NAB Show New York Preview: Presenting AVORA to North American audiences

My trip to IBC2026 came together at the last minute. After joining virtually last year, it was great to be back in Amsterdam to meet with customers and colleagues, and to reacquaint myself with the art of avoiding bikes when crossing Amsterdam roads.

Alongside being part of the team cutting the show at GV Forum using Event Producer X, I was also running demonstrations of our newly launched AVORA offering. Now, I'm preparing to take AVORA to NAB Show New York (October 21-22) for its first North American presentation following last month's launch. AVORA will be on the Grass Valley booth (#121) during the show, and I'll be personally demonstrating it on the Broadfield booth (#613).

A view from the production team

If I had to name the biggest difference between AVORA and Event Producer X, it would be simplicity. One moment from the GV Forum production shows this well.

We relied heavily on custom multi-box compositions throughout the event. At one point, our CPO, Adam Marshall, asked for a specific three-box layout for a presentation. In Event Producer X, building that scene required a solid understanding of Maverik X concepts such as keyers, image stores, EMEMs, banks and macros. We had to configure multiple keyers, save the composition to an EMEM, create a macro and assign it to a switcher button before it could be used in production.

With AVORA, the same task is far simpler. An operator can arrange the sources directly in a visual layout editor and have the scene ready to use. That makes this kind of change easier for someone with less experience of a production switcher.

AVORA brings tools for live production into a standalone system built on AMPP technology. An operator can handle switching and audio within the same environment, with functions such as graphics and remote contribution integrated into workflows.

It also supports visual shot-based production, as well as traditional program/preset operation, so operators can select the controls that suit their experience. A single person can run the show or a team can share responsibilities through separate browser interfaces. For a larger event, for example, someone could take care of audio while another colleague handles vision.

Making the connection to our customers' work

At IBC, I spoke with a North American sports production customer that has been evaluating Event Producer X and Sports Producer X over the past several months. Their feedback was an excellent example of where AVORA fits within a modern production ecosystem.

The team supports a broad range of sporting events, from larger, more complex productions to smaller-scale events where operational efficiency and speed of deployment are critical. While they see real value in Event Producer X and Sports Producer X for some of their productions, they immediately recognized AVORA as an ideal fit for their lower-tier events.

Two benefits stood out for them. First, AVORA dramatically reduces event preparation time, allowing operators to build productions quickly without extensive pre-configuration. Second, it requires significantly less operator training, making it easier to staff productions and scale resources when needed.

They also saw AVORA as a development platform for the next generation of technical directors. Instead of being introduced directly to a large, complex production switcher, new operators can build confidence and gain experience on a streamlined, intuitive system while still learning the core principles of live production. In fact, their interest was such that they said they could fill one of their offices with at least 10 AVORA systems!

Preparation time is important for recurring corporate productions too. While the speakers and content may change between events, much of the production format will often stay the same. With AVORA, teams can save and recall a complete show setup, then update the material and rehearse using a familiar configuration.

Putting production cues alongside the content

At GV Forum, Grass Valley CTO, Ian Fletcher, demonstrated how AVORA can link production cues to a presentation script. As the prompting followed his voice, the system triggered camera changes and graphics at the relevant points.

LINK:	https://www.grassvalley.com/nab-show-new-york-preview-presenting-avora...
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