The University of Birmingham is one of the UK’s largest universities with almost 30,000 students in attendance. As with many established universities, it faced the challenge of how to modernise its diverse estate to meet the contemporary learning-styles that have arisen in recent years. Student expectations around audiovisual technology have changed and the University of Birmingham’s LRAT / Libraries and Learning Resources in-house AV team worked with GVAV, its longstanding integration partner, to upgrade dated equipment over the Summer of 2025. Conceived as a campus-wide initiative to be carried out over the long-term, the university team initially sought to upgrade several key learning spaces which could quickly benefit from moving beyond the constraints of legacy equipment to create truly flexible, high-impact environments for both students and lecturers. “Some of our older rooms were saddled with dim, non-interactive projection systems and related connectivity issues,” says James Ball, LRAT -…
Author: AV News
Twenty years after its original debut, ‘Le Roi Soleil’ has returned to the stage with a completely refreshed production, bringing the story of Louis XIV back to audiences in Paris and across France during a new tour spanning 2025 and 2026. With video now playing a central role in the stage design, the technical team behind the musical turned to SMODE’s real-time compositing and media server platform to manage the majority of the show’s visual environment. Originally premiering in September 2005 at the Palais des Sports in Paris, ‘Le Roi Soleil’ tells the story of the young Louis XIV as…
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has announced the official ISE 2026 Facts & Figures report, providing verified data and insight into this year’s scale, reach and industry impact. Following a landmark edition under the theme ‘Push Beyond,’ the report offers a detailed breakdown of attendance patterns, visitor profiles, purchasing influence, technology interests and cross-sector participation. It mirrors previous year’s facts & figures reports, ensuring year-on-year comparability across key metrics, audience segments and regional representation. The 2026 edition also includes expanded insights into content engagement, reflecting the continued growth of Summits, Megatrend sessions and free-to-attend programming across the show floor – all core elements…
Swiss singer and producer DJ BoBo is back with a spectacular new tour: ‘The Great Adventure’ will take him to 28 European cities from 1 May. It has become a tradition for DJ BoBo to premier a new show with sell-out gigs at Europa-Park Rust a few months before the actual tour start, and 2026 was no exception. In Rust, his technical crew – Andre Mussong (FoH), Benni Mengler (monitors) and Jens Bublitz (backline) – put Sennheiser’s bidirectional Spectera wideband system through its paces. DJ BoBo’s tech team had first learnt about Spectera via their Sennheiser contact Chris Kopp, as…
Caudalie, the French skincare company renowned for its pioneering vinotherapy treatments, recently revamped its landmark headquarters in Paris with a state-of-the-art 8 x 2.5 metre INFiLED LED screen at its heart. Installed in the building’s central auditorium, the new STUDIO Series LED display brings together employees, wellness clients and creative partners in a space designed to reflect the brand’s commitment to relaxation, creation and transformation. Founded more than 30 years ago in Bordeaux, which is the heart of France’s wine country, Caudalie built its reputation on combining the historic art of winemaking with modern scientific research. The company recently decided…
Nestled along the Indian Ocean on South Africa’s east coast, Durban is the country’s third-largest city and the vibrant heart of KwaZulu-Natal. It’s a place where warm weather, stunning coastline, and rich culture come together. Perched above the iconic Golden Mile beachfront, Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse has been the centrepiece of thoroughbred racing in the region for generations. Horse racing in KwaZulu-Natal stretches back more than 150 years, with the first recorded meeting held in July 1844 near the site of the current track. Today, the 2.8-kilometer (1.75-mile) course plays host to Africa’s greatest horse racing event — the Hollywoodbets Durban…
BackLite UK has partnered with the world’s largest owner of outdoor advertising infrastructure, Wildstone, to complete a full transformation of the iconic Wandsworth Roundabout site. The multi-screen Wandsworth structure was one of 13 prime OOH locations Wildstone acquired from Transport for London early last year and its revamp of the site is part of a wider refurbishment programme planned across all of these super-premium assets. In July last year, it entered into a partnership that gave UAE-based Multiply Media Group (MMG) the exclusive right to operate 11 of these sites via its BackLite brand. MMG announced the formation of a UK…
TONER, a distinctive café-bar and collective space located along the Meguro River in Nishi Gotanda/Fudomae, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, has upgraded its audio infrastructure with a suite of Powersoft amplifiers and control solutions, creating a sound environment that evolves seamlessly from its relaxed daytime ambience to high-energy evenings with DJ performances. The installation, delivered by integrator Audio Brains, includes Powersoft’s Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D, Mezzo 604 AD, Mezzo 322 AD and a WM Touch wall-mounted control panel. Named after the ink cartridges used in professional printers, TONER reflects the idea that each visitor brings their own unique colour to the venue. Built around…
Triumph Motorcycles has introduced a new digital signage strategy at its Factory Visitor Experience, enabling the team to refresh exhibits quickly, support corporate events and keep the space evolving as new motorcycles are released. The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience gives guests the opportunity to explore the brand’s journey from its founding in 1902 through to modern day production. Alongside a working factory tour, the site features a historical exhibition space, café and retail store. Visitors discover Triumph’s racing heritage and its appearances in film and television, including James Bond, Doctor Who and Mission: Impossible, while learning about the engineering behind each motorcycle. The…
The initial driver for the adoption of workplace collaboration solutions was undoubtedly the pandemic. Today, the justification for moving to a hybrid model is much more likely to be the gains available from productivity, efficiency with the favourable reduction in the opportunity costs incurred by having key personnel travelling to in person meetings. But it is also clear that those adopting collaborative tech technologies have greater expectations of their solutions, largely encouraged by the prevalence of AI, spatial audio and enhanced visual displays. ISE 2026 saw the launch of a number of collaborative solutions embracing innovative technologies. Despite resent innovations…