Collaboration has long been a driving force in the themed entertainment industry, but it has gained new urgency as the industry emerges from the pandemic. Operators recognize the value of IP in attracting visitors, but they need to take that IP a stage further to go beyond what visitors experience at home. Collaboration between creative teams and technology companies is key to turning that IP into immersive, personalized experiences that engage visitors.

In this 52-minute podcast, Craig Hanna, founder and Chief Creative Officer of experience design firm Thinkwell, and Les Hill, Senior Account Manager at Electrosonic, discuss how collaboration can enable operators to meet changing visitor expectations, while maintaining safety. They show how integrating mobile devices with displays or using mobile devices for touchless interactivity can augment their physical attractions and enhance the visitor experience.

You will discover:

• How collaboration can help operators overcome the creative and technical challenges in leveraging IP (3:40)
• Why 'invisible technology' is essential to support magical storytelling in themed attractions (12:55)
• How Super Nintendo World is using interactivity to create enhanced experiences (19:50)
• Why mobile devices will play an increasingly important role in creating personalized experiences (35:50)
• Why collaboration is a major driver of success in themed entertainment (40:55)

As briefing centers gradually reopen, businesses are looking at ways to use innovative technology to create memorable spaces that are exciting but safe to ensure the optimum visitor experience. The aim is to restore an immersive, high-touch human experience where visitors can engage with employees, experience products and interact with the brand, while respecting each visitor's comfort levels.

In this 40-minute podcast, Sean McChesney, an Experience Technology Consultant with Electrosonic and AVIXA Young AV Professional of the Year in 2020, explores the factors that enable briefing center managers to meet their visitors' expectations and concerns. Understanding why a visitor has chosen to attend is crucial to developing a personalized experience that is relevant. Delivering the experience through the right mix of education, excitement and fun will ensure a positive response. Technology can deliver that experience in a way that can be personalized and adapted for both physical and virtual environments.

You will learn about:

• How briefing centers have evolved (3:25)
• How the pandemic reshaped the briefing center (6:05)
• The way high-touch experiences can return safely (9:00)
• Why the pandemic changed visitors' expectations of the briefing center (13:45)
• What visitors want from a briefing center (16:55)
• The importance of education, entertainment and fun (20:20)
• How smart integrations can improve the visitor experience (28:00)
• Future trends in the briefing center (34:40)

When the pandemic hit, it was clear that technology was not ready to support leisure operators by helping them maintain 'business as usual'. Instead, the emphasis switched initially to virtual experiences. Now, as leisure venues reopen, the question is, has innovation over the last 12 months put those businesses in a stronger position.

In this 50-minute podcast, three senior Electrosonic thought leaders, Ryan Poe, Yiannis Cabolis and Joel Zink, review ground-breaking technologies of the past and current innovations. They consider how the latest innovations might enhance the guest experience and benefit operators beyond the post-pandemic period. Several common themes emerge — the importance of contactless solutions, greater personalization and interactivity, increased adoption of XR, the wider use of personal devices to interact with technology on leisure sites and the need to leverage data to enhance the experience and improve operational efficiency.

Join them as they explore:

• How operators used technology to transition to virtual experiences (3:20)
• The types of technology operators adopted to deal with the challenges of the pandemic (6:00)
• The main challenges facing operators during the pandemic (9:40)
• The advances in technology over the past 12 months (18:30)
• The characteristics of the 'new normal' in leisure venues (29:00)
• The factors driving innovation after the pandemic (32:30)
• Opportunities for the leisure industry to benefit from pent-up demand (41:50)
• The increasing importance of standardization to maintain operational value (46:00)

Ongoing convergence between audio visual and IT systems is significantly impacting how audio visual integrators design and deploy projects to create a better experience for users or guests. The most successful projects are a result of collaboration and partnership between designers, integrators and manufacturers. By collaborating, the partners can use their expertise to leverage emerging technologies and deliver a better solution.

In this 35-minute podcast, Electrosonic thought leaders, Director of Technical Innovation Yiannis Cabolis and Design Manager Andy Batwinas, illustrate how the need for better experiences is driving innovation in converged environments. They show through real-life examples how the process begins with BlueSky designs backed by technical advice and direction and comprehensive planning to create a seamless solution that balances technical practicalities with imagination and cost effectiveness.

You will learn:

• How the rise of integrated technologies is impacting collaboration between industries (5:32)
• The challenges in the new environment and how to overcome them (9:32)
• How the emphasis on user experience is accelerating audio visual innovation (13:07)
• How comprehensive planning creates a successful converged creative project (19:29)
• Why consideration of visual, acoustic and network designs is now an integral element in delivering enhanced experiences (28:41)

The evolution of themed entertainment technology has accelerated during the pandemic as remote operations and virtual experiences provided an alternative to physical visits. The pandemic also gave consumers greater exposure to technology, and this has raised their expectations of theme parks. In response, operators are creating experiences that are more immersive and adopting gamification, mobile integration and personalization techniques to enhance the experience.

In this 45-minute podcast, two leading members of the Themed Entertainment Association, Electrosonic's Paul Kent and Jeroen Verrezen, share their insights on developments in the industry. They highlight the importance of communication and education to ensure operators and their teams can make the most effective use of the newer technologies in the industry. They reaffirm that storytelling remains the main driver for success but demonstrate how technology gives operators more tools to tell their stories effectively.

You will learn:

• The technology changes impacting the industry (3.45)
• The importance of gamification and integration of personal devices (6:40)
• How the industry is responding to change (14:01)
• Why communication and education are important to effective technology adoption (15:40)
• How emerging technologies give operators more tools to enhance storytelling (19:00)
• Key challenges to the industry (22:20)
• How augmented reality is shaping themed entertainment (29:10)
• Why guest security remains a priority (33:35)

As more briefing centers reopen, the focus is back on how they can act as an extension of a brand. By creating themed, immersive spaces where visitors are encouraged to interact with products, brands and employees, briefing centers offer an important way to support the overall brand or message while also leaving a lasting impact on visitors.

In this 30-minute podcast, Electrosonic briefing center expert Sean McChesney, AVIXA Young AV Professional of the Year 2020 and John Kolesar, a briefing center expert discuss key takeaways from a recent Association of Briefing Programme Managers (ABPM) conference and describe best practices for creating great experiences in the briefing center. They explain how integrating technologies like RFID, gesture technology, computer vision and AI, lighting cues and virtual reality experiences technology can play a supporting role in delivering unprecedented collaboration and results.

You will learn:

• How viable briefing centers are for smaller businesses (4:20)
• Why memorable experiences are essential for briefing centers (5:40)
• Key takeaways from the ABPM conference (6:40)
• How briefing centers can draw on experiences from the leisure industry (10:00)
• The most pressing needs for briefing centers (13:00) • How connected experiences in the briefing center improve the overall visitor experience (20:00)
• How reopening will move forward (25:00)

As theme parks gradually reopen, the challenge is to use technology to make them even more attractive to visitors who now expect more as a result of their experiences in lockdown. Immersion and personalization are set to be the key drivers that enable operators to differentiate their offerings, but with the emphasis always on the magic of the story.

In this 40-minute podcast, Electrosonic Regional Director MEA Paul Kent and Global Vice President of Immersive Experiences Bryan Hinckley look back at the factors that drove unprecedented growth pre-pandemic to identify trends that can power a resurgence of the industry. Immersing visitors in magical experiences via augmented and virtual reality, immersive audio solutions, projection technology and other innovative audio visual solutions are key to meeting and exceeding visitors' expectations.

Listen in to find out:

• The importance of storytelling and technology in creating great experiences (5:00)
• The factors that differentiate theme parks and attract more visitors (6:15)
• How the pandemic has re-shaped themed entertainment (9:40)
• How technology will enable the development of new experiences (17:55)
• The importance of integrating personal devices with attractions to create magical experiences (24:30)
• Projects that reflect best practice (28:40)
• What's in store for the themed entertainment industry (31:10)

The workplace is changing to reflect the increase in remote working and the need to provide a safe environment in the corporate campus. Adopting the right technology is essential to meet the expectations of a generation of 'technology natives' and the need for simple communication and collaboration between office and remote teams. The right technology will enhance user experience for all employees, wherever they work.

This 35-minute podcast explores the trends and technologies that are shaping the smart workplace on corporate campuses in Silicon Valley and explains how they can be adopted by other businesses. Sean McChesney, an Experience Technology Consultant with Electrosonic and AVIXA Young AV Professional of the Year 2020, explains how technology consultants and UX designers in collaboration with architects and engineers can help businesses create smart workplaces that provide flexibility and a strong return on investment.

Learn from Sean's insights and experience:

• The most important trends in corporate campuses (2:03)
• The types of technology that reflect the changing workplace culture (3:58)
• The accelerating rate of change in lobbies and briefing centers (5:15)
• How audio visual technology supports these trends (7:18)
• How campuses reflect the culture of cutting-edge innovation (11:13)
• The key ingredients of an innovative smart workspace (13:29)
• The importance of long-term client partnerships in understanding and developing the optimum workspace solution (17:04)
• How small organizations can leverage the same innovative approaches as Silicon Valley firms (26:43)