Yorkshire based digital media and theatre company 2b Acting, is encouraging hotels to deploy Automated Concierge Systems (ACS) for their customers to support a new industry for creatives and actors.
The response to the COVID-19 virus has had a big impact on actors with the closure of theatres and the cancellation of many film productions. Traditional opportunities have diminished and there is a desperate need for alternative artists’ jobs to be developed.
This is despite the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak unveiling a 1.57- billion pounds package of emergency grants and cheap loans for arts, culture, and heritage industries. Unfortunately, it is unlikely this package will solve the immediate problem for jobbing actors as most of the funds will likely go to supporting established cultural organisations.
2b Acting’s solution to this crisis is the development of their ACS for hotels. An ACS provides a new experience for hotel customers and is based on the use of Interactive Videos, enabling a two-way communication interface. Hotels can now extend a warm greeting and guide using interactive videos in every stage of their customer interaction. A more inclusive interface able to utilise sign-language videos, text-to- voice, subtitles and zoom facilities plus switch between different languages and/or faces for better international support.
An ACS benefits hotels and customers in several ways but the key for 2b Acting is the job creation potential for creatives and actors. According to research data published by Statista there are around 12,400 hotels in the UK. As each hotel that deploys an ACS would require the creation of bespoke interactive videos then the market for productions is significant.
“With every ACS ordered we can offer immediate work to actors.”, says David Jones, the founder of 2b Acting. “We recognise the importance of developing more diverse outlets for creatives, especially at this time, and hope that hotels can be encouraged to adopt this new method of customer engagement and that our efforts are supported by others in the industry.”
Interactive videos can create new applications extending areas where actors can be employed. This is an exciting future for the creative industry and a welcomed initiative to save actors from the post COVID-19 situation.
2b Acting Ltd, The basement, Sandway Business Center, Shannon Street, Leeds LS9 8SS Tel: 07811544422 email admin@2bacting.com
- Contact: David Jones: Tel: 07811544422 or email dave@2bacting.com
- More about 2b Acting’s ACS visit: https://2bacting.com/acs
- High-quality images are available on request, where required