Audio visual solutions for the modern workplace
The Universal AV audio visual technology event came to Leeds again last week and brought with it a huge entourage of suppliers and manufacturers, as well as collaborating with the Business Desk to create a seminar on the importance of the modern workspace.
Where to start with the round up this year? there was just so much to take on board and to see.
First things first – The Future of The Office Seminar
We were delighted to be involved with the Business Desk on this seminar. When we approached them with the idea to host a seminar on the future of the office we thought it could be a good one. We never dreamed it would reach capacity and be standing room only at the back.
It really did show there is a such an appetite for discussing the workplace and what that now looks like post pandemic. The session was hosted by Andrew Staples from the Business Desk and panelists included Shelley Townend from Universal AV, Andrew Illingworth at HLM Architects, Dominique Murray MCIM at MEPC Limited, and lastly Matthew Toole at DesignTonic Ltd.
We discussed the latest trends which are reshaping the office, the manner in which employees wish to work as well as how organisations are adapting work spaces and reimagining them in order to meet all these needs. For example, an employee in any given one day could need open plan working, video conferencing/teams room facilities as well as quiet working pods. These areas are all now being considered when redesigning the office.
For our angle, we of course talked about integrated audio visual technology in these spaces and why it is so important to engage with architects/contractors/designers throughout the process to ensure the end client requirements needs are met.
It was interesting how all the panelists explored strategies and trends to encourage the return to in person workplaces, with all having a slightly different take on how to ultimately encourage a return to the workspace and how it affects the wider community.
The seminar was held at The Queens Hotel in Leeds, where Universal AV just happened to be hosting their annual technology event, and surprise surprise their headline for technology just happened to be “Audio Visual Communication Solutions for the Modern Workplace”.
When venturing downstairs delegates from the seminar and customers from near and far were treated to many of the industry’s leading Global manufacturers. These exhibitors showcased the cutting-edge audiovisual solutions for the modern workplace, including both the latest innovations and recently launched products.
Take a look at what was on show at what is turning out to be quite The AV Event in the North.
Ampetronic
Established in 1987, Ampetronic are innovators in the full range of induction loop / hearing loop systems and assistive listening technologies, working as specialists in the field for over 30 years. Passionate advocates for technology solutions that improve the lives of those with hearing loss, Ampetronic design, manufacture, and promote assistive listening systems around the world.
They showcased the very latest developments in assistive listening technology including the first assistive listening system utilising Auracast, developed by Ampetronic and Listen Technologies. Utilising the new Bluetooth standards for Low Energy broadcast audio, we see huge potential for Auracast as an assistive listening technology.
In addition, Ampetronic also demonstrated the latest class leading C Series networkable hearing loop driver range, IR and Wi-Fi solutions and Tour-guide from Listen Technologies, along with the latest CPD and AVIXA accredited online training modules through Loopworks™.
Audio-Technica
Audio-Technica showcased its latest microphone technologies for conference and meeting spaces, including the increasingly popular ATND1061 ceiling mic array, the brand-new ES964 boundary mic array and the ESW DECT wireless system.
The latest speaker/zoning systems from Optimal Audio and Artnovion acoustic panels were also on show. We can firmly say the panels make a huge difference for the acoustics of a room and with the ability to print onto them, ensure you can remain on brand.
Audio Logic
Audiologic presented the latest advancements in Q-SYS technology, with specific focus on automation and ground-breaking Seervision . Seervision develops AI-driven camera automation software that integrates into your Q-SYS systems. Their IP-based solution allows you to fully automate PTZ camera control for higher education and hybrid meeting spaces.These solutions allow you immerse yourself in the future of seamless communication and intelligent automation designed for endless possibilities for a future proof solution.
Avocor and T1V
Avocor is a recognized leader in collaboration display solutions that are ideal for every environment. The displays provide the end user with a tablet-like experience and seamlessly integrate into any environment, and so choosing Avocor in every space where meeting or learning happens, across a facility, campus or global offices, ensures the user experience is the same every time.
Avocor showcased the G Series at the Universal AV event, which is a range of sleek, bezel-less, edge-to-edge interactive displays designed to streamline workplace collaboration. These 4K collaboration displays use the latest InGlassTM technology combined with bonded glass to deliver ultra-fast touch performance. The G series also provides a 40W crystal-clear audio experience with built-in active microphones. The result is a pixel-perfect user experience and high performance.
Avocor partnered this year with T1V – who were a bit of a late addition to the Universal AV party, but a very welcome one. T1V offer a suite of hardware and software based collaboration products which work cohesively to support a seamless intuitive user experience for in room and remote participants.
Collaborative working as a concept has been around for a long time, but in so many cases, it’s been no more than a buzzword for sharing screens over a video call. The T1V range addresses collaboration in the truest sense of the word, allowing the sharing of a huge digital canvas, multiple windows and application sharing with annotation tools. All of T1V’s solutions are built for BYOD (Bring your own device) and will support the plethora of devices, programs and platforms of today’s meeting and learning environments. We had lots of good feedback on this product.
Barco Click Share
Our clients have always loved the Clickshare product and its simplicity to use. The ClickShare CX-50 brings flexible, premium wireless conferencing to high-impact meeting rooms. ClickShare automatically connects to room devices (cameras, mics, speakers, all-in-one bars). You can start a video meeting from your laptop, using any conference tool. Create a space where minds meet, in only one click.
Decide how you and your guests collaborate: plug & play with the ClickShare Button or choose for smart, intent-based meeting flows powered by the App to make meetings intuitive and inclusive. Enjoy dual screen support, content & people side-by-side on screen and interactivity features like local view of the room display, annotation, blackboarding and touch back support.
ClickShare Conference is the perfect fit to any enterprise environment, excelling in sustainable design, enhanced security and offering an advanced network integration in any IT- network. With the XMS Cloud Management Platform, you enjoy easy management of units, user-friendly experiences and clear analytics to drive the digital workplace.
Also on show was the brand new release of the ClickShare Bar Core and ClickShare Bar Pro. ClickShare wireless conferencing video bars are an all-in-one video bar for effortless wireless conferencing in hybrid conference rooms. Open your laptop to start a meeting and connect team members in the office with remote participants in a matter of seconds. Enjoy sharp views, crystal-clear audio and natural communication between remote and onsite meeting attendees. No cables, no hassle. Just meaningful hybrid collaboration and increased productivity so your employees love meeting again.
Ascentae – Nureva and Huddly
Ascentae is one of our technology distributors of both workplace and higher education solutions, focused on tackling the challenges of the ever-evolving hybrid world. The solutions help organisations embrace change, collaborate and manage their dispersed users and participants.
Nureva, Jupiter and Huddly are some of the key products that were on display at the Universal AV showcase.
Nureva – This Microsoft Teams Certified microphone technology creates a scalable, flexible, dynamic and remote manageable technology platform with data driven analytics to support the collection of workplace or campus data.
Huddly – Huddly offer certified AI powered cameras that can elevate the experience of remote participants by cutting out dead space to maximise real face-time, improve engagement, and enable effective collaboration.
On show was the Huddly® Crew™ that brings TV and movie magic to your video meetings. Three 6K network cameras create an immersive view, fostering close connections between participants. Powered by Huddly® Director™, the system performs smart, real-time edits, seamlessly transitioning between different shots and angles to offer an engaging and effective experience.
BLUStream
Blustream is the audio visual industry’s award winning option for advanced HDMI distribution. Through integration of the latest pioneering chipsets Blustream’s engineers have developed the world’s most innovative range of AV distribution products.
Blustream’s AV over IP solutions in particular have proven themselves market leading in terms of both performance and value for money, offering an unrivalled feature set, delivering full 18Gbps video with HDCP 2.2, Web GUI and app control. Carrying on with this evolution is the Dante product set.
You can really see that the primary objective of Blustream is always to be pioneers of new technology, engineering solutions that provide the ultimate backbone of any multi room AV system.
B-Tech
B-Tech were displaying a range of mounting solutions that cover many verticals including education and HE. With mobile and fixed stand mounting products for IFPD & also DVLED solutions showcasing the ease of installation and benefit to the end user of using the correct mounts. B-Tech also demonstrated a range a UC/VC camera mounting options, perfect for meeting rooms, shown in a collaborative solution using real technology partner equipment.
Clevertouch
Clevertouch showcased a range of multi-awarding winning interactive collaborative meeting room panels, interactive collaboration teaching panels, digital signage, room booking, large format commercial displays, and wayfinding screens, Clevertouch Technologies offers a solution for every sector.
TOP-TEC & Dalen Design Concepts
Top Tec always bring their fabulous furniture solutions to the showcase, and this year was no different. The hush pod was showcased at the event for the first time and went down a storm. Combined with future of the office seminar, it allowed us to showcase truly what can be installed into workspaces.
A further range of workplace solutions were on display with the plectrum collaborative tables, showcasing how integrated AV and furniture can be used in an education and corporate setting.
DTEN
DTEN are the Leading All-in-One Video Conferencing Solutions provider Founded in 2015 out of San Jose, California, DTEN makes seamless hybrid collaboration possible at thousands of companies around the world and support customers across multiple different industries in delivering innovative workplace collaboration technology solutions that are easy to use, adopt, support and manage.
DTEN are always looking at ways to simplify the way in which they work in partnership with end users and better understand their needs and requirements from their technology investments and take meeting spaces into the future with our flagship DTEN D7X AI AIO solution allowing customers to digitally transform every workspace, learning or training environment.
For the Healthcare sector DTEN delivers quality Telemedicine and Telehealth solutions that connect care teams and healthcare professionals with patients and help streamline workflows and reduce waiting lists by enabling institutions optimise the way that care is delivered to patients and make health education accessible and seamless.
For the Education sector DTEN delivers immersive learning experiences, bringing hybrid and collaborative learning with lifelike smart HD cameras with wide field of view (FOV), ultra-responsive touchscreens, and Audio AI that reduces background noise. These features all help promote learning regardless of whether the student is attending class in person or remotely.
What all out customers were impressed with at the event is that DTEN removes the complexity of multiple boxes and ensure that our solutions are easy to use.
Extron
MGP 641 XI – which is a is a multi-window processor that scales and presents up to four 4K/60 HDMI source signals on a single screen. Annotation that allows presenters to annotate over live video or presentations using a touch screen display or mouse. An intuitive and customizable on-screen menu allows for quick and easy annotation. In addition, annotated screen images can be captured and saved to internal memory or a removable USB flash drive.
UCS303 – Switches USB devices between three AV source inputs sent to the output display. We will be showing the different ways the UCS303 can be controlled, either simple auto switching or from a control systems.
HikVision
Hikvision always delivers a wow with its range of Commercial Display product including LED. The products are building a reputation for cutting edge LED solutions at competitive prices and best of breed support.
Hisense
Hisense showcased their digital signage solution, designed for all your business needs. Delivering a vibrant 4K experience, industry leading reliability and the latest Android operating systems, Hisense has a commercial display to suit your requirement and budget.
The latest GoBoard displays from Hisense feature Google Certification and Android 13 operating system. Superior processors and the latest touch technology provide best-in-class user experiences while seamless wireless integration makes collaboration both simple and engaging.
The pioneering new DM Series 24/7 signage display from Hisense has been engineered to enhance and simplify the delivery of seamless 4K digital signage. Featuring an ultra-narrow bezel and the latest anti-glare technology, the DM series delivers best in class 24/7 performance.
VisionInfo is Hisense’s exciting new cloud-based digital signage software which is both cost-effective and infinitely scalable for users. The platform includes a comprehensive CMS solution and advanced remote display management. It provides users the freedom to edit and publish content while ensuring quality on all displays in a system. It is a powerful, effective and easy to use tool to manage content and remotely monitor and control an estate of displays at anytime from anywhere.
Jabra
Jabra has engineered technology for the last 150 years that makes life look and sound better than ever. Whether you’re running a million-pound project from your kitchen, or running your first 5k in the park, pitching over video from Toronto or getting lost in your music. Whatever you’ve got going on, they have you covered.
Jabra showcased video solutions at the Universal AV event, including 180 FOV Panacast 50 to Jabra’s Video Bar System which is equipped with everything you need for a MTR or ZoomRoom.
Lightware
Lightware focus on delivering simple and intuitive technology for all AV users via pioneering devices and features to support the AV system. They showcased the latest innovations, the Taurus UCX product family along with many other USB-C solutions such as DCX.
Logitech
Logitech is focused on innovation and quality and designs products and experiences that have an everyday user in mind. Logitech creates products to focus on how customers connect and
interact with the digital world.
Midwich
Midwich are a valued partner for Universal and attended this year as a sponsor of our event, supporting all the vendors who they deal with, as helping Universal as a bit of an extension of us, helping delegates navigate their way around the halls.
Now Signage
Our platform allows the seamless playing of static ads, videos, live YouTube, TV channel streaming, RSS news feeds, dashboards, web views, as well as moderated social media posts and approved apps such as Microsoft PowerBI. We are ideal for controlling digital signage across single locations with tens of screens, or multiple locations with thousands of screens located across different geographical regions.
NowSignage are technology innovators who have changed and disrupted the traditional digital signage market. Since launching our cloud-based digital signage CMS in early 2013, our simplistic and cost effective subscription service resulted in NowSignage immediately becoming the trusted digital signage provider to many of the world’s biggest brands.
Panasonic Connect
Panasonic Connect is a global manufacturer of Projection, Large Format Display and Collaboration Solution technologies. Working with market leading organisations in education, corporate, rental, staging and leisure sectors, we help deliver the highest quality audio visual experiences.
At the Universal AV Event we will be showcasing a number of solutions. The REQ Series Projectors deliver vibrant 4K images in a compact chassis alongside our SQE2 4K commercial grade displays. Both these units feature the intel smart display module for unrivalled functionality. New hybrid working conditions puts collaboration front and centre, Panasonic compliments its visual displays with a range of collaboration tools such as the PressIT and new PressIT360 that will also feature on stand.
Roomz
Swiss manufacturer ROOMZ presented their cable-free meeting room and workspace booking systems, which are being widely used across Europe in both the Public and Private sectors.
Sharp/NEC
Partnering with Sharp/NEC gives you access to the widest range of display solutions including LED surfaces, passive and interactive LCD Large Format Displays, and Projection.
At the Universal AV event, our Antoni Guidi will be available to discuss the pros and cons across all the different display technologies. Our technology-agnostic consultancy means that our customers will achieve the perfect-fit solution for their unique application. For meeting room presentation and collaboration in hybrid workflows and learning environments, to digital signage in corporate, education, retail and hospitality sectors, our user-centred technology delivers value and performance, but never at the expense of quality and sustainability.
Sharp/NEC is a trusted advisor to its partners and customers worldwide where long-life reliability and industry-leading service and support brings peace of mind. We are committed to delivering added value to our customers by focusing on quality and the principles of sustainability that all responsible businesses must practice today and in the future.
Sennhesier
The Sennheiser Team Connect Family represents a pinnacle in audio collaboration solutions, seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with intuitive design. Offering crystal-clear audio quality and seamless connectivity, this versatile family of products ensures that every meeting, conference, or collaboration session is marked by exceptional sound clarity and effortless communication.
Sony
Universal and customers alike love the range of products and solutions Sony bring to the Universal AV event and this year’s showcase did not disappoint. Sony showcased their latest suite of transformational workplace products and solutions including their new BRAVIA Professional Displays, TEOS solutions portfolio. The real show stopper was the Crystal LED Display, which had its first outing in the UK at the Universal event and was loved by all.
X2O Media
X2O Media provides technology to create collaboration spaces for educational institutions and organizations globally using X2O OneRoom technology. OneRoom provides an immersive hybrid learning & training environment that brings in-room & remote learners together to share an equal learning experience with better human connection.
X2O OneRoom shows the vision of how AI will be integrated into the future of OneRoom and the transformative impact it will have on learning.
Thank you to all of those who supported this event and attended. We hope you found the event as informative as we always do. There is so much to see and much to learn when it comes to audio visual technology and solutions we could be there for days.
One customer has even been quoted as saying:
“It’s a great event to have on our doorstep.”
For 2024 though that is a wrap….
Watch this space for future events, and our team will be in touch to support you with all your audio visual needs.
Start your project today
To discuss your audio visual needs for your next project contact us. We will work with you to devise a solution to meet your requirements and needs.
Call 01274 200280
Email sales@uniav.com
Send us a message
"*" indicates required fields