Allan Reid, president and CEO of CARAS, thanking 2016 sponsors at a press conference.
Two decades after the break-up of his Kingston rock band Juice, lead singer Mike Girgis finally made it to the Juno Awards.
The serial entrepreneur, whose start-ups include the subway-based digital ad network OneStop (which was sold to Pattison Outdoor Advertising in 2011) and the data analytics/indoor signage network Dive Networks, recently showcased his newest venture, Big Digital, at the Canadian music awards show.
The company partnered with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to bring “George, the Digital Podium” to the stage at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome for the 45th Juno Awards.
In addition to bringing some visual flair to the Junos stage, the connected podium also kept Canadian music fans apprised of the show goings-on via his dedicated social media feed, @BIGPodiumGeorge.
Launched in 2015, Big Digital rents digital screens that can be configured in a variety of different ways for temporary activations at conferences, industry events or even retail pop-ups.
The company has worked with clients including Visa Canada and Canada Post to digitize their displays at industry trade shows such as Dx3 or the Canadian Marketing Awards.
It recently worked with Toronto-based experiential and event marketing agency Black Chalk Marketing to create a digital activation for the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) called “Talk to Santa,” which enabled youngsters waiting for a flight at Pearson International to talk with Santa via a giant touchscreen.
For now, Girgis and the rest of Big Digital’s 12-person team remain focused on building its Canadian business before looking to the lucrative U.S. market. “We’re committed to doing an incredible job in our backyard first,” said Girgis. “There’s lots of opportunity here. Not to say we’re not looking at growing into the U.S., but we really want to perfect things here.”
At the Junos, Big Digital also employed its “social tower” product Babar (all of its products are named after famous elephants) throughout the venue.
CARAS approached Big Digital last year, shortly after Girgis shared a Marketing story profiling his latest start-up on LinkedIn. “The Junos team came back to us and said ‘This is exactly what we need for our 2016 show,’” said Girgis. “From last April until now we’ve been working with them to integrate our products into this year’s show.
“When we got the note, I was like ‘Are you kidding me? This is fantastic,’” he said. “I used to play in a band and I love music, so for us to be involved with the Junos in our first year, we’re ecstatic.”
While Juice never earned a Juno nomination, the band did release a CD; one song, “Sweet,” earned airplay on stations including Toronto’s Q107. The band also played venues including The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto.
Juice broke up in the mid-1990s as members turned their focus to career and family, though Girgis does re-join them on stage each Christmas. “I get my fix in,” he said.
