University of Southampton upgrades its conference centre to support modern hybrid working and videoconferencing
Pacific designed and installed a flexible AV solution that enhances the University’s existing BYOD environment with high-quality projection, audio and videoconferencing capabilities.
The University of Southampton manage and maintain a dedicated conference centre on their Science Park campus in Chilworth. The centre is comprised of two smaller rooms that can be opened up to create a much larger conferencing space.
The University sought Pacific’s help to assist with the upgrading of the conference centre and the introduction of videoconferencing capabilities to better reflect current working practices.
The Solution
To achieve this, Pacific designed a system based upon the existing BYOD environment of the conference centre.
Retaining the existing 3m projection screen, Pacific specified a pair of 5000-lumen 4K BenQ projectors. To satisfy the videoconferencing requirement, Pacific installed a pair of Aver CAM520 cameras—one positioned at the front of the room to capture the audience, and a second positioned at the midpoint of the space to capture the presenter and their content.
A Fohhn LX150 column speaker was employed to facilitate high-quality audio, while a pair of Sennheiser TeamConnect ceiling microphones were used for audio pickup. Vocal reinforcement was provided through the inclusion of a pair of handheld and a pair of lapel Shure microphones that can be used independently of the videoconferencing solution.
Teams
Pacific worked closely with the University of Southampton
How We Did It
Pacific designed the solution around the University’s existing room configuration, ensuring the two conference spaces could continue to operate independently or combine into a larger venue as required.
To simplify operation, a pair of custom-programmed iPads were provided to connect to the projectors and videoconferencing equipment. This allows staff to configure the spaces to match the needs of occupants, both in advance of events and during use.
Results
The upgraded conference centre now supports modern hybrid working, combining the University’s existing BYOD environment with high-quality videoconferencing, projection and audio. The flexible solution enables staff to easily configure the space for a wide range of events while providing a seamless experience for both in-room and remote participants.
