For the second year running the event was held at the ski resort of Bormio, in the Italian Alps. and included a demonstration of the new R6 screen and the launch of Lighthouse's new used panel brokerage business.
Lighthouse's newly appointed chief technical officer (CTO) Grant Elliott, also hosted two clinics and a brainstorming session, during which feedback from the partners was welcomed with a view to incorporating the ideas in future Lighthouse technical updates and products.
A special presentation was also made by Marko Leppik of Beneway Oy, a Finnish company whose HUDLE system is an audience response or polling system that displays SMS text messages in real time. Used in conjunction with Lighthouse screens at big events, it was presented to show a potential new and unusual use for Lighthouse products.
With the main business of the meeting done, the partners were invited to spend much of the Saturday on the ski slopes, with the non-skiers simply enjoying the magnificent surroundings of Bormio or its Thermal Baths.
The meeting was a great success, and next year's event is already being planned. Lighthouse's strategy is to listen to its partners, and the 2007 meeting is to be held at a different venue. "It has been proposed that for future meetings, the partners themselves will take it in turns to organise the event with Lighthouse's logistical support and funding," says Anna Cattaneo from Lighthouse's Southern European office, who is the event organiser.
"A change of location is on the cards, with Juan Manuel Parra of Stereorent in Spain volunteering to be the first organiser, so next spring's meeting will potentially take place in Barcelona. Michiel Hettinga, Lighthouse sales director for west and central Europe is also in the process of organising an additional integration partners' meeting in Berlin later this year."
(Chris Henry)
