- The use of technology to enhance the customer experience is something that the EICC is passionate about.
- The latest addition to its video inventory, the first 10 Roland V-600UHD 4K HDR multi-format video switchers off the production line.
- Fom a business point of view, the purchase has already started to yield results.
The Edinburgh International Convention Center (EICC) has always been ahead of the curve with technology. The sprawling venue in the heart of Scotland’s capital city is home to a number of technical innovations, such as the 2013 installation of the world’s first nine-way movable arena floor, which gives the Lennox Suite the ability to change from a flat floor convention hall to a raked auditorium for 2,000 people in just 40 minutes.
A History of Innovation
With its history of innovation, it should come as no surprise that EICC is once again at the leading edge of technology with the latest addition to its video inventory, the first 10 Roland V-600UHD 4K HDR multi-format video switchers to come off the production line.
“We saw the Roland V-600UHD at its launch point in Amsterdam at ISE, it was a very exciting product,” recalls Kenneth Boak, Head of Technical Production at EICC. “It wasn’t the product that we went to see. It was its predecessor that drove us to the stand where we discovered the launch of the V-600UHD.”
The VC-1-DL converter was chosen for its reliability and flexibility and is being used to manage the signals across the studio to the different monitors. The VC-1-DL not only allows bidirectional conversion of SDI/HDMI, but it also provides frame sync and delay adjustment of up to 9 fields (4.5 frames) for audio and video independently.
“The thing that we liked about the switcher was that it had all of the configurability that we needed out of the back end,” he continues. “That gave us the flexibility that we hadn’t had with previous switchers. It allowed us to insert it into a system of equipment that we already had, but to get more out of that overall system for the client and their event.”
Technology for us is a crucial part of what we deliver, and we find that it’s increasingly important for our clients.
A Superb Addition
The use of technology to enhance the customer experience is something that the EICC is passionate about. “Technology for us is a crucial part of what we deliver, and we find that it’s increasingly important for our clients,” agrees Marshall Dallas, CEO at EICC. “When we have clients for an international convention coming to Edinburgh to view the center, they are really keen to understand what sort of technology we have in our rooms. The profits we make are reinvested back into our business, which allows us to keep ahead of our clients’ expectations when it comes to technology.”
The purchase of ten V-600UHD switchers has certainly helped to build on this. “The Roland switcher is proving to be a superb addition to our offering because it is a cost-effective way for clients to see different images on screen at the same time,” says Dallas. “That has already made, and will continue to make, a big impact on securing business.”
Looking at some of the technical capabilities, Boak agrees that the feature set of the V-600UHD makes it stand out for both the venue’s technical team and for its clients. “It’s a small footprint switcher with a lot of capability within it. The point of interest is a really nice aspect as well – the ability to have a wide camera shot of the stage and then to zoom in on any particular aspects and have them there to use as if you’ve got three or four cameras. That’s a really nice feature for clients. It’s good value for money and it looks amazing for clients that wouldn’t necessarily have been able to afford that level of production previously. It puts people on a level playing field and allows us to deliver a wow factor for our clients where they potentially may not have had the budget to do that previously.”
Benefits All Around
Of course, the benefits are not only there for EICC’s clients, one of the driving factors behind the purchase was how the new switchers could help enhance EICC’s own business. “Our vision is to create an environment which inspires ideas that change the world, and the investments that we make into technology help us to make that vision a reality,” explains Marion McKean, Operations Director at EICC. “The Roland investment drives efficiencies within the business. It means that the turnaround and set-up times within the auditoriums are shorter, so we can accommodate more events. Ultimately, it makes things much smoother when transitioning from one event to another and increases our occupancy levels, which is excellent.
Our vision is to create an environment which inspires ideas that change the world, and the investments that we make into technology help us to make that vision a reality.
“We’ve built up a very diverse product offering which allows us to take business from all sorts of market segments,” adds Dallas. “For instance, during August we can transform the conference center into a festival event center and back again. Technology plays a huge part in allowing us to do that cost-effectively, quickly, and with great quality. We have the technology and the technical ability to be adaptable in our product offering.”
For all the advantages that the new switchers have brought to EICC, there was always an element of risk in being the first to invest in the product. However, Boak believes the pedigree of the V-600UHD and the support from Roland went a long way to mitigate that risk.
An Ongoing Collaboration
“It’s always nice to have a first. We like to do that at the EICC,” he reflects. “It’s not every manufacturer that I would have that faith in. Reliability was our first consideration, but it is built on the backbone of a very successful previous product so we know the hardware is tested.
“It is a risk, but Roland has bought into it in a big way,” he continues. “They’ve given us the full support of all of their technicians right back to the manufacturing source, so anything that we do discover as an issue is quickly sorted and brought online as an update. It’s an ongoing collaboration now and we are in a really good position to get the most out of the product as a result of that.”
Reflecting on how the switchers are now being used at the facility, Boak has seen a very positive reaction from his team of technicians.
Roland gives us the full support of all of their technicians right back to the manufacturing source, so anything that we do discover as an issue is quickly sorted and brought online as an update.
Equally, from a business point of view, the purchase has already started to yield results. “The main thing for us was continuous improvement and driving efficiencies within the business,” explains McKean. “It is proving to be doing exactly that on an ongoing basis, and we are certainly seeing a return on investment.”
The ten new Roland V-600UHD 4K HDR multi-format video switchers are only one small part of the overall technical offering at EICC. However, the results they are generating will ensure that the conference center retains its status as one of the most technologically advanced venues in the world.
