Essendon Football Club

The Hangar, located near the Melbourne Airport, is Essendon Football Club’s (EFC) High-Performance Centre and the club’s training and administration base. The $27M facility became home to EFC in 2013 when they relocated from Windy Hill and recently underwent a $21.5M upgrade including substantial investment in new audio visual solutions, completed in 2022.

Included in the facility is a world-class gym, two footy ovals replicating the size of both the MCG and Marvel Stadium, two high altitude rooms and a three-lane lap pool. Also featured is a turf-bottom indoor training ground the size of five basketball courts.

The Hanger is also home to the Victorian headquarters of the Australian Paralympic Committee and the training and administration facility for A-League club Western United.

The Beginning

InSight’s first introduction to EFC was back in 2016 when we were engaged to rectify several technology issues that their incumbent could not resolve. We had been recommended by one of their board executives based on works we had completed, and technical expertise demonstrated at another enterprise customer. In a matter of weeks, EFC experienced InSight System’s ability to diagnose and solve complex problems that had been plaguing the club for almost 3 years. We quickly became their preferred technology partner and have supported their workplace technology strategy requirements ever since.

During the redevelopment phase of The Hanger, the InSight Systems team were engaged to help EFC understand how workplace technology would be used through the facility. Our teams met with key stakeholders as part of a consultative concept phase. This resulted in the development of a technology strategy, a construction program where designed systems were integrated into the Atrium, function rooms, meeting rooms, coaches’ rooms, war room, retail spaces, café, and the showpiece experience centre. Management of the technology strategy and its implementation across the facility now continues through the ongoing curation of the installed systems, ensuring they remain operational and deliver exceptional user experiences well into the future.

Audio Visual Solutions – Technology Overview

The audio visual solutions that underpin the Workplace Technology Strategy at EFC support a very diverse user base and are implemented across many areas of the club. Whether the intended audience is a visitor to the club’s retail spaces, staff using internal workspaces, or the playing group being addressed in the war room, each system was designed to ensure an outstanding user experience and to enhance the workdays of those utilizing the technology.

While audio visual solutions were developed to meet the unique functional needs of each space, our design teams had to consider the delivery of a technology stack that provided consistent operational performance as well as a consistent user experience for the next 5 years. Understanding and articulating the technology lifecycle was key. Assessing the designs against factors such as ongoing maintenance, availability of sparing, equipment warranty, remote management, replacement cost, risk management, cyber security, training and education were just a few of the considerations that impacted the design choices.

The technology stack included NEC video walls, projectors and large format displays across all spaces. We combined Crestron control, signal management, and speakers with QSC audio processors and power amplifiers while Shure microphones and JBL speakers were used in specific function spaces.

Some of the systems installed include:

• Entry video wall and presentation systems
• Foyer projection / interactive activation with EFC’s historic content
• Visitor digital signage and welcome screens
• Function rooms with presentation capability for 400 guests (combinable space)
• Boardroom/meeting rooms with Videoconferencing
• War room
• Café and Retail space
• Experience Centre
• Donor recognition wall with interactive touch
• Foyer video wall and presentation systems

User Experience

We’ve achieved a consistent user experience that will remain a valuable part of The Hangar for years to come. By delivering technology that operates the same way regardless of the space users are in, each user’s confidence in and capability to communicate their particular message to their particular audience is enhanced and their technology experience is second to none.

InSight Systems have earned a reputation as the industry’s leading audio-visual integration expert. Working closely with architects, electrical contractors, builders, and most importantly, directly with our clients, InSight Systems ensure the workplace technology we deliver fits your requirements both now and well into the future.

Click on this link for more information on our Audio Visual Solutions