Porsche SE AGM, Stuttgart

The car manufacturer's annual shareholders' meeting was held at two adjacent halls in the Neckarpark district: in the Porsche Arena we made sure that the event was able to proceed in compliance with legal requirements by designing an uninterruptible power supply. Should there be a power failure in the arena, batteries supply power for a short period until two generators are able to compensate the failure in full. All of the components of the additional power supply were housed in containers outside the hall.

During the AGM itself, our main job was to ensure acoustically excellent sound transmission for the speeches and optically brilliant visualisation of the presentations. As in the neighbouring Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, which was used for catering for the attendees, we also ensured high-quality lighting of the location in line with CI guidelines. The teams from our branch offices in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart have many years of experience and once again put their collective know-how into practice.

In addition to providing the proven audio set-up, characterised by its reliability for AGMs, before the event we also installed and thoroughly tested a new kind of localisation system and the required additional loudspeakers. The "Soundscape" DS100 system from d&b audiotechnik features perfect sound localisation with respect to speakers and their position on the stage – the table for the management board and the speaker's lectern – as well as beside the stage where the lectern for statements by shareholders was situated.

The practical test for this form of speech application was a complete success: the speakers were heard coming precisely from the place they were positioned, and, whether consciously or unconsciously, drew the eyes of the audience towards them. This heightens the audience's attention, makes it easier to follow what is going on and is less tiring. And there is a further aspect that is of particular interest for acoustically difficult surroundings: not every loudspeaker emits energy at the same time – and therefore unnecessarily. The result is less background noise, an important factor in harmonious listening. Last but not least, the DS100 shortens the measuring phase, thus easing the strain on the client's budget.

Photos: Porsche SE