Brand experience in Heineken’s refurbished meeting space

Decision-making process

In September, the new meeting space on the ground floor at Stadhouderskade opened, and the feedback internally at Heineken has been very positive. Let’s go back to the start of this project, around 1.5 years ago.

Jurgen Sibelo, Technogy Specialist at Heineken International: “There are so many possibilities these days. AVEX helped us make the right choices based on our requirements. This involved several sessions, including meetings with our architect and construction teams, who needed to bridge the gap between the visual and technical aspects. AVEX’s input was crucial in providing all parties with the right information and enabling them to make the right decisions.”

“There are so many possibilities these days. AVEX helped us make the right choices based on our requirements.” Jurgen Sibelo Technogy Specialist Heineken International

True Togetherness

The space is used extensively every day for informal get-togethers, lunch and short meetings. It also serves as a venue for presentations to small or large groups. All the screens in the space can be linked together to form a single large presentation setup, ensuring the ultimate brand experience in the refurbished meeting space.

Roderick Rademakers, IT Manager, Corporate Office: “In this meeting room, we also opted for a large Absen LED wall. The screen is used for digital signage and presentations. We chose this screen because of its brightness and colour accuracy. The content needs to be sharp and clear in the room throughout the day, regardless of the lighting conditions.

“The screen fits beautifully into the overall setup. It isn’t a garish screen that distracts attention, but rather one that adds something to the space. Furthermore, the low energy consumption was very important, as we didn’t want it to have an unnecessarily large impact on our energy requirements. The screen also switches off completely after working hours and only starts up again when the first people arrive at the office”.

“The wall works in conjunction with the presentation setup on the other side of the room, 25 metres away, and, in addition to digital signage, can display content from the presentation setup clearly and without delay. This allows more people to attend the presentation and makes it very easy to achieve the sense of ‘True Togetherness’ that we want to create for our staff. We’re noticing that physical gatherings at the office are gradually becoming more common, and this solution certainly contributes to that,” says Roderick.

For hybrid meetings, the system features Microsoft Teams Room integration with Yealink video cameras. Remote participants can see the speaker and the content. A second camera can also be used to show the large room.

Overview of solutions and services provided

• 136-inch Absen All-in-one LED wall
• 55-inch and 98-inch Samsung displays
• Scala Digital Signage software
• Bose Professional audio system throughout the room for background music and presentations
• Shure Array ceiling microphone
• Crestron control system with touch panel
• Yealink video conferencing system (Microsoft Teams Room)
• AVEX Care maintenance and support

“Je merkt echt dat het een familiebedrijf is waar gedreven mensen werken met een passie voor wat ze doen. Dit sluit enorm goed aan bij hoe wij zelf zaken doen.” Roderick Rademakers IT Manager Corporate Office

Brand experience in a refurbished meeting space

The interior of the Heineken office exudes brand experience. The digital signage screens also display a wealth of attractive content focused on brand experience and the latest news. Using the Scala Digital Signage system, the content is sent to the correct locations and screens throughout the building based on playlists.

Roderick: “Heineken naturally has a wealth of excellent brand content, but we still want to take things a step further in how that content is displayed. That’s why, to enhance the overall content experience on the screens throughout the building, we’re working with AVEX’s Content Creation team to see how they can create the right templates and style for us.”

Ease of use

As there are many different possible settings, it is important to ensure ease of use.

Fabian Kerkhof, Technology Specialist at Heineken International: “AVEX has configured the entire audiovisual system in this multi-purpose space in such a way that it is very easy to operate via a touch panel. This means that we, as the IT team, do not need to be present throughout events, and it often takes just one explanation for people to be able to use the system.”

To control the audio, the room has been divided into zones that can be activated as required with a simple click. Due to the high ceiling, additional Bose Professional loudspeakers with a wide coverage angle have been installed. A handheld microphone is available to ensure speech intelligibility during Teams sessions, but for added convenience, a Shure array ceiling microphone has also been installed.

Heineken and AVEX Collaboration

“We have already carried out many projects together with AVEX over the past few years and have always been very satisfied with the professionalism and expertise of their staff. You can really tell that it is a family business where driven people work with a passion for what they do. This aligns perfectly with how we do business ourselves and the passion we have for our own products.” Roderick Rademakers IT Manager Corporate Office