The Brief

Fota Island Wildlife Park, one of Ireland’s top ten visitor attractions, needed a professional audiovisual system to support its new Education Centre in Cork. The centre would serve a wide range of users, from school groups and conservation researchers to board members and international partners, across four distinct spaces: a lecture theatre, a classroom, a boardroom and a breakout room.

The challenge was that each space had very different requirements. The lecture theatre needed to function both as a single large event venue and as two smaller independent rooms. The boardroom had to support professional video conferencing. And across all spaces, the system had to be simple enough for any member of staff to use without technical support.

The Solution

Fluid AV designed and installed a complete AV integration across all spaces, with each room receiving a bespoke system matched to how it would actually be used.

The lecture theatre is the most technically ambitious element of the project. Split by a moveable partition wall, it can operate as one large venue or two independent rooms. The audio system uses a digital signal processor that automatically detects the partition position and reconfigures the speaker zones accordingly, no manual switching required. The front section features a 5m wide projected image, a height adjustable presenter’s lectern, a presenter tracking camera that follows the speaker automatically, and wireless and wired presentation options. The rear section has a 4m motorised retractable screen, its own projector and wireless presentation system, and matching speaker coverage throughout.

The classroom received a clean, straightforward setup: a projected display, wall mounted speakers, and both wireless and wired connectivity so any presenter can be up and running in seconds. A simple wall panel handles on/off and source selection.

The boardroom was configured as a full Microsoft Teams Room, allowing staff to host or join video calls with a single tap. Three cameras positioned around the room ensure every participant is visible on screen, while ceiling mounted microphones pick up voices from anywhere at the table with no dead spots. The system is also fully compatible with Zoom, Webex and other platforms, giving the Park flexibility as its conferencing needs evolve.

The Impact

Fota Island Wildlife Park now has a professional AV facility that works for everyone, from a primary school class watching a conservation presentation to a board meeting with remote attendees joining from across the world.

The partition aware lecture theatre gives staff the flexibility to run a 40 person lecture or two simultaneous smaller sessions without touching a single AV control. Wireless presentation throughout every room removes the friction of cables and adaptors, meaning any presenter with any device can connect instantly.

The Microsoft Teams boardroom has opened up new possibilities for remote collaboration with conservation partners and funding bodies internationally, a meaningful capability for an organisation whose mission reaches far beyond Cork.