SOTHEBY’S PLANNING TOOL GIVES CUSTOMERS A REAL INSIGHT

Clive Lord, Sotheby’s Chief Operating Officer, explains: "As soon as we saw PinPoint’s software we recognised its value for us, both as a planning tool and as an engaging, exciting new technology that our customers could use to explore our galleries on-line.”

Exhibita Pro allows Sotheby’s to place virtual exhibits in a virtual gallery which exactly replicates the layout and dimensions of the actual site. Temporary walls can be moved or removed, or even change colour to enhance the visual impact. Exhibits are then placed in the virtual environment and moved around until the optimum layout has been achieved. This flexibility would be impossible in reality, and moving valuable exhibits around risks unnecessary damage.

The virtual environment, with exhibits in-situ, then becomes a virtual, interactive tour for on-line visitors. Each exhibit is linked to additional information about the piece and the virtual view is exactly the same as if you were to visit the exhibition in person.

The PinPoint team has been very busy over recent months creating the four key sites in a virtual world. The New York building alone has 20 storeys that all needed to be mapped and visualised. The exhibits themselves are added by Sotheby’s in-house team who then create the final scenes.

Clive Lord explains why this new system is proving to be such a success for them: "The planning side alone saves us so much time and money. The exhibitions can be designed in a fraction of the time it used to take us, and we can make changes so easily and try out new arrangements without risking damage to the exhibits, as they can be safely placed in their final locations. The real benefit though is to our customers who can now view our exhibitions and previews from anywhere in the world, discover additional information about a piece and even make an on-line bid. It has revolutionised our entire approach to exhibition planning and sales.”