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AV Unit, the leading audio visual production company in the East of England, has helped an animal health laboratory come up with something more than a little bit different.

Virbac, who were exhibiting at the BSVA (British Small Animal Vetinary Association) Exhibition, tasked AV Unit with producing what they wanted – a paperless exhibition stand.

They attended the exhibition at the Birmingham NIA last month without a brochure or piece of paper in sight. Information specifically tailored to the individual was conveniently saved to a memory stick at the end of an enquiry and taken off the stand.

AV Unit was given the job of finding out how to cut down on too much irrelevant information, and to save space on the stand.

Chris Ellison, AV Unit media production manager, said: “This was an interesting challenge for us given the need for a fast response and easy-to-use interface. We created a short video, which ran continuously, to explain what Virbac was about but which could be interrupted to deliver product specific information.”

Faced with the need for instant flexible access, AV Unit devised a network of Touch Screens that could be used to open a copy of marketing literature or product information on screen enabling visitors to flick through the document. If individuals developed an interest in a particular document, it would be quickly downloaded and taken off the stand in a convenient format.

Chris Geddes, Virbac product manager, said: “We wanted to do something a little different at the exhibition with the aim of making life easier for visitors to our stand. The idea of reducing the amount of promotional literature fitted with our corporate stance but had the beneficial effect of drawing people into conversation.

"Data capture is always difficult at any exhibition, but AV Unit resolved this by creating a simple on-screen game. Over 790 people played the simple interactive game (‘Spray Ollie to relieve the itchy areas’!) which illustrated the effectiveness of a skin irritant spray treatment on a dog. It was a brilliantly simple idea well developed by the team."

Virbac was established more than 40 years ago as the world’s first independent laboratory dedicated to animal health. Located near Bury St Edmunds but with a presence in more than 100 countries, the company continues to offer products and services to veterinarians and animal owners.

Today there are virtually no barriers to keep you from integrating video into your communications strategy and increasing the cost-effectiveness and impact of your key messages.

We don’t have the budget

Companies rarely blink when sending out thousands of hard copies of information sheets, brochures or placing print ads that generate minimal response rates. But mention a video and the number one ‘obstacle’ is budget. Video is rich media which is measurable, cost-effective and compelling. By adding a video to a website you can deliver a message to anyone with an internet connection – commercials, training videos, interviews – these can all be made web-ready.

Video isn’t more effective than other media formats

In a well-known study called ‘silent messages’ Professor Albert Mehrabian found that 93% of a message’s meaning is non-verbal (gestures, body language, facial expression).

Furthermore people tend to remember 50% of what they see and hear simultaneously – a much higher rate than when only one sense is engaged.

Video only appeals to young people

More than 65% of the people who watch online videos are between the ages of 35 and 64 (and 67% of these earn middle to high incomes).

Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL are among the hundreds of Search Engines that give priory listings to websites that host video content. Plus, you can build ‘tags’ into the video boosting its Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

It’s not measurable

With registration data and reporting tools, online video provides you with measurable insight into your audience and its level of engagement.

Video webcasting is not reliable

After investing resources into producing video content the last thing you want to deal with is poor quality transmission. There are three successful components to any successful webcast: professional quality audio and video capture; signal transmission; and the end-user viewing environment.

Delivering your video content to an individual’s desktop in one piece (and not in a pixilated cloud) is now easier than ever thanks to the advancement of internet infrastructure.

My peers aren’t using it yet

From product launches and press conferences to recruiting videos and employee recognition the applications for video are growing.

Colchester United celebrated their end of season with a gala dinner and staff awards ceremony at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday 10 May.

Designed as a special celebration to the stars of the team, the players, staff, fans and sponsors were treated to an atmospheric evening venue bathed in iridescent blues, featuring an impressive Eagle ice sculpture.

The event was produced by AV Unit, the leading audio visual production company in the East of England, who were tasked to theme the venue appropriately, and deliver the audio visual production and staging for the evening.

Tim Waddington, General Manager of Colchester United, said: "This was our best end of season event yet. The thinking and effort that went into theming the room really worked to create a memorable evening. We have taken the dinner to another level, one that we can be really proud of."

AV Unit took the Centennial Suite, with all its natural daylight, and transformed the room into a spectacle of blue befitting Colchester United. The stage and audio visual layout provided the focus for recognising the achievement of staff and for running a charity auction.

Adam Clark, Managing Director of AV Unit, said: "We have produced several events in the Centennial Suite and understand how to get the most out of the room. We pride ourselves on designing memorable themes in venues and our creative team came up with a wonderful feel to the room which set the scene for a fantastic evening."

TEXTS proved to be gold for Ipswich Town Football Club, thanks to AV Unit, the leading audio visual company in the East of England.

The local football community embraced AV Unit's new way to bid at their recent charity auction using their mobile phones.

Ipswich Town Football Club celebrated their end of season with a gala dinner and fundraising auction to raise money for their Academy at Kesgrave Hall on Tuesday, May 3rd.

The event was produced by AV Unit, who were tasked to theme the venue appropriately and deliver the audio visual production and staging for the evening.

Additionally, Ipswich Town decided to use AV Unit’s unique silent auction maximiser system, Bid Again Now, to create interest in the auction and help raise more money than previous End of Season Dinners. Bid Again Now was created by AV Unit and is a fully-automated interactive silent auction, delivered by mobile phone text messages. Guests embraced the technology and actively participated in the auction.

Rosie Richardson, sales manager at Ipswich Town Football Club, said: “The Bid Again Now system added to the fun: it was engaging, and our guests loved to see their names up on the big screen.

"It created a genuine ‘buzz’ that supported the rest of the evening’s entertainment and really helped us raise the most amount of money possible. In fact, with the help of Bid Again Now we raised 30 per cent more than last year."

Attended by manager, players, fans and sponsors, the event was a sell out and a fantastic evening, raising £10,350 for the Academy with a total of 110 SMS messages being sent by guests.

Adam Clark, managing director of AV Unit, said: “Bid Again Now is an innovative way for guests to engage in an active bidding process for a specific auction lot using their own mobile phones. Each bid is acknowledged and logged but the key is that a text message is sent back when the individual has been outbid, offering the opportunity to bid again. The process is all conducted in real time without the need for the evening to be interrupted by an auctioneer and is capable of handling multiple lots at the same time.”