Firefly MC drives traffic to Toyota's auto show exhibits

Auto shows have never been known for understatement. At this year's Detroit Auto Show, the exhibits' theatrical lighting and sound equipment will use enough energy to power 180 homes for a whole year. When Creative Technology (CT), a corporate events and staging company, was asked to develop the audio visual component for Toyota's North American Auto Show exhibits, they knew it needed to be complete with enhanced interactive elements and a sophisticated audio visual design.

CT worked alongside Toyota's exhibit designer and manufacturer, George P. Johnson Company, to help design and specify equipment for the exhibit's audio visual elements. The design requirements didn't end with the need for a compelling and stimulating audio visual experience. The display needed to be easy to install, considering the exhibit company's staff—mainly carpenters and electricians—are responsible for booth set-up and tear-down. As Brian Lockie, director of sales and installations at CT Chicago, explained, "These people are very good at what they do, but not at what we do—audio and visual design. We needed to make sure that these kiosks were literally plug and play, so they could be set up with little technical expertise."

In addition, the display needed to be modular and highly portable in order to support both a full display at the large shows in Detroit, New York, L.A., and Chicago, as well as a scaled-down version for the smaller regional shows.

Solution

CT developed a kiosk-based solution for Toyota. The kiosks display interactive programming on showcased cars or trucks and are scattered throughout Toyota's exhibit—17 in all. Each kiosk is double-sided with a 15-inch LCD monitor placed on each side. This allows two different visitors to view their own individualized content on each kiosk simultaneously. The kiosk-based solution fulfills Toyota's need for modularity, as all 17 can be sent for the larger shows or just a few for the smaller ones.

CT selected the Firefly MC from Focus Enhancements to manage the media content on the kiosks. The Firefly incorporates 2- or 4-channel MPEG-2 playback in a compact 1RU form factor. With a 2-channel Firefly stationed in each kiosk, Toyota can play different media content on each LCD monitor. CT also added Focus' Media Messenger media management software for scheduling and content distribution. Media Messenger makes it easy to schedule video, audio, graphics, or scrolling text from a single location via a FTP server, satellite, Internet, LAN, WAN, CD, or DVD.

Results

Firefly MC provides a perfect fit for Toyota's needs. It provides the high quality content resolution needed for the high impact visuals at an auto show. And with its compact size, the Firefly offers a portable solution that easily travels to each show. After a show ends, each kiosk turns into a travel kit with the equipment racked, secured, and shock-mounted for transport to its next destination.

Most importantly, the Firefly MC has impressed all with its ease of use. With networking capability and a drag-and-drop interface, it enables users to easily manage complex programming, whether the content is file-based, graphics, or a combination of video and graphics. Brian Lockie explained the workflow. "When the set-up crew gets to the show, they connect the Firefly to the network and the content manager can remotely set up the playlists through Media Messenger. One of the great things about the FireFly is that it really is plug and play."

With Firefly's remote content management, CT could develop a modular design that met Toyota's needs. "Toyota may show all the vehicles at Detroit, but only one truck, one mid-sized, and one compact at San Antonio," said Brian. "With the FireFly, we don't have to worry about which kiosk goes where. Playlists for all vehicles are stored on each FireFly. We can easily configure it when the unit arrives at the show."