Canaccord Genuity (Australia) is a leading independent global financial services firm, providing wealth management and capital markets services to private clients, institutions, and corporate clients across Australia and internationally.
The Challenge
As part of its Melbourne office fit-out within the iconic 101 Collins building, Canaccord Genuity set out to create a suite of premium meeting spaces capable of supporting modern hybrid collaboration.
While the project included multiple meeting rooms of varying sizes and technical complexity, one space in particular presented a unique challenge. Designed as a secondary executive meeting room for high-value client and stakeholder discussions, the room needed to go well-beyond a conventional video conferencing experience.
The client’s objective was clear: enable meetings that felt as close as possible to being physically face-to-face, even when participants were joining remotely. To achieve this, the solution needed to deliver warmth, presence, and natural interaction from the far end of a call, while remaining intuitive and flexible for everyday use.
In addition, the room had to support both Zoom and Microsoft Teams seamlessly, without favouring one platform over the other, and continue to function effectively as a traditional video conferencing space when required.
The AV Projects solution
Audiovisual Projects delivered a highly-considered and innovative audiovisual solution, tailored to both the architectural environment and the way the space would be used for high-value client engagement.
Central to the design was the use of customised Arthur Holm motorised desk-mounted displays, each integrating a camera and retractable microphone. Through intelligent control system automation, the screens and microphones rise smoothly from the table when required, preserving the clean, executive aesthetic of the room while enabling advanced functionality.
Hearing augmentation was additionally integrated as part of the core design, ensuring the space is accessible and inclusive for all participants without compromising performance or visual design.
Using intelligent video switching driven by real-time speech detection, the system automatically selects the active speaker’s camera feed. This creates a far-end experience that closely mirrors natural eye contact and conversational flow, moving away from the static, room-wide shots typical of traditional video conferencing. During extended periods of silence, such as when participants are listening to remote speakers, the system transitions to a wider view of the room, maintaining context and visual balance.
The solution supports both Zoom and Microsoft Teams, alongside seamless wireless content sharing, delivering a consistent experience regardless of meeting platform or usecase.
AV Projects worked closely with the principal builder and architects to design a custom table solution, integrate concealed equipment racks, and deliver the supporting infrastructure within the communications room. This collaborative approach ensured the technology was fully embedded into the space, rather than retrofitted, and aligned precisely with the architectural intent.
Throughout the project, AV Projects worked closely with the client to ensure technology enhances outcomes rather than complicates them.
The Results
The completed meeting space delivers an immersive, intuitive experience that has received resounding feedback from both staff and clients. It has quickly become one of the most heavily used meeting rooms in the Melbourne office, regularly selected for high-value engagements where presence, connection, and professionalism are critical.
This project represents a first-of-its-kind implementation within the Australian finance sector, applying advanced conferencing technologies more commonly found in government and international institutions. The result is a refined, future-ready meeting environment that sets a new benchmark for hybrid client engagement.
