Interactive Mentorship @AVIXA Webinar

November 6th, 2024

Andrew Neale

AVIXA are holding an interactive mentorship webinar on November 12 aimed at Rising Professionals in the AV industry.

During this session, you’ll:

  • Learn from Industry Experts: Hear directly from seasoned AV professionals about essential skills and strategies for success.
  • Explore Career Development: Discover pathways to grow your career and stay competitive in the AV industry.
  • Expand Your Network: Connect with mentors and peers to build meaningful industry relationships.

Speakers include:-

  • Tess Branklin
    2nd Vice President, Process Excellence, Global Services Data & Digital
    Northern Trust
  • Christopher Hewitt
    Manager, Classroom Technical Infrastructure
    University of Guelph
  • Matt Taylor
    Director of Operations
    Johnson AV

Date
12 November 2024

Time
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Eastern Standard Time

Registration can be found here.

Gatorade Launches Generative #AI Squeeze Bottle

November 6th, 2024

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Gatorade has announced the launch of a generative AI-powered design experience on its Gatorade iD free membership platform.

Gatorade launches new generative AI-powered design technology on its free Gatorade iD membership platform.

In partnership with Adobe Firefly, Adobe’s family of creative generative AI models that is safe for commercial use, the new customizer tool allows athletes to express their unique styles and interests through nearly endless personalization possibilities on Gatorade Squeeze Bottles.

Some of the most iconic athletes in the world have already collaborated with Gatorade on signature bottles, and last year Gatorade.com began offering enhanced customization capabilities on its website. Now, all athletes can personalize their own in a way never before offered by the sports fuel brand.

The new ability to create custom designs using AI for inspiration takes existing Gatorade.com bottle personalization options to the next level. Every athlete is one-of-one and by putting these tools of self-expression directly in their hands, they now have access to millions of different design options. By simply typing ideas such as their favorite sports, designs and hobbies into a search box on the website, and then choosing from a selection of colors, vibes and passions, it’s easy to make the Gatorade Squeeze Bottle their own.

Adobe Firefly Services is a set of APIs and capabilities to scale personalization, enabling the generation of images that unlock creative self-expression while maintaining the iconic look-and-feel of the Gatorade Squeeze Bottles. Gatorade collaborated with digital product agency, Work & Co, part of Accenture Song, to ensure the new AI experience is seamlessly integrated into Gatorade.com and is user-friendly.

New @HeyPufferfish LED Range

November 6th, 2024

Andrew Neale

Pufferfish have announced a new LED range of displays that they say will captivate audiences with remarkable brightness, delivering impactful experiences in a wide range of environments.

All four new displays use cutting-edge LED technology and all are powered by their intuitive PufferOS software. They are designed to stand out, offering unmatched versatility, visual quality, and effortless control:

  • PufferAurora: A versatile hanging or floor standing spherical display, available in 1 metre and 1.2 metre sizes* that is suitable for smaller spaces and intimate experiences.
  • PufferSolaris: Our largest hanging or floor standing spherical display, available in 1.5 metre, 1.8 metre and an impressive 2 metre sizes*, that is perfect for large-scale, high-impact installations that leave a lasting impression.
  • PufferNova: A versatile hemispherical floor-standing, floor-mounted or ceiling mounted display, available in 1 metre and 1.2 metre sizes*, suitable for smaller spaces where you want people to look down on your content.
  • PufferNebula: A sleek, wall-mounted hemispherical LED display, available in 1 metre, 1.2 metre and 1.5 metre sizes*, perfect for modern interior spaces or dynamic visual installations where you want to provide a window into another world.
  • *other sizes available upon request.

    Stic Turns Ordinary Vehicles Into Mobile Billboards

    November 6th, 2024

    Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

    Described as an AdTech startup, Stic this week launched what they describe as an innovative platform that turns ordinary vehicles into mobile billboards.

    We are told that with participating brand partner Aflac, the platform offers a fresh take on traditional car advertising, offering a new approach to OOH ads while also providing drivers with a novel way to earn some extra income.

    The Stic platform connects drivers with advertisers, allowing car owners to monetize their daily commutes and errands. By applying stylish, removable ads to their vehicles and activating Stic’s tracking app, drivers can earn money for every mile driven.

    This approach not only provides a revenue stream for drivers but also offers advertisers a sophisticated way to reach audiences in their desired locations at peak times.

    “Stic is a simple but highly effective way for drivers and advertisers to benefit from every work commute and road trip,” said Stic Founder Adam Cohen. “We’re disrupting the way marketers think about advertising and, in turn, the way people think about their daily drive time.” Read the rest of this entry »

    Future Port Youth, Prague

    November 6th, 2024

    Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

    International leaders, innovators, and experts will gather once again in Prague for the fourth edition of the global student technology conference, Future Port Youth, taking place on November 14 at the newly renovated Nova Spirala building at the Výstaviště Exhibition Grounds.

    The speakers’ presentations will be packed with insights on the boundless potential of exponential technologies, which are fundamentally transforming the world and creating new professional opportunities for young people. Around 800 students, teachers, and guests are expected to attend in person, while thousands more, from both the Czech Republic and abroad, will follow the lectures online in schools alongside their teachers as part of their curriculum.

    To inspire, broaden horizons, and show young people how they can leverage technology in their careers and to positively impact the world around them — that is the aim of the global student technology conference, Future Port Youth, which will once again bring international experts and leaders, as well as promising young scientists and innovators to Prague.

    • Among the keynote speakers will be Stephen Ibaraki, a leading global strategist in technology, innovation, and #AI from the USA. Stephen, who collaborates with the UN and the World Bank and whose insights and strategies are sought by governments and top CEOs worldwide, will share his vision exclusively with students in Prague. “New technologies are fundamentally reshaping our lives, and the next five years will bring more exponential innovations than we have ever experienced in human history. We are at a pivotal moment for our planet, humanity, and Earth’s ecosystems. Young people must be equipped to navigate this rapidly changing environment, and Future Port Youth plays a significant role in preparing them. Its mission is to empower future generations with the tools and mindset needed to embrace this transformative era and create a more optimistic and better future for everyone”.
    • Another highly anticipated international guest is Sophie Hamilton, a manager at Spotify and lecturer at Stanford, who will focus on how #AI can be used to support sustainability and humanity.
    • Alvin Wang Graylin, a long-time pioneer and investor in #VR and the metaverse, will discuss what the future will look like as AI-driven augmented and virtual reality enter our lives. Alvin chairs several international organisations in this field, including the Virtual World Society and the Industry of VR Alliance. He is also Vice President of the tech giant HTC and recently released the bestseller Our Next Reality.
    • Samay Lakhami, a promising young researcher specialising in AI and Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology, connecting the human brain with computers, is completing the lineup of international speakers.
    • Jan Spratek, a member of the Czech space team and coordinator of the European Space Agency’s educational office ESERO, will also speak about space entrepreneurship and the emerging space generation. Jan stands behind the success of the only satellite launched by a planetarium, Planetum-1, and mentors the Czech high school team LASAR, who won two awards this year in the global NASA Conrad Challenge. These students will also appear as finalists in this year’s Future Port Awards.
    • Young, acclaimed innovator and creator of a sound-generating haptic suit, Linette Manuel, will explore the future of education and the intersection of fashion and technology.
    • Meanwhile, Matyas Bohaceek will address the misuse of AI for disinformation purposes and defence strategies against it. This promising Czech student and researcher focusing on artificial intelligence and digital forensics at Stanford University will build upon last year’s talk by his mentor, Professor Hany Farid from UC Berkeley, who spoke at Future Port.

    Future Port’s CEO and founder, Martin Holecko told us “In designing the program, we combine experienced leaders in their fields with emerging stars, giving us perspectives from those who have actively shaped today’s world of technology and innovation for decades, along with fresh insights from the Gen Z generation, who have grown up with new technologies and perceive the world through their own lens. This way, we aim to present students with an inspiring vision of the future and show them how they can start working toward their dreams, even while still in school, through exponential technologies,” says

    This year, student Adam Knotek will experience his dream come true. At last year’s Future Port, he shared his desire with the audience to one day perform with his band in front of hundreds of spectators. The organisers decided to make his wish a reality by including his band’s performance in the program. Students will also be inspired by the presentation and the formal announcement of the finalists in the Future Port Awards, a student competition judged by an expert panel. A total of 18 student teams from Europe, Africa, the USA, and Asia entered their projects, each using technology to reach one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

    Throughout the day, students will be guided by the returning host, 18-year-old British presenter, singer, and influencer Tilly Lockey — known as the “girl with bionic arms.” While physical seats for the event are fully booked, schools from anywhere in the world can join online for free.

    This year’s partners include Google Czech Republic, Etnetera Group, CzechInvest, and the City of Prague. The event is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports.

    Future Port Youth is a global technology conference for students from all fields, focused on the hottest topics of the future, digital technologies, and entrepreneurship. Held annually since 2021, its mission is to inspire young people and spark their interest in innovative technologies that they can leverage in their careers and to create a better world for everyone.

    The event is organised as part of the Entrepreneurship Support project, which falls under the National Recovery Plan, component 1.4. Digital Economy and Society, Innovative Startups, and New Technologies, financed by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility.

    Registration For @RetailTechShow Now Open

    November 6th, 2024

    Andrew Neale

    The Retail Technology Show which next year moves to a new home at ExCel, London and takes place April 2-3, 2025 has opened its registration process.

    More information can be found here.

    DDX Asia 2025, February 20-21

    November 6th, 2024

    Tristan Cotterill

    Launched earlier this year, DDX Asia, the Expo brings together suppliers and buyers of digital solutions that power the retail and OOH environments.

    In its first edition DDX Asia drew 1500+ visitors. Encouraged by the response, the show is all set to be held again, this time February 20-21 2025 at Hall No 5, Nesco Exhibition Centre Goregaon Mumbai, India.

    DDX Asia Expo will draw OOH media owners, retailers, brands, specialist agencies, retail designers, solution providers, and others in the Retail, Brand marketing and Out of Home advertising eco-system.

    More information can be found here.

    VIOOH’s Full Year Emissions Intensity

    November 6th, 2024

    Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

    VIOOH has announced its full year emissions intensity (an objective measure of carbon efficiency) for 2023, which was below 0.35 grams CO2e per ad impression.

    Working with its sustainability partner Cedara, the Carbon Intelligence Platform and a supporter of Ad Net Zero, the 2023 calculations aligned with the new Ad Net Zero Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF), the global advertising industry standard for emissions measurement for not only OOH but across all media channels, providing robust and comparable calculations. The full year average emissions intensity compares favourably vs initial industry benchmarks of 3.6g CO2e per impression for programmatic display, and 4.8g CO2e per impression for programmatic video.

    This means that programmatic DOOH with VIOOH is on average more than 10x carbon emission efficient compared with programmatic display, due to its broadcast nature and far less complex supply chain.

    Read the rest of this entry »

    Five 1st Place @AdClubToronto @BrandedCities Awards

    November 5th, 2024

    Tristan Cotterill

    This week’s annual celebration of Out-of-Home creativity in Canada gave five out of nine first-place awards (including Best in Show) to campaigns that were executed in Branded Cities venues.

    “The AdClub of Toronto’s OOH Day Celebration is one of the events we look forward to the most in our industry,” says Ali Satchu, SVP of Marketing at Branded Cities. “The display of creativity and camaraderie amongst industry members is so energizing and inspiring. It’s a grand celebration of all the hard work that brands, creative & media agencies, and operators put in each year to craft the best campaigns in the best advertising medium.”

    This year’s event took place at the Carlu in downtown Toronto with a packed attendance of 450 guests hailing from brands, advertising agencies, media agencies, and operators. The all-day celebration featured a Branded Cities sponsored performance from local dance groups R.P.M. Dance Crew and Naach & Co with Taaj Entertainment, an industry panel, and a merit award given to Michele Erskine for distinguished years of OOH excellence.

    The most anticipated part of the event, The Out-of-Home Showdown, saw a record number of submissions this year with over 130 submissions to eight categories for the event. The format of the evening was to present each category and highlight the top five campaigns that were recognized by the judges as the best submitted. The first category awarded was for the best Large-format Digital (non-3D) and in an amazing show of excellence, all five campaigns recognized were from Branded Cities. The rest of the categories saw a similar occurrence where Branded Cities campaigns placed in the top five, and ultimately took the top prize for 4 out of the 8 categories.

    The Branded Cities list of winners included:-

    1. Maple From Canada – Maple Goes With Everything campaign
      Winner – Best Large-format Digital (non-3D) & Best in Show
      Digital Sequential Domination, Yonge & Dundas, Toronto
    2. Sony PlayStation – Spiderman 2 release campaign
      Winner – Best Large-format Digital (3D)
      TEC Tower Digital Spectacular, Yonge & Dundas, Toronto
    3. Chewy – Canada Launch campaign
      Winner – Best Indoor Place-Based / 1st Runner-Up Station Executions & Activations
      Digital Domination, Union Station, Toronto
    4. Netflix – Bridgerton Season 3 campaign
      Winner – Station Executions/Activations / 2nd Runners-Up Indoor Place-Based
      Digital Domination + Static Installation, Union Station, Toronto

    “We have the best clients in the world. Clients who not only appreciate how iconic our venues are but are also willing to go above and beyond creatively in reaching their audience and showcasing their brand. The great showing we had at AdClub this year is a testament to the power of Out-of-Home providing the perfect solution for brands” said Bill Mcdonald, Chief Revenue Officer at Branded Cities.

    Northamber Distribution Agreement w/ @EkkoSenseUK

    November 5th, 2024

    Andrew Neale

    Northamber, a leading UK value-added distributor, has announced a new distribution agreement with EkkoSense, a global leader in #AI-powered data centre optimisation solutions.

    The release states that the partnership will enable Northamber to offer EkkoSense’s innovative software to its resellers, expanding its portfolio of cutting-edge IT infrastructure solutions.

    Alex Phillips, Executive Chairman of Northamber, told us “This new partnership strengthens Northamber’s value proposition by offering our resellers access to cutting-edge technology that not only improves data centre efficiency but also drives sustainable outcomes. We are proud to partner with EkkoSense as we continue to enhance the value we deliver to our partners.”

    EkkoSense’s advanced software uses real-time data, AI, and machine learning to optimise the energy efficiency and thermal performance of data centres. The software uses gaming technology to present data in an intuitive way to enable intelligent decisions – making the invisible visible. The addition of EkkoSense technology will complement Northamber’s existing infrastructure range, providing resellers with an unparalleled solution to address energy challenges and sustainability requirements in IT environments.