Vision - November/December 2007 - (Page 43)

ce connects worshippers in mega-churches For some CE manufacturers and suppliers, the display and audio/visual business is literally a religious experience. Congregations are equipping their houses of worship with large-screen flat-panel displays and other sophisticated electronics that rival those of high-end hotels, retailers and other professional electronics markets in the public arena. Hymns are put up on big screens, with a software-generated bouncing ball letting churchgoers follow along like karaoke. Rather than looking at small print in the yellowed pages of a prayer book, congregants are reading scriptures in Power Point. Children attending services or Sunday school are watching Noah’s Ark and other Bible stories on the large panels. “Our culture relates to big screens, surround sound, highquality audio and video and podcasting,” says Doug Gould, technical training manager at Shure Inc., the Niles, Ill., professional audio supplier. Gould’s job is to drum up house of worship business for Shure by training church lay people how to deploy electronics, and the company is making inroads. “What’s going on in churches is just a reflection of what’s going on in society,” Gould says. “Our society doesn’t relate to somebody standing in the pulpit just reading out of a book anymore. It’s not this archaic piano and choir with a pastor standing there anymore.” Citing data from TFCinfo, an audio/visual market research firm, Shure says $4.6 billion was spent on audio equipment for the eh Publishing’s Worship Facilities conference and expo (WFX) church market in 2006, with 32 perIn October, EH Publishing held its third WFX Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Bringcent growth forecast for 2007. ing together more than 5,000 church and industry leaders and 400 exhibitors from Mirroring growth trends in other pubaround the world, WFX is fast becoming the leading event for church facilities and lic display markets, the worship market technology decision-makers. boom started about two years ago, The WFX exhibit floor showcased the latest products and services for designCE suppliers say. The growth is fueled ing, building and outfitting worship facilities, and church audio/video and technical by so-called mega-churches looking production. The conference sessions provide information and resources to help to literally reach their flocks in the far churches plan, execute and manage their growth objectives through the use of their reaches of the facilities and to engage facilities and state-of-the-art audio, visual and lighting technologies. For more inforthem with a more modern face. mation: visit www.wfxweb.com. Sharp Electronics, for example, has seen robust sales of its 65-inch LCD www.ce.org November/December 2007 panels to houses of worship and fully expects similar success when it unveils a 108-inch product for the market in February, says John Becconsall, associate vice president for Sharp’s special applications and hospitality division. When it comes to the religion market’s appetite for electronics, says Becconsall, “bigger is better.” That isn’t to say smaller display sizes are getting short shrift. Sharp is seeing healthy sales of its 46-inch and smaller size screens, which churches are setting together in a matrix, a trend Becconsall says he would not be surprised to see with the 108-inch displays, too. “It really comes down to a cost issue,” Becconsall says. “With the larger displays, matrixing will be less expensive than the 108-inch. However as those price points come down, you’ll see people matrix those 108-inch displays. Anytime you have bigger, somebody in this market wants bigger. I’ve been in places that seat 5,000 people. They’re using the displays literally to show the service because people are so far back. It’s like CSPAN.” Besides installing displays in the sanctuary itself, houses of worship are buying flat-panel displays for signs in church libraries and bookstores, as well as for other common areas where overflow crowds can watch a service, says Mark Bonifacio, group marketing manager for Sony Electronics’ professional display group. Bonfacio predicts that churches soon will begin buying displays for outdoor use as the products become brighter and more rugged. Sony offers displays with electronic card slots so religious content can be brought outdoors for church picnics or services easily. Content also can be fed to displays that house a wireless adapter. Further, some manufacturers offer weatherproof casings for more delicate displays. The worship market represents about two percent of Sharp’s public display business and about six or seven per-cent of Sony’s. Still, that’s plenty to thank the heavens for. “That six or seven percent is at least 25 or 30 percent growth over last year, so we are seeing upside,” says Sony’s Bonifacio. • 43 http://www.wfxweb.com http://www.ce.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vision - November/December 2007

Vision - November/December 2007 Contents Shapiro's Spectrum In This Issue The Economist C4 Visionary Tech Speak Going Global Eye on Business Tech Policy Special Supplement: CES Unveiled 2008 CES Technologies to Watch Eastern Europe Embraces CE M&A Fest Displaying the Future CEA Newsline Market Insider Just the Stats

Vision - November/December 2007

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