Realistic CGI
EVENT INDUSTRY
We do our best to keep on top of current trends in the industry. CGI is one that is constantly making improvements, but always seems to stay a touch away from reality. Thanks to Alex Roman (of The Third and The Seventh Fame) for the video and to our friends at Gizmodo for sharing the example that breaks the barrier. The film below is completely composed using CGI. Amazing indeed.
FILM GOES HERE.
Holding Press Conferences: 5 Ways to Impress the Press
EVENT INDUSTRY, TIPS & TRICKS
Press conferences are a dime a dozen these days, and any client can put a banner up, call a couple of local rags and plug an event. But this is a critical moment of the event management process, when the people with the power to come into contact with your big plans, and yet even long-time pros overlook or fumble the details. Check out these tips from Decibel to create a press conference that helps the press help you:
Lose the attitude You ve been working hard and for the last few months, this event has become your whole world. But just because you care doesn t mean the press will you ll still have to sell your idea. Be humble, and let your genuine excitement about your upcoming event shine through.
Background matters Great. Another photo of five suits sitting at an IKEA table in front of a white wall, or worse yet, a wrinkled vinyl backdrop. You don t have to go all glitzy, but eye-catching visuals are more interesting to look at (and subsequently, to photograph), so they can do half your legwork for you before the press asks the first question.
Yawn! The Beijing 2008 Olympics Wushu (Martial Arts) announcement
Nice stage set-up by the Daily Mirror
Pick your pinch hitter The person behind your new product launch or initiative may not be the best person to present it. Better to brief an engaging speaker, expert, or insider (ideally someone with a touch of charisma and a sense of humor) on something they may not be familiar with than watch an executive send journalists to the land of nod.
Patience, patience The media doesn t owe you any favors, they will probe, they will pry, they will find the angle you don t want. Meet negativity with positivity and keep control of the discussion. This is especially true in political event management where controlling the story is paramount.
Make it easy early Sending out a press release too late, like a day before the event, is a nail in your coffin as it catches journalists off-guard. Get the key info out there several days in advance, follow up with phone calls to the main outlets and dangle the opportunity of exclusive access to get them on board. The press are busy people, so make sure the materials you provide include quotes, a high-res photo or two, and a bullet-pointed list of the key points for a quick and easy read.
Decibel Mobile Hotspot for Events, Trade Shows and Conferences
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
We just finished the build on a great new project for an upcoming tour. This is a mobile hotspot that is purpose built for events, trade shows, and conferences.
While we have historically and typically used in-house or dedicated wired connections for our events, this just was not an effective solution for the current deployment. Our current tour schedule is amazingly aggressive- we do not have time to advance the sites or drop a staffer early to work with wired connections and have them set and ready when we arrive. We needed a solution that can be set up within 5 minutes of arriving onsite, it needed to travel well, and the back end software needed to be solid.
In looking at all these parameters and what was on the market currently, we decided it was best to develop our own solution. It was shipped to meet the tour build today and we plan to do a thorough shakedown before launch and more testing during the first four preview events. Look for more updates to come!
National Mall Restoration Update
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY
I wanted to share a great piece on the restoration of the National Mall that appeared in todays USA Today. Click Here for the full article. This will absolutely impact events and work moving forward.
By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY
Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol,
Murray Cook kicks the concrete-hard dirt
on the National Mall and shakes his head.
who has traveled the world building baseball
fields. If you can t grow grass here, it s sad.
He looks at the hundreds of chairs set up for
a college graduation and predicts that when
it rains, as forecast, the area would become
be a muddy mess. We can make this better,
and we will.
The upcoming makeover, including new
grass and monument repairs, is no minor
feat. The National Mall the site of
presidential inaugurations, Martin Luther
King Jr. s I Have a Dream speech and political
rallies is the country s most visited park.
Each year, it receives 30 million visitors,
more than Yellowstone, Yosemite and the
Grand Canyon combined, and holds at least
3,000 permitted events.
says Caroline Cunningham, president of the
Trust for the National Mall, a non-profit
group raising money for its restoration. She
says the soil is now so compacted, after
thousands of events and pickup softball
National Park Service can t just lay down sod
and hope it lasts.
Also, because the park service has lacked
funds, she says the front of the Jefferson
Memorial plaza built on pylons has
sunk 8 inches in the past two years, the Tidal
Basin s sidewalks are cracking, and the
Lincoln Memorial s Reflecting Pool leaks 50
million gallons of water annually. She says
the foul, non-circulating waterways caused
the deaths of about a dozen ducks last
summer at the foot of the U.S. Capitol.
The 684-acre National Mall, largely designed
by Pierre L Enfant in 1791, has begun a
multiyear restoration that includes new
walkways, trees and visitors centers. The
trust aims to raise half of the estimated $700
million cost, of which $400 million is
considered deferred maintenance.
Starting anew
Cook is the project s grass guy. Since working
as a teenage groundskeeper in
1974, he has had a passion for ballfields and
has spent decades developing them,
including for the 2000, 2004 and 2008
Olympics.
Still, the National Mall is a challenge. There s
nothing like this in the world, says Cook,
president of Maryland-based Brickman
Sports Turf, citing the Mall s phenomenal
use. He says the foot traffic far exceeds that
of Disney World, where he has also worked.
It s one of the hardest areas in the country
to grow grass, he says, noting Washington
is too hot in the summer and too cold in the
winter for many grasses.
It s a lot more complex than it appears on
the surface There s a science behind
growing grass, adds Suzette Goldstein,
project manager for HOK, an architectural
firm that has designed the new lawn.
Cook and Goldstein consulted scientists
before deciding on a deep underground
layer of soil and sand, as well as a mixture of
tall fescue (Wolfpack, Firenze and Turbo) and
Kentucky bluegrass seed. For irrigation, the
site will have pop-up sprinklers fed by four
massive underground cisterns that will hold
a total of 1 million gallons of water.
So far, the project only has money to do
three of the National Mall s eight center
grass panels and two of its cisterns. This
first phase is set to start late summer.
How to Watch a DVD in the Front Lounge
TIPS & TRICKS
This great insight to life on the road comes from our friends at This Gig Sucks. It is a very accurate description of every mobile coach I have ever been on.
How to watch a DVD in the front Lounge:
- Rummage through sofa cushions for all 4 remotes.
- Complain there is no satellite signal.
- Ask driver to pull bus forward 5 feet.
- Ask driver to release hold button for Dish roaming.
- Discuss whether signal is blocked by building next to the bus. Hint aloud that other bus parking might be available.
- Realize the Dish is not turned on. Turn it on.
- Do you need the Dish on to watch a DVD? Discuss.
- Only after disk owner gives a brief story about the disks provenance and expresses incredulity that everyone present hasn t already seen this great movie which the owner has seen many times but likes so much he doesn t mind watching again, insert disk into DVD.
- Randomly punch through input options on the receiver. Hearing nothing, turn volume up to 75.
- Resume hitting buttons until DVD soundtrack is heard without picture, extremely loudly. Adjust volume quickly, while others complain bitterly about your stupidity.
- Try to change TV channel with remote that is NOT PROGRAMMED FOR THIS FEATURE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROGRAM THIS FEATURE NOW? [escape]. Search for another remote.
- Get sidetracked when you stumble into the color/brightness/hue/contrast menu, and since you are there anyway, make a few totally unnecessary changes in picture quality.
- Realize you are hearing the Wii menu music, not the DVD. Resume punching through receiver options, only faster this time.
- Have any other crew guy shoulder you aside and punch through the exact same buttons hoping for a different result, while all other lounge occupants have a lively discussion about possible problems and shout redundant and unhelpful suggestions at the guy currently messing with receiver.
- Have Driver explain receiver must be set to AUX 2, TV to channel 53 using the black remote, and speakers to B , with SAT/CBL button out, and Dish off. Also, do not use the microwave with the DVD player on.
- Driver remembers that front lounge DVD player has no audio output, but the one in back works, and he has been meaning to fix that on the next day off
- a) Give up in disgust. Resume watching the Weather Channel. b) Unless you have been drinking. In that case, at least two people begin removing electronic components from media center for rewiring. Everyone else go to back lounge to watch Weather Channel or the DVD, because no one will be watching, or listening, to anything at all in the front lounge until after the next day off.
The Future of Event Planning on the National Mall: 2013 Guide to New Event Rules & Regulations
EVENT INDUSTRY, PERMITS
The National Mall has just completed their first renovation of the grounds in 30 years. To protect the new grass and the new irrigation systems, new event planning rules have been issued governing where on the National Mall events can be held, and where tents and structures can be pitched. The Decibel team has created a comprehensive chart to clarify the new regulations for the event planning community.
The New National Mall Grid: Mall Turf Panels
Under the new system, the National Mall is broken up into numbered panels. Each panel has been assigned a designation of turf area or non-turf area . Turf areas are panels covered by grass, while non-turf areas are covered either by trees, or by gravel or cement, like walkways and hardscape panels.
Each panel is assigned its own rules in terms of event capacity and event type. If you re planning to hold an event that involves structures, such as exhibits, tables or tents, be aware that these may not be set up on every panel, and you ll need to book a panel which allows structures.
The below numbered chart shows which panels are considered turf areas and which are considered non-turf areas . Click on the chart to see a larger version.
Turf-Area Events: Assessing the Event Location
The National Mall prefers that events are held on non-turf areas, especially if you plan to pitch tents or use other structures in other words, they d really like it if you d keep off the grass. That doesn t mean that grassy areas cannot be booked for events, just that there are additional rules and costs associated with holding an event on the turf. Before any event begins and after any event is over, the event planners must walk through the event site with a turf manager who will evaluate the pre- and post-event condition of the grass and the irrigation systems.
Event planners will be held responsible for:
- Putting up enough protective turf covering (like a deck) to keep the turf from being trampled.
- Fencing off unprotected areas.
- Paying for new sod if there is a damaged area larger than one square yard.
- Trash removal.
- Paying for damage to curbing and irrigation.
Holding a Turf-Area Event: What s allowed on the grass?
The below items are never allowed on the turf:
- Vehicles of any kind shouldn t be driven or parked on the grass
- Back of house, trailers, generators, boneyards, portable toilets, etc.
- Vehicle-mounted equipment such as signs, LED screens, media towers and light towers
- Plywood or landscape fabric material
The below items are sometimes allowed on the turf, with approval from the National Park Service:
- Seating, pedestrian surfacing, bike racks, cardboard recycling or trash containers
- Equipment that does not exceed 10 pounds per square inch in weight
- Structures less than 500 square feet
- Structures more than 500 square feet, if weight does not exceed 10 pounds per square inch
Non-Turf Area Events
Even if you hold your event in a non-turf area, the traffic your event generates may effect the turf. For this reason, the National Mall will require that:
- While setting up the event, you keep set-up equipment five feet away from the curb
- Tents, stages, tables, exhibits and other structures set up on non-turf areas must not be so large that vehicle and foot traffic is forced onto the curb or turf.
The Active Wear Index
The Turf Manager will assess your event on the Active Wear Index , a scale designed to assess how much wear and tear your event will place on the turf, and how much recovery time the National Park Service should allow before permitting another event to be held in the same spot. If your event s Active Wear Index exceeds 250, there may be additional fees associated with your event.
Letting the Grass Heal: Recovery Times
Grass must be given an opportunity to rest and recover. For that reason, not all panels will be open at all times.
Weather conditions & Seasonal issues
Certain weather and environmental conditions can make the grass temporarily more susceptible to long-term or permanent damage. Because of this, the National Park Service reserves the right to cancel any turf-area events during times where weather forecasts or soil moisture indicate the turf would be more likely to sustain damage.
During winter (November 15 March 14), only one event may happen per turf area for the whole season. During Spring (March 15 May 15), Summer (May 15 September 14) and Fall (September 14 November 14), each turf panel will need a period of rest between events, depending on how many attendees your event.
If your Spring, Summer, or Fall event had:
- Less than 25 attendees, no recovery time is necessary.
- 26-199 attendees, recovery time is 3-5 days.
- 200-4,999 attendees, recovery time is 5-10 days.
- 5,000 50,000 attendees, recovery time is 2 weeks.
- 50,000-249,999 attendees, recovery time is 3-4 weeks.
- 250,000+ attendees, recovery time is 4-5 weeks.
Recovery time from structures (stages, tents, etc.)
If your event included structures, like tents, stages, booths, or mounted signage, additional recovery time may be needed. There are also restrictions on how long you can leave structures up (this includes set-up and take-down time) times vary per season.
- In Spring, structures can stay up 5 days. Recovery time is 5-10 days.
- In Summer, structures can stay up 2 days. Recovery time is 2-3 weeks.
- In Autumn, structures can stay up 5 days. Recovery time is 5-10 days.
- In Winter, structures can stay up 7 days. Recovery time is 5-10 days.
Where to Pitch Your Tent: No Stake Zones
In the new renovation, the National Park Service is detailing where the irrigation system will be buried. For the center turf panels, there is a 10 no stake zone setback around the entire panel, and a 20 zone going east-west in the center of the panel. On the tree panels, there is a 10 no stake zone on the interior path side of the panel. These are detailed in the image below.
Closing Thoughts:
These are just a few of the many new permitting rules that govern events on the National Mall. We have done our best to highlight the biggest changes, but there are many more details not covered here. Feel free to call or email with any questions on the details.
PR Week Award
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
Congrats to the team at Ketchum DC and their client DoubleTree by Hilton on the Product Brand Development of the Year award! We loved being a part of the tour and the award couldn t have gone to a better team! For their PR Week submission, Ketchum included a great writeup of the tour itself. You can see it on the PR Week Award Site, or read on below.
Since 1986, DoubleTree by Hilton has been giving a warm chocolate chip cookie to every guest upon check-in as a symbol of the brand s enhanced care culture. Just in time to celebrate the sweet treat s 25th anniversary, Ketchum was tasked with raising DoubleTree by Hilton s brand awareness. The agency recognized that the cookie was central to the brand s story and organized a summer campaign in which the Cookie CAREavan, a branded food truck (a first among hotel chains), traveled more than 15,000 miles coast to coast through 50 cities distributing and donating a total of 250,000 chocolate chip cookies. Ketchum leveraged existing events, including ComicCon in San Diego and pride festivals in Chicago and Key West, FL. The firm also reached out to mayors and government officials, securing July as the DoubleTree by Hilton Chocolate Chip Cookie Month in Texas and Tennessee. Cities including San Francisco, Atlanta, and Detroit named the CAREavan s arrival as DoubleTree by Hilton Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. A Facebook tab displayed the route, relevant tweets, and sweepstakes for free hotel stays, which resulted in nearly 29,000 new likes and more than 10,000 sweepstake entries. In addition, Foursquare check-ins at CAREavan stops awarded Hilton HHonors points. The business with the most #SweetBreaks tweets won 250 cookies hand delivered to the office. Results directly attributed to the campaign include a 200{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} jump in unaided brand awareness, a 15{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} revenue boost, and a 125{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} increase in HHonors enrollment, all over 2010. The campaign was recognized in 1,833 media outlets including Today, Good Morning America, and USAToday.com. Mashable declared the CAREavan No. 1 Food Truck for Social Media Marketing. One judge praised the campaign as brilliant and bigtime. Another judge agreed, saying, The effort put a fresh new twist on the food truck concept and blended in a terrific cause element.
NSBW 2011
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
We are back in full swing at the 2011 National Small Business Week events in D.C. Just finished the second day and getting ready for Friday. A few quick photos below.
As promised, below are a couple of images from the event.
Linda McMahon Election Night Press
Linda McMahon Election Night Press
We had a ton of media for election night here in CT. Here you can see Christiane Amanpour doing her live standups throughout the evening.
PHOTO GALLERY?
Glass Packaging Institute 2013 Spring Meeting
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
We just wrapped up the Glass Packaging Institute s (GPI) Spring Meeting in Washington, DC.
The meetings last week were held at the Law Offices of Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius. Not only do they have fantastic conference and meeting facilities, but also one of the best views of Washington, DC. They are located on Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from some of the most famous Washington DC landmarks.
At registration Tuesday morning the members and guests received their name badges as well as a custom Moleskine notebook as the take home gift for this meeting. Registration for the members, guests, and staff are one of our roles for the GPI meetings.
Meeting topics this week ranged from Government Affairs to Member meetings as well as Congressional Office Visits on Capitol Hill for some of the GPI Members. Branded handouts and printed packets as well as the organization of agendas and other meeting documents were also handled by the Decibel team.
The members experienced the beautiful view on the 13th floor Rooftop Terrace at the Member s Reception on Wednesday night. The members were able to enjoy hors d oeuvres while they took in everything Washington DC had to offer.
Decibel Management executed many other aspects of this meeting including hotel accommodations at the St. Regis for the members and visiting guests, online and onsite registration, and all banquet and catering needs for the various meetings and reception.