Article written by Jonathan Blackwood for Corporate Tech Decisions

Integrators and custom table manufacturers worked together for a Corporation Executive Boardroom install.

A biopharmaceutical company recently relocated its US headquarters to a new location in the Philadelphia area, and the build saw a number of AV devices and high-end furniture and equipment installed throughout the new corporate headquarters. One of the most impressive pieces of the build, however, combines the two to form a surface/system hybrid of woodworking, automation, display and control.

Stuart Tierney, Director of Corporate Sales at IMS Technology Services, was the first point of contact for the company when they began the process of making a move. IMS Technology Services is a staple in the area, a woman-owned business originally founded in 1994 by Jill and John Renninger. The integrator specializes in delivering presentation, collaboration and unified communication technologies that enhance communications to meet the goals of the organizations they serve. Tierney, understanding that a number of AV needs would need to be met in this type of relocation, reached out the company to find out if his firm could be of assistance. Ultimately, the two partnered for the AV installations that was needed.

“We took them through our pre-sales and discovery process and took it from there,” says Tierney. “We did all of the up-front, pre-design work for the majority of the project until it was awarded, and the engineering department took it from there.”

The joint effort between Tierney and IMS’s engineering department was needed when Tierney learned of one of the central needs that the company required. Within the company’s Executive Boardroom, used by the C-level US executives for daily mission-critical meetings and presentations, the company looked to implement state of the art technology to encourage collaboration and communication among their team members. They also had several unique requirements for corporate communication, training and international business relations. The main goal of the project was for the technology to have minimal aesthetic impact on the comfort and elegance of the space where the technology was installed. This proved to be most challenging and a substantial task with the technology surrounding the Executive Boardroom.

The challenge of the Executive Boardroom was to maintain the elegance of the expensive furnishings and design of the room while installing AV system component with minimal exposure. The company only wanted the AV equipment to be noticed when the devices were in use during presentations. A custom Executive Boardroom conference table was created by Paul Downs Cabinetmakers, Inc. that would need to house a significant amount of displays and mechanical equipment to reach these goals. IMS worked with the conference table makers along with ElementOne, a European-based display lift manufacturer, to design and install a custom solution.

“In collaboration with the table manufacturer, right from the jump we were in coordination meetings with them for sight lines, for display sizes, integrating everything into the table so it works seamlessly. From the beginning, they allowed us to get direct with their manufacturer and entrusted us to help come up with designs, options and renderings so that they could get the blessing from the CEO that that’s the table and the system [the company] wanted in the room,” says Tierney. “[Paul Downs Cabinetmakers] were great to work with. Although experts and first-class in what they do, they had a similar humility as our company, so as we were giving them our wish list they worked as best they could to accommodate things. The process working with them was great.”

Ten 22-inch ElementOne Tilt monitors were built into the table in front of each seat. These displays are able to rise up for presentations and retract down into the table when no longer needed, thereby disappearing when not in use. The table has a center well that was created in order to give employees an elevated work surface while recessing the screens’ two-inch bezel to provide an ideal sightline while maintain the typical 36-inch working tabletop height. Cable cubbies are hidden within the center well of the table as well. Fourteen Shure Black Button table microphones and six recessed JBL in-ceiling speakers were installed to support audio teleconferencing without damaging the aesthetics of the room. The entire system is controlled, routed and distributed by Crestron control and DigitalMedia systems.

The building was nearly finished when the table came in, allowing for about ten-weeks to build the AV system into the room before the building opened. With displays coming in from Germany, a table being custom built for the space and aesthetic considerations for the system, a significant amount of focus and coordination was needed to ensure everything came together.

The Company is currently using the Executive Boardroom for audio and web conferences and in-room presentations. Employees are more engaged than ever thanks to the dedicated displays that allow each member a head-on, close-up view of presentations. The company is ecstatic about the look and feel of the room, as well as the sophistication of the technology installed.

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