Press release from Sony
Sony Australia has signed a multi-year deal with Sydney Opera House to become a Major Partner and the exclusive entertainment technology partner. The electronics company’s association with the world-class venue will enhance the technological capabilities for one of the world’s leading performing arts centres, ultimately producing new ways for Sydney Opera House to capture, create and deliver its performances.
As part of the collaboration, visitors to Sydney Opera House will benefit from Sony’s cutting-edge technologies across both the consumer and business divisions, including broadcast and production equipment. This incorporates new state-of-the-art digital signage and professional display products around the precinct highlighting the events and activities on the arts calendar.
“With over seven million visitors each year, Sydney Opera House is a cultural icon not only in Australia but around the world,” said Carl Rose, Managing Director of Sony Australia. “It is an absolute privilege for us to become a partner of this global symbol for arts and innovation.”
Rose continued, “Not only does Sydney Opera House offer us unrivalled access to some of the most phenomenal cultural performances and events, but it also brings us closer to an audience that has imagination and creativity at their heart. This is especially important for a company like ours, which prides itself on enabling the celebration of life and the creation of products and content to fuel any dream.”
Richard Evans, CEO of Sydney Opera House, said, “Like Sony, Sydney Opera House is innovative and committed to pursuing imaginative experiences. This significant partnership will transform and modernise Sydney Opera House public spaces with new technology including digital content delivery, creating a more vibrant and interactive experience for our 7.4 million visitors each year. This partnership will be one that transforms Sydney Opera House in ways we can only imagine today.”
Evans continued, “The transformation of 20th century posters as a communications device to digital display screens will empower us to better serve our many stakeholders including performance attendees, tourists, hirers, corporate and commercial partners. It will enable a dramatic increase in showcasing the number of performances and events on a daily basis and demonstrate the rich diversity of activity across the site at Australia’s busiest tourism and cultural destination. We are also looking forward to using the Sony screens to broadcast across the site some of our major outdoor events.”
As a result of the association, Sony becomes presenting partner of Luminous, the mid-Winter music festival to be held at Sydney Opera House from 26 May to 14 June 2009. Luminous will be curated by one of the most extraordinary artists of a generation, Brian Eno. Sony display technology will also feature at the heart of the festival with Sony Full High Definition screens bringing to life Eno’s own 77 Million Paintings audio-visual masterpiece in The Studio at Sydney Opera House.
Sony will also feature Sydney Opera House brand and imagery across a selection of its promotions and campaigns in the future.
In line with the partnership agreement, Sony will use Sydney Opera House for hospitality, product demonstrations, networking opportunities, staff and industry engagements as well as case studies of the technology in use.