A Comfortable Choice for ExCeL Arena

27th October 2009

Audience Systems is delighted to announce that it will be providing retractable conference seating for London’s first purpose built large scale convention venue - ICC London ExCeL.

The £165m expansion, backed by London’s Mayor Boris Johnson and Visit London, aims to attract more top class events to the city and to play a major part in the regeneration of East London - generating £1.6bn for the London economy by the end of 2011. As such, the new ICC facility is being built to exacting standards. Audience Systems are providing 2000 high specification auditorium seats on retractable platforms, which can be configured in six different layouts to accommodate a wide range of conferences and events.

The chair chosen is the Espace 628CC – an enhanced version of Audience Systems’ classic multipurpose chair. With CC standing for “Conference Comfort”, the chair has a thick, sprung seat specially designed for the long term seated comfort of conference delegates.

James Mark, ExCeL’s Services & 2012 Games Director commented, “The Audience Systems team has worked very hard in partnership with our team throughout the specification process and we are confident that they will deliver a first class product for our delegates that meets all the stringent specifications we have asked for. The ICC London ExCeL is a major addition to the Capital’s event offering and will enable us to be more competitive in the global market and ensure London maintains its position as a leading events destination.”

ExCeL London is owned by ADNEC, the international management company behind venues including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The venue in Abu Dhabi boasts an impressive fully automatic seating system, which was custom designed and installed by Audience Systems’ parent company, Kotobuki Corporation.

The ExCeL Arena website can be found at www.excel-london.co.uk

A Bright New Standard for Seating

14th September 2009

A new spectator seat from Audience Systems is set to give arenas and stadia a fresh new look.

Blaze, which will be available from January 2010, is the result of close work between Audience Systems and its customers. “We wanted to develop something quite unique, so we kept in touch with arena architects and venue owners throughout the process to ensure we didn’t get it wrong”, says Nina Parmenter, Marketing Manager for Audience Systems. “As it turned out, architects in particular were extremely receptive to something new. Seating has a huge effect on the look of a large venue, and we think plastic seating design has probably been more conservative than it needs to be.”

Aside from its distinctive appearance, Blaze has a range of features designed with multipurpose venues in mind. The chairs are designed to be attached along a rail, giving maximum flexibility in seat spacing. The rail in turn can be mounted on standard tread or riser fixed legs, onto the removable Matrix system, or onto fold down mechanisms (for use on retractable tiering). But it’s not just for indoor use - Blaze’s corrosion-proof spring tip mechanism means it is also suitable for outdoor sports and stadium environments.

Extras for the chair have been designed with practicality in mind. Upholstered “onserts” are designed to be easy to clip on to create extra VIP seating areas if more premium tickets are sold. The optional armrests can be folded down by the spectator as and when required but always rotate neatly away when out of use to leave the maximum walkway between rows of seats.  Bold seat numbers can also be specified which not only look striking, but will help spectators find their way to their seats without straining their eyes.

Alongside all these features, the chair has been designed to pass rigorous British Standard tests for strength and to be priced competitively for multipurpose venues.

The Definitive Industry Guide

21st October 2008

An essential reference for anyone specifying a seating system, a new guide has been issued by The British Association of Seating Equipment Suppliers (BASES), defining best practice in seating layout and structure.

As a member of BASES, Audience Systems is delighted to support the release of the 2008 publication, “Recommendations for the Specification and Use of Telescopic and other Spectator Seating” or “The Blue Guide” as it is known in the seating industry. This new release updates the 1991 version and is a must-have document, advising architects, schools, theatres, colleges, local authorities, building departments and leisure operators on the best and safest ways to lay out and structure portable, fixed and retractable seating.

The guide has been compiled by BASES’ member companies, who have been selected for membership on strict criteria ensuring that they represent the very best of the UK seating industry.  It brings together all the relevant regulations and standards with the aim of helping seating specifiers understand all the key issues in one easy-to-use document.

Speaking about the new guide, Audience Systems’ Sales Director, Mark Cowley commented “BASES members have been working for a number of months on updating this very important document for our industry. For anyone looking at seating, be it reworking existing layouts or designing new, I would strongly recommend referencing the Blue Guide before, as well as during the process. Combined with expert assistance from a seating specialist, it can help to ensure compliance with the current regulations and guidelines, without having to plough through pages and pages of regulations.”

The 2008 Blue Guide is available to download for free from the new BASES website at www.basesuk.com following the link on the homepage. A hard copy can be obtained by contacting BASES directly on 02476 414999 (205) or via email at bases@sportsandplay.com.

ABOUT BASES
BASES (The British Association of Seating Equipment Suppliers) is an independent trade body representing manufacturers and suppliers of audience seating. There are strict conditions of membership, and all members abide by a code of practice – ensuring that customers benefit from exceptional quality of service, reliability of product and adherence to industry standards.

CONTACT BASES
Association Manager- Kate Costin
British Association of Seating Equipment Suppliers (BASES)
Federation House, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2RF
www.basesuk.com

Comfort in the Capital of Culture

21st January 2008

With events already underway to mark its investiture as the European Capital of Culture, a rejuvenated Liverpool is emerging as a fresh, fearless 21st century city. The flagship Waterfront development at has as its centrepiece the Liverpool Echo Arena, a cathedral to music and entertainment which is certainly long overdue in a city of Liverpool’s size and musical pedigree.

Audiences at the arena will be treated not only to a fine line up throughout 2008 and beyond, but also to a comfortable seat and excellent sightlines thanks to Audience Systems. The multipurpose arena features a mixture of fixed and telescopic seating to give the arena owners all the flexibility they need to hold events as diverse as motocross, darts and concerts.

The age of the plastic bucket seat is far behind us, and modern arena audiences expect nothing less than complete comfort. On the other hand, arena operators still need seats to be tough. The upholstered Accolade chair, chosen for the arena, is the perfect remedy, with resilient plastic panels on the outside of the seats to minimise the ravages of energetic audiences enjoying anything from Westlife to wrestling. The chair is proving a popular choice for the new generation of super-venues – just two years old, it can already be found at Arena Riga in Latvia, the refurbished Bournemouth International Centre and the O2 Arena.

The Liverpool Echo Arena was designed by award winning architects Wilkinson Eyre, alongside design consultants Sport Concepts. Michael Lischer from Sport Concepts comments, “We chose to work with Audience Systems because of their flexibility in terms of the telescopic system, the speed of their installation and the quality of their product. I am very happy with the result.”

Audience Systems’ previous experience in the arena industry was also a key factor. Project Manager Peter Roberts from Bovis Lend Lease comments, “The installation went very well. I look after Manchester Arena and Audience Systems have done a good job with us there. And it’s very much the same story here.”

The good faith in Audience Systems’ abilities, and the close relationship between client and seating contractor really paid off when it came to installing the seating. With so many contractors on site, installing seating into an arena can be fraught with complications, as Audience Systems’ Project Manager Andrew Powell knows only too well. “This time it was clear that the client had faith in us to do a good job, and they simply let us get on with it,” he comments. “As a result the seating installation went without a hitch.”

For more details about the Kings Waterfront development, visit www.kingswaterfrontliverpool.co.uk

Creating Space - Audience Systems bring new flexibility to TV18’s Studios

1st August 2007

For the manager of a theatre or studio, space is one of the most valuable resources. So why restrict yourself to using a space in just one way?

British firm Audience Systems Ltd have been working with theatres and auditoria all over the world to get more from their space, and are now turning their attention to India. The company has just secured an order to supply retractable seating systems to India’s largest news network, Television Eighteen Group, which will give the company true flexibility in the layout of their TV studios. The system consists of tiers of seating which, when not in use, can be folded away into a single stack for storage. This stack can then be simply wheeled in and out of the studio when not needed.

Anirban Banerjee, Senior Engineering Services Manager for TV18 explains, “The reason we chose Audience Systems is very clear – we wanted to keep up with the latest developments in the broadcasting industry. By using a telescopic seating system, we can add a new dimension to our studio programmes. When we are shooting shows with no audience, we can close the seating and use the space for other shows; we can also move the seating to anywhere in the studio to give us flexibility and creativity in the set design.”

This system is similar to that used for many years by the BBC in the UK, a long time customer of Audience Systems. The BBC studios have seating which can be lifted on a cushion of air to be manoeuvred and precisely positioned. The seating systems consist of a number of wedge-shaped sets of tiering which can be used in a large number of configurations depending on the amount of studio space needed and the size of the audience.

Audience Systems’ retractable systems are used by organisations of all kinds – from schools and sports clubs to theatres and arenas. The systems vary greatly in complexity according to client need. London’s National Theatre for example chose a seating system which is fully automatic – in other words, the system opens and retracts at the touch of a button and no manual lifting of seats is required. Meanwhile, for smaller studio theatres and school auditoria, much simpler systems are appropriate. 

O2 Arena chooses the ultimate flexible seating solution

30th March 2007

Anschutz Entertainment Group, developers and operators of London’s O2 Arena, have selected a unique removable seating solution for the floor of the new venue. The “Matrix” system from Audience Systems will allow The O2’s customers to enjoy theatre-style comfort while its operators can remove and install the seating quickly and simply.

The Matrix Floorbar system is extremely popular with arenas for a number of reasons. The system consists of groups of typically three auditorium chairs, which are simply slotted into a “matrix” of completely removable floorbars. This means that spectators seated on the arena floor can enjoy the comfort of a theatre-type chair, rather than the more temporary feel of a stacking or folding chair. And as the arena’s configuration is adapted for different events, the speed and ease with which the system can be assembled or moved brings clear operational and financial benefits.

Senior Technical Manager for AEG, Q Willis, said, “the concept for the arena is to provide customers with a higher standard of experience, so we were looking for a superior class of seating. It’s difficult to find a chair for an arena floor which gives customers a good quality seat, which is wide and padded. This system fits the bill perfectly – and the service from Audience Systems has been fantastic.”

There are also safety benefits for both spectators and operators. Because the removable chairs, like classic auditorium chairs, are mounted on a single beam with their seats folding up when unoccupied, wide, safe walkways are created between seats. This makes the Matrix system a safer alternative to other solutions for arena floors, such as folding or stacking seats. The lack of permanent floor fixings also removes a potential trip hazard when the seating is not in place. For operators, the relatively low number of lifting operations required to put the system together reduces physical strain.

The much-publicised O2 Arena, currently rising beneath the “tent” of the Millennium Dome in the heart of London’s Docklands, will be the UK’s largest redevelopment for over 50 years. It is already scheduled to host the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2009 and the finals of the gymnastics and basketball events at the 2012 Olympics. A wide variety of concerts are also planned – with Justin Timberlake and the Scissor Sisters already booked for this summer.

The Arena is the first purpose built music venue to be built in London since the Royal Albert Hall in 1871 – another of Audience Systems’ customers. The company installed 3,500 auditorium chairs at the prestigious venue during its most recent refurbishment.

Notes to editors:

Audience Systems was founded in 1972, and specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of spectator seating for schools, theatres and arenas. It is the UK market leader in this area, with a particular focus on retractable seating systems – tiers of audience seating which fold away telescopically, giving venues complete flexibility over the use of their space.

Audience Systems’ impressive list of clients includes The Royal Albert Hall, venues for the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, and a host of international arenas including the NEC in Birmingham, the Manchester Evening News Arena and Colorline Arena in Germany. This summer, it will also be installing seating in the brand new King’s Waterfront Arena in Liverpool, centrepiece of Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008.