Name: Mercedes Stevao-Boase

Title: Marketing Director

Company: Green Hippo

rAVe [PUBS]: Tell us a little bit about your role at Green Hippo.

MERCEDES STEVAO-BOASE: As the marketing director, I lead tvONE’s creative MarComm team — designing and implementing communication strategies, education and trade events to promote all tvONE brands and services. I started working with Green Hippo in 2012 as a PR executive, drafting and publishing case studies about the festivals and live events powered by Hippotizer. From there, I led trades how executions and user networking events before moving into a management position and supporting the growth of the North American market, eventually calling the U.S my home.

rAVe [PUBS]: How did you get involved with the live events community?

MS: I started my career working as a live events manager in the U.K., managing the build and production of local festivals and events and further specifying ProAV technologies that would enhance the overall customer experience. During this time, I discovered my love for the technology behind the audience experience and began working to promote emerging brands in the live entertainment and design industry. Looking to build on this, I found Green Hippo, a perfect fit, a small sized company producing technology that supports some of the greatest productions in history… and that’s where this next journey began.

rAVe [PUBS]: In live events, planning ahead is crucial to avoid day-of disasters. How does Green Hippo collaborate with event planners, AV integrators and other stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of your technology into diverse event environments?

MS: Green Hippo’s solutions have been used on a diverse number of applications and markets for over 30 years, working with users, designers and system installers, to understand the requirements of different environments helping us to provide tools such as Hippotizer PREP and PLAY to design, collaborate on media and present ideas before going to site. Our pre-visualization tools, coupled with our long-standing integration with industry protocols, have been tried and tested so that our users can realize their project from the beginning.

We also want our users to push the boundaries, so solid proactive technical support is a must. That’s why you’ll find a long-serving technical services team at our global offices at no cost to make sure we are available to support our users and their vision.

rAVe [PUBS]: In that same vein, quality and reliability are critical to day-of success. How do you ensure your technology provides a consistent performance under such a wide variety of usage scenarios?

MS: Hippotizer Media Servers are designed to deliver, whatever the event, which is why our software is built on dedicated hardware, engineered and manufactured by our R&D and production offices. This ensures that we can test for different environments and ensure optimal performance, whilst also being able to troubleshoot and develop solutions that may need additional support.

rAVe [PUBS]:How does your company approach innovation in media server technology to address the evolving needs of event professionals?

MS: Our product managers and product specialists all have real world experience. Whether working directly in live events, production or systems integration, they, along with sales and marketing teams, always seek ways to engage with our users, gain feedback and provide access to BETA programs that influence future developments and ensure that were meeting the needs of our users.

rAVe [PUBS]: What’s the one Green Hippo product live events professionals have to have in their tool kit and can you share a little about that product?

MS: It’s between the Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 and the Hippotizer Nevis. Whilst the Boreal is the perfect all-around rental and touring media server, comfortable running demanding live events and generative projects such as iHeart Radio and the 39th annual Wrestlemania, the ½ U Hippotizer Nevis is a low-cost option that has all the same software features found in its bigger brothers in a small, dedicated package. Easy to travel with, out of the box easy with 1x Display Port 1.2 output, the Nevis+ allows you to create, visualize and playback video in real-time — all from a small, purpose-built chassis.

rAVe [PUBS]: What’s next for Green Hippo in terms of live event technologies?

MS: Earlier this year, we previewed Hippotizer software V4.9 with 10-bit color and native NotchLC playback support. With a 10-bit render engine, Hippotizer V4.9 will deliver projects from start to finish that can meet the demands of emerging display technologies. Every aspect of 4.9 is now designed to work in 8-bit and 10-bit+ color depth to suit the user’s needs. This, coupled with the support of ACT Entertainment and its recent acquisition of tvONE and its brands (including Green Hippo), our reach and ability to provide end-to-end solutions will further expand.

rAVe [PUBS]: Anything else you’d like to add?

MS: Throughout the years, Green Hippo has garnered acclaim for its innovative and high-quality media server solutions, recognized globally for performance and dedication to reliability and cutting-edge technology. With ACT Entertainment as its exclusive distribution partner, the brand’s products will be more accessible than ever to customers across North America.