What Does "Embedded Technical Partner" Actually Look Like?
If you've ever wondered what Talon actually does behind the scenes for other agencies, this is a good example. About half of our work isn't running full shows under our own name. It's stepping in as a strategic outsourcing partner, taking on the technical scopes that would otherwise eat up an agency's time and attention, so they can stay focused on what they do best.
What does that partnership actually mean?
When an agency or production company brings us in this way, we're not a rental vendor filling an order. We're interfacing directly with in-house network teams, client IT departments, and other production vendors on the ground, and we're owning whatever technical scope we're handed, from network infrastructure to signage to streaming.
The ask:
Metro Media Productions came to us with exactly that kind of scope. They needed someone to coordinate with the in-house network team, the client's IT department, and multiple production vendors to make sure everything stayed connected. On top of that, they needed a digital signage solution that could show user generated content alongside a live daily agenda. And, almost as an afterthought, a cellular backup network for the VIP board meeting's Zoom call.
What we actually built (The Tech Breakdown):
Working alongside Encore Global, the property's in-house AV and network vendor, we optimized the network order across every need the show had, from registration to production to attendee WiFi. For the board meeting, we deployed a Peplink bonded cellular solution as backup, along with building-wide network infrastructure using Netgear AV managed switching to distribute multiple VLANs from the house network out to production.
On signage, we used Brightsign players across a mix of wired and wireless connections to display daily agendas layered above live-updating social content, and we provided networking support to the AV, lighting, and video teams from Metro, 4Wall, and Proxy AV.
For streaming, we deployed Epiphan Pearl encoders to send overflow, green room, and client office feeds over IP, plus Zoom feeds so on-site and offsite staff could monitor sessions from their own devices. Need that feed in 1080p? Already enabled on every account, no extra ask required.
Why does this matter?
Projects like this rarely show up as one clean request. They show up in pieces, a network ask here, a signage need there, a "can you also handle this" tucked into a board meeting. The value we bring isn't any single piece of gear. It's having the equipment, the staff, and the vendor relationships already in place to say yes to all of it, without making the agency stitch it together themselves.
How we can help:
This is what being an embedded technical partner looks like in practice. IT support, streaming, signage, accessibility, captions, interpretation, we've got the equipment, staff, and vendor relationships to handle it.