News

Emap Connect

24 Sep 2010

EMAP signs Video Direct

Exhibition organiser Emap has signed an agreement with video technology and production specialist Video Direct to help it build, promote and distribute video content across its exhibition websites.

As part of the agreement, Emap will offer Video Direct’s nationwide network of 400 film makers to exhibitors, allowing them to order a professionally produced on-location video, filmed anywhere in the UK, for the same price. Videos will then be promoted on the exhibition website before the event. Video Direct’s ‘self serve’ video production technology platform, Videobuilder, will also be available to any Emap exhibitor wishing to create their own video content to promote themselves with before or at the event.

Emap will also add Video Direct’s interactive branded video player to websites such as Spring Fair, Autumn Fair Naidex and BETT, helping it generate revenue from the increasing number of exhibitors with existing online video content.

Research by digital research company comScore suggests U.K. online video viewing grew by 37% between February 2009 and February 2010. “Online video is clearly an increasingly popular method for web-users to receive content online and clearly the question for us is how can we help our exhibitors capitalise on this opportunity?“ said Iain Nicol, Emap’s Digital Commercial Director, Exhibitions.

“Through Video Direct we can offer exhibitors affordable, nationwide video production at a variety of fixed retail prices. We can also use their technology to enhance our digital proposition through the intelligent distribution of video across our sites. Exhibitors benefit by being able to promote their products and service on our websites in powerful and engaging ways and visitors benefit through access to interesting and engaging video content ”, he concluded.

“Emap recognised very early on that the opportunities to build new a revenue stream via video come from exhibitors’ existing content aswell as by offering nationwide production services to those without”, said Richard Counsell, Managing Director, Video Direct. “Our model helps them exploit both in a variety of ways”.