In 1993 Electrosonic SA launched an eight page AV and Lighting newsletter and called it Pro-Magazine. “High-tech meets education” was printed in bold as the intro paragraph of one of the first articles. An extract from that story reads: “In the training centre itself, the 120-seat main auditorium is equipped with a Panasonic data projection system, which allows the projection of anything from printed pages and 35mm slides to overhead transparencies and even three-dimensional objects”. It continues: “Panasonic 67cm colour television sets and VHS VCRs have been installed…”
One of the biggest challenges in AV system design is the colossal gap between a client’s wish list and the budget. I have witnessed many a twinkle-in-the-eye disappears when the bottom-line figure is the main decider. It requires careful planning, and a broad product knowledge, to provide a solution as close as possible to the initial request, but also satisfactory to the bank manager.
Red Bull is known for its dare-devil approach to business and to sports sponsorship. So, when they decided to relocated offices from Black River Park in Observatory in Cape Town to Granger Bay there were no half-measures either. They demanded modern, sophisticated design, using the best of the best in technological advancements, including a completely new audio visual design and fit-out. Red Bull understands the value that technology adds to their corporate identity, as well as the value that good appropriate AV technology adds in communicating to staff and clients.
By Stefan Mayer, Managing Director of Corporate AV Integration
Corporate South Africa’s demand for AV solutions is growing rapidly, but training and professional standards are not keeping up with the market expansion. The result is that there are too many companies who don’t have the technical skills to deliver the complex solutions that clients are looking for.
