Business Environment Challenges
There’s nothing quite as powerful as a first impression. Whether it’s
meeting your future in-laws, starting a new job, or the first time pitching a
prospective business partner, you only get one chance to make an impact.
A global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of
gaming machines and digital gaming entertainment recently built a
120,000-square-foot facility in Chicago to help make that first impression
on customers. In the competitive world of high-tech, the new center
serves to compete with other organizations for both business and talent
through technology, innovation and creativity. The facility houses roughly
250 employees including game designers, graphic artists, engineers and
mathematicians.
In 2012, the company conducted a survey of its current employees, asking
them to rank the most important aspects of their job, including office
setting and perks. The employees ranked collaboration and innovation at
the top of their lists. The organization realized that in order to attract and
retain top-level talent and business prospects, they needed something
truly innovative and impressive that would make a memorable impact.
Having a 120,000-square-foot space filled with gifted individuals was a
great start, but the company needed something extra to raise the bar.
Business Technology Solutions
With collaboration and innovation in mind, the company set out to
design a green, innovative, collaborative, technology-forward building. In
doing so, they enlisted the help of Sharp to help construct an office that
exemplifies these features. In keeping with the organization’s innovative
technology and creative culture, Sharp worked with the client to install
a high-resolution, eye-catching video wall using Sharp ultra-slim bezel
monitors that would greet employees as they entered the building. The
immense structure contains seven ultra-high resolution video walls, each
of which has nine, 60” class (60” diagonal) Sharp monitors. The video walls
are separated by approximately two feet of space and are mounted above
the lobby’s wood-paneled walls, stretching more than nine feet high.
Innovative Results
Today, employees (as well as visitors, clients, prospective business
partners and incoming talent) are greeted upon entering the building by
the impressive Sharp video wall that spans 105 feet across the main lobby.
The enormous video wall, which constantly streams custom ultra high
definition content, immediately reinforces the message that employees
and visitors are in the presence of an unconventional business that values
innovation and invests in high-tech solutions—while showcasing creativity
and having a lot of fun!
But Sharp’s video wall displays extend well beyond the building’s front
lobby. The Chicago facility also has a 120-seat auditorium with a multiscreen
LCD wall designed for office-to-office collaboration between more
than 80 global locations. And, the new building incorporates informal
collaboration meeting areas on each floor and low cubicle walls to
facilitate spontaneous collaboration, as well as sound masking and white
noise system to encourage focus and teamwork across projects.
By using Sharp’s high-definition display systems the newly designed
headquarters has helped the interactive gaming company differentiate
itself from competitors. It has already seen increased returns in client and
talent recruitment since opening the facility.