The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has become the only convention centre in Australia to hook up to the Digital Video Network (DVN), enabling live television broadcasts to occur from the venue without the hassle of satellite links and outside broadcast vans.The upgrade of the Centre’s analogue fibre optics system to join the DVN opens the way for television networks to broadcast digitally from the Centre during major events and for event organisers to send video news releases direct to television stations.
With the Centre now able to receive or transmit live broadcasts from any room in the venue, organisers will also be able to coordinate high quality live broadcasts of keynote speaker presentations.
The new service further boosts the Centre’s impressive audiovisual capabilities, which include the boutique production unit, Centre Video Production (CVP), featuring three high definition editing suites.
The first to use the Centre’s new DVN facility was the 24-hour news TV station, Sky News, which broadcast live from the venue throughout the Federal Australian Labor Party conference held from July 30-August 1.
Sky News CEO Angelo Frangopoulos said the Centre’s upgrade had made the TV station’s job infinitely easier. "Having the ability for Sky News, Sky News Business and A-PAC to go live to major events at the Centre helps us provide an invaluable service to all Australians,” Mr Frangopoulos said. "There is no better example of this than our live coverage of the ALP Conference - broadcast, live and nationally on A-PAC Australia's Public Affairs Channel.”
Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said the venue’s move onto the DVN was part of its commitment to provide state-of-the-art facilities to its clients. “Because the Centre provides all its audiovisual services inhouse, we’re very aware of our clients’ needs and determined to give them the edge in their events wherever we can,” Mr van Amerongen said. “Access to DVN will be a huge asset for event organisers, particularly those keen to achieve widespread television coverage.” Tatiana Rokou - Friday, August 14, 2009