Australia’s largest surfwear company recently expanded its company headquarters to include an exhibition hall, in which Geelong’s Bishop Audio was set the task of installing a sound system suitable for the wide variety of launches, events and company parties scheduled to take place there. The choice of Nexo PS Series and Camco amplification more than satisfied the architects in charge of the design and left the client more than happy with the resulting sounds.
Quicksilver Exhibition Hall uses Nexo PS 15
Torquay in Victoria is arguably Australia’s spiritual home of surfing and with this it is also home to several surfing manufacturers including the world’s largest surfwear company Quiksilver. The Quiksilver Australian headquarters employs more than 200 people, most of who live in the Surf Coast Shire.
Quiksilver has recently finished the expansion of its Torquay headquarters following the relocation of its warehousing and distribution operation to North Geelong. The space this made available has been transformed into a variety of small rooms plus a large Exhibition Hall; a multi purpose venue which is used for launches of major new ranges, staff training, and company parties.
Seating area inside the Quicksilver Exhibition Hall
Flown PS 8 Series used for delays for rear of seating area
“It’s designed to be a multi-functional space with electric retractable seating and a large projection screen for showing movies,” explained Kevin Bishop, managing director of Bishop Audio & Lighting who installed the lighting and audio for the project. “There’s a bar and café area plus a barbecue area. It’s a much laid back atmosphere as you’d expect at a surf company.
Inside Quicksilver HQ
“Award wining architects McGlashan Everist gave my project manager Gavin Hulme a requirement for an audio system which had a low impact visually and would fit in with the room design. At the same time the client required the system to be able to handle a band or DJ in party mode.”
Close up of installed PS 15
A Nexo system was approved on both counts with Kevin installing two wall-mounted Nexo PS15 enclosures as the main speaker system in the Exhibition Hall. With their compact size and ability to offer controllable dispersion, two Nexo PS8 speakers are used as delays to cover the seating area at the rear of the room. Finally, a Nexo LS1200 subwoofer is mounted in the roof of the Exhibition Hall as the architects wouldn’t allow it to be positioned anywhere else.
View of speaker configuration from back of seating area
Camco 38.4 amplifiers were chosen to power the system due their reliability, ease of use and most importantly, their ability to ensure that the Nexo PA system sounds second to none.
”The result is a system which has pleased both architects and client,” reports Kevin. “It delivers crisp vocal reproduction for product information and staff meetings, with kick ass sound for range releases and party time. And the architects are happy too – happy days!”
Quicksilver HQ
More of Quicksilver HQ
Kevin Bishop of Bishop Audio
