In December 2006, TDC Africa was appointed to upgrade the entire Audio/Visual system for the new Area at the Durban International Convention Centre (DICC). Due to our long-standing relationship with TDC Africa, our experience in conference venues, and our technical back-up and support capabilities, they called us in to ensure the successful completion of the project. Our involvement included the design and supply of audio/visual systems to the extensions, as well as design, supply of equipment and engineering.
The DICC Arena is a flexible, multifunctional space, designed to host a multitude of activities. The audio design thus required a high degree of flexibility. Our work included the design, supply and installation of the evacuation systems, general paging systems, foreground music and promotional systems. It also extended into the visual spectrum, with the design and installation of the dynamic signage systems.
The floor plan of the DICC Arena is also flexible, allowing for a single space, or multiple sub-divisions with temporary walls. We thus engineered a system that can adapt and change as the floor plan does. It also compensates for ‘dead’ areas and reflection of audio against the walls, wherever they might be. All audio feeds are also ‘matrixed’ throughout the system, allowing the operator to instantly call-up pre-programmed set-ups for the room/s required.
Bosch products were used for the evacuation system, consisting of: a network controller, a remote call station, call station Kit, call station keypad kit, a remote call station keypad, a call station interface, a variety of power amplifiers, a network cable assembly, a fibre interface and an analogue breakout box. A number of portable systems were also supplied, as well as a larger line-array system with subs and processing for large-scale events.
We worked around the clock to ensure this highly complex, state-of-the-art system was completed on a tight deadline. The result is a very happy client, now equipped to create a wide variety of world-class experiences for their clients.
