By Lori Francis
The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival begins today and kicks off nine days of amazing. I am so proud that Xerox is the title sponsor for what I think is the best nine days in Rochester. N.Y. Why? Because the jazz festival makes a difference and has a huge positive impact on the community, and therefore our Xerox family. And, quite honestly, simply because it’s fun!
As the title sponsor, we have a responsibility to the festival and to the people who attend. We work hard to help the festival team keep things clicking and create one-of-a-kind, personalized experiences for each of the thousands of fans. This year, we created programs that showcase Xerox services, and as always, our document technology offerings – all while giving back.
Our Theme: “How Do You Jazz Fest?”
Recognizing that everyone is different, we chose a theme that ties to the way Xerox does business. It’s about making every interaction personal and improving the experiences of the festival attendees and producers. What draws you to downtown? Are you the Strategist, the Foodie, the Social Butterfly, the Wanderer or the Purist? Come to the festival and discover who you are. But how?
The Sweet Shot: Creating memorable moments through the power of personalization and Xerox technology
Visit The Sweet Shot tent adjacent to the Big Tent on East Main Street and be transformed to a star on stage amongst screaming fans. We will send you a 3D motion video via email. Plus, take home your personalized print poster depicting your jazz fest persona. This personalized experience is all made possible through use of Xerox’s XMPie technology and the Phaser 7800. Share your videos with #XRIJF and see if you make the big screen at the festival. What big screen you ask?
The Social Beat: Providing a unique perspective by measuring the immense world of social media
One of our biggest and most exciting plans for this year is a 16’ x 5’ digital social wall overlooking Gibbs Street (a.k.a. Jazz St.). We call it “The Social Beat.” Powered by Empath, a solution and service from WDS, A Xerox Company, The Social Beat tracks, analyzes and reports all the buzz around the festival, so you’ll be able to see which artists and hashtags are trending, where people are tweeting from around the festival and much more. There is also a live feed of tweets with #XRIJF. Read more about the tool that delivers up to 200 percent more accuracy in understanding sentiment than any other tool on the market, and aids the festival with its customer care initiatives. But that’s not all.
Lip Sync Challenge: Having fun and reaching out to support a worthy cause in the community
We have always looked to give back, and this year is no exception as we add a fun social media campaign into the mix. Think Ice Bucket Challenge meets Lip Sync Battle. We call it the Lip Sync Challenge, and we need everyone to participate and help us raise awareness and funds for AutismUp! All you have to do is create a video of yourself lip syncing (or singing if you choose to) a song from our list, and nominate a minimum of three of your friends to do the same. Then keep the fun going by posting your video to YouTube. If you choose to opt out of the challenge (and even if you don’t), you’re encouraged to donate. You can find the song list and donate at www.AutismUp.org/LipSync. We also invite festivalgoers to take part in the Challenge and donate while at the festival. We’ll provide the backdrop, the music, the lyrics and a recording device inside the Merchandise Tent on Jazz St. Then we’ll post all the videos we record to the AutismUp YouTube page for you to find and share. Be sure to use #Jazz4AutismUp and #XRIJF.
Water-Filling Station: Educating attendees and securing a more sustainable future
The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with Xerox and The City of Rochester, has a water-filling station on Jazz St. in order to promote forest conservation and sustainable forest management. By purchasing a reusable water bottle made out of biodegradable plastic and refilling it with crystal clear water from Hemlock and Canadice Lakes throughout the festival, you can take direct action to save trees and water. Results at the festival (such as gallons of water saved, funds raised for local conservation) will be tracked and reported during and after the festival to deepen the attendees’ experience of sustainability.
I think it’s safe to say that we might have a little bit of something for everyone. Whatever your jazz, Xerox engineers a unique, personalized experience to make it even better. We looking forward to seeing you on Jazz St.!
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