the Epson LightScene laser projector to empower them with the creative freedom and flexibility to tell the client’s story, in the way they envision it. Forget the old gobo lights!!! Engage your audience by designing a visually compelling and immersive experience.

It was SO great being IN-PERSON with these folks! The ideas flowing, exchanging terrific keynote speakers, wonderful venues – there’s nothing like being in person. As part of the AV industry, I was thrilled to share some new tech with them to help us all get back together.

Five Technologies I Bet You Never Knew Were in Epson Projectors

Screen Shot 2016-07-05 at 2.14.57 PM

E-TORL Lamp Technology: EpsonMost Epson projectors utilize this lamp technology which is exclusive to Epson and offers two key benefits. E-TORL lamps by design minimize both light defraction and light leakage which provides up to 50% longer lamp life than its competitors.   To make this even more compelling, E-TORL replacement lamps typically cost up to $150 less than competing replacement lamps lowering the total cost of ownership during the life of the projector.

 

Monitor & Control: Organizations are always looking for ways to save money and to conserve on energy.   Additionally, facilities managers are looking for ways to streamline maintenance of assets.   Easy MP Monitor software included with Epson projectors allows you to connect to your projectors over your existing network to monitor and control them remotely removing the need to walk to each room to check their status or turn them off at the end of the day.   You can also remotely view the status of each projector like power status, temperature and lamp hours.

  • Screen Shot 2016-07-05 at 1.46.00 PM

Message Broadcasting: While this can be useful for many applications, this is probably most important in educational institutions where emergency broadcasting has become more necessary over time.   This feature allows you to send real-time messages and announcements to Epson projectors that are connected to the network.

 

Quick Connect Wireless: Screen Shot 2016-07-05 at 1.38.13 PMThis feature allows you to use the built-in wireless capability of your computer to present wirelessly to a compatible Epson projector.   The Epson Quick Connect Wireless USB key connects to your computer’s USB cable and can allow for multiple users in a room to be able to switch between presenters without having to switch cables.

USB Plug ‘n Play & PC-Free Presentations: Depending upon the model of Epson projector, many have the option of connecting your computer via a standard USB cable to have your presentation instantly projected without having to fuss with presentation settings on your PC.   Additionally, several models allow you to present directly from a USB stick simply by plugging it into the projector removing the need for the PC altogether.

Laser Projectors – A Game Changer

z9870u_fcs-our_690x460While lampless projectors are not brand new, the technology has evolved and continues to improve as time goes on.   Imagine an installation grade projector that can run 24/7 with virtually no maintenance and no lamp changes and carry a three year warranty.   Imagine not waiting for your projector to warm up or cool down, where the projector will reach maximum brightness and turn off almost immediately. Combine this with advanced features like projection mapping, edge blending, and an HDBaseT input packaged in a bright enough projector for large venues and you have quite a value proposition for your clients.

Laser projectors offer several benefits over traditional lamp based technologies. Let me clarify that laser simply refers to the light source, so the projection technologies like 3LCD are still a major part of these new projectors.   Traditional lamp based projectors require the lamp to be replaced roughly every 1500 to 6000 hours depending upon the projector and the mode you run it in, while the average lifespan of a laser based projector is 20,000 hours.

Additionally, with most traditional lamp based projectors it takes a few minutes for the projector to warm up after powering on, and can take up to thirty minutes to provide a stable brightness level and often need to remain plugged in after powering off in order to properly cool the lamp.   With laser based projectors they are ready to go almost immediately after being powered on and do not require a connected power source upon powering off with no worry of damaging the projector’s light source.

As far as the light source, projector lamps lose most of their brightness in the first half of their lifecycle whereas with a laser based light source the brightness loss is linear over the 20,000 hour lifecycle.   What does this mean?   This means that if you compare a laser based projector with a lamp based projector, both with the same light output rating (lumens) that within a very short period of time the laser projector will have the brighter image.   Furthermore, even lamp based projectors with higher light output ratings than a laser based projector will quickly provide a lower light output than the laser projector due to the steep curve in degradation of the lamps brightness.

Epson’s popular Pro G and Pro Z installation grade projectors will soon be joined by the new Pro L series of laser based projectors with multiple choices ranging in brightness from 6,000 lumens to 12,000 lumens and multiple lens options with all of the features that users of the Pro G and Pro Z models have grown to love.   Expect to start seeing these shipping in June of 2016. I know I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

***

For more information on Epson Projectors contact Brian Rhatigan at [email protected] or 888.420.2566 x6546

Projection: Alive and Well

It seems flat panel displays are virtually everywhere these days and have gotten larger, thinner, lighter, and less expensive than ever.   Not that long ago in applications requiring a large image a projector was the natural choice, however as flat panels have evolved you are now seeing them installed where historically it would have been a projector. I am not denying the benefits of using a flat panel display, but there are many reasons why projection would be the way to go.

For starters, let’s look at image size.   Generally speaking 98” is about the largest flat panel that is readily available at this time.   So in instances where an image of larger than 98” diagonal is required, projection becomes the only option to use for a single display device without the complexity of multi-screen video walls.   This is pretty clear cut, but size is not the only consideration.

BuildingOften audio visual components are integrated into high end architectural spaces including corporate board rooms, lecture centers, training facilities, and more where the display device may not always be in use and for aesthetic reasons the client may not want to “see” the technology in the room.   Most projectors are ceiling mounted and generally out of view or can be installed in a lift that can disappear into the ceiling.   Projection screens also can disappear when not in use by recessing flush into the ceiling.

Another key consideration is cost.   While flat panels have certainly become affordable, however once you get up into the larger sizes above 80”- 90” the costs can still be prohibitive in many cases where projection will often be much more affordable.   For illustration purposes consider a 98” professional grade monitor at a cost of $32,679.00 compared to an installation class projector like the Epson PowerLite Pro G 6770WU which is 1920×1200 resolution at 6000 lumens available at a retail price of $5,699.00.

When it comes to unique display applications there are times when a flat panel display is simply not an option.   Think about events where you have projection on floor surfaces or on buildings.   With projection mapping some really unique projects can be pulled off.   A really cool example of this was recently featured in a case study on the basketball arena at Pensacola Christian College using Epson Pro G projectors:

Floor

Both flat panel displays and projectors have their pros and cons, however projection is still and will continue to be a great choice for many display applications.  For assistance in selecting the right Epson projector or to learn more, contact Brian Rhatigan at [email protected] or 888.420.2566 x6546.

Pin It on Pinterest