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Exhibitors set to impress at the Museums + Heritage Show 2019

At next week’s Museums + Heritage Show 2019 (15-16 May) there will be more than 150 exhibitors displaying their products and services.

Among the stands, there will be new launches, live demonstrations and the chance for visitors to see up close what museum providers have to offer. And on show will be the best devices and supplies that aid the interpretation, conservation and enjoyment of our museums.

Here Advisor gives a sample of some of the products and services to lookout for:

Animmersion – stand D11

Animmersion are a leading supplier of immersive solutions, specialising in Holograms, Animation, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Interactive Displays.

They deliver digital services direct from our UK based studio with our team of experienced designers, artists and software engineers, providing all clients with access to the technical and creative skills they need. The team have a design led approach and seek to exploit pre-existing digital assets wherever possible to generate the best results possible within defined budgets.

Animmersion provide consultancy and design services as part of bespoke solutions packages. Using VR and AR we deliver revolutionary first-person experiences within training and marketing. Their intuitive interactive displays make challenging subjects easy to understand using any touch-based device.  They also showcase their clients’ products and services with cutting-edge Holographic Display technology and animations.

Animmersion will be on stand D11 showcasing a range of their products from Holograms, Augmented Reality and Interactive touch displays to the world’s largest mixed reality display – Deepframe.


DJ Willrich Ltd - stand F1

DJ Willrich Ltd (DJW) have exhibited at the Museums + Heritage Show since it was established more than 25 years ago, attending venues such as the Horticultural Halls and Earls Court and onto the current location at Olympia

Photograph ©David Copeman Photography

As Audio-Visual Systems Integrators, supplying and installing, programming and commissioning, lighting, audio, video and control systems to museums, theme parks and family entertainment centres worldwide, most of  DJW’s work comes from main contractors, designers or architects, rather than directly from the end client.

Having started the company from the AV department of  Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum more than 30 years ago,  DJW understand how both sides of the equation balance; working with a flexible approach with the client and their team, to provide AV systems which not only work, but are easily operated by the client, within budget and on time , delivering the required experience to the visitors.

David Willrich, Managing Director, founder and Technical Guru of DJW said: “We use the M+H Show as a networking opportunity to meet up with previous and current clients, book consultations with clients to whom we are tendering, and generally keep our Company at forefront of peoples’ minds. We do not often walk away from the show with actual orders for projects, but it hasn’t stopped us using it to build our reputation and brand.”

The company also undertakes audio visual consultancies internationally, alongside the supply and installation, such as the Gateway Arch redevelopment at St Louis, Missouri, which we are very pleased to see has been shortlisted for the International Project of the Year at this year’s M+H Awards.

Other projects undertaken by DJW have been :- Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, Kuwait- Space Gallery; Titanic Belfast; Bletchley Park; King Abdul-Aziz  Centre for World Culture, Gallery 4, Saudi Arabia; Qasr Al Hosn Fort, Abu Dhabi, UAE.


Meyvaert - stand D4

Meyvaert was established in 1826 and over the years, our techniques have developed significantly and we are now one of the world leaders in showcase technology.

Custom high security display cases made by Meyvaert for the Vikings Exhibition in the Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway. Photo © Calle Huth

Meyvaert helps museums present, preserve and protect their collections with easy-to-use, sustainable display solutions. For some projects Meyvaert will design and make ‘amazing shapes and concepts’, for and find the best value and most suitable choice from its range of standard solutions.

They can also provide tailor-made maintenance agreements to support our users throughout the lifespan of the display cases. Meyvaert’s relationship with its clients is ongoing and supportive after a project is completed. It is important that their clients know they remain keen to support them as they continue to evolve their displays and exhibitions.

Meyvaert combine technical proficiency, creative flair and attention to detail to create display solutions that are both structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. They focus on working with their client teams to develop solutions that best match the object and the conservation measures that need to apply.

Recently projects include the St Fagans Museum, Bristol Aerospace, the Postal Museum and they are currently working on the Burrell Collection and The Box in Plymouth.

The Infinity

One of the solutions Meyvaert will be showing at the Museums + Heritage Show is the Infinity, its modular and demountable showcase. They will demonstrate how it is possible to join them together to form the exact volume and shape you need around your artefacts, and how it[‘s possible to change the configuration later, a significant advantage for your evolving exhibitions. These qualities make the Infinity sustainable and future proof.

As the Infinity conforms to high conservation and security standards, the world’s top museums have approved it for loaned objects. Among the current users are the Fitzwilliam, the National Army Museum, The National Museum of Scotland and the Goldsmiths’ Company.

Meyvaert say Infinity adds background to your artefacts and enhances your visitors’ experience.

To explore the possibilities and better understand what you can achieve, visit them on stand D4 and talk to Steve.


ATS Heritage - stand H6

At the Museums + Heritage Show, ATS Heritage will argue why audio and multimedia guides are the most dynamic tools for increasing engagement with visitors

The Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

The prediction that ‘the smartphone would kill the audio guide’ has simply not materialised – instead, the pioneering British company ATS Heritage has focused on addressing the most common problems heritage sites and museums face, and successfully reimagined the on-site audio and multimedia guide experience.  

 

The growth in demand by heritage sites to provide an on-site device offer is evidence of their effectiveness – when done properly. ATS’s style of empathy, creativity and thoughtful application of technologies has transformed visitor experiences at sites including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Bletchley Park and the newly re-opened Painted Hall at Greenwich. 

 

No other single form of visitor experience tool than the multimedia guide has the flexibility to deliver such a wide range of features to a visitor.  There is an increase in Audio guides with images being presented as ‘multimedia tours’ which, ATS believes, is a missed opportunity. ATS helps transform on-site experiences by listening to clients, their staff, volunteers and visitors, and applying a collaborative design approach for both content and technology. New interfaces, interactives, and film work has been mixed with conventional audio interpretation to meet many challenges, from storytelling and interpretation, to access and wayfinding.

 

“Our holistic style is why we are viewed as the most innovative company in the sector,” said ATS Director, Spencer Clark. “We have an in-house team of audio, film, graphic and media producers, which means we can be more creative as a coherent team and produce original content at each site. An ATS tour is unique, fun, engaging and inclusive and we are witnessing fantastic feedback from visitors and clients every day.”

 

Visit ATS at the Museum and Heritage Show to explore and play with the latest technologies including the class-leading Focus multimedia guide, and listen, watch and interact with some of their excellent tours for all types of audiences.  

Also, try out the latest VR Audio Experience – ‘guaranteed to entertain and ignite your imagination’.


Museum Shops – stand V14

Opened in March, Museum Shops is a platform for Museum gift shops with a difference.

As a marketplace website Museum Shops provide a ready-made template for online shops, set within a community of Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Historic Houses, which greatly reduces the costs involved in opening and maintaining an online shop.

Retailers on Museum Shops gain a customisable shopfront homepage (with minimal Museum Shops branding) to showcase their products and organisation to customers and potential visitors. These pages function effectively as fully self-contained shops within the wider site, with a catalogue page, search function and the capability to create Sales and Special Discounts just as in an independent shop. Shopfront homepages are designed to be single-path navigated, so that a customer entering them directly will not see any content from other Museums.

Museum Shops also welcomes organisations with existing online shops to the website. All products listed on the site are indexed in the marketplace, increasing their online exposure in search listings and drawing in new customers who may then be inspired to visit.

Many platforms charge a monthly fee regardless of actual sales performance, but Museum Shops takes a commission-based pay when you sell approach, which also incentivises them to promote your products. No listing fee, no monthly fee, no tie-in period, that’s their promise to all their clients.

“Museum Shops has been in development for over a year and the M+H Show (our first) is the first event we’ll be able to showcase the site fully,” said Edward MacWhirter, Director. “I’m looking forward to making new connections and forging partnerships to help Museum gift shops flourish online.”


The Museums + Heritage Show is free to attend and you can pre-register here.