The Institute for Government is the UK’s leading independent think tank working to make government more effective. Their office in St James, London comprises of meeting rooms, event spaces and a podcast studio.
To create a functional workspace for meetings and hybrid classroom events, with improved video conferencing and enhanced presentation display capabilities.
A large primary display was required for in-room participants, alongside a secondary screen to enable remote guests to join and engage effectively via Microsoft Teams.
Maximising visible content for both in-room and remote audiences was essential.
A key requirement was that the room could be reconfigured quickly between layouts without needing to move or reconfigure any technology. Additionally, the Teams control tablet needed flexible positioning to suit each setup.
The room’s 5-metre ceiling height created challenges for optimal audio system placement. Furthermore, the ideal position for the remote guest display coincided with a bay window, limiting traditional mounting options.
To deliver the largest possible display and avoiding costly ceiling mounts, a wall-mounted ultra short throw laser projector was installed. The projector also included interactive touch functionality, enabling users to annotate directly onto the screen and use it as a digital whiteboard, enhancing engagement during workshops.
The remote guest display was installed as a freestanding unit within the bay window at an optimal viewing height. The Microsoft Teams Room hardware was neatly integrated below the screen, while a camera mounted above ensured clear visibility of presenters and natural sightlines for both in-room and remote participants.
For audio coverage, two pendant speakers from JBL were suspended at an ideal height to provide consistent 360-degree sound dispersion across the room. This ensured clear audio for both Teams calls and local presentation content.
Ceiling microphones from Yealink were installed using custom mounts to achieve optimal positioning, capturing speech consistently wherever people were positioned. This reduced reverberation and maintained high audio clarity, while also supporting all room layouts without requiring repositioning or reconnecting.
To improve network reliability, a dedicated network switch was installed, allowing both the Teams Room system and presentation laptop to be hardwired for stable connectivity.
Finally, multiple connection points were provided for the Teams control tablet at either end of the room. This enabled flexible placement depending on the chosen room configuration, further enhancing usability.
A vastly improved audio and video experience was delivered for staff and external guests at the Institute for Government.
Beamforming ceiling microphones captured clear conversations with minimal reverberation, ensuring voices were picked up accurately from any position within the room. Distributed pendant speakers provided consistent, high quality audio coverage, so sound levels were equal regardless of where participants were seated.
The large display ensured presentation content was easily visible from all areas of the space. The Microsoft Teams Room setup, combined with effective display placement, created an engaging and comfortable video conferencing experience, delivering clear audio for both remote and in room participants.
A robust, hardwired internet connection further enhanced reliability, giving users confidence during important online meetings and hybrid workshops.