Tom 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...
Jun 23, 2021•21 min•Ep. 23
Tom 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 Media Twitter - @alfordmedia LinkedIn - link...
May 07, 2021•59 min•Ep. 22
Tom 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 podcas...
Dec 09, 2020•59 min•Ep. 21
In 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 Media Twitter - @alfordmedia LinkedIn - linke...
Aug 31, 2020•31 min•Ep. 20
Tom 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 Media Twitter - @alfordmedia LinkedIn - linkedin.com/c...
Jun 29, 2020•36 min•Ep. 19
In 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: Al...
Jun 17, 2020•32 min•Ep. 18
The 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, Th...
May 28, 2020•30 min•Ep. 17
On 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 industr...
Apr 24, 2020•40 min•Ep. 16
Steve 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...
Feb 17, 2020•46 min•Ep. 15
January 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 t...
Jan 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 14
The 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 bot...
Dec 13, 2019•28 min•Ep. 13
In 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 t...
Dec 04, 2019•41 min•Ep. 12
Corporate 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 C...
Nov 04, 2019•26 min•Ep. 11
One 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 ...
Aug 28, 2019•29 min•Ep. 10
In 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...
Jul 09, 2019•28 min•Ep. 9
On 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 ...
Jun 10, 2019•30 min•Ep. 8
The 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 bri...
May 13, 2019•38 min•Ep. 7
he 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 ...
Apr 10, 2019•23 min•Ep. 6
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 instal...
Mar 11, 2019•24 min•Ep. 5
Communicating 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...
Feb 25, 2019•24 min•Ep. 4
The 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 ...
Jan 09, 2019•19 min•Ep. 3
How 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; whethe...
Dec 17, 2018•21 min•Ep. 2
Holographic 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 question...
Nov 14, 2018•22 min•Ep. 1
