It was great to finally meet fellow Brisbaneite @willislim after Ovi Map Drama [1], Lindt Cafe Stress [2], and Sydney Traffic Fail [3], I bolted into Hoyts Cinemas in the Moore Park Entertainment Quarter and grabbed the nearest beer. Ahhhh.
The first group I walked up to coincidentally had @willislim in it, so that was easy. :D
Shortly after I slogged that beer down (best one I'd had all day), Soup Mama Sharyn (the Director of Soup Project) officially welcomed us to the Panasonic Insiders event, and gave us an event run-down. I had a great chat to Sharyn after the event, which was a great highlight of the trip for me as well.
We then stepped into the industry event part of the launch (I called it The Pit), and went into our own private theatre to watch a (passive glasses) 3D presentation where Panasonic people spoke to us about emerging markets, and the coolness that Panasonic is offering in this year's product lineup. We also got to see The Dwyers in the full 15 minute youTube themed "real life" short. Through the wonders of Teh Internetz, they showed us how you could become famous by using Panasonic 3D Video Cameras and other Panasonic gear to populate your youTube channel. l33t.
Dual-tuner Digital TV (DVB) Recorders with a whopping 1TB drive built-in impressed me. They act as broadcast hubs for your entire house, which let you stream media to all TVs (if your house is full of Panasonic TVs that is). Great if you don't want a PC Media Centre to do the same job. Plasma is still a huge focus for Panasonic, however Panasonic believes the two main consumers this year are those who just want a 2nd TV for the bedroom, and those who are tech-savvy and do their research before purchasing.
After the Panasonic people, and The Dwyers, we then emerged out of the theater eager to get our hands on some Panasonic product and test it out. For me, this is where the event really started. I had the pleasure of chatting to Scott Mellish, the Product and Technology Trainer for NSW. Scott was so incredibly passionate about Panasonic and the technology it offers, that I found I had chatted to him for about 30 minutes non-stop.
He was able to clearly explain how Panasonic delivers 3D (using active shutter technology), compared to some of the newer offerings by LG (they offer passive 3D, a polarised light solution like you get in cinemas). He also explained the new LCD In-plane Switching (IPS) technology and why this is better than the Vertical Alignment (VA) displays.
I hope someone at Panasonic sees how well Scott performed, and gives Scott a big pat on the back. And also tell him that he owes me a couple of beers: because I got so caught up talking to him, I missed out on much of the after-event food and beverage up in the Panasonic Insiders lounge. ;)
Thanks to Soup and Panasonic for welcoming me from interstate. I'm so pleased I got a chance to attend the event, and really hope I get invited back for more in the future.
[1] Got the AirTrain from Sydney Domestic, and (no) thanks to Ovi Maps got off at St James to what was supposed to be Four Points by Sheraton. Unfortunately this information was incorrect and it was actually Sheraton On The Park. A frustrating 15 minute walk to Darling Harbour later, and I checked into Four Points by Sheraton. I've reported the mapping errors so no one else gets caught (hopefully). #OviMaps #FAIL
[2] I quickly suited-up after the quickest shower I can ever remember. My wife strongly suggested to me that I visit Lindt Cafe, and procure some renowned Macaroons. I really should have been in a taxi at that stage, but had to pull through. A promise is a promise, after all. ;) I have to say the Lindt Cafe is not an easy place to find. The cafe frontage is not right on the wharf promenade, and you have to go into this semi-circle cutout. I hurriedly stalked up and down the Cockle Bay Wharf cursing to myself "these Macaroons better be worth it". "Just look for the area that has the fountain, and you've found it" a couple of boat cruise guys reassured me. I've added that place to Ovi Maps as well. Lindt Cafe is going to try and make their signage a bit better. It is *worth* the effort to find them, trust me.
[3] After Macaroons were safely back in the room, I dashed out the door and got a taxi out the front. It was 5.40pm, and the event tweet clearly stated the start time was 6pm. I was combing the #panasonic2011launch hashtag vigorously for clues about whether the event had started. I used to curse about Brisbane traffic being bad in peak-hour but compared to Sydney CBD peak-hour traffic, Brisbane traffic is a joyous, free-flowing, commuters dream. I found out later that those with google maps and traffic alerts were just seeing streets paved in red on their devices. Darling Harbour to Moore Park cost me $35. Journey took me about 30 minutes. Could I have walked it faster?
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