On Workplace 3.X: Panasonic Connect

Petro Shimonishi, Director of Pro AV Solutions and Connected Ecosystems at Panasonic Connect North America
(Image credit: Future)

AVT Question: Please share insight and best practices for ensuring meeting equity for all employees and how to deliver the best collaboration experience regardless of location.

Thought Leader: Petro Shimonishi, Director of Pro AV Solutions and Connected Ecosystems at Panasonic Connect North America

In today’s world, there’s no pinpoint definition of “the office.” The modern workforce’s corporate spaces span from bedrooms, personal offices, co-working spaces, and more. However, the exciting flexibility that comes with working from anywhere also raises the issue of keeping employees engaged when they’re not physically in the same location. Ultimately, it’s not enough to just live stream meetings and conferences. Today, making meetings more immersive through advanced AV tools truly enables more creative, experiential, and engaging workplaces.

To ensure employees embrace the true benefits of a work-from-anywhere lifestyle, employers must utilize AV tools that foster collaboration and seamless experiences for in-person and virtual employees." —Petro Shimonishi, Director of Pro AV Solutions and Connected Ecosystems at Panasonic Connect North America

With the proper technology integrated into a meeting or conference space, presenters (in person or virtual) can integrate an added layer of immersion into their presentation or discussion. Information sharing and collaboration are key for a productive meeting environment. Companies can better hold attendees’ attention and build productive spaces by adopting a holistic, all-inclusive suite of AV solutions. These technologies create more engaged meeting spaces, scaled based on specific needs and requirements. 

AV systems for meeting spaces need to be thoughtfully designed with both in-person and remote attendees in mind. PTZ cameras with auto-tracking capabilities are necessary in these types of environments, as they allow remote attendees to feel like they are in the room following the conversation. The same goes for 360-degree camera speakerphones. These devices take the stress out of meetings by allowing presenters to capture footage and audio using one device, ensuring clear sound collection and amplification. Speaking of sound, wireless handheld microphones are also great meeting space tools, especially those optimized for speech intelligibility and featuring background noise suppression technology.

Work from anywhere isn’t going away anytime soon and meeting spaces still have a place in our future. To ensure employees embrace the true benefits of a work-from-anywhere lifestyle, employers must utilize AV tools that foster collaboration and seamless experiences for in-person and virtual employees.

Cindy Davis
Brand and content director of AV Technology

Cindy Davis is the brand and content director of AV Technology. Davis enjoys exploring the ethos of experiential spaces as well as diving deep into the complex topics that shape the AV/IT industry. In 2012, the TechDecisions brand of content sites she developed for EH Publishing was named one of “10 Great Business Media Websites” by B2B Media Business magazine. For more than 20 years, Davis has developed and delivered multiplatform content for AV/IT B2B and consumer electronics B2C publications, associations, and companies. From 2000 to 2008, Davis was the publisher and editor-in-chief of Electronic House. From 2009 to present, as the principal of CustomMedia.Co, Davis developed content plans and delivered content for associations such as IEEE Standards Association and AVIXA, content marketing for Future Plc, and numerous AV/IT companies. Davis was a critical member of the AVT editorial team when the title won the “Best Media Brand” laurel in the 2018 SIIA Jesse H. Neal Awards. A lifelong New Englander, Davis makes time for coastal hikes with her husband, Gary, and their Vizsla rescue, Dixie, sailing on one of Gloucester’s great schooners, and sampling local IPAs.