By, Lori Francis, Xerox Global Experiential Marketing
Today marks the start of my favorite nine days of the year in Rochester, NY . . . it’s time for the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival! This event grows every year, with thousands of artists and hundreds of shows attracting more than 185,000 jazz lovers to the heart of downtown Rochester. It makes me proud to be a born-and-raised Rochesterian, and prouder still that Xerox is the title sponsor of this event.
Why would Xerox sponsor a jazz festival? At first glance, you may not see the connection between the two, but just like any other business, there are back-office and behind-the-scenes functions that need to be taken care of and that is where Xerox comes in. Typically, these are the types of things that distract producers from programming and producing a nine-day festival. As a jazz and Rochester fan, there is nothing better than working side-by-side with the producers and staff to simplify these processes and help them to create the best possible experience for festival attendees and represent my home town.
Like virtually every other major entertainment and sporting event, festival counterfeiting is a big concern. We have put safeguards in place within the passes, which include MicroText marks legible only with a magnifying device and Correlation Marks, which is text that’s only visible when superimposed by a “key” overlay. To provide an added layer of protection the passes use Xerox® MicroGloss, text that’s only readable when viewed at an angle. The final security measure: printing on the ultra-durable Xerox® NeverTear stock, which makes counterfeit reproduction virtually impossible while keeping passes safe from the elements and everyday wear and tear.
We’re also offering up a free listening station. Attendees can sample the sounds of festival artists broken down by the subgenres they represent. Once they find their favorite, they can visit one of three photo tents stationed around the festival to get their picture taken and made into a poster featuring the jazz style of their choosing—right there on the spot. To really bring the ‘jazz’ to Rochester, we developed a free smartphone app called JazzFinder, which uses augmented reality to bring the game badges and posters to life and immerse you in a world of jazz. This is our way of giving people a snazzy way to learn about the festival, jazz music and the artists, and share a large amount of information in a well-organized way. Creating ways to logically share information is one of the things Xerox is all about, and serving it up in a way that is organic to the business we’re helping is the icing on the cake . . . or the fermata on the high C, if you will.
A true fan of jazz with a creative flair of her own, Lori spends her time at Xerox focusing on making sure that what goes on behind the scenes seems easy.