The client is a world leader in industrial gases and clean hydrogen projects. They were to inaugurate their project delivery centre in Vadodara early this year. The state-of-the-art delivery centre covered 246,000 square feet and was spread across ten floors. The client wanted to set up the delivery centre with advanced AV solutions before the inauguration.
This meant that they had to set up:
- 46 meeting rooms of different sizes
- Seven informal meeting rooms
- 11 cabin spaces for Managing Directors (MD) and Directors
- 28 collaboration spaces
- 16 work cafes
- A reception on each floor
- Breakout areas
- Central collaboration centres
- Gym
- Auditorium
- Cafeteria
- Townhall
- Divisible training rooms
The project was to begin in October 2023, and the client expected it to be completed by 15th December before the inauguration.
The client gave us the responsibility of setting up the AV solutions within this challenging timeline.
How We Helped The Client Set Up The Delivery Centre
Here’s how our team helped the client set up the AV solution set across the various areas of the new delivery centre:
- Meeting rooms: The client had 46 meeting rooms with a seating capacity of four to six people and seven informal meeting rooms. They wanted all these rooms to have clutter-free tables. We enabled wireless presentation through the Zoom room application to avoid using too many wires and keep the tables clutter-free. We installed Samsung interactive displays for four to six capacity rooms and cabin spaces for MDs and directors. For meeting rooms with more than eight seating capacities, we installed one Samsung interactive display and one Samsung non-interactive display. Additionally, we installed:
- Codec with cameras for video conferencing
- Touch panels for calendar integration, touch-to-join, instant content sharing, and device control
- Ceiling microphones for local audio pickup
- Ceiling loudspeakers for reinforcing program and far-end audio
- A control processor for controlling the AV equipment
- Training room: We set up the 28+28 pax training room with:
- 130″ DvLED video wall display for the audience to view content
- 21″ interactive display at the podium to demonstrate annotations on the main display
- 55″ interactive display for whiteboarding and annotation
- 65″ display as a confidence monitor
- UC codec with 2 PTZ cameras for video conferencing
- Multiple microphones – 2 ceiling mics, 2 wireless handhelds, 1 lavalier, 2 head-worn mics for local audio pickup
- Ceiling loudspeakers to reinforce program and far-end audio
- Centralized audio DSP for acoustic echo cancellation and audio management
- AV-over-IP system for audio/video routing
- USB matrix switcher to enable laptop/BYOD interactivity
- Touch panel at the podium to control routing and manage AV functions
- Board room: The board room had a fixed table and a seating capacity of 25 people. The objective was to set up the room to allow users to present ideas remotely or in the room without any hassles. We set up an 85″ interactive display to allow users to view and annotate content and mounted dual 65″ UHD repeater displays on the sides. We installed a codec with one camera for video conferencing, two ceiling microphones for local audio pickup, and ceiling loudspeakers to reinforce the program and far-end audio. We also provided a touch panel with calendar integration, touch-to-join, content sharing, and device control capabilities.
- Gym: To enhance the gym experience, we installed a 55-inch display displaying signage content. We provided a professional multi-source CD/USB/SD card music player with an integrated FM/DAB+ tuner and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio from mobile devices. We placed eight surface-mount speakers to distribute the audio evenly throughout the gym and installed an audio DSP to optimize sound quality by managing and processing the audio signal. Finally, we added a user-friendly button panel with a built-in control processor to allow users to adjust the AV settings.
- Auditorium: We equipped the auditorium with a dual 173-inch DvLED video wall display system to display content and a dedicated 55-inch confidence monitor for presenters. We ensured seamless video conferencing through a codec, three PTZ cameras, and BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) capabilities. An interactive 21-inch display at the podium allowed real-time annotation on the main screens. Wired HDMI and USB connections ensured easy source integration, while a touch panel provided intuitive control over AV routing and functions. We ensured crystal-clear audio delivery through a combination of microphones (gooseneck, handheld, lavalier, and head-worn), four full-range loudspeakers, two subwoofers, and an audio DSP for echo cancellation and management. We provided a built-in recorder to capture live sessions for future reference. We completed the setup with an AV-over-IP system and a USB matrix switcher, ensuring efficient audio/video routing and BYOD interactivity.
- Cafeteria/town hall/executive dining space: We installed a massive 216-inch DvLED video wall as the main display and supplemented it with six 98-inch and four 55-inch units as reinforcement displays. We included two 65-inch displays as confidence monitors for presenters and provided video conferencing capabilities through a UC codec and three PTZ cameras. We added a 21-inch interactive display at the podium for real-time annotation during presentations. Wired HDMI and USB connections ensured seamless connectivity for presenters, while a touch panel provided convenient control over routing and AV settings. We installed multiple microphones (gooseneck, handheld, lavalier, and head-worn) and 13 loudspeakers to ensure clear audio throughout the space. An audio DSP managed acoustics and eliminated echo, while a recorder captured live sessions for future reference. An AV-over-IP system and a USB matrix switcher facilitated efficient audio/video routing and BYOD connectivity.
- Reception: We installed a single, large 130-inch Direct View LED (DVLED) display that served as signage for displaying the client’s messages to visitors.
Challenges Faced During Project Implementation
Given the scale of the project and the tight deadline, our team faced a few teething issues during the implementation phase. These included:
- Multiple vendor coordination: Our team had to coordinate with multiple vendors/contractors on-site for seamless AV execution. We had to conduct constant dependency walkthroughs with various partners, document them to monitor progress and close them.
- Resource allocation: We had to look after resource planning and allocation to ensure enough workforce availability to meet the tight deadlines
- Safety concerns: We had to ensure that our team worked in a safe environment and did not create hazards for other vendors and contractors.
- Equipment storage and staging: The project’s scale made storing the vast amount of AV equipment challenging. We had to shift them between floors as other vendors completed their work. Staging all the devices based on room assignments (with serial numbers and details documented) was physically demanding. To avoid confusion during installation, we implemented the 5S methodology. This involved colour-coding the equipment for each space and ensuring everything remained in its designated space until final installation.
- Repurposing client supply: Since the client was moving out of their old office spaces in phases, we had to relocate and re-install repurposed AV setups with precision. We had to ensure the environment was dust-free before, during, and after the installation.
Our Solution’s USP
Despite the several challenges, our team was able to meet the two primary expectations from the client within the timeline:
- Clutter-free and dust-free environment: Since the client wanted a clutter-free meeting room table, we recommended a wireless presentation system using Zoom for a streamlined experience. We maintained a dust-free environment for the video wall installations and adhered to specific client requirements, such as dehumidifying LED panels).
- Dedicated space for large gatherings: We proposed the cafeteria as the ideal location to accommodate a large audience for the town hall session. Our AV system recommendations included BYOC compatibility for flexible device connections, multiple cameras with a live switcher to capture various viewpoints, and a network of strategically placed active LED video walls across the cafeteria for optimal content visibility.
Additionally, we implemented five video walls ranging from 130 inches to a massive 216 inches diagonally to create a visually impressive experience for visitors.
The Outcome Of The Project
Apart from complying with the client’s specifications and meeting the stringent deadlines, we ensured that the client could conduct seamless meetings across various local and remote locations with the help of BYOC. The client acquired a commanding communication platform and collaborative environment that clearly demonstrated the global leadership of the company. This was truly a project where the most elevated form met extreme functionality, and all in a highly compressed time frame.
