At the Automechanika DIGITAL PLUS and Hypermotion 2021 trade shows at the Messe convention hall in Frankfurt, Germany, live event and technology companies Gahrens + Battermann and Freaksound teamed up to implement a communications approach utilizing a variety of Clear-Com components that supported both live and virtual elements of the shows.
The first independent shows of their kind in Germany, Automechanika and Hypermotion brought together numerous players from the automotive, transport and logistics industries to discuss the future of the mobility industry. Approximately 10,000 visitors from 70 countries attended the simultaneous shows, with 53 percent attending in-person in Frankfurt and 47 percent tuning in virtually around the world.
A Clear-Com HelixNet digital network partyline system was integrated with several LQ devices and deployed at the Messe to connect four event halls and five stages via an existing IP backbone, as well as to connect intercom users who were remoting into the main event site. More than 50 intercom endpoints consisting of four-channel HRM-4X remote user stations and HXII-BP 2-channel beltpacks were established throughout the production area, in addition to analog input and outputs that were designated for camera control units used in the live broadcast of the show.
“HelixNet offers me the possibility to connect the panels via standard 3-pin XLR cable or via IP. The low bandwidth required greatly simplifies operation of HelixNet together with other networks on the same backbone,” explains Hannes Gremm, the intercom technician responsible for the event. Networking LQ devices with HelixNet provided additional analog audio paths along with the IP capabilities for Agent-IC mobile apps and the new Station-IC virtual desktop client, a scalable intercom virtual client that runs on Windows and MacOS.
“I downloaded Station-IC on my programming laptop, so I could listen in on all channels and detect any problems before they became too acute,” Gremm notes. “I downloaded Agent-IC on my phone, so I could access any channels while I was away from my seat. Both solutions gave me great confidence during setup as well as during the show.
“The HelixNet system was easy to implement and more cost-effective than a large matrix-based system would have been. The functions and capabilities provided by the system simplified management of the event and made for a successful hybrid show.”
