GLOBAL HOTEL GIANT INTERCONTINENTAL GETS THE SMARTCOMM TOUCH
The new headquarters of hotel giant IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) features an integrated Crestron AV solution, designed and installed by multi award-winners Smartcomm.
IHG relocated its global HQ from Windsor to a new site located in 13 acres of landscaped grounds with open-plan office space set in a four-storey building at Broadwater Park – formerly home to the Denham film studios - in Buckinghamshire. Covering 100,000 square feet, the new global headquarters features work zones, a 20-room meeting suite, a state-of-the-art gym and dance studio, contemporary style coffee bar and facilities – all featuring cutting-edge audio visual equipment.
As the world's leading global hotel group, IHG’s brands include Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts. IHG manages, leases or franchises more than 3260 hotels in nearly 100 countries across the world.
From its conception the building was designed to be as sustainable as possible and demonstrate environmental best practice and serve as a benchmark in energy efficiency for the company’s global network of hotels and offices. A carbon neutral fit-out, the development included a full eco-specification for products - based on limiting the travelling distances of materials sourced - and selecting those with a high recycled and recyclable content.
Smartcomm specified Crestron AV2 and MP2E control systems for the project. Crestron AV2 Series Control System is the ‘brain’ of this integrated AV solution. Each audio, video, and environmental element is controllable and accessible through the control system. The Crestron 2-Series control system is unmatched for power, performance and scalability, providing the ideal choice for today's demanding commercial control applications.
The Crestron MP2E fuses high-performance AV signal distribution, device control, and facility-wide system management throughout the building. It combines an Ethernet control system and audio/video switcher in a single box to provide a cost-effective total room control solution. The MP2E is used to select and control each room's a-v and environmental resources including VCRs, DVD/CD players, projectors, screens, lighting and more.
Smartcomm has also integrated Crestron’s latest version of RoomView - a multi-user help desk software to deliver complete facility-wide network control of AV resources. RoomView allows administrators and support staff to manage AV resources, perform remote system diagnostics, track the usage of projector lamps, log network activity, and automate tasks through event scheduling. Offering extensive maintenance, security and service benefits, RoomView can remotely lock out selected rooms to prevent unauthorized use of TVs, CD players, and other AV equipment if desired.
Smartcomm’s Distributed Media solution allows chosen zones and rooms within the building to view Sky and Digital Terrestrial Television via the buildings internal network. Five Sky satellite decoders, preset to specified channels were installed within the rack in the Data Centre, in addition to these, decoders that enable the reception of up to 39 channels of Freeview television were also made available. A dedicated DVD player was installed for replay of pre-recorded disc material. The system was designed to take a video stream from two Sony PTZ cameras installed in the Auditorium via the buildings network, so live presentations could also be shown on any chosen display device across the building if desired.
A Digital Signage solution was also integrated within the system to allow IHG’s Management to keep employees and visitors easily informed and updated, whether it be a ‘Welcome’ message to the screens in Reception or Meeting Room Booking information displayed on a wall mounted portrait orientated Mitsubishi 42” LCD screen in the 1st Floor Meeting Room Reception. In total, 5 Zones were specified to show Digital Signage on either wall mounted or ceiling mounted 42” or 47” LG LCD screens ; the main Reception, Restaurant/Coffee Bar, HR informal waiting area, 3 Lift Lobbies and the 1st Floor Meeting Room Reception.
Other features of the installation include 12 Beyer Dynamic table mics set into the table surface of both the Boardroom and 18 Person Meeting Room tables that feed into a controlled mixer with telephone interface hardware, enabling Audio Teleconferencing from the Crestron Control System. Both rooms also feature ceiling mounted Hitachi LCD projectors and motorised 100” drop down front projection screens, 2 x PC/laptop connections located within the tables, with audio for all source equipment coming from six hidden ceiling speakers. The control for the projectors and hardware, comes via Crestron TPMC-8X handheld wireless touchpanels.
Other rooms such as the Auditorium (which can be partitioned to create 3 separate rooms), the Holidex and Marketing Suite also feature ceiling mounted projectors and either 160” drop down front projection, 100” rear projection or 84” fixed frame projection screens. The Holidex Room, used for training, features a Sympodium touch screen controller, that enables the user to view and control PC applications directly from the touch sensitive screens 15” XGA LCD surface without the need to look at the projection screen behind, where the image is being replayed.
To enable IHG to keep in touch with their worldwide offices and hotels without the need to travel, a Polycom Video Conferencing system with a 65” Panasonic plasma screen was installed into the VC Room. The remaining meeting rooms have a combination of 42” or 47” LG LCD screens with Exterity IPTV and DVD players for display material and PC/Laptop connections located within central room floor boxes, all locally controlled via Crestron ST1700-C wireless touchpanels. A number of private offices have LCD screens, Sky boxes and DVD players integrated into them also.
The Project Director at IHG, Tom Lord, comments on Smartcomm’s expertise:
"Smartcomm delivered a very professional and innovative service in providing an AV package that was tailored to the needs of our new Global Head Offices. I would recommend them to anyone that was looking to install the latest technologies into their work environment."
