AV News June 2024

Sphere Entertainment acquires Holoplot

Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) (“Sphere Entertainment”) has announced that it has acquired all of the remaining shares it did not previously own of HOLOPLOT GmbH (“HOLOPLOT”), a global leader in 3D audio technology. Sphere Entertainment made its first investment into HOLOPLOT in 2018 when the two companies partnered to develop Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which revolutionised the live audio experience when Sphere opened in Las Vegas in September 2023.

In a joint statement on behalf of Sphere Entertainment, David Dibble, CEO, MSG Ventures and Paul Westbury, EVP, Development and Construction, said: “HOLOPLOT is at the forefront of audio innovation, and their custom-designed technology has already transformed what is possible for concert-grade sound. This acquisition reflects our Company’s commitment to staying on the cutting-edge of immersive experiences as we explore growth opportunities for both Sphere and HOLOPLOT.”

“We have worked alongside the Sphere team for many years in developing our technology, and together we have forever changed the live sound experience,” said Roman Sick, CEO and Co-Founder of HOLOPLOT. “As a result of this transaction, HOLOPLOT can accelerate its mission to bring its technologies to more applications and markets and continue to push audio innovation to new bounds.”

The world’s largest, fully integrated concert-grade audio system, Sphere Immersive Sound powers unparalleled listening experiences at Sphere in Las Ve-

The world’s largest, fully integrated concert-grade audio system, Sphere Immersive Sound powers unparalleled listening experiences at Sphere in Las Vegas.

gas. Sphere Immersive Sound was first introduced in 2022 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, which is operated by Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. and part of the MSG Family of Companies along with Sphere Entertainment.

Berlin-based HOLOPLOT has enabled a new generation of audio experiences with its proprietary audio technology. HOLOPLOT’s proprietary technology is focused on sound control, intelligence and quality to transform how audio is delivered. By enabling precise and digital control of sound propagation and localization, the resulting audio is highly targeted, consistent, and immersive, providing audience members with an outstanding listening experience.

The transaction has closed. HOLOPLOT will remain based in Berlin and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sphere Entertainment as it continues to grow its business and serve its customers and clients.

Peerless AV Showcase 2024 sets new records

Peerless-AV has announced that this year’s AV Showcase at Lord’s to be the biggest, busiest and best yet. Now in its fourth year, the AV Showcase has broken new records, seeing consecutive growth and an increased ROI for exhibitors with a 20% rise in attendance encompassing a wide breadth of end

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users, channel partners and consultants. Feedback from the 50+ brands on the show floor has been positive with 100% saying they were happy with visitor attendance, and they would attend in 2025.

Moya Kelleher, B2B Sales UK&I at Sony, said about the event: “This year’s AV Showcase was the best one yet! The show is continuing to grow each year, bringing in more end user, consultant, reseller and integrator attendees. The entire team had a lot of interesting conversations, the booth had a constant flow of visitors, and we generated a good number of quality leads over both days. The evening networking reception was also the busiest so far, with everyone buzzing after a successful first day. Thanks, as always, to Peerless-AV for putting on such a great event and we look forward to seeing everyone back there 2025!”

The show had a new floor plan facilitating a smooth traffic flow around all the booths allowing visitors to experience all the new product launches, first time showings and demonstrations on offer. Visitors were also encouraged to participate in an exhibitor stamp tour competition with winners of cash prizes announced at the end of both days.

Will Hegan, Managing Directo – EMEA, Diversified. commented: “The 2024 Peerless-AV Showcase was a great hit with both our Diversified staff and our customers whom all had a great day out, culminating in a famous Lord’s tour of the grounds and networking. The show floor was like a mini-ISE, full of key manufacturing partners and technology products. The general buzz around the day and evening event was fantastic. I heard nothing but positive feedback and conversations. Well done to the Peerless-AV team for organising a great event and we look forward to attending in 2025!”

The 2024 AV Showcase had a number of new features, including morning education sessions with compelling keynotes from Michel Bouman of Microsoft, Greg Jeffreys of Visual Displays, AVIXA’s Ben Barnard and Sarah Cox of Neutral Human. Held for the first time in the middle of the show floor, the sessions drew in an engaged audience keen to learn about the latest industry trends and insights. Sharp NEC also hosted a well-attended Sustainability Forum for end users with a keynote from Florian Rotburg of Invidis Consulting and panel with Jenny Hicks of Midwich and Sheila Egan of UCL.

Also new in 2024 was a ladies Love2Learn cricket lesson sponsored by Exertis and Philips. Over 30 AV professionals took to the indoor cricket academy learning batting and bowling skills with the chance to put them into practise in a fun competitive play off. The event was loved by all, and many commented how great it was to see so many women in the

Now in its fourth year, the AV Showcase has broken new records, seeing consecutive growth and an increased ROI for exhibitors with a 20% rise in attendance encompassing a wide breadth of end users, channel partners and consultants.

channel come together. Networking was also high on the agenda with a sundowner networking reception on the Centurian Terrace with views over the iconic Lord’s grounds. The atmosphere was bustling as exhibiting brands and visitors had the chance to continue conversations in a relaxed setting after a successful first day.

Keith Dutch, Managing Director – EMEA, Peerless-AV confirmed that the two-day AV Showcase “is planning to return by popular demand in 2025. Numbers of end users, reseller and integrators were up on the show floor from 2023 with a general feeling that the event was busier and the best so far. We’ve received exceptional feedback from our partners and attendees. Enquiries from new interested brands are coming in and existing partners were resolute at the networking reception that they’d sign up next year. We’re thrilled with how the showcase is growing year on year, how well received and recognised it is by the industry and we look forward to bringing even more value to the table next year.”

DCC publishes year-end results

Strong performance in the energy sector, the return of prosperity in healthcare and positive indicators in proAV support growth across the group. Next year is projected to be period of strong operating profit growth and continued development.

DCC group’s results for the year ended 31 March 2024 reveal a picture of growth, development and strategic momentum in its 30th Year as a Public Company. Adjusted operating profit was up 4.1% (5.3% on a constant currency basis) to £682.8 million, driven by very strong growth in DCC Energy. DCC Healthcare returned to organic growth in the second half of the year.

Donal Murphy, DCC Chief Executive, co commented on the 2024 results: “We are pleased to announce that we delivered a year of growth, development and strategic progress in our 30th year as a public company. The very strong growth delivered by DCC Energy was the highlight of the year, and it is also encouraging that DCC Healthcare returned to organic growth in the second half of the year. We are executing our Cleaner Energy in Your Power strategy in DCC Energy and have real momentum as we build the offerings that enable customers to make cleaner energy choices. Our growth this year is again testament to our 16,600 people who continue to go above and beyond. As we reflect on three decades of growth, we’re excited about what lies ahead: the growing need for cleaner energy, lifelong health and progressive technology”

While DCC Technology recorded strong revenue and profit growth in the first half of the year, this was largely driven by the acquisition of Almo (acquired December 2021). Operating profit increased by 67.4% (52.7% on a constant currency basis) to £45.5 million. The slowdown in consumer confidence due to the challenging macro environment began to

have an impact across all markets during the period, although the impact has varied by geography and end-user category. DCC Technology has improved margins and exercised tight cost control in the period. Market conditions were most challenging in the consumer product sectors, due to the impact on consumer confidence of the substantial increase in the cost-of-living and uncertain economic outlook. This was most evident in continental Europe and the UK but was also a feature in North America. Demand in higher-margin B2B sectors, such as Pro AV and Pro Audio products, held up well as businesses generally maintained planned investment in their technology infrastructure. The supply chain issues experienced by the global technology market have improved, which has reduced product shortages.

The North American business performed robustly in the first half of the year, albeit behind expectations. Revenue and operating profit were significantly ahead of the prior year due to the acquisition of Almo and growth in the Pro AV and Pro Audio sectors. The performance of consumer products was mixed; demand for domestic and premium appliances and consumer electronics was robust, but the market generally experienced much weaker demand during the summer months for certain product segments, such as air conditioners. During the period the business successfully integrated its pre-existing Pro AV business with the Pro AV operations of Almo to create the largest distributor of Pro AV equipment in North America.

Following the progress made in recent years, DCC Technology now has a very strong platform to develop and expand its business in North America. The more pronounced economic uncertainty in Europe compared with the US led to lower demand in continental European markets. Revenue declined year on year, particularly for consumer products in the retail and e-tail channels.

Donal Murphy, DCC Chief Executive

Kinly reports on technology that supports ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals

Kinly, global provider of audio-visual integration and collaboration services, has launched its new corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy to meet the demand from global enterprises — over half of which (53%) are struggling to find AV suppliers that can meet their ESG requirements. That’s according to Kinly’s Trusted Connections 2024 research report, which surveyed 425 enterprise AV professionals working in the UK, Germany, Nordics, and the Netherlands.

The research also found that despite the struggle to find suppliers, nearly three quarters (70%) of enterprises agree that AV investments will be essential to their ESG strategy in 2024.

Spearheaded by Global Corporate Social Responsibility Lead, Rhea Horlock, Kinly’s new CSR strategy aims to fill this gap, intertwining sustainability, ethical practices, and community engagement to provide enterprises with a supplier that aligns with their ESG goals.

Rhea was hired to develop and execute the new CSR strategy, which goes further than just managing the impact of Kinly’s operations, but also looks at how the company can influence its clients to make more sustainable decisions. With nearly half (47%) of enterprises prioritising improved sustainability and ESG targets in 2024, it’s essential that they work with partners who build solutions with sustainability front of mind.

Kinly’s ‘sustainability by design’ commitment takes a bespoke approach, selecting vendors that align with its clients’ sustainability priorities — whether they are material use, energy efficiency, e-waste or all of the

above. From the configuration of a solution, through to its installation, usage, and eventual disposal, the entire lifecycle is designed to have the least environmental impact possible.

At all stages of Kinly’s ‘sustainability by design’ approach, the company also provides its clients with data on the environmental and social impact of their design decisions. This is especially important given that Kinly’s research shows that of those enterprises that have recently undergone a workplace communications transformation project, a third (36%) have improved sustainability in less than 12 months.

As well as supporting its customers, Kinly’s CSR strategy also looks at its operational impact, focusing on reducing the company’s carbon footprint, creating inclusive careers, and helping people connect.

Kinly has committed to net zero emissions by 2050, a target it will hit by evaluating and reducing the emissions caused by its offices, vehicles and business travel, as well as engaging it’s supply chain. Kinly’s CSR approach also considers wider issues like representation in the tech industry. The company has committed to:

Delivering 1,000 hours of employability training and careers support to underrepresented groups and people with barriers into the job market by 2026

Having 35% female representation and 10% disabled representation in the business by 2035

Supporting 10,000 people into careers in the tech sector by 2050

Commenting on the new CSR strategy, Tom Martin, Kinly’s CEO said: “At Kinly, we are fully committed to advancing sustainable and socially responsible business practices that not only benefit the communities we operate in but also foster employee satisfaction and ensure the long-term sustainability of our business and those we partner with.

“The pledges we have made through our newly launched CSR strategy are proof of this commitment and will serve to push not just the company forward but the industry as a whole.”

Rhea Horlock added: “We know there isn’t a onesize-fits all approach to CSR and sustainability, and we are proud to be leading that way in developing a strategy that focuses on where we can make the biggest material impact on the world. This strategy reflects our commitment to not just participate in the market, but to set a benchmark for responsible business practices. By integrating sustainability into the very fabric of our operations, we aim to minimise our environmental impact while maximising social benefits.

“We are also dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that fosters innovation and respects all voices. By helping people connect and address-

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To find out more about Kinly’s new CSR strategy please see the full report here. Our full Trusted Connections 2024 research report can be found here.

Barco ClickShare reaffirms commitment to climate action

Barco, a global leader in meeting room technology, announces it has taken a significant next step in ClickShare’s path towards a full carbon-neutral offering for meeting collaboration. The ClickShare Bar has been granted the carbon-neutral label by leading climate advisory organization CO2logic, a South Pole company and is the second ClickShare product to receive the carbon-neutral label, after the ClickShare Conference CX-50 2nd generation. With this recognition, Barco reinforces its commitment to design with sustainability in mind, as the ClickShare Bar is the first carbon-neutral video bar for wireless conferencing on the market.

86% of IT managers indicate sustainability practices are crucial to achieve their business goals, according to a recent survey by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan. ClickShare helps customers to equip meeting rooms with reliable technology and achieve sustainability goals at the same time.

Reducing the environmental footprint of its products has always been part of Barco’s DNA. The Barco Eco scoring is a transparent methodology to grade its products’ ecodesign performance based on material use, energy efficiency, packaging and logistics, and lifecycle. Throughout the entire product lifecycle of the ClickShare devices, Barco substantially reduces CO2 emissions. ClickShare takes its sustainability endeavors a step further with the carbon-neutral certification for the ClickShare Bar range, which implies the remaining amount of CO2 is offset to guarantee real climate action.

The ClickShare Bar contains 35% next-life, recycled plastics.

Packaging is made of 86% recycled and 98% recyclable materials.

100% waste reduction between suppliers: packaging is completely re-used for shipments to and from main suppliers.

Power savings outperform the strictest Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) legislation requirements for standby mode by two times. In addition, it is 30% more energy efficient than competition in BYOD mode.

Efficient waste management and recycling commitment with ClickShare’s Trade-in program.

The ClickShare Bar emits 299,2 kg of CO2 in a 5-year lifecycle. That same 299,2 kg of CO2 is neutralized in the Huadu Afforestation project by planting 2,4 trees per ClickShare Bar.

The Huadu Afforestation Project offsets the remaining carbon emissions associated with the production and use of the video bars by strategically planting trees to transform wasteland into a thriving forest in the Guizhou province in South China. Next to protecting the biodiversity of the region, the project creates jobs and education opportunities for communities and improves the local economy.

Restrictive Covenants. Unlawful restraint or a necessary protection?

Having announced in May last year that it intends to limit the enforceability of non-compete clauses to three months after the last day of employment, a year on and the government appears to be getting cold feet, with no implementation of the policy yet in sight. The government’s rationale for limiting non-compete clauses, appears to be to boost the wider UK economy, with employees able to switch jobs more easily, whilst increasing productivity by expanding the talent pool. But nothing has changed.

Sarah Rushton, Partner and head of Employment Law at Buckles, explains: “A type of restrictive covenant, non-compete clauses are typically included in employment contracts to prevent departing employees from working for a business deemed a competitor to the original employer.

“Many people believe a non-compete clause is unenforceable because it stops them earning a living, but this view is wrong and a breach of any post-termination restrictions can be extremely serious, both for the individual and their new employer.

“Given few are actively enforced, or the non-compete clause was badly drafted originally, employees typically ignore what their employment contract states, or do not believe it will affect their ability to assume a new role with a competitor.”

The article will cover:

What are restrictive covenants?

A tree plantation. Furrows with evenly spaced seedlings in black pots. Blurred worker and a valley in the background. Copy space. High quality photo

“We recognize businesses must fundamentally reassess their environmental footprint. ClickShare takes a proactive, innovative approach and helps customers achieve their carbon-neutral targets for a greener future in the meeting room,” said Jan van Houtte, EVP Meeting Experience at Barco. “With the first carbon-neutral video bar for wireless conferencing, we solidify our position as green pioneer in the collaboration market.”

Why would a business want to use them?

When are they enforceable?

How are they enforced?

About the author: Sarah Rushton is Head of Employment & Immigration at Buckles Law. Her work includes restrictive covenant injunctions, bonus disputes and very high value discrimination claims, as well as day to day employment tribunal matters and contract disputes. She also gives practical commercial advice to clients on a full range of employment law matters, including restructuring and redundancies.

About the Firm: Buckles Solicitors is a leading regional law firm with offices in Bristol, Cambridge, London, Nottingham, Peterborough, Swindon and Stamford. It offers a full range of legal services, including corporate law, commercial law, litigation and dispute resolution, employment law, commercial property law, family law, contentious probate, business immigration and private client matters.

AV in sustainable public transport

Atthe current rate, migration to electric vehicles for personal transportation will take until at least 2040 (UBS) to achieve ubiquity. One of the factors limiting their adoption is the availability of public charging points, which currently stands at 30,00 in the UK, just 10% of government targets for 2030. In pursuit of net zero, electric cars are not the only choice for personal transportation. Car maker Vauxhall anticipates a huge rise in subscription schemes, whereby customers pay a monthly fee to use with insurance and maintenance included. Other concepts include fractional ownership, or car sharing clubs, at least instil driverless cars become a reality. In the meantime, efficient, flexible public transport, in association with AV control and communication, is likely to provide the most likely short-term route to sustainability.

In pursuit of net zero, electric cars are not the only choice for personal transportation. Car maker Vauxhall anticipates a huge rise in subscription schemes, whereby customers pay a monthly fee to use with insurance and maintenance included.

In the past, travelling by public transport was beset with uncertainty, unreliability, discomfort and even a lack of safety. Nor surprisingly, public transport carried a perception of low status as the preserve of the poor, the young and the elderly. These perceptions are beginning to change as environmental factors are impacting on the mindset of the travelling public. Couple these factors with the unavoidable fact that public transport rarely delivers users to their final destination, and the use of public travel facilities inevitably involves compromises by travellers.

Transition

However, public transport is starting to undergo a transition. public transportation vehicles themselves the move to electrification is well underway. Coal fired trains and even diesel trains are now very much consigned to history, aside from a few heritage routes.

On our roads, no other European country registered as many electrically driven buses as the UK in 2023. According to statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), zero-emission buses (ZEB) accounted for almost half of registrations of all new large buses. 45.1 per cent of new registrations of single and double-decker buses were either battery-electric or hydrogen-powered. There were 2,554 single and double-decker standard buses, of which around 1,150 had a purely electric drive (BEV or FCEV). That is the 45.1% market share mentioned above, and is driven by the increasing number of Low Emission Zones impacting on our city centres.

Customer experience

So, the vehicles themselves are transitioning towards sustainability, but, beyond encouraging a feeling of wellbeing among travellers, the move to electric power does little to enhance the customer experience. This should start with route and schedule planning. Here facilities for route and timetable planning – and even ticket. Provision – and must start even before traveller enters the public transport network.

Today, the smartphone is the mayor device for re-

searching and booking trips by public transport, supplemented by digital signage en route at stations and tram or bus stops. But it is in transport hubs, including, airports, ports and rail or coach termini that travellers are able to access the full information and travel solutions available. It is quite possible to see exacting facilities like taxis and car hire supplemented with or replaced by driverless vehicles booked and monitored by AV technology in the future.

The features and services available from f these ‘;smarthubs’ will not only include departure/arrival updates and security information during the journey, but the integrated AV n in transportation hubs will provide the travellers is with immersive experiences that. Keep them engaged and entertained

Adding value with AV

Adding value through integrated AV is increasingly a feature seen in airports, where providers compete for the business of high-net-worth travellers. Access to audiovisual technology has become an instrumental part of an enjoyable travel experience for frequent flyers. As travel by air takes off once more, airports across the nation have realized the value of investing in audiovisual technology to create a visually stunning, immersive experience.

Typically, passengers use audiovisual technology to check in, collect luggage, monitor flights and even purchase items. These AV solutions are no longer luxuries but are relied upon as a vital part of an airport’s smooth operations. Airports are now implementing audiovisual upgrades that create a lasting impression, making air travel an engaging experience that inspires travellers to return to a particular terminal. If your travel hub is less than exciting, consider including audiovisual technology that functions as art and entertainment, such as breathtaking LED lighting displays. Such aesthetic touches will revivify passengers so that they anticipate rather than dread their next trip.

Beyond airports, travellers and buses have also benefited from using train integration rom audiovisual upgrades like enhanced lighting, clear audio and digital signage replacing horrid dot matrix signs. Digital signage received a boost during the pandemic when it was used to direct, caution and reassure travellers. It has played a similar role during a number of security alerts. But its main purpose today is to enhance and engage passengers in the travel experience, in addition to delivering boarding announcements, lost baggage reclaim instructions, or departure and arrival times.

Digital signage in kiosk formats has become increasingly critical for transportation hubs in all forms.

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Kiosks with touch screen capabilities can assist travellers with wayfinding or check-in while displaying important information. In addition, companies can use these kiosks to keep close track of foot traffic and inform staff when each public transportation hub is at its capacity while informing visitors. Recent introductions of biometric screening for kiosks used in immigration applications have added a new requirement here.

The train now ‘bleeding’

Poor audio quality has long been the butt of jokes in the transportation sector, and it seems to have taken forever to get those responsible to understand that a decent sound system can assist travellers throughout their journey with announcements regarding arrivals and departures.

Of equal importance to the audio and video installations in transportation hubs are the monitoring and surveillance systems that keep travellers and staff safe. Advanced control rooms, complete with high-definition displays and video walls, empower your security team to safeguard travellers during their journey. Strategically placed cameras throughout the premises allow staff to monitor the crowd and quickly mitigate emergency situations, while video walls enable employees to view each area of the facility with minimal effort.

Conclusion

The dream for the travelling, and environmentally aware, public is that of future transportation hubs. With seamless connectivity, from the point of departure to the final destination. Advances in digital technology enable enhanced connectivity between various modes of transportation, making travel more efficient, convenient and sustainable Integration of different transport systems, such as air, rail, road, and water, will create a seamless network where passengers can effortlessly transfer between modes of transport.

Electric vehicles, autonomous shuttles, and shared mobility services will dominate transportation systems within and around these hubs. Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles will be readily available, incentivizing the adoption of clean energy-powered transportation. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect transportation hubs to be at the forefront of innovation, providing passengers with enhanced experiences, improved efficiency, and a greener future.

Not surprisingly, public transport carried a perception of low st atus as the preserve of the poor, the young and the elderly. These perceptions are beginning to change as environmental factors are impacting on the mindset of the travelling public.

State-of-the-art meeting room technology

The post-pandemic workplace demands have shifted, pushing organisations to rethink their office environments to make the office workplace more attractive, while also ensuring remote workers equal visibility. This shift has accelerated the adoption of advanced AV and smart building technologies, emphasising immersive workspaces and meeting equity. Innovations such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), enhanced artificial intelligence (AI), and avatar representation for remote participants sound like a distant future. But, as Bill Gates once said “people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.”, conveniently quoted in the Meta press release ‘Living in the Future’. In this article, Rue Parrish, a business writer interested in metaverse, audiovisual technology and future society takes you into the future of meetings and the considerations for modern businesses.

By Rue Parrish

“Dream big, join in, and learn and grow together”. Let’s start with the drawing board or better yet, let’;s start dreaming - if you could change the corporate meeting world, what would it entail? Imagine walking into a room – would you perhaps create a colourful and approachable atmosphere for a brainstorming session, where all participants, from chairman to intern, have an equal voice? In this ideal scenario, brainstorming power is fully utilised, and every voice is heard.

Alternatively, a different setting would be better suited for decision-making on a 5-year budget plan, with a more hierarchical structure and a directive style of facilitating and actioning the meeting. Today, as we think about the meeting of the future, we aim to include hybrid participants seamlessly, integrate smart note taking and AI involvement, but are we daring enough to dream big and truly transform our future meetings? Are we prepared to let go of the current status quo?

Transformation?

What if meetings could be as transformative and engaging as the adventure in the movie Jumanji? Welcome to the Jungle, where characters are dropped into a video game, appearing in entirely different bodies with new, unfamiliar traits. What if virtual reality could bring this kind of shake-up to the meeting room? By assuming new virtual roles, participants could step out of their comfort zones and engage with meetings from fresh perspectives. This role reversal could break the monotony of traditional roles where the same voices in the meetings always dominate. Instead. it could bring creativity and inclusivity, while also providing personal learning and insights.

ractive 3D projections and scnarios.

Drawing parallels to role-playing games (RPGs), VR can allow meeting participants to take on different avatars or roles, encouraging them to view problems from new perspectives and contribute in unique ways. This can help break down hierarchical barriers and promote more inclusive and dynamic discussion.

Back to our current world, a popular corporate outing would be to take staff to an escape room, where VR enables team members to solve puzzles and challenges collaboratively, enhancing problem-solving skills and teamwork. Wouldn’t it be great if you could create this in the convenience of your own office? Parallel this with the concept of ‘Undercover Boss’, where executives go incognito in their own companies, often discovering surprising insights about the disconnect between the boardroom and the work floor. VR and AR can bring this dynamic into meetings, allowing individuals to experience the organisation from different viewpoints and fostering a deeper understanding and empathy among team members.

Dynamic environments

By leveraging VR and AR, meetings can be transformed into dynamic environments where participants can experiment with new roles and perspectives, leading to innovative solutions and more engaged teams. This technology enables a deeper connection and understanding, bridging the gap between different levels of an organisation and ensuring that all voices are heard. Obviously, there are rules to be set in creating these new ‘realities’, it’s not all glory and

there should be a lot of thought put into creating VR and AR environments into the corporate setting, but that should not put us off.

Consider our next-gen workforce, they will adopt it in their gaming environments and will soon expect similar technology at work. VR and AR do not just offer new tools for meetings; they offer a paradigm shift in how we approach collaboration, and also training, learning and inclusion. By embracing these technologies, companies can foster a culture of innovation and empathy, driving success in the modern workplace.

Factors to consider for your

future-ready

meetings

How do we get to live these dreams in the near future? There are several software and hardware solutions out there to start either big or small - depending on your budget and company size of course. In any case, when planning to upgrade your corporate meeting technology, it’s essential to focus on solutions that ensure seamless interoperability, robust security, and excellent user experiences.

Here are the key variables to consider

• infrastructure, software applications, and hardware.

• Choose solutions that work across different devic-

es and operating systems to accommodate all users.

•Look for platforms that offer robust APIs and integrations with other essential business tools.

• The results from a meeting in practical ‘to do’s and meeting notes should easily integrate again with the way the employees need to follow up on their actions - in email, CRM etc.

• User Experience and Accessibility: Solutions should have an intuitive interface that is easy for all employees to use, regardless of technical expertise.

•Ensure the technology is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, through features like screen readers, subtitles, and adjustable text sizes.

•T he ability to customise the meeting environment to suit different types of meetings and organisational is key, the environment should fit the type of company and represent their brand values.

• A consideration here is how the layout and characters can be tailored from a gamified appearance to a more realistic setting for corporate business.

Collaboration and engagement

Tools with features like live editing, interactive whiteboards, and instant messaging enhance collaboration. VR/AR capabilities for creating engaging and immersive meeting environments are also essential. Tools that allow different levels of participation and control, such as moderator controls, participant roles, and breakout rooms shoulD be considered.

Security and privacy

End-to-end encryption, strong authentication meth-

ods, and role-based access controls are essential to protect sensitive information during meetings. Last thing you want is to let your brilliant ideas escape through bad security in your IT network. Ensure the technology complies with relevant data protection regulations.

Reliability and performance

Assess the bandwidth and network stability needed to support the technology, especially for high-quality video and VR. The ability to scale up or down based on the number of users and meeting sizes is crucial. Reliable performance with minimal downtime and robust customer support for troubleshooting and assistance are also essential.

Management and administration

A centralised dashboard for managing users, settings, and permissions across the organisation is vital. Tools for tracking users, attendance, engagement, and other key metrics, as well as regular updates and maintenance provided by the vendor to ensure the technology remains up-to-date and secure, are necessary.

Cost and ROI

Consider the upfront investment in hardware and software, ongoing costs such as subscription fees and maintenance costs, and potential training expenses. Assess the potential productivity gains, cost savings, and other benefits that the new technology

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will bring to determine the return on investment.

What’s available today?

This list is just a starting point of what’s out there, but if you were just getting used to the idea of AI, then brace yourself, there is more coming your way and sooner than you might think. Starting the list with Facebook just to show the significance as it rebranded as Meta already in 2021 to reflect its focus on building the metaverse, a virtual reality space beyond traditional social media.

Meta for Work focuses on leveraging virtual reality (VR) to enhance workplace collaboration, productivity, and training. Through platforms like Horizon Workrooms, Meta offers immersive meeting experiences where teams can collaborate in virtual spaces using avatars, spatial audio, and interactive environments. These tools aim to break down geographical barriers, enabling more effective remote work and fostering deeper engagement.

By integrating VR into daily workflows, Meta for Work helps businesses innovate their operations, improve communication, and create a more inclusive and connected work environment. As part of a major tech conglomerate, Meta’s Horizon Workrooms has significant resources and market impact, making it a top player in the VR collaboration space.

Microsoft Mesh aims to make collaboration in the metaverse personal and fun. The platform combines the mixed-reality capabilities of Microsoft Mesh, which allows people in different physical locations to join collaborative and shared holographic experiences, with the productivity tools of Microsoft Teams, where people can join virtual meetings, send chats, collaborate on shared documents and more. With Microsoft’s extensive enterprise reach and integration with its existing ecosystem (like Microsoft Teams), Mesh is a highly important and revenue-generating platform.

‘Spatial’ transforms spaces into 3D collaborative environments using VR/AR technology. It features lifelike avatars, interactive whiteboards, and real-time content sharing, enhancing engagement and productivity in meetings. Spatial’s advanced VR/AR technology and integration with major platforms position it asa significant player.

‘CoVince’ is a multisensory collaboration platform aimed at training, collaboration and meeting environments. It offers a unique, integrated way of working in an immersive hybrid environment that includes full support of workflow (assigning people, adding data, generating graphs, AI assistant support and dashboarding to keep a centralised timeline overview of all activities. This out-of-the-box affordable solution

is easily customised to specific company needs and supports multi-device connectivity. The included training features and e-learning modules provide a complete journey from mobile access at home to VR simulation in the office and ultimately blending these two in a virtual space for discussions.

CoVince’s award winning platform is rapidly expanding and looking to grow market presence in the UK as an attractive (software) solution for AV integrators to offer their future-ready end users. The solution fits small 4 by 4 metre brainstorm spaces to conference and large showrooms, delivering a genuine new experience for people to connect.

VirBELA’;s ‘Metaverse Campus’ provides customisable virtual environments for collaboration, networking, and immersive experiences. It integrates social interaction features and advanced collaboration tools, creating a connected and inclusive workspace. VirBELA’;s Metaverse Campus is popular for immersive virtual environments in the education and corporate sectors.

‘EngageVR’ offers a virtual reality platform for professional events, training and education. It includes multi-user environments, 3D content creation tools, and virtual whiteboards, supporting cross-platform usage and customizable settings for diverse needs. EngageVR is known for its comprehensive features and strong marketpresence in professional events and education.

Finally, Kinly provides an integrated solutions for video conferencing, AV installations, and collaboration technology. It offers tailored environments for various meeting types, ensuring seamless communication and connectivity, enhancing productivity and collaboration across teams. Kinly provides robust AV and video conferencing solutions, integrating various technologies to enhance collaboration.

Bringing it all together

While software solutions play a crucial role in creating immersive meeting experiences, the AV and IT hardware remains an essential component for facilitating seamless collaboration. High-quality cameras, microphones, and displays ensure clear audiovisual communication, while advanced room systems and smart devices optimise meeting room setups for hybrid environments. Investing in reliable hardware that complements software solutions enhances the overall meeting experience, bridging the gap between physical and virtual spaces. By considering both software and hardware needs, organisations can create future-proof meeting environments that foster collaboration, innovation, and success in the evolving digital workplace.

PPDS unveils new Philips digital signage at InfoComm 2024

InfoComm 2024 will represent PPDS’ biggest exhibition in North America to date, showcasing the full breadth and depth of its ‘total solutions’ strategy, with solutions to support all indoor and outdoor visual communications requirements, together with advanced control and management capabilities.

Taking visitors on a journey of discovery, the 50’ x 40’ Philips booth will be divided into easy-to-navigate and freely accessible vertically aligned zones. These include retail, education (including eSports), corporate, government (including TAA compliant displays), food and beverage, transportation, public venues, and broadcast.

With the growth of gamification in education, and eSports in general – a market projected to be worth US$4.3bn this year. PPDS has teamed up with Oracle Red Bull Racing – for whom the company has been the Exclusive Digital Display Supplier since 2022 – to feature two Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 simulators (featuring 42” Philips Evnia gaming monitors), giving visitors to the Booth the opportunity to compete for Pole. With over 20,000* visitors expected to attend, local and global PPDS teams will be on hand to demonstrate and answer any questions on the company’s latest and greatest innovations in digital signage – including new sizes in the award-winning Tableaux ePaper range – interactive displays, and dvLED, including the Philips Unite LED All In One line up, and a brand new Unite Series panel debuting in North America.

While fulldetails will be confirmed next month, the launch of a new cloud-based education software –an ideal accompaniment for the Google Certified 4K Philips Collaboration displays for education – will also be among this year’s big InfoComm reveals.

PPDS will also be unveiling the latest extension of its multi-award-winning ‘zero power’ and ‘unplugged’ Philips Tableaux ePaper digital signage series, delivering greater choice, together with new money and energy saving opportunities for businesses looking to boost their sustainability credentials and replace existing paper-based communications.

Designed with educators, for education, and brought together with future-focused developers and cutting-edge technologies, this innovative new software will bring simplicity to the classroom for teachers and students alike, bringing every tool needed for lesson planning and delivery into one easy-to-access, intuitive, and secure place.

PPDS will also be unveiling the latest extension of its multi-award-winning ‘zero power’ and ‘unplugged’ Philips Tableaux ePaper digital signage series, delivering greater choice, together with new money and energy saving opportunities for businesses looking to boost their sustainability credentials and replace existing paper-based communications. Designed with versatility and flexibility in mind, Philips Tableaux will feature prominently throughout the Philips booth, and alongside other groundbreaking sustainability driven solutions from PPDS, such as the Philips Signage 3000 EcoDesign Series, delivering uncompromised 4K UHD performance while running on half the power compared to other models.

Furthering PPDS’ commitment to driving sustainability in the AV industry, together with its partners and customers, PPDS has teamed up with US-based not-for-profit organization, SAVe. Founded in 2022, SAVe works to inspire the AV industry to take concerted action and develop strategies to achieve the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Aligned in their beliefs and ambitions, PPDS will be hosting SAVe’s special networking event on the Philips booth. And promoting additional awareness

and support, PPDS will be donating $20 to SAVe for every person who registers for InfoComm 2024 using the unique VIP code PHI299, schedules a meeting with the PPDS team, or has their badge scanned on the Philips booth over the three days of the event.

As an added incentive, every person who registers for InfoComm using the PPDS code, or has their badge scanned on the Philips booth, will automatically be entered into a competition to win a VIP ticket to the Oracle Red Bull Energy Station at the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21-23. If that’s not enough for F1 fans, there will also be an Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 car on display on the Philips booth for great photo opportunities. All this and much more on booth W2544 at InfoComm 2024.

Nick Begleries, PPDS Commercial Vice President for North America, commented: “2024 has already been an incredible year for PPDS, with new and exciting solutions coming to market, including our Philips LED All In One Series, and entry into the outdoor dvLED market bringing some great new opportunities to partners and customer alike. At InfoComm 2024, this trend will continue, with the unveiling of more fantastic products and solutions, raising the bar for innovation and setting standards for a more sustainable industry.”

Ascentae and ActiveFloor join forces

Ascentae and ActiveFloor have announced their strategic partnership. The partnership will bring ActiveFloor solutions to UK education customers through Ascentae’s extensive partner network. With its wide range of interactive solutions that encourage movement and collaborative learning through immersive play, the Danish-based company is experiencing increasing demand for its technology. This technology increases children’s ability to be active during creative learning, further develops social and collaboration skills, and improves teamwork across a range of cross-curriculum subjects.

The ActiveFloor solution features a comprehensive learning library that delivers various lessons and academic content to support positive learning outcomes. ActiveFloor also contains a wide range of verified games developed by educators to drive understanding through play. “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Ascentae and to collaborate with them to unlock new opportunities for our customers to deliver unforgettable moments that leave a lasting impression” said Brian Würtz, CEO, ActiveFloor Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining strong

bones and muscles, and promoting cardiovascular health in children. Beyond physical benefits, movement enhances cognitive function; it boosts concentration and memory by increasing blood flow to the brain and improving neural connectivity. It also plays a significant role in mental health, helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while increasing self-esteem and enhancing mood. “We are excited to partner with ActiveFloor to deliver their interactive experience solutions to the UK education market,” Jon Knight, Managing Director, Ascentae. “The partnership extends our technology ecosystem for the education market, enabling the team at Ascentae to continue to create immersive environments that enable children to become more active in a creative and fun way in educational settings.”

ActiveFloor’s state-of-the-art technology enables users to create endless possibilities for creating dynamic and engaging environments in various settings outside of education, including retail stores, museums, and corporate spaces. Combining their strengths, Ascentae and ActiveFloor are poised to lead the evolution of interactive experiences. They

offer their customers innovative solutions that support a healthy way of life and encourage engagement while fostering interactivity and collaboration.

PPDS ProStore welcomes leading workplace management platform

PPDS has announced Appspace has been certified as an official PPDS Wave ProStore premium application, making it even easier to deploy one of the world’s leading workplace management and experience platforms with Philips Android SoC displays. More than 2,500 organisations worldwide, including 160 Fortune 500 companies, and 12 million on site, remote, and frontline employees, use Appspace daily. Appspace – which has offices in the US, UK, UAE, and Malaysia – is the first workplace experience platform designed to connect people, places, and spaces using digital signage, space reservation, employee

apps, intranets, and more.

Philips Android SoC displays include the Philips Signage 3000 Series (Q-Line), Philips Signage 4000 Series (D-Line), and the Philips Interactive (T-Line). Applications of the solution include:

•Digital signage: Get information across on workplace displays, allowing visitors and staff to interact.

•Space reservation: Help everyone find and reserve rooms, desks, and more at your office locations.

•Intranet: Unite everything employees need for work in a single hub, personalised to every worker.

•Employee app: Reach frontline and on site teams with a mobile experience that goes everywhere.

The PPDS ProStore provides a simple and seamless marketplace for customers to access their preferred applications and services on their Philips Android SoC displays, while removing all limitations and concerns around compatibility, making it easy to install preferred applications remotely out of the box. As part of the Wave ecosystem – the evolutionary, scalable cloud platform unlocking the power, versatility and intelligence of Philips Professional Display fleet – Appspace can now be selected, remotely distributed, updated and managed from any location, allowing full control over the display configuration and, therefore, customer experience.

Sian Rees, PPDS’ Business Development Director –Wave and Software Partnerships, said: “At PPDS we are driven by partnerships providing the innovative and indispensable solutions required for your Philips Professional Displays. As a business we have undergone a significant transformation, advancing from a provider of display hardware to a company delivering choice, value, and support to both the AV channel and end customers through an open approach to innovation. The PPDS Wave ProStore is a key pillar of that strategy and we have been delighted with the response from the market since officially going live in 2023. By partnering with premium providers like Appspace, and adding their applications on the ProStore, we ensure the best user experience for our customers, enabling them to customise for their specific use case and industry with trusted and proven platform partners. In addition, Wave allows them to easily and remotely install these apps and manage and scale their fleets. We’re delighted to welcome Appspace into our Wave community.”

Paul Alley, Director, Technology & Alliance Partnerships at Appspace, added: “Appspace provides support to thousands of customers, and helps global brands modernise their workplace experiences. Our partners are critical in this effort. We have worked closely with the PPDS team, who share our obses-

PPDS has announced Appspace has been certified as an official PPDS Wave ProStore premium application, making it even easier to deploy one of the world’s leading workplace management and experience platforms with Philips Android SoC displays.

sion for creating best-in-class user experiences. Being part of the PPDS ProStore brings greater opportunity for customers to access our Appspace solutions globally and delivers more value to their partners and customers.”

Boom videobar audio expansion combo kit

Boom Collaboration has launched a new version of its innovative HALO videobar that features expandable audio. The Boom HALO Business Edition includes a high performance videobar plus an additional microphone/speaker to dramatically increase the audio range in larger rooms. Launched earlier this year, the standard HALO delivers crystal-clear audio and 4K video with enhanced AI facial framing and speaker tracking. Multiple additional microphones/speakers can be daisy-chained too.

Now, to accelerate further demand the company, has created a dedicated dual combo package for added value and convenience. Co-founder Fredrik Hörn-

kvist says the Business Edition overcomes traditional acoustic limitations of standard videobars. It is ideally suited to a wide range of use cases where extra audio reach is required, such as flexible rooms, dedicated tasks and growing teams. “Our flagship Boom HALO videobar already features a 4K UHD camera, six beamforming mics and high fidelity speakers for a seamless collaboration experience,” he emphasised. “But as videobars are generally installed at the front of room there’s often limited flexibility for additional audio pick-up especially on a large scale. With the additional speaker/microphone, audio can easily be extended by a further three metres for each device.

This is useful in many ways such as for legal depositions which are already proving very popular, or a quietly spoken CEO who often sits at the far end of the boardroom and struggles to be heard. It’s a bit of a game-changer in terms of total audio capacity.”

Available in white and black colours from UK distributor Westcoast, the HALO boasts many advanced features such as intelligent noise reduction.

Fellow founder Holli Hulett explained: “There’s little doubt the popularity of videobars will continue to grow this year and the Boom HALO Business Edition will add more fuel to the fire. With 120° wide angle field of view, 10x zoom and smart mic array, the HALO detects both participants and speakers in real time locking in on attendees. Six array MEMS microphones and a superior 4K lens with an eight-megapixel CMOS sensor combine to create a superior solution for a variety of spaces. The additional speaker enables much greater audio pick-up for a truly exceptional and optimised meeting experience across a wider range of meeting spaces.” She highlighted the videobar’s in-built audio quality. “High-fidelity audio with a 48kHz sampling rate and dual 10W speakers provides lossless audio and full spectrum sound for meeting participants. Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Automatic Gain Control further enhance the meeting experience and work to ensure full duplex quality at a distance of six metres.

“Bluetooth 5.0 allows for easy pairing with mobile phones and other devices. A user-friendly remote control is included too whilst an automatic privacy shutter is combined with the ability to disengage

wireless connectivity for added security. Hörnkvist concluded: “Our whole ethos is to create better meetings. Simply. The Boom HALO Business Edition is another example of this continual vision.” ally increase the audio range in larger rooms.

The Boom HALO Business Edition includes a high performance videobar plus an additional microphone/speaker to dramatically increase the audio range in larger rooms.

recently embarked on an ambitious headquarters renovation. Their vision encompassed adding several new office spaces, an advanced meeting and conference room, and a state-of-the-art and inviting lobby, all of which required cutting-edge technology solutions. The Technology Operations team at The Connor Group had several critical criteria for their project: firstly, to find an aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective videowall-type solution for the lobby space. However, in addition, they also needed to find a large format display brand that could effectively cover a variety of demands:

The Connor Group streamlines collaboration and Avocor Workplace

The Connor Group is a real estate investment firm in Dayton, Ohio. Specialisng in luxury apartments across the United States. The company is well known for its impressive property portfolio and innovative and award-winning headquarters building. This unique property features an impressive two-storey atrium and expansive skylight, within an extraordinary design, that embodies the company’s commitment to setting high standards and achieving excellence in everything it does.

Faced with workforce growth, The Connor Group

Adapt to various meeting spaces,

Contribute to and enhance the internal app development process,Double as an information/signage solution, Foster a culture of collaboration and innovation among staff.

Following a comprehensive evaluation of available solutions from various leading brands, Connor Group selected Avocor L Series and G Series displays for three main reasons: The intuitive touchscreens offer user-friendly interaction to foster productive collaboration; the high-resolution video quality delivers crisp visuals for presentations and video conferencing and ensures clear communication and engagement; and not least, the impressive contribution the in-built interactivity functions could make to the company’s app development efforts.

The in-house app development teams have been

able to leverage screen mirroring to showcase workin-progress on a large scale directly to the executive team. This particular function has fostered deeper collaboration, facilitated valuable feedback opportunities and accelerated the app development process. For Ethan Watson, Director of Technology Operations at The Connor Group, the screen-mirroring was a key feature for the team: “Being able to test their apps on a larger screen has proved to be a really useful tool for our development team. Now, they can see how apps will look and function on different devices, while simultaneously using their phone or tablet to interact with the app on the larger display. The team can use screen mirroring to display apps to potential investors or clients to get feedback on the app’s design and functionality.”

A 105-inch L Series display serves as the centrepiece for the main reception area. The technology operations team was impressed by the look and finish of the product – which, very importantly - fits in with the stylish design scheme of the company headquarters. Mobile carts equipped with 65-inch G Series displays offer remarkable adaptability, catering to various meeting space needs. Strategically placed 75-inch G Series displays in other rooms standardise the setup across all conference spaces, eliminating the need for separate system training, which saves

valuable time and resources and ensures a consistent user experience. In addition, outdated TVs have been replaced with versatile Avocor displays for presentations, company announcements, and video conferences which now come alive with engaging visuals to capture the attention and foster information dissemination within the company. An intuitive whiteboard feature helps fuel brainstorming sessions and real-time collaboration, promoting a culture of open communication and shared ideas.

The implementation of Avocor’s G Series displays yielded many benefits for Connor Group, including improved collaboration and engagement, enhanced productivity and increased staff satisfaction. Looking ahead, the company is working on a large, interactive map to display information and data from various remote company locations. It is envisioned that a 65inch G Series will be utilized for this purpose.

Venues

AV splendour at Poland’s Bieszczady Cultural Heritage Centre

In the southeastern reaches of Poland lies the Bieszczady Mountains. Home to brown bears, wolves, and bison, the region was first settled in prehistoric times and has a rich cultural history. In addition to the natural splendor surrounding them the local government wanted to expand tourist offerings and educate people on the region’s history and culture. They recognized it would be a significant undertaking that had to transcend static displays often found in museums, instead creating something more of an experience or can’t-miss destination. And what better way to create something memorable than through immersive AV, with help from amplifiers by LEA Professional.

The outcome of this project was the creation of the Bieszczady Cultural Heritage Centre. Known locally as Bieszczadzkie Centrum Dziedzictwa Kulturowego, the centre was built on the grounds of a former refinery. The cultural centre includes multimedia rooms, three exhibition zones, and a concert hall. However, the primary attraction is an audiovisual show about multiculturalism, the richness of nature, the age of oil, and the economic development of the Bieszczady Mountains. It is organized in a specially designed room where the content is conveyed by influencing the senses and immersing viewers in virtual reality. Creating an immersive AV experience of this nature hadn’t been undertaken in the area before, so venue staff collaborated closely with Tomasz Zalewski, technical director of Group AV, to achieve the intended goal by implementing the audio system. The heritage centre recognized that audio was equally important in immersing guests in the storytelling of the region’s history and culture. “The cultural centre wanted guests to experience deep immersion in the presented content, enabling them to better understand and appreciate the cultural heritage of the Bieszczady region,” said Zalewski. “We immediately thought of using LEA amplifiers for the project.”

The Group AV team installed eight Connect Series 354D amplifiers to power the immersive audio experience in the heritage centre. With 96 kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options, the IoT-enabled 4-channel 354D provides 350 watts per channel, supports high-Z (70V or 100V) and low-Z selectable by channel, and features two Smart Power Bridge channels. With three ways to connect, the center can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the building’s Wi-Fi, or connect to the local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable. One of the key reasons the AV team chose Connect Series amplifiers was their cloud-based management capability — a revolutionary advancement and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams can remotely control and monitor the amplifiers regardless of the location or time of day. Whether from

within the sphere or a different continent, controlling the Connect Series amplifiers from afar helps teams work more efficiently, reducing travel and saving time and money. “The LEA Cloud allowed for easy adjustment and monitoring of the system from anywhere,” said Zalewski. “This enables straightforward system customization and monitoring, ensuring operational stability and flexibility in management.”

Through modern AV technology, the Bieszczady Cultural Heritage Centre offers rich cultural content and provides unforgettable experiences that inspire and educate visitors, enhancing the quality of the region’s tourist offerings. “Between the state-of-the-art projection system and superior audio, visitors to the heritage center experience immersive AV that makes the storytelling come alive,“ said Brian Pickowitz, VP of Marketing at LEA Professional. “We’re pleased that our amplifiers could contribute to this highly immersive experience.”

The outcome of this project was the creation of the Bieszczady Cultural Heritage Centre. Known locally as Bieszczadzkie Centrum Dziedzictwa Kulturowego, the centre was built on the grounds of a former refinery. The cultural centre includes multimedia rooms, three exhibition zones, and a concert hall.

Presentations

“Spectacular show” at the ITB Berlin

Around 3,000 guests experienced impressive display dimensions at the official opening event of the International Tourism Fair 2024 in Berlin in March. A huge, continuous video wall 105 metres wide and 8 metres high was illuminated with the presentation of this

Around 3,000 guests experienced impressive display dimensions at the official opening event of the International Tourism Fair 2024 in Berlin in March. A huge, continuous video wall 105 metres wide and 8 metres high was illuminated with the presentation of this year’s guest country Oman.

year’s guest country Oman. This was supplied and built by Innlights Display solutions from Wuppertal on behalf of Berlin-based TSE AG.

“It is the largest LED wall in one piece that we have ever realised for an indoor event,“ explains Kolja Birkenbach from Innlights Display Solutions and emphasises: “With our extensive rental stock, we are able to deliver large video walls at any time, even at short notice, and offer our customers a 360° service. It should be emphasised that the Innlights InnScreen LED series are available in large ‘one batch’ quantities. They each come from one production batch and are therefore identical in colour and can be combined without any problems.”

Innlights used its InnVision SCXR Pro 7U video controller for the video processing of the 17,640 x 1,344 pixels. In its maximum configuration, the controller is equipped with 11 input and 11 output cards, each of which controls 4K resolutions. For the ITB event with 840 square metres of LED modules, the InnVision controller was connected via 7 output cards in 10-bit colour depth using fibre optic cables between the control room and the LED wall. The controller’s multiview board provides a constant diagnosis of the video signal quality, which enables the technicians in the control room to achieve the best possible quality control when controlling the video wall.

Innlights Display Solutions deployed 10 technicians and a further 6 assistants to set up the hardware. The team only needed a total of 20 hours for installation

and commissioning. “We are proud that the event went off without a hitch and without a problem with such a short set-up time and would like to thank TSE AG for the great cooperation.” says Kolja Birkenbach, summarising the impressive event in retrospect.

About Innlights

Display Solutions:

In the rental market, Innlights’ innovative displays are used nationally and internationally at trade fairs, sport events, congresses, concerts, exhibitions, public viewing events, roadshows, TV shows and many other events. With 5,000 square meters of LED rental park, Innlights can respond quickly and flexibly to individual event needs. Innlights has been offering its own video processing for LED displays since the beginning of the year. This is available under the designation InnVision SCL and SCXL for the brilliant and high-quality reproduction of FHD and UHD image signals on LED displays.

The customers of Innlights, with the highest standards of product and service quality, also benefit from many years of event experience and special LED know-how. As a result, Innlights has established itself as a competent partner in a steadily growing market with continuously growing brand awareness. In sales, individual display solutions are designed and implemented for a wide range of customers. This market for LED displays is also growing.

Wherever LED screens are to be permanently installed, Innlights offers expert advice and already has many best practice projects to show. In addition to the sale of new products Innlights offers „refurbished” displays. Thus, refurbished and tested LED technology can protect customer budgets where necessary. Through its own branch in Guangzhou in China and long-standing relationships with the top manufacturers of the LED display industry, Innlights manages and controls the entire distribution chain and is always technically up-to-date. For the outstanding quality of the Innlights products, selected components from Germany are exported to China, under the DetecX own brand, and installed there in LED panels.

The best touch-powered apps for presentations

Presentations. Presenting. Presenter. Panic? Certainly not, as these touch-powered apps will ensure that your presentation lands effectively with your audience!

Mentimeter

The biggest question all presenters struggle with: how do I engage my audience? Why, with Mentimeter of course! Involve your audience with live polls, quizzes and Q&As. With so many possibilities, Mentimeter is sure to be your new go-to interactive presentation tool.

Second biggest question: is it touch-compatible? Well, it wouldn’t be on the list otherwise... Mentimeter is fully touch compatible, ensuring smooth sailing for your presentation. Go forth and engage thy audience!

Microsoft PowerPoint

Take full advantage of all touch-powered abilities and elevate your PowerPoint Presentation to a whole new level of engagement. You can swipe between slides from where you stand and use your hand to zoom in and out of your slides in a non-linear fashion - dazzling your audience with your mastery of the slides.

Want to make a point? Use the CTOUCH pen to write, highlight or annotate over your slides. Oopsie, your handwriting is too messy to read? Simply erase the annotation with your fist and start over. All without ever having to walk back and forth to your device, greatly keeping the pace of your presentation lively.Need to present your data analysis in a dynamic manner? Microsoft Power BI takes your data analysis game to the next level thanks to its compatibility with

interactive touchscreens. Your data at your fingertips—literally! With just a touch, you can effortlessly navigate through all your datasets, dashboards and reports. Data exploration truly makes you feel like one of those old-school explorers.

Want to dive deeper into your data journey? No problem! Simply swipe, tap and explore to your heart’s content. This hands-on approach makes analysing trends and spotting key information feel more like an expedition than a bore.

Miro

OK with sharing the presenter’s spotlight? Use Miro’s dynamic tools to make your audience active participants of the show. Call them on the stage, up to the interactive touchscreen and let them share their ideas and insights.

Discover how to brainstorm and plan with Miro on a CTOUCH Display

Microsoft Teams / Zoom / Google Meet / Cisco Webex

Colleagues can’t make it to the office? Having a bad day and don’t feel like presenting in front of a live audience? Go hybrid with an interactive touchscreen! Grab your device, share your screen wirelessly or

use a cable, start your Microsoft Teams/Zoom/Google Meet/Cisco Webex call from the device, then share your screen’s content in the call. The touchscreen’s built-in microphone and speakers do the rest. OK fine, you still need to add a conference camera of your choice. And do the actual presentation. We believe in you!

Your presentations. Our touchscreen. Less boring, more engaging!

CTOUCH Neo x eduroam & iotroam - the safest choice for higher education

eduroam & iotroam – All roads lead to roam

With the rise of digital devices used in education, safeguarding student and teacher data is of critical importance. Especially considering how user experience dramatically increases for the better when devices are connected to a network.

The CTOUCH Neo touchscreen provides peace of mind to IT administrators working in higher education by implementing various security features and being compliant with eduroam and iotroam. By taking away any and all security risks, teachers and students alike enjoy unhindered classes or group work.

CTOUCH Neo is eduroam compliant

eduroam is the standard in higher education for network connectivity. Schools worldwide rely on eduroam to connect student, teacher and guest devices to their network regardless of the location of the school. CTOUCH Neo uses WPA2 Enterprise, the same Wi-Fi protocol required by eduroam. This allows schools to connect the Neo touchscreen directly to their network.

CTOUCH Neo is ready for iotroam

Have you heard of iotroam yet? iotroam is a new service first launched in the Netherlands. As the name implies, it’s specifically developed to connect

non-personal IoT devices to the network. Non-personal IoT devices, such as touchscreens!

Schools in the Netherlands have been enjoying this service as of January 2024, with more countries expected to follow soon. CTOUCH Neo is fully prepared, as it supports iotroam’s WPA2-Personal protocol. Safely connecting the screen to your secure Wi-Fi network is a piece of cake.

CTOUCH Neo security features

Apart from complying with both eduroam and iotroam, CTOUCH Neo possesses several safety features

to meet the different safety standards of campuses worldwide.

Is your school not keen on having students access web pages? During installation, the responsible IT manager can disable the web browser to retain full control of internet activity.

Furthermore, the built-in whiteboard does not store any data locally or in the Cloud. Teachers and students can download their work via a QR code after they’re done whiteboarding. After closing the whiteboard, CTOUCH Neo erases everything to ensure nothing can be accessed by unauthorised users.

EVENTS

Finally, CTOUCH Neo can be entered into our Heartbeat service programme, which ensures the screen will be receiving security updates and new Android versions up to 10 years of its release date.

CTOUCH Neo: the safest touchscreen for higher education

CTOUCH Neo is the best choice for higher education institutions looking for the highest safety standards possible. A wealth of security features, combined with eduroam and iotroam compliance offers complete piece of mind to the IT manager and users alike!

Kinly bolsters innovation team with Mark Faugsta

cludes, engaging with industry thought leaders, vendors, and research bodies to gather data and report on emerging trends and opportunities. He will also collaborate with senior leadership to set priorities, create business cases, and define targets for new products or solution developments.

Mark’s focus extends beyond initial product creation. He will also work closely with Kinly’s commercial, technical, and sales management teams to align product and service roadmaps with the companies’ commercial strategies and objectives. This collaborative approach will ensure a focus on the entire product lifecycle, from development through to optimisation. By prioritising the lifecycle management of products, Mark aims to bring new solutions to the company – ensuring Kinly remains at the forefront of technological innovation.

Kinly has announced the appointment of Mark Faugstad as Product & Business Development Manager – Immersive Collaboration. Mark brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having worked in the virtual, extended, and augmented reality industry for the past 15 years. During this time, he has held a variety of senior management positions at Dreamtek, Vision3, and White Light, making him the perfect person to further Kinly’s commitment to enhance its innovative capabilities and lead its Immersive Collaboration portfolio.

Based in the UK, Mark will report directly to Simon Watson, Global Head of Innovation, in his new role driving Kinly’s product innovation strategy. This in-

Speaking on the appointment, Global Head of Innovation, Simon Watson, said: “Mark has an impressive background in the VR/XR/AR industry. Previous roles include developing 3D VR experiences for immersive training and location-based applications including a VR experience on ocean pollution for museums and a Microsoft HoloLens 2 social experience focused on orca migration, along with working on well-known motion picture projects. As such, his extensive expertise will significantly enhance the credibility of Kinly’s commitment to a continuously evolving immersive collaboration solution set. Mark is dedicated to collaborating with end users to define workflow-based solutions that enhance clients’ business efficiencies through the strategic use of immersive collaboration tooling. He will undoubtedly be a key asset in driving XR Studio product forward for Kinly.”

Mark added: “Kinly’s commitment to developing an immersive collaboration product portfolio is what made the decision to join the team so easy. The new immersive products will unlock endless collaboration possibilities and it aligns perfectly with my passion for driving innovation and creating meaningful impact for clients. I have always admired Kinly’s passion for technological excellence. I am excited to work alongside the best professionals in the industry who share this vision.”

Kinly has announced the appointment of Mark Faugstad as Product & Business Development Manager – Immersive Collaboration. Mark brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having worked in the virtual, extended, and augmented reality industry for the past 15 years.

Sanus grows with key EMEA appointment

Sanus is expanding its sales division to help drive growth opportunities in the key EMEA region. Gavin Gregory joins the company in the role of EMEA sales manager – consumer, to focus on the international business development programme, within a reorganised sales division.

Gregory, who takes up his position with immediate effect, has over 25 years’ experience in the consumer electronics industry, latterly responsible for all UK and Ireland sales and marketing activity for a major producer of AV accessories. He brings a wealth of commercial aptitude, product and customer knowledge to the role.

He will support Dean Carroll, international sales

director - consumer, in the development of the business through account management of key customers and onboarding of new partners.

“I have admired Legrand AV as a business for many years, as their core values and ethos align with my own,” says Gregory on commencing his new role. “The opportunity to represent the Sanus brand and support the team with their continued success is an exciting opportunity that I am looking forward to undertaking.”

Dean Carroll adds his thoughts, “I am delighted to welcome Gavin to the team. As we expand our international presence it is hugely important we don’t lose focus from our core markets or channels. With

Gavin’s wealth of experience, knowledge and network base, I am confident that along with the team restructuring, we can continue to lead in Premium AV Mounting Solutions in consumer and residential.”

Calabrio welcomes Joshua Geller as CLO

Calabrio has announced the appointment of Joshua Geller as Chief Legal Officer (CLO). With more than 20 years of experience at leading law firms and software companies, Geller brings a wealth of knowledge in building and scaling the legal function in support of growth strategies at software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. He joins Calabrio’s executive leadership team and will report to Joel Martins, CTO and Interim CEO. “Josh’s proven experience in efficiently scaling legal teams at private-equity backed SaaS companies will undoubtedly help drive a best-in-class legal function at Calabrio,” said Martins. “In addition, his career-long practice in M&A will be invaluable in our next stage of growth.”

Geller joins Calabrio from Adenza where he oversaw all legal matters. During his tenure at Adenza, he led the deployment of legal operations to drive efficient processes and enable the company to meet its growth targets. In addition, he was instrumental in several M&A transactions including the sale of AxiomSL to Thoma Bravo, the merger and integration of AxiomSL and Calypso Technology into Adenza, and the sale of Adenza to Nasdaq. “I am honoured and excited to be Calabrio’s first Chief Legal Officer and look forward to driving operational excellence during this time of growth,” said Geller. “I am passionate about leading and scaling legal teams by optimising our people, processes and technology.”

Prior to his transition to the SaaS industry, Geller was a partner in the Corporate Department of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP where he was a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Client, and Investment Management practice groups, counselling clients on a wide range of strategic transactions across different industries. Geller holds a B.A. in eco-

EVENTS

Sanus has appointed Gavin Gregory in the role of EMEA sales manager.

nomics from Yeshiva University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and a J.D. from Fordham University, where he was a member of the Fordham Urban Law Journal. He is admitted to practise in the States of New York and New Jersey. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association, where he serves on the Trade Secrets Committee.

HEAR expands team with Rob Macomber

HEAR (Harris-Elff Audio Resources) has announced the addition of Rob Macomber to their team of forward-thinking specialists. In addition to being a multiple Grammy and Emmy-award winning audio engineer, Macomber brings his decades of experience as Chief Engineer for Jazz at Lincoln Centre, one of the premier live music venues in the world and a leader in live music broadcast.

The combined team, which also includes HEAR founders and fellow award-winning engineers John Harris and Jody Elff, has over 70 years of professional audio experience in live broadcast music mixing and recording at the highest levels. “Rob has been a

HEAR expands its pioneering team of award-winning broadcast audio specialists with live broadcast music specialist with Rob Macomber - Pictured (L-R) John Harris, Rob Macomber, Jody Elff of HEAR.

friend and valued colleague in the industry for many years and is a natural fit for the aims of HEAR,” said Elff. “He is highly respected in the field and brings an incredible wealth and diversity of experience to our team.”

“Bringing Rob into the team speaks directly to the

core mission statement of HEAR — providing the finest audio expertise in the industry with an experience that speaks to the ever-expanding nature of live music broadcast,” added Harris. “The three of us come from diverse backgrounds in audio and music and that makes us greater than the sum of our parts. We’re thrilled that we’re able to answer these needs with the expanded capabilities of our team. After graduating from Berklee College of Music with a bachelor’s in jazz composition and orchestration, Macomber cut his teeth at the Omega Recording Studios before being named Chief Engineer at the Music Studios at Jazz at Lincoln Centre for SiriusXM Radio. There, he worked alongside a diverse array of major artists engineering live broadcast events for the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Sting, Dave Brubeck, and more. During this time, he was also part of the live broadcast audio teams for the 1212-12 Hurricane Sandy Relief Benefit that featured the Who, Roger Waters, and Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake’s 2008 ‘FutureSexLoveShow’ HBO Special, and U2’s 3D Concert Film ‘U2 3D’ among others. Macomber’s diverse taste in genres and appetite for authentically capturing various shades of the American musical experience has also won him multiple Grammy awards for recording and mixing. These include Best Latin Jazz Album for Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra’s ‘Song for Chico’, Best Jazz Vocal Album for ‘Dedicated To You: Kurt Telling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman’, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Ted Nash’s ‘Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom’, and Best Regional Roots Music Album for Ranky Tanky’s ‘Good Time’.

Prior to joining forces in HEAR, the trio worked together on various leading-edge production approaches in the live broadcast audio sphere. Macomber and Harris introduced mixing in Pro Tools live to broadcast on the MTV VMA’s which has now been adopted widely in the industry. Macomber and Elff also collaborated extensively on the concept of networked mixing surface control over local internal mixers from afar, which has become a key component of HEAR’s remote mixing capabilities. “It’s truly an honour to work alongside John and Jody as a full partner in HEAR,” said Macomber. “As a combined team, we work to elevate the experience of music in broadcast audio for everyone — artists, producers, and the viewers at home. We strongly believe that the presentation of music in live broadcast should be an enveloping, emotionally moving experience that serves to connect us as people. I’m humbled to bring my experience in the service of such an important mission.”

AVIXA Women’s Council event at The Spine

The AVIXA Women’s Council UK returned to The Spine in Liverpool on 8th May for an inclusive afternoon of presentations and networking. Exploring the topic “Building Strong Foundations for Career & Life”, the event featured a workshop led by video expert Ryan Mulhern, a keynote presentation delivered by personal leadership expert Mark Tonks and a panel discussion featuring leading voices from the AV industry, including Angela Townsend of SMART Technologies, Adele Thornton of Synergy SKY, Iffat Chaudhry of Involve Visual Collaboration and the Whatiff? Podcast, Sadie Groom of Bubble Agency and Neil Pickstone of NowSignage. Held at the awe-inspiring RCP Spaces at The Spine - one of the healthiest buildings in the UK and recently awarded Greengage ECOsmart Gold Award 2024 – the event was organised by Erica Whittle of

Sennheiser and Carla Charlton of AVIXA, welcoming AVIXA members and other professionals committed to supporting and empowering women who work in the technology and AV industry. Despite train strikes once again hampering some journeys to Liverpool, the afternoon was well-attended and offered a vibrant, interactive platform for attendees to hear from industry peers on their experiences as well as learn new video skills, and takeaways to put into action. Iffat commented{ “This was a thought-provoking afternoon, giving us all the opportunity to reflect, try something new, and really focus on what our own individual professional journeys entailed. It was great to see so many industry peers come together and share their ideas, thoughts and experiences candidly, and that is what makes our collective journey such a positive one, absolutely on course to just get better and better!”

The AVIXA Women’s Council UK committee meet regularly to plan and organise a calendar of online and in person events throughout the year. These events are free to attend and open to everyone and the Council welcomes anyone to become a member of the group. The next meet up will be at InfoComm in Las Vegas, for those attending, and there will be a July event in the UK to be confirmed details to follow: https://www.avixa.org/membership/committees-councils/avixa-women-s-council/avixa-womencouncil-local-groups/avixa-women-s-council-uk

Digital Signage Summit Europe (DSS Europe)

As DSS Europe closed the doors on the 52nd Digital Signage Summit event, the premier strategy conference for the digital signage and digital-out-of-home industries had proved a resounding success. Welcoming 450 visitors, the summit discussed trends like the growing importance of software, whose contribution to projects will exceed that of hardware for the first time, omnipresent topics including the need to significantly reduce energy consumption and industry challenges such as the slow adoption of new technologies.

This year’s line-up of industry leading sponsors included Google ChromeOS as Headline Sponsor, Lenovo, Intel and Google ChromeOS as Premium Event Partners, M-Cube as Badge & Technology Sponsor as well as Framen as Stage Sponsor.

igital Signage Partner Manager and Product Expert, Google ChromeOS EMEA commented: “I think DSS Europe is one of the key moments in our calendar for digital signage. It’s great to meet all of our friends, colleagues and partners here. It’s so great to learn what’s happening in the industry, and really just to see what opportunities there are to collaborate together and how to grow the ecosystem as a partnership.”

Johanny Payero, Director, Global Advanced Solutions Marketing, Lenovo adds, “This is our first time officially being a Premium Event Partner, and we’ve had some very meaningful conversations, we’ve had really great opportunities for new partnerships, expanding into more of the digital signage space, so it’s actually been a really good show.”

Co-hosted by invidis Consulting and Integrated Systems Events, DSS Europe played host to exhibiting industry greats such as DynaScan, Sharp NEC, Sony, Samsung, Ameria, and Vanguard displaying

innovative solutions from the digital signage industry. With a worldwide demand for more sustainable solutions, DSS Europe presented a dedicated ‘Green Signage Hall of Fame’ with a host of brands including Signage OS, Absen, PPDS, LED Studio, Cingerine, First Impression Audiovisual, Visionect and Broadsign demonstrating a range of solutions and software specifically chosen by invidis for their green credentials. Alan Kaufman, President, DynaScan explains, “DSS Europe is a very important event for us. It reassures us that we are moving in the right direction. We need validations like the ones we get from events like DSS Europe, otherwise we sit in a bubble and lose our connection to the market.”

Alongside the exhibition area, the extensive conference programme featured expert industry figures and emerging disruptors from across the digital signage and DooH industry. The two-day agenda boasted 49 keynote addresses, best practice sessions, workshops, panel discussions and networking events, with 81 speakers taking a deep dive into a wide range of the industry’s key topics of discussion around this year’s summit theme ‘Connecting Signage: The Shift to Software-Defined Visual Solutions’. Focussing on software and IT security, 13 sessions featuring 30 thought leaders discussed what the industry needs to know about this defining component of the digital signage ecosystem. The demands on development and service continue to rise, but standards and certifications are missing - a particular challenge when it comes to IT security in an increasingly networked world. The possible future of digital signage software was presented with Samsung’s VXT, an experience platform which could be a gamechanger for the industry but whose approach is questioned by some.

EVENTS

The official launch of the invidis Digital Signage Software Compass on Day One seeks to address one of the key areas of uncertainty in the software market. The vendor-neutral CMS comparison tool works with a scoring model for the most relevant topics for each category. Compass offers comparison categories such as User Interface, Operations, APIs, Innovation, Security, Complexity, Multiplatform Support, Sustainability, and Commercialization. For the first time, the DSS Europe 2024 agenda also included a Women in Technology Networking Event. Hosted by Lenovo, Intel and Google ChromeOS the event was very popular and triggered a lot of conversations. One of the topics covered was how unconscious bias can translate into AI, potentially creating an AI bias. Johanny Payero, Director, Global Advanced Solutions Marketing, Lenovo adds, “Everyone is saying 'We should have done this before, thank you for the idea', so I’m excited to keep leading it and making sure that we continue the conversation.”

For a final exclusive industry insight, attendees were given first access to the newly released invidis Yearbook, featuring market intelligence and a focus on the topic “Signage & Software” with comparative analysis and detailed background information. The invidis Yearbook is available in English and German and will be available to download shortly. To celebrate individuals and organisations for strategic excellence within the digital signage industry during the past 12 months the invidis Strategy Awards returned for its third year at DSS Europe. This year’s

awards winners include PPDS/Deutsche Telekom for their introduction of a 'green' ePaper DooH screen, Broadsign for adopting the Green Software Foundation’s practices for greener software, Sphere Entertainment / The Sphere Las Vegas for revolutionising how society perceives and interacts with advertising, Visual Art / Signage Player for their future-proof CMS, Trison for being an Industry Leader, Samsung VXT for being a true innovative digital signage platform, Nexmosphere as a Rising Star in the industry, and Andy Bohli, CEO of Imaculix/Cingerine for being a disrupter in the industry.

Florian Rotberg, Managing Director of invidis and Summit co-chair concludes, “This year’s summit has reached new heights, with an outstanding level of invaluable industry knowledge presented, exchanged and demonstrated across the incredible two-day event. As the premier strategy conference for digital signage and DooH, we have wholeheartedly succeeded in bringing yet again another unmissable event, unravelling the major trends and showcasing the revolutionary technology that will influence our industry for the year ahead.”