Gil Mathew

There were those who scoffed at that tag line, ‘Culture and Creativity at the Edge of Nature’, when it was first crafted at the ERC, and some with good reason.  However at the National Association of Broadcasters Conference in Las Vages last month, it was a phrase that rang true.  In the Broadcast industry, Nevada County i.e. Grass Valley is a world leader. As you stroll the aisles or sit among some of the 75,000 or so attendees at NAB everyone knows about Grass Valley, and almost all of them say the same thing.  “Of course, we know Grass Valley.  What a cool place that is and it’s pretty too”  Then when you probe deeper, you find that they not only know of the video companies that call this home, but also know the vibrant and creative talent that is collected here, and many that I spoke with wished they could live and work here.

It’s this culture of creativity that also allows new products to be brought to market.  Witness the award winning products that were announced during the April show. Telestream, the Telestream Pipeline was acclaimed by the Broadcast Engineering Magazine as an NAB Pick Hit of the show along with Grass Valley’s Kayenne switcher and the K2Dyno and Summit.   AJA Video’ Ki Pro.  Over 15% of the 34 “Pick Hits” by Broadcast Engineering Magazine came from Nevada County and when you consider we are up against, Sony, Panasonic, Adobe, etc. that’s an accomplishment.

A big winner at NAB was AJA Video and their Ki Pro.  Ki Pro was awarded the Broadcast Engineering Pick Hit Award, the DV Black Diamond Award, the TV Technology Star Award, and the Videography Magazine Vidy Award. Products awarded are selected by a panel of industry experts, engineers and journalists based on the most innovative new technologies introduced at the annual NAB conference.

Grass Valley unveiled their new look, dropping the Thomson name.  The booth was spectacular and it was the first thing you saw as you entered the South Hall.
 
Nevada County can be very proud of the contribution made by these and the other business that call this edge of nature, home.

[Gil Mathew is CEO of the Nevada County Economic Resource Council, and a Nevada County entrepreneur.  This piece first appeared in the Nevada County Business News.]