The Future of The Workplace: The Intersection of Workplace Design and Audio
In the world of corporate A/V and office design, it's easy to say that one the biggest constants is change. While a building may be built to last a century, and furniture a decade or so, corporate A/V gear is rarely fortunate enough for that long of life. With technology changing and evolving so rapidly (and office practices to go with them), what are some solutions that can make conferences and presentations easy, efficient, and able to change with the times?
Sennheiser, a leading developer of audio products for enterprise and corporate applications, addressed some of these concerns in an informative seminar held at their SoHo NYC pop-up store. After an introduction by company CEO Daniel Sennheiser (above), the floor was then turned over to three speakers:
- Sennheiser's Director of Business Communications Andy Niemann reviewed some of the technologies that the company has produced for meetings and conferences. Highlights included the TeamConnect Wireless system, noise cancelling headsets, and their new ceiling array conference microphone.
- Wilkhahn CEO Simone Vingerhoets then gave a brief history of how office buildings and their needs have evolved over the years, and went on to describe how her company's furniture designs help productivity and wellness amongst users.
- TAD Associates' Associate Principal Rob Badenoch finished the presentation with an integrator's perspective on the industry, such as how to factor in future-proof designs and room for growth and flexiblity while maintaining the client's budget.
The floor was then turned over to a Q&A session from the attendees, most of which were integrators and installers. Many of these visitors gave some real-world examples of their challenges and notable points of interest in their own experience. Lastly, the group was then treated to refreshments and wine, plus the chance to check out what the Sennheiser Store had to offer.
Dale's Product Specialist John DiMaggio was in attendance and shared his thoughts: "I found it very interesting to look at the history of office space and how it has evolved pertaining to audio installations and audio products. The presenters were extremely in tune with the future of the office space and how product development and installations need to keep up with this ever changing environment. Sennheiser stands at the forefront of developing intelligent and well thought out products to meet the needs of this changing landscape we call an office."
