Watchit Media Signs 17 Additional Hotels to Narrowcast NAB; Watchit Media, Inc. Will Narrowcast to over 33,000 Rooms in Las Vegas
via COMTEX
April 18, 2005
LAS VEGAS, Apr 18, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Cotelligent, Inc. (OTCBB: CGZT - News) announced today their wholly-owned subsidiary, Watchit Media, Inc. began narrowcasting segments of the NAB 2005 Convention to 33,000 rooms in Las Vegas, last Thursday, April 14th as attendees began coming into town. Today is the opening of the exhibit floor featuring nearly 1,400 exhibitors. Watchit Convention Network and its same-day coverage of NAB 2005 was featured in an article last Friday regarding their narrowcasting coverage and their business model in general (article below).
"We present our video content to approximately 70,000 hotel rooms nationwide where we provide unique in-room television programming to help our hotel client build brand and at the same time enhance their guests' experience," said Douglas Boxx, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Watchit. "Now we have taken narrowcasting to the next logical step, providing convention attendees meaningful, compelling, content about their conference, in the comfort of their hotel room."
"I am proud to see our launch of Watchit Convention Network(TM) (WCN) has been so well received. WCN is one of a variety of new television channels and programs we will be introducing this year. I foresee a time in the not-so-distant future when Watchit Convention Network will be the cornerstone of convention communication to the hospitality industry," said James Lavelle, CEO of Watchit Media.
NARROWING THE FIELD
LV company rolling out technology that targets convention audience
By JENNIFER ROBISON
REVIEW-JOURNAL
As members of the National Association of Broadcasters converge on Las Vegas next week to discuss reaching wider audiences with new technology and programming, a local company will roll out a new medium designed to segment audiences into ever-smaller units.
Watchit Media of Las Vegas will debut its narrowcast Watchit Convention Network at the convention, which runs Saturday to Thursday. Attendees staying in 32,000 rooms at 22 hotels on the Strip and downtown will see WCN narrowcasts consisting of hour-long updates twice a day from the convention floor.
Participating hotels include the Aladdin, Bally's, the Flamingo, the Las Vegas Hilton and Paris Las Vegas.
"An attendee getting ready in the morning can see highlights of the previous day or an introduction to the coming day," said Douglas Boxx, vice president of sales and marketing for Watchit Media. "At the end of each day, new content will give people more detailed information on events that happened at the show. Attendees will be more engaged."
This is the first time Watchit's private video networks have carried convention events.
Previously, the company confined its network narrowcasting to in-house ads that pitched hotel amenities from in-room televisions and plasma screens outside restaurants, on slot machines and on electronic billboards.
During the convention, each WCN update will include 45 minutes of NAB-provided content and 15 minutes of ads from exhibitors, hotels and third-party vendors. Digital technology will allow each hotel to narrowcast into its rooms an ad package promoting only its restaurants and shows. That targeting offers a more effective marketing vehicle than traditional media such as broadcast and cable, Boxx said.
"Do hotels want guests in their rooms watching reruns of 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends,' or do they want them down on the casino floor? An in-room, private video network can engage guests in everything on the property," Boxx said. "Ultimately, narrowcasting is a marketing tool. We can speak to in-room guests with very specific needs."
Nancy Archer, director of publicity for Boyd Gaming Corp.'s downtown region, said Boyd's Fremont, California and Main Street Station hotels will show WCN's coverage of the convention.
"WCN is an enhancement for our guests," Archer said. "They'll be looking for convention information, and at the same time, we will be able to market our properties with ads featuring our restaurants, casinos and any promotions we're running. WCN is an added reinforcement to get our marketing message across, and it maximizes the guest's experience while staying in the room."
Archer said Boyd's downtown properties will focus on marketing restaurants and gaming -- particularly daily casino promotions and tournaments -- via WCN.
Boxx said Watchit charges a monthly fee to produce content for clients who have private video networks in rooms, on the casino floors and on electronic billboards. WCN, however, is free to clients with Watchit's private networks; revenue will come instead from ads airing during the NAB convention, which will draw nearly 100,000 attendees.
Exhibitors and third-party vendors can buy 30-second ads on WCN beginning at around $100 per spot. Client hotels can run ads for free.
Boxx said that Watchit is testing a narrowcasting product in one Las Vegas hotel that will send different programming to every room based on an individual guest's needs. Widespread application is about a year away.
Watchit's burgeoning narrowcasting business mirrors the company's internal growth. When Cotelligent, a San Francisco-based technology holding company, bought Watchit in November 2003, Watchit had nine employees, 18 clients and $800,000 in annual sales.
Today, it has 31 employees, 61 clients and about $1.3 million in annual sales. Boxx predicted "double-digit" growth for Watchit in coming years as the media business expands to major markets such as New York and Chicago.
He cited a study from CAP Ventures, a Massachusetts consulting company, that predicted the narrowcasting industry's annual revenue would grow to $2 billion in 2006, up from $338 million in 2002.
Though he declined to name specific trade shows, Boxx said Watchit is talking to "major" organizers in the garment and automotive industries about bringing WCN to upcoming conventions in Las Vegas.
About Watchit Media, Inc.
Watchit Media, Inc. is a leader in producing and delivering high-impact dynamic digital television programs through their Private Video Network(TM) that entertain, inform, educate and influence its audiences. The internet technology infrastructure of Watchit Media coupled with more than 12 years industry experience gives our customers a highly reliable, cost-effective, powerful visual experience that differentiates Watchit. In addition, the easy-to-use, Web-based applications of Watchit Media, such as Makeit(TM) and Scheduleit(TM), allow clients to create, manage, update and schedule their own advertising in a matter of minutes, then, via IP and broadband, produce the content directly to their Private Video Network.
SOURCE: Watchit Media, Inc.
Watchit Media, Inc. Amelia Kegley, 702-740-1719 Cell, 702-419-2868 akegley@watchitmedia.com
Copyright Business Wire 2005
