Apple Pro Event In Hong Kong

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Apple Final Cut World Tour event in Hong Kong. Although Apple do not have a store here in Hong Kong, there have been a few Apple Pro showcase marketing events aimed at the local creative community.

This one was held in the Azure Restaurant that tops the stylish Lang Kwai Fong Hotel. However, the organisation was a little disappointing. I arrived on time and thought because the crowds were from the earlier session. After waiting for a half hour and surveying the distributor stalls (Tablets, Video Editing gear, Backup products and some Audio stuff), I asked when the session was starting. An excited organiser told me that due to an “overwhelming demand” the event was full, the Final Cut session had already started and I would miss out (despite having pre-registered).

I love how “overwhelming demand” is used as a euphemism for poor organisation.

Anyway, the organisers noticed my consternation and I was invited back to a reserved seat for the Logic Pro and Aperture sessions (which, to be fair, were my main interest).

The Logic Pro session was fun, informative and a good introduction to the programme for beginners. The presenter was a part-time musician who despite some good ideas, had only a patchy grasp of Logic’s workflow, keystrokes and menu items (and a risible tendency to say “blow out of the water” as a comparative description for every Logic feature). He was unable to locate some key plug-ins, unable to answer a straightforward question about time-stretching and far too mouse-reliant to give people an insight into how fluid Logic can be. For a professional-level presentation, Apple need to find a snappier operator to highlight the programme.

By contrast, the Aperture presentation, drawing on a real-world photographic project was brilliant. It was good to see a thorough professional at work with the programme. It highlighted not just the features of the programme, but also the speed of workflow and the strength of Aperture as a digital image management solution.

Despite the organisational problems, the event was worthwhile and I hope Apple will continue to invest in the local creative community in this way.

[tags] Apple, Logic Pro, Aperture [/tags]