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Image courtesy of RNEWS

MagDay: an educational experience

With the most valued commodity in life today being time, we had an idea about offering time to educate a niche market. Sounded good, simple, easy at the time – until we started planning.

First and foremost, the “simple” ended up being a full on production and showcase of Magnetic Storm and all its offerings. “Easy” for planning perhaps but certainly not easy from taking a concept and creating something truly valuable for those invited.

The first step was to decide who would benefit the most from this type of intervention. We decided that the target market for this one would be schools and houses of worship. You may ask why. Well, in case you weren’t aware, many folk in these sectors are volunteers who fulfill the AV/ echnical role as a passion. Some are highly skilled, others not so much. Some have full-time day jobs, others are students. The commonality is their thirst for knowledge.

MagDay offered the opportunity for one-on-one engagement with the Magnetic Storm team of experts to discuss their challenges and ideas. It was about conversation, discussion, sharing and learning within a ‘non-sales’ environment. Those who attended had limited AV specific knowledge, yet it’s interesting to see the power of what they produce within their environments.

We created an expo type environment where attendees could have direct access to health and safety, lighting, sound, AV, installation and IT. Guests were able to speak openly with our crew to learn, ask questions and experience the magic of our industry. ‘Tech Talks’ peppered the day to educate and inspire and I certainly learnt a few tech tricks and enjoyed watching our guests take in our team’s advice.

It’s one thing to talk about things, but to see it in action, from a lighting demo with sound effects to special effects and pyrotechnics. But the chance to play with equipment, that’s when the ‘aha’ moment happens. Marry creativity with engagement through sensory stimulation, and you can connect people on a level you might have never expected.

Of course, good coffee supplied by Masterton’s, delicious snacks by Bay Catering and the magnificent support of suppliers enabled us to truly create a partner platform, in one space

Every good event has a Q&A session, and that was my ‘aha’ moment. I learnt just how much the investment in technology made by schools, and churches were being under-utilised. The success of MagDay went beyond our expectations, with many messages of gratitude from those who were part of MagDay. #WatchThisSpace