When you book your meeting, convention or celebration at the Salem Convention Center (SCC), planning and executing your event is made seamless with our professional staff of event planners, caterers and technology specialists. Our staff is the very best at what they do and we are proud to showcase them whenever we can! Access to our wide range of technology services is important to our guests. The Salem Convention Center is proud to partner with Allied Video Productions (AVP) to help the meet the needs of businesses and organizations that book their events in our facility. Since 1984, AVP has been the premier choice for companies and organizations needing the full range of video production services locally and nationally. Scott Hossner Co-Owner, Sr Producer of Allied Video Productions Scott Hossner is the Co-Owner and CEO of Allied Video Productions. Scott's work ranges from network television and commercials to music festivals. Here is what he had to say when we caught up with him recently: What is your typical day like at SCC? Allied Video Productions has a special working relationship with the Salem Convention Center. For almost a decade we have provided the AV support for events in the facility. We have an office on-site with two regular AV Technicians to help clients with their technology needs - from a single microphone, to large multi-media events (with lighting, cameras, screens, sound support, even artistic direction). On an average day, we help numerous groups simultaneously. In addition to greeting and helping guests directly, we work closely with the office staff to make sure clients have what they need and expect for their event. We also coordinate closely with the Banquet staff to coordinate setting up and removing equipment alongside their teams as they set the stages, table and chairs. Though we are two different companies, we really are the same team, making things flow smoothly behind the scenes. How does your company go above and beyond to serve your clients? We often take time to set up a guest's own equipment, just to make their experience at the Convention Center as smooth as possible. Whenever there is a technical concern we are there to respond ASAP and often work late into the night, or early in the morning, to make sure everything is ready for the guest when they walk through the door. What 3 things do you appreciate most about your job? 1. Working directly with guests. It is rewarding to anticipate their needs and exceed their expectations. We're there to come to the rescue and fix any problem they might have, or just put them at ease when they are concerned about the technology. 2. Working with the SCC team. In addition to making the guest's experience a pleasant one, the staff at the Salem Convention Center has always been very accommodating and supportive of our work and staff. We love them. 3. Problem solving. Though we try to avoid needing to solve a technical issue when something goes wrong in the middle of an event, we appreciate the challenge of figuring out how to deliver something new or complex that will make someone's event more efficient or memorable How do you contribute to SCC's green initiatives? Like the Salem Convention Center, Allied Video Productions is also an Earthwise Certified company and we've received awards for our green practices as well. We have solar panels on the roof of our main office (last year our system supplied 80% our electrical needs for the year). We have a robust recycling program in place, including the numerous batteries we use in our equipment. Often the display technology we provide helps reduce paper waste. What was your first day on the job like at Salem Convention Center? Each of us has our own stories about our first days at SCC. Much of it is a blur - trying to remember what all of the rooms are and where all the equipment is stored. Like every building, there are many technical quirks that can take a bit of getting used to. But after training by our staff, members of the SCC crew are always helpful with directions or anything else needed. Of the two AV Techs who are regularly on site, Casey has been around for over a year, while Mitchell is our newest staff member who has been with us for less than a month, but it catching on quickly. How has the Salem Convention Center changed since you began? We've had to keep up with technological changes over time (not a lot of classroom style overhead projectors are used anymore). Keeping up with increasing demand on wireless internet technology is probably the single biggest challenge. Think about this: In an event with 500 guests, it's very possible to have 500-700 devices trying to access the wireless at any giving moment (smartphones, computers and other wireless devices combined). We've also learned more efficient ways of performing the tasks that we need to do. Though there have been some changes in personnel over the years, many of the key members of staff have remained the same at both the Allied Video Productions and SCC, giving needed continuity and support. What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work? We are a small but diverse company. When not working, our staff does a little bit of everything, including acting, singing, running Hood to Coast, archaeology, travel, activism, planning TEDx and other community events, and much more. What else would you like for us to know about you and/or your staff? We are very appreciative of our working relationship with the Salem Convention Center. We think it has been mutually beneficial and allowed us both to expand the services we can provide and made both companies more successful. It has also been the source of many friendships. Long may it continue!