Week 4 – Guy Whittle Auditorium Refurbishments

Well…..it being mid-summer there was little new movements this week on top of what is already being done and installed as the previous week with more caballing being laid in the background, therefore it’s a great time to tell you about our other recent installation into our largest lecture theatre, our new MobileConnect system;

For the first time ever Sennheiser UK is working with a UK conference venue to debut its new Assisted Listening System, called MobileConnect.  1 Wimpole Street’s award-winning audio-visual team has worked closely with Feltech, who physically installed the innovative equipment.  Sennheiser’s MobileConnect is an innovative streaming solution that offers hearing support via WiFi and app.

The technology allows those with a need for assistive listening to stream live audio from a conference (via the venue’s Wi-Fi network) directly to the delegate’s personal mobile device and headphones.  Delegates who use this technology are able to adjust the sound level, adapt speech and sound quality (EQ) via the Personal Hearing Assistant to their personal requirements.

It can even be used in situations in which audio transmission has until now been impossible or only very limited i.e. in the field of digital signage, and significantly in other areas where additional audio channels are needed such as translation.  It is capable of providing simultaneous translation in real-time during conferences and presentations allowing the speaker to present in their preferred language whilst the audience instantly is able to understand what is being said.

Further benefits include an easy set-up, whereby customers can use their own smartphones to receive audio contents.  They obviously know how to use their own device best of all and merely have to download the free MobileConnect app to their smartphone.  At the same time, event organisers are no longer faced with the cost of providing, renting and maintaining and cleaning audio headsets.

1 Wimpole Street is working closely with Action for Hearing Loss (RNID) towards ‘Louder than Words’ accreditation for creating a good listening environment for all users of its events services (this is beyond the requirements for Equality Act compliance).

1 Wimpole street AV manager Kevin McLoughlin said: “Currently 17% of the UK population lives with a hearing impairment, including myself. At 1 Wimpole Street we have installed the Mobile Connect system to add to existing auditoria assistive listening systems such as induction loops and infra-red to allow for all-inclusive support for delegates who are hard of hearing. Each delegate can use whichever system they are most comfortable with, whether they use their own hearing aid or headphones”.

Ultimately the MobileConnect system will be available throughout the entire building at 1 Wimpole Street.  This will allow people to use the technology for the television in the reception areas, visitors will be able to listen to its audio via the MobileConnect app.

Find out what happened during;
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

Stay tuned for our next week’s blog and find out what happened this week.