PARK RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 16, 2009 – Sony successfully hosted one of the largest online virtual trade shows of its kind yesterday as thousands of attendees visited the company’s “HD Creation and Workflow Online Expo.”

Produced in association with trade publishing group NewBay Media, the virtual expo was created to provide video production professionals with information on the latest tapeless workflow technologies and high-definition formats, in an interactive and visually entertaining way.

“Our goal was to give professionals from all segments of the industry -- network television, movie studios, government, independent moviemakers and others -- a unique opportunity to join us at an interactive event without having to leave the comfort of their home office; they could even join us if they were on location,” said Alec Shapiro, senior vice president of sales and marketing in Sony’s Broadcast and Production Systems Division. “The show was virtual, but it was also very real in that it gave professionals hands-on knowledge, in an environmentally and cost-friendly way, that they could take away from the show and start putting to use immediately.”

During the interactive event, attendees who logged in were greeted by a virtual Shapiro who invited participants to explore the virtual trade show floor. From there attendees were given access to a full schedule of live presentations by well-known professionals, a networking lounge, group chats, virtual booth tours, product tutorials and access to on-demand video presentations on the company’s latest tapeless technologies and high definition products.

One highlight was a live "HD Workflow" panel discussion with directors of photography Dennis Dillon, Dave Sperling, Doug Jensen and Curt Pair, moderated by TV Technology columnist Walter Schoenknecht. Each of these video professionals has made the switch to tapeless HD workflows using Sony technology – both the XDCAM® HD optical and XDCAM EX™ solid-state memory camcorders – and they shared their experiences and techniques with the attendees.  

Participants at that session also heard firsthand about ways in which production techniques and technology intertwine to form an integrated HD workflow.  The live presentation was followed by a lively question-and-answer session.

In order to provide attendees with a well-rounded and interactive online experience, Sony also teamed with several leading non-linear editing companies who constructed “booths” on the floor and contributed content and presentation materials for the show. Those companies included Adobe, Avid, Thomson Grass Valley and Sony Creative Software.

Shapiro added that this type of virtual effort was a natural next step for Sony. In addition to supporting the company’s commitment to environmentally friendly “green” initiatives, the show allowed the electronics and broadcast products giant to create a forum where it could both transfer and gain knowledge to and from the professional video production industry.

The show was powered by InXpo, a leading provider of virtual events.

For interested participants who were not able to join Sony for the HD Creation and Workflow Online Expo on January 15, the show will be archived at