AV News June 2026 by AV News

Unlocking the power of in-store retail media networks

Retail media networks (RMNs) have rapidly become one of the most influential forces in modern commerce, reshaping how brands reach consumers and how retailers monetise their digital ecosystems. Whilst the impact of RMNs in online retail is well documented, the next wave of growth is happening where it matters most: inside the store, at the exact moment shoppers make purchasing decisions. In this article, Pierre Gillet, vice president of International Sales at BrightSign discusses that through strategic placement and at the edge AI-enabled solutions, digital signage players will close the loop between intent, engagement and measurement, enabling RMNs to be dynamically updated and consistently measured to track key experience-led metrics.

As RMNs mature across Europe, retailers are beginning to recognise that physical stores, long treated as static points of sale, are now dynamic media environments capable of deliv ering targeted, measurable, high‑value advertising. This shift changes the role of digital signage. There is a clear opportu nity for retailers to unlock far greater value from RMNs by reimagining in‑store screens as performance‑driven media channels, rather than standalone technologies.

The growing influence of in‑store media

Online retail media is well established, but in‑store digital touchpoints offer an immediate channel to influence shop pers at the moment of purchase. Screens placed at key deci sion points – aisles, counters, entrances, and checkouts –deliver contextually relevant messages when intent is highest. When these messages are tailored to location, time of day, and shopper behaviour, their impact multiplies.

Supermarkets are a clear example. Strategic digital signage placement can amplify seasonal or event‑driven promotions. Think strawberries and cream during Wimbledon, alcoholic beverage offers during major football championships, or loy alty‑linked QR codes that drive app engagement. At fresh produce counters, digital product boards can cross‑sell com plementary items or showcase recipe ideas, turning screens into subtle but powerful sales tools. Increasingly, these touchpoints are being unified under RMNs. By integrating in‑store screens with mobile apps,

websites, and Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) services, retailers can deliver a seamless omnichannel experience while offering brands a single, coherent platform for reaching customers across the full journey.

Digital signage as a revenue engine

The commercial potential is significant. RMNs are transform ing digital signage from a cost centre into a revenue‑generat ing asset. In supermarkets, where multiple brands compete for attention within the same category, RMNs create fertile ground for targeted, high‑impact messaging. Complementary omnichannel technologies such as ‘endless aisle’ extend this further, enabling shoppers to browse online inventory or order out‑of‑stock items, increasing conversion and basket size. But unlocking this value requires more than simply install ing screens. It demands a shift in mindset: from proof‑of‑play to proof‑of‑performance. Advertisers increasingly expect transparent, experience‑led metrics. Screen uptime is no longer enough. They want to understand engagement, dwell time, attention trends, and how content performs under dif ferent conditions. This is where AI‑enabled digital signage platforms and media players are transforming the landscape.

AI at the edge: the new RMN infrastructure

Modern digital signage players now sit at the intersection of content, data, and analytics. They act as the connective layer between RMN strategy and in‑store execution, enabling cam paigns to be updated dynamically and measured consistently across entire store estates.

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AI‑enabled digital signage players can analyse real‑time con textual factors such as time of day, weather, stock levels, or environmental conditions – all processed at the edge. Con tent can then be automatically adjusted to maximise rele vance to shoppers. This ensures that messaging is timely and meaningful, enhancing both customer experience and adver tiser ROI.

With AI enabled digital signage solutions processing data at the edge, retailers can access granular analytics for every campaign played on in store screens, whilst optimising future campaigns.

For European retailers, in store RMNs use aggregated, an onymised insights drawn from first‑party retailer data. This privacy‑by‑design approach prioritises measurement by over all patterns and sales impact, shaping how performance is assessed in a GDPR compliant manner, whilst protecting shopper data and trust.

While some in‑store technologies, such as shelf‑edge dis plays, digital price tags, and electronic labelling systems, may sit outside the RMN itself, they play a crucial supporting role. When integrated with RMN data, they help maintain message accuracy, synchronise promotions, and reduce friction in the customer journey. Flash sales can be reflected instantly, stock changes can trigger automatic content updates, and pricing errors can be eliminated. This ecosystem approach ensures that every touchpoint con tributes to a coherent, high‑performing retail media strategy.

Stores as dynamic media environments

As audience analytics become increasingly advanced, the long‑term implications for retail are profound. Physical stores will increasingly be viewed not as static spaces but as dynam ic media environments that are flexible, measurable, and deeply integrated into omnichannel strategies.

Success will depend on how effectively retailers connect strategy and execution. Intelligent signage will close the loop between intent, engagement, and measurement. This will en able RMNs to scale with the same precision and accountabil ity as digital advertising channels.

In the evolving world of retail media, the retailers that em brace this shift will not only unlock new revenue streams but also deliver richer, increasingly relevant experiences for shop pers – all powered by sophisticated digital signage.

RMNs are reshaping how brands connect with consumers in modern commerce, with particular growth in physical stores, now valued as dynamic media environments deliver ing high value advertising.

There is now opportunity for retailers to unlock greater value from RMNs through reimagining in store screens as perfor mance driven media channels, rather than standalone tech nologies.

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Panasonic acquires HIVE to strengthen immersive visual solutions

Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation (‘Panasonic’) has announced that it has acquired 100% of the issued shares of UK based media technology company HIVE MEDIA CON TROL LTD (‘HIVE’), strengthening its capabilities in media playback and control for immersive and fixed installation en vironments. The acquisition marks a further step in Panason ic’s evolution from a hardware led manufacturer into a broad er visual solutions ecosystem provider, expanding its proposition beyond projection and display into software, workflow and integrated media delivery solutions. At the same time, HIVE will continue to operate as a stan dalone business with a vendor neutral market approach. Panasonic will support HIVE’s continued growth while pre serving the independence, agility and openness that have shaped its position in the market. This includes continuity for HIVE’s existing customers and partners, including those us ing HIVE alongside projector and LED display brands beyond Panasonic. Media servers play a central role in immersive en vironments and large scale visual installations, helping man age playback, synchronization and control of content across multiple displays and surfaces. With HIVE, Panasonic broad ens its ability to support customers not only at the display endpoint, but across a wider part of the workflow from con tent playback and control through to deployment and opera tion.

HIVE’s flagship BeeBlade platform is based on the Intel Smart Display Module (SDM) standard, enabling direct inte gration with projectors, direct view LED display systems and professional displays. “This is a strategically important step for Panasonic as we continue to evolve our business beyond a hardware oriented model toward broader visual solutions and workflow value,” said Yousuke Adachi, CEO of Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation. “Under MEVIX, our visual solutions brand, we have been clearly articulating our com mitment to contribute to customers across the total workflow, not just at the hardware endpoint. This acquisition is a major step in that direction and an important step forward in growth guided by the spirit of the MEVIX brand. HIVE brings proven expertise in media playback and control, and when combined with our projector and display portfolio, we believe it can cre ate meaningful customer value through simpler deployment, greater flexibility and better end user experience. At the same time, we fully respect HIVE’s position as a standalone busi ness open to working with the wider market, and we look for ward to the synergies from HIVE’s continued growth also cre

ating value for Panasonic”.

“We are inspired and honoured by the opportunity to work with Panasonic, while continuing to grow HIVE as an open and independent ecosystem,” said Mark Calvert, Co Founder and CEO of HIVE MEDIA CONTROL LTD “In nature, the most powerful systems are interconnected, adaptive and free to evolve – a philosophy that sits at the heart of HIVE. This part nership gives us the scale to accelerate our vision while pre serving the openness and platform agnostic approach our customers rely on. I would also like to thank my co founders, Dave Green and Trey Harrison, and our incredible HIVE team – whose belief and dedication mean we move into this next chapter together.”

Panasonic views the media server market as a growth area, supported by increasing demand for immersive attractions, museums, themed environments and other permanent visual installations. Within this space, HIVE has built a strong posi tion by offering a more compact, scalable and future ready approach, underpinned by its SDM native architecture and open ecosystem design. For customers, the combination of HIVE’s media control architecture and Panasonic’s projection and display technologies is expected to create value through greater deployment flexibility, a smaller infrastructure foot print, fewer external devices, simplified cabling and more streamlined installation and operation. It also supports better overall end user experience where HIVE and Panasonic solu tions are used together. HIVE’s media servers are already de ployed across major global projects including the BBC Earth Experience, the National Museum of Qatar and Michelange lo’s Sistine Chapel exhibition, demonstrating its capability across immersive attractions, cultural institutions and large scale visual environments. HIVE’s innovation has been recog nised through multiple high profile international industry awards for its BeeBlade platform and broader media control ecosystem.

RGB Communications partners with XSCACE

RGB Communications, one of the UK’s leading distributors of audiovisual solutions, has announced a new strategic part nership with XSCACE, a premium audio brand redefining the boundaries of home theatre and architectural sound. Under the agreement, RGB Communications will distribute XS CACE’s innovative range of ultra slim and invisible speakers across the UK and Ireland, giving integrators access to high performance audio solutions engineered for modern, design led environments. XSCACE creates luxury audio sys tems that combine cutting edge engineering with minimalist design, delivering powerful, high end sound in remarkably compact and discreet form factors. From high end residential projects and private cinemas to commercial spaces, studios, and architectural installations, XSCACE enables integrators and designers to deliver exceptional audio without compro mising on aesthetics.

At the core of XSCACE’s philosophy is the belief that audio should seamlessly integrate with its surroundings. With cus tom colour options, discreet installation methods, and ul tra slim designs, its products are engineered to complement modern interiors, allowing architects and designers to create visually stunning spaces without intrusive hardware. “We are delighted to welcome XSCACE to our portfolio,” said Andy Atwell, Managing Director of RGB Communications. “Their approach to audio design is incredibly forward thinking. By combining exceptional acoustic performance with elegant, unobtrusive form factors, XSCACE gives our customers the ability to deliver truly immersive sound experiences that also respect the design intent of a space.”Andy Atwell added, “This partnership reinforces our commitment to offering in novative solutions that meet the evolving needs of the AV in dustry. XSCACE is a perfect fit for projects where perfor

mance, simplicity, and design are equally important.” XSCACE speakers are developed by award winning audio engineers from the University of Toronto and are designed to simplify installation while maximising performance. Built in passive crossovers reduce the need for complex DSP tuning, enabling faster setup and more streamlined system integra tion. The use of aerospace grade aluminium enhances dura bility and thermal efficiency, acting as a natural heat sink to improve long term reliability. In addition, the ported speaker design enhances low frequency response, delivering rich, dy namic bass for both music and cinematic applications. Pro prietary technologies such as Precision Xover Array, AeroF rame, PsySculpt Chassis, Nano Resonance, PowerDense Dynamics, and XS Flow work together to deliver precise, high impact audio from exceptionally compact designs. “En tering the UK market through RGB Communications is a sig nificant milestone for XSCACE. The UK has one of the most discerning and design conscious custom installation com munities in the world, and we believe our approach deliver ing powerful, room filling audio from remarkably slim and discreet form factors speaks directly to what the best inte grators and their clients are looking for. RGB’s reputation for technical excellence and their deep relationships across the industry make them the ideal partner to introduce XSCACE to this market. We look forward to building something excep tional together,” said XSCACE. This partnership further strengthens RGB Communications’ position as a leading dis tributor of innovative design led AV solutions, equipping inte grators with the tools they need to deliver exceptional perfor mance in even the most demanding and aesthetically driven projects.

Camfil Malaysia Breaks Ground on New Expansion SiteDVOX appoints POLAR

as UK distributor

Camfil Malaysia has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 14,400 square metre site next to its existing Plant 1 and Plant 2 facilities. This is the company’s third land pur chase at the location and marks another step in its expan sion in Malaysia. The event brought together Camfil Group management along with regional and local teams to mark the start of development.

“We’ve been growing here for years, and this expansion is the next practical step,” said Mark Simmons, CEO of Camfil Group. “It gives us the space we need to increase capacity and support our customers in the region.”

Camfil Malaysia has been operating since 1997 and has developed into an important manufacturing hub for the Asia Pacific region. The new site will allow for further ex pansion beyond current R&D, warehouse, and production facilities, supporting increased capacity and more stable supply.The company continues to focus on responsible op erations, including environmental, social, and governance priorities, in line with its global standards.

The additional land strengthens Camfil’s presence in the region and supports its ability to supply customers across Malaysia and the wider APAC market.

Further updates will be shared as the project moves for ward.POLAR, established supplier of key technology brands, has been appointed by Canadian technology com pany DVOX as its distributor for the UK. The DVOX platform gives listeners access to high quality, real time audio di rectly into their own smartphones or devices without down loading an app. By utilising a venue’s Wi Fi network, DVOX eliminates the complexity of traditional audio setups such as FM or infra red solutions, providing a simple, cost effec tive, and secure alternative. Whether for live audio com mentary at a sports fixture, simultaneous translation at a conference, or a host of other applications from digital sig nage to immersive soundscapes, DVOX redefines audience engagement for events large and small. Content is accessed with low latency via a user’s personal smartphone, tablet, or laptop on a personalised webpage. Created by and for live event specialists, DVOX’s patented audio acquisition device acts as an interface between a venue’s live audio content and the local network, and is tailored to meet diverse input requirements and capacities of up to 50,000 simultaneous users.

Managing Director of POLAR, John Midgley comments: “We were instantly impressed by DVOX’s innovative ap proach to streaming live audio over Wi Fi, and can see ex tensive scope for its uptake across a wide range of applica tions in the UK, including entertainment venues, education settings, houses of worship, and out of home advertising. It’s a genuinely ground breaking, simple to deploy, cost ef fective solution, and we look forward to introducing our cus tomers to its almost limitless potential.” Sebastien Bou langer, CEO of DVOX adds: “We are very pleased to be represented by POLAR in the UK. They have vast experi ence, and their team’s genuine passion for technology was clearly apparent from our first meeting. T

ISS expands strategic workplace offering with AWA

ISS has announced a strategic partnership with Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA), the global science based work place consultancy. Through this partnership, ISS will offer its UK clients access to AWA’s specialist workplace consulting services, including workplace strategy, change management, cognitive wellbeing and workplace performance optimisation. AWA brings over 30 years of experience transforming work places for some of the world’s leading organisations, under pinned by rigorous research and evidence based methodolo gies.

This collaboration strengthens ISS’s position as a strategic partner, and commitment to delivering comprehensive work place solutions that drive employee engagement, wellbeing and productivity. Dan Corlett, Managing Director for Work place Services at ISS UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to partner with AWA to extend our workplace advisory capabili ties and strategic services. As organisations navigate the evolving demands of hybrid working and workplace transfor mation, this partnership enables us to offer our clients access to world class, science led expertise. Together, we will help our clients create workplaces that attract talent, enhance per formance and deliver lasting business value.” Andrew Maw son, Founder of AWA, said: “ISS shares our commitment to creating workplaces where people thrive. This partnership combines ISS’s exceptional service delivery with AWA’s re search driven approach to workplace strategy, providing cli ents with an integrated solution for transforming how and where work happens.”

Aura Audio brings LEA Professional to Finland

In an effort to expand its European footprint, LEA Profession al today announces its partnership with Aura Audio, an AV distributor based in the Southwest coast of Finland. This part nership will bring LEA Professional’s extensive technology catalogue, featuring industry leading intelligent IT solutions, best in class DSP, and smart power management, to custom ers throughout Finland. With over 30 years of experience in the professional audio industry, the Aura Audio team is per fectly positioned to expand LEA’s reach in Europe. Through this partnership, Aura Audio will represent LEA Professional’s award winning Network Connect series of professional ampli fiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity. These series enable integrators to utilize cloud based remote control, monitoring, notifications, and more from any internet enabled device, allowing them to stay connected anywhere in the world.

The Finnish AV market places a strong emphasis on quality, reliability, and performance, and LEA aligns perfectly with those values,” said Mika Isotalo, Managing Director of Aura Audio. “By adding LEA to our portfolio, we are better posi tioned to support our customers with dependable, high per formance AV solutions. LEA Professional’s smart amplifiers are the most feature rich amplifiers available in the industry featuring onboard 96kHz DSP, LEA Cloud connectivity, WebUI, third party API control, real time load monitoring, Lo Z/70V/100V selectable by channel, event, and fault monitor ing, high efficiency power design, over 3,000 speaker tuning presets, and LEA’s advanced amplifier control software, SharkWare”.

“Aura Audio is a valued distribution partner whose expertise and regional reach align with our commitment to growth in Europe,” said Jeff Gorton, Sales Director EMEA, LEA Profes

sional. “Together, we are expanding availability of our AV solu tions while upholding the high standards of performance and support that define our brand.”

Meyer Sound names Jands exclusive distributor for Australia and New Zealand

Jands Pty Ltd has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of Meyer Sound in Australia and New Zealand. The partner ship unites two organisations with a shared commitment to sonic excellence, innovation, and the professional audio community. The announcement marks a new chapter in a relationship spanning decades. Jands first encountered Mey er Sound through the iconic MSL 4 loudspeaker systems, deployed in a landmark theatrical production, a moment that helped define the company’s trajectory in professional audio. Today, that history culminates in a strategic distribution part nership. “We are incredibly proud to be appointed as the Meyer Sound distributors for Australia and New Zealand, a partnership that continues a relationship spanning decades,” says Paul Mulholland, executive chairman at Jands. “Jands began as a rental company, building our own speaker cabi nets, until a major theatrical production led us to Meyer’s MSL 4 systems, a decision that helped shape our business. Meyer Sound stands out for its innovation, integrity and com munity focus, values we share. Now formally representing Meyer Sound feels natural and meaningful, and we look for ward to supporting our customers and growing the market together.”

Through the partnership, Jands will provide market develop ment and sales, technical support, and service for Meyer Sound’s full product portfolio across both territories, serving customers across the venue, entertainment, performing arts, live touring, and hospitality sectors. “Demand for Meyer Sound across Australia and New Zealand has never been stronger,” says Meyer Sound Sales Manager, APAC, Owen Ironside. “As the market continues to grow, it’s clear that we need a robust and future‑focused distribution partner to en sure we can support our customers at the highest level. Jands is an icon of the industry, established internationally as a benchmark for distribution. Our shared commitment to qual ity, innovation, and customer experience makes it an ideal fit for Meyer Sound, and we are delighted to have the opportu nity to now work side by side.”

Jands began representing Meyer Sound in Australia and New Zealand from May 18, 2026; customers can contact the Jands team directly for product enquiries, demonstrations, and support. “This new direction enables us to take the brand to the next level across Australia and New Zealand while strengthening the excellent work of our established dealer network, now supported through Jands,” says Ironside.

AtlasIED announces partnership with NETGEAR AV

AtlasIED has announced a partnership with NETGEAR AV, underscoring its ongoing commitment to strengthening its ecosystem of technology partners and delivering best in class networked AV solutions. The collaboration aligns At lasIED’s expertise in intelligent audio and security solutions with NETGEAR’s leadership in managed network switching and AV over IP infrastructure. “Interoperability is key to un locking the full potential of AV over IP,” said John Henkel, Product Marketing Director at NETGEAR AV. “We’re looking forward to this collaboration with AtlasIED to showcase how our solutions work together to deliver powerful, scalable, and easy to deploy systems for integrators.”

At the core of the partnership is a focus on optimising audio deployments over high performance networks. By pairing At lasIED’s Atlas+Fyne POE++ loudspeaker solutions with NET GEAR AV managed switches, customers benefit from simpli fied installation, reduced infrastructure complexity, and consistent audio performance across a wide range of com mercial environments. “As AV systems continue to converge with IT networks, it is critical that manufacturers work togeth er to ensure reliability, performance, and ease of deploy ment,” said Dan Saenz, Senior Product Manager at AtlasIED. “Our partnership with NETGEAR reflects a shared vision of delivering validated, end to end solutions that empower inte grators and end users alike.”

Midwich experience centre marks five years and 11,000 visitors

Midwich has announced that its Bracknell based experience centre has reached two major milestones: five years of oper ation and more than 11,000 visitors through its doors. The achievement reflects strong demand for hands on engage ment, as organisations seek real world environments to ex plore and validate audiovisual (AV) solutions before investing. Since opening in 2021, the multi technology experience cen tre at Innovation House has welcomed a broad mix of end users, consultants, and partners from sectors including cor porate, education, healthcare, and public services. The steady rise in visitor numbers emphasises a clear trend: de

spite rapid advances in digital collaboration tools, in person experiences remain critical to decision making in the AV sec tor.

Ty Zagnoiev, experience centre manager at Midwich UK&I, said: “Reaching 11,000 visitors is a significant moment for us, but more importantly it tells a bigger story about our in dustry. Over the past five years, we’ve seen a notable shift in how organisations approach AV investment particularly in the context of tighter budgets and ongoing cost pressures. Clients want to see, hear, and interact with technology in a real envi ronment before making decisions – and that’s exactly what experience centres enable.” In November 2025, the experi ence centre underwent a £1m refresh, showcasing the latest in immersive environments, hybrid workplace solutions, and intelligent collaboration technologies. With over 200 products from more than 50 vendors across 14 technology zones, In novation House encompasses one of the most comprehen sive AV demonstration environments in the market. The space also serves as a flexible event venue, hosting bespoke partner and end user sessions, from targeted workshops to

larger showcase events.

Beyond demonstrations, experience centres are becoming a key part of the sales and design process and play a strategic role in supporting project development and accelerating de cision making. By allowing stakeholders to experience solu tions firsthand, organisations can align more quickly on re quirements, reduce risk, and move forward with greater confidence. Greg Bennett, services director at Midwich UK&I, added: “Experience centres are no longer just showrooms –they’re active tools in the design and consultation process. They bring clarity to complex projects and help bridge the gap between concept and reality. Our experience centre at Innovation House continues to develop as a powerful plat form connecting Midwich, our partners, and customers. It stands as a place to inspire, engage and educate the AV com munity, as well as drive growth and opportunity for the whole industry.”

The company believes that as AV solutions become more sophisticated and integral to business operations, the role of physical experience environments will only continue to grow.

Jigsaw24 and EVS partner to

strength-

en UK live

Jigsaw24 has announced a new partnership with EVS, a glob al leader in live video technology for broadcast and new me dia productions. This collaboration is designed to help UK broadcasters and content creators modernise live production and ingest, playout, and transcode workflows through flexi ble, scalable and interoperable solutions. As modern produc tion environments become more complex, the partnership combines EVS’ technology with Jigsaw24’s expertise in work flow integration, support and deployment across hybrid and IP based environments. Together, the companies aim to help broadcasters deploy flexible workflows that fit into existing production ecosystems while supporting future IP and cloud based expansion.

Through the partnership, Jigsaw24 is showcasing EVS solu tions to UK broadcasters, supporting news, sports, entertain ment, and wider media production workflow requirements. “EVS is a trusted name in live production, known for both in novation and reliability,” said Lee Ballinger, Head of Media Sales at Jigsaw24. “As workflows become more interconnect ed, our customers need proven solutions that don’t sacrifice performance and flexibility. Working with EVS ensures our customers get both, backed by Jigsaw24’s localised support and integration

“Broadcasters today are looking for solutions that can evolve with their workflows without requiring complete infrastructure overhauls,” said Andreas Kotulek, VP Channel Partner, EMEA at EVS. “For us, it is important to work with partners that have the technical expertise, service capability and market reputa tion required to support increasingly complex customer envi ronments. Jigsaw24’s experience in media workflows and customer support made them a natural fit for this partner ship.” The collaboration builds on Jigsaw24 and EVS’ shared commitment to delivering trusted, best in class solutions to the UK broadcast market. At MPTS, both companies show cased the partnership and demonstrated EVS MOVE product range designed to support modern live production and in gest, playout, and transcode workflows. Moving forward, Jig saw24 plans to expand its EVS offering across additional live production and media infrastructure technologies.

Solstice AV signs Newline Interactive distribution partnership

Solstice AV has announced a new distribution partnership with Newline Interactive, bringing the manufacturer’s interac tive display portfolio to UK resellers ahead of the busy sum mer education refresh period. The partnership will see Sol stice AV distribute Newline’s interactive displays and software solutions across the UK reseller channel, with a particular focus on education, where schools and trusts continue to in vest in classroom technology that supports collaboration, flex ibility and hybrid learning.

Newline’s portfolio includes Google EDLA certified interac tive displays designed for education and corporate environ ments, combining multi touch collaboration, wireless content sharing and cross platform compatibility with a simple, us er friendly experience for teachers and students. The educa tion interactive display market continues to grow as schools invest in classroom modernisation, collaborative learning technologies and cloud based teaching platforms such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Across the UK, schools are continuing to transition away from ageing projector based classrooms toward more flexible interactive display environ ments that support modern teaching methods and hybrid learning. For Solstice AV, the partnership strengthens an al ready growing education technology proposition while giving resellers access to a highly competitive interactive display range supported by Solstice’s expanding operational and technical capability.

Michael Tulip, Managing Director at Solstice AV, said: “New line is a business we’ve been watching closely for some time, so we’re delighted to be bringing the brand into the Solstice portfolio. There’s a really strong alignment between our busi nesses in terms of ambition, mindset and approach to the market. They’ve built an impressive global operation, with products now used by more than 10 million users across over 50 countries, and that kind of growth doesn’t happen by ac cident. It comes from having good people, good leadership and products that genuinely work in real world environments. From a reseller perspective, the timing is also excellent. We’re heading into the busiest period of the year for education tech nology projects, with schools and trusts preparing for sum mer refresh programmes and looking closely at how they modernise classrooms for September. For Solstice, this part

nership is another important step in the growth of our educa tion offering. We’re continuing to invest heavily in the busi ness, expanding our sales team, growing our technical capability and strengthening the operational infrastructure behind it all so our reseller partners can move quickly and deliver with confidence.”

Gary Beckett, Country Manager UK and Ireland at Newline Interactive, added: “We’re excited to be partnering with Sol stice AV at an important stage in our UK growth strategy. What stood out to us was the combination of reseller relation ships, operational capability and ambition within the Solstice business. They understand the education market, they’re in vesting heavily in growth, and they have the infrastructure to support partners properly as projects scale. The timing is par ticularly important as schools prepare for summer technology refresh projects ahead of the new academic year. We see a significant opportunity for resellers to support schools with collaborative technologies that are simple to use, easy to manage and designed around modern classroom environ ments.”

The partnership also reflects Solstice AV’s wider growth strategy as the business continues to invest heavily in sales, technical support and deployment capability. In recent weeks, the company has expanded its sales team with new appointments and confirmed active recruitment across mul tiple areas of the business to support increasing demand across education, LED and collaboration technologies. The ewline range is available immediately through Solstice AV.

i3Connect signs UK distribution deal with Mentor Distribution

The agreement with i3Connect will provide Mentor’s re seller partners with access to i3Connect’s interactive dis play solutions, Walnut W1 DV LED range and the newly launched Cactus Commercial Displays, which are due to arrive in stock in June. Ryan Tyler, Marketing Director at Mentor comments: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome i3CONNECT to the Mentor Distribution portfolio. With so many branches to i3CONNECT’s innovative display tech nologies, this partnership is already taking root for long term success. Built on a fantastic user experience and a sustainability first approach, we believe this creates an ex citing opportunity for our reseller partners across the UK & Ireland to grow new business together and help new oppor tunities blossom.”

UK and Ireland Sales Director, Tim Allenden comments: “Joining forces with Mentor marks a key milestone as we bring our solutions closer to customers across the UK. They’re a rapidly growing distribution business, and we’re excited to be part of their journey with our touch, MTR and in house software solutions, all built with sustainability at the forefront. Their unparalleled customer support, market expertise, and strong channel relationships make them an ideal partner.”

Mentor’s excellent logistics, warehousing, and multiple de livery options available to partners were key factors in the decision to best serve the channel. As part of the partner

ship, i3Connect’s LED and interactive technologies will be showcased within Mentor’s London experience showroom. Mentor has created a destination where partners and end users can experience the latest collaboration and display in novations based in the City of London.

Peavey Commercial Audio appoints Streetwise Sales as sales partner

Peavey Commercial Audio has announced the appointment of Streetwise Sales as its official sales partner in the United States, reinforcing its commitment to expanding market presence and delivering high performance commercial au dio solutions across the region. The partnership marks a sig nificant step in Peavey Commercial Audio’s strategic growth plans, enabling closer engagement with integrators, consult ants, and end users across key sectors including corporate, hospitality, education, and large public venues. By leverag ing Streetwise Sales’ extensive industry relationships and regional expertise, Peavey aims to accelerate adoption of its comprehensive portfolio of networked audio, DSP, and loud speaker solutions.

Streetwise Sales is known for its deep understanding of the professional and consumer audio landscape and its ability to drive meaningful market engagement for leading technology brands. Through this collaboration, customers across the U.S. will benefit from enhanced access to Peavey Commer cial Audio’s solutions, backed by responsive, knowledgeable local support. “Partnering with Streetwise Sales represents an important milestone for our U.S. growth strategy,” said Chris Hinson. “Their proven track record, strong relation ships, and in depth market knowledge make them an ideal extension of our team. As demand continues to grow for scalable, networked audio systems, this partnership ensures we are well positioned to support our customers with the expertise and service they expect.”

Peavey Commercial Audio continues to evolve its offering to meet the needs of modern AV environments, with a focus on fully integrated ecosystems that combine audio process ing, amplification, control, and networked distribution. Solu tions such as its MediaMatrix platform and Crest Audio loud speakers are designed to simplify system design while delivering reliable, high quality performance across a wide range of applications. “Peavey Commercial Audio is a US brand with a rich heritage and a forward looking vision,” said Amos Damon of Streetwise Sales. “We’re excited to repre sent a portfolio that truly meets the demands of today’s AV systems from enterprise and education through to hospital ity and large scale venues. Our team is committed to driving awareness, supporting partners, and helping customers un lock the full potential of these solutions”.

WithStreetwise Sales now representing Peavey Commercial Audio from Virginia to Maine, both organisations are aligned in their mission to deliver innovative, scalable, and us er friendly audio solutions that empower integrators and end users alike.

Sennheiser Group end-to-end audio solutions to MPTS 2026

The Sennheiser Group showcased its latest professional au dio solutions at the Media Production & Technology Show 2026, at Olympia London on 13 14 May. As one of the UK’s leading events for media and entertainment technology, MPTS brings together broadcasters, production companies, and content creators to explore the latest tools shaping mod ern storytelling.

At the show, visitors were able to explore Spectera, the world’s first wideband, bidirectional digital wireless ecosys tem. Designed to simplify RF coordination while offering un precedented flexibility and control, Spectera represents a major step forward in wireless audio, enabling more efficient and scalable workflows for complex production environ ments. Alongside this, Sennheiser showcased its Evolution Wireless Digital systems, providing robust and flexible wire less solutions tailored for broadcast and professional produc tion applications.

For content creators, Sennheiser highlighted Profile Wire less, its versatile 2.4 GHz all in one microphone solution for mobile, camera and desktop based workflows. Designed to offer flexible recording options in a compact format, the sys tem’s capabilities have recently been expanded with a firm ware update adding direct Bluetooth connectivity. This latest update is available for both the one channel and two chan nel Profile Wireless set, allowing the clip on microphone to pair directly with compatible smartphones, tablets and lap tops for an even more streamlined and cable free creator setup.

For studio and live environments, Sennheiser showcased the new HD 480 PRO, its top of the range closed back headphones. Designed with the utmost care and precision, they eliminate the two most cited pain points of closed back headphones by delivering a tight, accurate bass reproduc tion and ensuring supreme comfort for audio professionals tasked with recording, tracking, or monitoring in the studio, in live audio environments or on the move.

Also on display was the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) microphone, a well known solution in corporate and educa tion environments that is increasingly being adopted for con tent production and broadcast style workflows. As a ceil ing mounted microphone array with patented adaptive beamforming technology, TCC 2 automatically detects and tracks the active speaker, ensuring clear, intelligible audio

without the need for wearable microphones. Delivering pro fessional broadcast quality sound in a clean, cable free set up, it is an ideal solution for multi person podcasts, panel discussions and other collaborative formats where flexibility and freedom of movement are key.

Finally, the Sennheiser Group’s presence featured a com plete end to end studio workflow centred around Neumann solutions, combining microphones, monitoring solutions, and software, including KH monitors, NDH headphones and the MT 48 Audio Interface, to deliver consistent, studio grade sound quality across recording and mixing environments. This ecosystem is further strengthened through the Merging Technologies’ latest developments, including Pyramix 16, which delivers enhanced performance and workflow flexibility for music and immersive post production, and Ovation 12, a powerful media playback and show control system designed for complex, large scale and immersive production environ ments, alongside existing Anubis and Hapi MKIII. Together, these solutions enable a seamless workflow from capture through to final delivery.

“Sennheiser is proud to be part of MPTS 2026 at Olympia, London, showcasing a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to support the evolving needs of the broadcast and production industry,” says Lee Shuttlewood, Business Devel opment Manager at Sennheiser. “From our wireless systems tailored for broadcasting applications to premium studio solu tions from Neumann and Merging Technologies, our pres ence reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering excep tional audio quality across every stage of the workflow. We look forward to connecting with industry professionals and demonstrating how our technologies enable creativity, relia bility, and excellence in modern media production.”

ClickShare and Logitech wireless room bundle for MS Teams

Barco has announced that ClickShare Hub Core with Log itech MeetUp 2 is now Certified for Microsoft Teams. This wireless room system bundle delivers simple wireless confer encing and presentation with AI‑enhanced audio and video for small meeting rooms. By uniting Barco’s expertise in wire less collaboration with Logitech’s leadership in video confer encing devices, the companies are making it easier for or ganisations to deploy simple, secure, and sustainable solutions. With ClickShare Hub Core, users can start a meet ing with a single tap on the ClickShare Control Panel. The next gen ClickShare Button lets employees and guests share content in 4K from their laptops with a single click – no driv ers or training needed. Intelligent video framing and clear, natural audio help ensure everyone feels included in the conversation.

For IT, the bundle is designed for security, reliability, and manageability. ClickShare Hub Core is built on Microsoft’s Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) and enhanced by Click Share’s security by design approach – combining a powerful suite of management tools with layered protection to simplify oversight and strengthen control. As part of a Microsoft Teams Rooms solution, it delivers a standardized, reliable, and secure meeting experience. This milestone builds on Barco’s long‑standing collaboration with Logitech – solutions that are widely deployed together and aligned by a shared commitment to sustainability. “Together, we are bringing a room system bundle that delivers a simple, smart, and se cure hybrid collaboration experience, while making more re

sponsible sustainability choices at every step, from hardware design and energy efficiency to packaging and end of life,” said Sudeep Trivedi, Head of Alliances and Strategy, Logitech for Business. “Partnering with a company that shares our commitment to sustainability makes this collaboration espe cially meaningful.” “Our new bundle with Logitech delivers a simple, secure Microsoft Teams Rooms experience for small meeting rooms – backed by the reliability and manageability IT requires,” said Jan van Houtte, Executive Vice President Meeting Experiences at Barco. “Achieving Certified for Micro soft Teams status together marks a significant milestone in our strategy to expand ClickShare from a best in class BYOD solution into fully integrated room systems.”

“Making Microsoft Teams a robust collaboration experience takes an incredible ecosystem of hardware partners,” said Albert Kooiman, General Manager, Teams Partner Engineer ing and Customer Enablement at Microsoft. “The collabora tion of Barco and Logitech solutions for Teams Rooms bring that vision to life with a small‑room bundle Certified for Micro soft Teams, keeping things simple for users and secure for IT at scale.” With this launch, Barco now offers four bundles Certified for Microsoft Teams, giving customers flexibility and choice to match space needs and AV preferences.

Dirac Live Room Correction now available on Bluesound

Bluesound has announced that the latest generation of its acclaimed POWERNODE (N331) wireless streaming amplifi er now supports Dirac Live, making Dirac’s industry leading room correction technology available to users. With this up date, listeners can analyze their room’s acoustic properties and optimize speaker performance for a more accurate and balanced listening experience. Dirac Live is widely recog nised for its ability to correct both frequency response and impulse response, going beyond traditional EQ to deliver a more accurate and natural listening experience. By address ing common acoustic challenges such as reflections, stand ing waves, and uneven bass, Dirac Live helps eliminate dis tortions introduced by the listening environment itself. The result is tighter low end performance, improved clarity across frequencies, and a more precise, lifelike soundstage. With this integration, POWERNODE users can now fine tune their system with a level of control and precision typically re served for high end audio systems, ensuring consistently op timized sound regardless of room size or layout. “Great sound isn’t just about the right amp or speakers—it’s how that gear interacts with the room,” said Matt Simmonds, Brand Manag er at Bluesound. “By bringing Dirac Live to the POWERNODE, we’re giving listeners more tools to unlock the full potential of their Bluesound system, no matter the space.” To enable Dirac Live room correction, users can purchase the Dirac Live Calibration kit from bluesound.com or an authorized Blue sound retailer, which includes a high precision measurement microphone for accurate room analysis. A Dirac Live software license is also available for purchase. To buy and activate a Dirac Live license, visit dirac.com/brands/bluesound. Blue sound now offers support for Dirac Live across their line of wireless stereo components, including the NODE, NODE ICON, and POWERNODE EDGE. For a list of compatible of devices including older generations and models, visit blue sound.com/pages/dirac.

PPDS

has

confirmed a

new strategic partnership with leading Italian AV distributor, Prase

Midwich Group company. Reinforcing PPDS’ unparalleled commitment to delivering near universal access to its portfo lio of multi award winning solutions, together with best in class support and service, the strategic partnership with Prase will bring extended choice, value, and opportunities –including around sustainability and energy savings – for businesses in Italy.

Founded in 1993, and a Midwich Group Company since 2019, Noventa di Piave (Venice) based Prase has an unri valled reputation in the Italian market, distributing an exten sive range of AV and IT solutions with corporate, education, and retail among its core target verticals. Effective immedi ately, Prase’s partner network will have access to PPDS’ port folio of Philips Professional Displays and ‘total solutions’, pro viding a one stop shop on visual hardware and software needs for AV projects, including dvLED, digital signage, inter active, professional TV, and more. Mario Baratto, Vendor Ac count Manager at Prase, commented: “The Philips entry in the Prase catalogue leads us to strengthen and strategically evolve our offerings concerning the LED and displays sector. The core of this partnership is a synergy of values that make Philips Professional Displays one of the solid and long stand ing players in the video area, and Prase, the value added distributor, an outstanding benchmark in the Italian market, renowned for its great efficiency and customer support”.

Andrea Castelnuovo, Sales Director Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus at PPDS, added: “We are delighted to have part nered with Prase, a distributor that is aligned with our values on how to do business, together with our ambitions to grow as a company. PPDS has made significant imprints in the Italian market, supporting projects across verticals, with an ever evolving range of highly flexible and sustainable solu tions, each tailored around the precise needs of the custom er. Working with Prase we can continue to bring new innova tions to businesses on an even grander scale.” Kicking off their collaboration in style, PPDS recently joined Prase at MIR 2026 – Italy’s largest AV event – which included the of ficial launch and availability of the company’s award winning, foldable and height adjustable 135” Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO.

Showcased and met with great fanfare at ISE 2026, the im possible to ignore Philips Unite LED 6000 Series delivers a true masterclass in visual performance and mechanical en gineering, by innovatively combining crystal clear visuals with next level flexibility, mobility, accessibility, and energy efficiency. Ideal for a wide range of environments, including

classrooms, auditoriums, and corporate settings, the Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO amalgamates cutting edge Chip on Board (COB) technology with a fine 1.5mm pixel pitch for ultra reliable, ultra sharp visuals, from spectacular video to intricate meeting room presentations.

To accommodate all possibilities and room types – includ ing areas with sloping ceilings or with rising seating, such as in a lecture theatre or auditorium – the Unite LED 6000 Series AIO also features a motorised trolley enabling smooth and safe electric lifting. Presenters can simply, safely, and smooth ly adjust the display height with just the push of a button, ensuring perfect viewing in any setting. The smart, foldable structure removes all obstacles around mobility, whether be ing installed for the first time or as it is transferred between rooms, by easily fitting through any standard sized doors or in elevators. Andrea added: “We are thrilled to have officially launched the Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO into the Ital ian market at MIR 26, and to confirm its availability to our partners and customers. This captivating product was recent ly demonstrated at ISE 2026 in Barcelona, and with the com bination of its state of the art screen and unique and impres sive foldable design, it literally stopped people in their tracks. It is truly deserving of being described as a showstopper.”

Absen outlines its “Fast, professional, global” LED service vision

Absen has published a comprehensive white paper that specifies industry service standards, presenting its global service framework and the guiding principles underlying its approach to LED display support. The resource introduces AbsenCare as a structured service brand built around three core pillars (‘Fast’, ‘professional’ and ‘global’) designed to support customers at every stage of a display’s lifecycle. Drawing on more than 25 years of service experience, the materials offer insight into how Absen delivers consistent support across diverse applications, from ProAV and rental and staging to sports and DOOH. Central to this is Absen Care’s industry leading three tier service support structure, designed to accelerate response times and minimise down time through a combination of 24/7 online assistance, re gional repair hubs and localised on site support.

The ‘Professional’ pillar is explored through detailed cover age of Absen’s standardised service processes and its Absen Certified Engineer (ACE) programme, which ensures engi neers worldwide meet the same rigorous training and com petency standards. This structured approach enables Absen to deliver uniform service quality regardless of project scale or location. Meanwhile, the ‘Global’ dimension of AbsenCare is reflected in its extensive international service infrastruc ture, including regional service centres, authorised partners and locally based support networks spanning more than 165 countries and regions.

In addition to reactive support, the assets highlight Absen

Jigsaw24 and EVS partner to strengthen UK live production

At the core of this joint initiative is EVS’ MOVE product range, comprising Move I/O and Move UP and part of its broader MediaCeption solution. MOVE unifies baseband and file based ingest playout and transcode capabilities within an all in a box environment, allowing broadcasters to modernise workflows incrementally while integrating with existing infra structure and asset management environments. Through the partnership, Jigsaw24 is showcasing EVS solutions to UK broadcasters, supporting news, sports, entertainment, and wider media production workflow requirements. “EVS is a trusted name in live production, known for both innovation and reliability,” said Lee Ballinger, Head of Media Sales at Jigsaw24. “As workflows become more interconnected, our customers need proven solutions that don’t sacrifice perfor mance and flexibility. Working with EVS ensures our custom ers get both, backed by Jigsaw24’s localised support and in tegration.”

Absen outlines its “Fast, professional, global” LED service vision

Absen has published a comprehensive white paper that specifies industry service standards, presenting its global ser vice framework and the guiding principles underlying its ap proach to LED display support. The resource introduces Ab senCare as a structured service brand built around three core pillars (‘Fast’, ‘professional’ and ‘global’) designed to support customers at every stage of a display’s lifecycle. Drawing on more than 25 years of service experience, the materials offer insight into how Absen delivers consistent support across di verse applications, from ProAV and rental and staging to sports and DOOH. Central to this is AbsenCare’s indus try leading three tier service support structure, designed to accelerate response times and minimise downtime through a combination of 24/7 online assistance, regional repair hubs and localised on site support.

The ‘Professional’ pillar is explored through detailed cover age of Absen’s standardised service processes and its Absen Certified Engineer (ACE) programme, which ensures engi neers worldwide meet the same rigorous training and compe tency standards. This structured approach enables Absen to deliver uniform service quality regardless of project scale or location. Meanwhile, the ‘Global’ dimension of AbsenCare is reflected in its extensive international service infrastructure, including regional service centres, authorised partners and locally based support networks spanning more than 165 countries and regions.

In addition to reactive support, the assets highlight Absen Care’s regional and application specific service solutions in cluding preventative maintenance, tailored service packages and dedicated support for critical environments and events. Global client testimonials are also included to offer real world perspectives on the reliability and expertise of Absen’s ser vice teams.“Anytime we have a question for the Absen ser vice team they’re very quick to respond,” says Absen client from the US. “Any project we’ve had, if there’s been any is sues, they’ve been quickly identified and taken care of.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the training at Absen,” says Absen client from Uzbekistan. “We gained extensive knowledge, particularly in repairing circuits, troubleshooting LED mod ules, and mastering the installation of LEDs onto circuit boards. The program was exceptionally well organized, and I greatly appreciated the expertise of Absen’s engineers and staff.”

Pufferfish unveils integrated immersive experience business model

Pufferfish, the creative technology company behind some of the world’s most recognised immersive installations, has an nounced the launch of a streamlined business structure de signed to simplify how organisations create and deliver their immersive experiences. Ahead of InfoComm 2026 (17–19 June, Las Vegas Convention Centre), the company is intro ducing three unified divisions – PufferStudio, PufferEvents and PufferTech bringing together creative, delivery and technical expertise under one cohesive model.

The move responds to a growing challenge across indus tries: while demand for immersive experiences continues to rise, delivery remains fragmented, often requiring multiple vendors across content, hardware and integration. “Too many immersive projects are still unnecessarily complex,” said Stephen Patterson, CEO, Pufferfish. “You have one part ner for hardware, another for content, another for installation and no single point of accountability. We’ve structured Puff erfish to remove that separation entirely, streamlining our di visions to reflect how immersive experiences are actually de livered.”

Three capabilities, one immersive platform:

PufferStudio transforms complex ideas, data and brand stories into compelling interactive content, designed for non planar canvases.

PufferEvents delivers turnkey immersive activations, hardware and content for global events, from concept

through to on site deployment and support.

PufferTech engineers spherical displays, LED globes, curved surfaces, architectural forms and non planar LED installations, built for the most demanding environments. Together, the three divisions provide a fully integrated solu tion from concept and design through to engineering, instal lation, warranty, maintenance and support. “This isn’t a re brand it’s how we already work. Bringing PufferStudio, PufferEvents and PufferTech under one umbrella means our clients get one team, one contract and one delivery process from first sketch to ongoing support,” commented Alana Mc Court, COO, Pufferfish.

As brands look to deal with visitor fatigue and move beyond traditional digital signage, Pufferfish’s approach focuses on creating environments that actively draw people in. Its im mersive displays are designed to increase dwell time, en gagement and memorability. The company’s work spans cor porate innovation centres, global events, museums, education and healthcare, with clients including EY, Ericsson, NASA and the World Bank. With headquarters in Edinburgh, Puffer fish has spent over two decades developing immersive dis play technology and interactive experiences. In 2004, Cold play approached the business to build something never seen before – interactive spherical displays for a world tour. Now on the fourth product generation, Pufferfish has grown into a global creative technology business. Its strong roots in live events, gaming, robotics and real time rendering mean the team builds proprietary platforms. Its new integrated busi ness model combines narrative design and creative storytell ing, precision hardware engineering, advanced software and

interactivity, global deployment and long term support. This end to end capability enables Pufferfish to deliver complex projects with a single partner approach, reducing risk, cost and delivery timelines for clients.

Every Pufferfish unit ships with an intuitive authoring envi ronment that lets curators build interactive elements and im port media, map gestures and publish changes without writ ing code. For projects that demand more complexity, Pufferfish operates a full creative and software service capa ble of producing motion graphics, live data visualisations and interactions for any size and shape of screen. Hardware se cures the immediate “wow”, but carefully crafted content is what turns a first impression into long term value.

Pufferfish will showcase the fourth generation PufferSphere at InfoComm 2026 on the Barco booth N7231, North Hall.

PPDS partners on new 135” foldable Philips Unite LED 6000 AIO Series

PPDS has confirmed a new strategic partnership with leading Italian AV distributor, Prase – a Midwich Group company. Re inforcing PPDS’ unparalleled commitment to delivering near universal access to its portfolio of multi award winning solu tions, together with best in class support and service, the strategic partnership with Prase will bring extended choice, value, and opportunities – including around sustainability and energy savings – for businesses in Italy. Founded in 1993, and a Midwich Group Company since 2019, Noventa di Piave (Venice) based Prase has an unrivalled reputation in the Italian market, distributing an extensive range of AV and IT solutions with corporate, education, and retail among its core target verticals. Effective immediately, Prase’s partner network will have access to PPDS’ portfolio of Philips Profes sional Displays and ‘total solutions’, providing a one stop shop on visual hardware and software needs for AV projects, in cluding dvLED, digital signage, interactive, professional TV, and more.

Mario Baratto, Vendor Account Manager at Prase, com mented: “The Philips entry in the Prase catalogue leads us to strengthen and strategically evolve our offerings concerning the LED and displays sector. The core of this partnership is a synergy of values that make Philips Professional Displays one of the solid and long standing players in the video area, and Prase, the value added distributor, an outstanding bench

mark in the Italian market, renowned for its great efficiency and customer support”. Andrea Castelnuovo, Sales Director Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus at PPDS, added: “We are delighted to have partnered with Prase, a distributor that is aligned with our values on how to do business, together with our ambitions to grow as a company. PPDS has made signif icant imprints in the Italian market, supporting projects across verticals, with an ever evolving range of highly flexible and sustainable solutions, each tailored around the precise needs of the customer. Working with Prase we can continue to bring new innovations to businesses on an even grander scale.”

Kicking off their collaboration in style, PPDS recently joined Prase at MIR 2026 – Italy’s largest AV event – which included the official launch and availability of the company’s award winning, foldable and height adjustable 135” Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO. Showcased and met with great fanfare at ISE 2026, the impossible to ignore Philips Unite LED 6000 Series delivers a true masterclass in visual performance and mechanical engineering, by innovatively combining crystal clear visuals with next level flexibility, mobility, accessibility, and energy efficiency. Ideal for a wide range of environments, including classrooms, auditoriums, and corporate settings, the Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO amalgamates cutting edge Chip on Board (COB) technology with a fine 1.5mm pixel pitch for ultra reliable, ultra sharp visuals, from spectac ular video to intricate meeting room presentations. To accommodate all possibilities and room types – including areas with sloping ceilings or with rising seating, such as in a lecture theatre or auditorium – the Unite LED 6000 Series AIO also features a motorised trolley enabling smooth and safe electric lifting. Presenters can simply, safely, and smooth ly adjust the display height with just the push of a button, ensuring perfect viewing in any setting. The smart, foldable structure removes all obstacles around mobility, whether be ing installed for the first time or as it is transferred between rooms, by easily fitting through any standard sized doors or in elevators. Andrea added: “We are thrilled to have officially launched the Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO into the Ital ian market at MIR 26, and to confirm its availability to our partners and customers. This captivating product was recent ly demonstrated at ISE 2026 in Barcelona, and with the com bination of its state of the art screen and unique and impres sive foldable design, it literally stopped people in their tracks. It is truly deserving of being described as a showstopper.”

Leyard Europe introduces Mantis rental LED video walls

Leyard Europe has announced the launch of the Planar Man tis Series, a new line of indoor LED video walls purpose built for rental and staging environments where speed, reliability and ease of use are critical. Designed for tool less, one hand ed setup and teardown, the Mantis Series enables crews of all experience levels to quickly deploy and redeploy LED video walls. The product is available to order in Europe from June via Leyard Europe and will be debuted at InfoComm 2026 on the Planar Booth #C7258. As a purpose built rental and stag ing LED video wall solution, the Mantis Series introduces the most focused LED product for rental and staging use. De signed for live events and on camera professionals with a

product design architected from direct customer input, the new solution is built to align with real world rental and pro duction workflows. Engineered to reduce installation time and simplify deployment, the newest addition to Leyard Europe’s LED portfolio strengthens support for an array of rental and staging applications while helping rental providers maximise utilisation and return on investment. “Planar Mantis Series reinforces our reputation for delivering industry leading LED display solutions that maximise visual impact, while facilitat ing hassle free installation, teardown and maintenance,” said Sidney Rittenberg, Chief Executive Officer at Planar. “This line of high performance LED video walls was developed with a wide range of rental and staging venues and professionals in mind, incorporating customer feedback to introduce a solution that can be installed or dismantled without tools and with minimal training or LED experience.”

Leyard Europe’s continued investment in the rental and staging market is backed by a dedicated team in the US through Planar, contributing decades of deep, real world rental and staging experience to the design of Mantis Series and resulting in a strategically engineered solution for live events and on camera professionals. With models in 1.5, 1.9 and 2.6 millimetre pixel pitches, the series supports a range of viewing distances and production requirements, with spec ifications including up to 1,500 nits of brightness, refresh rates up to 7,680Hz, a 4,000:1 contrast ratio and scan rates down to 1:8. The series also features a lightweight magnesi

um alloy design with rigidity, helping minimise flexing or warping to maintain image alignment and consistent visual performance during operation. This makes the Mantis Series ideal for concerts, live events and on camera environments, including broadcast and virtual production, where dependa ble camera ready image quality is essential. Balancing re duced weight with structural rigidity, the Mantis Series’ light weight magnesium alloy chassis also enables rapid, single handed installation and dismantling. The lightweight design supports easier handling and more efficient installa tion across venues. The series offers 500 x 500 cabinets as well as a 500x1000 cabinet size in the 2.6 millimetre pixel pitch. In addition to supporting quick assembly and tear down, the series is designed to simplify service and repair. Quarter turn locks and quick lock mechanisms allow mod ules and electronics to be quickly replaced in the field, while cabinets can be attached or adjusted without tools.

Additional Mantis Series models designed to support out door, right angle and curved applications will soon be intro duced, underscoring Leyard Europe and Planar’s dedication to supporting rental and staging customers’ diverse and evolving needs. This new rental and staging solution will make its public debut at InfoComm 2026, Booth #C7258, in Las Vegas June 17 19 and will be available to order starting

EPOS powers-up battery replacement strategy

Headset and speakerphone manufacturer EPOS is ’charg ing up’ a battery replacement programme, to simplify a more sustainable future, ahead of new legislation that comes into force across the Continent next year. Going forward all new product launches will provide the option to replace batteries with a simple paperclip or similar tool, rather than any com plex or complicated procedures. Søren Holm Printz, VP Cor porate Strategy & Product Management, says EPOS is com mitted to extending the lifespan of its products by offering user friendly battery replacement solutions. “By enabling customers to easily replace batteries, we help extend the product lifetime and reduce e waste, supporting a more cir cular product lifecycle.”

He added: “Battery replaceability is integrated into EPOS product design from the earliest development stages through to after market support. This includes providing spare batter ies and clear, easy to follow guides to ensure safe and simple replacement and waste management at product end of life. This approach has been a key part of EPOS’ design philoso phy for many years. Today, most EPOS products feature eas ily replaceable batteries. While some models require com mercially available tools, others support tool free replacement. Since the introduction of our first replaceable battery model in 2010, EPOS has sold thousands of spare batteries annual ly, highlighting the value of this feature for our customers. In alignment with the EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542), EPOS is further simplifying battery replacement in upcoming product launches. New product launches now offer straight forward battery replacement only using just a paperclip or similar tool. Furthermore, updated replacement multi lan guage guides are available, ensuring a seamless experience for end users. With these measures, EPOS will be fully com pliant with the requirements of the EU Battery Regulation by its effective date, February 18, 2027.”

The EPOS IMPACT 500 on ear Bluetooth headset is the newest member of the product range, and part of the en hanced sustainability strategy, where just a paperclip is re quired. Furthermore, original equipment replacement batter ies will remain available through EPOS and its partners for five years after a product is discontinued. “As part of our long term product sustainability strategy, EPOS is dedicated to extending the life of its solutions and maintaining reliable end of life product support, reinforcing our commitment to quality, sustainability and customer trust. This is comple mented by ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems, which provides a framework for organisations to identify, manage and reduce their environmental impact while ensuring legal compliance,” Søren concluded.

InfoComm 2026 spotlights the future of fan engagement

From immersive production environments to real-time audience interaction, AV innovation powers the modern live experience. Described as the world’s most essential destination for AV, IT, broadcast, and AI-driven systems, InfoComm 2026 spotlights the technologies transforming live events, sports, and entertainment – where production, performance, and audience engagement converge. Taking place June 13–19 (exhibits June 17–19) at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the event will showcase how AV innovation is powering the next generation of live experiences.

Show features

To bring these innovations to life, InfoComm 2026 0ffers a number of special features. These include The Pitch, pow ered by Diversified (Booth N8063) – an all new, immersive show floor experience inspired by the worlds of sports, broad cast, and live entertainment. From broadcast control rooms and draft room strategy spaces to premium viewing lounges, and fan engagement activations, The Pitch showcases how integrated AV technologies work together to power today’s most dynamic venues, campuses, and entertainment desti nations. Attendees can step into the action and experience firsthand how connected systems capture, manage, and am plify moments that engage audiences, support decision mak ing and deliver unforgettable live experiences.

“Live events today are no longer just about what happens on stage or on the field – they’re about creating shared, immer sive experiences that extend far beyond the physical venue,” said Jenn Heinold, Senior Vice President, Expositions, Amer icas, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “As demand grows for more connected, scalable, and engaging experiences, organ izations are blending broadcast workflows, real time data, and interactive technologies to reach audiences both in ven ue and beyond. InfoComm 2026 brings together the technol ogies and expertise that make those experiences possible from broadcast and production to lighting, audio, and re al time audience engagement.”

Live media ecosystems

The Pitch experience will showcase a fully integrated technol ogy stack – including broadcast systems, control platforms, displays, collaboration tools, audio, and graphics – working together to power dynamic sports, entertainment and live event environments. Attendees will explore how modern ven ues and media spaces support everything from live matchday production to high stakes decision making and premium au dience engagement.

Highlights include:

Broadcast control environments that manage live feeds, graphics, and real time production workflows

Draft room strategy spaces designed for collaboration, data visualization, and rapid decision making

Premium viewing lounges that flex between hospitality, pres entations, and live event experiences

Fan engagement activations that turn audiences into partici pants through interactive, branded moments

Together, these elements reflect a broader shift toward envi ronments that are not only connected, but agile, immersive and built to perform in real time.

Convergence

The lines between broadcast, AV, and live production contin ue to blur as organisations adopt more sophisticated, stu dio quality workflows. InfoComm will explore this crossover with sessions, such as “Brands as Broadcasters: The New Rules of Enterprise Media Production” and “Live Streaming in Action.” They will examine how organisations across indus tries are building in house production capabilities and deliv ering high quality content at scale. Attendees will also gain insight into how broadcast tools – once limited to traditional media environments – are now being deployed across corpo rate communications, live events, and experiential marketing.

The AVIXA TV Studio (Booth N6845) will demonstrate a ful ly operational broadcast studio designed for both enterprise and entertainment applications. Attendees will get a behind the scenes look at the studio to see how productions come to life and meet with the technology partners to learn about the solutions that power the studio, from cameras and control systems to audio, lighting, collaboration, and production workflows.

Immersive experiences

As audiences expect more personalised and interactive expe riences, AV technologies are evolving to support real time en gagement at scale. From dynamic LED environments and synchronized lighting to mobile driven audience interaction and live data overlays, organizations are transforming specta tors into active participants.

At InfoComm 2026, attendees will see how integrated sys tems enable real time content adaptation, audience partici pation, and data driven storytelling, creating experiences that are more engaging, measurable, and memorable.

Audio, Lighting, and Staging

In the North Hall, attendees will experience the creative side of AV, where sound, light, and visual storytelling come togeth er to shape live environments. Innovations in spatial audio, intelligent lighting systems, and automated staging are ena bling production teams to design more responsive and im mersive experiences.

From large scale concerts and sporting events to corporate productions and immersive installations, these technologies are redefining how environments are designed, controlled, and experienced.

Learning and innovation

The Spotlight Stage (Booth N6668) will feature sessions fo cused on broadcast AV, live production, and event design, including “Let’s Get Phygital: The New Playbook for Connect ed, Fan First Experiences” and “Designing Collective Won der: Light, Art & the Future of Immersive Placemaking.”

Attendees can also join an expert led tour of the show floor focused on broadcast AV technologies that are shaping mod ern content creation. The tour will highlight real world appli cations of AV over IP, NDI, SMPTE 2110, and integrated pro duction workflows.

In addition, the Integrated Experience Tour: Circa AV Sys tems Tour will offer a behind the scenes look at the audiovis ual infrastructure powering one of the most technology driven entertainment destinations in Las Vegas, showcasing large scale video environments, sportsbook and hospitality AV sys tems, and integrated platforms including Q SYS, Crestron NVX, and RNWY control software.

InfoComm 2026 is sponsored by Headline Partner Shure Incorporated and Premier Partners Audio Technica U.S., Blackmagic Design, Diversified, FORTÉ, and Microsoft.

The InfoComm show floor Avocor and IAdea partner to deliver MDEP-powered signage

Avocor, an AUO company and global leader in collaboration and communication solutions, has announced a strategic collaboration with IAdea to showcase Microsoft Device Eco system Platform (MDEP) powered digital signage solutions at InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas. The collaboration brings to gether Avocor’s display expertise with IAdea’s enterprise sig nage technology to deliver a secure, scalable, and intelligent digital signage solution designed for modern business envi ronments.

Making its North American debut at InfoComm 2026, Avo cor’s new B Series range of non interactive displays has been specifically developed for professional signage applications. Engineered for 24/7 operation, the B Series is designed to support high traffic environments where reliability, clarity,

and centralised device management are essential. Through its collaboration with IAdea, the Avocor B Series will be demonstrated with IAdea’s MDEP enabled signage technolo gy, enabling organizations to explore simplified device man agement, seamless integration with Microsoft environments, and the IT governance frameworks already applied to other enterprise endpoints.

The collaboration reflects the growing demand for digital signage solutions that align more closely with IT infrastructure and workplace technology strategies, giving IT and facilities teams a unified approach to deploying signage alongside oth er managed workplace endpoints. “Today’s organisations need signage solutions that are not only visually impactful, but also intelligent, secure, and easy to manage,” said Dana

Corey, General Manager at Avocor. “Our collaboration with IAdea enables us to bring MDEP powered capabilities to the Avocor B Series, creating a future ready signage platform that aligns with the evolving needs of enterprise customers. To gether, we are helping organisations simplify deployment, strengthen security, and enhance communication across modern workplaces.”

By leveraging Microsoft’s MDEP framework, the new solu tion provides businesses with enhanced device security, re mote management capabilities, and improved compatibility with enterprise workflows and IT policies. This creates a ro bust foundation for organisations looking to deploy connected signage solutions across corporate, education, retail, hospi tality, and public sector environments.

Visitors to InfoComm 2026 will be able to experience the new B Series firsthand at Avocor booth C6403, where demon strations will showcase how the partnership between Avocor, IAdea, and Microsoft is helping redefine digital signage for the modern workplace. “Partnering with Avocor allows us to combine our expertise in smart workplace and signage tech nology with Avocor’s globally recognised display solutions,” said John C. Wang, CEO at IAdea “Together, we are delivering a secure and scalable signage platform that meets the de mands of today’s connected organisations while supporting the future of enterprise communications.”

InfoComm 2026 takes place from 17–19 June at the Las Ve gas Convention Centre. Visitors can explore Avocor’s latest digital signage and display technologies at Booth C6403.

Mount-It! PRO shows latest mounting innovations

Mount It! PRO will showcase its latest mounting innovations in their Installation Efficiency Zone at InfoComm. Partners will love that they can mount smarter, install faster, and earn more. At the center of the booth experience is the unveiling of the Zaxxis Micro dvLED video wall mount. This patent pend ing version 2.0 of their award winning Zaxxis system offers precise Z axis depth control in an ultra slim 43mm profile. The Zaxxis Micro is displayed with the SBC Crystal Series cabinets providing a total depth of less than 4”, perfect for projects with ADA compliant requirements.

Additionally, they’ve partnered with Jupiter Systems and will spotlight the Pana 81” display in portrait orientation, powered by Velasea’s digital signage platform demonstrating seamless integration between mounting hardware and content delivery systems via a touchscreen interactive interface.

Mount It! PRO continues to challenge legacy pricing models in the Pro AV industry with a clear message: high quality mounting solutions don’t need to come with a premium markup. On average, Mount It! PRO products are priced sig nificantly lower than comparable solutions from major brands while maintaining equivalent performance and reliability.

With labour shortages and tighter project timelines impact ing integrators across the industry, Mount It! PRO is focused on simplifying installation and reducing time on site. “Install efficiency is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it’s critical to project success,” said John Harmyk, Director of Pro AV Sales. “We design mounts that go up faster, adjust easier, and help inte grators move from install to invoice quicker.”

Mount‑It! PRO solutions are engineered for:

Fast, intuitive installation

Video walls, dvLED, and digital signage applications

Scalability from single displays to large deployments

Mount It! PRO is committed to supporting its partners with a clean channel pricing model that protects margins and builds long term trust.

Partner

benefits include:

Tiered pricing and price protection

Free freight programs

Demo products

No minimum order requirements

U.S. based pre and post sales technical support

Every product is backed by an industry leading lifetime war ranty, reinforcing the company’s commitment to long term performance and reliability.

Building on a successful collaboration, Mount It! PRO will once again partner with Velasea to deliver a fully integrated booth experience, combining hardware and digital signage software into a cohesive, real world solution.

The partnership will also extend beyond the show floor through co marketing initiatives, including participation in the Velasea InfoComm golf event. Attendees are invited to sched ule a hands on product demo with the Mount It! PRO team in booth C8767 for a chance to win a dvLED mounting system valued at $5,000.

AtlasIED introduces Atlas+Fyne premium pendant loudspeakers

AtlasIED, a recognized leader in the commercial audio and security industries, announced the addition of new premium pendant loudspeakers to the Atlas+Fyne IsoFlare™ Series, which will be featured at InfoComm 2026. Engineered specif ically for applications with high or open ceiling spaces, the Atlas+Fyne IsoFlare pendant loudspeakers deliver superior, design forward performance that seamlessly integrates into modern architectural spaces. And they sound as good as they look! With this latest addition, venues with varying loud speaker demands, whether ceiling, surface, or pendant, ben

efit from the complete Atlas+Fyne lineup, delivering uniform point source performance and consistent voicing across all spaces.

Featuring low insertion loss transformers suitable for 70V or 100V applications, the pendants’ durable construction in cludes a weather resistant, IP44 rated enclosure. The FP range incorporates 4”, 6”, and 8” models, along with a sepa rate 8” model with narrow dispersion, specifically for higher ceilings, and an 8” subwoofer model for extended bass per formance. They combine exceptional performance with a re fined aesthetic, making them ideal for open environments where visual appeal matters.

Available in black and white, the launch will feature:

FP 4T 4” Premium IsoFlare Pendant Loudspeakers

FP 6T 6” Premium IsoFlare Pendant Loudspeakers

FP 8T 8” Premium IsoFlare Pendant Loudspeakers

FP 8THC 8” Premium IsoFlare Pendant Loudspeakers for High Ceilings

FP 8ST 8” Premium IsoFlare Pendant Subwoofers

“The Atlas+Fyne series has been exceptionally well received since its launch,” said Graham Hendry, VP of Loudspeakers Strategy at AtlasIED. “The introduction of these pendant loudspeakers presents new opportunities for integrators, and we look forward to hearing how this addition enhances our customers’ experiences.”

Visit AtlasIED at InfoComm booth N7132 to learn more about the Atlas+Fyne family.

AtlasIED solutions for every market

AtlasIED will showcase a variety of new technologies at Info Comm, designed to help integrators deliver smarter, more scalable audio solutions across hospitality, corporate, educa tion, and retail environments. The AtlasIED Atmosphere digi tal audio platform expands with the new AZP Smart Amplifi ers, featuring onboard DSP with integrated speaker tuning, flexible matrix mixing, and loudspeaker management tools, including EQ, crossovers, and limiters. It has a built in mes sage player for paging and announcements, as well as full sound masking capabilities with onboard signal generation and CAT based speaker connectivity for simplified installa tion.

The amplifiers also incorporate power sharing technology that enables total amplifier power to be allocated across channels in 5W increments. Dual network ports support sys tem control, monitoring, and Dante audio integration. Nestled in a 1RU form factor, 4 and 8 channel configurations are available in 150W or 300W (selectable LoZ or HiZ) per chan nel. The AZP lineup provides scalable, high performance amplification for a variety of applications, including hospitali ty, corporate, and educational environments.

AtlasIED will also expand its Atlas+Fyne IsoFlare perfor mance audio loudspeakers with new premium pendants, giv ing integrators a complete family of ceiling, surface mount, and pendant solutions with consistent voicing and uniform point source performance across entire installations. The new FP Series includes 4 , 6 , and 8 inch models, along with a narrow dispersion 8 inch version optimized for higher ceil ings and an 8 inch subwoofer for extended low frequency performance. Built for both performance and aesthetics, the pendants feature durable IP44 rated enclosures and low in sertion loss transformers for 70V and 100V applications,

making them ideal for open ceiling environments where sound quality and visual design are equally important.

Making their North American debut following their introduc tion at ISE 2026, the new Atlas+Fyne FC D ceiling and FS D surface mount loudspeakers combine Dante enabled PoE++ technology with IsoFlare™ point source technology to deliver full bandwidth, high output audio with simplified deploy ment. A single CAT cable delivers audio and power while Dante provides low latency digital audio, AES67 interopera bility, and real time system monitoring, enabling designers and integrators to deploy scalable, high performance sys tems with simplified installation, centralized configuration, and consistent results across commercial environments. The FC D and FS D loudspeakers will be demonstrated in Atla sIE’s on booth listening room during the show.

AtlasIED will also highlight its new DMA digital mixer ampli fier and LMA mono amplifier series. Designed for smaller commercial spaces such as cafés, restaurants, and retail shops, the new solutions provide an accessible way to inte grate background music and live audio into compact environ ments while offering easy scalability and capability for busi nesses.

The AIX campus/ building security platform will make its InfoComm debut this June, following a successful launch at ISC West 2026. AIX boasts a modular architecture, AI expan sion pathways, onboard gunshot detection, weapon detec tion, environmental sensing, and ONVIF compatibility. This innovative platform streamlines audio and visual notifications, as well as intelligent security, all through a single network connection. “Our InfoComm lineup this year represents one of the most exciting and comprehensive showcases we’ve ever brought to the show floor,” said John Ivey, CEO & Presi dent of AtlasIED. “The expansion of the Atlas+Fyne family and the ongoing development of the Atmosphere platform, along with the introduction of the AIX platform to our security solutions family, provide integrators with increased flexibility, improved performance, and greater capability across a broader range of applications.”

Visit AtlasIED at InfoComm booth N7132 to learn more.

PPDS new Philips professional displays

PPDS has confirmed its participation at InfoComm 2026, promising an unmissable lineup, with new partnerships and UltraSlims both debuting and showcasing as future tech among planned announcements in Las Vegas. Exhibiting on Philips Booth C9000 – and joining over 800 registered exhib itors at the Las Vegas Convention Center (June 13 19) – Info Comm 2026 will mark another major milestone for PPDS and its acclaimed ‘total solutions’ strategy to deliver unrivalled quality, choice, and value to customers in North America and beyond.

Continuing PPDS’ evolution beyond a traditional provider of displays, InfoComm 2026 brings the opportunity to showcase – many for the first time – what is hailed by the company and its partners as the industry’s most complete and energy con scious portfolio of advanced and highly flexible digital display hardware and software solutions. With quality only matched by design, solutions now include, but are far from limited to, dvLED (indoor, outdoor, and AIO), videowalls, digital signage (including TAA compliant) and ePaper, interactive displays, and professional TVs, created to support all market verticals and environments.

At InfoComm 2026, PPDS is set to raise this bar even fur ther with a wave of exciting new offerings, reinforcing its posi tion as a centralised resource for projects of any scale, while delivering seamless buying and installation experiences to the channel. Bruce Wyrwitzke, Senior Director North America at PPDS, said: “Built on the foundations of over 134 years of innovation with Philips, PPDS prides itself on enabling busi

nesses to bring their vision to life through tailored, cut ting edge innovations. At InfoComm 2026, we will deliver the latest advances in support of that strategy, as well as show casing the latest solutions that will enable customers to truly display without limits. You won’t want to miss it.” Continuing PPDS’ highly embraced ‘Picture this’ theme, launched for this year, visitors to the Philips booth at InfoComm 2026 will be treated to an assembly of unmissable AI infused visual activity, with an ever changing pool of content presented across a broad range of form visual factors and technologies.

Staying ahead of the pack, and with a commitment to deliv ering unrivalled choice, value, and opportunity to partners and customers in North America and around the world, PPDS can also confirm InfoComm 2026 will become the global launch pad for the latest in its ‘new for 2026’ AI=ready digital signage lineup. While full details are under wraps ahead of the show, the creation of this exciting new category within PPDS’ evolving Android SoC portfolio will open a wealth of exciting installation opportunities where proven quality, un paralleled visual performance, and UltraSlim aesthetics really matter. And that’s not all.

PPDS will also be announcing a new major partnership and collaboration with one of the AV industry’s most trusted man ufacturers, with the introduction of a brand new signage se ries with a fresh ecosystem for total solutions built in. Jack Boyczuk, Director of PD Sales at PPDS in North America, added: “This year’s Philips booth encourages visitors to ex plore the reaches of their imaginations, using displays togeth

er with our trusted partner solutions to realise the benefits of what’s already integrated within Philips Professional Displays – including ultimate processing power and artificial intelli gence (AI) ready technologies.”

Helping visitors to visualise and experience the full power, potential, and versatility of Philips Professional Displays, this year’s booth will include solutions to support a variety of needs in different environments, including retail, education, corporate, food and beverage, transportation, hospitality, public venues, and control rooms. The latest evolutions of PPDS’ commitment and global strategy to developing better energy efficiency and more environmentally conscious fea tures into its displays will also be present through the Philips booth, demonstrating ways businesses can deliver instant sustainability (and financial) benefits to their day to day oper ation. This year’s show will feature a range of dvLED and dig ital signage solutions – including the new for 2026 Philips Signage 5000 Series, the TAA compliant Philips Videowall display, and the ‘zero power’ Philips Tableaux range, the award winning Philips Unite LED 6000 Series All In One, with the company’s acclaimed LED wall of fame showcasing many others.

For the first time in North America, PPDS will also be show casing the new ‘all inclusive’ Philips LED Configurator, plus ‘game changing’ updates to the Philips Wave remote man agement platform. As with previous events, PPDS will adopt an open approach to the Philips booth, with no restrictions on access, allowing visitors the freedom to experience all solu tions up close. PPDS’ global management team, together with local and international sales managers from around the world, will be present and accessible throughout the show, providing live demonstrations and answering questions. An gela Lin, Commercial Head for North America at PPDS, con cluded: “We cannot wait to welcome visitors to the Philips booth at InfoComm 2026. 2026 has already been an exciting year, with some incredible new projects, combined with the ever strengthening of our portfolio and offering. With our in credible launches, as well as an array of future tech, together with a major new partnership, a visit to Philips Professional Displays could be a game changer for your business. We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas.”

Nureva showcases expanded large-room audio lineup

Nureva Inc., an innovator of advanced audio solutions, an nounces it will spotlight its new HDX series at InfoComm 2026, taking place June 17–19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. At booth C5001 in the Central Hall, attendees can learn how the HDX series expands Nureva’s portfolio for larg er spaces that need more than audio conferencing, making the brand a compelling choice for standardization across a broad range of use cases.

Expected to ship this summer, the HDX series is designed for larger and more complex spaces. It combines full room microphone pickup, full range distributed audio, Adaptive Voice Lift, Adaptive Voice Amplification, assistive listening with Auracast broadcast audio and divisible room automation in a solution that keeps deployment and operation remarka bly simple. Like all Nureva systems, the HDX series is pow ered by patented Microphone Mist technology.

Throughout the show, Nureva will host 15 minute HDX presentation sessions every 30 minutes at its booth. The company will also offer invited attendees a more in depth preview in a separate meeting room away from the show floor, where they can experience the system and get a sense of what to expect from HDX. “As organisations plan upgrades for larger spaces, they want solutions that deliver strong per formance without introducing unnecessary cost and com plexity,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “The HDX se ries is designed to bring together the functionality needed for more demanding environments in one simple, IT friendly solution, while our HDL systems continue to provide proven full room audio conferencing for today’s meeting and learn ing spaces.”

InfoComm attendees will also be able to learn more about Nureva’s HDL series, which offers the HDL200, HDL310 and HDL410 systems for medium, large and extra large rooms. The HDL line, with its Microphone Mist technology, delivers simple, full room microphone coverage for high quality audio conferencing. Together, the HDL and HDX series give cus tomers a clearer path to choose the right solution based on room size, use case and audio requirements. Media, analysts and attendees are invited to visit Nureva at booth C5001 to attend an HDX stage session, meet with company represent atives and learn more about Nureva’s audio solutions for larg er meeting and learning spaces.

Geephon launches high-performance LCD displays

Geephon, a manufacturer of high performance, commercial LCD display solutions, announces further expansion into the North American market. The company will debut its next gen eration of high bright LCD displays at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C9178), introducing integrators and channel partners to a more flexible, cost effective approach to digital signage de ployments for DOOH, QSR, transportation and retail. With more than a decade of manufacturing expertise and a strong presence across Europe and the Asia Pacific (APAC) regions, Geephon has established itself as a trusted provider of display solutions for demanding environments. Its technol ogy is widely deployed across outdoor advertising networks, retail chains, transportation systems, and commercial envi ronments, where performance, durability and long term reli ability are critical. “North America represents a strategic next step for Geephon,” said Shawn Kim, VP, CSMO. “We’ve built our reputation supporting large scale, real world deploy ments across Europe and Asia. Now, we’re bringing that same level of engineering, performance and value to partners in the Americas, along with a more direct, transparent path to sourcing.”

Geephon specialises in high bright, ruggedized LCD dis plays engineered to perform in challenging environmental conditions, including direct sunlight, extreme temperatures and continuous 24/7 operation. By designing, engineering and manufacturing in house, Geephon offers partners great er control over specifications, consistency across deploy ments and pricing that supports scalable rollouts. At InfoComm, attendees will experience a range of solutions designed for high demand applications, including: Outdoor enclosure displays with brightness up to 6,500 Nits and IP66

protection with operating ranges, 40 to +55C

Window facing displays delivering up to 5,000 Nits for maxi mum visibility in direct sunlight

Open frame solutions optimized for QSR drive thru and DOOH environments

Indoor digital signage and kiosks built for reliable, long term performance

At the core of Geephon’s engineering is its proprietary heat exchange technology. This innovation actively manages inter

nal LCD temperatures and protects panels from overheating, avoiding commonly seen problems such as blackening and yellowing. Combined with local dimming, Geephon displays deliver improved contrast and enhanced visual clarity that utilize significantly less power. Additional benefits include: Up to 45% energy savings through optimized power man agement

Modular, in field component swap out for simplified, lower cost maintenance

Advanced remote management and monitoring capabilities

Consistent 24/7 performance across indoor and outdoor de ployments

Geephon’s continued expansion into North America is rooted in a partner first philosophy, designed to simplify the sourcing and deployment process for system integrators, distributors and end users.By operating as a true factory direct manufac turer, Geephon enables:

Greater customization and project flexibility

Faster response times, clearer communication and better en gineering support

Reliable product availability and consistency across multi site rollouts

Factory direct pricing for lower total cost of ownership (TCO) “Our goal is simple,” added Shawn. “We want to make it easier for partners to deliver high quality display solutions that consistently perform as expected, whether that’s a sin gle installation or a large scale rollout.” Geephon will show case its full portfolio at InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, Ne vada in Booth C9178, where attendees can explore its latest innovations and meet with the team.

PlexusAV completes the AV-over-IP puzzle

PlexusAV, the professional AV division of Sencore, providing a suite of human focused AV over IP solutions, will officially un veil its new flagship P AVN 6 S transceiver at InfoComm 2026, Booth C10301. The P AVN 6 S is a high performance uncompressed IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110 solution with na tive 12G SDI I/O, designed to bridge traditional SDI infra structure and modern IP based workflows across a single open standard network. Integrating seamlessly with PlexusAV devices and cross vendor AV solutions, the launch marks a significant milestone for PlexusAV as it expands its AV over IP ecosystem into high performance hybrid environments where

uncompromised quality, precision and interoperability are es sential.

Purpose built for live events hybrid production environ ments and professional AV applications demanding uncom promised signal integrity, quality and timing precision, the P AVN 6 S enables organisations to transition seamlessly be tween baseband and IP workflows without vendor lock in. This makes it ideal for mission critical workflows where signal quality, low latency, interoperability, and timing precision are non negotiable. “The P AVN 6 S represents the final piece of the PlexusAV AV over IP portfolio,” said Steven Cogels, Direc tor of Business Development at PlexusAV. “The P AVN 6 S has been developed specifically for customers operating in environments where broadcast and Pro AV technologies in creasingly overlap. IPMX changes the game, giving custom ers the freedom to build, scale and evolve their AV systems on their terms, without vendor lock in. With the new uncom pressed video transceiver showcasing at InfoComm, we’re bringing that same open, flexible approach to the highest per formance applications.”

The P AVN 6 S delivers uncompressed quality over IPMX and SMPTE ST 2110 compliant networks up to 4K60, at ap proximately 18 Gbps throughput. A major differentiator is the unit’s integrated PTP to Genlock capability, which synchro nises SDI outputs directly to IP based timing with ±12 pixel phase accuracy. Combined with ST 2022 7 hitless redundan cy across independent primary and secondary network paths, the platform is engineered for deployments where timing ac curacy and uptime cannot be compromised. Support for 1GbE, 10GbE, and 25GbE networks provides a direct integra tion path between traditional baseband infrastructures and open standard IP distribution.

The P AVN 6 S also includes:

Native 12G SDI input and output with HDMI loop out PTP to Genlock Conversion for more accurate synchroniza tions

Dual SFP28 interfaces supporting 10GbE and 25GbE net works

JPEG XS support over standard 1GbE infrastructure Dante and AES67 audio transport with up to 8 audio chan nels

Open REST API, Web UI, and front panel LCD configuration Integration with PlexusAV Visual Array for centralised man agement

The P AVN 6 S is designed for a wide range of deployment environments including broadcast studios, live production, stadiums, houses of worship, enterprise broadcast facilities, government command centres, higher education, and hybrid SDI/IP control rooms. Visitors to InfoComm 2026 will see the P AVN 6 S demonstrated as part of the complete PlexusAV open standard AV over IP ecosystem, spanning compressed and uncompressed workflows, hybrid SDI/IP infrastructure, audio transport, and enterprise AV integration. The showcase will highlight interoperability across IPMX, SMPTE ST 2110, AES67, Dante and hybrid network environments, reinforcing PlexusAV’s commitment to flexible, vendor agnostic AV/IT in tegration.

Other products on show include the IPMX certified P AVN 4 Transceiver, P AVN 4E encoder, P AVN 4D decoder and P AVN 3 HDBT gateway, showing for the first time in North America, the P AVN 2E encoder and P AVN 2D decoder, the P AVN WP301H wall plate, P AVN CL100 USB C connectivi ty hub, and the newest speaker models for the audio product line (SPK 6S/C/P). PlexusAV will also be participating in inter operability demonstrations with the AIMS Alliance on the IP Showcase Booth W1355 in the West Hall.

Datapath presents Aetria multi-site control room connectivity

Datapath will demonstrate its latest control room and video wall management innovations at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas Convention Center, 17–19 June 2026, Booth C9159). At tendees will be among the first to see the latest Aetria update, with Datapath’s complete control room management platform introducing secure multi site connectivity between control room installations. Having operated in the US for almost 15 years, InfoComm 2026 marks a new chapter for Datapath as part of the VITEC family, expanding its reach, capabilities and customer support across the region.

“InfoComm 2026 is a fantastic opportunity to show how Da tapath is evolving to better support our customers operating

in complex control room environments,” said Mark Bohs, di rector of sales, The Americas. “With the latest Aetria update introducing secure multi site connectivity, we’re helping or ganisations manage operations across multiple locations as a single, unified environment, which is becoming an increas ingly important requirement for today’s control room applica tions. It’s also exciting to be alongside VITEC for the first time at the show. By bringing together our control room expertise with VITEC’s IPTV and streaming technologies, we’re now able to offer a more complete proposition for customers, with enhanced support, expanded geographical reach, and more diverse expertise.”

A full control room demonstration will focus on Datapath’s Aetria platform, illustrating how complex, multi source envi ronments can be managed through a unified, software driven approach. Using Datapath’s Secure Streaming Gateway (SSG), operators can monitor and share sources between ge ographically separate control rooms in real time, with AES encryption ensuring secure communication and user rights management governing access. This new update to Aetria enables teams to collaborate across locations and access live data from multiple sites within a single operational frame work.

Datapath will also showcase the Aligo Workstation, a pur pose built interface delivering real time control for modern mission critical environments as part of the Aetria complete control room solution. With seamless integration into Aligo, Datapath’s intelligent AV over IP and KVM platform, Aligo Workstation provides intuitive multi screen control with sub millisecond latency, empowering operators with rapid, secure and flexible management of all sources. Both Aligo Workstation and the software based Aetria Workstation will be available for hands on demonstration, allowing attendees to compare the available operator workstations side by side. Additional solutions on display will include Datapath’s VSN systems, such as the refreshed VSNMicro 600 featuring a new front panel, alongside its broader portfolio of capture cards and video processing technologies. Visitors to Booth

C9159 can explore the latest developments and discuss ap plication requirements with the full US Datapath team in at tendance.

Meyer sound debuts TIGRA and 1800-LFC

Meyer Sound arrives at InfoComm 2026 with its broadest and most integrated product lineup to date, anchored by versatile, high performance loudspeakers featuring the technology powering the next generation of Meyer Sound systems. The TIGRA line array and 1800 LFC low frequency control element make their InfoComm debut. TIGRA delivers PAN THER class performance in a streamlined line array opti mized for diverse venue sizes and use cases; 1800‑LFCis an evolution of 2100‑LFC. Designed for broad compatibility across the Meyer Sound ecosystem, both will be shown alongside PANTHER, 2100 LFC, and the ULTRA family of point source solutions, including ULTRA‑X20, ULTRA X4, and ULTRA X80.

GEN 1 and Nebra 2 mark a significant evolution in how Meyer Sound systems are designed and operated—pushing more processing to the loudspeaker itself while centralising control, monitoring, and connection in a single unified dash board. GEN 1, the Galileo Extended Networking platform, brings onboard signal processing directly to the loudspeaker. AES67 compatible and Milan certified, GEN 1 enables faster deployment and easier reconfiguration of systems while bringing a higher resolution of control to Meyer Sound loud speakers.

Nebra 2, now supporting TIGRA, is Meyer Sound’s platform that unifies system control, monitoring, and connectivity in a single application. Attendees can experience Nebra 2 first hand at Meyer Sound’s tech bar in booth #N6051. Each day at the tech bar, Meyer Sound experts will host Sonic Sessions: 15 minute deep dives into the tools, ideas, and innovations driving the evolving digital ecosystem.

Discover the technology redefining signal processing and control in Meyer Sound systems, streamlining workflows, and unlocking new levels of scalability and flexibility.

(June 18 and June 19 at 10:30 a.m.)

Explore how IntelligentDC delivers a simple approach to the self powered advantage.

(June 17, 18, and 19 at 11:30 a.m.)

From network to loudspeaker—learn how AES67 on GEN‑1 delivers the Meyer Sound standard.

(June 17 and 18 at 2:30 p.m.)

“InfoComm gives us the opportunity to demonstrate what’s

EVENT PREVIEW

possible when high performance loudspeakers and intelli gent system design work together,” says John McMahon, senior vice president, Meyer Sound. “What we’re bringing to Las Vegas, from TIGRA and 1800 LFC to GEN 1 and Nebra, reflects how we think about building systems that are not only powerful, but smarter and easier to deploy at every scale.” Meyer Sound will be at InfoComm booth #N6051, in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Exhibits run June 17 – 19.

D-Tools shows smarter, scalable project management

D Tools, the Integration Business Platform for the technology integration industry, will spotlight new innovations across its System Integrator (SI) and D Tools Cloud platforms at Info Comm 2026 in Booth C9012. The exhibit reinforces the company’s mission to help AV integrators streamline opera tions, improve collaboration, and scale with confidence. On Booth C9012, D Tools is emphasising a clear technology roadmap designed to support integrators at every stage of business growth. The company’s flagship on premises solu tion, System Integrator (SI) v24, continues to evolve for larger and more complex integration firms, while D Tools Cloud de livers a flexible, cloud based business management solution tailored to mobile, field driven teams and growing integration businesses.“Today’s integrators are managing increasingly complex projects with tighter timelines and higher expecta tions,” says G Paul Hess, D Tools CEO. “Our focus is deliver ing purpose built solutions that reduce operational friction, improve collaboration, and help integration businesses be come more efficient and profitable as they scale.”

D Tools Cloud will also spotlight new Inventory Asset Man agement functionality designed to transform how pro AV in tegrators track and manage physical hardware throughout the project lifecycle. Rather than aggregating products into simple inventory counts, the system assigns every physical asset its own digital identity, creating a detailed record that includes serial number, warehouse location, project assign ment, actual unit cost, firmware version, MAC and IP ad dresses, and complete change history.

The new feature unifies four traditionally disconnected workflows: warehouse intake, project allocation, field installa tion, and post install service within a single per asset data model. Captured manufacturer serial numbers connect each physical device to its digital record, while barcode and QR scanning workflows enable team members to receive products against purchase orders, relocate assets, or assign equipment to specific rooms with batch operations support ing up to 50 assets at a time. An immutable Global Unique Identifier (GUID) maintains complete asset provenance throughout its lifecycle, while a built in audit trail provides chain of custody visibility often requiring separate enterprise software platforms.

In addition, D Tools Cloud will showcase expanded AI driv en functionality designed to reduce the manual workload as sociated with proposal creation and project management for pro AV integrators. Recently added AI powered search and scope of work generation help teams work more efficiently while improving proposal accuracy and consistency.

The web based platform continues to evolve as a modern operating system for growing integration businesses and field driven teams, combining accessibility with robust pro ject management capabilities. D Tools Cloud also now in

cludes a native mobile app and Interconnect Diagrams for wiring documentation, complementing an existing suite of tools that supports CRM, multimedia proposals, invoicing, ac counting integration, service management, and reporting. D Tools Cloud is the company’s award winning Software as a Service (SaaS) solution designed for modern integration businesses. From proposals and project management to ser vice plans and payments, web based D Tools Cloud has helped AV, security, and low voltage integrators manage their entire workflow in one connected system since 2018.

A major highlight at InfoComm 2026 is the debut of System Integrator (SI) v24, the latest evolution of D Tools’ flagship end to end business management platform for enterprise firms. Headlining the release are two long requested fea tures: multi user project editing and a native Mobile Install App. Multi user project editing transforms how integration teams collaborate. For the first time, sales, design, engineer ing, and installation team members can work simultaneously within the same project file, eliminating sequential check outs, version conflicts, and workflow bottlenecks that tradi tionally slow project execution.

Changes save automatically to the server in real time, ensur ing all team members are working from the same current and accurate project data, helping shorten the path from kickoff to completed installation. Collaboration also extends beyond internal teams with a new Gantt chart export to Microsoft Pro ject, enabling integrators to share detailed project timelines with architects, general contractors, and other external stake holders who may not use SI directly. In addition, Project Edi tor enhancements now allow users to reorder bill of materials items to better mirror field installation workflows.

The new SI Mobile Install App is a powerful field service man agement SI companion app designed for technicians, install ers, and service teams who need to stay productive on every job site. The SI Mobile Install App gives technicians real time access to service orders, tasks, schedules, site documenta tion, and project details directly from their mobile devices, helping teams stay productive, connected, and accountable from anywhere. The functionality is almost identical to the existing SI Mobile Install web interface, with the key enhance ment being expanded offline functionality, allowing techni

cians to continue working even when internet access is una vailable.

SI v24 also introduces deeper operational and financial con trols, including custom timesheet fields, tax configuration by labour type, catalogue level system type assignments, new change order approval permissions, optional Azure Load Bal ancer deployment, 100MB mobile file transfers, and ad min only update notifications. Together, these enhancements provide pro AV integrators with greater scalability, govern ance, financial precision, and enterprise level project man agement capabilities.

Industry leading D Tools System Integrator (SI) is the most respected end to end business management software for the integration industry with thousands of integration company users over its 28 year history. The on premises solution is de signed for enterprise level firms complex projects, from sys tem design and engineering documentation to procurement, project execution, and financial visibility.

Live demonstrations of both the newly enhanced SI v24 and D Tools Cloud platforms will run throughout the show in Booth C9012. D Tools will also host its annual InfoComm Happy Hour on Thursday, June 18 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. featuring games, prizes, and networking opportunities for at tendees.

Pufferfish launches PufferTouch 4

Pufferfish, the global creative technology company specialis ing in immersive experiences, today announced the launch of PufferTouch 4 (PT4), the next generation evolution of its globally recognised interactive spherical display platform, making its first public appearance at InfoComm 2026, 17 19 June, Las Vegas Convention Center. Get hands on with the PT4 on the Barco booth N7231. Designed to support the next

generation of immersive experiences, PT4 builds on nearly a decade of global deployment experience across museums, visitor attractions, corporate environments, education, sci ence centres and live brand activations. The new platform introduces significant advancements while maintaining com patibility with the wider Pufferfish ecosystem already de ployed globally.

PT4 introduces a fully evolved platform architecture focused on operational efficiency, scalability, future expansion and long term serviceability. Platform enhancements include: Increased brightness and improved visual performance

Reduced weight for easier deployment and installation

Quieter operation and improved thermal efficiency

Enhanced serviceability and maintenance access

Modular architecture designed to support future expansion and accessories

Integration of the latest TI 0.80” HEP chipset technology “PufferTouch 4 represents the next evolution of our immer sive platform,” said Stephen Patterson, CEO, Pufferfish. “The focus wasn’t on reinventing what already works well, but on refining the areas that matter most to customers. We’ve taken everything we’ve learned from years of global deployments and applied it to a platform designed for the next generation of immersive experiences.”

As part of the development of PT4, Pufferfish has continued its long standing collaboration with Barco, whose projection technology has formed a core part of the PufferTouch ecosys tem across multiple generations of the platform over the last eight years. The decision to continue the partnership reflects a shared focus on reliability, image quality and long term in novation within the immersive technology market. “Our rela tionship with Barco has been a hugely important part of the success of the PufferTouch platform,” commented Tom Frame, CTO, Pufferfish. “As we developed PT4, it was impor tant for us to continue working with partners that share our focus on reliability, image quality and long term innovation. This has never been a traditional supplier relationship; it has been a genuine technology partnership focused on delivering the best possible experience for our customers.”

The combination of Barco’s projection expertise and the lat est TI 0.80” HEP chipset technology enabled significant im provements in ambient impact , efficiency and overall opera tional performance within the new platform. “Our collaboration with Pufferfish has gone from strength to strength over the years,” commented Frederik Bouckaert, Product Manage ment Lead Projection at Barco. “As the preferred projection supplier, we’re always excited to support the innovative plat forms Pufferfish brings to market. By working closely together at a technology level across teams, we ensure that each new generation delivers the performance and reliability their cus tomers expect. We look forward to continuing to push immer sive experiences forward together.”

Pufferfish also confirmed continued support for the globally established PufferTouch 3 platform, including:

Warranty and service support

Software and infrastructure updates

Compatibility with the wider Pufferfish ecosystem, including PufferOS and PufferConsole

Visitors to InfoComm 2026 can experience the new Puffer Touch 4 firsthand on the Barco booth (N7231).

Pufferfish: life in the round

Following a period of significant growth and strategic restructuring, immersive technology specialist Pufferfish has introduced a new integrated business structure spanning creative, technical and live event delivery. Ahead of InfoComm 2026, AV News spoke with CEO Stephen Patterson about the evolution of the business, the future of immersive experiences and the launch of the next-generation PufferSphere.

AVN: Pufferfish has evolved significantly over the past year. What’s changed within the business?

SP: A lot has changed, although in many ways this is a for malisation of how we’ve already been operating behind the scenes. Over the last few years, we’ve seen immersive pro jects become increasingly ambitious and increasingly com plex. Clients don’t just want a screen anymore they want content, interaction, deployment, support and measurable audience engagement.

Historically, that often meant managing multiple suppliers across creative, hardware, integration and live delivery, which creates friction and risk. We realised our strength was that we already had those capabilities internally, so we’ve now struc tured the business more clearly around them.

That’s where PufferStudio, PufferEvents and PufferTech come in. Together, they create a much more streamlined, end to end approach for clients. We are offering one integrat ed partner across creative, technology and delivery.

AVN: Can you explain what each division does?

SP: PufferStudio focuses on creative and content everything from interactive storytelling and data visualisation through to designing experiences specifically for non planar canvases.

PufferEvents handles turnkey immersive activations and global event deployments. That’s an area we’ve grown sub stantially in, particularly with brands wanting more experien tial engagement at exhibitions, launches and live environ ments.

PufferTech is the engineering side of the business devel oping our spherical displays, LED globes, curved surfaces and more bespoke immersive technologies.

The important thing is that they’re not separate silos. Clients work with one integrated team from concept through to instal lation, support and long term maintenance.

AVN: Why do you think immersive experiences are becoming such a priority for organisations?

SP: There’s definitely a wider shift happening. Traditional dig ital signage still has its place, but organisations are increas ingly competing for attention in environments where audienc es are overloaded with visual information. Every environment is saturated with screens. Flat panels line walls, fill lobbies and dominate exhibition floors, but increasingly they become visual wallpaper.

Immersive experiences create a different kind of engage ment. People behave differently around immersive environ ments. They stop, engage, interact and importantly re member the experience afterwards. That has huge value whether you’re in corporate communications, education, mu seums, healthcare or live events.

We’re also seeing businesses wanting environments that are memorable and emotionally engaging, not just functional dis plays. A Pufferfish installation isn’t background furniture. It’s the centrepiece that draws crowds, sparks conversation and creates moments people photograph and share.

AVN: Pufferfish has always been associated with spherical displays. How important is hardware innovation to the busi ness today?

SP: It’s still hugely important, but we probably think about it differently now. The hardware creates the initial moment of attention, but long term value comes from the experience, software and interaction built around it.

That’s why software, interactivity and content creation have become such a major focus for us. Every Pufferfish system ships with an intuitive authoring environment, but we also

have a full creative and software capability internally for more advanced projects. We’re increasingly helping clients think about the complete experience rather than just the display technology itself.

AVN: Beyond the core spherical displays, what other solu tions does Pufferfish offer?

SP: We have the touch responsive PufferHemi a hemi spherical display designed for brighter environments with en hanced pixel density and immersive interactivity as well as PufferLED, a high brightness spherical LED solution ideal for exhibitions, events and permanent installations.

We’re less known for custom display forms but this is a big opportunity for us. Bespoke to a customer’s brief, we engi neer tailored designs, mounting options and branded finishes for unique environments and experiences. Custom form op tions include curved LED walls, LED floors, architectural me dia surfaces and integrated experiential structures.

Increasingly, clients are asking for immersive technology tai lored to a specific environment or audience journey, and that’s where our engineering and creative teams work closely together.

AVN: You’re launching the next generation PufferSphere at InfoComm 2026. What can visitors expect?

SP: InfoComm will be an exciting moment for us because we’ll be showcasing the fourth generation PufferSphere pub licly for the first time.

The fourth generation platform has been completely re en gineered around performance, deployment efficiency and long term serviceability. It’s brighter, quieter, lighter and far more modular than previous generations, while retaining the visual impact the PufferSphere platform is known for.

We’ve taken nearly two decades of real world deployment experience and built that directly into the system architec ture.

It’s designed for much more demanding immersive environ ments and workflows, particularly as expectations around in

teractivity and real time content continue to increase.

AVN: Pufferfish is also appearing on the Barco booth this year. How important is that relationship?

SP: Very important. We’ve worked with Barco for many years and there’s a strong alignment between both companies around innovation, reliability and experience led visual tech nology.

Having a presence on the Barco booth (#N7231) at Info Comm is a great opportunity to showcase the new generation PufferSphere within a broader ecosystem conversation around immersive visual experiences and enterprise technol ogy.

The new generation PufferSphere has been developed alongside that continuing relationship, so showcasing it on the Barco booth feels like a natural fit. Partnerships like that are increasingly important because clients are looking for in tegrated solutions rather than isolated technologies.

AVN: Looking ahead, where do you see the immersive tech nology market going next?

SP: I think the boundaries between AV, experiential, software and spatial technology will continue to disappear.

We’re already seeing immersive environments become part of mainstream communication infrastructure rather than standalone attractions. Real time rendering, AI assisted workflows, interactivity and data driven experiences are all accelerating that shift.

For us, the focus is on making immersive experiences easi er to deploy, easier to scale and ultimately more accessible for organisations globally. That’s really the thinking behind the structure we’ve introduced this year.

We’re no longer just delivering products we’re helping or ganisations communicate in more engaging ways.

For more information, visit: www.pufferfishdisplays.com. Visit the Pufferfish team at InfoComm Las Vegas, Barco booth N7231

AV, sustainability and the circular economy

Even the most ardent of enthusiasts for respecting the environment, with their roots in the hippy culture of the 1960s and 1970s, would be staggered by the changes to the prevailing attitudes towards today’s consumer society. Even so, most present-day consumers recognise a measure of environmental responsibility. Energy efficiency? Fine, no big leap of imagination required. Sensitive choice of materials to be used in new products. Again, fine – even in the 1960s, very few would go out of their way to use materials that actually harm the environment (let’s ignore Selenium and a handful of other harmful materials). When products go end-of-life, only their true environmental philistines would turn a blind eye to the responsible disposal. So, where do we go from here and how quickly? Now, the most enthusiastic proponents of sustainability argue in favour of ‘circularity’ as an economic and business model – something that is likely to become a reality within 10 -12 years.

Only when we get to the point where being truly sustainable requires us to make substantial and irreversible changes to our commercial behaviours do we reach an irreversible point of no return. For many AV professionals, this point is known as the ‘circular economy’ or ‘circularity’. Moving to a circular economy means tearing up most of the traditional model of AV design, manufacturing, provisioning and deployment. Cir cularity, at its simplest, is a framework for managing au dio visual (AV) products and solutions in a way that minimis es waste and maximises resource utilisation. Instead of relatively new AV gear ending up in landfills after its initial use, it is reused, refurbished, recycled, or repurposed. This approach stands in contrast to the traditional “take make dispose” model, which is inherently unsustainable. The central idea behind circularity is to keep materials and products in use for as long as possible, thereby reducing the need to consume new, or ‘virgin resources’, so minimising environmental impact. There are a variety of ways this can be achieved. For example, from designing AV equipment with durability and repairability at its heart, to implementing effec tive ‘take back’ programs and recycling initiatives. It’s about

shifting the mindset from viewing AV kit as a disposable com modity to recognising its inherent value as a collection of re usable materials and components. In the future, the concept of ‘new’ may be to be more nuanced to cover a variety of sit uations, such reconditioned or re manfactured.

Drivers for sustainability

Public sector bodies with a track record of widespread AV usage are often seen in the vanguard of sustainability. Educa tion has a clear benefit here as teaching sustainability in practice provides an example to those about to re enter adult hood and the workplace. This fact has made a significant impression on suppliers active in the sector. For example: “At i3CONNECT, sustainability is not just a goal. It is a commit ment that drives everything we do.” The company has intro duced its own version of circularity with guarantees on the long term serviceability and recycling of hardware (see the box below).

The transition to a circular economy is dependent on how individuals and organisations learn to innovate and apply what they have learned in as they move into the world of work. The education sector, from primary school to postgrad uate study, plays a vital role in ensuring students of all ages are equipped with the key skills and knowledge to apply cir cular thinking in their chosen careers. Moving to a circular ecoomy depends on disseminating appropriate learning across a growing global community of schools, colleges and

higher education institutions. This is where you students can apply for circular economy courses; find resources to help teaching the circular economy; and get inspired by others in the growing learning community.

AV: inherently sustainable

With all the passionate discussion of sustainability, it is easy to overlook the fundamentally sustainable nature of AV tech nology itself. Take digital signage as an example. Think about what went before digital signage offers a number of sustain able alternatives to traditional print signage and pricing cards. Retailers, and other volume users of digital signage, are in creasingly focused on eco friendly practices and sustainabil ity initiatives. Having secured the initial environmental benefit of moving to digital signage, and enjoyed the secondary ben efits of faster competitive response, the signage community is moving to smaller carbon footprints, reduced resource con sumption and energy efficiency.

Aside from the traditional users of AV technology in retail, transportation and other public spaces, the corporate world has embraced digital collaboration and communications. Corporate sustainability strategies are driven by innovations in product lifecycles, from design and manufacturing to operation and end of life corporate sustainability strategies are driven by in novations in product lifecycles, from design and manufacturing to operation and

end of life product management. AV solutions are corporate sustainability strategies are driven by in product lifecycles, from design and manufacturing to operation and end of life , corporate sustainability strategies are driven by innovations in product lifecycles, from design and manufacturing to operation and end of life productmanagement. AV solutions are contribut ing to a greener future by focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable materi als, and extended product lifespans. Innovations such as adaptive brightness in LED displays, eco modes in amplifiers, and modular designs allow for the reuse and recycling of old er displays, helping to reduce e waste and extend product life cycles.. AV solutions are contributing to a greener future by focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable materi als, and extended product lifespans. Innovations such as adaptive brightness in LED displays, eco modes in amplifiers, and modular designs allow for the reuse and recycling of old er displays, helping to reduce e waste and extend product life cycles. to a greener future by focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable materi als, and extended product lifespans. Innovations such as adaptive brightness in LED displays, eco modes in amplifiers, and modular designs allow for the reuse and recycling of old er displays, helping to reduce e waste and extend product life cycles.. AV solutions are contributing to a greener future by focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable materi als, and extended product lifespans. Innovations such as adaptive brightness in LED displays, eco modes in amplifiers, and modular designs allow for the reuse and recycling of old er displays, helping to reduce e waste and extend product life cycles.

Circularity in the AV sector

At almost every AV trade show with an accompanying confer ence or seminar programme, one or more speakers will feel obliged to comment about the rapid pace of development in AV technology. And for every speaker that makes a comment to this effect, another will state the absolute need for AV to be more sustainable, apparently oblivious to the irony that a business that depends on innovation needs fundamental change to its business if it is satisfy both objectives.

Of course, the problem is exacerbated by customer de

mands for the ‘biggest’, the ‘fastest’, the ‘cheapest’ etc. The result is a significant volume of e waste as one generation of AV technology if replaced by another. By adopting circularity concepts, the AV industry can reduce its reliance on the ‘new’ and minimise its carbon footprint. But, the successful imple mentation of circularity in AV requires a number of changes to current practice. The concept of ‘Design for durability and repairability involves designing AV products and solutions that are built to last, and that can be easily repaired or up graded. This includes using durable materials, modular de signs, and readily available spare parts. The second require ment is for ‘Product stewardship and take back programmes’: These place the emphasis on the original manufacturers and distributors to take responsibility for the end of life manage ment of the product or solution. You can imagine that this is not universally popular, and nor is it always practical in mul ti vendor solutions.

The creator’s responsibility continues in the next phase of the product lifecycle – ‘Refurbishment and reuse’. Refurbish ing and reusing AV equipment extends its lifespan and reduc es the need for new products (again, difficult with the indus try’s current business model). Supporters of circularity point to the need to repair, clean, and upgrade used AV products to make them suitable for resale or donation.

Responsibility continues even after the product or solution reaches end of life status. ‘Responsible recycling’ involves recycling in an environmentally sound manner. This can in volve dismantling the solution and recovering valuable mate rials such as metals, plastics, and glass. The final stage in circularity involves ‘Material recovery and upcycling’, where by recovered materials from recycled AV products and solu tions can be used to manufacture new products, closing the loop and reducing the demand for virgin resources. Upcy cling involves transforming waste materials into higher value products.

Strategies for circularity

As ever in anything to do with sustainability there a multitude of optional schemes and organisations seeking to police pro cedures and outcomes. Sustainability programmes for AV products and solution s include:

•Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): EPR schemes hold manufacturers accountable for the end of life manage ment of their products. This incentivises them to design for

durability, repairability, and recyclability. EPR can be imple mented through legislation or voluntary agreements, often involving collection targets, recycling standards, and eco de sign requirements.

•Design for Disassembly (DfD): DfD involves designing AV equipment that can be easily disassembled into its constitu ent parts for repair, refurbishment or recycling. This requires using modular designs, standardised components, and read ily accessible fasteners. DfD reduces the cost and complexity of end of life processing, making it more economically viable.

•Product as a Service (PaaS): PaaS models shift the focus from selling products to providing services. Instead of owning AV equipment, customers lease or take it on subscription, with the manufacturer retaining ownership and responsibility for maintenance, upgrades, and end of life management. This incentivises manufacturers to design for durability and longevity, as they benefit from extending the lifespan of their products.

•Reverse Logistics: Reverse logistics involves managing the flow of used AV equipment from consumers back to manu facturers or recyclers. This requires establishing efficient col lection networks, sorting facilities, and processing infrastruc ture. Reverse logistics can be facilitated through take back programs, deposit refund schemes, or third party logistics providers.

Some specific examples of manufacturer’s implementations of these programmes are provided in the boxes below.

Picking up the tab

However well disposed specific businesses are to sustainabil ity, they are, first and foremost, businesses. That means they have to be both willing and able to sustain the economic costs of circularity, and viability is key for their widespread adop tion. Factors influencing the feasibility of circularity strategies include:

•Cost of recycling: The cost of recycling AV products and solutions can be high, especially for complex or hazardous materials. This can be a barrier to recycling, particularly in regions with limited infrastructure or low commodity prices. Innovation in recycling technologies and economies of scale can help reduce recycling costs.

•Value of recovered materials: The value of materials recov ered from recycled AV equipment depends on market de mand and commodity prices. Fluctuations in these prices can affect the economic viability of recycling operations. Di versifying material recovery and upcycling can help mitigate this risk.

•Labour costs: Labour costs associated with disassembly, re furbishment, and recycling can be significant, especially in developed countries. Automation and robotics can help re duce labour costs and improve efficiency.

•Regulatory compliance costs: Compliance with environmen tal regulations can add to the cost of circularity. However, these costs can be offset by the benefits of reduced waste disposal fees, resource conservation, and enhanced brand reputation.

•New business models: Circularity opens up new business

opportunities, such as refurbishment, leasing, and material recovery. These new business models can generate revenue and create jobs, contributing to economic growth.

Corporate and organisational responsibility

While the first regard of many businesses if the bottom line, corporates, in particular, now have equally significant regard for their social responsibilities. Circularity has a role to play here for both producers and consumers of AV:

•Reduced e waste: Circularity reduces the amount of e waste generated, minimising the environmental and health risks as sociated with improper disposal. This protects ecosystems and human populations from hazardous materials.

•Resource conservation: Circularity conserves virgin resourc es by promoting reuse, refurbishment, and recycling. This reduces the environmental impact of resource extraction and manufacturing.

•Carbon footprint reduction: Circularity reduces the carbon footprint of the AV industry by minimising energy consump tion and greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufac turing and transportation.

•Job creation: Circularity creates new jobs in areas such as refurbishment, recycling, and material recovery. This can contribute to economic development and social equity.

•Ethical sourcing: Circularity promotes ethical sourcing of materials by reducing the demand for virgin resources and encouraging responsible mining practices. This can help ad dress social and environmental issues associated with re source extraction.

Conclusion

The circular economy undoubtedly has benefits for society, promoting the reuse of resources, waste reduction and sus tainability. The future of sustainability and the circular econo my in business and education technology is defined by con vergence: businesses are redesigning value creation around circular models, while education technology (EdTech) is evolving to teach, measure, and scale these new capabilities. Together, they form a reinforcing system: business demands new skills, and EdTech becomes the engine that develops them. Business trends include

•Circular value innovation — Companies are rethinking how they create and capture value, similar to the digital transfor mation of the 1990s. Circularity is becoming a driver of new business models, not just sustainability compliance.

•Service based models — Businesses increasingly ask: How can we make money by providing a service instead of selling a product? This shift supports reuse, repair, and long term

material value.

•Circular supply chains — Designing supply chains that ena ble easy reuse and remanufacturing is becoming a strategic priority.

•Policy driven acceleration — Governments (including the UK) are pushing circularity through regulation, funding, and procurement frameworks. Businesses increasingly need to align with these expectations.

•Technology enabled circularity — AI, IoT, digital twins, and materials tracking systems are enabling real time resource optimisation and product life extension.

So, when, if ever, are we likely to see a fully circular economy operating in ProAV? A fully circular economy for professional AV tech isn’t here yet, but the industry is clearly moving in that direction. The consensus is that circularity will be achieved in the mid 2030s, before it becomes mainstream.

Right now, the pro AV world is still mostly stuck in a linear “take–make–dispose” model, with short product lifecycles, tricky to recycle materials, and rapid obsolescence. Circular design — modular gear, easy repairability, take back pro grams — is still the exception, not the rule. But, across the industry, we’re seeing early but real moves toward circularity, which is likely to impact pro AV around 2032–2038. Manu facturers are only just beginning to redesign products for cir cularity. Supply chains need major restructuring to support take back, refurbishment, and closed loop materials. Stand ards bodies (AVIXA, SAVe, ISE partners) are pushing hard, but industry wide compliance takes time. Corporate and pub lic sustainability requirements are tightening — which will accelerate adoption.

Sustainability at i3 Connect

The sustainability programmes and initiatives offered by i3Connect (the combined entity of i3 Technologies and CTOUCH)are among the most progressive in the AV industry. Their sustainability work spans product design, operations, supply chain, and long term climate goals. These include:

1. Road to net zero (by 2050)

i3Connect has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, with interim targets:

•46% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030

•27% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030

2. Energy efficient product programme

Touchscreens are designed to be energy efficient, using on average:

•29% less energy than competing brands

•Features that reduce power consumption without sacrificing performance

3. Longer product lifetime & circularity

They focus heavily on extending product life and reducing waste:

•Products designed for 10+ years of use

•CTOUCH Next Life Programme: take back and refurbish ment of used touchscreens to reintroduce them into the mar ket

4. Lifecycle transparency & product passports

Every touchscreen comes with a Sustainability Passport, based on a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that covers:

•Materials

•Production

•Use phase

•End of life recycling They’ve completed 30+ LCAs and now include Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

5. Fair trade & ethical supply chain programme

Ensures:

•No child labour

•No forced labour

•Responsible supplier selection

6. Sustainability credentials & compliance

i3Connect participates in major sustainability frameworks and certifications:

•EcoVadis Gold Medal

•ISO 14001 (environmental management)

• ISO 27001 (information security)

•UN Global Compact participant

7. Employee & operational sustainability

Their internal sustainability efforts include:

•62% reduction in employee CO₂ footprint

•Encouraging low impact commuting (e.g., cycling)

•Reducing single use plastics and energy waste

8. Product innovation for sustainability

The company runs ongoing R&D projects focused on greener tech, including:

•CTOUCH Green Screen: a sustainability focused prouct in novation initiative

Sustainability programmes for Philips AV

/ Professional Displays

1. EcoVadis Platinum sustainability programme (via TPV Technology)

Philips Professional Displays are produced by TPV Technolo gy, which has been awarded an EcoVadis Platinum rating — placing it in the top 1% of the world’s most sustainable elec tronics manufacturers. This programme evaluates:

•Environmental performance

•Labour & human rights

•Ethics

•Sustainable procurement

This rating reflects sustainability initiatives across the entire AV product lifecycle, from manufacturing to long term prod uct performance.

2. TPV Cares – social & environmental impact programme

TPV (Philips’ parent company for AV products) runs TPV Cares, a global programme supporting:

•Environmental initiatives

•Community projects

•Donations of AV equipment

•Volunteer support

This programme operates in 200+ countries and includes partnerships such as the Barça Foundation collaboration.

3. Philips circular economy & green product design

While not AV specific, Philips’ sustainability framework ap plies across product categories, including professional dis plays. Key programmes include:

Designing for Circularity

•Using fewer raw materials

•Increasing recycled content

•Designing products for reuse and recycling

•Reducing hazardous substances

These principles guide the design of Philips AV hardware as part of the company’s broader environmental strategy.

4. Energy Efficiency & Low Impact Materials

Philips has spent decades improving energy efficiency across its product lines. For AV products, this translates into:

•Lower energy consumption displays

•More efficient power management

•Use of low impact materials and packaging

These efforts are part of Philips’ environmental targets and sustainability themes.

5. Carbon Neutral Operations

Philips achieved 100% carbon neutrality in its own opera tions in 2020, and this applies to the manufacturing and logistics footprint that supports AV products. This includes:

•Renewable electricity

•Reduced operational emissions

•Sustainable manufacturing practices

6. EcoVision Programme (Philips wide)

Philips’ long running EcoVision programme drives sustaina bility across all product categories, including AV. It focuses on:

•Green technologies

•Reducing environmental impact

•upporting circular economy transitions

Stage Audio Works Namibia upgrade company boardroom

Stage Audio Works (SAW) Namibia recently completed a con ferencing system upgrade for an insurance company at its Windhoek headquarters, allowing SAW Namibia to demon strate its commitment to trusted, long term support. As the insurance company had already standardised the use of Log itech across its operations, SAW Namibia was tasked with supplying and installing an improved Logitech solution that aligned with specific guidelines. “We have known this client for a long time, and recently reached out to reconnect,” says Emcé Smit, Technical Manager at SAW Namibia. “When they told us that upgrades were needed for their existing system, we were ready to assist. The client already had a good idea of what was required, with only a couple of brainstorming ses sions required to finalise the equipment list.”

Key to the company’s mission was to maximise its meeting spaces and utilise the existing system as part of the upgrade. “The client had decided to convert to Microsoft Teams Rooms for ease of operation,” Smit explains. “In the main board room, we integrated a Logitech Microsoft Teams Room sys tem using a combination of new and existing equipment, cre ating a user friendly environment that allows teams to connect and collaborate across Logitech hardware and Microsoft soft ware.” SAW Namibia also fitted a further meeting space with a Logitech system to adhere to their internal technology standard. “We supplied and installed a Rally Bar Mini, a Ral ly Mic Pod, and a Tap IP touch control interface, in addition to Logitech integration accessories. This configuration en sures consistent performance and usability across the insur ance company’s meeting spaces, with the room set up as a Microsoft Teams Room on Android,” notes Smit.

Due to additional upgrades taking place throughout the in surance company’s headquarters, SAW Namibia was not the only team working on site. “As part of the wider building up grade, the meeting space was being completely refurbished with custom joinery and new lighting to modernise the space,” Smit reveals. “The only challenge we faced during this project was the extremely tight deadline. We were very dependent on the other subcontractors completing their tasks before we could proceed with our own installation work.” Despite these challenges, the project was delivered on schedule – a reflec tion of SAW Namibia’s commitment to precision, efficiency and teamwork. This upgrade stands as an example of SAW

Namibia’s dedication to long term partnerships and deliver ing future ready environments for its clients. “We aim to be more than a service provider; our customers rely on SAW Namibia as a dependable partner dedicated to safeguarding and strengthening their projects every step of the way,” reas sures Smit. “Customer centricity is one of our core values, and we take pride in offering reliable, long term support whenever it’s needed.”

Kramer AV ecosystem powers hybrid governance at Mid Ulster District Council

Mid Ulster District Council in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland has modernised its council chamber and five associated meeting rooms with a fully integrated Kramer AV ecosystem designed to support modern governance, hybrid participa tion and streamlined system management via Kramer’s next gen Panta Rhei platform. The council’s previous chamber conference system had become outdated and unreliable, even prone to failures during critical meetings. It also lacked the ability to support modern hybrid or remote participation formats that have become increasingly important across public sector organisations.

To add to previous issues, the legacy infrastructure required manual reconfiguration for each meeting type significantly

increasing staff workload. Following guidance from the North ern Ireland government encouraging digital accessibility and improved remote capabilities across the public sector, the council recognised the need for a comprehensive technology upgrade. The challenge was to modernise the council’s meet ing infrastructure while preserving the integrity of traditional in chamber proceedings. The system also needed to accom modate architectural and heritage constraints within the chamber while supporting professional quality streaming, re cording and secure remote participation. To deliver the pro ject, Mid Ulster District Council partnered with award winning system integrator Rea Sound, with a demanding requirement to complete the entire installation within a strict 90 day time line driven by council scheduling commitments.

Central among the Council’s needs was the ability to support traditional, hybrid and fully remote meetings with a sin gle touch setup process that eliminated manual system con figuration. Ensuring inclusive participation was equally impor tant. Councillors attending remotely needed to retain the same speaking and voting rights as those physically present in the chamber, enabling the council to preserve full demo cratic function regardless of meeting format.

At the core of the installation is a Kramer control system, centered around a custom programmed Kramer KT 2010 touch panel that acts as the operational command centre for the entire AV environment. Working closely with the council,

Rea Sound developed bespoke control programming that unifies multiple technologies into a single intuitive interface. The system integrates a Bosch wireless conference system, Allen & Heath digital matrix audio, Panasonic and Samsung displays, LED lighting and Kramer’s AVoIP distribution plat form into one cohesive environment. With a single touch on the control panel, staff can now select the desired meeting format — traditional, hybrid or fully online. The system auto matically configures all required technologies, activating cameras, routing audio, adjusting display settings and con trolling lighting without the need for specialist technical knowledge. “The most exciting aspect of this project is the innovative way in which all AV equipment has been brought together under one intelligent, centralised control system,” said Roger McMullan, Director at Rea Sound, adding: “And at the heart of this integration is the Kramer control system.” Video distribution throughout the facility is handled by Kramer AVoIP encoders and decoders, including the KDS 17 and KDS 100, which provide flexible, network based signal routing. The IP based architecture ensures high quality video delivery to displays within the chamber while simultaneously supporting streaming and recording for remote participants. To provide enterprise level management, the installation also incorporates Kramer’s Panta Rhei AV ecosystem platform. Working alongside Kramer control, Panta Rhei’s Session Manager enables unified meeting initiation, content manage ment, third party application launching and wireless pres entation. The platform provides secure access to collabora tion tools and conferencing environments, ensuring meeting spaces can easily support video conferencing and hybrid workflows.

In addition to user facing functionality, Panta Rhei provides advanced infrastructure oversight and remote system man agement. IT teams can monitor device status, system health and performance in real time through a centralised interface, allowing potential issues to be identified and resolved before they affect meetings. “Panta Rhei gives the council confi dence that their AV systems are always performing reliably,” McMullan added. “Remote monitoring reduces the need for on site intervention, saving time and resources.” Beyond the main chamber, five additional meeting rooms were upgraded with hybrid meeting capabilities and integrated into the same Panta Rhei ecosystem. Staff training was simplified through the deployment of a consistent user interface across all spac

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es, enabling users to operate any room without learning dif ferent systems.

The modernised AV infrastructure has transformed how Mid Ulster District Council manages meetings and public engage ment. Automated setup through Kramer control has virtually eliminated preparation time and the need for technical exper tise during meeting configuration. Processes that previously required extensive manual intervention can now be complet ed instantly through a single touch, allowing staff to focus on higher value operational tasks. Remote diagnostics via Panta Rhei allow IT teams to maintain system reliability across all six meeting spaces while identifying potential issues proactively. To add to the man hours cost saving, automated shutdown functions further contribute to operational efficiency by re ducing energy consumption.

Importantly, the system preserves the full integrity of demo cratic processes. Councillors joining meetings remotely retain complete participation rights, including managed speaking requests and secure voting capabilities. This ensures govern ance procedures remain consistent regardless of how partic ipants attend. The installation has also improved public trans parency. Citizens can now follow meetings via live streaming or access recorded sessions on demand, strengthening civic engagement and improving public accountability.

Strategic Director JJ Tohill of Mid Ulster District Council wel comed the project’s success “I am very pleased with system functionality and look forward to the Council availing of and benefiting from its investment in the coming years,” he said. “I also wish to acknowledge the professionalism, commit ment and quality of Rea Sound in delivering this project with in a tight deadline.” In recognition of their innovative ap proach at streamlining a complex AV support brief with Mid Ulster Council, Rea Sound was awarded ‘Public Sector Pro ject of the Year’ at one of the premier AV industry awards, reflecting the professionalism of their approach and ability to deliver a user friendly system that supports a range of re quirements.

Wichita State gets hands-hn experience with AtlasIED

Wichita State University is a public research university locat ed in Wichita, Kansas, serving approximately 18,000 stu dents. Innovation is a core tenet of the university, which is why 10 years ago it launched a major academic and student life initiative, dubbed the ‘Innovation Campus’. The plan in cluded public/private partnerships with domestic and inter national companies that would collaborate with the students and faculty on research projects and product development through a technology transfer system. Central to the Innova tion Campus is the Project Innovation Hub, which fosters an experiential learning and innovation mindset, promoting in terdisciplinary collaborations across all Colleges and within the WSU community. From freshman year through gradua tion, the Project Innovation Hub provides a dynamic space for students, researchers, and industry professionals to ide ate, create, and explore together. This initiative brings togeth er a diverse group of students from various disciplines, in cluding biomedical, aerospace, computer science, and electrical engineering, under the guidance of faculty and in dustry mentors.

Recently, one project that students championed involved designing, testing, and implementing a campus wide security system in a laboratory environment using equipment from several leading vendors in their respective industries. Key partners, including AtlasIED, Cisco, Singlewire, IntelliSee, Kontakt.io, and Logicalis, supported the installation and inte gration efforts. The project’s interdisciplinary approach lever ages the students’ varied backgrounds, allowing each to con tribute their unique perspective. “This project started, like most anything does, with an innocent conversation that be gan asking ‘what if?’ questions or ‘I wish I could do X,’” said Nathan Smith, Director of the Project Innovation Hub at Wichita State. “It was some industry connections and I that started talking about common problems that can be ad dressed, and it snowballed from there into a full project. Our backdrop was the school security safety concerns raised by various stakeholders within the regional school districts. “For the manufacturers, the project deliverable was to fill in the gaps. They wanted us to develop a more standard or pre ferred way to interconnect the systems, fill in the gaps in doc umentation, and validate that the systems can actually work together.”

“For the students, part of it was having them directly inter face with industry personnel,” said Smith. “I initiated some conversations, but after a while, I stepped back and had the

students contact the SMEs themselves to get their technical questions answered. I wanted them to learn how to commu nicate directly and understand the different stakeholders. Another thing that is rare for students is the ability to essen tially complete the entire reference architecture themselves. There was limited documentation for integrating Vendor A with Vendor B. And I think that was probably one of the best learning cases for students, because you really never get that. In a course, you have to pre define everything, challenge them, but you have to know the output yourself. And when we go into something like this, I don’t even know what the output is, I’m right there with them, figuring it out.”

The project leveraged AtlasIED’s IPX Series of IP endpoints, which students used to test integrations and manage com munications across campus spaces. They are designed for modern facilities (schools, healthcare, manufacturing, corpo rate campuses) that want a unified, network‑based solution for AV communication and alerts — combining day‑to‑day announcements with emergency messaging, using the same hardware. The IPX Series comprises IP loudspeakers, IP visual displays and flashers, IP to analogue gateways (sup porting legacy systems), and extension components. Alex Puorro, Vice President of IP Endpoint Technology at AtlasIED, played a pivotal role during the project. “When I realized this would be a hands on learning experience for the students

— allowing them to explore the products, provide feedback, ask questions, and test everything — I got pretty excited. Once we committed to sending the products, my focus shift ed to ensuring everything would work seamlessly upon arrival at Wichita State. This involved coordinating with Logicalis, the reseller, and the integrator, while collaborating with Singlewire and IntelliSee to confirm functionality, plan any necessary preparation, and determine which products were most rele vant. By reviewing use cases with the students, we could tai lor the experience to their needs and ensure the right prod ucts were included.”

Students manage the project from start to finish, with facul ty and mentors serving as facilitators rather than traditional instructors. Weekly milestones are established, and students work together to achieve these goals. Mentors provide sup port in troubleshooting, documentation, and technical com munication, while students participate in hands on activities such as system configuration, running tests, and coordinat ing with team members. The hands on approach of the pro ject contrasts sharply with traditional lectures. One student emphasized that theoretical classes often fail to provide prac tical experience: “With lectures, you usually don’t have any hands on experience. Having these projects is a significant advantage. You physically understand how the network works and how to troubleshoot it.”

Students discovered that overcoming repeated challenges left lasting impressions, often teaching lessons more effec tively than textbooks ever could. Beyond technical skills, the project fostered independence, problem solving, and charac ter development, giving students a sense of ownership over their work.

The Wichita State project highlights the significance of hands on, student led learning in higher education. By inte grating technical skill development, real world problem solv ing, and interdisciplinary collaboration, students gain a com prehensive understanding of the technologies and systems they work with. This initiative serves as a model for how ap plied projects can effectively prepare students for careers in engineering, technology, and systems management, while also making meaningful contributions to the community. “One of the best things about this project is that it helped some of the students to get jobs in our industry and defence programs, networking lab, and a few other labs,” said Smith. “This was a year long research project, so it’s got a specific duration, no guarantee of a follow up, but the skills that they learned help them get hired into permanent internships. From an instructor’s perspective, you can’t ask for a better outcome than that.”

Perfectly baked digital AV

TVC Technology Solutions has delivered a tailored audiovisual solution for Carrs Pasties at its new Bury retail premises, sup porting the family run bakery’s first expansion beyond its Bol ton roots. The installation demonstrates how digital signage and high brightness displays can enhance customer experi ence, boost high street visibility for compact retail environ ments and driving footfall. Established in 1938, Carrs Pasties has grown from a single Bolton shop into a well loved region al brand, with three generations refining its traditional baking heritage. The new Bury store represents a key milestone in the company’s expansion, building on the success of its exist ing locations and established reputation for quality and con sistency. Having previously supported refurbishment projects at Carrs’ flagship Bolton and Middlebrook sites, TVC was ap pointed to deliver a similar AV setup for the new store, while introducing enhanced window displays to strengthen street presence and attract passing footfall.

To maximise visibility from the high street, TVC installed two 43” double sided hanging window displays, designed to en gage audiences both outside and inside the store. The screens ensure promotional content reaches passersby re gardless of internal foot traffic flow, while also reinforcing messaging and offers for customers already in store. High brightness panels allow content to remain clear and vi brant even in direct daylight, making them well suited to win dow facing environments. With space at the compact retail setting limited, TVC used integrated ceiling mounts to elimi nate the need for floor standing units or visible cabling. De signed for continuous commercial use, the screens provide a reliable platform for showcasing daily offers and core product lines throughout trading hours.

Inside the store, two 43” Samsung hospitality displays were installed behind the counter to create a clean, modern digital menu system. These commercial grade screens deliver con sistent image quality and performance over extended operat ing hours, while their placement ensures menus are clearly visible to customers. Each display is mounted using low pro file Peerless wall brackets, maintaining a tidy and profession al finish. Commented Andy Greaves Sales Director, TVC Technology Solutions “This project is a great example of how well designed AV can elevate even the most compact retail environments. We’ve maximised window visibility with dou ble sided displays, kept the install clean with ceiling mounts, and delivered a robust digital signage platform that’s easy for

the team to manage day to day. The high brightness screens ensure the freshly baked messaging never gets lost, helping Carrs Pasties stand out on a busy high street.”

The entire system is powered by the MySign digital signage platform, supported by dedicated media players across all screens. This allows the Carrs Pasties team to update content quickly and centrally, whether promoting daily specials, new product launches or seasonal offers. The result is a flexible and easy to manage solution that keeps messaging current while supporting sales and customer engagement. The com pleted installation provides Carrs Pasties with a cohesive dig ital environment that enhances both internal communication and external visibility, helping the brand make a strong im pression in its first location outside of Bolton.

Absen’s XL1.5 makes its UK debut in shopping destinations

Limited Space’s Orbit network spans some of the UK’s most visited shopping centres, with large‑format digital screens po sitioned to capture attention within busy circulation areas. As part of an ongoing investment strategy, Limited Space identi fied the Orbit estate for a technology refresh that would en hance visual impact while creating a more efficient and resil ient display infrastructure. The existing displays comprised a

mix of legacy LCD video walls and earlier LED solutions, many installed within heavy frames or glass enclosures. While func tional, these systems limited performance and posed increas ing maintenance challenges. Any upgrade needed to be im plemented within operational retail environments, often overnight, and without interrupting trading hours or advertis ing schedules. The solution also needed to make use of exist ing structural elements wherever possible, balancing perfor mance improvements with speed and sustainability.

Absen’s XL1.5 COB LED was selected to meet these de mands, marking the first UK deployment of the series. In stalled across multiple flagship locations, the solution ena bled a consistent upgrade in image quality and robustness without the need for full structural replacement. Existing frameworks were retained and adapted using bespoke alu minium mounting systems, reducing material use and allow ing installations to be completed within tightly controlled timeframes. With its ultra‑fine 1.5mm pixel pitch, the XL1.5 delivers crisp, detailed imagery well suited to close‑viewing retail environments. The large‑format screens, measuring ap proximately 3 metres by 2 metres, provide a striking visual presence within high‑footfall areas, enhancing the effective ness of digital advertising while maintaining clarity and colour accuracy.

COB technology (or Chip‑on‑Board technology) embeds multiple LED chips directly onto the substrate and seals them

beneath a protective layer, resulting in improved durability, smoother visuals and greater reliability in demanding envi ronments. Absen’s COB technology was a defining factor in the specification. The full LED surface offers enhanced pro tection against physical impact and wear, making it particu larly suitable for low‑level, public‑facing installations. The durable design also supports touch interaction, allowing ex isting interactive capabilities within the Orbit network to re main in place. To support reliable long‑term operation, a new control system was introduced across each site, ensuring consistent playback and system stability.

All upgrades were completed within overnight installation timeframes, ensuring uninterrupted trading and no loss of media revenue. The refreshed Orbit network now delivers a more resilient, future‑ready retail media platform, strengthen ing Limited Space’s portfolio while providing advertisers with a powerful, large‑scale digital environment across some of the UK’s most prominent shopping destinations. “For this type of retail environment, you need technology that can gen uinely stand up to everyday use while still looking exception al,” explains David Neale, Managing Partner, EcoVista. “Ab sen’s COB solution gives us that balance; it’s robust, reliable and delivers the visual quality brands expect in premium lo cations.”

“This upgrade is about strengthening our retail media estate for the long term,” shares Matt Carroll, Co Managing Director, Limited Space. “Working with EcoVista and Absen, we’ve in troduced a display solution that enhances visual impact for advertisers while giving us greater confidence in the perfor mance and durability of our network.”

“Introducing XL1.5 COB to the UK retail market through this installation has been an exciting milestone for Absen,” shares Libby Xing, Regional Manager for UK DOOH and Sports, Ab sen. “It shows how COB technology can deliver outstanding image quality while meeting the practical demands of busy, public‑facing environments and we’re proud to have worked alongside EcoVista and Limited Space to bring this project to life”

Renkus-Heinz ICONYX system overcomes acoustic challenges

In the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip stands as a symbol of community and faith on Peachtree Road, otherwise known as “Jesus Junc tion”. The cathedral first opened in 1962 and has since be come one of the largest Episcopal congregations in the Unit ed States. Its Gothic Revival architecture stands out against the modern city backdrop and creates an inspiring acoustic setting for the choir and pipe organ. However, the same could not be said for the cathedral’s ageing audio technology. In need of an upgraded sound system to support weekly servic es, the cathedral turned to Renkus Heinz for a modern solu tion.

With stone walls, high ceilings and hard floors, the Cathe dral of St. Philip is a highly reverberant space, making speech intelligibility almost impossible with the existing system. “The previous sound system had been in place for over twenty years, cobbled together over time with parts that didn’t match,” says James Denmon of Dynamic AV Systems, who led the installation project. “We were approached by the con sultant, Newcomb & Boyd, who had been tasked with deliv ering an upgraded solution that would optimize clarity and minimize reverberation. The regional representative for Ren kus Heinz, Griffith Sales Associates, pointed them in our di rection due to our experience with houses of worship and the ICONYX system.”

In order to design a system that would address these archi tectural and acoustic challenges, Newcomb & Boyd created an EASE model of the cathedral, allowing them – in conjunc tion with Dynamic AV Systems – to determine which loud speakers were best suited to the space. “We have worked with Renkus Heinz plenty of times in the past. Knowing that speech intelligibility was the main goal, their ICONYX steera ble system was the obvious solution for this venue,” Denmon states. “At the front of the hall we deployed two IC24 RD Dig ital Steerable Line Array loudspeaker systems as mains, sup ported by two IC8 RD arrays for the transepts at the sides,” he continues. “Through to the back of the room we installed ten IC16 RD columns. The ability to steer sound directly to the audience is a real game changer for acoustically complex venues such as this cathedral.”

“The ICONYX system has dramatically enhanced speech intelligibility for services of all sizes. One parishioner told us

that after attending the Cathedral of St. Philip for many years, she could finally understand everything that was being said,” commented James Denmon, Dynamic AV Systems.

Throughout the installation process, the cathedral contin ued to rely on the existing system for regular services. Despite the added complexity, the Dynamic AV team carefully worked around the legacy equipment, ensuring that worship services proceeded without interruption. However, when it came to controlling the system, there were some initial network chal lenges. “The customer wanted to stick with their existing net work provided by their IT company, but this simply wasn’t feasible with the updated solution,” explains Denmon. Ulti mately, Dynamic AV developed a dedicated AV network, utilis ing Dante for intuitive, user friendly FOH control. “We were able to get the system aimed, delayed, and equalized, with the flexibility to adapt for different scenarios. Wherever you are in the room, you can hear at least one of the IC loud speakers.” For smaller services or events with fewer than 100 people, staff can easily turn off the back arrays to leave only the front IC24s, removing unnecessary loudspeakers for pris tine clarity, while the full system delivers unmatched cover age to the entire congregation.

The interior aesthetic is also a key part of the cathedral’s character, making it an essential aspect of the installation. While the previous system had not taken this into account –

messy cables on display and bold loudspeakers – Dynamic AV Systems made sure that the Renkus Heinz system would minimize visual disruption. “The loudspeakers were custom painted in a colour specified by the client to match the stone work,” Denmon reveals. “Working with the electricians, we also created custom painted wire moulds to run up the stone columns. Some elements now blend in so well that people were asking when the new system would be installed!”

Thanks to the collaboration with Newcomb & Boyd, Renk us Heinz, and the cathedral’s in house engineers, Dynamic AV Systems successfully overcame the venue’s architectural and acoustic complexities to deliver a cutting edge sound system. “The ICONYX system has dramatically enhanced speech intelligibility for services of all sizes. One parishioner told us that after attending the Cathedral of St. Philip for many years, she could finally understand everything that was being said,” Denmon adds. “It’s hard to claim that any single loud speaker can suit every room, but Renkus Heinz’s steerable arrays come very close.” With the new system in place, the cathedral’s acoustic challenges have been resolved, while the experience for parishioners has been fundamentally en hanced to ensure more connected and immersive worship for years to come.

Groupe Novelty’s Magnum revitalises Paris event space

Located beneath the world’s most visited museum, Les Salles du Carrousel is one of Paris’ most distinctive event venues. Operated by Viparis, the leading holder of congress and exhi bition venues in Paris, the site combines historic architecture with contemporary event facilities, offering 6,635 square me tres of modular interior space capable of hosting conferenc es, product launches, exhibitions and gala evenings. The three primary spaces, the LeNôtre Suite, the Soufflot Suite and the Foyer, recently underwent a comprehensive techni cal FOH revitalisation delivered by Magnum, a Groupe Novel ty company, the official technical operator of the venue. The FOH of the last two venue spaces, the Delorme Suite and the Gabriel Suite, will also benefit from an upgrade this summer. On top of that, all Suites now benefit from a new generation of integrated sound, lighting, rigging and network infrastructure designed to streamline event production while improving safety, operational efficiency and sustainability. “The spaces now offer a completely redesigned technical in frastructure, which includes changes on every level,” says Pierre Marie Tournier, Magnum’s business manager for Les Salles du Carrousel. The LeNôtre Suite, the largest of the ren ovated spaces, offers 1,900square metres of flexible event space and includes retractable bleachers capable of seating between 500 and 1,600 guests. Adjacent toit, the 925 square metre Soufflot Suite provides an adaptable envi ronment suited for conferences, workshops and exhibitions. The third renovated space, the Foyer, spans 1,310 square metres and is distinguished by a curved ceiling constructed from more than 3,000 wooden elements. With its vaulted ceil ing and oak parquet flooring, the 750 sqm Gabriel space pro vides a large and cosy venue. It can be combined with the last Suite, Delorme, which spans over 1600 sqm and is spe cially designed to accommodate large scale scenography for up to 1,200 people.

Magnum, a major technical production company founded in 1986 and part of Groupe Novelty since 2016, specialises in designing and delivering technical systems for events and venues across France and Europe. With around 300 staff and a strong presence in the Paris events market, the company combines event production services with permanent integra tion and venue technical management. “At Les Salles du Carrousel, Magnum has implemented complete technical

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room packages,” Tournier explains. “We’ve provided turnkey systems that include sound, lighting and video for events. These specially designed packages deliver valuable time sav ings for every event organiser using the space. “Central to the revitalisation was a total overhaul of the venue’s rigging infra structure. New generation curved trusses from Alu Soudure Diffusion (ASD) were installed and with motorised GIS D8+ chain hoists using SONOS Altimate control systems to enable precise and secure lifting operations. In total,120GIS LP500 D8+ electric chain hoists were deployed across the technical grid, while Altimate load monitoring systems were integrated at each rigging point to provide real time supervision of sus pended equipment.

LED indicators on the load cells allow technicians to monitor loads instantly, improving operational safety during event set up and production. “The electrical network has been com pletely rebuilt using StageSmarts power distribution units,” Tournier notes. “This provides reliable, scalable distribution perfectly suited to the diversity of events hosted here. “Light ing across the spaces was modernised using Robe ESPRITE and LED Beam 200 fixtures, providing lighting designers with flexible creative tools, while maintaining an elegant visual aesthetics suited to the surroundings”. Magnum delivered audio reinforcement in all suites via a d&b audiotechnik Com pact Cardioid Line Array configuration, with in total 18 clus ters of three CCL12 loudspeakers supported by10CCL SUB subwoofers positioned according to the geometry of the spaces. “The Robe fixtures deliver both creative and elegant illumination, while the d&b audiotechnik Compact Cardioid Line Array system guarantees consistent and intelligible sound coverage throughout the space,” says Magnum’s au dio director Edouard Dubus. The cardioid configuration pro vides controlled sound dispersion and uniform coverage across the audience area while minimising unwanted low fre quency spill into adjacent spaces. “This configuration aims to deliver consistent coverage to the area, with controlled sound levels and seamless integration into the venue’s scenography and operational requirements,” Dubus explains.

The d&b audiotechnik system was specified by Edouard Dubus, working closely with d&b on the system design. The CCL series was selected based on the practical advantages it offers to event professionals: precise directivity control for consistent audience coverage, energy efficient operation and d&b audiotechnik’s Product Carbon Footprint programme, which enables clients to quantify the environmental impact of their system choices. The selection was further informed by d&b’s own sustainability credentials. The manufacturer draws49.1% of its total energy consumption from renewable sources. The installation also made use of d&b’s Certified Pre Owned (CPO) programme, which provides professionally refurbished equipment at equivalent performance to brand new products while delivering an 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to purchasing new.

Supporting the entire technical environment is a new audio visual network built on a spine leaf architecture using Net gear and Luminex switches. The network supports multiple professional AV protocols, including AVB, AES67, ST2110/ IPMX and Dante, enabling full interoperability between sys tems. “Technical teams now benefit from instant intercon nection between the different spaces thanks to a centralised nodal system,” says Fabrice Gosnet, Magnum’s AV network director. “The paging sound system has also been redesigned around a Yamaha MRX7 D matrix and PGM1 microphones,

all controlled through an intuitive interface developed by Magnum.” Additional infrastructure improvements were in corporated into the renovation as well. “The control rooms have been redesigned to guarantee optimal comfort and safe ty,” Tournier says. “Workstations are secured with guardrails, and the overall ergonomics have been significantly im proved.” Sustainability was paramount for this upgrade, and Magnum was able to count on Groupe Novelty’s expertise in this field, whose environmental commitment has been accel erated by managing director Christophe Piette. His drive fora formalised environmental strategy resulted in Groupe Novel ty’s attainment of ISO 20121 certification, the international standard for sustainable event management.

This reflects a structured commitment to reducing the so cial and environmental impact of its operations. “This trans formation is part of a precise eco responsible approach,” says Christophe Piette. “The new equipment is designed to be more energy efficient, supporting the sustainable develop ment goals fromour clients and partners.” For Magnum and Groupe Novelty, the revitalisation reflects a broader strategy of combining engineering, logistics and innovation to deliver sustainable and future ready event environments. With its upgraded technical infrastructure, Les Salles du Carrousel is now equipped to support a new generation of events, offering organisers faster setup times, greater creative flexibility and a highly reliable production environment in one of Paris’ most iconic locations.

MeMeyer Sound delivers dual cinema and concert systems

For more than a century, The Castro Theatre has stood as one of San Francisco’s most most recognisable movie palaces and a cultural landmark in the city’s Castro District. Following a two year, $41 million renovation, the venue reopened this February with modernized facilities and new technical infra structure designed to support live music programming bringing a new level of capability to a room that previously operated primarily as a cinema. As part of the upgrade, Mey er Sound provided two audio systems an ASTRYA based cinema presentation system and a LEOPARD system for live performances—designed to support rapid format changeo vers between cinema and concert modes within in a protect ed historic interior. As other Planet Entertainment—known for stewarding and programming several Bay Area venues op erates The Castro and led the renovation to support live mu sic events alongside film presentations. “The Castro now fea tures a 7.1 surround system with Meyer Sound cinema loudspeakers, the world’s largest digital symphonic organ, and a state of the art Meyer Sound concert P.A. system,” says Another Planet Entertainment Senior Vice President Mary Conde.

ThThe Shalleck Collaborative served as theatre & AV con sultant, collaborating with CAW Architects for facility modern ization, Page & Turnbull Architects for historic preservation, and acoustics firm Salter to design and integrate interior treatment for modern production systems within a restored historic setting. A central component of the renovation was the introduction of a custom convertible seating system. In

cinema mode, a platform system deploys to create raked seating, with upholstered chairs set in place to replicate a traditional movie theatre experience. For live events, those platforms retract into themselves and the chairs are removed entirely, transforming the room into a tiered, open floor con figuration. The changeover, which takes approximately four hours, is supported by newly constructed backstage storage levels and a dedicated material lift designed specifically to house and transport the seating inventory. Every design deci sion balanced two priorities: operational flexibility and respect for the theatre’s historic architecture. For example, “the old fixed screen had hidden the original proscenium for dec ades,” explains Shalleck Principal Ian Hunter. “Now, the new roll up screen reveals that beautifully gilded original stage, and we’re adding an LED wall where the original 1920s cine ma screen would have been, to support live acts.” While At mos presentation was considered, Hunter notes that preserv ing the theatre’s ornate ceiling made height speakers impractical, leading designers to stick with a 7.1 channel surround system. UltraSound provided and deployed the Meyer Sound systems. “In addition to supplying the Meyer Sound systems, we installed the performance system and commissioned both the cinema and performance systems,” explains Josh Osmond, UltraSound’s Director of Operations. “UltraSound will also serve as audio manager for the venue— staffing and operating the system for all performances.”

ThThe new cinema system centres around three AS TRYA 140 screen channel loudspeakers and 30 ULTRA X20 compact point source loudspeakers as surrounds, supported by two 2100 LFC low frequency control elements and pro cessed by a Galileo® GALAXY 408 Network Platform. Thd live performance system is anchored by 12 flown LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers and ten 900 LFC low frequency control elements per side, five ULTRA‑X40 compact point source loudspeakers as fills, six ULTRA‑X20 compact point source loudspeakers as front fills, and three ULTRA‑X40 balcony delays, all processed by two Galileo GALAXY 816 Network Platforms. Because stage space is at a premium, the cinema speakers need to be removed and stowed for any performance other than cinema,” says Os mond. “UltraSound designed and fabricated custom cages that ASTRYA cinema speakers mount in. The cages have pick points for rigging and wheel carts when being stowed. This allows for a smooth changeover. We can go from cinema to performance system within a 30 minute period.”

The renovation also included a major upgrade to the theat er’s organ, preserving a beloved Castro tradition. “We’re us ing the Meyer Sound surround speakers as part of the new organ system,” Hunter explains of the $1 million digital in strument. “With a new lift and slip stage, the venue can fea ture organ performances without slowing down changeovers between cinema and live events. The stage opens, the lift comes up with the organ on it, and then the stage closes back over everything, all in the course of about one minute.”

Coda Technologies served as the installing AV contractor, finalizing design and implementing permanent infrastructure. To ensure the theater can adapt to future needs, Coda al lowed for extensive connectivity. “We’ve got fiber, copper, and video, and ClearCom connection plates everywhere,” says Coda’s President, Mark Latimer. “They can, depending on the need, get signal to and from wherever it’s needed.” Instal lation logistics were shaped by the constraints of a historic building that limited cable routing options. “Some cable pulls

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took a crew of four an entire day to do one pull,” says Latimer. For cinema accessibility, Coda integrated assistive features including Dolby closed captioning and audio narration for the visually impaired.

ThThe real test came when the venue reopened to the pub lic on February 6. “When the organ rose from the stage on opening night, it was quite moving,” says Latimer. “David He garty, the organist who has been at The Castro since 1978, came out in a red suit, with this huge new organ. And the whole place just erupted. It was a magical moment.”

SaILiam Smith’s 20 night “To Be Free: San Francisco” resi dency, which began February 10, served as the first high pro file test of the new system. The theatre has since anchored the 69th San Francisco Film Festival, hosting opening night screenings on April 24 and a special closing night screening of Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire StrStrikes Back in col laboration with Lucasfilm and Another Planet Entertainment on May 4. Together, audio and infrastructure upgrades posi tion The Castro for

TVC Deliver’s Ass-Kicking Upgrade for Pub AV at Donkey Social

TVC Technology Solutions have delivered an immersive AV upgrade for Donkey Social, bringing cutting edge display technology, flexible AV distribution and outdoor entertainment to the Weymouth pub scene. Commercial AV integrator TVC Technology Solutions have completed a comprehensive hos pitality AV installation for Donkey Social, part of the Amber Taverns portfolio of bars, pubs and clubs. As a new venue, Donkey Social was developed as a modern, community focused venue offering premium live sport, mu sic and entertainment experiences across multiple customer areas. It required a fully integrated entertainment environ ment designed to support live sport, digital signage and im mersive customer experiences in independent customer zones, while remaining simple and intuitive for staff to oper ate.

To create a high impact visual experience throughout the venue, TVC installed a range of Samsung 4K hospitality dis plays, including 55” and 75” screens positioned across the main customer areas, bar spaces and social zones. Carefully placed to maximise visibility from every seating area, the commercial grade displays provide vibrant picture quality and reliable performance in a demanding hospitality environ ment. the heart of the installation, TVC deployed a Wyre Storm NXT AV over IP distribution system, enabling multiple content sources including Sky Q, Atmosphere TV and digital signage content to be distributed seamlessly throughout the venue.

The system allows staff to independently manage different entertainment zones depending on the atmosphere required, whether showing live sport venue wide or creating more inti mate social zones. The AV over IP infrastructure also provid ed future scalability for additional displays and entertainment sources as the venue evolves.

To support promotions and customer engagement, TVC in tegrated a dedicated Startle digital signage solution featuring professional signage displays and high brightness window screens. Positioned throughout key customer areas and visi ble externally, the displays showcase live sport schedules, venue promotions and upcoming events while helping attract passing footfall throughout the day.

As part of the wider refurbishment project, TVC also upgrad ed the venue’s outdoor entertainment area with Outvue out door TV displays, commercial grade audio systems and weather protected AV equipment designed for year round use. The upgraded external space allows customers to enjoy live sport and entertainment outdoors while maintaining the same high quality viewing and audio experience found inside the venue.

Commented Chris Whitlock, Technical Director at TVC Technology Solutions: “Donkey Social is a great example of how modern AV can completely transform hospitality environ ments. The combination of Samsung displays, flexible AV dis

tribution and integrated digital signage has created an enter tainment space that’s engaging for customers while remaining easy for staff to manage. The finished installation gives the venue complete flexibility to support live sport, promotions and entertainment across both indoor and outdoor areas.”

The completed installation provides Donkey Social with a scalable and future ready AV environment that enhances customer engagement, supports operational flexibility and delivers a consistent entertainment experience throughout the venue.

CChangbai Mountain flying dome attraction soars with RGB pure laser projector

Wincomn Technology has upgraded the projection system at Changbai Mountain Legend International Resort’s “Flying By Changbai Mountain” flying dome attraction using the Christie Griffyn 4K50 RGB pure laser projector. Located at the base of Changbai Mountain’s northern scenic area in Jilin Province, “Flying By Changbai Mountain” combines projection, motion and local cultural storytelling to create an immersive visitor experience. The upgraded system brings striking visuals to life across a 20‑metre (66 foot) dome screen. A suspended motion cabin with dynamic seating accommodates up to 70 guests per session, moving smoothly through six degrees of freedom. Wind and mist effects further enhance realism, cre ating a fully enveloping and panoramic sense of flight.

“For a flying dome theatre, achieving the right balance of brightness, colour fidelity and visual impact is critical,” said Tony Chen, general manager, Wincomn Technology. “With the Griffyn 4K50‑RGB, we succeeded in meeting these re quirements using a single projector—a remarkable achieve ment considering that multiple units were previously neces sary. This simplified system design and installation reduced overall costs for the client and delivered the immersive visual performance the experience demands.”

CeChen n added that the Griffyn 4K50‑RGB’s high bright ness of 50,000 lumens, native 4K resolution, picture perfect colour alignment capabilities, and omnidirectional operation were key factors in its selection. “The projector produces bright, detailed images across the curved dome surface, while support for high frame rates—up to 120Hz at 4K in 3D environments—ensures smooth motion and visual continuity throughout the flying sequences.” The attraction takes guests on an aerial journey through Changbai Mountain’s changing seasons, viewed from the perspective of the Manchu mythi cal sea eagle. Sweeping forests, snow covered peaks and the iconic Tianchi Lake are revealed from above, offering visitors a rare vantage point that complements their exploration of the scenic area. By combining physical motion with immersive visuals, the experience provides a more complete and three dimensional appreciation of the region’s natural beauty.

ThThis project highlights the value of close collaboration between system integrators and technology partners,” said Gene Wang, senior director of ProAV Sales for China at Chris tie. “We are pleased to work with Wincomn Technology on this immersive attraction, combining their expertise in dome based experiences with Christie’s projection solutions. To gether, we helped the resort realise its creative vision while simplifying the overall system and delivering a compelling experience for visitors.” The wide colour gamut performance, quiet operation, flexible installation, and built in warping and blending, Griffyn 4K50‑RGB enables efficient setup and long term reliability. The result is an immersive attraction that brings Changbai Mountain’s legends and landscapes vividly to life, seamlessly blending storytelling, history and culture.

APPLICATION

Full circle for Spectera at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026

For the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2026, Sennheiser deployed its biggest Spectera set up to date at Vienna’s Stadthalle, including manufacturing samples of the yet to be launched Spectera handheld transmitter. A total of four active Base Stations handled about 150 live streams for wireless mics, in ear monitoring and control data in what is widely judged to have been the best live sound for the ESC ever, created by technical production company Agorà. Sennheis er’s technical application engineering (TAE) team, headed by Jonas Næsby and Volker Schmitt, were on site to provide support with the wideband system and the new workflows it permits.

ORF had turned the Vienna Stadthalle, and in fact the whole city, into a truly spectacular venue for the ESC and its huge fan community. The excitement in the area was tangi ble, as it was with the technical suppliers. As Volker Schmitt noted, “The anticipation was constantly rising, especially as the 70th Eurovision Song Contest promised to be one of the most technically ambitious productions. In addition to the live television magic and creativity the ESC radiates, its scale and complexity have always been an invitation to the industry to bring – and often unveil –their latest and greatest technology. That does not just refer to us bringing Spectera to Vienna, but also to video, lighting, the laser crew, you name it.” Valerio Motta, ESC project lead at Agorà, said: “Eurovision is a fast paced, dynamic, and highly demanding production. Everything feels calm as long as everything works, and having Sennheiser involved in such a delicate project made the en tire audio team feel supported and confident. We all knew that even if any issues had come up, which they didn’t, the manufacturer’s support would have been there to help re solve them in the best possible way.”

For the ESC, ORF with Head of Sound Gerhard Jansa and Agorà with project lead Valerio Motta turned the Vienna Stadthalle into a full energy spectacle of lights, laser beams and sound (Photo credit: ORF) “I believe there was a unique combination of factors that contributed to the result: excellent sound coming from the PA system, great signal flow manage ment, and outstanding audio quality in the artists’ ears,” con tinued Motta. “Not receiving a single complaint from any art ist is a strong validation of the listening experience they had throughout the event. Using Spectera during such a demand ing production environment and integrating it into a workflow of this scale was interesting not only from a technical per spective but also in terms of operational flexibility and signal management. In a production where reliability and speed are essential, having tools that simplify complexity can make a real difference.”

Behind the scenes, technical crews, artists, and broadcast ers had been working tirelessly for weeks to fine tune every detail of the spectacular shows. The Stadthalle’s sound room, led by Head of Sound Gerhard Jansa, handled mic audio, IEM audio, artist audio preparation, and audio distribution to the OB vans. Failsafe operation was key for the entire event; for example, the sound room accommodated two independ ent mixing desks with an operator each. Failsafe operation was key at the ESC – one of two independent monitor con soles The same idea of failsafe reliability was behind the six Spectera Base Stations that were used – while four were ac tive for audio and control data, working on one RF channel

each, another one was exclusively dedicated to scanning the spectrum 24/7, but could also run as a spare as it was al ready linked with all antennas. A sixth Base Station was a true spare unit. Six rack mounted Spectera Base Station were on duty in the sound room, four were active, one used for scan ning, No. 6 was a spare “The requirement of ORF was nicely simple and short: ‘We need coverage in the entire venue.’,” recalled Schmitt. “We started out with two Spectera DAD an tennas at stage right and green room left for each Base Sta tion, and that gave us full transmit and receive power for the hall. For extra reliability, we then added another two antennas per Base Station. Also, a firmware variant especially for the event had given us a preview of upcoming functionalities that were needed on site, such as a level recorder.”

An RF control centre in the sound room continuously pro vided a full overview of the current status of the Spectera wireless microphones and in ears using Spectera WebUI and the Sonoros app. The RF control centre in the sound room: Spectera WebUI on the middle screen, the Sonoros app on the right hand screen, logging the data and recording audio for every device Jonas Næsby pointed out the simplicity that Spectera provided for cabling the arena: “We used a fibre run from the sound room to FOH, converting back to copper us ing standard IT media converters. This meant that we got the full performance of the remote antennas, and not the usual compromise presented by RF over fibre systems used with conventional wireless.” Spectera DAD antennas were also mounted behind the stage to ensure perfect coverage when the artists would enter the stage from behind the video wall. Rotation makes the wireless world go round Antenna set up

behind the stage for testing

The songs presented at ESC are three minutes long, and just as the many stagehands who were working so swiftly out side the camera angles, the audio team only had 42 seconds to change over to the next act. With six people maximum on stage per act, the team provided a mic rotation of six Spectera handhelds, an in ear rotation of six Spectera SEK bodypacks working as in ears only, and an ‘all in’ rotation of six Spectera bodypacks with headsets mics and in ear monitors. “For the artists who opted for a hands free solution, we used the bidi rectional Spectera bodypack with a cardioid Headmic 4. This mic contributed prominently to the overall sound quality, per forming extremely well in front of the PA and wind machines. For those who preferred a Spectera handheld mic, we had brought the soon to be released Neumann KK 105 A cap sules. This is a super cardioid model to get less pick up from adjacent sound sources and the room.” Highlighting the di mensions of the show, Næsby pointed out that “No other TV production builds in more redundancy than the Eurovision Song Contest. Almost the entire set up has a full backup sys tem ready to take over. Really, the only two things, where a dual set up doesn’t work, are the artist, and the microphone in their hand, making it the single most important piece of equipment in the signal chain. The Spectera handheld SKM quickly proved to be the perfect solution. The unmatched RF stability of wideband transmission, combined with multi an tenna capabilities instantly provided confidence to the pro duction that ORF had made the right choice of bringing these pre production samples to a show of this calibre.”

Spectera bodypacks and handhelds ready for the next act

Amidst their work at the Stadthalle, the crews in the sound room still found the time to give something back: From load in to the grand finale, donations were collected for St. Anna Children’s Hospital in Vienna, with Sennheiser matching the contributions. ORF and the EBU also invited 16 young pa tients and their parents to a special backstage visit with tour guide Victoria, where they met Austrian performer Cosmo and Cyprus entrant Antigoni, while collecting autographs and selfies from other artists along the way. “Spectera made life easier for everybody,” continued Schmitt. “For the talent, who were impressed by its fantastically clear, spatial in ear sound and who had just one bodypack to hide in their costumes when using a headset mic. For the dressing/undressing team, who were happy that there was just one bodypack to fit into the costume, and last but not least for us, as Spectera is pro viding us with essential health data.” Schmitt goes on to cite a more complex example with an act that changed the stage costume three times – in an environment where inconsisten cy can introduce errors. “In the past, we didn’t have any feed back from the device about how it fared with the newly cho sen costume, which in this case was studded with metal elements, making us wireless experts extra nervous. With Spectera, we could immediately see when RF health deterio rated and take counteraction, before the artists even noticed that something was not OK.

“Overall, Spectera earned praise from engineers, produc tion teams and delegations alike for its crystal clear audio, flawless wireless performance and exceptional RF stability in what is one of the most demanding and most celebrated live music broadcasts in the world,” Schmitt concluded. ESC win ner DARA performed with a Headmic 4, which gave her the necessary freedom of movement for her spectacular chore ography. “You can actually say that the ESC was the birth of Spectera, because it was there and then that we decided to address the fading issues from a totally new angle. With standard wireless, you can set up more antennas, but that does not solve the underlying problem: the fading notches and cancellations. We wanted to eliminate those at the root.” Georgi added: “And so we started out with the development of wideband technology for professional audio. Working with a broadband channel of 8 MHz, which is not prone to those fading notches, was the beginning. As bandwidth must not be wasted, this required multiplexing microphones different ly, which again led us to the idea of time slots, and so the ball got rolling.

Core42 appoints former Google executive Emma Cloney

Core42, a G42 company specialising in sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, has announced the appointment of Emma Cloney as Senior Vice President, International Sales & Strategy and General Manager, Ireland. In this newly established role, Emma will lead Core42’s inter national go to market strategy, support commercial ex pansion across key global markets, and help scale the company’s sovereign cloud and AI Cloud offerings as demand grows for trusted, high performance AI infra structure. Reporting to Sherif Tawfik, Chief Business Officer, and based in Dublin, she will also oversee Core42’s Ireland operations and help advance the com pany’s European footprint from its regional headquar ters.

The appointment follows the establishment of Core42’s European headquarters in Dublin in December 2025, which serves as a regional hub for customer delivery, technical leadership, and partner engagement, as the company expands its sovereign AI infrastructure and GPU accelerated compute offerings across Europe. With more than 60% of European organisations seeking sovereign AI solutions and spending on AI optimised servers projected to reach $46.8 billion in 2026, Em ma’s appointment positions Core42 to deepen its reach across Europe as demand grows for sovereign, high per formance AI infrastructure.

Emma joins Core42 with three decades of experience across cloud, enterprise technology, and international growth. Most recently, she served as Managing Director, Global Business Programmes at Google Cloud, where she led initiatives to strengthen global sales and techni cal talent pipelines while improving operational efficien cies that accelerated time to market across the organi zation. Prior to this, she helped scale Google Cloud’s EMEA business during its early growth phase, contrib uting to its rapid expansion into a multi billion dollar business.

Her career also spans senior executive roles at Micro soft, where she led a global team managing strategic technology partnerships across the financial services

Core42, a G42 company specialising in sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, Senior Vice President, International Sales & Strategy and General Manager,

sector, overseeing revenue, go to market strategy, and joint solution development at international scale. She subsequently served as Chief Operating Officer for Ad vertising and Online in Europe, leading a team of 120 people across 15 countries. She also held board level responsibilities at SAP UK and Ireland, where she was responsible for cloud revenue growth. “Across Europe and other international markets, the focus is shifting to what it takes to run AI reliably at scale. Sovereignty, re silience, and infrastructure are becoming the deciding factors,” said Sherif Tawfik as Chief Business Officer (CBO), Core42. “Core42 is investing in building a strong regional presence to support that shift, and Emma’s ap pointment reflects our commitment to delivering on that vision. Her experience in scaling cloud businesses with in leading global technology companies, combined with her deep understanding of the European market, will be instrumental as we expand our footprint and partner ships across the region.”

Commenting on her appointment, Emma Cloney, SVP, International Sales & Strategy and GM (Ireland) said: “This is a pivotal moment for the company, with strong momentum, a differentiated position in the market, and a clear ambition for growth. What drew me to the oppor tunity is the scale of that ambition and the focus behind it. I look forward to working with the team to strengthen our presence in Europe and support the next phase of expansion.”

infrastructure, today announced the appointment of Emma Cloney as Manager, Ireland

Emma is actively involved in shaping the next genera tion of leadership in international business, mentoring emerging female leaders across Irish and international networks. She also contributes to broader conversations around governance and growth as a member of WB Di rectors UK and the Institute of Directors and has sup ported charitable organizations on strategy and long term sustainability. Emma is a graduate of University College, Dublin and INSEAD, Fontainebleau.

Clear-Com announces new roles for Brian Grahn and Ben Turnwell

Clear Com has appointed Brian Grahn as Market Out reach Manager of the Americas and Ben Turnwell as Business Development Manager for EMEA, expanding their roles as the company continues to strengthen cus tomer engagement across global markets. The appoint ments emphasize Clear Com’s focus on building closer relationships with customers, consultants and Partners, while aligning its solutions more directly with the needs of evolving production and communication environ ments.

Grahn, who joined Clear Com in 2022, will now lead consultant focused outreach and technical engage ment across complex markets, including themed enter tainment and cruise lines. In his new role, he works

across sales, marketing, product management and en gineering teams to support system design conversa tions, refine messaging and help translate real world workflows into future product direction. He previously served as Regional Sales Manager for the Southwest U.S., where he led account strategy while also contrib uting to digital marketing efforts aimed at improving customer engagement and partner alignment. “I am very much looking forward to building deeper connec tions with consultants, shaping how we tell our story in the market, and helping deliver communication solu tions for some truly complex and creative environ ments,” Grahn said.

Kris Koch, director of sales for North America at Clear Com, said Grahn’s combined background in sales, mar keting and technical workflows makes him well suited for the role. “Brian has a unique ability to connect the technical and human sides of what we do,” Koch said. “He understands how systems are used in the field, but also how to communicate that value clearly. That’s criti cal as we continue to engage more closely with consult ants and end users.”

In his new role, Ben Turnwell will lead Business Devel opment across the EMEA live production sector, focus ing on long term growth and strategic partnerships. His role includes working with production companies, ven ues, promoters and other stakeholders to identify new opportunities and support sustainable business devel opment across the region. Based in the United King dom, Turnwell brings more than a decade of experience in live sound, system design and technical sales. His background spans touring, theatre and large scale live productions, as well as close collaboration with consult ants and production teams on complex projects.

Chris Willis, Vice President of Worldwide sales at Clear Com, said Turnwell’s experience and approach reflect the company’s broader commitment to relationship driv en growth. “Ben brings a practical understanding of how our customers operate in high pressure, real world environments,” Willis said. “He’s focused on building trust and long term partnerships, which is exactly how this industry works and how Clear Com continues to grow globally.”

Turnwell’s role also includes working closely with inter

Clear-Com has appointed Brian Grahn as Market Outreach Manager of the Americas and Ben Turnwell as Business Development Manager for EMEA, expanding their roles as the company continues to strengthen customer engagement across global markets.

nal teams to ensure alignment between commercial strategy, product capabilities and customer expecta tions across the EMEA market. Together, the appoint ments highlight Clear Com’s continued investment in

Absen appoints Graham Kirkpatrick

Absen has announced Graham Kirkpatrick as Industry Development Director of its European team. Strength ening Absen’s focus on early stage specification and closer collaboration with the consultant community, Graham’s appointment aims to drive project excellence, deliver tailored solutions, and accelerate business growth across the European market. Graham will work closely with AV consultants, architects and planners, to support the delivery of innovative, high impact visual solutions across a wide range of projects. His remit will also see him assisting Absen’s regional teams and key partners, drawing on his extensive industry experience to help drive collaboration, consistency and long term success across the European market.

people who bring both technical expertise and market insight, supporting the company’s efforts to deliver communication solutions that adapt to increasingly complex and distributed workflows.

Graham has spent the past decade at Sharp Display Solutions (formerly NEC Display Solutions), where he has developed a reputation as both a trusted technical advocate and a commercially astute advisor. Through out his career, he has progressed from tackling practi cal technical challenges to shaping global strategies, always guided by a clear commitment to understanding customer needs and delivering meaningful outcomes. “After more than 20 years in the AV and wider technol ogy sector, this role feels like an energising next chap ter,” shares Graham. “Absen is operating in a dynamic and fast moving part of the market, and I’m looking for ward to contributing my experience, supporting col leagues across the region and helping drive success

through closer collaboration with the consultant com munity.”

“Graham’s appointment is an important step in bol stering Absen’s consultant engagement strategy across Europe,” says Emma Liu, Regional President Europe, Absen. “He brings a rare blend of deep technical knowl edge and commercial insight supported by a strong un derstanding of how projects are specified and delivered across Europe. His experience will be instrumental in helping Absen add value where it matters most and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Absen has announced Graham Kirkpatrick as Industry Development Director of its European team.

Design-Led intelligent Spaces Ltd appoints Nick Collins

Design Led has appointed Nick Collins as Director of Partnerships, strengthening the company’s focus on strategic relationships across workplace, education and built environment projects. In the new role, Nick will work closely with AV specialists, consultants, architects, designers, contractors, client teams and delivery part ners to support a more joined up approach to project delivery. Design Led has appointed Nick Collins as Di rector of Partnerships, strengthening the company’s fo cus on strategic relationships across workplace, educa tion and built environment projects The appointment reflects Design Led’s continued focus on helping pro ject teams coordinate key interior elements earlier in the process, particularly where AV, furniture and architec tural detailing need to work together to create effective spaces for work, learning and collaboration.

Ben Crooks, Managing Director at Design Led, said: “Nick brings a strong relationship led approach and a clear understanding of the sectors we support. His ap pointment as Director of Partnerships will help us

strengthen our connections with clients, consultants and project partners, while continuing to promote a more integrated approach to workplace and education projects. AV is increasingly central to how spaces per form, but it needs to be considered alongside furniture, interiors and architectural detailing much earlier in the process. Nick’s role will support those conversations and help build the partnerships needed to deliver better outcomes.”

Nick Collins, Director of Partnerships at Design Led, said: “Design Led has a strong understanding of how different elements of a space need to come together, from AV and furniture through to architectural detailing and project delivery. My role is about building partner ships that help clients and project teams think about those elements earlier, so decisions are better coordi nated and spaces perform more effectively once com plete. I’m looking forward to working with existing and new partners across workplace, education and the wid er built environment.”

Design Led works with clients and project teams to de liver integrated interior solutions across workplace, edu cation and commercial environments.

Design-Led has appointed Nick Collins as Director of Partnerships, strengthening the company’s focus on strategic relationships across workplace, education and built-environment project

POLAR appoints Nick White

POLAR has announced the expansion of its team with the appointment of Nick White to the post of Business Development Manager. Nick brings with him twenty years of experience across the professional audio visual industry, spanning system integration, distribution, and manufacturing. With a strong recent focus on software solutions, he possesses valuable expertise in combining hardware and software to create impactful user experi ences. POLAR Managing Director John Midgley com ments: “Nick joins POLAR at a very opportune moment. We have recently added several new brands to our port

folio and are beginning the rollout of our ‘Go to Market’ strategy. Nick’s extensive experience in large scale sys tem sales and his broad based relationships in the inte grator market will be a huge asset in supporting this drive. Nick’s knowledge, experience, and energy will add further value to our excellent team.”

Nick White adds: “I’m excited to be joining the POLAR team and taking on a fresh challenge. I have a genuine passion for the application of AV technology and look forward to working with new and established custom ers, helping them to deliver premium solutions in every market sector.”

Jigsaw24 appoints Tom Laker and Ashish Chauhan to support expansion

Jigsaw24 is strengthening its media team with the ap pointment of Tom Laker as Client Director and Ashish Chauhan as Project Manager. These strategic hires bring deep expertise in live, cloud based and integrated production, reinforcing Jigsaw24’s end to end media solutions as it expands its footprint in live and integrated production.

Pictured L to R: John Midgley and Nick White

Tom Laker joins Jigsaw24 as Client Director, supporting Jigsaw24 to grow its presence in the live production market, working closely with customers and technology partners to deliver best in class solutions across both live and post production environments. Tom brings ex tensive experience in live production and cloud based workflows, most recently serving as SaaS and Cloud Solutions Sales Lead, at LiveU, and previously working with Grabyo. “I am excited to join Jigsaw24 at such a pivotal time, not just for the industry, but for the compa ny itself,” said Laker. “This is a great opportunity to be part of a business that is evolving and investing in new areas, particularly in live and remote production. I’m looking forward to helping customers navigate this space and ensuring they have access to the right tools and workflows to succeed.”

As Project Manager, Ashish Chauhan will oversee end to end project delivery. He aims to ensure efficient pro cesses, clear client communications and outcomes aligned with customer expectations. Ashish also brings a strong background in broadcast systems integration, having previously worked at ES Broadcast as a Propos als Engineer. Ashish added: “Jigsaw24’s ambition and forward looking approach really stood out to me. The business is focused on building more efficient, struc tured delivery processes while continuing to drive inno vation. In my role, I am keen to make a positive impact by improving clarity for clients and ensuring projects are delivered smoothly from start to finish.”

“Tom and Ashish bring highly complementary skillsets that align perfectly with Jigsaw24’s strategic direction,” said Lee Ballinger, Head of Media Sales, Jigsaw24. “As our customers look to do more with increasingly stream lined teams, it is essential that we provide joined up, flexible solutions across live and postproduction. Their combined expertise strengthens our ability to deliver ex actly that.” These appointments highlight Jigsaw24’s ongoing expansion into live, remote and cloud based production, reinforcing its commitment to supporting customers with scalable end to end solutions. The company is continuing to invest in talent and capabili ties to support this growth, with further updates expect ed in the coming months.

Allient Inc. elects Alex Collichio as Vice President

Allient (or the “Company”), a global designer and man ufacturer of precision and specialty Motion, Controls and Power products and solutions for targeted indus tries and applications, today announced that its Board of Directors has elected Alex Collichio as Vice President. Mr. Collichio will continue to serve as Chief Administra tive Officer. “Alex has been an important contributor to Allient’s continued evolution, bringing strong legal, hu man resources and organizational leadership experi ence to our team,” said Dick Warzala, Chairman and CEO. “His appointment as Vice President reflects the Board’s confidence in Alex and recognizes the value he brings to Allient as we continue to strengthen our One Team culture, advance our strategic priorities and posi tion the Company for long term success.”

Collichio joined Allient in July 2022 as Corporate Hu man Resources Director, assumed leadership of the Company’s Legal Department in March 2023 and was promoted to his current role of Chief Administrative Of ficer in March 2024. In these roles, he has helped lead several important initiatives across the organization, in cluding transitioning the Company’s health insurance program to a self insured model that generated meas urable savings, building an internal recruitment func tion that now produces more than 100 direct hires an nually, and supporting operational integration and process standardization across multiple subsidiaries. He also has played a key role in strengthening Allient’s people, compliance and infrastructure capabilities, in cluding modernizing performance management sys tems, enhancing employee resources and HR process es, and supporting labor matters tied to facility consolidations and collective bargaining agreements. These contributions have helped reinforce the Compa ny’s operational discipline and long term growth plat form.

Collichio is a New York State licensed attorney and has held the Senior Professional in Human Resources certi fication since 2015. He has served, in a voluntary char

itable capacity, as a member of the Health Sciences Charter School Board of Directors since 2018 and has led the school’s Personnel Committee since 2023. He earned a Bachelor of History degree from the State Uni versity of New York at Buffalo and a Juris Doctor from the State University at Buffalo Law School..

PlexusAV strengthens US team with Seth Warner as sales manager

PlexusAV, the professional AV division of Sencore, pro viding a suite of human focused AV over IP solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Seth Warner as US Sales Manager, based just outside Cleveland, Ohio. Steven Cogels, Global Director of Business Devel opment at PlexusAV, confirmed, “Strengthening our sales team in the US is a key priority. Seth brings a unique blend of experience across AV, healthcare tech nology, and public service, alongside a relationship led approach to sales that aligns perfectly with our values. His understanding of both the technical and human side of the industry makes him a fantastic addition to the team, and we’re delighted to welcome him to Plex usAV.”

Seth Warner commented, “I’m excited to join Plexus AV at a time when the AV industry is evolving so rapidly. What really stood out to me is the company’s commit ment to open standards and interoperability. IPMX is about shifting mindsets toward open architecture and more flexible, scalable systems. For integrators, that means greater design freedom. For end users, it means less vendor lock in. And for enterprise teams, it allows AV to operate more like IT, which is where the industry is heading. My approach to sales has always been root ed in building strong relationships, asking better ques tions, and helping customers navigate complexity with confidence. PlexusAV’s technology and vision make those conversations more meaningful, and I’m looking forward to helping partners and customers understand the real value of standards based AV.”

After serving six years in the US Air Force and five

years in law enforcement, Warner brings a disciplined, solutions focused mindset to his role. He has spent the last decade working within the AV industry, alongside extensive experience implementing EHR and EMR sys tems across hospitals, giving him a strong understand ing of complex, mission critical environments and cus tomer needs. Outside of work, Warner enjoys spending time on Lake Erie, where he can often be found boating, fishing, or making the most of the quieter moments away from the fast pace of the AV industry.

. PlexusAV, the professional AV division of Sencore, providing a suite of human-focused AV-over-IP solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Seth Warner as US Sales Manager.

PPDS lands experienced business leader Nicole Rutherford

PPDS has announced the latest key addition to its ev er strengthening team in North America, with the ap pointment of Nicole Rutherford as new Event Marketing Specialist. An accomplished business owner, leader, and marketing professional of over 10 years, multi tal ented Nicole brings a tidal wave of knowledge, experi ence, and entrepreneurial flair to PPDS’ thriving North America team with an influential role in the company’s local and international growth ambitions. Based in Hud son, Florida, and reporting to Director of North America Marketing, Megan Lipinczyk, Nicole has enjoyed a broad and accomplished career. Beginning as a teach er, she transitioned into B2B marketing in 2021, spe cialising in project management, stakeholder communi cations, event execution, and more. With a proud track record in delivering growth to local and international organisations, Nicole is also the co owner of a success ful family fishing business, utilising her professional marketing skills – through digital and physical means –to drive awareness and support the growth of a suc cessful tackle shop and charter business.

Kicking off several key business announcements ahead of InfoComm 2026 (June 13 19), in her role as Event Marketing Specialist Nicole will support PPDS’ day to day marketing efforts with a strong focus on events, partner engagement, and sales enablement. These responsibilities will incorporate coordinating logistics for trade shows and regional events, managing marketing assets, supporting digital and social content, and working with both national and regional partners to help drive brand awareness and engagement. Hitting the ground running, among Nicole’s first duties include supporting and planning PPDS’ exhibition activities (in cluding stand design and logistics) at InfoComm. Nicole will be present on Philips Booth C9000 throughout the show, with her diary now open for meetings. Please drop by and say hello.

Discussing her new role, Nicole explained it was PPDS’ history of innovation and reputation for quality that at

tracted her to the role, describing it as the “perfect course” for the next stage of her career. Nicole com mented: “I am delighted to have become part of the PPDS family and to join the incredibly talented team on the next stage of the company’s growth journey. While I’m new to the AV industry in a formal sense, I bring extensive hands on experience with technology and events that translates well to professional AV marketing. Much of my career has been centred around leading initiatives, guiding teams through change, coordinating large scale educational events, developing digital and social content, and translating technical information into clear, audience focused messaging. It feels like all my experience and everything I’ve learnt to date has been leading to this point.”

Megan Lipinczyk, Director of North America Marketing at PPDS, said: “Since walking through the door, Nicole has demonstrated a highly organized, proactive, and detail driven approach to marketing execution, with core strengths in event planning, cross functional com munication, and attention to detail. Bruce Wyrwitzke, Senior Director North America at PPDS, added: “As we grow and evolve as a business, so do our approaches to our communications and the way we present ourselves to the market. It’s not about bringing in the person with the most experience in AV; it’s about adding the best talent for our needs. Nicole’s background and extensive interchangeable skills made her the ideal candidate for this important role and have shone through ever since. On behalf of the team, I welcome Nicole to the company and wish her every success.”

ever-strengthening team in North America, with the appointment of Nicole Rutherford as new Event Marketing Special-

Re-Sauce welcomes Beth Warren as Global Consultancy Partner

Re Sauce welcomes Beth Warren as its Global Consul tancy Partner, leading Growth & Transformation across key regions. Beth will work alongside CEO and Founder Gordon Dutch and Beky Cann, Head of Global PR & Marketing, as the business continues to expand its global footprint, supporting clients across digital sig nage, AV, broadcast and connected technology mar kets. An enterprise marketing executive with more than 20 years’ experience, Beth brings a proven track record in driving revenue growth, brand transformation and scalable go to market strategy for both publicly listed and high growth B2B technology companies. She is widely recognised within the digital signage sector, with deep expertise as a retail SME, spanning connected store experiences that keep CMS, retail media and ad tech platforms at the centre of the ecosystem.

The partnership marks a significant step in Re Sauce’s international growth strategy, strengthening its presence in the North American market and beyond, and en hancing its ability to support clients operating across multiple regions.

PPDS has announced the latest key addition to its

In her new role, Beth will focus on positioning market ing as a core growth driver for B2B organisations, help ing clients differentiate more effectively, sharpen their brand positioning and translate full funnel strategy into measurable commercial outcomes. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Beth, who brings a rare combination of strategic thinking and hands on delivery,” said Gor don Dutch, CEO at Re Sauce. “Her experience across digital signage, retail and enterprise technology will be invaluable as we continue to grow internationally and support clients looking to scale.”

Beth added: “Re Sauce has built a strong reputation for delivering smart, effective PR and marketing pro grammes within the AV and digital signage space. I’m excited to partner with the team at a point where the business is expanding globally and into new industries such as broadcast. My mission is to help clients unlock growth through clearer positioning, stronger differentia tion and more effective go to market strategies.” The partnership follows a period of sustained growth for Re Sauce, including the recent launch of its new multi lin gual website, now available in English, Spanish, French and German.

The update reflects the company’s increasingly inter national client base and is supported by a network of experienced PR and marketing partners across key global regions. Beth’s onboarding builds on the compa ny’s recent expansion, following Beky Cann joining the business earlier this year, further strengthening its lead ership network and capability to deliver integrated, cross market campaigns. Together, the team will focus on driving new business opportunities, leveraging deep

industry connections and delivering strategic communi cations programmes that support long term client growth.

Re-Sauce welcomes Beth Warren as its Global Consultancy Partner, leading Growth & Transformation across key regions.

DSS Europe 2026:

Digital Signage faces disruption, consolidation and an identity shift

Mike Blackman, Managing Director, Integrated Systems Europe, commented: “DSS has grown again this year, and the energy across the event has been fantastic. We’ve seen outstanding discussions, strong international attendance, and particularly good to see a contingency from the Middle East. There’s been a very positive response from both sponsors and visitors. While the market continues to face challenges, the mood here has been remarkably optimistic. There’s genuine enthusiasm for where the industry is heading.”

Day 1 Keynote Takeaways

Florian Rotberg, Managing Director, Invidis & Stefan Schiek er, Senior Partner, Invidis

The opening keynote at the 20th edition of the Digital Signage Summit Europe in Munich painted a picture of an industry navigating uncertainty, consolidation and rapid technological transformation, but also one entering a period of significant long term opportunity.

Despite geopolitical instability, supply chain disruption and major vendor shakeups, the overall message was clear and optimistic: digital signage remains resilient, adaptive and stra tegically important.

From AI and cybersecurity to enterprise IT integration and orchestration platforms, DSS highlighted how the market is rapidly evolving beyond standalone displays and into wider operational technology ecosystems.

“We chose Next Generation Signage as a theme because there is so much disruptive tech, and AI is just one of them,” said Florian Rotberg, Managing Director at Invidis. “The role of AI is changing and the idea of being a master of your silo is not so relevant anymore. It’s about orchestration. Digital Sig nage is here to stay, it’s just changing and the players are changing too.”

A Market Under Pressure. But Still Growing

According to Invidis, 2025 was largely flat for the industry overall, particularly on the hardware side, while software and services continued to grow at a slightly faster pace. Moving further into 2026, the market faces a highly volatile operating environment. Supply chain instability, cybersecurity threats and shifting global logistics realities are all having a direct impact on the digital signage ecosystem.

One of the keynote’s strongest themes was the growing im portance of cybersecurity. With increasing attacks on data centres and critical infrastructure, signage networks are now being viewed through a far more security conscious lens. Risk mitigation, secure remote management and software de fined infrastructure are becoming critical priorities for cus tomers and vendors alike.

At the same time, the industry is experiencing major structur al change:

•Stratacache was described as “fading out”

•Scala was described as approaching end of life (before the

news broke with Vertiseit)

•Vestel has exited the digital signage market amid intense Chinese competition

•Google, Adobe and Cisco have all strategically withdrawn from parts of the signage market

Florian referred to some of these moves as “enterprise fails”, though he also noted that large enterprise players often re en ter the market in new forms over time.

LED Continues to Dominate

A major growth driver remains LED technology, which Invidis predicts will dominate the market through 2026 2029 and beyond.

LED is expected to overtake LCD in terms of market value, reflecting continued demand for immersive, large format and experience led display environments.

At the same time, the industry is seeing:

•stronger migration toward software and managed services

•increased demand for lifecycle management platforms

•more remote asset management and orchestration tools

•growth in consulting led engagements where ROI and measurable outcomes matter more than ever

The keynote repeatedly returned to one central idea: custom ers increasingly want measurable business results, not just technology deployments.

AI: Disruption, Opportunity and Risk

AI was naturally a major focus throughout the presentation. One notable point was the suggestion that AI is beginning to cannibalise traditional SaaS business models, described by some as the “AIpocalypse.”

However, the speakers argued that digital signage may prove more resilient than other technology sectors because it remains fundamentally a screen based, physical world in dustry. AI is disruptive, but potentially less destructive here

than in purely software based markets.

An interesting mention was “Lovable,” an AI driven devel opment tool that enables rapid creation of front end demos and product concepts. While developers are excited about its speed and flexibility, the speakers warned of significant asso ciated security risks.

Another trend discussed was the enormous AI driven in vestment boom currently reshaping infrastructure and cloud computing economics, including:

•rising memory costs

•supply chain pressure

•hyperscaler spending, including Google’s reported $170 bil lion AI investment push

Consolidation, Convergence and New Growth Areas

Invidis highlighted several long term growth sectors that are reshaping the industry landscape:

•Enterprise communications

•Workplace experience platforms

•Retail media

•Managed signage services

•Defence and cybersecurity

•Airports and transportation

•AV/IT/digital signage convergence

Retail media was repeatedly described as a continuing boom area “here to stay.”

Meanwhile, defence emerged as one of the keynote’s more unexpected growth stories. The speakers pointed to increas ing investment in secure communications, remote access control, software defined infrastructure and community resil ience systems with startups entering the sector rapidly. They stressed that this is not a short term opportunity but a poten tially massive long term growth category.

Geographically, Africa was highlighted as “the new Middle East” in terms of large scale infrastructure and display pro jects, especially in airports, with significant market potential emerging across the region.

The speakers also noted that the industry is entering a new phase of mergers and acquisitions, suggesting the current wave of consolidation is “only the beginning.”

“Signage and Meeting Rooms Are Dead…”

One of the standout comments from the day came during a discussion with Jon Sidwick of bluetouchpaper.

“Signage and meeting rooms are dead… as we know them,” Jon stated.

The discussion centred around the emergence of a “K shaped market,” where investment is increasingly con centrating into high value, experience led environments rath er than commoditised deployments.

The implication was clear: the future of the industry will de pend less on simply deploying screens and more on redefin ing how digital experiences function within physical spaces.

Rethinking the Role of the Screen

Perhaps the keynote’s biggest strategic message was that next generation signage now needs a genuine rethink to:

•digital canvases

•content distribution

•digital interactivity

•ecosystem roles

•evolving service models

Examples already emerging include companies like Econo com and Samsung offering white label managed service pro vider (MSP) models.

Workshop Notes: The Enterprise Tech Stack

– Where AV Meets IT

Jason Cremins, Navori Labs, Jon Sidwick, bluetouchpaper This session explored the continued convergence of AV, IT and enterprise communications infrastructure, with discus sion focused on how workplace technology is increasingly being driven by enterprise IT requirements rather than stan dalone AV considerations.

A major topic was MDEP (Microsoft Device Ecosystem Plat form) and its growing role in enterprise collaboration and sig nage environments. Speakers highlighted several key advan tages of the platform, including:

•Enterprise grade security

•Simplified certification pathways

•Improved manageability for IT teams

•Easier device deployment and maintenance

•Broader ecosystem growth and interoperability

The discussion also touched on the influence of AI and emerging enterprise platforms, with references to technolo gies and companies such as Anthropic and Mythos, reflect ing the broader industry focus on intelligent collaboration tools, automation and AI driven workplace experiences.

DSS Europe 2026 – Day Two

Women’s Breakfast & Workshop

This year’s women’s breakfast was sponsored by Lang AG and hosted by Antonia Hanberger. Kamilla Lang presented “A Ticket to Hell? AI and the Future of Gendered Occupation al Segregation” focusing on AI’s impact on workforce diversi ty and inclusion.

In the adjoining workshop, speakers Tamara Bebb, spectrio, Mónica Fernandez Bové, nsign and Kamilla Lang, Lang AG, discussed the topic “Levelling the Playing Field: Mastering AI, Negotiation and Networking”. Themes included negotiation skills, networking strategies, AI literacy and workplace em powerment and creating more equitable opportunities in tech and AV industries.

Opening Keynote

Delivered by Florian Rotberg and Stefan Schieker.

Naturally, the morning opened with topic everyone was talk ing about when the news broke the previous evening that Scala has been acquired by Vertiseit. Vertiseit’s CEO Johan Lind said that the acquisition positions Vertiseit as the sec ond largest European pure play digital signage software com pany globally.

DSS 20-Year Retrospective

Digital Signage Summit is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Reflections included:

•Early confusion around the term “digital signage,” was mis taken for “digital signature.”

•Evolution of the market from niche technology to main stream communications infrastructure.

•Challenges faced during the COVID era and the summit’s shift to online formats.

•Archive photographs and memories from the event’s early years highlighted the industry’s transformation.

“The Hard Truth – The 20-Year Learning Curve”

In this workshop featuring: Dave Haynes, Florian Rotberg and Stefan Schieker, themes discussed included:

•Lessons learned over two decades of digital signage evolu tion.

•Industry growing pains and unrealistic expectations over the years.

•The shift from hardware centric conversations to software, data and operational outcomes.

•Importance of resilience and adaptability through economic and technological change.

DSS 2026 Wrap Up

Rotberg described DSS as “a safe space for networking”, adding that the event enables “extended quality conversa tions” and provides “a hub for trust amongst peers, with the opportunity to forge new connections and partnerships.”

That emphasis on collaboration felt particularly relevant at a time when the industry is navigating consolidation, vendor exits and rapidly changing business models.

Rotberg concluded, “Invidis is proud to be at the centre of it all. We are connecting people and bringing them together. Breaking the news, creating a platform to share industry in sights, analysing trends and making predictions. The energy this team puts into the event year on year is fuelled by our passion for the DS industry. We have so many ideas, always looking for ways to try something different. We’re pleased to hear people liked the set up this year – our 20th no less and we look forward to bringing it back next year. Which brings me onto the 2027 dates – save the date: 12 13 May 2027 at the Hilton Munich Airport.”

Showfloor Spotlight: Pantheon Lab

One standout company on the exhibition floor was Pantheon Lab, partnering with Samsung and other hardware providers to develop hyper realistic AI powered digital humans de signed for two way customer interaction.

Unlike traditional chatbots, the company positions its ava tars as “physical agents” capable of acting as trained repre sentatives of a brand or organisation.

Applications include transportation and wayfinding, cus tomer service, training, retail experiences and enterprise communications.

The company referenced work with HSBC in Hong Kong, where digital humans are being used to transform physical branch experiences by guiding visitors through services and interactions.

Pantheon Lab emphasised strong security architecture, ISO certification, secure handling of user data, emotionally intelli gent interactions, augmentation of staff productivity rather than staff replacement.

Showfloor Spotlight: Ameria

Another notable exhibitor was Ameria, a provider of gesture control technology for software developers. The company was showcasing AI powered, glasses free 3D experiences pow ered by gesture recognition. Its technology allows users to interact with displays by hovering hands or fingers over the screen without physical contact. Applications include health care and surgical environments, construction, public interac tion spaces, retail engagement and immersive experiences. Ameria is collaborating closely with Samsung on this and also with Sony for its touch free product called STARKIT by Amer ica – currently available in 27”. Launch took place at ISE 2026 together with the Sony 3D Spatial Reality Display on the booth. Target markets are events/tradeshows, experience centres, flagship stores and museums. Ideal for creating a wow experience for brands. Could be used in medical for MRIs, in automotive or architectural for CAD designs.

Showfloor Spotlight: Concept International GmbH Meeting

Concept International GmbH is a distributor and manufactur er with a network of approximately 600 integrators. Based in Munich, the company offers one of the widest portfolios of media players in the market and products are deployed across multiple verticals including retail, gas stations, airports and education.

FutureLED “Butterfly” is Concept’s own LED brand and was showcasing at DSS. This is an energy saving LED product with high to low brightness capabilities, showing as a two sid ed, slim 28mm thick display designed for window placement.

Its C Paper is a coloured e paper door signage solution, re quiring only minimal power to update content, otherwise con sumes zero power when static thus positioned as an ener gy efficient signage option.

Its POS 3D Displays are available in 16 inch, 27 inch and 55 inch formats. Applications include airports and wider commercial environments.

Its PC Modules are widely integrated into interactive white boards in education environments.

Meet:Ink is a new proprietary room signage solution. Wi Fi based e paper signage with no additional powered access points required.

Showfloor Spotlight: Sharp and tisensi

Sharp is partnering with Polish company called tisensi, a new sustainable digital signage brand that recently secured a €250,000 EU investment grant. Founded in 2023, the com pany launched its first e paper products in 2024 and has since begun cooperating with Sharp.

Tisensi’s proposition centres around sustainability and flexi ble deployment. The products incorporate recycled plastics and low power materials, while also featuring an integrated mounting system and enclosure design. The displays include an EMS system with internal batteries, enabling versatile in stallation and mobility.

Use cases demonstrated included hanging installations, shelf placement and podium integration. The platform enables quick content changes remotely, allowing centrally managed updates across installations.

Tisensi works with both integrators and end users, and can adapt products to meet custom branding requirements while maintaining sustainability goals.

Sharp were also showcasing various LED pixel card configu rations and display formats.

Showfloor Spotlight: Radix

Based in Israel, Radix positions itself as the orchestration and device management layer sitting between hardware manu

facturers and CMS platforms. The company is not a CMS pro vider or a device manufacturer; instead, it acts as the “glue” that enables different technologies and endpoint devices to work together efficiently and at scale.

Their platform focuses on the management and orchestration of all types of endpoint devices, providing visibility into device updates, running assets and applications, performance and operational insights and systems operating both inside and outside environments.

One of the company’s core messages is: “We manage everything,” reflecting its emphasis on unified orchestration across complex deployments.

While the company has officially focused on the digital sig nage market over the last few years, it also serves sectors in cluding education and hospitality, where large scale device management and interoperability are increasingly important.

The company’s positioning strongly reflects a growing in dustry need for scalable orchestration, remote management and interoperability as signage ecosystems become more complex and distributed.

Showfloor Spotlight: SignageOS

Prague based SignageOS returned to DSS Munich for its fifth year, showcasing Devspace, its device management platform designed to simplify deployment across fragmented digital signage ecosystems. Operating globally, with much of its business concentrated in the US market, the company posi tions itself as a universal device management and orchestra tion layer for the digital signage industry.

Rather than requiring software developers to build native integrations for individual hardware platforms, Devspace en ables companies to deploy solutions across multiple device types through a single standardised environment.

The company’s typical customers are software providers de veloping their own signage platforms and applications, with SignageOS aiming to reduce complexity, improve interopera bility and streamline large scale deployment.