SIGHT AND SOUND TECHNOLOGY

PODCAST EPISODE 70

Stuart Lawler: Hello and welcome in to the Sight and Sound Technology podcast. My name is Stuart Lawler and this is episode number 70.

Stuart Lawler: It’s something of a milestone on the Sight and Sound Technology podcast. We have reached episode 70 and thank you to everybody who has joined us on this journey, since we started in September 2018. We love producing the show for you and we are very grateful for the feedback that we’ve received. Now, coming up on today’s programme, Paul Hopkins from QAC is along to tell us about this year’s Sight Village Events.

Stuart Lawler: Really looking forward to catching up with Paul Hopkins in just a second. Sight Village has become a firm date in many people’s calendar and judging by the amount of people who were at the events last year, post COVID, I think it’s going to be seriously busy again this year. So, we’re looking forward to seeing people, wherever you may turn up. It’s going to be in Cardiff, Birmingham, Exeter, and London, and we’ll be chatting to Paul about that in just a second. Podcast@sightandsound.co.uk is the email address, if you’d like to submit any feedback or comments or if you have something that you want to share. It’s always interesting for us to know how people are using technology. So, if you have a piece of technology that you want to tell everyone about, you’ve got a gadget, there’s something that you really like that you want to tell our podcast listeners about, then please do get in touch, because we would love to hear from you.

Stuart Lawler: I always get excited when I think about Sight Village and we’re entering Sight Village season. Very happy to be announcing Sight Village, of course, later this month, taking place in Cardiff and then we’ve got Birmingham and we have Sight Village South, I think, down in Exeter and then we have London. Anyway, in case I get it all wrong, I’m delighted to have Paul Hopkins from QAC, who’s joining us today, Paul from the All Formats Department. Paul, first of all, welcome to the podcast, it’s great to have you on.

Paul Hopkins: I’m honoured, honestly. The podcast is known far and wide and now I get to be a part of it and to talk about something that I and clearly you also are really passionate about, which is Sight Village, and its various happenings throughout the UK.

Stuart Lawler: Yes. I was telling you off-air, just before we came on, that years ago, when I worked for the National Council for the Blind here in Ireland, I would go over to Sight Village and they had these marquees at QAC in Birmingham, being where you guys used to host it.

Paul Hopkins: Yes.

Stuart Lawler: And I remember queuing up in the real heat in July and I remember going in to see Dolphin and they had bottles of water on their stand. I always like to see Dolphin but I was never so happy to see them because they had bottles of water.

Paul Hopkins: It’s got that personal touch to it, hasn’t it?

Stuart Lawler: It has, indeed. It’s great to have you here to talk to us about Sight Village. So, this year, there’s a couple of events to talk about, but maybe before we get into the events and the specifics, Sight Village has kind of evolved a bit or at least I feel it has over the years, Paul. It was very much an exhibition and now there’s a lot of other side events around it, workshops and such like. There’s almost a Sight Village culture, isn’t there?

Paul Hopkins: Do you know what, that’s a great way of saying it and I always strapline it, because I’ve always looked for the culture bit of it, myself. I can go back as long as Sight Village has been around, so I’ve attended as a delegate, obviously, numerous times, but then I started working for QAC, Queen Alexandra College, who still run Sight Village. The thing for me has always been looking for that culture thing. I’ve always seen that people come to meet each other there, so it is about products and services and things that you can buy, things that you can try, things you can sample, all the rest of it, but it’s also about sitting around the table with a load of people that you may or may not know and finding connections. I think the “See you at Sight Village” has always been my unofficial strapline for it, really, because there is that whole thing about someone shouting across the room, “Haven’t seen you for years. How are you, mate?” I’ve said this and will say on probably every interview that I do really, because I think it’s such an integral part of Sight Village, I think over the years, that has become something that we’ve tried to foster more, which is partly why we tend to talk now about Sight Village Birmingham being Sight Village Central and Sight Village London being Sight Village Southeast, because it says to people, look, just because if it’s in London but you’re from Kent, still come to London, because that might be your nearest location. In the case of Birmingham, you might be in Wolverhampton or Stoke-on-Trent, but this is central to you. It’s a way of making Sight Village less location-specific, but then perhaps more inviting.

Stuart Lawler: I really got the feeling last year, Paul, I was at both Sight Village Central and Southeast, and I suppose, for me, it was the first big gig after COVID, as it was for many people. I know you guys had a small Sight Village in 2021, which I did not attend, but just the amount of people who were just so glad to meet up in person. The very fact that you facilitated that, outside of the technology, I think, was wonderful.

Paul Hopkins: Yes. Thank you. I think again that’s where the seminars come in. I think they’ve been a big change, because the seminars can be about lifestyle things as well as products and you guys at Sight and Sound, you are such great supporters of us and have been for a very long time and continue to be, which obviously we appreciate incredibly. That’s not a sponsor, that’s just fact. It makes a huge difference. I think the seminars though really do give the opportunity for us to do a few different things. There have been things on job coaching, where we’ve had one of the local water companies, Severn Trent, I think, came out and did a thing with us, so that people could get employment advice. I’ve outed Paul Hopkins on tour, you could say, but I’ve done a couple of seminars about iPhone apps and hacks. For my seminar particularly, it really did bring home the fact that people just were happy to come and have a chat, so my attitude was, I have some things I can say, but actually I’m really interested to hear what you think, so join in and don’t be shy. People really did and I had some really packed seminars. That was just 20 minutes talking about what’s latest, what’s happening, what’s good, what’s bad, but then people wanted to talk afterwards and get down into some more detail. What I noticed was that people just wanted to be in a room together, connecting about something that they had in common and in a way, the seminar was almost like an excuse, just a platform, a reason for them to be together and then the conversation happened around that. I think that’s what is beautiful about Sight Village.

Stuart Lawler: I agree with you. One of the other things that’s kind of unique about it, Paul, for some people, going to an exhibition, to a technology exhibition, is a big thing. It’s daunting, if you haven’t done it before. Maybe you don’t have someone to go with or maybe you don’t want to ask family, because it might not be that exciting for some of your family members. You guys offer this sighted guide, which is really liberating.

Paul Hopkins: It really is. The sighted guides and what we can get and how, because a lot of people could rightly say that they didn’t get a guide. It is first come, first served, but also it is about who we can get to come and volunteer there for a day, to come and spend it with us. We do find that in general we are successful in getting people to do that and they’re happy to do it. They literally just dive in and offer help. They get sighted guide training in the morning, which is quite a quick turnaround. Some of them have been before and some of them have been coming for years, but fundamentally that’s how the sighted guides work. They come as volunteers from all walks of life, just to help us out. The caveat is that it is first come, first served and it is whether we can get the volunteers. Normally we can but we are always blessed by the willingness of people to come and help out and spend a day of their life, often taking time out of their normal job and coming to give us a hand.

Stuart Lawler: Certainly with the sighted guides that you’ve had over the years that I’ve experienced, there’s something really nice about how they do it. You’re standing there, maybe you’re very deep in conversation with an exhibitor or with someone you want to get some information from and I used to feel, every so often, the guide is just standing there and I feel terrible because I’m having this big conversation that’s probably not very interesting to them, but they’re just always there. You turn around, “Where do you need to go now?” Anyone I’ve had the experience to work with has been super.

Paul Hopkins: The other bit that connects that a bit more and bridges it is the fact that all the exhibitors, that I’ve ever come across, will help you, either to the next stand or to get another guide. They’ll use their eyes and they’ll look for a guide for you, if you need one. If you’re at the wrong stand and wanted to be somewhere else, slightly awkward, but they’ll redirect you. People are very gracious and they will help you. We talk a lot about competitiveness and people having to make their living and you can debate about products to suit everybody, there are some products that don’t suit some people and we know that, but still there is that lovely camaraderie that exists, as I keep seeing, so an exhibitor will be quite happy to recognise that you’re not interested in them and redirect you to where you need to be. That bridges the gap between the guide and the exhibitor and the visitor. It’s in no-one’s interest for people to get lost in an event and have a bad experience.

Stuart Lawler: Absolutely. I think by now, if we haven’t whetted people’s appetites, if you haven’t been to Sight Village and you’ve heard Paul and I talking for the last five minutes, you will want to go. Paul, so, this year, you’re kicking off in Cardiff in Wales on 18th April, Now, other than Central, they’re all one-day events and we’ll take about Central in a second. But 18th April in Cardiff and then you’re going to be in Sight Village Central in Birmingham on 17th and 18th July. The Sight Village Central event which takes place in Birmingham is in a different location this year, because you’ve been at Cranmore Park Conference Centre for the last while, but you’re moving from Solihull.

Paul Hopkins: Right. So, Cardiff, we’re returning to Cardiff, as you say, Tuesday 18th April. That one opens 10am and closes at 3:30pm. The venue is the All Nations Centre, Cardiff. I was going to say it’s a small exhibition but it does still have 32 exhibitors, including your good selves. Refreshments are available to purchase throughout the day and that’s common with all Sight Villages venues. Sight and Sound Technology, and Deaf Blind UK are the main sponsors. There aren’t any seminars at the Cardiff event. That tends to be Central and Southeast. As always, visitors are recommended to register with Eventbrite which has some accessibility issues but it is okay. That’s sightvillage.eventbrite.com or call 0121 803 5084. That gets you to the Birmingham office where we’re based.

Stuart Lawler: So, that’s on Tuesday 18th April, you’re in Cardiff and it sounds like it’s going to be a great day, great for people in Wales and the surrounds, of course, to come to Cardiff. Central, which is the event I normally attend, Central and Southeast, Central’s a great event and last year was just packed, especially on day two for some reason. Everyone was coming to Central on day two. But this year you’re moving away from Solihull and going into Birmingham City.

Paul Hopkins: Yes, we are. It’s really exciting news, in that we have a brand new venue and it is brand new. It was only built in 2020, I think. It is a bespoke events centre that has been opened. I went to see it a couple of weeks ago and it is fantastic, because not only is it a huge venue, it has a hotel attached to it as well. The hotel is above it and then there are bars and all kinds of things that you would expect at any decent conferencing venue, all on one level. It is relatively easy to get to. The easiest way is always to jump into a taxi from the likes of New Street Station, but it is a five minute car ride. It’s near to Aston University. It’s not far from Birmingham City Centre at all. We will be releasing an audio guide to give people the best options to get there, so that’s when I go out with one of our mobility instructors and record 3D sound, including ambient sound, and give people an idea of what buses to get, where to get taxis from and that kind of thing, but it really is Sight Village coming of age. We said that over several chapters of Sight Village, so Cranmore Park was a fantastic venue, but it was quite hard to get to, and as you know with these things, it’s affordability as well, but we’ve managed to get this thing within Birmingham for Sight Village Central, which is a real coup. It will blow people’s socks off essentially.

Stuart Lawler: We’re dying to come and see it. I know our CEO, Glenn Tookey, has seen it and he’s very impressed. You mentioned there this audio guide that you’re going to produce. I heard one of those before and you probably did one for Cranmore Park, I think. They were really good and I think what I enjoyed about them was, I was sitting at home and there’s a difference, I think, in opening a virtual map on your phone or whatever way you use your maps and hearing the route being spoken by VoiceOver, or hearing the experience of Paul Hopkins, who’s a blind person. Yours was just a million times more useful, for me. So, I’m delighted to hear that you’re going to go out again.

Paul Hopkins: I’m so heartened to hear you say that, because I do feel like I’m doing these things in isolation sometimes because you just don’t get that feedback. You put them up there and hope that it helps somebody, but hearing that is such a nice thing, because it does take time to put those things together. I wear in-ear mics and the mics sit in your ears and because they’re in your ears, it gives that sense of being in your head. Essentially whatever I heard at the time is what you hear in the audio, so it does give you a very immersive experience, especially as we’re hearing oriented, mostly, ourselves. We go back to that thing about giving people the confidence to come to us, because obviously you do actually have to come out and we know that’s a big ask. We know that with lockdown, there was a lot of people who had real anxiety about going out and for good reason. But we’re saying, if you can get on the train and get to us, we’ll help you that last bit of the way and we’ll ensure that you’ll have an amazing day, to the best of our ability. Where possible, we’ll pick venues that have hotels attached to them as well.

Stuart Lawler: Brilliant. We’ll keep an eye out or an ear out for the audio guide. That sounds like a really great event and looking forward to seeing lots of people there. The fact that it’s in the centre of Birmingham, the fact that there’s a hotel as part of the event, makes a lot of sense. You’re in Exeter in September, is that correct?

Paul Hopkins: Yes. 26th September, 2023, that’s at Sandy Park Stadium, Exeter. We don’t have any times for that.

Stuart Lawler: Again, I guess, as things become more firmed up, they will be on the QAC website, so people can always go there to find out information. Then November, I know, you’re back for Sight Village Southeast, which I believe we’re back again in Kensington Town Hall. I love that whole experience of Kensington.

Paul Hopkins: Yes. That’s on 7th November. I like it. Kensington Town Hall has got a bit of grandeur to it, I always think. For people that have some vision, they’ve got thousands of spotlight in the ceiling. That’s the way they light the hall. It’s quite a unique look. That is near to tubes and so, there should be no difficulty in getting there. London has become one of our major events. To us, all the events are important, all the venues are important and the whole point of having the Sight Villages in various locations, rather than just one big event, was so that we could reach more people. If you are a bit apprehensive about coming out, remember that those Sight Villages are designed to be as near to you as possible within regions, and then you can come out and see us, all being well. We’d love to see you there.

Stuart Lawler: Okay. Paul, you’ve given us a huge amount of information. I know that yourself and your colleague, Karen, and I’m sure loads of other people are working very hard on this one. Just before we let you go, is there a way people can plan their itinerary? When I go to exhibitions, I often like to look ahead, who’s going to be there, and I make a list of, say, the eight companies that I really want to see and then after that, who might be available. Are there or will there be lists on the website for each even of who is going to be there?

Paul Hopkins: There are and will be, and the other thing I would do, is go to the website and look at who was around last time. Often, while there are local differences to an extent, a lot of the regulars are going to be at all the venues. That’s one way I would do it, but certainly the information about who’s going to be where will come out on the website. So, I suggest you bookmark the website and then make sure that you are looking back regularly as the time approaches for the Sight Village that you want to visit. You can always give us a ring as well or email us.

Stuart Lawler: That all important website, Paul, where people can go and find out the latest information on Sight Village, where is that?

Paul Hopkins: www.qacsightvillage.org.uk and you will find everything on there, as it gets updated.

Stuart Lawler: We’re really excited to be the premier sponsors of the event. We love Sight Village every year. There’s a bit of palpable excitement, I know, in Northampton. Really looking forward to seeing yourself and your colleagues and thank you for all that you do to continue a really important set of dates in so many of our calendars, so thanks a million for that. We appreciate the time you’ve taken on the podcast today. Please come back, maybe later in the year. Maybe we’ll catch up with you in London and just see how it’s been. That would be a nice way to round off this conversation.

Paul Hopkins: I would love to do that and get a bit of the atmosphere perhaps.

Stuart Lawler: Absolutely. Let’s do that on 7th November, so we get back in London. Paul, thank you very much for your time and we’ll chat to you soon.

Paul Hopkins: Thank you so much, Stuart, it’s been a pleasure.

Stuart Lawler: Many thanks to Paul Hopkins there, very much looking forward to that meet-up in November, so we can bring this whole discussion to a nice conclusion with Paul in November when we chat in London about Sight Village and how it’s all been this year. Paul was out in the open when he was recording. I could hear birds in the background. It sounded beautiful over there, didn’t it? Many thanks, Paul, for giving us your time. If you’re going to Sight Village, enjoy whatever event you attend. That’s just about it for this edition of the show but we’ll be back soon. Until then, from Stuart Lawler and everybody at Sight and Sound Technology, thanks for listening and goodbye.