The Jeff Show: Great Eats Around Frankfort

Between the launch of Microsoft's Surface 2, a meeting for Bankers Life, and Casualty, and a few other events, it's been super busy around Warner AV over the past few months.

My plan was to write about a place my family loves this month, Hawaii. But then I read an article about Chicago eats the other day that changed my mind.
Chicago is a great restaurant town. Since I live in the area I never seem to write about it. But this month we are staying close to home. Meaning my favorite restaurants in the Southwest Suburbs.

Courtwrights in Willow Springs announced that after 19 years they are closing on December 31. If you have never been there, a window is closing to eat at a great restaurant. It's located on Willow Springs Road and sits up against the forest preserve, making for a pretty view on of the back of the restaurant. It’s one of those foodie places that receives great reviews all the time, and the wine list is unreal. They have more fine wine than maybe any place I have been. And it’s not cheap.

Another great place that is tucked into an old building in downtown Lockport for over 15 years is Tallgrass. Now, anybody who knows the south suburbs is going to say: Lockport, really?  Yes, really. The menu changes all the time, and they also offer a terrific wine list. They also give their customers a real fine dining experience, so be prepared to relax over a delectable dinner for at least 4 hours. It's also not cheap.

Hey, how about going to Frankfort? I go there pretty much every day. That’s Frankfort, IL by the way.

Dan McGee Restaurant is located in a strip mall on Route 30. It only has 10 tables, but what it lacks in size it makes up in menu. They change the menu often to keep things fresh. Be sure to try whatever they offer as the special. I promise you it will be great. And again, it’s not cheap.

What would Frankfort be without Chef Klaus’s Bier Stube. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. And that my friend is a long time. OK so it’s German; and go figure, it’s an institution. Harry loved it. And it’s not expensive.

I'm getting ready to head up to Canada. I imagine next month will be how to get to Saskatoon and what that's like. I get all the good stuff.

Jeff Warner on CEOIntroNet

"By the end of the event people are talking to each other, and I think that's why these corporations spend thousands of dollars on these meetings."
 

Jeff Warner had the pleasure of sharing his insights on trends in meetings and events, and how technology has changed in the audio visual industry for corporate meetings and trade shows over the last 30 years.

Click here to watch the entire interview. 

Plan an Event that Generates Word-of-Mouth

We know that you want your next event to not only be memorable but to also create buzz.

While checking out 3 Ways to Hold More Remarkable Events on WordofMouth.org, we loved seeing "Make someone feel special" as one of the talking points. And read here how one of our favorite burger joints, Smashburger, pulled that off.

Let us know how we can help create buzz for your next event by creating a custom AV display by calling 815.469.1422 today.

WAV Helps to Launch Microsoft Surface 2

We were thrilled to assist Microsoft with their launch of the new Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro by providing audio and video for the press conference launch in New York, NY on September 24.

For audio, we used a Soundcraft Vi 1 audio console to drive a Meyer's Line Array. The inputs included 8 Shure UHF-R wireless microphones, various demo inputs from the new Surface 2(s) and video playback from two Turbo 2 HD's. 

The projection screen for the press conference was a 16' x 9' daylight rear projection screen. We used two Christie HD 18K projectors (DLP) to give attendees a visual of the new Surface 2. Four Sony HXC100 camera chains connected to a Panasonic 450 Switcher that drove the satellite truck and the Vista Spyder Switcher for the projectors.

Look for our display by watching this video that was created at the press conference! 

125 Tips for Meeting Planners

NACR Show in Las Vegas, NV

Meetings and trade shows are completely different than they were 20 years ago. With technology and trends constantly changing, it can feel like meetings are completely different over a couple months.

We found 125 Tips for Today's Meeting Planners on CollaborateMeetings.com to be very insightful. From RFP's to blocking rooms to making sure your client's brand has a big impact during the event, this post offers advice on all aspects of meeting planning.

Of course, our three favorite pieces of advice relates to AV:

Make sure your AV partners understand your meeting objectives—your audience, your priorities and your hot buttons. Always inform them of changes to your program and include them in meetings with your venue. —Kevin R. Johnston, PlanSmart

Ideally, people should sit no closer than twice the height of a screen and no farther away than eight times the height of a screen. So if a screen is 10 feet tall, the audience should sit no closer than 20 feet and no farther away than 80 feet from it. —Scott Reagles, Initial Production Group

Storytelling is another way to think about how to frame your meeting. Know your message. Then, develop the story with a plot, a beginning, middle and end. Communicate the story using multiple messages: Theme the scene, reinforce it with music to create the right moods and immerse your attendees every step of the way. —Lenn Millbower, Offbeat Training

As Warner AV, we keep all these tips in mind when creating an AV display for a meeting or trade show.

You can read the entire post CollaborateMeetings.com by clicking here. 

And be sure to read our own AV tip How to Know Your Room for more tricks on making sure your next AV set-up goes smoothly before your next meeting.

AV 101: How to Wrap a Cable (the correct way)

If you've ever worked in A/V, the first thing you learn is how to wrap cords. When we saw this post and YouTube video on Wired.com, we laughed - especially at this quote:

Keeping your cables neat and tidy is a matter of nerd pride, with a side of OCD thrown in there just for fun. But, if you’re man-handling your cables by bunching them into random shapes or using some weirdo twisty knot method, you’re not just crossing a line in the sands of geek coolness, you’re destroying the precious connections between your gadgets.

Enjoy this video from the London School of Sound, but take note. This really is AV 101!

The Jeff Show: Denver Tips

Vesta Dipping Grill

For those of you who know me well, know that I like to fly and am also a fountain of knowledge about American Airlines.

For example, did you know that the spare aircraft for planes that fly in and out of New York LaGuardia are parked in Newark? Last month I was headed to Denver for a gig. The plane to Chicago broke down in New York. It took four hours to get the plane to Chicago since the eleven minute flight for the spare plane took three hours because air traffic control held it in Newark. So, I sat at O’Hare Airport all day waiting for a plane. Did I mention that I love to fly? Not as much as before that day.

Speaking of Denver, here are a few tips:

• First, let's talk food. The area around Coors Field is very cool and features many new restaurants. I was impressed by the Vesta Dipping Grill. Their hook is (go figure) they have dipping sauces for everything -- from barrel aged hot sauce to basil emulsion to crème anglaise -- I mean everything. However, they offer unique and delicious dinners on their menu like Colorado Striped Bass or Madras Grilled Venison, and a terrific drink menu to boot.
• Now, let's talk about getting in, out, and around Denver. First, fly out of Denver early. Actually, try to fly out as early as you can to any destination.
• Forget about pre-check. The line is longer then the regular lines. Just use the first class security line. The TSA people don’t care what class you are in. Everyone is cattle to them.
• When driving to and from the airport, if they are not working on the interstate you are using , it means traffic is so heavy they forgot it’s a road. Take however long you think it’s going to take to drive to your destination and double the travel time.
   
• Denver drivers have two speeds, up your butt or stopped. Sometimes that's the same thing.

I was going to write about Hawaii this month but decided to wait until I'm back again in November. Next month, I'll circle back to Indy, which was supposed to be this time. Oh well, until next time.

Three Apps for Managing Meetings

There are 11 million business meetings that take place each day in the US. Managing the details of your next meeting or event can be tough, and we were thrilled when Biz Bash featured the article "3 Mobile Apps for Managing Meetings." Our favorite app out of the three was Red Coat Direct by Marriott Hotels. A few days before your meeting, Marriott will send a customized version of the app to planners three days before their meetings. Planners can use it to adjust requests and preferences for anything from room temperature or to change a meal time.

Click here to read the entire article.

Click here to read more about Red Coat Direct.

Photo: Courtesy of Marriott

The Jeff Show: Kansas City - Best of the Midwest Part 1

The beginning of this year was a first in a long time for me. I went nowhere even remotely warm. I never set foot on an American Airlines aircraft, and I never went more than one state away from Illinois. 

That’s right, Kansas City and Indianapolis. All on Southwest Airlines. Who knew they flew nonstop every afternoon from KCI to IND. The funny part was I got the exit row each leg and there was no one sitting next to me. See, it pays to go places where no one thinks they want to visit.

But both are great towns, and I forgot how much fun they were.

First, I have to tell you that the staff at the InterContinental in Kansas City are terrific. The hotel is located in the old Plaza/Ritz Carlton in Country Club Plaza. Surprisingly, they were just the best. Every morning when I left the hotel to drive over to the convention center, they had my car parked right in the front and all warmed up - all without having to ask them. They also had coffee ready for us every morning, and I really felt at home there. Plus, it’s in a great location - just steps from fun boutique shopping if you're into that.

The biggest restaurant I discovered in KC was Stroud's. It’s in a little strip mall just west of Country Club Plaza. I had the best pan-fried chicken. Also, they are some of the nicest staff I have met in a long time. One of the biggest surprises that comes with the meal (and the meals are huge) is homemade cinnamon buns. There was no way I could even think about eating an enormous cinnamon bun after dinner. And that’s saying something. As we got ready to leave, our waitress came to the table and gave us a cinnamon bun, butter, and knife to take back to the hotel.

The next morning, I told the front desk staff at the Country Club Plaza that I had a cinnamon bun from Stroud's in my room, and they made me bring it to them so they could heat it up. Wonderful.

Hey, how about that, I am out of space and will have to put off Indy until next month. Wow, a two-parter about the best of the Midwest.

So hold on to hear about the best of Indy next month. I plan on writing that one while I am on-site in Ames, IA. How did this happen? I used to go to more exotic places, honest. 

National Restaurant Show is Sweet for WAV

We had the sweet opportunity to create a trade show booth for Sweet Street Desserts at the National Restaurant Show (NRA Show) a few weeks ago.

New for Sweet Streets this year, we used the Samsung 650ts touchscreen monitors to feature the entire delicious dessert lineup such as Lemonade Cake or New York Cheesecake for NRA Show attendees.

The Jeff Show: Hold Up in Cancun

I love international meetings. It’s always a challenge, but it’s fun. 

During April's set up in Cancun, Mexico for Bankers Life & Casualty's annual meeting for their agents, I experienced a first in my thirty years of working in AV. After spending more than a month making sure all the paperwork was submitted correctly for Mexican customs (which by the way takes 10 days to clear) so the gear can be transported in a 40’ sea container, the big day arrived when it was supposed to be delivered to the hotel for set up. At 9am, with a crew of 14 on the dock ready to go, there’s no truck. It’s 9:30am, and there’s no truck.

I call the office. Margaret, our office manager, calls the freight people. Now comes the good part: it seems that customs lost power the day before, and the gear could not clear customs until power was restored. They tell us that the truck is being loaded in customs and should be on the road in an hour. And by the way, it’s a good five hour drive to the hotel.

Now, when I was in school I had some really good excuses on why I did not do my homework. But I believe that I just heard the freight version of “my dog ate my homework.” Good times.

Doing some quick math, I figure that I need to entertain the crew for about 6 hours. Since it’s Mexico that 5 hour drive will easily become 7 hours. I’m hoping the truck will arrive at 4:30pm at the earliest. I could do a stand-up comedy routine, but my crew speaks a little English, but their English is better than my Spanish. This will be a long week.

Long story short, got the truck at about 5:45pm and we spent a long night in a warm humid ballroom.

I do have a great tip on the food and drink front. Late one night we hit the bar for a drink before we went back to our rooms. OK, here it is: Bacardi Añejo on the rocks with a wedge of lime. Best rum ever.

Remote Monitoring Systems for Line Array Speakers

Line Array Speakers

I’d like to discuss the use of remote monitoring or sensing systems for usage with multiple box line array systems. Every year the use of multi-box line array systems grows a little bit deeper into the fabric of industrial theater. Rental houses and production support companies are updating their inventory with the latest technology. With this influx of multi-box systems, it's not just enough for a specialist to know that all the boxes are plugged in and are on, he needs to know that box three in the left mains hang has a blown woofer and needs to be replaced. And he needs to know it before the system flies out of reach.

What is RMS"

A typical RMS system consists of a laptop computer running a manufactures’ proprietary software and a cable system that polls the speaker modules and reports status and control information in a real-time environment. Various manufacturers use different hardware to accomplish this information loop, here we are going to look at the Meyer Sound RMS system for use with their lines of active speakers. As stated the Meyer system starts with a Windows laptop running Windows 7 and Meyers RMS software.

The next element is a computer interface card that links the software with the reporting modules that are built in to the active speaker system. Meyer accomplishes this with the use of a simple 2-wire non-shielded twisted pair cable that connects from the computer interface to the first module and simply loops to additional units. Up to 50 modules can be connected in this manner, more with the use of a network repeater, up to a max of 100 units. Several hundred nodes can be connected when using an Ethernet based connections. Meyer has used an Echelon Corporation network platform, a longtime leader in sensing and remote control networks to accomplish this. The addition of an i.LON 10 Ethernet adaptor then connects to the 2-wire twisted pair network to the host computer and allows for a standard 10-base T cable run.

What Does RMS Do for Me? 

Once the modules have been commissioned or registered in the system, the operator has the choice of 4 different views to manage the modules, small icon, large icon, meter view, and text view. The Small Icon view has status indicators for: Amplifier channels, Mute, Solo, Communication, Wink, and Information. The Icon view adds a graphic of the speaker layout so you can tell instantly if a component is working correctly, shorted or being limited etc. The Meter view uses a different graphic to represent power usage, voltage, fan speed, and temperature. It also gives you input level and polarity, but there is a trade off in loss of control of Mute, Solo, and Wink in this view.

The most complete control is provided in the Text view where values are displayed in text fields but control is retained for the Mute, Solo, and Wink function. Mute I’m sure is self-explanatory, but Solo in this case is very handy in trouble shooting speakers as it allows only one unit to work at a time, so you know that what your hearing is the speaker in question. The Wink function lets you identify the physical loudspeaker corresponding to a speaker icon in the RMS panel.

This system gives the Tech a complete overview of system components and operational values in real time. This means it’s easy to judge the sonic performance of a system because feedback data is telling you directly about component operation.

User Guide: RMS™ Remote Monitoring System 5.9.1

_______________________________________________________________________________
Craig Vlasic | Technical Director/Audio

Joining WAV in 1982, Craig has engineered over 700 meetings with audiences ranging from 20 to 35,000 people. While current in the latest audio techniques and theories, he brings knowledge in fundamental audio logic to every production from corporate talking heads to rock-n-roll bands.

The Jeff Show: Backstage Meals

Between gigs for Toshiba, CASE IH, Siemens, Bankers Life & Casualty, and New Holland, we had one of our busiest starts to the year in a long time. I’m happy to report that everything went great, and we're settled down a bit.

I also want to thank Nicole for sitting in the captain’s chair by writing about her favorite places in France. And I must admit, I was a little jealous as I read her post about all that great French Champagne from my hotel room in Kansas City while munching on a club sandwich from hotel room service. Life is funny that way.

Speaking of room service, this month my travel advice runs a little different than most months. Rather than tell you about great places to find a meal in Kansas City (and there are some rather good ones). I want to talk about the food we experience in the ballroom or on the floor since that is what I experienced most of the past month.

Face it, backstage ballroom food is at best OK; and most of the time it’s not my favorite part of this job.

Ready, ok, here we go. Do not, and I repeat, do not under any circumstances accept the boxed cold sandwich lunch at the Kansas City Convention Center. And I have witnesses.

When they say cold they are not kidding. However, I think it would be ok to let lunch thaw out for a couple hours, don't you? The bread does not have to be 28 degrees along with the cookie and chips.

So this time, I really want to hear about your worst backstage meal. Think about it; I’m sure we’ll all have some entertaining stories.

Until next time…

Meeting Advice: Boomers vs Gen Y

Boomers vs Gen Y: these two generations will go into your next meeting or trade show with different expectations. On Meeting Planners International's website, Yvonne Nassar gives some advice on engaging both attendees at the same meeting in Meet Your New Visitor. We noticed a theme that will make your next meeting, trade show or event even more valuable and memorable: stories.

BOOMERS

Let them share their stories: Boomers have decades of real-world experience they are all to willing to share that are probably unique.

GEN Y

Provide true stories you won't find on the Internet: It's not a secret that Gen Y is Internet savvy and will probably look up information and tweet it during the event. Provide something unique that they won't be able to find.

As you're planning your next keynote speaker or break out session, remember to ask your speakers to include unique stories. Better yet, you might even want to pair up attendees in a formal break out session so they are able to share their stories.

Click here to read the entire article.

The Jeff Show: Places in Paris

Moet & Chandon Cellars from Moet.com.

Between CES, Case IH, and the Bankers Life and Casualty meetings, Jeff's 2013 is off to such a busy start that he asked me to contribute a travel tip.

Now, I'm not nearly a seasoned traveler as Jeff; however, like any typical American, I find anything French intriguing. One of my favorite trips was a week in France. Here are a few of my highlights:

The Moët & Chandon Cellars (Epernay, Champagne): Roaming around this legendary Champagne's subterranean labyrinth is memorable, especially as Frenchman whip around the corners of the cellars on four-wheelers. The bubbly at the end of the tour is divine.

Père Lachaise Cemetery (Paris, France): The final resting place of over 70,000 people, famous residents include Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison to name a few. The monuments, famous stories and traditions range from impressive to zany to seductive. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the cemetery's fabled cats.

Le Quartier Latin (Paris, France): The Latin Quarter is an arrondissement (what Parisans call the different sections of the city) in Paris. Filled with affordable restaurants and shopping, it's fun to roam around or relax in one of the cafés. If you visit during dinnertime, you'll be able to practice your French with maitres d's who call you into the restaurants as you choose where to dine.

Jeff will be back next month with his usual savvy and humorous tips. In the meantime, what are your favorite places in France?

CES: Tech to Watch

Photo of the uChair. By Time Hornyak/CNET.

This year has been off to a busy start! Dave Ripp, Craig Vlasic, Cory Wetzell, and Rob Romadka returned from CES and had a chance to tell us about cool technology they spotted at CES and is coming to a store near you:

Televisions: "In last week's post, we talked about LG's new OLED TV. One of the most noteworthy new products spotted CES were 4K televisions. All the big brands including another one of our clients, Toshiba, were showcasing these new monitors. The resolution is roughly 4000 x 2000 (as opposed to 1920 x 1080). No matter how closely you look, pixels can no longer be seen with the naked eye making images so clear and so vibrant. Prices for these impressive screens are a little expensive to make them readily available to the general public. Based on what I saw at CES, the future of television monitors are very bright indeed. -- Rob Romadka, Project Manager

Smart Appliances: "I was amazed that LG introduced a line of smart appliances called Thinq. These appliances, including a washing machine, dryer, a refrigerator, an oven and robotic vacuum cleaner, connect to a network and allow owners to start the machine by smart phone, the machine alerts owners of problems or even allows customer service to trouble shoot problems remotely." -- Cory Wetzell, Project Manager

And the the unique - The uChair: "We've heard of standing desks and even treadmill desks. I saw the exact opposite and the ultimate work space designed for comfort, the uChair. This is a recliner chair with a split keyboard in the armrests plus extra space for a mouse." -- Dave Ripp, Project Manager

WAV Helps Introduce LG's OLED at CES

WAV Project Managers, Cory Wetzell, Craig Vlasic and Dave Ripp, kicked off 2013 by assisting LG with the release of their latest state-of-the-art TV, OLED, at the CES Show in Las Vegas, NV.

Click here to watch video of the press conference

To make the press conference a success, we used three Sony HD cameras into a Panasonic HD 400 Switcher to feed CNET, Korea, and the big main screen you see in the above image. The main screen was ultimately switched by a Screen Pro II with the feed from the Panasonic HD 400, two Playback Pro computers, and two Powerpoint computers. All the equipment used HDSDI protocol so that the images were all in HD.

Now, you're probably wondering: what is an OLED TV? Named for the high tech material used in the screen, OLED means organic light-emitting diode. Unlike traditional, synthetic LEDs (light-emitting diodes), OLED uses an organic substance that glows when an electric current is introduced. This revolutionary material is part of new design approach that drastically reduces the thickness and weight of the TV. OLED is available for a cool $12K, and you can learn more about it here.