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Two-room av production for avanade’s frontier firm ai workshop at the shard
Client
Oblix, supporting Avanade
Event
The Frontier Firm: Building an AI-powered enterprise, 4 June 2026
Location
Oblix, Level 32, The Shard, London
Scope
Full two-room AV production including PA, wireless microphones, recording, mirrored and independent video feeds, custom staging, playback and on-site technical support
CLIENT BRIEF AT A GLANCE
Avanade was bringing senior technology and business leaders together for an afternoon focused on generative AI, Agentic AI and the future of enterprise leadership.
The event agenda included a fireside chat, keynote presentation, client panel, roundtable discussions and networking. Each session placed different demands on the audio, presentation systems and room setup. Oblix East was used for the main speaker sessions. It required a custom stage, clear sound coverage and one presentation feed shown across three screens.
Oblix West operated as a satellite room, where three separate screens needed to display independent content at the same time. The event also required seven wireless microphone channels, eight separated audio feeds for the client, a simultaneous 8-track recording, four show laptops and accurate session timing.
EMS Events managed the complete technical delivery under one coordinated production plan. This covered equipment preparation, staging, signal distribution, recording, testing, live operation and breakdown across both rooms.
ABOUT THE FRONTIER FIRM AI WORKSHOP
The Frontier Firm: Building an AI-powered enterprise explored how organisations can move beyond isolated AI trials and use AI more widely across their operations.
The event focused on the concept of organisations becoming human-led and AI-operated. It brought together senior leaders working across technology, data, digital transformation, business operations and corporate strategy. The afternoon began with guest arrival and lunch, followed by a fireside chat with senior representatives from Microsoft and Avanade. A keynote session then explored how leaders may need to rethink trust, autonomy and control as AI agents become more widely used in the workplace.
The event also included a client panel featuring representatives from Linklaters, PageGroup, ICAEW, Centrica and Reuters Imagen. Guests later joined facilitated roundtable discussions before the afternoon concluded with networking and refreshments. The combination of presentations, panel discussions and smaller group conversations required a flexible technical setup that could support several event formats within the same venue.
Guests supported across the event
Production rooms managed by EMS Events
4K DISPLAYS Installed across both rooms
THE CHALLENGE: SUPPORTING TWO ROOMS WITH DIFFERENT AV REQUIREMENTS
The main production challenge was creating one connected event across two rooms with very different visual requirements. In Oblix East, the same presenter content needed to appear on an 85-inch main display and two supporting 55-inch screens. Guests required a clear view of the same slides and visual content from different seating positions.
Oblix West needed a separate approach. Three screens had to display three independent feeds from individual laptops, allowing different content to run in parallel. Audio added another level of complexity. Six lapel microphones and one handheld microphone needed to support fireside conversations, keynote speakers, panellists and audience contributions.
The audio system also had to provide eight separate feeds to the client while producing a simultaneous 8-track recording. All equipment had to be delivered, installed and tested inside a working hospitality venue on Level 32 of The Shard.
How We Brought The Event To Life
EMS Events treated the workshop as one complete event production rather than a collection of separate equipment hires. One technical plan covered the custom stage, PA system, wireless microphones, screens, show laptops, signal distribution, presentation timing, recording and live technical support.
MIRRORED 4K SCREENS THROUGHOUT
The main presentation setup in Oblix East included an 85-inch 4K Samsung display positioned on a display lift. Two additional 55-inch 4K screens were installed on floor stands to improve sightlines across the room. All three screens showed the same presenter feed.
EMS Events distributed the signal through an HDMI-to-SDI system. This provided a reliable connection between the presentation control position and each display while supporting the longer cable routes required within the venue. The arrangement also simplified the presentation process. Speakers worked from one presentation source, while the EMS Events technical team managed the feed and content transitions in line with the event running order.
The mirrored video setup in Oblix East, with one presenter feed distributed across an 85-inch main display and two supporting screens.
THREE INDEPENDENT SCREEN FEEDS
Oblix West required three different content feeds rather than one mirrored presentation. EMS Events positioned three 55-inch 4K screens along the room’s window line. Each display was connected to its own show laptop, allowing separate content to appear on each screen.
This arrangement gave the event team greater flexibility during the roundtable and supporting sessions. Different groups could view their own material without affecting the other displays or the main presentation running in Oblix East. The laptops, screens and cable routes were installed and tested together before guests arrived. During the event, the technical team could manage each feed independently without interrupting the content running elsewhere in the venue.
Three independently controlled 55-inch screens supported parallel content and facilitated discussions in Oblix West.
A CUSTOM STAGE FOR THE MAIN SPACE
EMS Events supplied a custom presentation stage measuring 6m wide, 2m deep and 0.3m high for Oblix East. The platform was finished with black carpet and black valance. A 90-degree curved front edge gave the stage a more considered appearance than a standard straight platform and helped it fit naturally within the venue. The stage created a defined setting for the fireside chat, keynote presentation and client panel.
Its six-metre width provided enough space for different speaker arrangements while remaining appropriate for the size of the room and the 75-guest audience. The stage position was planned alongside the main screen.
Presentation stage and camera setup for the Avanade AI World Tour event at The Shard.
PRESENTATION CONTROL & SESSION TIMING
Four show laptops were used across the two-room production. The laptops managed the main presenter feed, the three independent feeds in Oblix West and the wider presentation requirements of the event. A wireless USB presentation clicker allowed speakers to move through their slides from the stage without needing to remain beside the technical control position. EMS Events also supplied a Hive countdown timer system. This gave speakers, session chairs and the technical team a clear view of the time remaining during each session.
The laptops, presentation files, screen outputs, clicker and timing system were tested together before the event opened.
The presentation feeds and show laptops were tested before guests arrived, helping the technical team manage content delivery throughout the event.
FROM SETUP TO SHOW TIME: ONSITE DELIVERY
Audio was one of the most important parts of the WICE Awards production because the event included hosts, presenters, award recipients and live performance moments.
We supplied a full PA system designed to give the room consistent sound coverage from front to back. This helped ensure speeches, announcements and performances could be heard clearly across the audience area without distortion or uneven volume.
Wireless handheld microphones were provided for the host, presenters and award recipients, giving the show team flexibility during live segments. Backup microphones were also available to reduce risk during key moments. This meant the event could continue smoothly if a microphone needed to be swapped quickly.
The sound setup was managed by an on-site audio engineer, who controlled microphone levels, music playback and live sound throughout the ceremony. This helped maintain a professional listening experience from the first announcement to the final performance.
Professional Microphone Support For Hosts, Speakers And Performers
The microphone setup was planned around the movement and structure of the awards ceremony.
Hosts and presenters needed clear, reliable microphones for introductions, category announcements and live links. Award recipients needed microphones that could be handed over quickly without delaying the running order. Performers required microphones that supported movement on stage while keeping the vocals clear over the PA system.
By using handheld wireless microphones, EMS Events gave the event team the flexibility needed for a fast-moving live show. The setup allowed presenters and performers to move naturally while keeping the audience connected to every spoken and performance moment.
From Setup To Show Time, On-Site Delivery
EMS Events managed the technical process from equipment preparation and venue access through to live operation and post-event collection.
Pre-production
Planning covered the equipment specification, screen positions, stage dimensions, audio routing, presentation feeds, recording requirements and technical responsibilities for Oblix East and Oblix West.
Technical rehearsal
The team tested the mirrored main-room displays, independent satellite-room feeds, wireless microphones, PA system, presentation clicker, countdown timer and 8-track recording before guests arrived.
Show day
The onsite audio technician managed the PA system, wireless microphones, live sound and recording. The wider technical team supported presentation playback, screen routing, session timing and transitions throughout the event.
Logistics
EMS Events provided setup and breakdown crews, transit-insured delivery and collection, event consumables and all required production equipment. Load-in was coordinated around the venue’s access arrangements on Level 32.
Client Feedback
With two rooms, multiple speaker sessions and different AV requirements, we needed a team that could manage every detail without adding pressure for us. And you guyssss were so professional, organised, responsive and calm throughout the day. Everything was ready before our guests arrived, and the sound, screens, staging and presentation support worked exactly as needed. Having one experienced team manage the full setup gave us real confidence, literally!! Avanade event team
The Outcome
The completed setup supported the full event agenda across Oblix East and Oblix West.
In the main room, the 85-inch display and two supporting screens gave guests clear access to the same presentation content from different seating positions. The custom stage created a consistent and professional setting for the fireside chat, keynote presentation and client panel.
The four-speaker PA system and seven wireless microphone channels supported the different speaker formats throughout the afternoon. A dedicated audio technician managed the live sound, while the separated audio feeds and 8-track recording captured the individual channels for the client.
In Oblix West, three independently controlled screens allowed separate content to run at the same time without affecting the presentation in Oblix East. The four show laptops, wireless clicker and Hive countdown system also helped each session remain organised and on schedule.
By bringing the video, sound, staging, presentation control, recording and technical support under one production plan, EMS Events gave the event team one point of contact for the complete technical delivery.
PLANNING A MULTI-ROOM CORPORATE EVENT IN LONDON?
Multi-room events require careful coordination between presentation content, sound, screens, staging, session timing and technical teams.
EMS Events provides complete corporate event production in London, from initial AV planning and equipment preparation through to installation, live technical management and breakdown. Whether you are organising a leadership workshop, executive fireside chat, client conference or panel event, EMS Events can manage the complete technical production under one coordinated plan.