Tag Archives: VR

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

How the International Committee of the Red Cross Expanded its Multimedia Newsroom Tenfold with Imedia8

On the ground in over 90 countries, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provides humanitarian aid to victims of conflict and violence. Named in the Geneva Conventions as an authority on the laws of war, ICRC works to regulate the use of weapons, the methods of warfare and to ensure civilians are spared. And from the diplomatic level to the frontline, the ICRC reminds fighters, on all sides, that wars have limits.

Public communication through social media and broadcast media plays an important role in ICRC’s operational and diplomatic operations.

Increasing broadcast and media coverage 

Imedia8 has been core to the ICRC reaching broadcasters with breaking news footage and features from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Syria and other often hard to reach crisis-hit countries.

The challenge

The ICRC first liaised with Imedia8 in 2008 to increase the broadcast and media coverage that their unique content received. The first story back then was about the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions which recognises how soldiers and civilians should be treated during war. 

As one of Imedia8’s full-service legacy clients, the ICRC benefits from 24/7 account management where the team at Imedia8 provides the support and resources to respond at any time of day or night. With crises like Ukraine, such a service is regularly called-upon where the overnight team can publish stories with integrated asset support. 

The Result

During the last decade, the partnership has seen many successes, including the growth of the Multimedia Newsroom to 7,000 registered users, 691 published stories, over 1,500,000 video streams and logged thousands of hours of broadcast time on major channels around the world.  

Nicola Eva Fell, Digital Content Creator, ICRC commented: “Imedia8’s professionalism and support at all hours is so impressive and makes us very loyal customers.  The team is very responsive and on-hand for any questions or requests we have and always deliver to often challenging timescales.”

 Guy Parry- Williams, Founder, Imedia8 commented: “Working alongside the ICRC has been a great privilege. To support an organisation so vast during extremely pivotal moments, not only for the institution, but for the world is a great honour.”

 

 

News

Leading law firm partners with North West innovation hub to support tech businesses

Leading national law firm Irwin Mitchell is partnering with innovation hub HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology, to provide specialist legal advice to technology businesses in the North West.

 

The new partnership will allow the HOST community to have direct access to initial pro bono legal advice through physical and virtual support from Irwin Mitchell’s leading media and innovation team.

 

Irwin Mitchell, which has 15 offices across the UK and an international network of law firms, will also provide tailored business support to members through events such as webinars, workshops, seminars and masterclasses.

 

This includes the sponsorship of HOST’s first event since it rebranded in March, Wellbeing LIVE in partnership with MediaCityUK is a full programme of mental health and wellbeing virtual events for the creative, media and tech industries from 17-21 May.

 

The hub’s mission is to establish an ecosystem that supports skills, growth and innovation in the region by providing diverse and inclusive opportunities, particularly to those individuals and businesses who may not have previously had access.

 

To further this mission, HOST is working closely with Laura Harper from Irwin Mitchell, a recognised leading advisor to businesses in the creative industries and digital sector.

 

With over 20 years of experience, Manchester-based Laura has in-depth knowledge of the video games sector and a strong track record in advising international clients from across the interactive entertainment industry, from AAA studios to indie developers and VR and AR businesses.

 

Following the recent announcement of HOST’s partnership with Unity and its first Centre of Excellence in the UK, Laura’s expertise in the video games industry will be of vital support on areas including games development, intellectual property, acquisition and investment.

 

HOST at Media City combines the three pillars of skills, innovation and start up all under one roof, with a focus on building a world-leading reputation in data science, cyber, AI and immersive technologies.

 

Mo Isap, CEO of IN4.0 Group, operators of HOST, said: “We are delighted to announce Irwin Mitchell as HOST’s specialist legal partner. Laura and the media and innovation team join HOST with a wealth of experience in working alongside businesses in the creative industries and video games sector.

 

“With its national and international network of law firms, HOST’s innovation community will have access to every aspect of intellectual property and legal advice, which is a key part of the wraparound support we wish to bring to our members as they navigate out of the pandemic and look to a positive future ahead.”

 

Laura Harper, Irwin Mitchell partner and media & entertainment sector lead, said: “We are proud to be working alongside HOST as their official legal partner and are looking forward to assisting them with sector specific events, together with tailored legal and business advice.

 

“Irwin Mitchell has a strong tradition of providing advice to businesses in the technology and media sector. Working in partnership with the new home of the UK video games industry allows us to build on this work and continue playing our part in the success of local creative businesses.

 

“There will be plenty of opportunities to work with HOST on various projects and initiatives and our media and innovation team can’t wait to get started. MediaCityUK is fast becoming the hub for next generation entertainment and we are delighted to be part of such a key project in the heart of Manchester and supporting North West business and the local digital economy.”

FInance, Technology

Shropshire Immersive Technology Firm Raises an Additional £435,000 under EIS

Igloo Vision, the Shropshire-based immersive technology company, has raised an additional £435,000 in funding under the UK Government’s Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).

Igloo creates immersive projection spaces, such as domes, cylinders, cubes, and immersive workspaces. Igloo’s technology can display any 360° or Virtual Reality (VR) content. And, because entire teams can get inside the immersive spaces and engage with the content, the technology is well-suited to training, simulation, and visualisation, as well as events and experiences.

The latest fundraising round, which closed on 5 April 2020, secured investment from several sources. The largest proportion, at £200,000, came from the London-headquartered financial services firm and asset manager Mariana UFP LLP under its Growth EIS Fund. The remaining £235,000 was secured from Igloo’s existing Midlands-based investors, including Frontier Development Capital and the Midven-managed Greater Birmingham EIS.

Igloo CEO Dennis Wright said:

“The fact that we were able to secure the investment in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis demonstrates the strength of the Igloo proposition. Our investors were particularly impressed by how we continued to get the Igloo message out, develop our solutions, and sign-up new business. As the crisis recedes, we will be in a strong position to resume our growth story.”

The investment will help the company to build out its existing software suite and refine its product range. For example, earlier in 2020, Igloo unveiled a new immersive workspace concept, which enables clients to retrofit Igloo technology into existing meeting rooms. Similarly, in response to the Coronavirus crisis, Igloo has developed a range of immersive video conferencing techniques, to help remotely-located project teams collaborate more effectively. The new funds will help Igloo to productise both of these solutions.

Igloo’s previous funding round closed in May 2019, when Frontier Development Capital invested £1 million in Igloo. Since then, the company valuation has seen an uplift of 75%, staff numbers have grown from 50 to 80, the business has opened new demonstration centres in both Manhattan and Central London, it has entered into a partnership with the world’s largest AV systems integrator, and has added several new clients to its roster, including WarnerMedia, NTT, Automobili Pininfarina, and Telstra.

“What makes me happiest of all about the announcement is its symbolic value to the Igloo team,” concludes Dennis Wright. “Our people are working incredibly hard to keep the company on track through the crisis, and this investment stands out as an important vote of confidence.”