Intelligent audio, control and digital signage combine at Shure’s new UK experience
centre to provide a comprehensive experience for visitors and staff alike that
focuses on ease of use and flexibility. Reece Webb finds out more.
In
a flagship experience centre, quality and ease of use are more paramount than ever before and nowhere is this more apparent than the new Rose Shure Experience Centre in London, UK.
The centre is named after Rose Shure, wife of former Shure chairman Sidney N. Shure. The audio manufacturer called on project managers Turner & Townsend, architects Perkins+Will, AV consultants MiX and AV integrator proAV, to deliver the new 9,000 square foot showroom space as Damien Massarella, business director,proAV, explains; “There was a tender process run on behalf of the client by Turner & Townsend.“
Shure wanted to create a state-of-the-art customer experience centre, replicating typical spaces from the modern workplace, demonstrating how their products integrate with the space architecturally and combine with other AV products.The goal was not to simply demonstrate equipment, but to provide a centre that AV integrators, AV consultants, building architects and end users can visit to assist them in developing their own workplace designs and specifications.
“Post appointment for theproject, Shure invited proAVto their customer experience centre in Chicago to give us abetter feel for their culture and their people. They were not looking to simply replicate the space, but take lessons learned and improve where possible.This really helped us understand Shure’s underlying requirements and philosophy.”The Experience Centre showcases Shure systems in several conference spaces as well as a training room, control room, huddle space, podcast studio, kitchen/café and office space for Shure associates.
Massarella said: “The specification was produced by MiX and Andrew Francis from Shure. proAV developed this into a coordinated final solution,working with fit-out contractors Overbury and Perkins & Will.
"The typical meeting spaces used a range of LG large format displays plus a step up through the full range of Cisco videoconferencing codec. It was especially interesting that rather than just selecting one Shure product for a room, the rooms integrated multiple audio solutions allowing the ability to compare Shure’s products.
“We deployed both the [Shure] MXA 910 ceiling mics, as well as the MXA310 table mics, plus both Cisco and Intel NUC based UC endpoints. For control, the systems used Cisco, Crestron and QSC touchpanels.
”Massarella said: “It really allows you to see how the Shure products will interface with a variety of other manufacturer products and compare the performance of the products.The large conference room added wireless and gooseneck mics into the equation.However, the jewel in the crown is the training room where we integrated Shure’s Axient and ULX-D wireless microphone systems, as well as both the wired and wireless microflex conferencing systems.
“Other manufacturers in the specification included LG displays, used for portrait digital signage screens around the perimeter and the displays in the meeting spaces, Brightsign signage software, Exterity IPTV, Cisco video conferencing endpoints, Crestron switching,control systems and room scheduling panels, QSC audio processing and control,Soundtube Dante ceiling speakers and Mersive wireless presentation. As I mentioned before, the brief was not simply to demonstrate Shure products,but to demonstrate them as a key cog in best in class solutions, in a best in class workspace.”
A podcast room, similar in scope to the on-site huddle room is present which is used by Shure to communicate updates to its partners and users with a Shure MXA310 table array microphone and P300 Intellimix processor.
The room incorporates a 49-in LG LED display with a Cisco 10-in touch screen and a Crestron room scheduling touch screen with room availability light bar.
The jewel in the crown is the training room where we integrated Shure’s Axient and ULX-D wireless
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