With offices in NYC, LA, San Francisco, and Chicago, Managed by Q wanted a partner to help them turn a multipurpose space in their NYC office into a room equipped for video conferencing and all-hands-on-deck meetings that could be streamed from New York to their other locations. Video conferencing is a great tool for geographically-diverse companies to keep the lines of communication flowing between offices thousands of miles apart. The only caveat and challenge in this case was that the multipurpose room remain multipurpose, so it could transform from a video conferencing room into a room suitable for lunch presentations or group meditation or other activities.
Our biggest challenge was creating a solution that would fit Managed by Q’s unique mobile needs. To make this happen, Midtown Video designed a break-away system that fit neatly into two mobile carts and a custom patch panel so the carts could easily be connected to speakers and video connections. Each cart contains rack equipment as well as a ClearOne Unite 200 camera and a 70-inch display monitor. In addition, two Audio Technica wireless lavalier microphones and two wireless handheld mics were provided for amplifying the sound within the room and to reach audiences through the video conference. Audio reinforcement was provided with six JBL Straight Line Array Column speakers and two Crown Amplifiers.
Lastly, Midtown Video provided a camera for the CEO of Managed by Q so he can record company-wide addresses from his office, as well as a Matrox Monarch Lecture Capture Device to enable on-demand viewing.
Of the job, Managed by Q’s Senior Manager (IT), Helena Chestnut, says: “Jesse [at Midtown Video] found a solution that accomplished all the things we were looking for in an event space. Jesse has a “we can do” attitude. No matter the obstacle or the last-minute need, he took care of it.” She adds, “Project management to assessment of hardware & cost negotiations to the installation took two weeks from start to finish. We were impressed as to what they could accomplish in a few weeks. It was a great experience.”
Managed by Q’s meetings are now streamlined and streamable. Their multipurpose room can now be used for any intention, whether to detail (and celebrate) the company’s progress or to create a sea of “om”s for its employees. Says Managed by Q’s IT Analyst Ken Thompson, “The system is amazing. All I do is turn it on, and it works.”
