Shows
Backstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - How to Improve the Virtual Experience for Presenters & ProducersTom and Rachel are joined by Tomm Gillies, SeeKing Productions, to discuss how to improve the virtual experience for presenters and producers. Some of the topics include the benefit of including pre-recorded sessions, how we assist presenters and show callers, and the importance of rehearsals.You can listen to all of The Back Porch episodes on this podcast or watch them on our website. If you have a question, topic, or a guest in mind for this series please contact us.Connect with us:Alford MediaTwitter...2021-06-2321 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - Improving the Virtual Experience for AttendeesTom and Rachel are joined by Melanie Reed, VP of Business Operations at Alford Media, to discuss ways to make a better virtual experience for attendees. They also cover the current status of the events industry and what we expect in the next year.You can listen to all of The Back Porch episodes on this podcast or watch them on our website. If you have a question, topic, or a guest in mind for this series please get in touch.Connect with us:Alford MediaTwitter...2021-05-0758 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - Events in 2020 and Looking to the FutureTom and Rachel were joined by Tyler Mayne, CEO of Evolve Media Group, Brian Rivers, CEO of Centrifuge Media, and Carrie Freeman Parsons, Chair of The Freeman Company. Our guests discussed how 2020 has been different, what pivots they've made, and what they see for the future of events. Tom and Rachel also answered questions from the viewers, shared industry insights from audience polls, and took part in a holiday whiskey tasting.You can listen to all of The Back Porch episodes on this podcast or watch them on our website. If you have a...2020-12-0959 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - How Alford is Elevating Remote MeetingsIn this episode of the Back Porch, Tom and Rachel discuss how Alford Media is raising the bar for remote meetings and virtual events. In addition, we go behind the scenes to one of our control rooms and hear from the people who make it happen.You can listen to all of The Back Porch episodes on this podcast or watch them on our website.If you have a question, topic, or a guest in mind for this series please contact us here.Connect with us:Alford MediaTwitter...2020-08-3131 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - Celebrating Many Years of AVTom and Rachel were joined by Landy Estes to celebrate his 26 years of service with Alford Media and discuss their many years in AV. Listen for Tom and Landy's shared experiences in event tech, some fun personal stories, and what's next.You can listen to all of The Back Porch episodes on this podcast or watch them on our website.If you have a question, topic, or a guest in mind for this series please get in touch.Connect with us:Alford MediaTwitter - @alfordmediaLinkedIn...2020-06-2936 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - Burgundy CultureIn this episode of The Back Porch, Tom and Rachel discuss Alford’s Burgundy Culture, including: Chili Cook Offs, Alford's biennial conference, fundraisers and charitable outreach, the reason for the burgundy color and what it means to be Burgundy, and Tom gives some helpful chili cooking advice.You can listen to all of The Back Porch episodes on this podcast or watch them on our website.If you have a question, topic, or a guest in mind for this series please get in touch.Connect with us:Alford MediaTwi...2020-06-1732 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Back Porch - Intro and Current EventsThe Back Porch with Tom Alford hosted by Rachel Hollis. Over the past 35 years, many of our employees and colleagues have enjoyed time on the porch with Tom. To talk about anything and everything from event tech, chili recipes, and even heart to hearts. Alford leadership has always held an open door policy and time on the porch with TA is a cornerstone of that. During the pandemic and with many not able to have that time we decided to bring the same conversation virtually through this series, The Back Porch.In this first episode T...2020-05-2830 minBackstage with Alford MediaHow the Events Industry is Reacting to COVID-19On this episode of Backstage, we had a conversation hosted by Daniel Litwin with a trio of events industry experts: Alford Media Executive Vice President Tom Alford, President and COO of Snap! Event Productions Amber Jenkins, and Paul Johnson, founder of Paul Johnson, Inc.In the wake of the spread of the novel coronavirus and the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic, the events industry, like all of the world’s industries, has felt the disease’s ripple effects.“It’s been pretty devastating to the industry,” Tom said. “There are virtually no meetings except for webcasting. … All of us are work...2020-04-2440 minBackstage with Alford MediaA Conversation and Q&A with Tom and Steve AlfordSteve Alford, President, and Tom Alford, Executive Vice President, of Alford Media talk about the events industry, evolving technology and what makes Alford Media successful. They also answered the burning questions listeners wanted to know.Over 35 years in the events industry, Alford Media has experienced the evolution and changes in the industry. Steve said the industry is trending up over the past ten years, and technology continues to change. “The big challenge today,” Tom said, “is finding new and exciting ways to present information that grabs people’s attention.”What do Tom and Steve think are the ne...2020-02-1746 minBackstage with Alford MediaWhat We Saw at NAMM 2020January is a big month for trade shows, pro audio, and event tech industries. That includes NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants Trade Show.Ben MacKinney, Audio Services Manager for Alford Media, was our boots on the ground for the event. He joins host Daniel Litwin to give us the NAMM 2020 recap and share all the exciting products and innovations that he saw at the event.Ben said that one trend driving the conversation at the show was providing more options in speakers. He said that one cool thing he saw was a small...2020-01-2836 minBackstage with Alford MediaLDI 2019: New Lighting Innovations Are Upending the Event Tech IndustryThe event tech industry is bursting with new technologies and innovations. These new developments debuted at LDI 2019, the leading conference and trade show for live design professionals from all over the world. Backstage has the first scoop on what event tech professionals are saying about the show with guests Blake Taylor, Lighting Services Manager, and Aaron Walters, Lighting Service Technician, at Alford Media.Event technology is innately attention-grabbing, but the designs at LDI were both riveting and intriguing. Taylor and Walters noted the resurgence of throwback styles and retro lighting apparatus’, now powered with the energy-efficiency of LE...2019-12-1328 minBackstage with Alford MediaXLIVE 2019: Evoking Response with Purposeful TechnologyIn this episode of Backstage, Allison McMahan, Marketing & Communications Manager, and Dave Pooser, Director of Product Innovation, both from Alford Media, discuss the recent XLIVE Conference & Expo held in Las Vegas held Nov 17-19, 2019.Allison and Dave both attended the annual Live Events & Entertainment trade show. Tech with a purpose and audience immersion emerged as two themes that loomed large over the three-day conference. Allison sums the technology part up as a shift from trying to chase the coolest and best technology to outdo the last event to ‘how does that technology enhance the attendee experience?2019-12-0440 minBackstage with Alford MediaEvent Tech Trends Changing Attendees Expectations and ExperiencesCorporate meetings and conferences have long been characterized by tedious PowerPoint presentations echoing off the walls of fluorescent-lit hotel ballrooms. But thanks to new trends in event technology, these long-dreaded symposiums are getting a makeover. Immersive content and interactive engagement are just a couple of innovations changing the event industry.Exploring this rising trend in this episode of Backstage is Ben MacKinney, Audio Services Manager, and Allison McMahan, Marketing and Communications Manager of Alford Media. The pair have their pulse on the rapidly changing industry of event technology and corporate events.“People are tired of sitting i...2019-11-0425 minBackstage with Alford MediaElevating Corporate Events with the Art of LightingOne of the often-overlooked aspects of producing large-scale business events is lighting design. As brands look to find creative ways to capture trade show audiences with content, audio, and visuals, the right lighting can enhance an immersive experience like no other. In this episode of Backstage, Blake Taylor, Manager of Lighting Services at Alford Media, discusses creative ways to light trade show events that’ll leave a memorable impression on consumers.With more than 25 years experience in light direction and programming, Blake says art often imitates life. Innovative lighting effects you might see at a concert or fi...2019-08-2828 minBackstage with Alford MediaHow RFID is Transforming Asset Tracking in AVIn the past, event technology specialists at AV companies had to manually scan each item of gear making its way to the warehouse. Some still manually scan to this day; it’s an antiquated system that takes days, or even weeks, and is prone to human error. Here at Alford Media, that has changed with RFID asset tracking technology.On this episode of Backstage, Melanie Reed, Vice President of Business Operations, and Billy King, Director of Operations, share how we at Alford are leading the charge in asset tracking for AV gear, and how RFID revolutionized our lo...2019-07-0927 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe History of the Burgundy WayOn today’s episode of Backstage, we’re joined by Dan Thompson, Senior Account Manager, who gives us a look at Alford Media through his eyes, as someone who’s been with the company for more than 23 years.Alford Media was founded in 1984, and much has changed since then in terms of technology. When Dan started in 1996, the products were in the throes of analog, and the peak input for video was component. Digital video was a brand-new concept that people were very excited about, and the world was listening to laser discs and CDs. We specialized in stack...2019-06-1029 minBackstage with Alford MediaThe Challenges and Possibilities Behind International ShowsThe events industry can have many unique challenges, but can also bring an infinite number of exciting possibilities. Even going abroad for international work has its own set of challenges such as laws, language barriers, and infrastructure. On today’s episode of Backstage we speak to Eric Hagström, Senior Project Manager for Alford Media, to get a better sense of these challenges and best practices for putting together an international event.One of the biggest issues an international show brings is units and values. The U.S. still uses the imperial system of measurements, but going alm...2019-05-1338 minBackstage with Alford MediaHow to Engage the Modern Active Viewer at Live Eventshe nature of the end-user experience at live events is changing and it is up to companies to get creative about how they digitize live events to get maximum impact.On today’s Backstage with Alford Media, we chat with Dan Thompson, Senior Account Manager for Alford Media about its growth into a company that embraces outward trends in a holistic fashion.The rise of analytics available in the computing and data industry has given more user data that companies can use to build presentations, and the evolution of technology has made speakers, displays, and audi...2019-04-1022 minBackstage with Alford MediaHow are Digital Audio Networks Transforming AV Today?Running event technology seamlessly is the bare minimum in today’s event technology world, and nothing is making that a more confusing mix of simple and complicated than digital audio networks.It may be easy to think that these types of event configurations are second nature to professionals who live and breathe audio, but challenges arise daily with these networks. There’s still a tremendous amount of skill required to be able to make all the moving parts work. Like any other type of AV installation or technology, there are two different brain functionalities required. The technical side i...2019-03-1123 minBackstage with Alford MediaHow Alford Access is Setting A Standard For Event Tech CommunicationsCommunicating with your event technology team before an event is crucial for success. Communicating effectively with your clients during the development of an install often makes or breaks client retention. In essence, communication is critical for the event technology industry. However, does the platform for that communication always get the love and attention it deserves? If not intentional, companies might adjust their entire business process to match a communications platform; communications should be assistive, not demanding.On this episode of Backstage, Dave Pooser, Director of Product Innovation at Alford Media, joined us on the podcast to discuss Al...2019-02-2523 minBackstage with Alford MediaWhy Audio Engineers Need to Be Network EngineersThe evolution of the AV industry has been fueled by technological advances that have garnered much debate through the years. While analog systems have a long and rich history of producing sound resulting in legendary gold and platinum music, this technology can require a whole studio full of equipment. In the ‘90’s, digital development rapidly revamped the boundaries of analog limitations, providing a cheaper (and eventually comparable) method of producing sound that continues to evolve through today. This evolution is making its way into the live event scene, too, changing the job description for the professionals involved.Matt...2019-01-0919 minBackstage with Alford MediaHow Lighting Impacts Your MessageHow important is lighting design to the feel and success of a corporate event? Kurt Wunsch, Lighting Designer at Alford Media, tells us it’s everything. With over 20 years in the industry, working in many aspects of lighting design from theater to concert touring, to corporate and special event designs, Wunsch has seen firsthand how critical both the aesthetic and functional elements of lighting are for an event that is worth traveling for. Technology has brought us together in many ways; whether it’s personally over FaceTime or professionally via live-streaming, meaning the in-person conference or corporate event needs an a...2018-12-1720 minBackstage with Alford MediaVisual Effects Technology Advances and Its Impact on the IndustryHolographic visual effects have been around the event tech industry for years, and as the technology and techniques evolve, so does the overall impact. The equipment is becoming more cost effective and the methods are proving to be less logistically challenging, offering more opportunities than ever to utilize this technology.While we’re still years away from seeing actual holograms appear on stage alongside presenters, these effects continue to influence events and wow attendees.Two questions to consider now are, how is this tech impacting the industry, and how can it be useful for corporate ev...2018-11-1421 min