World-Class AV for a Flagship HQ

The Situation

For its new headquarters in Downtown New Orleans, a regional financial organization wanted a best-of-breed audio-visual solution – one that enabled easy communication and collaboration across multiple locations and a distributed workforce. The scope of the project included AV solutions for a first-floor branch office, thirteen conference rooms, and an executive suite, including a new boardroom.

The Challenge

In-depth discussions with client leadership, the architect, designers, and contractors provided a clear picture of the project’s breadth and expectations. The client needed a system with robust capabilities, easy operation, and a flexible, scalable design to meet the bank’s evolving needs. It was also important that the solution reinforce the client’s brand and respect its architect’s vision for the space while adhering to budgetary and time requirements.

The Solution

Close collaboration among project participants allowed TruConnect’s IES team to create a system that met all functional and aesthetic requirements. Among the highlights:

• The Boardroom featured a custom-designed rear projection system, motorized microphones that retracted into the table when not in use, multiple cameras for video conferencing, and iPad-enabled wireless control. A 123-inch (16:10) rear projection screen was installed into the wall at the front of the room. Behind it, in an AV closet, a ceiling-mounted 7,500 ANSI lumen laser phosphor projector provided crisp, bright images while remaining out of view.
• Twelve retractable microphones were built into the boardroom table and another four were installed in the admin table to capture participants’ voices for in-room reinforcement and teleconferencing purposes. Adjacent to each microphone was a muting button with bi-color LED mic status indicator. The boardroom table also featured four HDMI inputs.
• An audio processing unit ensured proper equalization and mixing of microphone and content audio. It provided level control for twelve ceiling-recessed speakers.
• Wireless content sharing was enabled by a ClickShare device that also gave users the flexibility of presenting content from laptops wirelessly using the four provided USB buttons
• Two Polycom video teleconferencing cameras captured meeting participants during videoconferencing calls. For each camera, our IES team established preset positions that could be recalled from the in-room wireless control touch panel.
• All audio and video components – including volume adjustments, microphone raising/lowering, projection on/off, and audio/video conference initiation, etc. – were controllable via a specially programmed iPad and 8.7” wireless touch panel housed in a wall-mounted charging/docking station.

The Result

The AV solutions implemented by TruConnect’s IES team were universally and enthusiastically accepted, both by users and support staff, with minor hardware and software updates implemented since completion in 2019. The success of this project can also be measured by the strength of our IES team’s client relationship, which remains active and has led to a number of subsequent projects.