Case Study: Transforming Boardroom Acoustics for Seamless Video Conferencing

Client Overview: Our client, a succesful mediation company, was facing persistent challenges with their boardroom's video conferencing facilities. The repeated equipment replacements were taking a toll on their meetings' efficiency,  the company's professional image and cost for carrying out client enagements.

The Challenge: The boardroom's video conferencing equipment had been replaced four times due to consistent issues with performance. The manufacturer eventually identified that the acoustics within the room were adversely affecting the video conferencing equipment. Excessive reverberation and feedback were causing poor call quality, dropped conversations, and an overall unsatisfactory user experience. These issues were particularly troubling for the CEO, who relied heavily on seamless communication for important meetings and presentations.

The Impact:

1. Inefficient Meetings: The recurring problems with video conferencing equipment were causing disruptions during critical meetings, leading to wasted time and decreased productivity.
2. Increased costs: The CEO's ability to conduct successful meetings and maintain effective communication was severely hindered, resulting in the abandoning of the VC facility in favour of physical meeting at an increased cost to the company.
3. Professional Image: The poor call quality and technical issues were tarnishing the company's professional image, raising concerns among clients and partners.

Design constraints

Warehouse look: The company's offices, like many modern offices were situated in a building with warehouse style offices. The exposed ceiling, ducting and HVAC facilities creating a modern "tech style" working space. The company was keen to keep the overall warehouse style appearance.

Interior Decor:  The company was keen to ensure that any solution introduced complemented the rooms existing decor.

The Solution

Hyped Up Acoustics was brought in to assess and address the acoustic challenges in the boardroom. We conducted a thorough survey of the room's acoustics and identified the specific issues causing the audio problems during video conferences.

Our Recommendations: Based on our findings, we recommended a tailored acoustic treatment solution, including the following products:

1. Sound-Absorbing Panels: To reduce reverberation and echo in the room, we recommended strategically placing sound-absorbing panels on the walls.

2. Acoustic Ceiling Tiles: Installing acoustic ceiling tiles helped control sound reflections from above, further improving the room's acoustics.

Meeting the design constraints

To meet the requirement of keeping the overall warehouse style look, we opted for sheets of melaflex foam installed on the ceiling in between the beams of the ceiling. These  quantity of  panels used was determined using acoustic modelling and installation would be carried out so that the panels were unobtrusive.

The decor constraint was achieved by allowing the client to choose from over 32 colours of fabric. This resulted in panels that matched the existing decor and enhance the room's appearance.

The Transformation: The installation of our recommended acoustic treatments brought about a remarkable transformation in the boardroom. With the improved acoustics, the video conferencing equipment performed flawlessly, eliminating feedback and enhancing audio clarity. Meetings became more productive, and the user experience drastically improved.

Results and Benefits:

1. Efficient Meetings: Video conferences now ran smoothly without interruptions, allowing for more efficient and productive discussions.
2. Enhanced Professional Image: The company's professional image was restored as clients and partners experienced seamless communication.
3. Satisfied CEO: The CEO regained confidence in the boardroom's capabilities, leading to successful and impactful meetings.

 Hyped Up Acoustics not only resolved the video conferencing equipment issues but also transformed the boardroom into an acoustically optimized space. The result was not only improved technology performance but also a significant enhancement in the overall user experience during meetings. Our tailored acoustic solutions ensured that the CEO and their team could conduct meetings with confidence and professionalism, reinforcing the company's reputation for excellence in communication and collaboration.