AV News October 2022

Retail: technology innova tions

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When the worst excesses of the pandemic were largely under control, significant numbers of retailers were cautiously opti mistic about their ability to with stand the challenges posed by coronavirus.

Bosses think workers work less from home

A major new survey from Mic rosoft shows that bosses and workers fundamentally dis agree about productivity when working from home. Bosses worry about whether working from home is as productive as being in the office. While 87% of workers felt they worked as, or more, efficiently from home, 80% of managers disagreed. (The survey questioned more than 20,000 staff across 11 countries.)

Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella believes this tension needed to be resolved as work places were unlikely to ever return to pre-pandemic work habits. “We have to get past what we describe as ‘produc tivity paranoia’, because all of the data we have that shows that 80% plus of the individual people feel they're very produc tive - except their management thinks that they're not produc tive. That means there is a real disconnect in terms of the ex pectations and what they feel.”

Both Nadella and Ryan Ro slansky, the boss of Micro soft-owned LinkedIn, said employers were grappling with perhaps the biggest shift in working patterns in history. The number of fully remote jobs advertised on LinkedIn soared during the pandemic but Ro slansky said data suggested that type of role might have peaked. Some 14 or 15 million job listings that are typically

Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has said that workplaces need to overcome ‘productivity paranoia’

live on LinkedIn, about 2% of those involved remote working before the pandemic. Some months ago, that stood at 20%, and it has since come down to 15% this month. Work from home for 20% less pay, says a city law firm

At a time of acute labour shortages, employers are hav ing to work harder to recruit, enthuse and retain staff. That even includes Microsoft itself, according to Nadella. “We had 70,000 people who joined Microsoft during the pandem ic, they sort of saw Microsoft through the lens of the pan demic. And now when we think about the next phase, you need to re-energize them, re-recruit them, help them form social connections.”

Maverick AV Solutions

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The direct channel to the industry

HYPERVSN: New kids on the retail block

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Turning customer engagement into direct sales is something that most forward-thinking retail ers have been trying to achieve for some time, especially with the advent of COVID.

Elise and Romain to spearhead PPDS’ growth ambitions

PPDS has announced the fur ther strengthening of its France and Iberia management teams, with the appointments of expe rienced LED and digital signage sales specialists, Elise Hardou in and Romain Gentile. Part of the company’s continued glob al recruitment drive, strength ening teams of specialists with AV/IT knowledge for specific products in dedicated markets, Romain becomes PPDS’ new digital signage key account manager for France and Iberia, with Elise taking the position of LED key account manager for France.

Reporting to César Sanz, Sales Director for Iberia and France – who guided PPDS to record sales of Philips digital signage

and its developing LED portfo lio in 2021 – Elise and Romain add extensive sales knowledge and experience to the team and

LED and digital signage growth strategy in France, Spain, Por tugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. PPDS recently announced a

talents and bring additional focus to specific markets, of which France and Iberia were key regions. Based in Barce lona, Romain’s key responsi bilities will include developing and strengthening new and existing partner and customer relationships to drive brand ex posure and seize new business opportunities. He will also work closely with PPDS’ expansive list of third-party partnerships across hardware and software, to ensure seamless compatibil ity and integration with Philips digital signage solutions, creat ing additional revenue opportu nities and enhanced customer experiences.

will play a key role in further developing PPDS’ ambitious

series of clusterings in Europe, to harness its existing teams’

New Christie HS Series 1DLP projectors

Christie has announced the launch of the next generation of its popular HS Series 1DLP projectors with three new mod els. Ranging in brightness from 15,750 lumens to 23,650 lu mens, the new models feature enhanced colour performance for bright, bold visuals with new Christie BoldColor+ technology. The DWU15-HS, DWU19-HS and DWU23-HS are 15,750, 19,150 and 23,650 lumens re spectively, increasing the range of brightness while maintaining the legacy of reliability, quiet operation, and cost-efficiency of the original HS Series. With the addition of new BoldCol or+, colours in the new genera

Setup as simple as 1,2,3.

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tion of HS Series projectors are brighter and bolder with deeper blacks and more natural and realistic on-screen images.

In addition to three new HS Series models, Christie is also introducing the DWU1400GS, a new 14,250 lumen GS Series 1DLP projector featur ing Christie RealBlack, which delivers stunning visuals with 4,000,000:1 contrast. The new HS Series models and the DWU1400-GS all come with a 5-year warranty. “Our new projectors increase colour

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Meeting room setup simpli ed. No PC. Fewer cables. Built in support.

PPDS strengthens Iberian and French sales teams with appointments of LED and digital signage specialists Elise Hardouin and Romain Gen tile.

Christie has announced the launch of the next generation of its pop ular HS Series 1DLP projectors with three new models. Ranging in brightness from 15,750 lumens to 23,650 lumens, the new models feature enhanced colour performance.

MAXHUB introduces next-generation UC P25 PTZ camera

MAXHUB has launched the UC P25 PTZ – the next-generation UHD camera, bringing com plete video conferencing clarity to meeting spaces of all sizes.

Featuring a “phenomenal” 4K UHD camera with 12x optical and 16x digital zoom, the UC P25 PTZ camera ensures that every meeting participant is highlighted in detail, ensuring that no gesture or facial expres sion is missed.

Designed with hybrid working in mind, the UC P25 PTZ cam era naturally neutralises any disruptive glare and shadows, presenting crystal-clear pic ture quality in all conditions. In addition, the camera has an adaptive PTZ system, which developed with whisper-quiet mechanical controls, means that meetings can remain dis traction-free. Crystal-clear con ferencing is guaranteed with the 8MP camera, which also

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has built-in low-lux technology and intelligent algorithms to showcase brilliant colour and detail.

Portable and adaptable, the UC P25 PTZ is incredibly easy to set up, meaning meeting participants waste no time in getting started. The camera captures video quickly and precisely — no matter the size of the meeting space— and a built-in gravity sensor automat ically adjusts to match the us er’s mounting choice. Thanks to easy-to-control remote func tionality, users can fine-tune their focus at the touch of a button. Allowing for plug-andplay simplicity, the camera also seamlessly integrates with all major unified communications (UC) platforms.

“Adaptable to any setting, the UC P25 PTZ camera promises crisp picture quality, making collaboration across hybrid en

New Christie HS Series 1DLP projectors

performance to deliver visuals that move the needle closer to 3DLP in a 1DLP package,” says Suhan Bijai, associate product manager, Christie. “We’re set ting a new benchmark for co lour and brightness in 1DLP projection with the launch of our HS Series and GS Series projectors.”

The DWU19-HS and DWU23HS models support passive polarized 3D out of the box, and all models include onboard Christie Twist for warping and blending and are compatible with Christie Mystique. Mys

tique is an automated cam era-based alignment and reca libration software solution to quickly install, align, calibrate and maintain multi-projector systems. Additionally, acces sories for the first generation of HS Series, including lenses and mounts, are compatible with the new models.

Christie HS Series projectors are ideal for markets including live events, hospitality, themed attractions and museums, as well as projection mapping, and have been trusted in proj ects around the world, from the

Elise and Romain to spearhead PPDS’ growth ambitions

Elise, based in Paris, has more than 22 years of AV/IT expe rience, 15 of which included working closely with Philips professional displays as a re seller and integrator. With im measurable knowledge of the LED market, including PPDS’ continuously expanding range of Philips DV LED solutions, her primary responsibilities in clude driving sales and new op portunities in the French mar ket, with corporate and retail among key focus industries. Developing and executing new sales strategies and initiatives within the business, while shar ing successes and best prac tices with the wider European teams, will also feature in her scope.

César Sanz, Sales Director for Iberia and France at PPDS, commented: “We’re delighted to welcome both Romain and Elise to the PPDS team as we look to further build on our suc cess across France and Iberia. Backed by boundless levels of enthusiasm, they bring a wealth of knowledge and ex perience to their roles and to the wider team, which has al ready led to the creation of new opportunities and successes. With world-leading solutions, our combined regional team resources, and our unique In ternational Key Account Man agement (IKAM) team, PPDS is bringing true excellence to an ever-increasing number of customers, here in France and

Iberia, and around the world.”

Commenting on her now role, Elise said: “I am proud to have joined PPDS and am very excit ed about what we can achieve.

Since day one, I have been impressed by the passion and motivation of the teams here, while being welcomed as a part of the PPDS family. I have been working with the PPDS team for over 15 years as a re seller and integrator and have always pushed Philips profes sional displays as the brand of choice for my customers. LED is a key focus area for PPDS, and a fast-growing market with incredible opportunities, of which PPDS is primed to add incredible value. I’m delight ed to be a part of a company I have rooted for in my career, and I look forward to being part of the company’s ongoing growth journey.”

Romain added: “I’m delighted to have joined PPDS and am hugely excited about the oppor tunities myself and the team can go on to achieve. PPDS is continuing to position itself as a standout name and choice in the market, and a brand I have been able to immerse myself into considerably leading to this point. The diversity of its product and solutions portfolio, coupled with the uncompro mised quality and innovation it promises, make PPDS a com pany I’m proud to be a part of and I look forward to investing myself in its success.”

set of the television show The Masked Singer Vietnam and projection mapping onto In dia’s iconic Red Fort to lighting up the grand ballroom in the super-boutique hotel The Lon doner and exhibits and galler ies at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum.

Christie DWU15-HS, DWU19HS and DWU23-HS are avail able for order now and will ship late 2022, and the Christie DWU1400-GS will begin ship ping in October 2022.

Bosses think workers work less from home

Microsoft employees can work from home up to 50% of the time as standard. More than that requires management ap proval or a move to part-time working. Some companies have struggled to impose new working arrangements and ex pectations. There has been resistance to calls at Apple to return to the office three days a week from September, while Tesla boss Elon Musk has de manded 40 hours a week in the office sending an email saying: “If you don't show up, we will assume you have resigned.” An unprecedented number of people have also changed jobs since the start of the pandem ic. A phenomenon Microsoft has dubbed “the great reshuf fle”, sees workers born after 1997 (so-called Generation Z) nearly twice as likely to switch jobs. “At the peak of our ‘great reshuffle’ we saw a year-on-year increase of 50% of LinkedIn members changing jobs. Gen Z was at 90%,” the report said. By 2030, Generation Z will make up about 30% of the entire workforce so managers need to understand them, ac cording to LinkedIn's boss. As you might expect, alongside its new observations Microsoft has new products aimed at eas ing this potential mismatch in expectations. It is focusing on helping companies' younger workers feel a sense of belong ing to, and an ability to learn in, an organisation in the way

Konftel 800 speakerphone gains ‘Lecture Mode’

Konftel’s flagship conferencing speakerphone has been boost ed by a new ‘lecture mode’ wireless headset feature, which creates more user freedom es

for everyone.”

pecially for teaching and train ing. The Konftel 800 is now ca pable of linking to an approved wireless headset – to provide a teacher or presenter with total freedom of movement and po sition within a room. “Wher ever they are located, perhaps facing a whiteboard, they can still have perfect microphone pick-up and be heard clearly by all remote participants,” says Konftel Product Manager, Torbjörn Karlsson. “We are de lighted to announce the Konf tel 800 now has this valuable new feature via a free software upgrade. Lecture mode ensures total freedom of movement and an optimum audio experience

To take advantage of the new function an approved wireless headset needs to be connected to the speakerphone. The first release will only support the Jabra Engage 65. Support for other headsets will come with future firmware releases. While the presenter is speaking, the Konftel 800 will automatically mute all its microphones and only keep the headset micro phone open. Karlsson explained that when the person stops talking, the speakerphone mi crophones are unmuted and all participants in the room can be heard. But through the head set, the remote participants can always be heard. He add ed: “Lecture mode gives the presenter complete freedom to roam around a room and break free from any traditional com munication barriers. Wherev er they are located, even with their back to the room, they can still be heard clearly.”

The Konftel 800 is an award-winning device which forms the audio centrepiece of several Konftel video kits. It boasts multi-connectivity, beamforming microphones and daisy-chain connection for au dio expansion. It is linked to a wireless headset via a DECT base station, with lecture mode operating via all IP, USB or Bluetooth call connections. In addition Konftel has developed a special ceiling mount kit for the Konftel 800, providing an appealing alternative to tradi tional desktop placement. The

new innovation addresses grow ing demand for smarter and more flexible room configura tions, where up to three devices can be connected from above. Karlsson pointed out: “You can move furniture and rearrange the room every day without any technology hassle. It’s perfect for larger spaces and multipur pose rooms, where daisy-chain capabilities make sure every inch of the room is covered by audio. With the speakerphones mounted to the ceiling you’re clearing the table from devic es and cables, for a really neat and tidy room appearance. It also elevates the video meeting experience. The user can forget about where the microphone is placed and focus on the in teraction with remote partici pants on the screen. The audio pick-up and distribution works it’s magic without anyone no ticing. It all comes naturally.”

He concluded: “The addition of Lecture Mode plus the option of ceiling mount flexibility en sures the appeal of the Konftel 800 continues to grow.”

The new Konftel Ceiling Mount Kit addresses growing demand for smarter and more flexible room configurations.

staff did in the past. Its new Viva software, for example, al lows direct contact to senior managers, online teaching and a channel to share personal photos - somewhat like a com pany intranet site with bells on to ring in a new world of work, which employers in particular are struggling to navigate.

MAXHUB has launched the UC P25 PTZ – the next-generation UHD camera,

vironments straightforward and easy,” says General Manager Darren Lin. “We truly believe virtual meetings have never looked this good. And, because we’re confident in the camera’s performance, it comes with a three-year hot-swap warranty — an industry first.”

Konftel Product Manager, Torb jörn Karlsson, says Lecture Mode creates more user freedom when paired with an approved wireless headset.

Build value into your IFPD portfolio

For over 20 years, Promethean has developed understanding of the edtech that will best meet evolving needs and the support that schools place a high value on.

Promethean enables schools to realise maximum value, and maximum educational impact, over the lifetime of an ActivPanel installation. Give your customers long term value with:

Free orientation training

Now available virtually, on-site as well as on-demand, customers realise value, quickly and easily.

Continued investment

Customers can now access free training through a new online portal, Learn Promethean.

Regular updates

Over-the-air updates mean schools benefit from the latest ActivPanel software and firmware enhancements, at no additional cost.

Free lesson software

ActivInspire and ClassFlow are supplied free of charge, so no recurring subscription fees.

Leading warranty

A five-year ActivCare on-site warranty gives schools peace of mind. value-add offerings to drive innovation.

Ready to build long term value into your IFPD sales?

Choose Promethean

Vision: going the extra mile in product testing

Go behind the scenes with Stuart Lockhart, director of Vision, for a rare insight into the vigorous testing process undergone by the com pany’s installation products

We are only as good as our channel so we place great im portance on the quality of our products and service. Going the extra mile isn’t just an adage to us. It’s our business philosophy and applies to every aspect of our business of providing AV in stallation products to installers.

But what exactly do we mean by ‘going the extra mile’?

Exanples?

Well, here are two examples, concerning the quality control, or QC process, which we put our products through – in this case, two of our flagship products.

Stress-testing the F50T

We launched the VFM-F50Tat ISE in May. This is a motorised height-adjustable trolley for large flatscreens up to 98-inch and other smart meeting com ponents, that is manufactured to our own design in a partner factory in China. AV installers already know how heavy larger screens are to move around, let alone lift and lower continually, so we test and test extensively – well over what’s required by standard quality control.

Before our mounts leave the factory, they are thoroughly tested and that includes the F50T unit which undergoes more than 20 QC steps, to en sure the quality of manufacture, finish and product durability. Vibration and drop tests are ac companied by stress testing of the motorised height-adjust.

We don’t simply test a sam ple quantity of the telescopic mechanism, as is standard in manufacturing, we test and measure every single column, which is engineered and tested to do 20,000 ups and downs with a 100kg load.

After these tested products leave the factory but prior to shipping, Vision brings in an external quality inspection firm to pull out samples (typically 5% of the batch) and perform a similar range of checks.

Stress-testing the Techconnect Amp

Our Techconnect family does not carry a physical load, but since it acts as an essential hub within an installation, we put them through vigorous tests to test virtually every aspect. Our Techconnect Amp for instance, goes through 24 tests covering its appearance, the quality of assembly, its performance, a code check and inspection of the manual, the packaging and the power plug.

Those tests include checking the circuit board for any defects and inspection of all welding and soldering. Indicator lights are checked as are the outputs, audio sockets and remote-con trol function and distance.

Good to go

Regardless of which product and which factory, a number of other checks take place. QR and bar codes are checked.

Screws packs and manuals are checked along with the elec trical plugs for all regions. All packaging is also thoroughly tested to protect the product during the logistics phase. All so we ensure the right product is delivered to you with all the right components and in tip-top condition.

Of course, in the real world, products do fail so we not only share our failure rates, which are well below industry average by the way, we also provide you with the peace of mind of a life

time warranty on every one of our products, so you can trust that in the unlikely event of an issue, it will be resolved.

The first port of call for any in staller experiencing an urgent issue is our distributor Maver ick AV Solutions. If you have more time, you can contact us directly through our website at https://visionaudiovisual.com/ en/contact-us

Any content, anywhere allows for truly dynamic projects

Today’s digital signage content can now be sent seamlessly across multiple displays, allowing for some truly jaw-dropping and creative projects. We’ve seen examples of this with virtual ceilings and virtual waterfalls in universities, offices and shopping centres. Large-scale video walls and displays will have an important information role to play as organisations and businesses progress in a post-Covid world. Philip Davenport, Director of Sales and Operations (EMEA), Datapath explains.

The phrase ‘content is king’ has been well-used for a few years, and is, of course, hard to disagree with as it’s the very reason the screens are required in the first place. With today’s technology – and the ability to mix content from a variety of sources - content now has the ability to be more dynamic and fluid than ever before.

Certain triggers can now change content automatically with AI applications, such as gender-related advertising due to footfall in a shopping cen tre. The same displays can also have the potential to be used for security messaging, way finding or bespoke promotions.

ing user permission and access. Here at Datapath, our R&D team has developed technology that makes remote manage ment of video content as con venient as if they were at their desktop. Our popular Wall De signer software has had mobile compatibility for a few years, with the ability to work on any device be it Windows-based, Android or Apple devices. Our multi-award winning Aetria solution is also mobile friend ly, with permitted operation on windows and Android technol ogy

It should be every AV manufac turer’s aim to create products and services that benefit the

Datapath’s trusted Fx4 has become the go-to solution for video management across multi-displays, with Zurich’s Tourist Information office be coming the latest to embrace digital signage to engage with customers. The Zurich Tourist Board is situated on the ground floor of Zurich Main Station. It can be found in the main con course between the restaurant, Brasserie Federal, and the Mi grolino store.

To benefit customer informa tion, while also providing an eye-catching visual display of all that Zurich and Switzerland has to offer, a 19x1 display has been installed to showcase the

The Techconnect Amp has to pass a number of performance checks: the output of OUT1/ OUT2 and the audio socket input are tested as is the firmware, and the duration.

The benefits of this flexibility are clear, as it supports a saf er environment, improves foot traffic and also provides addi tional revenue streams.

Video walls are becoming more interactive. This does not nec essarily mean they are touch screen. Instead areas are re served for users to share con tent on the wall. Or a trigger can be used to display content on certain region of the video wall.

The versatility and ease of use of a digital signage solution is the main thing. Our latest Ae tria solution, for example, is purpose built for control room video management, but is just as comfortable running multisource / multi-end point con tent in a University campus. This content can be managed from a centralized location, as well as on a mobile device. Se curity is, of course, paramount, with user encryption determin

end user. Today, mobile devices are now our default communi cation tool so it makes com plete sense to give users the choice of desktop operation as well as mobile. Think of it as the hybrid ‘work from home’ model for technology.

Many platforms have emerged to work digital signage. Each has its strengths and weak nesses and as such its place in the market. A software-based system will be ideal for some, while hardware is required for others. Datapath aim to be ag nostic and can work with pix els generated by any external source and then crop, scale, rotate and feed the display as required. This allows our prod ucts to be involved with multi ple content management sys tems and allow the customer the choice of what it best for them. This flexible approach keeps us involved with many projects whether large or small.

beauty of the region, alongside key messages for tourists. A single Onelan media player has content managed by five Data path Fx4 processors on the 55inch Samsung displays.

Sven Matern, who oversaw Datapath’s involvement in the project said: “We are proud to see this large display come to life in Zurich. With its large, dynamic presence, visitors to the station are now left in no doubt as to where they can ac cess their tourist information.

The large amount of essential information being displayed also helps to ease customer in quiries as well as show off the wealth of attractions and plac es of interest in the region.”

Kit list

ONELAN media player

5 x Datapath Fx4 processors

19 x 55” Samsung displays

Mounts?

Peerless/Chief/B-Tech?

The F50’s motorised column is engineered and tested to do 20,000 ups and downs with a 100kg load.

With today’s technology – and the ability to mix content from a vari ety of sources - content now has the ability to be more dynamic and fluid than ever before

World first outdoor narrow pitch LED display from The LED Studio

display the first to require no additional cladding or overlays for use outdoors. This utilises

The LED Studio’s sustainable LED design to deliver 40% less power consumption compared to traditional LED displays, making it not only more en ergy efficient, but also giving it a much longer lifespan and keeping running costs low. The display runs cold even at an impressively high 4000 nits brightness, negating the need for noisy and energy wasting external air conditioning.

The AegisPRO is a scalable solution, available in custom sizes to fit the desired space.

It is also designed into a free standing unit with two primary sizes, 86” and 130”, deliver ing a 16:9 aspect ratio with the option of landscape and

portrait orientation. The kiosk solution features a proprietary casing to create an all-in-one, secure solution. The Aegis PRO can also be installed as a double-sided kiosk and has an ultra-wide 160 degree viewing angle, extending the engage ment period for passers-by. The AegisPRO has been de signed for quick installation, with everything needed to get the display up and running in cluded in the box. The all-inone nature of the kiosk means it doesn’t require any addition al components such as media servers, streamlining and sim plifying operations. The LED Studio can supply integrated CMS functionality, but alterna tively it is also compatible with all leading CMS platforms in cluding Scala and BrightSign. Rob Bint, CEO of The LED Stu dio, comments:

“The AegisPRO kiosk is bring ing new narrow pitch and high brightness LED display options to DOOH locations. We have packed this into an all-in-one kiosk solution, creating the ideal display solution for those interim areas between trans portation terminals and guests reaching their destination to provide wayfinding information and location guides. As with all our LED displays, we have achieved this whilst keeping sustainability, simplicity and quality at the top of the agen da.”

Christie expands MicroTiles LED line-up

Christie has announced the launch of two new pixel pitch es of its award-winning Micro Tiles LED. The new 0.75mm and 1.0mm models add to the existing line-up of 1.25 and 1.5mm pixel pitches, and offer increased reliability, efficien cy, and enhanced durability.

Shown in technology previews at ISE 2022 and InfoComm 2022, the two new models con tinue the tradition of the origi nal MicroTiles LED by combin ing state-of-the-art mechanical design with the development of the most advanced LED tech nology available.

“Attendees to ISE and Info Comm were able to get up close to our new models and see what a difference the fin er pixel pitch makes in reso lution, colour saturation and seamlessness,” says Chris Kee, executive director of product management, Christie. “Mi croTiles LED can be configured in near-limitless ways – from curves and corners to architec tural displays – and these new models are especially ideal for up-close and highly-detailed viewing with brightness up to 2000 nits.”

Reliability of the new models has been improved with flipchip technology, which is easier to maintain and increases the life of the LEDs by dissipat ing heat more efficiently, and common cathode technology reduces power consumption resulting in Christie’s most en ergy efficient MicroTiles design to date. The new 1.0mm mod el features LED encapsulation, which provides a protective sur face that improves optical per formance for improved black level performance and per ceived contrast, and protects the display from dust, dirt and scratches. The increased dura bility gives the option to design

Software

DTEN Onboard for the new Zoom whiteboard

DTEN ONboard, a new collabo ration solution, is now in-stock across EMEA and available to day through channel partners. Designed in collaboration with Zoom, DTEN ONboard elevates collaboration through its ad vanced touch-enabled 55-inch display, allowing in-room and remote participants to inter act equally. “DTEN ONboard paired with Zoom Whiteboard quickly becomes the cen trepiece of team collabora tions, notably in meeting rooms equipped with legacy video conferencing equipment,” states Nia Celestin, the com pany’s Head of Marketing.

“The virtual shared whiteboard promotes collaboration equity, providing all meeting attend ees the ability to participate, regardless of location.”

Recognising that many com panies have already invested

in video conferencing systems, DTEN ONboard complements — and elevates — existing set-ups by adding advanced, interactive touch. It easily in tegrates with any Zoom Rooms device, including video bars, and immediately introduces interactive touch, with the abil ity to draw, ideate, annotate, and organise meeting content.

“DTEN ONboard exemplifies our ongoing partnership with Zoom,” continues Scott Kruec keberg, Head of Strategic Alli ances at DTEN. “Our compa nies worked closely together to ensure DTEN ONboard fully delivers on the robust features of the new Zoom Whiteboard.”

Included among the device’s many features are real-time touch to brainstorm, visual ise and diagram ideas; an ex pandable canvas to elaborate collaborations; easy sharing via

email or Zoom chat; and a per sistent hub to promote building on ideas after a meeting ends.

DTEN ONboard also enables Zoom Whiteboard visualisation tools including sticky notes, shapes and connectors, and drop and drag images. Built for versatility, other common use cases for DTEN ONboard are:

•As a stand-alone collaboration appliance

•In classrooms and college campuses

•For digital signage via Zoom Rooms Kiosk Mode

•For reserving hot desks and meeting rooms with Zoom’s Workspace Reservations

Priced at €2,999.99 / £2,553, the DTEN Onboard is now avail able to purchase through the DTEN channel partner network.

an interactive touch wall. Christie MicroTiles LED deliv er superior visual performance with powerful processing in cluding 12-bit input sourc es, 4K@60Hz, and HDR10 compatibility. The proprietary QuickMount system reduces in stallation complexity, while the proprietary cabinet-free Clickn-Go LED tiles can be arranged

tions. Christie MicroTiles LED 0.75mm and 1.0mm models are available for order now and will ship in early 2023.

in near unlimited configura tions. MicroTiles LED are ide al for environments including mission critical control rooms, corporate lobbies and meet ing rooms, auditoriums and event spaces, and premium hospitality and retail applica

Christie has announced the launch of two new pixel pitches of its award-winning MicroTiles LED. The new 0.75mm and 1.0mm models add to the existing line-up of 1.25 and 1.5mm pixel pitches, and offer increased reli ability, efficiency, and enhanced durability.

Jetbuilt adds technical data fields

Jetbuilt has announced the ad dition of technical data fields to the project builder. These fields provide important prod uct data, including rack units, watts consumption, BTU and dimensions of items. Utilizing technical data fields provides a clear view of information that will help ensure a project is properly designed and compo nents, such as rack space, pow er, heat ventilation, and weight capacity are accounted for, re sulting in a smooth installation process.

“The introduction of technical data fields will save time, mon ey and aggravation as the proj ect moves to the installation stage,” remarked Tom Peters, Jetbuilt director of business development. “Understanding the rack space required for a particular installation, espe cially for a small space like a credenza, you can make sure the proper size credenza is ordered. Additionally, you can warn the HVAC contractor that

there will be 1000 BTU in a closet to ventilate, and eas ily view the total weight of a speaker system or video wall in cluded in the project, to check against the building structure. Basically, the technical data in the Jetbuilt builder will provide a clear view of what is needed to accommodate the system being installed.”

Technical data fields is the latest feature to support the platform’s engineering efforts and will pair well with Jetbuilt’s engineering scrub feature launched early this year, which allows companies to enforce a technical review as part of the workflow. Scrub ensures every

item is approved from an engi neering perspective before the project moves to the next stage. By having key technical data at the ready and auto- calculated, this process will be streamlined as well. Paul Dexter, Jetbuilt founder and chief executive of ficer, remarked: “While Jetbuilt is known as a sales and proj ect management tool, in 2022, we committed to better serve consultants and the engineer ing side of our design teams using Jetbuilt. To that end we are proud to have launched engineering scrub, JEL, and now technical data fields, with more valuable functionality to come.”

Jetbuilt has announced the addition of techni cal data fields to the project builder. These fields provide im portant product data, including rack units, watts consumption, BTU and dimensions of items

The LED Studio says it has launched the industry’s first narrow pitch LED display, the AegisPRO.

Retail: technology innovations

When the worst excesses of the pandemic were largely under control, significant numbers of retailers were cautiously optimistic about their ability to withstand the challenges posed by coronavirus and the re luctance of consumers to venture out into bricks and mortar shopping destinations. From the outset, 2022 heralded a widespread belief that technology, innovation and new business models would allow the in dustry to capitalise on emerging consumer behaviour and coupled with new shopping experiences. But, as if a pandemic wasn’t bad enough, consumers in 2022 have now been blighted with a cost-of-living crisis, inflation and the prospect of a war in Europe, with all its concomitant implications on supply lines and costs.

Nonetheless, new technologies are paving the way for a more immer sive online experience, and in addition, new consumer behaviour is driving both product and business model innovation in bricks-and-mor tar. There is a an almost universal belief that retail can emerge stron ger, while much changed, from the current setbacks. Here, we look at some of the recent innovations that will contribute to the evolution of retail in a digital world. Later in this issue, Chris Smith, UK Sales Direc tor at HYPERVSN explains the advantages of his company’s technology for retail (see pages 17-18

The online and digital retail world is no longer the exclusive domain of startup or online only businesses. Established and formerly traditional bricks and mortar retail businesses are now embracing the digital marketplace. The modern re tailer’s journey into the digital arena sees onetime tradition al retail businesses, exploring digital products, experiences and transactional opportunities. Consumers are demanding fric tionless and often contactless retail experiences, with retailers responding with ‘checkout-free’ stores and ultra-fast delivery. These are rapidly becoming mainstream as supporting logis tics services emerge.

What consumers want?

‘Square’ has surveyed over 500 retailers and 1,000 consumers to identify how the retail indus try has evolved since 2020. The key findings of the Survey are:

•An online offering is crucial

•Connecting the online and of fline worlds is essential

•Next generation selling could change how we shop

•Social media commerce is on the rise

•Improved efficiency is develop ing with inventory management technology

•Consumers want to see con tinuing community support

•COVID safety measures are here to stay

As many as 97% of consumers now make monthly retail pur chases online, with 53% of avid online shoppers falling between the ages of 25 and 44. To meet this trend, 87% of retail owners and managers surveyed are now selling products online. Retail ers have persevered through recent challenges by expanding to online retail to stay afloat and offer more to customers. Over half of those surveyed consider it likely they will become an on line-only store in the next year.

Having the flexibility to adapt to customer needs is said to be one of the key reasons why in dependent businesses have an advantage over larger competi tion. Whether introducing Buy Now / Pay Later to drive sales or automating customer feedback to build loyalty, the ability to cu

rate their shopping experience to current trends is something of a secret weapon, since they can redefine the consumer ex perience.

Is online the only way forward?

Mark Childerhouse, Sales and Marketing Director of Pioneer Group believes that online will continue to play a role in an om nichannel strategy but, in gen eral: “People want to get away from computer screens and feel part of the physical world. Shop ping online has its benefits, but it does still only make up 30% of (non-food) retail spend, Hu mans are in general social and tactile, we want to try things on, look at things in real life and share an experience with oth ers.”

“Covid, of course, had a signif icant impact on in-person retail ;sales, but it also gave retailers a chance to review their offering and adjust to changes in how we now shop. For example, before Covid people didn’t think twice

about picking up a lipstick tester and trying it on! Post Covid and that just seems crazy! AV technology and face mapping has allowed retailers to give customers the ability to try on makeup and cloth ing hygienically. This may be why these retailers have forged ahead when it comes to AV because they feel they had no other option, they ei ther embraced new ways to demonstrate their offering or shut their stores.)

The presence of online pres ents a viable option for many retailers, but Childerhouse believes that there are other reasons why shoppers have been slow to return to bricksand-mortar stores: “Although the pandemic had a huge im pact on stores it’s not the only reason people aren’t flocking back to stores! Online shop ping stores have stepped up

their game over the last couple of years, with free delivery and returns, next day and same day deliveries, free home collec tions etc have all made a huge difference in how people shop as well as the ability to find discount codes and surf for the best price. The rise of social media influencers has also had its impact! Consumers can now view homeware in situ or cloth ing being shown on “normal people”.

Social media is increasingly important: “People are now watching TikTok or Instagram videos of make-up tutorials rather than popping to a store makeup counter or following influencers who tell them what to wear and where to buy it! So, the need to see items physical ly and try them on has been re duced and this has affected re tailers. Those stores that have embraced a more immersive

sales experience and have com bined the use on internet shop ping with physical shopping are giving consumers a better allround experience and they are likely to remain profitable.”

“Stores like Schuh have a great presence on the high street, they employee enthusiastic staff as well as having stock checking equipment within the store. If an item isn’t available, they have provided a quick and easy way for you or the store as sistant to order the item from their website and deliver it to your door the next day without incurring a delivery charge all while you’re in store!” explains Childerhouse.

Enhancing the consumer experience

A recent report on the retail sector from Dolomites iden tified a number of trends es sential for continuing success in retail. Adding an online channel to an existing business was obviously number one. Ex ploiting existing assets to the optimum level was the second, and the third was eliminating all unnecessary costs at every level. While this final recom mendation might sound like an unreasonable restraint on inno vation, investment in the cus tomer experience is tempered by the first recommendation, to exploit existing assets to the fullest extent.

Zyler from Anthropics Technol ogy is an AI-powered virtual fitting technology for shoppers and retailers that allows them to try on hundreds of outfits quickly and easily on a smart phone, desktop or in store. A selfie and a few measurements are all that is needed as input to enable customers to discovr their style and fit remotely.

How does this help the retailer?

Fashion brands and retailers can improve shoppers' expe rience; increase intent to pur

chase and sale conversion; increase social media shares. improve brand engagement and minimize returns. Zyler enables shoppers to try on clothing in a variety of styles right on their phones or desktops, before making a purchase. Users test different outfits on themselves virtually - to see what suits them to find their style and to save time shopping - all with their own shape and size tak en into account. With a large proportion of clothing purchas es and sales made online now, consumers and retailers can enhance their shopping experi ence by using Zyler.

Zyler’s patented technolo gy, based on the latest cut ting-edge research, offers pre cision and accuracy down to the hips, legs, waist, chest, arms, and even shoulder and head measurements. Clothing details from the original image (e.g. texture, colour, hem, or sleeve length) as well as facial features, skin tone, body shape and overall fit are uniquely tak en into account for a realistic try-on experience. Shoppers can try on hundreds of outfits - from casual wear to evening gowns and wedding dresses. These features have not been seen in virtual try-on technolo gy before. Zyler is the most re alistic clothing try-on solution to date, utilizing state-of-theart Artificial Intelligence.

CEO of Anthropics, Alexander Berend says: “Zyler continues to evolve and succeed in en riching the ecommerce indus try”. Anthropics Technology Ltd is a UK based software research and development company. Originating in The National Film and Television School, UK, Anthropics has a proven track record for cutting-edge innovation in graphics and an imation, having worked with industry leaders and provid ing state-of-the-art technology worldwide.

Fashion brands and retailers can improve shoppers' experience; increase intent to purchase and sale conversion; increase social media shares. improve brand engagement and minimize returns. Zyler en ables shoppers to try on clothing in a variety of styles right on their phones or desktops, before making a purchase.

from page

Shopping as leisure

New technologies such as Zyler both extend the reach of the re tailer into the community. But shopping is seen by many as a chore – what can be done to change consumers’ mindsets, to the point where shopping equals fun? Nils Karsten, Busi ness Segment Lead for Retail, at Sharp/NEC Display Solu tions. reports that the process starts way before the shopper enters the store. The fashion brand Walbusch chose felt the need to modernise its window and in-store offering. Using small format LED modules en abled the retailer to configure a large bezel-free digital sur face in an unusual 3:4 portrait format. Llong-life and easy to maintain, shoppers are treated to high-resolution dynamic im ages with deep contrasts which convey the quality of the brand. But consumers today demand more than high quality imag ery and displays. Retailers also feel compelled to demonstrate their sustainability credentials and their commitment to waste reduction and recycling Today’s consumers, largely driven by millennials, want to buy from ethical companies who take their social responsibility se riously. They are increasingly suspicious of ‘green-washing’ and are seeking to engage with brands which clearly demon strate a genuine desire to oper ate sustainably.

This extends beyond sustain able product design and man ufacturing to the ancillary oper ations of the retailer. Retailers are using digital signage to replace everything from paper signs for wayfinding to life-size pop-up stands for point-of-sale promotions. Advertising con tent can be updated instantly without waste, nor the associat ed impact of shipping. Karsten acknowledges that sustainabili ty should no longer be consid ered a trend, but a long-term strategy.

Mark Childerhouse concurs: “Today’s shoppers are used to having everything at their fingertips; finding ways to get

them to look up from their mo bile device and interact with products in store or even get them to brick and mortar stores is an art form that retailers are researching and working hard to achieve. However, retailers are harnessing our reliance on our devices to create a person alised experience in-store that increases spend.”

“For example, we are working with a well know paint brand, they are trailing a wallpaper and paint app on large touch screens within their decorating stores that allow customers to see how paint colour and wall papers would work using imag es from the customer's photos from their personal devices.

Once the consumer has cho sen the paint colour or wallpa per, the details can be sent to customers' phones for them to purchase and collect in-store.”

Virtual technology Does this mean that virtual technology had the answers to delivering enhanced retail experience? Childerhouse be lieves it depends on the cir cumstances: “Ten years ago, the average consumer wasn’t used to VR technology so the idea of using this within a shopping situation was alien to them, putting on a headset and wondering about while others could see you but you couldn’t see them to many would have felt awkward and embarrass ing. Now we have a generation entering the consumer market who have grown up with VR gaming and interacting with technology, so the barrier has been removed. In some situa tions, VR has really taken off, kitchen stores like Wren have taken this technology on board as it allows their customers to see what their finished kitchen could look like to scale, and it allows them to show off differ ent options.”

No matter what the retailer’s level of commitment to new technologies. there is absolute ly no doubt that a commitment to sustainability is here to stay. Sustainability is the major in

fluence on consumer behaviour particularly among generation Z consumers. This has led to massive growth in sales of sec ond-hand clothing, which are expected to grow at a higher rate than fast fashion. The other side of the sustainability coin is ‘traceability’ - increas ingly essential if climate tar gets are to be achieved. Collab oration with industry peers can also help co create transforma tive solutions to address major societal issues such as climate change. ‘Experimentation with the metaverse’ are becoming watch words among those keen to learn how it can enhance the customer experience and add value to a retail business.

The digital signage advantage Even those retailers reluctant to embrace cutting-edge vir tual technologies, the move to digital signage is basically a done deal as regards providing shoppers with an enhanced ex perience. In a recent blog post, Sharp / NEC commented: “Em bracing technology and provid ing people with an immersive experience has been shown to increase the average transac tion spend but it is also helping save costs elsewhere. Instore

purchasing leads to less returns and this is a huge benefit to re tailers. Furthermore, the value of reliable and durable signage should not be underestimated in shaping brand perception –a black screen is worse than no

ular design policy also extends usage: the display solution you need for today will continue to meet changing needs in the fu ture. By upgrading the comput ing power of the display, for in stance, signage isn’t disposed

portant element in the circular economy. Metal is also highly durable, fire-retardant and heat resistant – all vital properties in the manufacture of electronic devices, safeguarding safety and longevity. Sharp/NEC uses

screen!”.

Digital signage is also an im portant element in NEC’s ‘Repair, Reuse, Recycle and Reduce’ initiative for sustain able signage. For example. The company’s dvLED technology is becoming more and more prev alent in the retail sector as the technology of choice for large digital surfaces. dvLED is de scribed as ‘highly serviceable’ with components that can be repaired and replaced to sup port its extraordinarily long life time of over 10 years. Sharp/ NEC is driven to ensure its cus tomers enjoy the best possible experience over the entire life time of its products, to which end the company has devel oped a comprehensive, tailored service program to accompany dvLED products.

Sharp/NEC argues that its mod

of, but repurposed or reconfig ured, extending the life of the display and reducing waste. Open modular slot-in options offer an interchangeable se lection of solutions including computing technology, media playback and signal distribu tion (e.g. AVoverIP) for unlim ited versatility. The embedded device reduces power usage resulting in significant energy savings, whilst cabling and ad ditional mounting systems be come obsolete.

Next, for recycling. metal completes the circle. Even in the entry level display series, Sharp/NEC chooses to use met al, rather than plastic or poly carbonate, for the structural components in Large Format Display and dvLED solutions. Metal is almost infinitely recy clable and as such is an im

recycled materials for all its products and avoids hazardous substances. In large format dis plays, 97.4%, of components are almost entirely recyclable. Finally, using sensor technol ogy, any digital display can be transformed into an engaging shopping experience. In com bination with audience mea surement, retailers can cap ture valuable data about their customers, enabling them to harness greater efficiencies. One very simple example is the use of a human presence sen sor. The sensor recognises that someone is approaching, this triggers the display to power up with content to entice the shopper to look more closely at a promoted product. Once

LED is ideal for digital storytelling to engage both the shopper inside the store and the public passing by outside. At the Berlin flagship store of a multinational sportswear manufacturer, AV systems integrator InfraStor GmbH was responsible for the new dvLED video wall installation.

Give your installation

Visit theledstudio.com

the person has moved on, the display will power down to save energy.

Sharp/NEC’s mission is to pro vide much more than reliable, long lasting digital signage hardware. As a trusted solu tions provider, we work with our customers to ensure they achieve their aspirations, fully supported along the journey to generate a positive ROI where sustainability remains at the core of its business model. Competing for attention AV technology such as Video Walls are a visually powerful way to compete for shopper attention and make the retail experience more engaging and immersive. The accessibility of dvLED, as a viable alternative to LCD in the video wall market, has come on leaps and bounds. The world of standard VESA mounting points still does not exist in dvLED technology. However, the cost is decreas ing, with ultra-narrow pixel pitch increasing in popularity, lifespans are improving and LED is now more available in the channel. From a mounting perspective, the game is chang ing. dvLED applications in the retail sector range from basic flat-to-wall 130-165” FHD walls, where the retailer wants to make a bold statement, up to giant and unique bespoke video walls of any size, shape or con figuration. Curved, convex and concave displays with missing rows, suspended, half globes, indoor to outdoor through pane glass, on a track system, floor pedestal, recessed – are all available to meet the needs of a retailer who has a creative vi sion and wants to make maxi mum impact.

LED is ideal for digital sto rytelling to engage both the shopper inside the store and the public passing by outside.

At the Berlin flagship store

around the elevator shaft. Ulti mately, the installation time on site was limited, so a fast and smooth setup was required. In addition, the solution needed to be functional, easy to install and slim to wall to save space in the window location.

For this install, the video wall load needed to be taken by the floor as well as the wall. In fraStor recommended a SEAM LESS Bespoke dvLED Mount ing System from Peerless-AV to support digiILED LED modules in a 5x9 (600 x 337.5mm) configuration. Bolted to the floor (sitting 50mm high) and

the environment in the store and the desired current cam paign and the sustainability story can now be optimally dis played on the video wall”, said Max Schwarzkopf, Project Man ager at InfraStor.

Outdoor growth

The opportunity for outdoor digital signage is also on the increase and Peerless is seeing demand across a wide range of applications aimed at tak ing the message outside to the consumer, reaching them with targeted advertising and tai

digital signage applications, which might seem obvious, is that the requirements are very different to indoor applications owing to environmental and hu man elements, which can vary day to day. Based on the nature of the setting, a key priority is durability and ruggedness in an unattended, 24/7 environment. Outdoor displays, mounts and kiosks need to withstand im pact, high winds, extreme hot or cold temperatures, water, dust, insect, ice and snow. Any thing that falls short in terms of performance runs the risk of damage; and screen downtime means lost revenue and lost ROI.

LED: Choosing the right display?

of a multinational sportswear manufacturer, AV systems in tegrator InfraStor GmbH was responsible for the new dvLED video wall installation. The pri mary objective was visibility of the retail brand’s sustainability content to the public from the pedestrian zone. In addition, the design of the LED solution had to be integrated into the overall concept of the store, in which LED displays were also installed in the entrance and

bolted back to the wall, the mounting system was custom manufactured to have a metic ulous fit with built in x, y and z axis adjustment to ensure the video wall surface remains flat.

“The extensive adjustment op tions of the Peerless-AV mount substructure have enabled a very flat LED surface without visible lines between the cab inets, so that the customer is very satisfied with the result. The solution fits perfectly into

lored messaging at every point of their retail shopping experi ence. For example, the Peerless all-weather high bright outdoor displays have been installed at a major furniture store in Ger many for the customer click and collect area at the rear. Also, in retail parks with QSR drive-throughs, outdoor digital menu boards are being installed to enhance the ordering experi ence for customers. An import ant consideration with outdoor

Pixel pitch and resolution are the big factors to consider when deciding on a technol ogy. That’s largely determined by how far people will be viewing the content from and how good you want the con tent to look. Integrators in particular should be aware of how the displays connect to gether, power consumption, length of install and whether the display is front service able. It’s also unlike install ing LCD displays in that each manufacturer is very differ ent, so experience with one dvLED is not the same as with another. Be sure you account for experience when calculat ing installation time.

Caution

Make sure there’s an actual mount available for the specific dvLED model you’re consider ing.

•Be aware of the opportunity for non-flat installs like corners and curves.

•Direct View LED is not a sim ple one-to-one sale. One dis play does not usually pair with one mount.

•With no standard VESA pat terns, it can be difficult to know what you need for an order.

•The Chief / Legrand web tool

generates a bill of materials for the displays you are using. In addition, it proactively au tomates other design needs like outside dimensions, 2D drawing files, and files that support REVIT generation.

When is LED not right for an application?

LED is probably not the right choice if the display is under 100 inches and you could achieve the same experience with a large LCD screen.

The opportunity for outdoor digital signage is also on the increase and Peerless is seeing demand across a wide range of applications aimed at taking the message outside to the consumer, reaching them with targeted advertising and tailored messaging at every point of their retail shopping experience

LED, OLED, QLED, dvLED, xLED, direct-view LED, microLED – areal available. And what about resolution?. 4K, 8K, 12K? Luke Westin, Sr. Product Manager at Chief / Legrand comments on the most pressing con cerns when selecting the right display.

‘Employees first’ creates a destination workplace

In April 2022, Pioneer Group completed an office fit-out for Nomios, A cyber security company that really does put its employees first! No mios design, secure, and manage the digital infrastructure for both large and small organisation and is a leading partner for large security and network technology vendors, including Juniper, Fortinet, Arista, Zscaler and Crowdstrike.

Following the pandemic, Nomios took a bold step moving into new premises in Basingstoke. The pandemic had pushed them from an activity-based workforce to one that had to focus on the experience of working and that had to put video collaboration at the heart of the organisation. This new office needed to be a better place to work than the home offices' employees had become accustomed to.

What Nomios and Pioneer achieved was a workspace that made meetings better, smoother, and more productive; through clever acoustics and technology, they made going to the office better than being at home. But it didn't just stop there; Nomios took this idea of making their office a ‘destination’ and made it somewhere that meant employees were reluctant to go home!

"We wanted to create a space that supported our employee's men tal health, upheld our company values and culture, and ensured we upheld our Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation! Our new prem ises had to be better than being at home! And with the help of Pi oneer Group and the clever technology that they implemented, we have achieved beyond our own expectations! Our company culture has improved, our hybrid working improved and our ability over the last couple of months to attract the best talent is evidence alone that we are doing it right” said David Eighteen, Marketing Director at Nomios.

“The new office had to be better than being at home! Great coffee and a ping pong table are nice to have, but they aren't why people come to the office; the technology here makes this place work. The acoustics in the meeting rooms can’t be replicated from home. The ability to collaborate on touchscreens with colleagues that record all your notes and scribblings and then email them to your laptop ready for your next meeting is a game-changer.”

“I love working from home, but I love coming to the office equally! I now plan my days around the tools I need; if I know I have a busy day of meetings, I'll come to the office and book out a space know ing that the quality of those meetings will be higher than if I was at home. I love having the option but often pick the office over being at home! Something I never imagined thinking before we moved here." Will Reincke, Business Development Manager at| Nomios.

But it is important to stress that this isn't one of those ‘fun’ work places where nothing gets done, but it is somewhere that people want to be; yes, they have a kitchen with great coffee and even

But it is important to stress that this isn't one of those ‘fun’ workplaces where nothing gets done, but it is somewhere that people want to be; yes, they have a kitchen with great coffee and even a beer tap; yes, they have a pool table and a games console!

a beer tap; yes, they have a pool table and a games console! But when we visited, what we noticed was how people were working. There were people sitting at the kitchen counter beavering away while others made drinks around them. Others were seated in booths looking at presentations on larger screens, while some were deep in conversation around a Clevertouch Touchscreen. What was apparent was that everyone was working but in their own way. There was a feeling that everyone had a slot that was home to them. When we spoke to the team sitting at the kitchen counter, we discovered they were all from different departments! Silos no longer seemed to exist in this office, which was so refreshing! Talking about refreshing, another rather exciting fact we discov ered was that Nomios pumps fresh air into the office! Managing Director Richard Butcher explained the reasoning behind this to us. “The mental health of our staff is a massive priority to Nomios,

There were people sitting at the kitchen counter beavering away while others made drinks around them. Others were seated in booths looking at presentations on larger screens, while some were deep in conver sation around a Clevertouch Touchscreen.

and fresh air plays a huge role in how people feel. As a cyber secu rity company, we can't just open a window, so we decided to invest in fresh air pumps! Obviously, this adds to the noise level, which we then needed to consider when implementing other technolo gies, but the expenses are definitely worthwhile; the office feels fresh, not stuffy like you usually find in air-conditioned spaces.”

Richard continues, “Working with Pioneer; we have an office that is as secure as it is practical. The acoustics in every meeting space has been planned and implemented perfectly, and. not only that, we have a space we and the wider team are proud off. Every detail was considered. The use of projection for branding rather than static images has added vibrancy to the office and allowed us to update and change the mood within the spaces we have! People don't always want a brightly lit space; when we have events later in the day, we can adjust the mood of the office to reflect what we are doing, just as you would at home. I think this is why people tend to stay later and hang out rather than dashing home at 5!”

It’s clear when you visit the Nomios office why they see this as a triumph! We arrived early on a Tuesday morning, and staff were already sitting in the kitchen chatting and making breakfast at the bar area. We were welcomed with a fantastic coffee and an offer of something to eat before a beaming Richard gave us a tour of the space. The Peloton bikes that are hooked up to a Clevertouch Touchscreen weren't being used, but we were informed that staff do jump on them during the day for a workout or after work (Yes, they have lovely showers too).

Without the AV, much of what Nomios have achieved wouldn't be possible. The space is a lovely place to hang out, it's refreshing and airy with a lovely coffee shop/ student union vibe, but the AV makes it a workspace!

What Nomios and Pioneer achieved was a workspace that made meetings better, smoother, and more productive; through clever acoustics and technology, they made going to the office better than being at home.

WITH

Reduce costs with less use of the photocopier, in turn, saving on ink and paper.

Become more energy efficient and spend more time teaching.

Reduce felled trees to produce paper, as worksheets can be shared to the class directly from the visualiser.

WHY GENEE VISION?

Showcase textbooks, objects, experiments to a larger audience in real time. Introduce new ways of teaching by capturing, magnifying and annotating over what’s being presented.

Supports peer led assessments, classroom discussions and collaborations!

Engage the class with the built-in audience response system. Simple and easy to use – Plug and Play.

WE OFFER A RANGE OF VISUALISERS FOR DIFFERENT USES AND BUDGET.

GO WIRELESS!

We also offer a wireless range, these visualisers can be charged overnight and used throughout the day by teachers and students with no wires, making it easy to move them around the classroom.

Present from anywhere in the classroom.

SOFTWARE INCLUDED – GENEE TOOLBAR

Our effective easy to use software provides teachers with the options to: Capture pictures, record video, zoom and rotate. Annotate over a live image.

Animation and time-lapse video (fast and slow speed). Canvas to integrate video and images.

Audio

Sennheiser claims the world's most immersive sound

The expansion of the Sennhe iser AMBEO Soundbar line-up, with the new AMBEO Sound bar Plus and the AMBEO Sub, offers additional choices for consumers seeking to bring best-in-class immersive sound into their homes. The world's first 7.1.4. standalone sound bar, AMBEO Soundbar Plus places the user in the centre of the action – but now in a more compact housing than

in audio research and develop ment, the Fraunhofer-Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS — as the AMBEO Soundbar Max.”

AMBEO Self-Calibration reads a room’s acoustic properties and then positions seven virtu al speakers around the listener, plus four more overhead. This lets the AMBEO Soundbar Plus project sound from any cor ner of the room. Users get to experience the depth, impact,

immersive sound designed to give the user goose bumps. The extremely deep bass is powered by the AMBEO virtualisation technology, that provides un matched natural and immer sive sound, while an 8” highend proprietary woofer, paired with a 350W Class-D amplifier, guarantees unmatched thun dering bass. With a design that matches its incredible sound quality, a closed enclosure en

Monitor Audio announces Platinum Series 3G

Monitor Audio has announced the launch of the innovative, advanced and beautifully built Platinum Series 3G. This flag ship range encapsulates the company’s desire to deliver ac cessible excellence. Superior, innovative acoustic technolo gies, smart engineering and ob sessive attention to detail en sures the Platinum Series 3G is capable of the most accurate, clear, and lifelike sound, from a design that will stay significant for a lifetime.

Platinum Series 3G launches within Monitor Audio’s 50th Anniversary year, and the com pany has channelled all those decades of expertise into its development. The series builds on a stated vision of bringing the listener closer to sonic and visual perfection, cementing Platinum Series 3G as true objects of desire; a visceral ex perience for the ears as well as the eyes, the range deepens the connection between listening and making audio human.

Platinum Series 3G offers a choice of four premium mod

ation Micro Pleated Diaphragm (MPD III) high frequency trans ducer. Developed by Monitor Audio’s acoustic engineers when creating the company’s ground-breaking ‘Concept 50’ prototype, this breathtakingly accurate tweeter was unveiled earlier this year for our 50th Anniversary celebrations.

The MPD III introduces inno vative technology that reduc es distortion and flattens the frequency response, while the optimised waveguide provides highly controlled directivity, improving both soundstage and sensitivity. This all leads to a larger, clearer, and more consistent sound, allowing the Platinum Series 3G to create the ultimate immersive experi ence: Music and film are deliv ered with incredible precision and clarity, introducing the lis tener to levels of accuracy and detail that they won’t have no ticed before.

In addition to the MPD III high frequency transducer, other new acoustic features include: •The RDT III cone is em

models features several signif icant enhancements that help to create a smoother transition across the frequency range, and deliver a more consistent crossover with the MPD III tweeter. Adding Monitor Au dio’s innovative Dynamic Cou pling Filter (DCF) mechanism helps control cone breakup, while there are also larger more powerful Neodymium magnets, a new motor-system, an under hung edge-wound voice-coil, and improved power handling.

Plus, intricately calculated mid-range driver enclosures re duce internal standing waves, for much improved overall clar ity within the midrange, mak ing vocals and minute details incredibly precise and lifelike.

•The all-new centre-channel mid-range driver for the Plati num C250 3G maximises the speaker’s ability to provide the impact and precision need ed for even the most dynam ic soundtrack and film score.

Taking its DNA from Monitor Audio’s exceptional, flagship THX-certified Cinergy Theatre

its larger, award-winning sister – the AMBEO Soundbar Max, previously known as the AM BEO Soundbar. The AMBEO Sub guarantees a breath-taking cinematic experience and is also outstanding for listening to music.

“The AMBEO Soundbar Plus and AMBEO Sub build on the success of the award-winning AMBEO Soundbar Max, ranked by reviewers as the best sound bar in the world,” said Maximil lian Voigt, Sennheiser Product Manager AMBEO Soundbars. “Thanks to the deep, immersive sound and more compact hous ing, our new AMBEO Soundbar Plus offers even more choic es for those who want a home theatre experience with audio phile-quality sound.”

The AMBEO Soundbar Plus offers a new, more compact soundbar within the Sennheiser product portfolio. It is driven by the same ground -breaking 3D sound — developed in collab oration with the world leader

and spaciousness of a movie theatre at home — without the fuss of extra cables or satellite speakers.

The AMBEO Soundbar Plus is great for listening to audio phile-grade music and auto matically adapts its sound to the content that’s being played.

Customisable presets are also available, along with an equal iser and more in the Smart Control App. Breath taking im mersive 3D sound is provided with Dolby ATMOS, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio and MPEG-H Au dio. Users can even upmix ste reo and 5.1 content to create thrilling 3D sound experiences that make it sound like the artist is in the room. The Senn heiser AMBEO Soundbar Plus uses the AMBEO OS platform. This enables multiple music streaming services, such as Ap ple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and works with a Google Assistant-enabled de vice with Chromecast built-in. The new Sub delivers a unique

sures audiophile-grade bass down to 27Hz. The multi-sub array technology allows users to connect up to four subwoofers to scale bass performance and calibrate them individually for optimal sound, while a wireless connection provides for a neat and clean room without the need for any cables.

The AMBEO Sub’s advanced self-calibration and its built-in far-field microphone allow the device to precisely learn the acoustics of the room and ad just to every environment for a unique sound experience, while its intuitive Smart Control App guarantees a smooth user expe rience that makes the most out of your AMBEO Sub. Just plug it in, set it up and enjoy.

The Sennheiser AMBEO Sound bar Plus and AMBEO Sub, can be pre-ordered now and will be available from September 22, 2022. The AMBEO Soundbar Plus has an RRP of £1,299 / €1,499, and AMBEO Sub has an RRP of £599 / €699.

els designed to satisfy both two-channel or multi-channel home theatre system configu rations. The series consists of the Platinum 100 3G stand mount, Platinum 200 3G midsized floor stander, and the for midable, flagship floor stander, the Platinum 300 3G. Each speaker works independently in a high-performance two-chan nel system, or, with the addi tion of the Platinum 250 3G centre-channel as part of a high-performance AV system. However, the user chooses to configure them, they will pro pel the listener into a truly immersive and high-fidelity ex perience, allowing both music lovers and film aficionados to experience utter perfection. Re-defining what is achievable for high-end home audio, each model in the Platinum Series 3G features the new 3rd gener

ployed on all Platinum Series 3G midrange and bass drivers. An extremely strong cone, it is constructed from three distinct layers. A Nomex honeycombed core is sandwiched between an ultra-thin and ultra-rigid C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Alu minium) layer and a twin layer of uni-directional Carbon Fibre, which are layered and bonded at 90 degrees to each other for even greater strength. Super light, yet super strong, the RDT III cone works like a perfect piston, and when coupled to the latest optimised and con toured cone surround and black spider it allows the Platinum Series 3G mid and bass drivers to boast the lowest distortion of any speaker in Monitor Audio’s history.

•The dedicated Mid-range driver utilised on the Platinum 200 3G and Platinum 300 3G

series, the mid-range driver uti lises a carefully optimised mo tor system, providing extraordi nary power. Though it only has a 2.5” diameter, the mid-range driver employs a very large voice-coil to ensure high-levels of power handling. This delivers the punch and impact required to deliver the dynamics of any music or film score while also producing the widest directivity possible in order to propel any listener within the environment into a fully immersive life-like soundscape.

•Bass drivers feature large-di ameter edge-wound underhung voice-coils, therefore creating exceptional power-handling.

The expansion of the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar line-up, with the new AMBEO Soundbar Plus and the AMBEO Sub, offers additional choices for consumers seeking to bring best-in-class immersive sound into their homes.

Monitor Audio announces Platinum Series 3G

These new voice-coils allow higher and more linear excur sion of the driver, resulting in wider dynamic range with greater control, resulting in im pressive levels of tight, impact ful bass.

Other acoustic improvements include refined crossovers, which utilise elliptical filters to ensure perfect time alignment of the drive units at the cross over points, greatly improving directivity. The crossover and drivers have been painstakingly engineered with state-of-the-art virtual simulation and prototyp ing techniques. Many hundreds of iterations were scrutinised to ensure that the finished cross overs are perfectly aligned with the total acoustic system de sign in-mind, harmonising the complete acoustic package to

ensure the perfect delivery of sound.

Beyond the technology, every detail has been painstakingly considered, and the Platinum Series 3G offers a luxurious look and feel which exudes the highest level of craftsmanship and thoughtful design. The allnew cabinets are available in three beautifully rich, contem porary finishes: Piano Ebony, Piano Black, and Pure White Satin. The unique curved front profile reduces diffraction, while also looking elegant, as do the new aluminium driv er frames, which beneath the surface boast tension rods that secure the drivers to the cab inet – creating a cabinet that is almost completely inert and vibration free. Precision engi neered outrigger feet complete

the acoustic system design ap proach and form a solid plat form for floor standing models, while also offering a more ele gant aesthetic compared to a cumbersome plinth.

Platinum Series 3G perfects the art of high-fidelity sound, within a system package that exemplifies cutting-edge, acoustic innovation and pre mium design. The result is spine-tingling levels of perfor mance. Each Platinum Series 3G model truly is an object of desire. The Platinum Series 3G will be available from Decem ber with prices ranging from the Platinum 100 3G - RRP £4,500 / €5,500 / $6,000 pair to the Platinum 300 3G - RRP £11,500 / €14,000 / $15,500 pair.

Nureva audio API supports camera tracking

Nureva Inc has announced it now enables camera tracking with accurate sound location data for third-party camera in tegrations. Enabled by Nure va’s patented Microphone Mist technology, which fills a room with thousands of virtual mi crophones, the new sound lo cation device API streams data that identifies where people are talking within a room to steer

to accurately locate sound sources.

Microphone Mist technology’s advanced processing power filters out undesirable sounds that make it difficult for re mote participants to follow the presenter. Using Nureva’s API, camera companies have easy access to accurate sound di rection, location and level from the Nureva audio system being

er this year, cloud-based mon itoring of any USB-connected third-party camera was added to Nureva Console, making it easy for IT staff to remotely monitor cameras and ensure they are functioning properly in meeting rooms and classrooms.

“The use of Microphone Mist technology to enable camera tracking is a breakthrough that opens up many exciting pos

Projection

Epson announces six new home entertainment projectors

Epson has introduced six new home cinema projectors, de scribed as ideal for film enthu siasts, sports fans and gamers looking for an immersive big screen experience. The new projectors will help to expand Epson’s number one position in the projection market and bring a range of high specifications with a variety of price points to suit every budget.

Ranging from entry level projec tors with WXGA technology and a sleek new design, affordable 4K PRO-UHD projectors with built in Android TVTM to the latest Epson EpiqVision Ultra Projector with 4K-PRO UHD and a laser light source, there is a projector for every budget. First up are the EpiqVision Ultra EH-LS800B and EH-LS800W, Epson’s first super-ultra-shortthrow models providing even closer positioning to the wall. Available in both black and white these projectors offer a solid blend of high brightness, excellent image quality and ver satility by leveraging Epson’s laser light source technology. Thanks to their close-to-thewall location, and 4K PROUHD2 resolution giving a crisp and sharp image, these are easy to use and set up. They offer a great replacement to the tradi tional TV, blending in to even the smallest of living rooms and delivering flexible image sizes from 80” to 150” start ing from just 2.3cm3 from the wall. Ideal for tv shows, films and sports, they also come with a new dedicated gaming port providing an under 20ms input lag rate. The projectors’ built-in

AndroidTV deliver streaming, casting and smart controls and with stunning sound from YA MAHA speakers delivering a full audio experience, there is no need for additional external speakers.

Also new are the EH-TW6150 and EH-TW6250 entry level 4K PRO-UHD projectors. With a sleek new curved design at an affordable price, users can

less streaming Finally, in the new line up are two multi-purpose entry level projectors which form a new “crossover” range, ideal for the new flexible home working trend. The CO-FH02 and COW01 each have a compact de sign making them easier to car ry between rooms and are ideal for education, home and office environments. They each have

and switch cameras so that remote participants can more easily follow conversations and see who is speaking.

This is ideal for larger rooms that may have a greater number of participants, such as a higher education classroom or a large meeting room or boardroom.

Unlike typical microphone systems that depend on map ping areas to camera presets and provide only sound-source directional data or target un wanted sound sources such as HVAC fans, a wall speaker and even sound reflections from a window, Nureva uses virtual microphones as pickup points

used. Sound locations are re ported several times per second to enable automatic camera adjustments based on the loca tion of the active speaker or the need to switch focus between multiple speakers.

Available through Nureva De veloper Toolkit, the sound loca tion device API was created as part of a program to work with leading camera companies on integrating their PTZ cameras with Nureva audio systems to offer customers a better audio and video experience. Integra tions are currently underway with AVer and Lumens, among other camera companies. Earli

sibilities for the capture and use of sound location data,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “We’re excited to work with leading camera manu facturers to enable this func tionality and deliver the kind of integrated audio and video experience that customers are asking for.”

enjoy the latest movies, sport ing events and gaming releas es anywhere in the home with flexible placement via the ver tical lens shift. These projec tors are ideal for film fanatics and gamers looking for reso lution of up to 4K PRO-UHD picture quality. Both models make perfect gaming compan ions with an under 20ms input lag rate for a fast and respon sive gaming experience. The EH-TW6250 also comes with built in Android TV for seam

a simple, clean new design en abling them to fit into any sur rounding without compromising on big immersive screen size. The CO-W01 is a WXGA reso lution. The CO-FH02 is Full HD and also comes with built in Android TV so users can stream the latest films, tv shows and content straight to your projec tor. Prices range from £449.99 for the CO-W01 to £3299.99 for the EH-LS800B/W

Flat screens New brighter Clear-Com V-Series IrisX Panel

The new V-Series IrisX IP Pan el from Clear-Com expands the capabilities of the original V-Se ries Iris Panel, delivering new thin-film-transistor (TFT) dis plays for increased brightness and better resolution combined with the V-Series Iris’ lower latency and increased port ca pacity. Truly a modern panel, IrisX fits naturally into IP-based productions with AES67 con nectivity and dual NIC connec tions. Along with all V-Series Panels, IrisX will take advan tage of key new features found in Eclipse HX software includ ing role-based workflows and several redundancy measures, including N+1 card redundancy and network redundancy. Addi tional benefits of IrisX include capacity for three concurrent full duplex uncompressed audio streams and backward compati bility with MVX-A16 and IVC-32 cards.

New TFT displays in IrisX en able higher resolution and in creased variation in brightness for clearer label information and data display, whether a user

chooses a dim viewing option in a dark theatre, or the bright est setting for viewing in direct sunlight at an outdoor event. The new displays are far more resistant to burn-in or fading, thus allowing for a significant ly longer overall lifespan. With the ability to provide up to 64 ports when combined with just a single E-IPA card, and less than 10 ms audio laten cy from IrisX panel to frame via an AES67 connection, IrisX is upping the game and delivering additional value to users. IrisX supports three dif ferent connection options with a direct 4-wire, AES67 or the company’s proprietary I.V. Core protocol, ideal for applications that are reliant on the public internet.

“As display technologies im prove, we want to bring those advantages to our users. We have developed IrisX based on feedback from users in the field across multiple market areas who are looking for increased brightness and resolution, and we believe they will be thrilled

with the new features and functionality,” concludes Ste phen Sandford, Senior Product Manager for Clear-Com. “We’re excited for our customers to get their hands – and eyes –on these new panels!” IrisX is available in a variety of models that include 12, 24, or 32 keys in Rotary, Lever, and Pushbut ton varieties, as well as expan sion panels.

The new V-Series IrisX IP Panel from Clear-Com expands the ca pabilities of the original V-Se ries Iris Panel, delivering new thin-film-transistor (TFT) displays for increased brightness and bet ter resolution combined with the V-Series Iris’ lower latency and increased port capacity.

Nureva Inc has announced it now enables camera tracking with accurate sound location data for third-party camera integrations.

Epson has introduced six new home cinema projectors, described as ideal for film enthusiasts, sports fans and gamers looking for an im mersive big screen experience.

HYPERVSN: New kids on the retail block

Turning customer engagement into direct sales is something that most forward-thinking retailers have been trying to achieve for some time, especially with the advent of COVID. Previously retailers have utilised conventional digital screens to great effect, however with the aver age person in the UK now bombarded with over 5000 2D adverts a day, have conventional digital screens had their day? Chris Smith, UK Sales Director at HYPERVSN explains.

Installing 3D holographic signage like HYPERVSN SmartV, is prov en to drive a higher customer engagement, longer dwell time and ultimately makes more sales. Many high-profile retailers are turn ing to HYPERVSN SmartV to make their retail experience more immersive for the customer and to provide a more enjoyable instore experience. This can be further enhanced by the use of the HYPERVSN SmartV Digital Avatar for a truly scalable and revolu tionized Retail experience, the future of digital product catalogues, consultations and even virtual changing rooms, is finally here. OK. the cynics among you will point out that ten years ago, we saw some experiments in retail with VR – and frankly they didn’t they work? Why not? Embracing such huge technological changes on such a cultural level has always taken time, it’s human na ture to prefer what you already know, but change and acceptance does happen - just look at the rollout of ATM’s and even more recently, mobile phones! We see the same pattern of initial resistance, doubt and then the slow build of general use and societal acceptance with things like VR/AR and the most well-known of these today, the Metaverse.

It shouldn’t be of much a sur prise that people, like you or me, who are reluctant to ac cept tech change at the first instance, are business own ers and change-makers. But now that people have had some time to get comfortable with virtual technologies, we can see business infrastruc tures becoming more willing to change and grow alongside them - the growth of in-store AI Assistants, holographic instore installations and more is proof enough that the corporate

world is embracing this tech. With the development of more ‘ad vanced’ features like software and CMS abilities, it’ll be a bright future for AV and Digital Signage.

At HYPERVSN we don't believe that the future of retail is online, but we do believe that physical retail experiences are going to need to innovate with their brands and excite their customers in such ways that make them want to come in-store.

The power of immersive in-store AV is now coming to life and is prob ably where customers will feel the presence of new digital technology more.

ROI is always a top concern when it comes to investing in new technology, and with HYPERVSN, it’s an issue we always back up with evidence - data is king just as much as content we believe, and our data is great.

The pandemic and physical stores

Why would you spend time and effort going to a physical store, when you get the same experience on the store’s website? Chang ing the look, feel and experience of your physical retail store is how you can change your customer’s approach to physically shop ping with you - many retail stores have started adding coffee bars and live music events to their locations, however is changing the sounds and smell of your shop enough? At HYPERVSN we believe it has to be fully immersive and undeniably engaging.

At HYPERVSN we don't believe that the future of retail is online, but we do believe that physical retail experiences are going to need to innovate with their brands and excite their customers in such ways that make them want to come in-store. Brands are going to need to upgrade the way they view their customer experi ences, with solutions like Holographic Assistants, 3D holographic

gest impact and potential. And then you have solutions straight out of Sci-Fi movies, with in-store Assistant Personalisation - imagine walking into your local department store and a HYPERVSN SmartV Digital Avatar per sonally welcomes you by name and directs you to the Kitchen Appliances floor with added stock and price information about the DeLonghi coffee machine you saved in your Amazon ‘to buy’ Wish list yesterday? This is going to be a reality sooner than you may think and will be the next great test of Human faith in Technology.

HYPERVSN SmartV Digital Avatar solution, however, is much more ‘easy-to digest’, available and incredibly easy to absorb into your brand’s 21st century transformation strategy. Our Co-Found er Kiryl is a big fan of it himself: “Giving a human face to your branded Chatbot or NLP-platform encourages much greater en

technology, and with HYPERVSN, it’s an issue we always back up with evidence - data is king just as much as content we believe, and our data is great. Like we talked about above, with customer engagement alone our solutions triple the average amount against leading industry names. These same ‘older’ screens also bring on average around 5% increases in sales, and when compared to the several reports of HYPERVSN 3D visuals doubling this figure for clients, it’s clear that excitement and innovation brings con version:

•Lenovo saw a 34% increase in sales over their 3-month promo tion, across 15 installations in LatAm.

•Coca-Cola Mexico saw a 12% increase in sales of their dairy product Santa Clara within Cinepolis – Mexico’s biggest cinema chain and had 90% of the 16K viewers stop for at least 15 sec onds to look at the holographic content.

•A multinational food corporation promoted sales across super markets in Kyiv, and saw a 12% increase in sales compared to other product locations without the tech.

Engagement, when done right, can make a huge difference to your ROI. Doing it differently and making a lasting impact with creative 3D visuals, is a sure way to increase your performance and your success.

Revolutionising the ordinary

The power of immersive in-store AV is now coming to life and is probably where customers will feel the presence of new digi tal technology more. Things like 3D Holographic Catalogues are turning your product range into beautifully detailed holographic visuals that customers can manipulate with gesture control. And Holographic Assistants providing instant and up-to-date store, stock and product information instead of physical staff. 3D techtweaks to common customer issues will be likely to have the big

gagement with your customers, and an attractive 21st century upgrade of your brand. At the end of the day, people want to talk & connect to people - HYPERVSN Digital Avatar enables you to give them just that.”( Kiryk Chykeyuk - HYPERVSN Co-Founder).

Return on Investment

Imagine walking into your local department store and a HYPERVSN SmartV Digital Avatar personally welcomes you by name and directs you to the Kitchen Appliances floor with added stock and price infor mation about the DeLonghi coffee machine you saved in your Amazon ‘to buy’ Wishlist yesterday?

visual entertainment / infotainment, and even scalable and huge 3D holographic walls giving customers interactive and immersive ‘hero’ brand experiences, that build lasting loyalty and advocacy.

ROI is always a top concern when it comes to investing in new

Engagement, when done right, can make a huge difference to your ROI. Doing it differently and making a lasting impact with creative 3D visuals, is a sure way to increase your performance and your success.

Things like 3D Holographic Catalogues are turning your product range into beautifully detailed holographic visuals that customers can manip ulate with gesture control.

Holographic Assistants providing instant and up-to-date store, stock and product information instead of physical staff. 3D tech-tweaks to com mon customer issues will be likely to have the biggest impact and potential.

Application

Galleries and museums

Barco wins preferred visualization partner status for d’strict ARTE MUSEUM

D’strict, the Korean design company that creates innova tive spatial experiences and immersive digital media instal lations, has appointed Barco as its preferred visualization part ner. The framework agreement designates Barco as the sole supplier of all the projectors for d’strict’s upcoming internation al digital art museum projects in the next four years. With this major business partnership, Barco and d’strict confirm their joint mission to deploy stun ning multi-media experiences by combining imaginative art and innovative technology.

D’strict is a global design com pany that creates end-user immersive experiences by in tegrating both content and dig ital media technology. It’s the company that created the fa mous ARTE MUSEUMs in Jeju, Yeosu and Gangneung charac terized by their colourful media art exhibitions with impactful visuals, sensuous sounds, and elegant fragrances for a truly

immersive experience.

In 2021 the Korean company relied on Barco’s projection technology for the first time, to enable the immersive multime dia experiences in Yeosu and Gangneung. Today the compa nies are announcing a contin uation of their successful col laboration to support d’strict’s international ambition of ex panding the successful ARTE MUSEUM digital experiences to various sites across the world in the next four years.

The agreement states Barco as the sole projection technology partner for existing and future projects on both sides of the Pacific. The deal, with a total value projected to exceed 15 million euros, includes a hard ware delivery of UDM and G-se ries DLP projectors, access to Barco’s Insights Management Suite for global fleet manage ment and a tailored high-stan dard service offering which is streamlined for all geographies.

“After the first two installations,

we’ve built a strong and trusted relationship with Barco,” says Sean Lee, CEO d’strict. “They bring superior and innovative technology, service reliability and fleet connectivity. Three important elements in our global expansion journey. This agreement gives us the guar antee that when extending our ARTE MUSEUM footprint glob ally, we can always give our vis itors the same breath-taking ex perience - wherever whenever.”

“It’s a true honour to be part of d’strict’s international mis sion!” concludes Ta Loong Gan, Global Sales VP, Immersive Ex perience at Barco. “The size of the hardware agreement and the global nature of the service contract, makes this one of the largest agreements ever for this market in Barco history. An im portant win in line with our am bition to keep on enabling im mersive experiences all around the world.”

Sport CODA Audio makes Bundesliga debut

CODA Audio makes Bunde sliga debut With a capacity of 30,210, the BayArena is the definition of a modern sports venue. Home of Bayer Leverku sen, one of Germany’s leading professional football clubs, the stadium is noteworthy for spec tator proximity to the on-field action. First opened in 1958, it has undergone successive redevelopments, and was most recently remodelled during 2008 and 2009, when it was expanded to its current capac ity and added its unique nestlike roof structure.

Over the years the club has al ways looked towards innovative and sustainable solutions when it comes to stadium technolo gy, and one of its most recent advances was to replace its ex isting audio provision with the installation of a CODA Audio sound system. The project was the responsibility of TecArena Plus, a wholly-owned subsidi ary of Bayer Leverkusen Fuss ball GmbH. TecArena is the club’s technical service provid er and is responsible for facility management, construction and project management, as well as Green-keeping.

Managing Director Felix Duden, describes the brief: “Our objec tive when renewing the sound reinforcement system was to significantly improve the elec tro-acoustic sound situation in the stadium with a high-quality, attractively priced solution.” A nationwide tender process fol lowed, with representatives of several suppliers invited to the stadium to gain an impression of the prevailing conditions.

Media technician Christian Wild of TecArena comments: “We provided the companies with an existing EASE model of the BayArena to ensure that the targeted STI (Speech Trans mission Index) values were

reached. For the new system, our clearly communicated goal was to achieve an STI value of 0.56 on at least 90% of the ar eas to be covered.”

Experienced and established tech group Wilhelm & Willhalm of Aschheim, a distributor part ner of CODA Audio, emerged as the winner, having worked closely with the loudspeaker manufacturer’s tech support team on a suitable concept.

TecArena’s Wolfgang Seßmann, Head of Strategic Facility Man agement was unequivocal: “The simulation results, all per formance parameters as well as the sustainability and cost-ef fectiveness of the offer clearly spoke in favour of CODA.”

As well as supplying the sys tem, Wilhelm & Willhalm was appointed as the integrator for the project, which had to be completed during the sum mer break at the same time as other extensive works on the playing surface. The new system at the BayArena com prises 82 x CODA Audio APS (Arrayable Point Source) loud speakers. A lightweight (27kg), hybrid loudspeaker, APS can be used either as a single point source, as well as in horizontal or vertical arrays. As a ‘best of both worlds’ solution which can combine the scalability of a line array with the flexibility of a point source, APS was the perfect fit for CODA’s Bundesli ga debut.

To cover the tiers inside the stadium marine-grade APS are deployed across 16 positions, 14 of which comprise 5 APS each. Due to structural restric tions a further two positions for the south stand comprise 2 units each. APS versions with a horizontal dispersion angle of 60°/90°/120° are used in dif ferent combinations to match the respective tier topology, al

lowing different sound zones to be customised.

Media representatives, for ex ample, can work relatively un disturbed at pre-designated interview positions, while fans continue to listen to music or stadium announcements. A feature of the design (and new

honest, we were a little scep tical at first when we saw the comparatively small number of loudspeakers that Wilhelm & Willhalm wanted to install in the BayArena. We were, how ever, quickly proved wrong, and CODA Audio’s dual-diaphragm technology quickly convinced

sound reinforcement zones is guaranteed in the event of a theoretically possible amp fail ure.

With large cable cross-sections counteracting losses on lines with lengths of 80 to 120 me tres, the amplifiers running in continuous operation require

up via an interface in the LI NUS amplifiers in accordance with DIN 60849. Wolfgang Seßmann reflects on what he considers to be a project at was as innovative as it was efficient: “The required acoustic param eters were clearly exceeded during the project acceptance, and after the first Bundesliga matches, our new sound sys tem has more than convinced us.”

Excellent speech intelligibili ty and music reproduction are fundamental to the match-day experience, and where in the past there had been complaints from fans that stadium an nouncements could be difficult to understand, the new system has alleviated those problems, according to Philip Poerschke: “There have been no more complaints like that, in fact we’ve received feedback from our fans that everything can now be clearly understood and that the music sounds really good.”

for the stadium) is a system to cover the pitch itself. Here, 4 groups of 2 APS units point downwards from the roof to cover the entire surface.

“Compared with the previous ly installed system, the CODA arrays are visually much less noticeable,” notes a satisfied Christian Wild. “Instead of eight units, only five speakers are now required in most po sitions, and the weight of the arrays is also much less than before.”

His media tech colleague, Philip Poerschke adds: “To be

us.” The system is driven by 12 x CODA Audio LINUS14D amplifiers, each delivering 4 x 3500 watts at 4 ohms. Four audio inputs can be addressed in the amplifiers - analogue, AES3, LiNET or Dante can be flexibly routed to any of the four outputs.

At the BayArena the amplifiers are spread across four control rooms located in the upper tier. Crossover cabling (‘tooth gaps’) between the four control rooms, as well as between each control room’s three amplifiers, ensures that the supply to the

considerably less energy than the models previously in use - the 12 CODA units in place have replaced a previous total of 72. The LINUS14’s signal routing can be set via remote control software (LINUS CORE) available for macOS and Win dows, or directly on the unit via front panel buttons, jog dial and monochrome display.

An independently operated voice alarm system is available in the BayArena for use in haz ardous situations - a connec tion between the voice alarm and pro audio systems was set

Christophe Zur Loye, Head of Sales at Wilhelm and Willhalm, concludes: “Bayer Leverku sen plays a leading role in the Bundesliga and as a trendset ter, is innovative in many re spects. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why CODA Audio was selected for the BayAre na’s sound system. The tech nological concept convinced in an ambitious pitch and I’m convinced that price was not the decisive criterion - those responsible were not interested in a budget solution! Rather, thanks to a convincing overall concept, we were able to pre vail with CODA Audio in a very committed competition.”

The agreement states Barco as the sole projection technology partner for existing and future projects on both sides of the Pacific. The deal, with a total value projected to exceed 15 million euros, includes a hardware delivery of UDM and G-series DLP projectors.

The new system at the BayArena comprises 82 x CODA Audio APS (Arrayable Point Source) loudspeakers. A lightweight (27kg), hybrid loudspeaker, APS can be used either as a single point source, as well as in horizontal or vertical arrays.

Music Scorpions on Rock Believer world tour

Ingo Powitzer has been an inte gral part of the Scorpions crew for 22 years, ensuring smooth operations on and off stage, as the backliner for lead guitarist Matthias Jabs. His responsibil ities include executing the per fect transmission of wireless guitar signals, a job that Jabs and Powitzer have entrusted to Shure Axient Digital.

“With Scorpions, the backlin er job is a bit broader, more full-service. That's why I also look after new equipment and regularly keep an eye out for suitable solutions on the mar ket,” says Ingo Powitzer. After more than 20 years, Powit zer precisely understands the band’s live sound requirements.

“With Scorpions, just about ev erything is custom-made - from the guitars to the amps, to the effects.”

Powitzer came across the Ax ient Digital system through colleagues and counterparts in U.S. bands, like Whitesnake. “I had concerns at first because the system is digital, and I was unsure about the latencies and the 'analogue' feel. For Scorpi ons, it has to sound good and feel right. This concern simply did not come about with Axient Digital.” For Powitzer, the ad vantages of Axient Digital are obvious, especially in handling: “Setting up and synchronising the packs with the calculated frequencies is much easier than before.” In addition, the AD1 transmitters are glued direct ly to the guitars of the band's second guitarist, Rudolf Schen

ker, and have to withstand a lot during the show. “With other manufacturers' plastic cases, the packs would probably break after three songs,” he contin ued.

In addition to the technical advantages of Axient Digital, including convenient control, monitoring, and significantly lower background noise com pared to the band’s predeces sor system, Scorpions’ ability to trust in the wireless capabil ities of Axient Digital for each show played a pivotal role in their decision to use the sys tem. Regarding Scorpion’s cur rent “Rock Believer” world tour, Powitzer shares: “Scorpions are still playing in the biggest ven ues worldwide. We simply can not afford to have any failures. Every piece of equipment has to work perfectly. We are abso lutely happy with Shure Axient Digital. In addition, the support from Shure has been outstand ing for many years.”

Scorpions' Axient Digital equip ment includes two AD4D digi tal two-channel wireless receiv ers each, as well as 11 AD1 bodypack transmitters each for both Scorpion guitarists. Bass ist Paweł Maciwoda trusts an AD4D with a total of four AD1 bodypack transmitters. “Rock Believer” is the name of the Scorpions' 19th studio album, with which the band is current ly on a world tour of the same name. The Scorpions will also be coming to Germany's big gest venues in 2023.

Education Supermarket Competence Center at the German Academy

GK has extended its partner ship with the food akademie in Neuwied. Germany by pro viding retail technology in the new teaching supermarket for students. At the Federal Col lege of Food Trade, also known as the food akademie Neuwied, students have been taught rel evant skills for the food trade since 1936. GK has been a cooperating partner of the food akademie for several years and holds lectures focusing on AI solutions for food retail.

In the newly opened ‘Super market Competence Center’, students can now work directly with GK’s POS solutions. In this Germany-wide unique teaching supermarket, the prospective specialists and managers learn more about the practical work flows and processes in food retail. On Friday, September 2, 2022, the supermarket com petence centre opened on the food akademie campus. Vis itors were enthusiastic about the digital innovations at the in-house exhibition.

Thorsten Fuchs, Managing Director, the food akademie, was delighted by the student’s response. "The Supermarket Competence Center represents an important milestone for our training and study programs in food retailing,” said Fuchs. “This new building enables us to offer students a comprehen

The P.A. People deploy a Clear-Com on a grand scale

Nothing was stopping The P.A. People from supporting the UAE 50th National Day Celebrations in the Emirate of Dubai in 2021 -- not extended COVID lockdowns in their home city of Sydney (the team sought special Australian Government travel exemptions) and espe cially not any unforeseen com munications challenges. With travel approvals securely in hand, the live sound and pro duction company dispatched a full crew to prepare and deliv er the event’s communications systems.

The full system, specified by Scott Willsallen from A/V design consultancy Auditoria, totalled 12 tons of communications equipment consisting of a large two-way radio system integrat ed with an extensive matrix in tercom and full duplex system, CCTV cameras, displays and associated systems. The full duplex intercom system includ ed Clear-Com Eclipse HX Ma trix frames and V-Series panels, HelixNet digital partyline and a large FreeSpeak II digital wire less system.

The P.A. People were part of a large international team called upon to deliver a spectacular show. The event was staged on the popular tourist attrac

tion Hatta Dam, a picturesque setting that provided a natural event venue in the country’s mountainous east and required

The production teams were pre dominantly provided with ClearCom lever Key Stations along with Clear-Com CC-300 and

had previously been the upper limit on belt pack numbers,” said Chris Dodds, Managing Director of The P.A. People.

of the required system in our workshop in Sydney with excel lent results and decided that it was ready to deploy.”

Dom Jones, Project Manager for the ND50 job, added, “The FreeSpeak II system performed brilliantly on site. We were able to accommodate 120 wireless beltpacks across 40 IP trans ceivers deployed over an ex tremely large site without any reported dropouts or issues.”

sive practical experience tool. This is where we use leading industry technologies, such as those from GK."

Herbert Zinn, Member of the Supervisory Board, GK SE, and Daniel Aurich, Director Pre sales, GK, were on hand for the opening. "We are pleased to ex pand our partnership with the food akademie in Neuwied,” said Zinn. “The completion of the Supermarket Competence Center means a great gain for students. We are happy to pro vide POS solutions to support retailers' daily supermarket op erations."

The partnership aims to provide junior staff in the food retail sector with in-depth insights into the application and func tion of retail solutions.

equally impressive comms capabilities. The main wired intercom system comprised an Eclipse HX Omega frame fitted with four E-IPA cards each loaded with 64 channels, a MADI card, a Dante card, and numerous I.V. Core and analogue cards to fill out the frame. The team also carried a backup Eclipse Median frame with additional cards.

CC-400 headsets. Key Stations were augmented with HelixNet partyline beltpacks in manage ment positions under the stage. The initial specification also called for about 50 full-duplex beltpacks, however that num ber changed during the course of the project. “During the proj ect build phase, we were asked to increase the scale of the full duplex component beyond what

“We worked closely with the Clear-Com engineering teams, who were able to reveal that the previous hard limit had been overcome but that the solution also needed further testing. We were able to emulate the scale

Currently, Clear-Com’s Eclipse system can support up to 200 FreeSpeak II beltpacks, while offering the industry’s only wireless solution covering the 1.9, 2,4 and 5 GHz bands. The Clear-Com system was augmented and integrated with 26 interfaced two-way radio channels with Motorola digital handsets. The system com prised a mixture of analogue and digital trunked channels for different applications.

Malestrom, The P.A. People’s cloud-based, asset manage ment software, kept track of all the ‘user assigned’ equipment used during the project as well as the daily sign-ins and -outs. The intercom network was supported by a significant 10GB ethernet IP network over a fibre backbone, designed by The P.A. People to manage the

AES67 requirements of the FreeSpeak II system and Dante audio. This same network was also used to distribute time code to the IP timecode dis plays along with 28 CCTV cam eras and 40 CCTV displays, 24 of which were 43-inch and 4K capable. Extensive use of course wave length division multiplexing (CWDM) technology was used to minimize the number of fi bre cores required and also to create a virtual star topology for the network. The P.A. Peo ple also created a dedicated network backbone for the con siderable ‘water’ component of the show consisting of pro grammable fountains across the stages. “The system con figuration we deployed for this event was a game-changer,” Dodds said. “We are now able to deploy FreeSpeak II systems of significant scale ranging into the hundreds of beltpacks, confirming Clear-Com as the vendor of choice for fully in tegrated matrix, partyline, and full duplex wireless systems.”

“With Scorpions, the backliner job is a bit broader, more full-service. That's why I also look after new equipment and regularly keep an eye out for suitable solutions on the market,” says Ingo Powitzer, an inte gral part of the Scorpions crew for 22 years.

The P.A. People from supporting the UAE 50th National Day Cel ebrations in the Emirate of Dubai in 2021.

L-Acoustics helps immerse visitors to the Samurai Museum Berlin

Europe’s first museum dedicat ed exclusively to samurai his tory and culture, the Samurai Museum is the setting for more than 1,000 artefacts collected over 30 years by German en trepreneur Peter Janssen. The museum, situated in Berlin’s main gallery district, opened its doors in May this year and has already made quite an impres sion on its visitors, with some calling it a ‘must-go place for any fans of Japanese culture’.

Featuring state-of-the-art tech nology and multimedia instal lations that bring the exhibits to life, the audio experience is delivered by L-Acoustics Syva and X Series sound systems, designed by consulting firm MMT-Network and installed by system integrator PIK AG.

Composer, producer and music director Christian Steinhäus er asked Ralf Bauer-Diefen bach, managing director at MMT-Network, to help with the conceptual design of the audio system. “Artistic projects like the Samurai Museum require extensive knowledge in content interaction, architecture, room acoustics and audio,” says Bauer-Diefenbach. “The cli ent and the architects are very design-oriented, so one of the key challenges Christian and I faced was to design a sound system that would offer perfect directivity, level and frequency response, while also fitting in well with the architecture and design of the venue.”

Bauer-Diefenbach and Stein häuser collaborated with the museum’s architects and Ars

Case study

Electronica Linz GmbH, an Austrian cultural, educational and scientific institute active in the field of new media art, to plan the optimal components using a complex acoustic com puter model. Once the audio concept was complete, PIK AG was brought on board to per form the system installation and configuration work onsite.

“Having worked with MMT-Net work on several projects in the past, we were thrilled to be involved,” says Silvia Weise, Technical Project Manager at PIK AG. “As a system inte grator in Berlin and other cit ies across Germany, we knew L-Acoustics would be perfect for a complex project like the

offers to sound designers as well as its excellent transparen cy were vital in creating sound experiences that immerse the visitor and maximize the visual impression of the exhibits.”

The museum covers 1,500 square metres, within which L-Acoustics Syva and X Series are installed in five different exhibit areas. A combination of room acoustics and cleverly designed audio systems were used to create discrete acous tical spaces for each exhibit.

“The Samurai Museum has a modern and open room archi tecture, with only a few doors and walls separating the exhi bition areas and their glass dis play cases,” Weise notes. “By

a unique and immersive atmo sphere for each area within the exhibition, without spilling over into neighbouring exhibits. To achieve this, the sound pres sure level can’t be too high, so the audio has to deliver impact with clarity and transparency. L-Acoustics does this beauti fully!”

A unique feature of the Samu rai Museum Berlin is the Nō Theatre a classical 14th cen tury wood structure built by traditional carpenters in Japan, then shipped to Berlin. Here, the diminutive yet powerful X4i coaxial speaker was chosen to provide powerful sound while remaining almost invisible. Installed inside the stage lip,

timedia installation in the cin ema room features projections and touchscreens enhanced with audio which is delivered through four compact X8 cab inets and a further Syva Sub, again designed to melt into the venue’s décor. Here, visitors get a captivating insight into how the samurai have shaped the history of Japan through the centuries, learn about the supernatural Yokai of Japanese folklore, and follow the la bour-intensive process of Japa nese sword making.

Samurai Museum. The flexibil ity that L-Acoustics technology

using L-Acoustics Syva and X Series, we were able to create

Building a business blueprint with ActivPanel

Starting a business takes resil ience and bucket loads of de termination. It also needs solid finance, marketing, and many other operational areas to be in place if a new venture is going to make it from start-up to suc cess. This is exactly what Nikki Hesford found. As a 23-yearold undergraduate single mum, Nikki launched a fashion busi ness and looked for training that would upskill her in these core business functions.

While Nikki found plenty of courses covering theory, the availability of practical and af fordable training was distinctly lacking. This sparked her in spiration to launch The Small Business Academy, a hub that provides start-up businesses with the facilities, training, mentoring, and support need ed to drive sustainable growth.

Ever the entrepreneur, Nikki has big ambitions to take The Small Business Academy na tionwide as a franchise. For this vision to become a reality, Nikki knows that getting a ro bust blueprint in place will be critical for a scalable and prof itable roll-out, so has started close to home in Blackpool.

Competitive advantage

Thinking back to her early days

in business, Nikki knew that the best way to create competi tive advantage was through the quality of training provision.

With a sharp focus on digital marketing, Nikki was already armed with practical courses to equip business owners with the skills they need to run Face book Advertising campaigns, interpret Google Analytics, and much more.

Available online, in-person, and hybrid, Nikki spotted an oppor tunity to make The Small Busi ness Academy stand out even more: “Online was effective when everyone was online. In person was even more effective when everyone was in person. The shift to hybrid made me re alise that our existing projector and screen set-up just wasn’t fit for purpose in a modern training environment.”

It wasn’t only the practicality of managing hybrid sessions that made Nikki question the suit ability of the existing presenta tion equipment: “Our sessions are very hands-on and practi cal. It’s difficult to make them interactive when you’re stood at the front of the room, trying to point out very detailed con tent on a projection screen. The definition just wasn’t sufficient for our delegates to see what we were trying to explain.”

As a professional trainer, Nik ki is often commissioned to deliver courses for external providers, which has given her experience of other venues:

“I’ve delivered training in ho tels, conference centres, and in-house meeting rooms around the UK. That’s enabled me to use a wide range of AV tech nologies and more importantly, evaluate what I thought would work for us.”

The conclusion was clear. To be at the forefront of practical training provision, The Small Business Academy needed to upgrade its projector and screen to a modern interac tive flat panel display (IFPD).

Based on Nikki’s experiences, the Promethean ActivPanel was the only IFPD she wanted for The Small Business Academy.

A cut above

“I had faced the embarrass ment of failing to load content onto panels at other venues and having to revert to using pa per-based materials,” explains Nikki. “The ActivPanel was the only solution I’d found where you could walk into a room and start training without needing to call IT support.”

Ease-of-use was the founda tion for the ActivPanel becom

they are complemented by a Syva Sub. The interactive mul

The Japanese Desk exhibit fea tures two Syva cabinets, their elegant form enhancing the exhibit whilst delivering crys tal clear vocals and smooth horizontal polar pattern. Four X4i cabinets and a Syva Sub complete the sound system in this area. Finally, the Faces of Battle and Sword Production exhibits immerse visitors in the fascinating world of Japan’s legendary warriors and offer a closer look into the extraordi nary skill of traditional Japa nese craftsmanship. They have each been equipped with two Syva cabinets, a Syva Sub and four X4i. A single AVB network covers the entire space which, Weise says, makes it very easy to monitor the system. Content is played and distributed from two PC/Macs via an AVB inter face. The system is controlled by LA12Xi amplified control lers, which are all handily lo cated at the exhibition objects, meaning it was only necessary to install a single CAT7 cable between the server room and

the exhibits. The AVB network offers addi tional benefits for controlling the audio across the different areas. This came to the fore when the decision was made for two adjacent spaces, the Theatre and Faces of Battle, to have sound effects playing at different times. “Having it all mapped on one AVB network makes it very easy to accom plish this task,” says Weise. “I was delighted that L-Acoustics was chosen for the Samurai Museum,” concludes Sebas tian Wittrock, L-Acoustics Sales Manager DACH. “Work ing with PIK AG and MMT-Net work, alongside the Samurai Museum team was wonderful but the real pleasure is see ing the fantastic results of the team’s efforts in the success of the museum”

Recalling her experience of working on the project and the support the PIK AG team re ceived from L-Acoustics, Weise notes that both experiences were equally enjoyable. “Once again, L-Acoustics offered us great support, ensured every thing we needed arrived in time for the installation, and supported us during the final configuration process,” she adds. “We also really enjoyed working with the MMT-Net works team and the museum staff. The cooperation between the teams was exemplary with everyone coming together to execute their part flawlessly. This resulted in an absolutely unique exhibition experience, both visually and acoustically!”

ing the brand of choice for The Small Business Academy. However, the final decision to choose the ActivPanel was driven by its suite of preload ed apps and cloud connectivi ty. “Screen sharing has been a game-changer for us. Although the on-screen content is crystal clear to see the finite detail of a Facebook Advertising account, being able to share to individ ual devices enhances this even further. Annotate is my other go-to app. Rather than using screen grabs of clients’ Google Analytics accounts, I can now do live demonstrations and an notate over their pages to talk through specific points.”

The intuitiveness of the Ac tivPanel has also given The Small Business Academy com petitive advantage over other venues, as external trainers can hire the training room and use their own materials: “Being able to connect directly to Goo gle Drive or One Drive has been a real attraction for our training partners. They don’t even need to connect to a laptop, they can just log into their accounts direct from the ActivPanel and are ready to deliver their session – which is further en hanced by access to the Instant Whiteboard app.”

It's also made hybrid sessions

much more effective and easi er to host: “We simply connect a webcam to the large format screen, and then use any webbased conferencing platform to bring people into the session remotely,” explains Nikki.

A robust roadmap

Since the installation of a 75” ActivPanel by AV2events, The Small Business Academy has received training and support from Promethean, equipping the team with the essentials to get started with the ActivPan el. As a trainer herself, Nik ki recognises that use of its functionality needs to develop over time: “You can’t do every thing from day one, and you shouldn’t try! It’s packed full of so many exciting features that I can’t wait to bring into my training sessions, but I know it’s important to develop core skills and build on these as you grow in confidence. We started with screen sharing and anno tating over web pages as these were best aligned with our existing course content. Now I’m confident with these tools, I’m exploring what features I should introduce next.”

Focused on delivering practical training that supports busi ness owners with putting skills

into use, The Small Business Academy always ensures a re cording of training is available after sessions. This makes the screen recording functionality of the ActivPanel a particularly important feature for Nikki: “I can’t wait to bring screen re cording into my live demonstra tions! It means we’ll be able to give delegates a full record of their session – both prepared and in-the-moment content – to take away after. This will help make our training even more effective when it comes to businesses putting it into practice.”

Armed with a roadmap for de veloping use of the ActivPan el in training, Nikki is feeling even more excited about what the future holds for her nation al franchise ambitions: “We’ve worked hard to create a blue print in Blackpool that will enable us to scale The Small Business Academy nationwide. Looking back on our training provision when we started, and what it’s like now with the Ac tivPanel, I know we’ve nailed it!”

Europe’s first museum dedicated exclusively to samurai history and culture, the Samurai Museum is the setting for more than 1,000 artefacts collected over 30 years by German entrepreneur Peter Janssen.

Midwich to offer Yealink VC range

Midwich has announced it is now offering products from one of the world’s leading providers of Unified Communications and Col laboration Solutions (UC&C), Yealink. Yealink’s video con ferencing solutions are avail able to Midwich customers across the UK and Ireland.

Ross Floyd, division director at Midwich, said: “We are thrilled to add Yealink’s VC range of products to our formidable portfolio of UC&C solutions across the UK&I. With more and more companies choosing a hybrid working model, the ability to stay connected and to communicate efficiently with your colleagues and customers across environments is a must.

Yealink’s video conferencing solutions help organisations to overcome the challenges asso ciated with physical distance while improving communica tions and collaboration be tween members both internally and externally. This addition

Yealink’s video conferencing products available through Midwich include the A20 and A30 meeting bars, the UVC all-in-one video bar range, and the MVC range for Microsoft Teams Rooms. Maggie Liu, director of EMEA at Yealink, commented: “Yealink has always made ‘Easy Collaboration, High Productivity’ to be the corporate mission. As one of the fastest growing markets in the unified com munication and collaboration industry, the United Kingdom has always been one of the strategic goals of the company. In the past 10 years, Yealink has been carrying out this mission and bringing more efficient and high-quality products to the UK market, which has received praise from all walks of life. This time, the partner ship with Midwich, a value-added partner, will take Yealink as a global-leading brand to another level. Yealink is excited to work with Midwich, this partnership will also provide more powerful mo tivation for Yealink to become one of the world's leading providers of Unified Communication & Collaboration Solutions.”

MAXHUB announces UC P25 PTZ video conferencing camera

MAXHUB has launched the UC P25 PTZ – the next-generation UHD camera, bringing complete video conferencing clarity to meeting spaces of all sizes. Featuring a phenomenal 4K UHD camera with 12x optical and 16x digital zoom, the UC P25 PTZ camera ensures that every meeting participant is highlighted in detail, ensuring that no gesture or facial expression is missed.

Designed with hybrid working in mind, the UC P25 PTZ camera naturally neutralises any disruptive glare and shadows, present ing crystal-clear picture quality in all conditions. In addition, the camera has an adaptive PTZ system, which developed with whis per-quiet mechanical controls, means that meetings can remain distraction-free. Crystal-clear conferencing is guaranteed with the 8MP camera, which also has built-in low-lux technology and intel ligent algorithms to showcase brilliant colour and detail. Portable and adaptable, the UC P25 PTZ is incredibly easy to set up, meaning meeting participants waste no time in getting started. The camera captures video quickly and precisely — no matter the size of the meeting space— and a built-in gravity sensor automati cally adjusts to match the user’s mounting choice. Thanks to easyto-control remote functionality, users can fine-tune their focus at the touch of a button. Allowing for plug-and-play simplicity, the camera also seamlessly integrates with all major unified commu nications (UC) platforms.

“Adaptable to any setting, the UC P25 PTZ camera promises crisp picture quality, making collaboration across hybrid environments straightforward and easy,” says General Manager Darren Lin. “We

DisplayNote teams up with Magewell

DisplayNote has announced a new collaboration with Magewell, the award-winning developer of innovative video interface and IP workflow solutions. The new alliance brings together DisplayNote’s easy launch for video calls with Magewell’s plug-and-play AV sig nal capture capabilities to achieve increased functionality and flexibility in hybrid meeting spaces.

DisplayNote’s Launcher bypasses the drawbacks of traditional meeting room technology and modernises these spaces by sup porting today’s most popular video conferencing tools. Magewell's plug-and-play USB Capture Gen 2 devices let users easily and reliably bring HDMI or SDI video signals into Zoom, Skype, Teams, GoToMeeting and other popular conferencing software. The inte gration of Launcher with Magewell devices allows any user to take full advantage of the joint solution and enjoy a feature rich hy brid meeting experience. “We are delighted to be working along side Magewell to enhance our product offering,” commented Ed Morgan, COO of DisplayNote. “The video capture expertise of Magewell gives Launcher users the ability to seamlessly access a video input from the meeting room display. This facility com plements the overall product feature offering of Launcher, as well as making the employee experience more useful and enjoyable.”

“We are excited to collaborate with DisplayNote to further improve hybrid meetings for their users,” said Amy Zhou, Director of Sales at Magewell. “Our USB Capture devices make it exceptionally simple to bring AV sources such as cameras and attendee laptops into almost any software application, and the combination of our hardware with DisplayNote’s Launcher is expected to significantly

enhance the user experience for DisplayNote’s customers.”

With DisplayNote Launcher installed, users of hybrid meeting spaces can easily access the full range of video conferencing plat forms used by their organisation clients and start or join meetings and calls with just one touch. From the Launcher home screen, the user can then select an external source and use that within the Teams or Zoom call for example. For the user, Launcher means

The brand-new MAXHUB UC P25 PTZ camera brings unprecedent ed clarity to video conferencing thanks to its built-in low-lux technology. The premium cam era produces vibrant image, vid eo and audio quality, regardless of room size.

even quicker access to tools they want to use in the call or meet ing. For the IT admin this means less time setting rooms up and less time supporting these rooms. At the end of the call, the Auto matic Cleanup feature clears the user's footprint by removing any sign-in information and clearing any browsing history. This keeps all data safe and secure and meets the corporate and IT admin requirement need for simplicity and security.

The new alliance brings togeth er DisplayNote’s easy launch for video calls with Magewell’s plug-and-play AV signal cap ture capabilities to achieve in creased functionality and flexi bility in hybrid meeting spaces.

Yealink’s video conferencing solutions are available to Midwich cus tomers across the UK and Ireland.

bolsters our offering of a complete workspace collaboration solu tion for resellers from Midwich.”

truly believe virtual meetings have never looked this good. And, be cause we’re confident in the camera’s performance, it comes with a three-year hot-swap warranty — an industry first.”

HelixNet and FreeSpeak II streamline workflow

A digital Clear-Com system deployed across National Geographic’s sprawling campus by Washington, D.C.-based Clear-Com partner, FC-Production, allowed the 2022 Rolex National Geographic Ex plorer of the Year Awards celebrations to proceed more fluidly than ever before. The campus, formally known as National Geographic Base Camp, has played an essential role in the global nonprofit’s mission since the late 1800s, notably as a venue for Nat Geo's ex plorers to gather and share their experiences with the public. Be tween the museum, theatre, and main headquarters, the campus takes up most of a city block, which poses a potential challenge to event communications.

FC-Production was one of the first to deploy Clear-Com’s HelixNet and FreeSpeak products on the East Coast, and the company of ten takes on challenging, large-scale events similar to this one. In fact, the production company has worked on this event for years, but 2022 marks the first time that organizers have tasked it with providing the entire communications and audio infrastructure. In this case, that included Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II Digital Wireless Intercom and HelixNet Digital Partyline Intercom, distributed via 10 transceivers deployed across Nat Geo’s headquarters. While the main event was in the theatre, there was a secondary space for overflow and an outside courtyard with a sound system and stage for DJs.

“Previously, those systems were parcelled out to several different groups,” explained FC-Production’s Operations Manager, Joseph Foley. “Usually, that included vendors (for whom) intercom wasn’t a primary focus, which presented numerous challenges. The in terface alone created headaches. Not to mention, vendors were bringing in a mix of analogue and digital equipment, a mish-mash of different manufacturers’ products, and different ages of gear. So, this year, they brought us in from day one to avoid the inevita ble problems and to streamline everything with FreeSpeak II and HelixNet.”

In all, FC-Production deployed 25 FreeSpeak II beltpacks and 20 HelixNet beltpacks. “Anyone who didn’t need to be mobile got HelixNet, and any of us that had to move from space to space were on FreeSpeak,” Foley said. A central master control was located in the theatre and ‘spidered’ out over fibre to the other viewing ar eas. Then, they distributed HelixNet and FreeSpeak over POE and Cat5, and deployed FreeSpeak splitter units at each location and

transceivers for the FreeSpeak.

“So, this was the first year they weren’t using long runs of cop per XLR, 700 feet across the campus, and trying to interface with individual strands of in tercom from venue to venue.”

Ultimately, that drastically de creased load in time and dra matically improved the quality of the product with which they ended up. For example, camera operators could move quick ly between locations because they no longer had to leave their packs in one room, run across the building to pick up new packs, and try to adapt to new volume and communica tion settings.

For the first time, Nat Geo could have a centralized video director cut the streaming por tion of the show and communi cate easily with every operator, anywhere on site, a function that was greatly appreciated by event producers. “They were thrilled with the packs,” Foley said, “not only because they never dropped out, even in catering three floors up from where the main events were happening, but because they never had to worry about being able to reach the people they needed to.” Foley noted that the transition to virtual events over the pandemic brought into sharper focus how fluid and seamless a singular system provided by a savvy, experienced provider can be. “We worked with Nat Geo on virtual events over the past couple of years that didn’t need nearly this level of inter com support, but they still required interfacing to other locations integrating Agent-IC or via Clear-Com’s LQ IP Series boxes for an intercom over IP solution.”

Exertis launches seamless multi-interoperable UC service

Exertis has launched Exertis Voice, a cloud-based (IP) Unified Communications platform. The platform brings together Softwareas-a-Service and class–leading technology products wrapped with a deep analytics layer. The system can scale from just a few users in a small business up to thousands in a large corporate, making the solution ideal for businesses of all sizes.

The solution, powered by Boom Coms in partnership with Exer tis, provides an intuitive portal which allows resellers to provision and manage their customers as well as a customer end user in terface. Customers can access the platform in a number of ways including via Microsoft Teams, which becomes both the dialpad and control panel as well as mix and matching other end point devices across IP phones, mobile, desktop and CRM systems. This results in Exertis Voice providing a solution of an exceptionally high quality whilst being device agnostic. Additionally, Exertis has leveraged its Exertis Cloud platform to ensure ease of use for customers investing in Ex ertis Voice. The Exertis Cloud Platform enables customers to pay no upfront costs and they are instead billed monthly, re ducing customers’ admin and complexity.

Owing to those efforts, Foley sums up: “They realized there was a better solution. They just needed to take the plunge. Deploying FreeSpeak and HelixNet was all about making things easy and fast, and it certainly allowed for smoother integration and worked very well on this occasion.”

Utelogy partnership with EOS IT Solutions

Utelogy Corporation has announced its partnership with EOS IT Solutions, a global technology and logistics company, providing collaboration and IT support services through forward-thinking solutions in 175+ countries. The Utelogy and EOS partnership plays a key role in providing Collaboration and Business IT Support services to some of the world’s largest industry leaders, delivering forward-thinking solutions based on multi-domain architecture. By leveraging the power of the Utelogy platform as part of the EOS Care Support package, customers will receive an enhanced service offering through preventative maintenance and proactive monitoring.

“EOS is thrilled to enhance our customer service portfolio by partnering with Utelogy. As global customer AV/VC environments evolve, Utelogy enables holistic support and management tools for even the most complex cross-vendor event space. Automation is more important than ever for our customers, and with U-Auto mate, centralized teams immediately receive global room insights, with options to take action. “Many of our customers today have inherited VC environments that are not only multi-platform, but multi-vendor, across buildings and geographies. While EOS helps to unify end user experiences in their workplaces, Utelogy quickly brings the visibility they have been crying out for,” explains Niall Kearney, CTO at EOS IT Solutions. Utelogy’s software-driven platform delivers the most comprehen

turned into usable insights for future planning and budgeting.

“This strategic partnership with EOS gives us the opportunity to further expand into new mar kets to provide enterprises with the tools they need to support their complex and multi-ven dor environments,” said Kevin Morrison, CEO at Utelogy. “The Utelogy software coupled with EOS’s customer service offer ing will provide measurable and actionable results deliver ing a better experience for our customers.”

Rik Hubbard, Exertis Cloud Ser vices Director: “The synergy be tween our Cloud business unit and Pro AV business unit is an exciting proposition for Exertis Voice.”

Rik Hubbard, Exertis Cloud Services Director, said: “The synergy between our Cloud business unit and Pro AV busi ness unit is an exciting proposi tion for Exertis Voice. There are millions of businesses which are still using on-premise net works for their telephony, but with big changes to set-ups like these as a result of the forth coming switch off of ISDN and PSTN, it’s important that busi nesses research cloud providers now to ensure no disruption to their systems in the near future. The flexible and programmable features that Exertis Voice can provide enables the ideal solu tion for customers of any size to make their telephony cloud

based.”

Nick Birtwistle, CEO at Boom Coms, said: “The market for Unified Communications ser vices will grow significantly in the coming years with the ISDN switch off and the change in working behaviour as a result of the pandemic. Boom is proud to support Exertis and their re sellers in helping to transform their customers’ communica tions solutions.”

sive range of analytics by managing all aspects of an organizations AV and Unified Communications estate. In partnering with EOS’s managed service offering, the solution can increase ROI and re duce the total cost of ownership, transforming how users deploy AV/UC assets, and the way usage data is gathered, analysed, and

Utelogy Corporation has an nounced its partnership with EOS IT Solutions, a global technology and logistics company, providing collaboration and IT support ser vices through forward-thinking solutions in 175+ countries

A digital Clear-Com system deployed across National Geographic’s sprawling campus by Washington, D.C.-based Clear-Com partner, FC-Production, allowed the 2022 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year Awards celebrations to proceed more fluidly than ever before.

Nick Birtwistle, CEO at Boom Coms: “The market for Unified Communications services will grow significantly in the com ing years with the ISDN switch off and the change in working behaviour as a result of the pan demic.”

The future of projection

The move to digitisation and growth in applications of collaborative and presentation technologies has seen a decline in the dependence on print and corresponding growth in digital media. While sales of flatscreens, particularly LED, are growing rapidly, these sales are in cremental - there is no sign of substitution for other display technolo gies. particularly projection.

Danielle Williams. Business Development Manager for Projection at Audio Visual Material has an extensive career in projection, ex plaining that: “I’ve been immersed in projection solutions for over ten years. Throughout that period, some industry pundits have predicted the slow death of the technology, suggesting this would be driven by the growth of LED panels, along with the reduction in price that comes with mass adoption. What I’ve actually seen is a market for projection that has never seemed more buoyant. It is bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than ever before. And I can predict only positives for its future.”

Of course, there’s been a huge growth in flat screens, particularly LED panels over the last decade, a trend that seems set to con tinue: “The global flat panel market is forecast to grow by $2.28 billion during 2021-2025 (source Technavio). Yes, projection has lost out in the meeting and classroom environments that used to be its bedrock. My early days at AVM were filled with enquiries about 2m manual screens and 3000 lumens projectors. Today, when you need to communicate to a relatively small group in a relatively small space, flat panels win. Throw in a need for interac tively, flat panels win. Only recently I was quoting a customer for a straightforward training room application, and I recommended they go with an LFD as the best option to achieve their objectives. You don’t need to service a display screen or clean its filters. Stick it on the wall and it will do its job.”

Creative applications

Williams believes that there are growth markets where projection holds clear advantages: “Move towards more creative applications and projectors win hands down. The future focus for projection is, I believe, where there’s a need to create experiences. Record sales of high brightness projectors are evidence of the huge number of applications that can only be achieved through this technology.”

“In this modern, digital age, consumers’ expectations are so much higher than ever before. Even a simple shopping trip needs to feel like an experience. And quite honestly, against this background, the possibilities for projection seem endless. This is where I see the growth over the next decade - because projection is the only feasible solution in the following examples.”

Immersive experiences

In addition to the 21 high-tech artworks and virtual experiences on display, visitors to a forward-thinking new exhibition in Switzerland will have front-row seats for another technological first: the combi nation of Digital Projection’s Satellite MLS system with Multi-View 3D projection technology to help reconstruct Michaelsberg Abbey, 1,000-year-old Benedictine church in the UNESCO world heritage site of Bamberg, Germany.

Huge, bright images

Williams has identified a number of niche markets where projec tion will continue to enjoy success: “One of the more standard applications where projection still wins over panels is in large au ditoriums. In such environments you are looking at an audience of several hundred, or even thousands. Visibility for everyone, wher ever they are sitting, is crucial. This means you need to go large! Yes, LED screens can do the job but the difference in cost at this level is still huge, and a high-quality projection screen and super bright projector will give the best quality/cost balance.”

Williams believes that the wide range of projection applications coupled wide ancillary technologies “Visitor attractions, from mu seums to zoos to historical landmarks and more have adopted the use of projection mapping to devise creative and spectacular ways of telling a story. In such applications the focus is always on the content – the technology delivering it needs to be invisible and projectors are the only way to achieve this. Projection mapping in this market has exploded. Recent showcases of the work of artists Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt have been touring the country. In London you can experience a Martian invasion or come face to face with dinosaurs. We’ve just been working on an immersive experience for the National Museum of Wales. The possibilities for this type of entertainment seems to only be limited by the developers’ imaginations.”

Danny Rose Studio, the collective behind the current Spirit of Japan art exhibition at the Kadokawa Culture Museum, has deployed more than 30 Digital Projection E-Vision Laser 10K projectors to illuminate the floors, ceilings and walls of this spectacular venue. Untranslated, the title of the Spirit of Japan exhibition reads Ukiyo-e Theatre – the ‘uki yo-e’ are small art pieces creat ed in Japan from the 17th–19th century which depicted daily life as it was. These pieces gained much popularity when circulated among the Western world, forg ing an impressionist art move ment.

Simulation experiences

Simulation is another growth area. Williams says: “I’ve recent ly been involved in a project that uses immersive simulation for elite sportspeople to support their training. I’ve heard of uses in medicine and aerodynamics. In such scenarios, the objective is to create a projected world that is so detailed and real that the par ticipants can believe they are in a live environment. To deliver the technical aspects of such a programme, you need a well specified projector with a high processing and rendering capacity.”

World-leading visualisation hub Curtin University HIVE, whose fa cilities have supported pioneering research in space exploration, health sciences, education and engineering, recently celebrated an other milestone: the world’s first installation of Digital Projection’s cutting-edge new Satellite Modular Laser System (MLS) projectors.

The HIVE (Hub for Immersive Visualisation and eResearch) at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, is one of the most advanced visualisation facilities of its kind, and the only one in the world that contains five different large-scale visualisation displays. Its work with technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality, data and scientific visualisation, photogrammetric 3D reconstruction, and vol umetric imaging has been used to, among other things, help patients with spinal cord injuries, investigate consumer behaviour and create virtual experiences of shipwreck sites.

Virtual meetings

“We all know that conferencing platforms such as Zoom, and Teams have gained traction at an incredible pace thanks to COVID. I’ve specified projection for a military application for an MTR with edge blending across nine projectors and screens. Each attendee in the meeting is projected by one of the projectors onto one of the screens. This gives the ability for all participants to feel that they are really in the room together, even though they are in fact many miles apart,” explains Williams.

Supplementary contributor: Danielle Wil liams. Business Development Manager for Projection at Audio Visual Material.

Additional reporting and images: Mark Wad sworth, Vice President of Global Marketing, Digital Projection.

Additional commentary: Joel St-Denis, direc tor of product management, Christie.

A spectacular new sound-and-light show featuring eight Digital Pro jection TITAN Laser 33000 4K-UHD projectors is immersing visitors in the story of a national heroine at the historic Jhansi Fort in north ern India. The 30-minute experience uses state-of-the-art projection mapping technology to depict the life and death of Lakshmi Bai, the 22-year-old rani (queen) of Jhansi, who died fighting the British East India Company during the Indian Mutiny of 1857–1858.

The new cinema

The advent of streaming has not been the death knell to the silver screen that some predicted. The cinema market in the UK has been steadily growing since 2012. Williams argues that: “After an understandable collapse during lockdown, it is well on its way to recovery and forecast to continue growing. But here, as in other areas, customers are looking for more. The projection market has responded with specialist projectors with RGB laser light sources and specially developed lamps. As for screens, whilst IMAX has

Experiential marketing

Williams career in projection has corresponded with the rise in experiential marketing: “Five years ago, I hadn’t heard of ex periential marketing. It’s the language of Gen Z, the upcoming generation of consumers, and they typically demand authentic digital experiences and close brand relations. Research shows that they prefer spending mon ey on experiences rather than buying material goods. Gam ing conventions, music events, product launches and the like are all opportunities where brands who are targeting these young adults are using expe riences, often with the visual drama that projection mapping brings, to market to them. And with a shorter attention span than ever, the experiences really need to wow.”

Imagery supporting public events

Another growth area for projection is at public events – think of the opening and closing ceremonies of the last Olympics for ex ample. Content that supports celebrations, such as the mapping of the Queen’s image onto Stonehenge during the recent Jubilee celebrations, and indeed for sadder occasions, brought home by the recent passing of Her Majesty. Within an hour or two of the news breaking, her image was being projected onto the Sydney Opera House.

Mapping Pasteur, which ran from 9 July to 21 August 2022, transformed the facade of the 17th-century Hôtel-Dieu de Dole, in Jura in eastern France, with an impressive audiovisual experi ence that combined visual spectacle with narrative drama to tell the life story of Dole’s most famous son.,

“Projection is far from dead”

Williams identifies the social changes that will continue to drive the market for projection: “One of the real drivers behind all the above is the way communication is changing. As consumers in a media driven world, we expect bright colours, dynamic images, and clear, vibrant detail. Many organisations are looking to com municate with multiple people at once. At one time we would be together in small groups to receive information. Now we can be anywhere and still be part of something collective. Or we can be part of group of thousands and consume the same experience as everyone else in the crowd. But it’s not just change on a huge scale that is happening, there are more modest examples of it too. I’ve recently sold two x 8000 lumens projectors to an artist who saw them as an opportunity to showcase his work to a greater audience.”

Joel St-Denis, director of product management, Christie con curs, saying that: “Projection remains a very popular technology in largescale experiences, used to power applications such as displays for large auditoriums or for impactful attractions and projection mapping projects. One of the most satisfying and en tertaining experiences in AV is seeing a projection mapping show on a large-scale building; people will stand in one place in awe for several minutes watching a beautiful, coloured display. There is little else in the way of technology that can compete on this level.”

The future?

As to the future, St-Denis continues: “As for what’s on the hori zon, I think the technology will continue to develop in ways that my non-technical brain can’t yet envisage. We’ve already seen Digital Projection separate the light source from the main pro jector. The intention is that the head will be so small that you can have a 10,000 lumens projector that is about the size of a grapefruit - with the rest of the projector up to 100m away. This will bring huge benefits in terms of the physical logistics of using high brightness projectors. I’m so glad that my job is centred in projection because I really feel that for the future, the sky is the limit.”

“We’ve already seen Digital Projection separate the light source from the main projector. The intention is that the head will be so small that you can have a 10,000 lumens projector that is about the size of a grapefruit- with the rest of the projector up to 100m away.” Joel St-Denis, director of product management, Christie:

The Digital Innovation Facility at the University of Liverpool, a new home for academic research into emerging technologies such as au tonomous systems, robotics, data analytics and artificial intelligence, has been equipped with state-of-the-art 3D projection equipment pro vided by ST Engineering Antycip.

been around for a while, now you not only choose your film, but also your cinema experience. Developments such as ScreenX, 4D, and SuperScreen are widely available through the big chains. Sophis ticated blending is needed to create the projected image for these different screen formats.”

Pufferfish launches £600 K funding round

Pufferfish has announced a funding round to raise £600,000 as it prepares to capitalise on a rapidly grow ing global market for inter active, multi-sensory and immersive experiences. The Edinburgh-based tech firm is seeking the six-figure sum to expedite its growth plans and maximise commercial oppor tunities from the ongoing rev olution of the digital display market. The investment will support GTM (Go-To-Market) activities, product innovation and new product launches. Advances in technology have

consumers now demand more sophisticated digital experienc es that blur the lines between reality and virtuality. We’re a leader in a growing market; now is the right time to accel erate our new product plans and shout louder about what we do.”

Pufferfish’s innovative display systems deliver highly attrac tive, interactive engagement and multi-sensory experiences for a range of uses and set tings, including corporate con ferences, museums, science centres, planetariums, art ex hibitions and other visitor at

from MTV and Disney. Elaine Van Der Berg added: “The business has almost en tirely relied on repeat business and word of mouth to generate sales. Even with this ‘reactive’ approach, we have gained a reputation for quality and in novation and carved out a po sition as a global market lead er. We have an enviable client list, including NASA, Google, IBM and BBC. We invented the spherical display concept, and our name is synonymous with the product category. But there’s much more we can do; Pufferfish hasn’t realised its full potential yet. The market is ripe, with advances in tech nology fuelling the demand for multi-sensory, immersive, au dio-visual experiences across a range of sectors from art and entertainment to science and education. This investment will allow us to scale at pace to meet growing worldwide demand. It will be used to support new tal ent in the business, research innovative technology to fur ther improve our products, and roll-out a strong go-to market strategy, including a significant increase in outbound sales and marketing activity.”

Pufferfish is approaching exist ing investors to offer them first opportunity to increase their shareholding. In addition, it is keen to speak to new investors to supports its growth plans.

Pufferfish ‘starring’ role on Amazon Prime

Pufferfish, can now reveal its involvement with the team that created Amazon Prime’s new celestial dating sensation – ‘Cosmic Love’. One of the Ed inburgh-based company’s flag ship product, the PufferSphere, has a ‘starring’ role throughout the Amazon Original series air ing now on the global stream ing service, which has upwards of 200m users.

At the heart of the new dating concept is a mystical guide, the ‘Astro Chamber’, which helps four individuals navigate their search for the perfect spouse via astrological matchmaking. The immersive chamber is the beating heart of the show, designed and built by indus try-leading experience creators, RabCup, featuring astrologi cal-themed content from Go2 Productions Inc. The pioneer ing set features a ‘floating’ ver sion of a PufferSphere digital display with a 1200mm spheri cal screen - invented, designed and created in Pufferfish’s Ed inburgh studio, and shipped to the show’s creators in Malibu, California.

Cosmic Love’s set creators desired an element that the

show’s participants could in teract with, but which wouldn’t cast shadows on the set, there by maintaining the immersive experience. The PufferSphere helped them achieve that util ising internal projection. The entertainment sector is a key growth platform for Pufferfish, alongside corporate commu nications, museums, science centres, planetariums, art exhibitions and other visitor attractions, and science and educational institutions. The company works with partners in these sectors and builds spher ical digital displays that deliv er a multi-sensory experience, combining sound, vision, data, and touch to create a truly im mersive and memorable expe rience for users – and in this case, the viewer.

Elaine Van Der Berg, CEO of Pufferfish, said: “Working with RabCup, one of the world’s most prominent experiential creators to design an Amazon Prime product, has been an incredible experience for all in volved. Our interactive display technology and the production concept were perfectly compat ible. “Our interactive display

technologies continue to break new ground and this project is an excellent example of the ver satility of our technology. We always knew our multi-sensory technology could do a lot – but matchmaking is a new feature for us to add to our list!”

AJ Freysteinson, creative direc tor at RabCup, said: “RabCup has worked with Pufferfish for over 10 years on a variety of projects. Constantly running with the demanding timelines and creative needs of our cli ents, Pufferfish has been there on time and with the solutions we need for our projects. Their technology has helped us be creative, while their support makes all things possible. It was a pleasure to work with the team again on this project and we look forward to continuing the journey.” Pufferfish has previously worked with NASA, Google, IBM and the BBC, and is currently focused on access ing new markets fuelled by a growing demand for multi-sen sory, immersive, audio-visual experiences.

Avocor Partners with SISS in India

transformed the market from flat screen interactions to high ly engaging experiences com bining sound, vision, data and touch, allowing users to be part of a digital experience, rather than just an observer. Elaine Van Der Berg, chief executive at Pufferfish, said:

“Interactive and immersive display experiences are more in-demand than ever as in-per son visitor attractions, events and exhibitions not only nor malise, but increase as the COVID-19 pandemic slows.

Pufferfish is ready to capitalise on this opportunity as the mar ket leading end-to-end provider of spherical interactive displays and services, with an unrivalled reputation for innovation and quality, and a brand used ubiq uitously as a product identifi er worldwide. There’s been a revolution in technology and

tractions, as well as education institutions. They can also in tegrate with other tech systems to translate complicated data into powerful immersive expe riences.

Over the next twelve months, the company is launching im proved and upgraded versions of two of its core products, PufferSphere and PufferTouch, with even sharper images and more powerful touch function ality than ever, as well as three completely new products. The three new products will, re spectively, provide a more per sonal one-to-one experience for users, offer a greater ‘wow’ fac tor through size and scale, and allow users to peer into anoth er world created by immersive technology.

A new head of creative will join the business in September, bringing decades of experience

Contact elaine.vanderberg@ pufferfishdisplays.com for fur ther information on the invest ment opportunity.

Avocor has signed a new longterm partnership in India with Shree Info System Solutions Pvt. Ltd (SISS), a pioneer in IT product distribution in the region. The announcement fol lows a successful InfoComm India, the most important tradeshow in the region, where Avocor and SISS joined over 200 other exhibitors at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. Avocor is a global collaborative displays company, headquar tered in Oregon, US which leads the way in creating in teractive solutions that enable people to communicate and collaborate more effectively together. The company is com mitted to developing products that stimulate engagement and teamwork, improving the way the world works and learns including in India, the fastest growing economy in the APAC region.

Avocor has built an impressive ecosystem of strategic partner ships with Google Meet, Micro

soft Teams, RingCentral, Zoom, Logitech and other leading col laboration brands. The agree ment with SISS will help to amplify these strategic product

tablished and successful dis tributor of IT and AV products across the Indian subconti nent,” he says. “The deal with SISS strengthens our existing

partnerships in India and drive new business opportunities.

Dana Corey, SVP & GM Global Sales at Avocor is excited by the new partnership. “I’m de lighted that we’re partnering with SISS in India, a well-es

Barco and Igloo Vision collaborate to deliver immersive collaboration

Barco and Igloo Vision have announced a new collabo ration as partners to deliver industry-leading shared VR experiences. Igloo Vision was founded in 2008 with a focus on projection mapping software for live events and experiences. Later its focus shifted to corpo rate rooms and shared virtual reality.

From its bases in the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia, the company has delivered hundreds of immersive work space installations around the globe for all kinds of applica tions such as simulation, vi sualization and collaboration by clients in education, engi

neering, enterprise and many more. An Igloo immersive space is built using an Igloo Vi sion Media Player, which holds the software that can turn any room into an immersive shared VR experience. It takes any digital content and puts it in an immersive space. It is like stepping inside a giant VR headset with an entire group. To visualize the content, the Igloo team works together with system integrators and visu alization hardware providers, such as Barco. “We had an interesting conversation with the Barco team during the ISE 2022 tradeshow in Barcelona about their shared VR visual

ization solutions,” says Jake Rowland, Head of Business Development EMEA at Igloo Vision. “We want to make our technology available to anyone around the world. In working together with Barco, we expand our reach and make the shared immersive spaces easier to ac cess and install.”

“Barco’s expertise with the high-end Canvas and CAVE systems strongly complements Igloo’s vision on shared VR ex periences,” confirms Richard Marples, Sales Director Im mersive Experiences at Barco. “Both our companies have a strong focus on immersive visu alization and improving collab

presence in India and will allow us to implement our ambitious regional growth strategy for our market-leading interactive dis plays.”

oration everywhere, so this is an ideal partnership!” Since the official agreement, Barco and Igloo Vision already delivered two state-of-the-art immersive workspaces for a leading sports brand and a well-respected uni versity.”

Pufferfish has announced a funding round to raise £600,000 as it pre pares to capitalise on a rapidly growing global market for interactive, multi-sensory and immersive experiences.

Barco and Igloo Vision have announced a new collaboration as part ners to deliver industry-leading shared VR experiences.

MRMC Broadcast acquires Slidekamera product range

Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), a Nikon company, announces the acquisition of Slidekamera to bring an even wider choice of motion and ro botic solutions to the broadcast market. The move cements a long-established development partnership between the two companies. A big part of MRMC Broadcast’s offering is focused on PTZ enablement, essential ly providing robotic movement solutions for PTZ cameras to allow more creative shots to be achieved with these simple ro botic cameras.

Central to the strategy is the importance of expanding the product range while providing wide market access, particu larly through its established reseller channels. The acqui sition of Gdansk, Poland-head quartered Slidekamera delivers on both of these counts.

Paddy Taylor, Head of Broad cast, MRMC, explains, “Slidekamera has been pro viding various products and components to MRMC for some time. We have formed an excel lent long-term working relation ship, and it has become evident that they are a great fit to add additional value to MRMC’s of fering. Together we can help to improve and develop new solu tions to meet the demands of our customers.”

“Slidekamera has a number of solutions that complement the

Broadcast market, from PTZ motion control enablement to a range of film and commer cial products and accessories. Therefore, we felt that in a number of areas, rather than developing our own in-house solutions, it made sense to for malise our partnership so that we can take our joint products to a wider market,” Taylor add ed. “Additionally, the acqui sition provides MRMC with a number of new robotic heads at a competitive price point. This is something that our reseller channel often requests, and we believe that this now gives us the most complete set of robot ic solutions on the market.”

The process of evolving solu tions acquired from Slideka mera has already begun, including integrating the in novative AI system Polymo tion Chat with Slidekamera’s robotic pan/tilt heads. Taylor says, “We also see excellent potential for products like our Automated Jib Solution (AJS-

1) which could be paired with the X-Head from Slidekamera giving us options for manual control as well as the automat ed solution it currently pro vides. Slidekamera is very well regarded by its customers, and we will continue to serve those selling Slidekamera branded products through their current sales channels as well as of fering the same products with support for MRMC’s ecosystem badged by MRMC. We believe that this will be a winning com bination.”

Sebastian Pawelec, CEO, Slidekamera, says, “We have enjoyed a fantastic profession al relationship with MRMC and we look forward to growing this further by combining Slideka mera’s and MRMC’s efficient engineering and innovation to produce better products together, as well as the wide distribution network, market leadership, expertise and inno vative thinking of the team at MRMC.”

Exertis Enterprise expands partnership with Progress

Exertis Enterprise has an nounced that it has expanded its partnership agreement with Progress, the trusted provider of infrastructure software, to extend the coverage of Prog ress’ leading NetSecOps prod ucts in the UK. Through this expansion, Exertis Enterprise will have increased access to customer-valued Progress WhatsUp Gold IT infrastructure monitoring software and Prog ress Flowmon network visibility and security solution, after hav ing previously offered Progress Kemp LoadMaster load balanc er for many years.

Today’s network and system admins are required to mon itor everything connected to each network and fix problems before they impact end-users. Progress’ sophisticated alerting and reporting capabilities en sures the availability and secu rity of customers’ applications and websites, while allowing them to scale as their work loads change. Its software can also quickly expose ransom ware and attacks against mis sion-critical applications, gain insight into network traffic, and confidently resolve network performance issues.

The Progress portfolio offered through Exertis Enterprise in cludes the following products:

•WhatsUp Gold: A unified, powerful and easy-to-use IT infrastructure monitoring solu

tion that helps IT staff proac tively find and fix problems fast while providing outstanding value in both time and cost savings. Customers have an ata-glance dashboard and an in teractive map for visibility into the status and performance of networks, servers, storage de vices, network traffic, device configurations and applications across on-premises and in the cloud with a single network in terface.

•Flowmon: A comprehensive network security and visibil ity solution with automated response across hybrid cloud ecosystems.

•Kemp LoadMaster: Flexible application delivery and secu rity solutions offering cloud-na tive, virtual and hardware load balancers.

Dominic Ryles, Director of Sales & Commercial – Securi ty at Exertis Enterprise, said: “We’re excited to extend our Progress portfolio, and we are looking forward to providing new and existing partners with access to its world-class infra structure solutions. Progress strengthens our security portfo lio, and the two new additions, Flowmon and WhatsUp Gold, gives us the opportunity to better service our partners and their customers with Network Detection & Response (NDR) services and Observability and Monitoring tools, in order to defend against the emerging threats which we see in the

Dominic Ryles, Director of Sales & Commercial – Security at Exer tis Enterprise, said: “We’re excit ed to extend our Progress portfo lio, and we are looking forward to providing new and existing partners with access to its worldclass infrastructure solutions.

landscape. Progress’ reputation makes it the ideal choice to of fer to our customers – its flex ibility, ease of installation, and user-friendly features will ben efit many customers' setups.”

“We’re delighted to expand our very successful relationship with Exertis in the UK mar ket,” said Phil Dunlop, General Manager, EMEA at Progress. “We look forward to working with them and the Exertis part ner ecosystem to grow market share for Progress’ portfolio of NDR and network observability solutions.”

MAXHUB and ScreenBeam announce technology alliance

ScreenBeam and MAXHUB have announced a technology alliance to deliver seamless video conferencing experiences to their customers. The Screen Beam 1100 Plus wireless presentation platform offers agnostic support for all major video conferencing services. Its ScreenBeam Conference software also supports hybrid work environments and delivers app-free wireless presentations from any device. Users simply tap once to wirelessly present and annotate content on room displays from their own device. The software is included free with every receiver and wire lessly connects user devices to USB devices in the room to support BYOM web conferenc ing needs.

“At MAXHUB, we recognise ScreenBeam’s industry-lead ing technology for its ability to address the need for wireless

video sharing with a simpli fied, vendor-neutral interface,” said Charles Montoya UC Sales Manager for North America at MAXHUB. “We anticipate our customers will be thrilled with ScreenBeam’s tested compati

(UCC).” MAXHUB cameras tested for compatibility with ScreenBeam include the UC S10 All-inOne Unified Communication Bar, UC P10 PTZ Camera, UC M31 Panoramic Camera, and UC S05 All-in-One Video Bar.

Additional announcements on camera support and future engineering integration will be made as they become avail able.

The ScreenBeam 1100 Plus wireless presentation platform offers agnostic support for all major video conferencing ser vices

bility with our popular camer as for seamless Unified Com munication and Collaboration

“MAXHUB’s wide range of high-quality audio and camera solutions have extended con ferencing capabilities to work spaces large and small across the globe,” said Jay Taylor, Di rector of Strategic Alliances for ScreenBeam. “Our individual and joint innovation, technol ogy and performance is exact ly what the hybrid workforce needs with the plug-and-play simplicity we are both known for.”

Christie and Seal Telecom strengthen alliance

Christie and Seal Telecom, a Convergint company, have worked together to implement AV technology in some of the most significant projects in Bra zil, including control rooms in mission critical environments.

At the Port of São Sebastião in the State of São Paulo, one of the most important public ports in the country, Seal Telecom was commissioned through a public tender to implement a connectivity project to support voice and data networks and a video surveillance system. The installation included a Christie 55-inch LCD displays in a 6x2 video wall managed by Christie Phoenix controllers.

Seal Telecom deployed an L-shaped video wall with 32 Christie 55-inch LCD panels managed by Christie Phoenix controllers at the Municipal Traffic and Citizenship Au thority of the city of Fortaleza (Northeast Brazil) The video wall helps monitor more than 600 cameras spread through out the city and respond to traf fic incidents.

In the Municipal Chamber of Goiânia (Centre-West of the country) Seal Telecom installed

an 8x2 Christie LCD video wall in the plenary, as well as Christie’s 1DLP laser projec tors in the auditorium and in the presidential meeting room. The project included the im plementation of the first voting

environments require a high level of detail, so it fills us with pride that the company trusts our technology. Christie offers a full range of display technolo gies, from projection, LCD and LED displays to image process

system integrated with biomet rics in Brazil. Also noteworthy is the Army Doctrine Center, located in the Brazilian Army Land Operations Command in Brasilia, the country’s capital, where Seal Telecom installed, Christie 1DLP laser projectors showcase interactive content created by the integrator’s cre ative department.

Clayton Brito, director of Chris tie’s Enterprise division in Lat in America, points out: “Seal Telecom installations in critical

ing and content management tools to create comprehensive AV solutions.”

Ignacio Lucero, VP of Seal Tele com in Latin America, says: “We are committed to offering our customers the best brands in the market that guarantee high-performance operation. In that sense, Christie is a trusted partner that offers high-quality, reliable solutions with a super lative level of service through out Latin America.”

Time, money and social pressure stop tradespeople from pursuing training

One in eight (12%) trades people say they have stopped learning new things at work. 45% say they want to do addi tional training, but face some form of barrier, like finances. One in 12 (8%) say they wor ry what colleagues would think if they asked for more train ing. Almost half (45%) of UK tradespeople want to do addi tional training but are unable to do so because of barriers like time and finances.

IronmongeryDirect surveyed trade workers from across the nation to reveal the appetite for professional development. Half (50%) say that they enjoy learning new things, but one in eight (12%) have reached a stage where they rarely do so anymore. This is largely due to the obstacles preventing them from pursuing further training,

and the most cited barrier is a lack of awareness. Almost one in seven (13%) tradespeople say that they wouldn’t know where to look for development opportunities.

The money and time (both 12%) required for training courses is also discouraging, and, sadly, so too is social pres sure. One in 12 (8%) say that they don’t ask for more training as they worry what other people would think of them for making such a request. Such barriers are significant, as less than a fifth (17%) of tradespeople say that their initial training was enough to set them up fully for their career, highlighting the importance of continuous learning.

Worryingly, despite being the most eager to learn new things, young tradespeople are the

most likely to face barriers. Gen Z (18-24s) and Millennial (2534s) workers are the keenest to continue developing, but are the worst affected by each of the main obstacles, with time (21%) being the primary issue.

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “It’s brilliant to see that many tradespeople want to continue training, as keep ing up with the latest industry trends and regulations can pro vide a real career advantage. However, our research has highlighted the numerous bar riers that often get in the way, particularly for young workers, and that is concerning. With this in mind, we’ve partnered with a careers coach to share advice for tradespeople on how to continue learning throughout their working lives.”

ViewSonic AV solutions fuse technology and art

Immersive art exhibits contin ue to draw attendees the world over thanks to their various forms of projection and inter activity. When the 2022 World Women’s Art Festival was set to be held in Taiwan, the fes tival organizer Taiwan Women’s Art Association (TWAA) turned to ViewSonic for their visu al solutions to help take their immersive event to another level. ViewSonic installed cut ting-edge projectors to help showcase some of the 98 art works on display, as well as a 65” interactive display and a 24” touch monitor for visitors to interact with.

ViewSonic projectors were set up to display engaging artwork on walls inside the exhibit to immerse visitors in the artwork displayed. For instance, the internationally renowned artist Chu-Yin Chen’s work “Enactive Painting” in which visitors can create images on the wall by waving their hands and moving

their bodies. It’s a type of ab stract painting, Chen said, in which the lines are created by the viewer’s kinetic movements thanks to the projector, and thus each line is alive.

“By using sensing technology to detect human gestures, vis itors are invited to collaborate with the artwork. The advanced sensing technology registers body movement and transforms them onto the projection,” Chen said. “For the interaction to work the projector is crucial.

Viewers are not just passive by standers. Rather, the painting is about interactions. While viewers are immersed in it, they have a chance to explore and this changes the way we appreciate art.”

Other digital artwork like “The Hot Zone” by Cynthia Lin was projected onto a wall to illus trate the slow decay of brain cells in a person with Alzhei mer’s disease, and “Forest of Enchantress” by Xiao-Hua Dou

shows a woman’s inner self and her love and awe for life.

Acclaimed artist Mali Wu, Tai wan’s first female winner of the National Award for Arts, creat ed the piece “Awake in Your Skin: Bedsheets of Soul”, a red heart-shaped textile installa tion much like a bed, in 2000. ViewSonic projectors simulta neously displayed a behindthe-scenes documentary for the piece at the show. The bedlike installation symbolizes the sharing of love, a broken heart, and wings that can fly away Wu said, while the video shows emotional and personal stories of the women in the workshop who made it, highlighting the tenacity of women’s work and femininity.

“Combined with the projec tion technology and the use of textiles, a familiar medium, the artwork reflects the com plexity of a woman,” Wu said. “Audiences can appreciate the effort that went into creating the bedsheet, challenging the preconceptions of traditional household activities.”

Artist I-Chun Chen used pro jectors to deliver a large-sized blank backdrop for her piece

“Wang-Shih’s Memories” at the exhibit, letting viewers im merse themselves in the titular character’s story and under stand her life story. In the Hok kien dialect, the piece’s name sounds like “not much effort into raising a child”, which re lates to the story about a girl who is abandoned at birth. The

video makes use of a blank backdrop, which symbolizes Wang-Shih’ lack of memories.

“The projector can really en large an image, allowing view ers to step inside a space, into a projection area, and enjoy an immersive experience,” Chen said. “I think this allows viewers to immerse themselves in her story and have a better chance to understand WangShih’s life.

Through advanced technology, artists are able to create more diverse artworks. Viewsonic’s visual solutions not only helped the organizer to showcase the power of contemporary female artwork but also encouraged more conversations between women’s art groups around the world.

Immersive art exhibits continue to draw attendees the world over thanks to their various forms of projection and interactivity.

The return of Legamaster

Exciting news as we can announce that Legamaster returns to the UK market after a 6-year gap. It brings with it an exciting range of new products and complete solutions for collaboration rooms and teaching spaces.

Legamaster, not to be confused with a well-known Danish plastic toy brick company, is the visual communication division of Edding AG, the leading German manufacturer of high-quality marking and writing instruments. For many years Legamaster has been actively adapting its range to the latest communication technology trends and developments. Edding and Legamaster are both successful businesses for over 65 years. They share a strong and loyal cus tomer base in both education and corporate markets.

This long-term investment by the parent company Edding AG, shows how much they value the UK market and mirrors their successful growth strategy in other European countries. Anoth er part of this investment is the addition of Mark Dew to lead the Legamaster electronic division, and James Constable to lead the Legamaster traditional range. Both of them bring significant experience and sales success in both the audio visual and office supply markets.

Legamaster has a unique 360-degree approach to communication and presentation such that its two tribes of Legamaster electronic and Legamaster traditional work closer than ever together. They can provide all the necessary solutions for any teaching space and collaboration room, making presentation more effective.

Interactive presentation

Professional visualization equipment is vital for the development and presentation of new ideas, concepts and products. Want to make your presentations really impressive? Legamaster offers a wide range of interactive products to make your presentations even more dynamic. That’s because in order to convey knowledge, you need to be convincing.

With our interactive presentation products, the possibilities are endless. In a world where digitization is on the increase, our pre sentation products have had to move with the times too. As a result, we have created products such as our Evolve interactive touch displays and our Discover large format displays. With our accompanying whiteboard and presentation software, you can easily edit your interactive presentation in real time, print it out and share it with the outside world with total ease.

Interactive solutions

You see our interactive presentation products everywhere. Be it in an office, school, training centre or conference venue: wherever knowledge and information need to be conveyed or passed on, the added value offered by our interactive solutions is plain for all to see. Of course, not only does every user of interactive presentation products have a different purpose, every boardroom or classroom is unique too. That’s precisely why Legamaster offers the right solution for each individual application.

Find the ideal products

Legamaster also leads the market with the latest and greatest technologies like Flatfrog. Legamaster chose Flatfrog M5 touch technology for their Supreme series of touch screen displays. They come in 3 sizes to suit every meeting room or teaching space –65”, 75” and 85”. You have to try the Supreme to realise they offer the best intuitive writing experience of any interactive touch screen. Its why leading companies like Porsche use them for prod uct development as their accuracy and interaction are the one of the best.

Social Hub by Legamaster

At Legamaster, we believe that the office will increasingly serve as a 'Social Hub'. Where you come to work safely together on projects, to have real contact with your colleagues and to keep the balance between home and work. With multifunctional ELEMENTS Desk Dividers, you can create your own personal workspace, tailored to your to do’s. This way you can make your own space work for you, while collaborating safely with colleagues working in their own personalized workspace.

Thinking big!

Ideas need plenty of space so they can bubble up to the surface. They pop up like a light being switched on. And then, of course, you want to be able to express yourself. That’s where Legamaster comes in. With the Space-Up collection you can create large col laboration walls.

More ideas than writing space? The Space-Up collection provides space for EVERY idea, EVERY budget and EVERY working method! Draw, sketch, hang things up or colour in. With the solutions of the Space-Up writing collection you can effortlessly create a white board wall on which the best ideas take shape. From the three options, choose the one that best suits you and your environment.

This flexible whiteboard can be used on any wall and in any shape

Want to try the Supreme and the ETX touch screens and to see some of the Legamaster exciting Space up collection? Legamaster will be bringing their new Legamaster experience vehicle out to you on an exciting roadshow in November/December. Our new sales team of Mark and James will be happy to advise you! The roadshow will feature a fully Legamaster liveried custom ve hicle fitted with their quality range of Discover LFDs, as well as the new Evolve interactive touch screens and best in class writing experience – Supreme collaboration touch screens. There will also be samples of the quality Legamaster space up collection.

Get in touch now if you would like the Legamaster fun van to visit you! Call 07498418059 or email us on infouk@legamaster.com.

Technology updateEvents

The 2022 Peerless AV Experience Holographic humans, workshops, tech tours and networking

After the hugely successful inaugural AV Experience Showcase & Net working Event at Lord’s Cricket Ground last September, Peerless-AV returned in 2022 with an impressive portfolio of 30 market leading AV and Digital Signage brands.

2022 exhibitors included Absen, Barco, BenQ, BrightSign, CTOUCH, Datapath, DTEN, Hypervsn, iiyama, Jabra, Kramer, Le novo, LG, Lightware Engineering, Logitech, Matrox, Mersive, neat, Now Signage, Peerless-AV, Philips, Poly, Samsung, Sharp NEC, Shure, Signagelive, Sony, Tripleplay, Unilumin and UMA. Exertis Pro AV also sponsored the evening networking drinks reception. The showcase welcomed end-users, resellers, integrators and con sultants offering new for 2022 highlights, including a series of technical workshops hosted by Neat, AVIXA and onemedia. Also new were expert guided ‘Behind the Screens’ Technology Tours hosted by Absen, and the AV User Group’s September members meeting was held at the venue for a second year. Welcoming visitors at the entrance was the HYPERVSN Holograph ic Human showcasing Peerless-AV senior staffers, including Keith Dutch, Beky Cann, Tom Fenton and Chalene Chandrasiri. “I’ve seen HYPERVSN in action at many of the industry events that Peerless-AV has attended throughout the years, and it was great to collaborate with them. This is one of our most important events of the year, and we wanted to make a real impact on visitors, while providing them with key information about the showcase,” said Keith Dutch, Managing Director - EMEA, Peerless-AV.

Video walls

This year on the Peerless-AV booth, visitors could see dv LED Video Wall Systems using SEAMLESS Bespoke and Kit ted dvLED mounting solutions.

The custom curved section, as seen at ISE in May, featured Absen PL Pro LED cabinets, demonstrating Peerless-AV’s precision engineering capabil ity to create the most complex and challenging video walls in custom shapes and aggressive curves.

The second section used Peer less-AV’s dedicated mounting

solution for Samsung IER cabi nets, featuring the highest level of x,y,z adjustment to overcome wall imperfections, ensure pixel alignment and ensure one flat plane, regardless of wall imper fections.

New on the stand was the Mo torised Trolley (PR598-M) for large format displays up to 98”. This new addition is easy to in stall and use, offering a unique feature set in line with modern presentation requirements, in cluding digital height control settings and a built-in pressure sensor for safe use in any Edu cation or Corporate setting.

The Motorised Trolley offers 500 mm of vertical travel at the push of a button and using the digital controls on the rear of the unit, users can pre-set and save up to four heights settings. A power button on rear of the trolley turns the display on/off minimising cable management and eliminating the need for a remote control, which can often go missing when used across multiple rooms. A built-in pres sure sensor provides safe use of the trolley in teaching and presentation environments by automatically lowering or lifting should it sense any resistance or obstruction above or below the display.

Alongside, was a first time UK showing of the 75” Xtreme High Bright Outdoor Display. Designed for all-weather, ex treme temperature applica tions, this new model retains an unmatched ingress protection (IP) rating and award-winning feature set with significant me chanical and operating system enhancements. The new mod els are fan cooled and include a patented thermal exhaust sys tem that keeps internal compo nents cooled in extreme heat. They also include a gyroscopic sensor that detects any move ment of the display and sends an alert to warn of potential tampering or theft.

Exhibitor support

All around the venue, Peer less-AV supported exhibiting partners with mobile trolleys, including the SR560M (for 32" to 75" displays), SR598 (for 55" to 98"+ displays) and the SR555M Video Conferenc ing Trolley (for two 40" to 65" displays). All feature an ap pealing design, display height adjustment and a pre-assem bled base for quick assembly. The attractive structure fits into any décor and integrated cable

that it can be done safely. All come with a component shelf that can be positioned any where along the column by simply lifting and reposition

show highlights and partner branding. The KOP2555-XHBEUK Smart City Kiosk includes an Xtreme 55" High Bright Outdoor Display, is all-weath er rated (IP66) and offers an operating temperature range of -35°C to 60°C. The elegant minimalistic design covers, protects and ventilates display and equipment and is wind tested up to 140 mph.

“Our 2022 event at Lord’s was a success in bringing all the key brands under one roof to demonstrate their latest inno vations and first-time showings to a mix of end users, resellers, integrators and consultants. We’ve received positive feed back, with exhibitors espe cially valuing the face-to-face networking opportunities over the two days and the new tech training sessions were well at tended. Now we look ahead to 2023 with ISE looming and Tech Xpo and UC Expo around the corner.”

management protects, con tains and conceals cables for a clean, professional installation. The 4” castors make it easy to move from room to room, while the UL certification ensures

ing. The SR555M also offers a camera mount, which can be located locates anywhere above either display, for near perfect eye contact during your meet ings.

Indoor and outdoor wayfinding kiosks from Peerless-AV were located throughout the venue to provide agenda information,

Keith Dutch, Managing DirectorEMEA, Peerless-AV.

Peoplewatch

Lightware Visual Engineering, a leading manufacturer of connec tivity solutions for the professional integrated systems market, an nounces Clint Hoffman as vice president of business development for the Americas. Hoffman will establish and build customer rela tionships and support business development with global enterprise partners.

Hoffman has more than 35 years of success in sales, marketing, operations, and product development in the professional AV indus try. Hoffman has worked with many industry-leading manufactur ers, including Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and Kramer Electron ics. Most recently, Hoffman served as the president and country manager for Kramer North America. During his two decades at Kramer, Hoffman was instrumental in channel and brand develop ment strategy and product development success.

Hoffman brings a background in pro mot ing and championing the profession al audiovisual industry through his leadership at AVIXA International. Hoffman is currently an adjunct faculty member of AVIXA Interna tional. Previously, he has served as chairman of the AVIXA Mem bership Committee, a member of the steering committee of the AVIXA Exhibitors Committee, a member of the AVIXA Foundation Board, and vice chairman of the AVIXA Manufacturers Committee.

“I am delighted to welcome Clint to our team at Lightware Visual Engineering,” said Jason Tirado, president of Lightware Visual En gineering. “Clint is well-recognized throughout the AV industry for his leadership over the last three decades. He will be instrumental in supporting Lightware’s continued growth and business success globally.”

“Lightware has grown exponentially over the last few years,” noted Hoffman. “Lightware’s world-class signal management products are designed to deliver unparalleled quality and reliability in AV applications. Their investment in innovation and product excel lence has positioned Lightware for continued accelerated growth. I am thrilled to bring my experience and deep relationships in the AV industry to grow and support Lightware’s ever increasing num ber of global enterprise partners.”

Lightware Visual Engineering, a leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for the professional integrated systems market, announces Clint Hoffman as vice president of business development for the Amer icas.

year, Burges Salmon was named the RollOnFriday ‘Best Law Firm to Work at 2022’, a unique award based on the views of the firm’s people.

Martin Cook, a technology and fintech partner at Burges Salmon says: “Technology is a significant focus for our firm, and an im portant growth area both for us and our clients, so we are excited to welcome a lawyer of Martin’s calibre back to Burges Salmon. “Martin has spent many years working on a wide range of signifi cant technology projects for a diverse client base, so he has a gen uine understanding of the issues that clients and in-house teams face both on a daily basis and on major programmes of work.”

Burges Salmon’s Technology team brings together the firm’s trans actional and advisory lawyers who advise clients in the Technology sector and on technology and data projects across all sectors. It acts for the full range of clients, from high-growth, emerging, dig ital-first and technology businesses and their founders, to multi national technology services providers and corporate and financial institution purchasers of these services. The team also advises private equity and venture capital funds, HNWIs, institutional in vestors on investment in - and successful exits from - companies in the Technology sector, as well as numerous central and local government entities. The team operates across all key technology verticals, from more established areas such as IT outsourcing, cy bersecurity and cloud services to new and emerging technologies and propositions including AI, robotics, intelligent mobility and digital assets.

AtlasIED strengthens its expertise in commercial audio with three additions to the company, including Graham Hendry, VP of Loud speaker Strategy; Mike Ulrich, VP of Specialty Acoustic Projects and Riccardo Balistreri, Director of Acoustical Engineering. The new hires are part of a strategic initiative that will focus on product development, strategy, design, and positioning of new products for

In another newly created position of VP of Specialty Acoustic Projects, Ulrich will lead engineering and design for specialty acoustical projects. A highly accomplished executive, Ulrich car ries over 20 years managing research and development operations and leading consumer electronics and professional audio product design.

Finally, Balistreri joins AtlasIED as Director of Acoustical Engi neering with more than 20 years of specialization in loudspeaker product design engineering. Balistreri will direct acoustical engi neering efforts for the loudspeaker business and has deep experi ence in loudspeaker product development, electronics, and elec tromagnetics, and has managed engineering and quality assurance programs at various stops in his career.

“These gentlemen are highly regarded in the industry, and each brings excellent leadership, product and business development experience and strategic vision to AtlasIED,” said Matt Czyzewski, Executive Vice President at AtlasIED. “I am excited for the oppor tunity to work closely with all of them to advance the loudspeaker sector of our business.” ng.

Dalet has announced it has expanded its DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) team leadership with the appointment of Re gional Sales Manager, Massimo Dolce. In collaboration with the Dalet Germany-based team, Massimo will spearhead new custom er, partner, and industry engagements that feature the full Dalet product lineup. This includes the Dalet media logistics platform and the Dalet end-to-end news workflow solution; both augmented with the Dalet ecosystem of tools and services.

Dalet is an established leader in end-to-end media management and news production solutions with renowned brands and media organizations such as ProSiebenSat1PULS4 (Austria), DFL Media Hub (Germany), BR (Germany), and SFR (Switzerland) relying on Dalet to power mission-critical workflows. “Dalet’s cloud-based solutions support the requirements of a modern, distributed work force. The breadth and depth of its tools enable broadcasters, media-rich brands, and sports organizations to build robust, digi tal-first content production and distribution workflows that engage audiences, viewers, and fans on every platform,” states Johann Zemmour, Chief Sales Officer.

“Our customers are leveraging Dalet solutions to reimagine their

Burges Salmon has announced the appointment of Martin Cuell as a Consultant in its Technology practice. Prior to this, Martin led the Technology practice at law firm Foot Anstey for over ten years, advising clients on a wide range of technology work includ ing major technology transformation projects, the implementation and outsourcing of technology solutions, the supply of technology services and licensing and cloud services, as well as advising or ganisations on the supply and implementation of new technologies (such as drones, quantum computing and AI).

Martin has supported clients in a wide variety of sectors including finance, transport, utilities, emergency services, military, retail, energy and pure technology. Martin previously worked at Burges Salmon, and so is re-joining a firm he knows well. Martin’s return to Burges Salmon is testament to the firm’s rapidly growing Tech nology practice and positive and collaborative culture. Earlier this

the premium loudspeaker marketplace across a variety of indus tries including hospitality, specialty commercial, corporate, and entertainment.

“AtlasIED has significantly invested in talented people, infrastruc ture, and machinery over the past five years,” said John Ivey, CEO at AtlasIED. “We’ve created a foundation for innovation, and Gra ham, Riccardo, and Mike are joining us to help propel that inno vative culture forward and translate it into solutions and platforms that benefit our industry, clients, and end users. Audio is in our blood. It’s how our family business began and will forever be our passion.”

Hendry joins AtlasIED in the newly created position as Vice Pres ident of Loudspeaker Strategy. With more than 25 years in premi um audio in engineering, business development, and leadership, Hendry will lead all facets of the company’s loudspeaker business strategy. During his career, Hendry served in multiple leadership positions and has extensive experience building teams and defin ing, developing and implementing product and brand strategy for a comprehensive range of products.

media workflows and future-proof their technology stack. Massimo commands 30 years of media knowledge and can provide expert guidance to help our customers build a modern content operation that achieves their goals while navigating the shifting technology landscape.” Dalet’s cloud-native and subscription-based products solve pain points of on-premises workflows and provide customers a clear path to migrate to the cloud at their own pace. In parallel, Dalet’s expanded customer success resources ensure SaaS cus tomer-centric approach and needs are fully supported.

“While transitioning from on-premises to hybrid or fully cloudbased solutions is necessary for customers to operate with ef ficiency and remain competitive, it can be a challenge,” states Massimo. “Whether you are in news, traditional broadcast, live entertainment, marketing and advertising, sports, or new media, Dalet understands the evolution your organization is taking and offers the solutions as well as the expertise to have a smooth and successful transition both in terms of technology and business.”

Massimo, who comes to Dalet from professional industry vendors EditShare, Imagine Communications, NewTek, Sony, and Vizrt, joins recently hired Presales Solution Architect and technical spe cialist for the DACH region, Tobias Stoessel, and the wider Dalet EMEA team including Enrique Lafuente, VP EMEA Enterprise Sales, Fabien Donato, Director of Presales, and Ewan Johnston, Strategic Alliances and Channel Partner Director.

AtlasIED strengthens its expertise in commercial audio with three ad ditions to the company, including Graham Hendry, VP of Loudspeaker Strategy: Mike Ulrich, VP of Specialty Acoustic Projects and Riccardo Balistreri, Director of Acoustical Engineering.

Dalet has announced it has expanded its DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) team leadership with the appointment of Regional Sales Manager, Massimo Dolce.

Peoplewatch

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) welcomes Thomas Filler as its new Regional Sales Manager in Austria. Thomas joins Crestron's expert enterprise sales DACH team to respond to and grow local market opportunities, whilst nurturing relationships with new and existing partners. Reporting into Mark Bultinck, Sales Director for the Crestron DACH region, Thomas will be responsible for assist ing integrators in meeting their clients' needs by deploying fully integrated, futureproof Crestron solutions.

Thomas comments: “After 18 years as a Product and Sales Manager in an IT Distribution Company, I fully understand the needs of the Austrian Enterprise Market. My technical knowl edge allows me to understand the specific requirements of the customers and provide them ex pert advice with their projects. I am excited to start my new role with Crestron”.

Mark adds: “We are pleased to welcome Thomas, who brings with him incredible experience and knowledge about the Aus trian AV market. We are confi dent that he will be a great fit.”

POLAR has announced the expansion of its team with the appoint ment of Nick Bellis to the post of Business Development Manager, Professional Audio. A vastly experienced pro audio sales manager and successful freelance FOH/Monitor engineer, with more than thirty years’ experience in the live and installation markets, Nick joins POLAR to strengthen its Professional Audio Division with specific responsibility for its Music Tribe brands.

POLAR recently entered a partnership to re-introduce direct sup ply of Music Tribe’s leading brands to the UK market, and Nick’s background made him the perfect candidate for the role according to POLAR Managing Director John Midgley: “Nick is a highly re

Pufferfish is continuing to strengthen its top management team with the appointment of a former senior executive at Disney, the BBC, and MTV Networks as its new head of creative. Garry Sinclair joins the expanding Edinburgh tech firm after more than 20 years in the creative industry in London and Asia Pacific. His arrival comes four months after the business recruited technology indus try leader Elaine Van Der Berg to take over as CEO. She had pre viously spent 25 years with some of the world’s biggest names in tech including Amazon Web Services, Dell, Autodesk, and Capita.

A Scot originally from Glasgow, Sinclair has just spent nine years in Singapore, most recently as executive director, creative and content with The Walt Disney Company. Pufferfish last week an nounced plans to raise £600,000 in funding to expedite a new phase of growth to capitalise on a rapidly growing global market for interactive, multi-sensory and immersive experiences. The company has a prestigious client list including Microsoft, NASA, The BBC, and IBM. Its most successful products to date have been its range of striking spherical interactive displays and services, PufferSphere and PufferTouch. Sinclair will play a pivotal role as Pufferfish launches the next generation of display prod ucts. The improved and upgraded products adopt the latest, most innovative technology to create sharper images and with more lu minosity than ever, delivering a vastly enhanced visual experience and capability.

Sinclair said: “Pufferfish is an exciting and hugely ambitious tech business with a fantastic global reputation for quality and inno vation. The pioneering new products Pufferfish is working on will deliver an even greater ‘wow’ factor, through size and scale, and functionality, including bespoke content and additional applica tions. I’m excited to be part of the team as the product offering is compelling and the creative possibilities are endless. My career has been very much as a storyteller and I’m looking forward to de veloping content and stories that bring the products to life in fresh new ways for our clients and their audiences.”

Elaine Van Der Berg, CEO, said: “There’s been huge advances in tech that have transformed the digital display market from flat screens to fully engaging interactive systems combining sound, vision, data and touch, allowing users to be part of an immersive experience, rather than just an observer. Our enhanced products are central to our sales and revenue growth and more importantly, driving ongoing client satisfaction. Garry’s extensive background, with some of the biggest names in the industry, will bring addition al experience and knowledge to the team.”

“As a global leader in a growing market, with an unwavering com mitment to constant improvement, Garry will be able to help ac celerate our new product plans and further enhance our client and their audience experiences.”

and sales manager at both Barco, Karlsruhe, Germany and for Sie mens, Frankfurt.

Michael Koch, over his 30-plus year career, has held positions as international sales consultant at baramundi software, Bavar ia, Germany; key account manager heading up AV/VR projects in the automotive industry in the Munich area; and 3D/VR technical sales manager at Schneider Digital, Miesbach, Germany.

Felix Stetter was previously a project manager for DEKOM, Ham burg, Germany. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Sound/Vision from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. He also graduated from Cologne University of Applied Sciences with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in media technology.

ZeeVee has bolstered its Europe an sales and support teams with three incremental appointments.

Rocco Pucci joins ZeeVee Europe as sales director, DACH region; Michael Koch, ZeeVee Europe’s newest business development manager; and Felix Stetter, who has been named technology manager, DACH region.

spected figure in the industry and knows these brands inside out, having earlier in his career spent seven years working for Music Tribe in European sales. Add to this a hands-on appreciation of the products from his freelance role as a highly regarded pro au dio engineer, and it’s easy to see why he is so well-suited to this position at POLAR.”

Nick Bellis adds “I’m delighted to be joining POLAR at what is a very exciting time. The company’s strategic Super Partner rela tionship with Music Tribe gives our professional audio customers direct access to what is a formidable collection of iconic brands, all of which I’m very familiar with. I have a genuine passion for sound and using technology to push boundaries, so I’m looking forward to working with new and established customers to help them to achieve high quality solutions.”

POLAR distributes the Midas, Klark Teknik, Lab Gruppen, Lake, Turbosound and Tannoy brands for Music Tribe in the UK.

Naostage has appointed Alexis Reymond to the newly created role of sales manager. In his new role, Reymond – who is tasked with developing Naostage’s commercial strategy and overseeing its de velopment, both domestically and internationally – will initially focus on building relationships with major industry players in the EMEA region and showcasing the benefits of the Naostage prod uct.

He explains that he sees live shows, corporate events, perform ing artists, and attraction venues as priority markets for Naostage. “My ambition is for Naostage to become, over the next three years, a major worldwide provider of automated tracking solutions by es tablishing ourselves as the market leader in France and estab lishing a distribution network across Europe, the Middle East and Asia,” states Reymond.

ZeeVee has bolstered its European sales and support teams with three incremental appointments. The trio of pro AV and technology industry veterans includes Rocco Pucci, who joins ZeeVee Europe as sales director, DACH region; Michael Koch, ZeeVee Europe’s newest business development manager; and Felix Stetter, who has been named technology manager, DACH region. They will work out of ZeeVee Europe’s headquarters in Augsburg, Germany, which is headed up by Managing Director Jan-Arne Ro senstein. “These latest hires enable us to expand our support team and presence in the European theatre,” said Bob Michaels, CEO, ZeeVee. “Our integration partners and end-users will benefit from the experience these three professionals bring in the convergence of AV and IT and their ability to help guide them to the best AVbased solutions.”

Rocco Pucci brings more than 20 years of experience in the pro AV and technology realms to ZeeVee, having most-recently served as key account manager at Epson Deutschland, Meerbusch office;

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the appointments of Charlie Sullivan as Head of Business Development and Chris Brzo stowski as Channel Account Manager, strengthening Lightware’s UK team and its growing position in the region.

Charlie Sullivan’s role will have a key focus on steering and cul tivating relationships with Lightware’s consultants and end-users across the UK. Charlie brings a wealth of experience to the role with 12 years’ of business development expertise across man ufacturing and end user businesses in the professional AV and stadia/arena sectors, specialising in large-scale AV projects for a number of high profile organisations including Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Ferrari World and The Samsung Experience Centre Kings Cross.

Most recently he held a senior commercial position at ZeeVee and in 2020 was recognised as one of InAVate’s 40 under 40 AV in dustry professionals.

Sullivan said, “Lightware’s reputation for excellent product reli ability, technical innovation and added value to their customers, leading to their impressive UK success, made my decision to join the UK Sales team as Head of Business Development an easy one. I’m delighted to bring my 12 years of industry experience to the UK team, in order to add to their next phase of partner engage ment and growth. In my new position, I look forward to re-connect ing and adding to my network and friends over the coming weeks.”

Joining Sullivan is Chris Brzostowski, who will take a lead role in managing and developing relationships with Lightware’s sys tem integrators. An experienced industry professional bringing 10 years’ of sales growth experience, having begun his career with True Colours (Midwich) and then went on to hold senior positions at Atlona and Videlio where he was responsible for successfully leading and growing its AV division, followed by joining NEC as Channel Account Manager for its London and South region.

Chris most recently held the position of Business Development Manager at Hypervsn increasing sales and working with end users, system integrators and the distribution partner PSCo. Brzostowski said, “I’m very excited to join and look forward to con tributing to the continued success of such an impressive company

Technological Innovations Group (TIG) welcomes Thomas Filler as its new Regional Sales Manager in Austria

Naostage has appointed Alexis Reymond to the newly created role of sales manager.

Elaine Van Der Berg to take over as CEO.

Peoplewatch

and team at Lightware. I have been aware of Lightware for many years now dating back to my previous roles and have witnessed their great growth. One of the key reasons for this, especially during such difficult times globally, has been the R&D team who have constantly developed innovative solutions, such as the Taurus range, to enhance the experience for the system integrators and end users. I can’t wait to get started.”

“We have seen an unprecedented growth of over 300% in the past 18 months. Timing couldn’t be any better to get two great additions to our team, in Charlie and Chris. They both bring a great wealth of experience and industry knowledge, and I wish them every success going forward.” said Craig McQueen, Sales Director of Lightware UK.

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the appointments of Charlie Sullivan as Head of Business Development and Chris Brzos towski as Channel Account Manager.

personnel responsibility. One of his key duties throughout his car rier has been the development of new business areas and sales strategies in the AV industry. Championing AV has become part of Siegfried’s DNA.

“After being in contact with the Lightware management for sever al years, I am very pleased to join this unique and private-owned European company in this new position. I am sure that my experi ence in the AV business will help us to drive the further develop ment of Lightware in the years to come to make Lightware a leader in the EMEA AV environment,” said Siegfried.

“I am honoured to welcome Siegfried to our team at Lightware. Siegfried has a successful and proven track record in business development and will be instrumental to strengthen and build further our presence across the EMEA region and support Light ware’s continued growth globally.” added Szabolcs Turi, Executive Director, Business Development at Lightware.

Lightware Visual Engineering welcome on board another professional recognised across the AV industry for his leadership and expertise, as Siegfried Hermann has been appointed as Lightware’s Vice President of Business Development in the EMEA region.

members to the Digital Projection team, believing their respective experience within the AV industry will benefit the company’s ongo ing growth: “We have a commitment to provide the very ‘best-inclass’ pre and post sales engineering support,” comments Siedle. “Kevin has already become a pivotal member of the EMEA team, and we are sure Brahim’s industry knowledge and skills will enable us to provide an even better service in mainland Europe.”

Lightware Announces Siegfried Hermann as Vice President of Business Development in the EMEA Region

Lightware Visual Engineering welcomes on board another profes sional recognised across the AV industry for his leadership and ex pertise, as Siegfried Hermann has been appointed as Lightware’s Vice President of Business Development in the EMEA region.

Siegfried’s responsibilities will embrace the further expansion of Lightware into EMEA, the development of new partnerships with global corporations, and strategic planning of Lightware’s pres ence in the region.

Siegfried has been successful in various leading positions in the AV industry for almost 25 years, with nearly two decades at Cre stron, including 6 years managing DACH region with sales and

Digital Projection has hired Kevin Bateman and Brahim Belal, who both join the EMEA team as training and products manager and pre-sales application and support engineer respectively. Kev in Bateman has recently joined the EMEA team as training and products manager, reporting to the company’s vice president of global marketing, Mark Wadsworth. Bateman’s main responsibili ties are to help develop the product roadmap based on extensive user feedback.

Bateman is also tasked with delivering training programmes and increasing sales/customer knowledge of Digital Projection prod ucts by developing a comprehensive product training programme for the full product line, online and in person. With previous ex perience working alongside well-known manufacturers such as Hi tachi and Epson, he is already getting hands on in his new post: “Having been working for Digital Projection for a few months, I can see that the company has a bright future ahead,” he says. “I am thrilled to be working for such a successful and established brand, and hope my skillset further supports Digital Projections growth in Europe.”

Digital Projection’s newest hire, Brahim Belal, joins the team with over 11 years’ experience within the pro AV industry, including nine years at Christie, before working at French cinema integrator, 2AVI, and SensDigital a connected devices and software special ist. His appointment will bolster the engineering support in the EMEA region – primarily in France and mainland Europe. Report ing to Trevor Middlemas, technical operations manager, Belal’s first actions in this new position will be to support the sales team from a technical point of view on various projects in progress and to meet with customers and advise them and find the best solu tions for their needs. “I’m delighted to join Digital Projection, a truly innovative brand and a company with a serious and flawless ‘savoir faire’,” he says. “Digital Projection is a company with a dynamic team that really listens to its clients and builds long-term relationships based on trust.”

EMEA’s director of sales, Dirk Siedle is delighted to welcome both

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Roger Takacs as Vice President of Education. Takacs will play an instrumental role in de veloping and growing business in the education channel. Takacs has more than 20 years of success in sales and executing strategic initiatives across several key verticals, including education. Takacs has worked with many industry-leading manufacturers, including Crestron, Atlona and Custom Display Solutions, and integration companies, such as CompView, MCSi and The Intellisys Group.

He has a passion for technology and explaining complex technol ogies in a manner that is easy to understand, and holds an MBA from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, and a double Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. In addition to his successful professional career, Takacs is an active volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club and Little League International.

“We continue to expand our team with many of the industry’s most widely respected professionals,” said Jason Tirado, president of Lightware Visual Engineering. “We are focused on building rela tionships with customers, consultants and integrators and demon strating our confidence in Lightware’s innovative solutions. We are thrilled to welcome Roger to our team as we invest in the educa tion channel. We firmly believe that AV technology should support the learning process instead of causing unnecessary distraction. We continue to develop solutions to tackle the unique challenges that teachers and students face in any classroom.”

Takacs added, “I'm excited to join a fast-growing company that is focused on open architecture audio visual solutions as well as the much-needed USB switching solutions for today's conferencing needs. In today's era of supply chain issues with control manufac turers, it's nice to be able to offer solutions that will work with any control platform on the market today.”

Lightware’s latest hire is the next strategic step in expanding on specific verticals the professional AV industry supports. Lightware is focused on building classrooms of the future. Lightware offers intuitive and automated room control solutions for educational institutions that allow teachers to access and control their class room’s AV equipment to engage with their students seamlessly.

Digital Projection has hired Kevin Bateman and Brahim Belal, who both join the EMEA team as training and products manager and presales application and support engineer respectively.

Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Roger Takacs as Vice President of Education.

Diary and Events

Event report

PLASA Show 2022 at Olympia London

PLASA Show 2022 at Olympia LondonPLASA Show 2022 took centre stage in Olympia Lon don’s Grand Hall from 4-6 Sep tember, and celebration was in the air. Following a gruelling couple of years for the industry, live events and entertainment are more popular and more ambitious than ever. And this positive trajectory was reflected in the impressive 41% increase in visitors.

Peter Heath, Managing Direc tor for PLASA, commented: “The excitement for PLASA Show this year was undeniable. Not only did we accommodate several more brands than antic ipated, the number of visitors through the door exceeded all expectations. And as I walked around the show, there was a real sense of community and appreciation for our fantastic industry. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s show one to remember – live events and entertainment are back on the map!”

Becky Stanton, Marketing & Systems Manager for Prolight Concepts, added: “Well, what an event! PLASA Show this year was probably one of the busiest years to date. It’s amaz ing to think how heavily COVID affected the industry, but that many businesses in the sector have come through the other side and are now back better than ever. Prolight look forward to seeing you next year!”

Visitor seniority was high, with 80% in positions with purchas ing power. Business owners, di rectors and chairs were the sin gle biggest visitor group (20%), followed by technicians, pro grammers, and lighting de signers working across venues, rental, and production. Matt Wiseman, Sales and Business Development for MDG FOG UK, says, “We were very happy with the turnout. Standing out this year was the quality of vis itor we enjoyed speaking with. We'll be back next year for sure. PLASA Show has proven again to be a top show for MDG.”

Tim Lloyd, Product Special ist for Electro Kabuki, agrees: “We had a great show with plenty of footfall. In fact, we lost count of how many demon strations we performed. The level of interest was high, as was the quality of visitor. We will be back next year, but in the meantime, we have plenty of new contacts to follow up with.” Furthermore, this year saw over double the number of international visitors, signalling the receding influence of the pandemic. Amber Long, Media Manager for CAST Group, says, “It was especially nice to see so many international attendees. Some wanted tips and tricks and how-to demos and many were looking for tracking solu tions. CAST Group is already

looking forward to PLASA Show 2023!”

Gordon Addison, Managing Di rector for TechLed, added: “All our products received great feedback which translated into orders and new business. The high quality and diversity of visitors at the show, including international guests, was great and it was good to see PLASA Show back in full flow. We have benefitted from new business opportunities from totally unex pected places.”.

The bustling show floor played host to a raft of new products making their trade show debuts from across the pro audio, AV, lighting, and staging technolo gy sectors. Many of which were officially launched at PLASA Show. Headline sponsor Robe, for example, launched the

announced their acquisition by Robe at the show alongside launching their railSplit uno. Wayne Howell of Artistic Li cence, added: “PLASA Show 2022 was possibly the busiest show in years. We anticipat ed that the Robe acquisition would generate more traffic, but the sheer quantity and quality of visitors surpassed our expectations.”

CHAUVET Professional show cased a bounty of products, including the Maverick Storm 2 BeamWash, the Rogue Outcast 2X Wash, and the Ovation Rêve E-3 IP, all making their trade show debut. Additional lighting debuts included Robert Juliat’s Sully 4C and Elation’s Proteus, Fuze and KL range. Visitors also had the opportunity to check out the latest generation

Miniature Clip Mic system. The interest was constant, right from the get-go. We couldn’t be happier with the people we talked to and the opportunities gained for the future.”

Dave Haydon, Director of Out Board, concurred saying: “We welcomed a lot of interest

back-to-back sessions across all three days of the show. And with an appetite to succeed in the post-pandemic era of live events, many sessions were standing room only.

Ed Sheeran’s design team pre sented the most popular panel of the show. In front of a full

sound engineer and tour pro duction manager. Together, they explored career pathways and how barriers to entry can be broken down. Further con versation about attracting and retaining fresh talent was heard in a panel featuring Hannah Eakins and Jas Parekh from Production Futures, Koy Nemi nathan from Avolites, Amy Kerr from Robe, Ollie Jeffrey from the Royal Albert Hall, and Ter ry King, programmer, arranger and production manager.

In addition, Women in Live Music (WILM) presented a pan el on the physical and mental impact of overworking and how to strike a more balanced work life. Malle Kaas from Women in Live Music, says, “Our talk ‘The Show Must Go On - But how far should we go' was extremely ex citing with a very lively crowd. Many young women also came by our stand, sharing their sto ries with us regarding being an upcoming female crew mem ber.”

iFORTE moving light at the show, with its IP65 capabilities demonstrated in a signature live performance featuring a torrential downpour.

Theresa Gibson, Head of Mar keting for Robe UK, comment ed: “We are proud to continue our longstanding relationship with PLASA as headline spon sor. This year’s PLASA Show delivered three uplifting days of high-calibre visitors, adding to the excitement of the return of our live shows. The buzz, vibrancy and magic of PLASA Show was definitely felt by all that attended and is what makes this show so special.”

Furthermore, Artistic Licence

of consoles, courtesy of ETC’s Eos Apex, Obsidian’s NX1, and ChamSys’ MagicQ Compact Connect.

Audio professionals were well catered for with in-demand products displayed from the likes of Audio-Technica, d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, EM Acoustics, Out Board, Sennhe iser and Shure. Plus, LD Sys tems celebrated the UK launch of MAILA. Stephen Button, UK and Nordic Trade Market ing Manager for Pro Audio at Sennheiser Professional Audio and Neumann, says, “We had lots of engaging conversations around our new RF system EWDX, along with Neumann’s new

ed buyers onto the stand this year, the busy show echoing the huge interest we’ve seen all year in our spatial audio prod uct range. Alongside signifi cant augmentations to TiMax Spatial Audio functionality and 600-series software, we also demonstrated a smart plug-in for the award-winning TiMax Tracker D4.”

Several LED screens were fea tured at the show, including ROE Visual’s new Graphite. Elsewhere, Brompton Technol ogy wowed visitors on the PSCo stand with XR for virtual pro duction, and APT-GB launched the advanced series of their Teleprompter.video SMV stage-monitor. Le Mark Group also launched forward-think ing accessories including the sustainable Paper-Tak tape. Three seminar theatres hosted

house, they revealed how they created the singer-songwriter’s ground-breaking Mathematics touring stadium show. Jere my Lloyd, Director for Wonder Works Limited, commented: “I’ve been lucky enough to work on some incredible sta dium tours over the years, but Ed Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics’ is definitely one of the most tech nically challenging projects of my career. So, it was great to share these insights at PLASA Show, alongside Rasti Bar tek, Mark Cunniffe and Mike Oates.”

This year saw the first all-fe male panel with Sarah Cox of Neutral Human, Sarah Rush ton-Read of The Fifth Estate, Lucy Jenkins of Anna Valley, Kira O’Brien of Fray Studio, Pembe Tokluhan of Petok Pro ductions, and Bryony October,

Before the show drew to a close, all eyes were on the fu ture of live events with James Simpson (LSi columnist and Copper Candle director) who explored the possibilities of the metaverse in his latest Future Tech Live session. Following this popular session, James shared: “As the metaverse con tinues to evolve, trade shows like PLASA Show will become increasingly important for companies like ours. We are proud to be part of the PLASA community and we are excited about what the future holds for the metaverse.”

PLASA Show 2022 took centre stage in Olympia London’s Grand Hall from 4-6 September, and celebration was in the air. Following a gruel ling couple of years for the industry, live events and entertainment are more popular and more ambitious than ever.