LED screens have become the go-to choice for visual displays during the past decade, and Australian events staging company Microhire has adapted to this rapidly evolving technology.
With advancements in higher resolution, faster refresh rates and more flexible panel shapes, the company delivers world-class outcomes for its clients. Microhire has trialled multiple types of curved LED panels and processors, and collaborated with manufacturers to secure a product that meets the highest quality for its clients and venue partners.
Delivering high-resolution
In most configurations, Microhire’s LED screens are large format, either flown or ground-stacked to maximise sight lines for the audience. High-resolution varieties offer more definition in the imagery, and with this comes many important considerations.
“To enable a more refined definition, it is essential the content, control and processing can collectively handle the large pixel demands of these higher resolution screens,” says Bryan Dochstader, Microhire’s regional general manager – Victoria and South Australia.
“Like most advancing technologies, the media players, UHD switchers and processors tend to come with a higher price-point and, for the most part, Microhire’s clients are more than happy to factor this cutting-edge events solution in their budgets.”
After many years of research and development, the Microhire team has identified an LED pixel pitch size that is crisp, detailed and works efficiently with the company’s support equipment.
Microhire’s four-in-one pixel 2.6mm pitch panels hit the mark when it comes to creating large Full HD screens (five metres wide) and large custom resolutions that can be viewed as close as 2.5 metres away from the audience, which is a huge benefit to clients when they are mocking up floor plans.
“This ‘Goldilocks’ ratio allows us to purchase large quantities of the same product, meeting almost all of our screen requirements across the business,” says Dochstader.
High refresh rate
Because LED screens are increasingly used as a giant visual backdrop – a “hero” piece – they tend to be in every camera shot. Nobody wants their beautiful stage shot ruined by scan lines in the LED when seen through a camera lens.
To combat this unintentional distraction and to avoid unsightly scan lines, LED screens must have a refresh rate high enough to sync with professional cameras. Microhire insists on high refresh rates for its new products.
Flexible and diverse product range
Many LED panels feature built-in angle options which seamlessly join together, enabling impressive convex or concave curves and widescreen formats.
“With this curved feature, Microhire’s R&D team has created a new range of diverse products, expanding the possibilities for our clients – from a showstopping large screen with 90-degree corners to smaller, everyday applications enhancing a conference or event,” says Dochstader.
“Such standout pieces onstage include a lectern wrapped in an LED screen displaying dynamic branding, session titles, presenter bios and sponsorship videos during breaks, or a wrapped DJ booth for a funky cocktail reception or gala dinner to transform the atmosphere into a nightclub-like experience.”
Microhire’s LED panels provide flexibility and added value by wrapping various common conference and events items, and enhancing production quality, sponsorship revenue and raising the bar for inspirational brand recognition.
“Other options include replacing traditional stage skirting with an LED wrap to create a stunning room feature that adapts to the mood of your function; covering a structural column in a room to transform a distracting pillar into a highlight; and using ceiling features to add a curved LED box, suspended in the centre of an exhibition floor to display information, session times and sponsorship videos,” says Dochstader.
Plenty of stock on hand
After finding the ideal product to meet its commercial quality standards, Microhire has invested heavily in it. The company’s state offices in Melbourne, Sydney and southeast Queensland have acquired hundreds of panels from the same batch, enabling them to construct a wide variety of large LED solutions and combine resources to create a screen more than 200 square metres in size.
AI event technology
Microhire offers two new AI products as part of its digital suite of services. Its AI-powered simultaneous interpretation services provide instant language translation, which removes the need for interpreter booths and costly headset systems. This cutting-edge technology is accurate and easy to use, ensuring real-time translations from presenter to audience using their smartphone and earbuds.
AI has changed the nature of videoconference room systems, creating dynamic and engaging vision feed of webinar speakers. Replacing a static camera or multiple vision operators, Microhire’s AI tracking cameras provide precise video coverage, automatically following speakers and zooming in on participants with professional-grade accuracy, ensuring a polished and engaging experience for in-person and virtual attendees.
“If you can dream it, we can build it,” says Dochstader.
