We have recently completed a large installation of AV and Webcasting at Birmingham City Council. Here’s what happened, and how the Public-i approach led to a great installation.
Case Study
AV and Webcasting Install Spotlight
Birmingham City Council
Case Study
AV and Webcasting Install Spotlight
Birmingham City Council
Background
Birmingham City Council were former client of Public-i when they approached us in early 2022 to tender for a full AV suite refurbishment in the Chamber and three committee rooms at the beautiful, listed Town Hall in Victoria Square. We were keen to demonstrate the Public-i difference: working with the client to develop a solution which genuinely met their needs, rather than selling a solution at the highest price.
Design process
Our team of experienced system designers worked in partnership with key stakeholders from Birmingham City Council throughout the system design process. Weekly calls and regular demonstrations of different options meant that we got to know the team and that they were given the opportunity to fully understand the various options available to them. Our ethos of “never sell” was at the forefront of this: we wanted the client to take the options which really met their needs, not the options which came with the highest price tag. We also needed to fully understand how the officers and members of the Council really used the space, and the challenges of the space itself.
Birmingham City Council room with projectors at the back
The final design was for fully hybrid webcasting functionality in all rooms with a controllable high-grade audio-visual solution in the Chamber. This was complimented by a new, integrated, wireless Televic conference microphone solution which allowed the client to use the microphones across multiple rooms.
Installation
Due to the substantial timescales allowed for this job, our team were able to spend considerable time planning their approach. The installation was too large to be treated as one project, so was treated as a series of smaller projects. Lead engineer, Joe Lewis, explains:
We approached the installation systematically. This was a big job and far simpler to break into smaller parts. Each separate space was treated as its own project, and further broken down into three phases: 1st fix, 2nd fix and commission. This meant we could allocate our teams effectively into the areas where their skills were most well-utilised.
Over the course of three weeks the teams worked their way through the rooms, culminating in a final week of commissioning in the Chamber: which was the most challenging part of the project. The way in which the client wanted to use the Televic software required bespoke configuration, and our team (both on site and remote) worked hard to ensure that the result was what the client wanted it to be.
Training and launch
Due to the size of the installation, training was delivered by two of our account management team over several sessions. Officers and members were both given training sessions so that each session could be tailored to the groups’ needs. We worked with our partners – Televic – to deliver the conference system training, too. As expected with a system of this size and complexity, there were some snags which cropped up during the training, but the good nature of the trainees and the professionalism of our team meant that these were not showstoppers.
The launch of the system was on the 18th of April and we were thrilled (although not surprised) to see how well it went.
Birmingham City Council room
Final considerations
This project was a hugely positive experience for our team. Our engineers are proud of a job well done and our client are happy with their new system. Steve Burroughes, Project Manager, concludes:
One of the reasons this project was so successful was the engagement of the client in the process. The end users of the system were completely involved in the pre-project conversations, install and commissioning of the system. They worked closely with our engineers and myself to ensure that the final iteration of project – particularly the display and configuration of voting – was exactly as they (and crucially, the members) needed it. The timescales we were given enabled us to plan effectively and give due time to key considerations. This paid dividends and can be seen reflected in the result: a great system which meets the client’s needs.
Visit Birmingham City Council site
We have recently completed a large installation of AV and Webcasting at Birmingham City Council. Here’s what happened, and how the Public-i approach led to a great installation.
Background
Birmingham City Council were former client of Public-i when they approached us in early 2022 to tender for a full AV suite refurbishment in the Chamber and three committee rooms at the beautiful, listed Town Hall in Victoria Square. We were keen to demonstrate the Public-i difference: working with the client to develop a solution which genuinely met their needs, rather than selling a solution at the highest price.
Design process
Our team of experienced system designers worked in partnership with key stakeholders from Birmingham City Council throughout the system design process. Weekly calls and regular demonstrations of different options meant that we got to know the team and that they were given the opportunity to fully understand the various options available to them. Our ethos of “never sell” was at the forefront of this: we wanted the client to take the options which really met their needs, not the options which came with the highest price tag. We also needed to fully understand how the officers and members of the Council really used the space, and the challenges of the space itself.
Birmingham City Council room with projectors at the back
The final design was for fully hybrid webcasting functionality in all rooms with a controllable high-grade audio-visual solution in the Chamber. This was complimented by a new, integrated, wireless Televic conference microphone solution which allowed the client to use the microphones across multiple rooms.
Installation
Due to the substantial timescales allowed for this job, our team were able to spend considerable time planning their approach. The installation was too large to be treated as one project, so was treated as a series of smaller projects. Lead engineer, Joe Lewis, explains:
We approached the installation systematically. This was a big job and far simpler to break into smaller parts. Each separate space was treated as its own project, and further broken down into three phases: 1st fix, 2nd fix and commission. This meant we could allocate our teams effectively into the areas where their skills were most well-utilised.
Over the course of three weeks the teams worked their way through the rooms, culminating in a final week of commissioning in the Chamber: which was the most challenging part of the project. The way in which the client wanted to use the Televic software required bespoke configuration, and our team (both on site and remote) worked hard to ensure that the result was what the client wanted it to be.
Training and launch
Due to the size of the installation, training was delivered by two of our account management team over several sessions. Officers and members were both given training sessions so that each session could be tailored to the groups’ needs. We worked with our partners – Televic – to deliver the conference system training, too. As expected with a system of this size and complexity, there were some snags which cropped up during the training, but the good nature of the trainees and the professionalism of our team meant that these were not showstoppers.
The launch of the system was on the 18th of April and we were thrilled (although not surprised) to see how well it went.
Birmingham City Council room
Final considerations
This project was a hugely positive experience for our team. Our engineers are proud of a job well done and our client are happy with their new system. Steve Burroughes, Project Manager, concludes:
One of the reasons this project was so successful was the engagement of the client in the process. The end users of the system were completely involved in the pre-project conversations, install and commissioning of the system. They worked closely with our engineers and myself to ensure that the final iteration of project – particularly the display and configuration of voting – was exactly as they (and crucially, the members) needed it. The timescales we were given enabled us to plan effectively and give due time to key considerations. This paid dividends and can be seen reflected in the result: a great system which meets the client’s needs.
Visit Birmingham City Council site
