ISN : Event Support

The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) is a collaborative research project between the United States Army and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with their industrial partners. The collaboration will create lightweight molecular materials to equip foot soldiers of the future with uniforms and gear that can shield them, heal them, and protect them against chemical and biological warfare.

On May 22, 2003, ISN held an official opening ceremony for its renovated 30,000 square foot facility at 500 Technology Square. The event celebrated the important work of inventing revolutionary new technologies for the soldier.

Client Need

ISN contacted MIT Video Productions & Digital Technologies (MVP&DT) to support the event and help them convey the impressiveness of their new facility at the dedication ceremony. The facility housed office space and the extensive laboratory space, designed specifically to foster collaborative research among specialists from many disciplines and reconfigure easily as research projects evolve over time. Over 400 dignitaries from the Army, MIT, and industry would attend, but a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony would allow only a select group of dignitaries to tour the facility. For an event of this magnitude, ISN needed a way to show the facility to all in attendance.

Strategy

MVP&DT suggested producing a virtual tour of the new facility. An MVP&DT producer and steadicam operator shot a “fly-through” of the facility and ultimately produced 3-minute DVD. As Army dignitaries and Charles Vest cut the ribbon, the virtual tour ran on the screen behind to the delight of the audience.

In addition to producing the virtual tour for the dedication ceremony, MVP&DT hosted the initial press conference in an on-campus videoconferencing room, produced a video news release for news organizations around the world, and project-managed the creation of a high-end video conferencing facility for ISN.

Results

MVP&DT easily coordinated with Conference Services, Events, and Information Center, the MIT group responsible for running the event, and served as a one-stop solution for all event coverage needs. Their on-campus facilities delivered professional results and access to a wide audience for the initial press conference, on event day, and in the video news release for major news outlets.