NEC Display Formally Opens New US HQ And Briefing Center In Chicago

July 31, 2018 by Dave Haynes

NEC Display Solutions of America technically moved in over the last few weeks, but its new headquarters and Briefing Center formally opened today with an open house.

The new facility has 6,000 square feet of showroom space and room for an expanding workforce in a bright, open-concept office layout.

“Our new offices are a representation of what NEC Display is today – a high tech, innovative provider of business solutions,” says Todd Bouman, CEO, NEC Display Solutions of America. “The space enables us to better serve customers with a Briefing Center that shows off our latest technology, while also creating a dynamic space that co-mingles business and pleasure for employees, clients, and partners.”

Says a press release:

The heart of the new office is the Briefing Center, dedicated to showing off the latest NEC Display technology, such as a 4K dvLED video wall, digital cinema projectors, large format displays and more. The Briefing Center features 10 dedicated vignettes showcasing customer-centric solutions for transportation, quick-serve restaurants, healthcare, education, retail, command and control, corporate, and large venues such as lecture halls, cinema, and house of worship.

The new facility is the product of collaboration between NEC Display and its partners, including architect designers Perkins+Will, A/V integrator Diversified U.S., general contractors Executive Construction Inc., and Engineering Plus provided the technology engineering. In addition, Syska Hennessy Group was the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineer on the project.

“Our partners were instrumental in bringing our vision to life,” said Jennifer Cheh, Vice President of Marketing, NEC Display. “We wanted to create a space that would be an optimal place for employees to work by eliminating barriers between teams and enhancing productivity with the newest technology and collaboration solutions. Our partners understood our vision and helped make it real.”

The design vision was to create a modern, welcoming environment that is inspiring to both visiting clients and partners, while promoting hospitality and collaboration for employees who work in the space daily, according to Kim Klingeisen, Sr. Interior Project Designer and Associate at Perkins+Will.

“Employees now have access to open and collaborative spaces that allow them to connect with each other on a social level,” Klingeisen said. “The Briefing Center and Café easily transforms into an event space, and the embedded state-of-the-art technology and vignettes present clients and NEC staff with the ability to test and present different applications of their solutions.”

The Briefing Center required precise coordination among partners to ensure the technology integration aligned with NEC’s vision, according to Ryan O’Halloran, Director of Advanced Visual Environments at Diversified.

“With a lot of different technologies packed into one space, the Briefing Center had several unique requirements,” O’Halloran said. “NEC’s specialty product managers, together with our engineers and partners, worked hard to produce a pristine space where NEC Display can showcase what they do in a flexible yet simple way.”

Besides showcasing NEC Display’s latest solutions, the Briefing Center is also designed to host events, such as livestreams of product announcements and media conferences. With this in mind, technology engineering partner Engineering Plus designed a way to easily adapt the space on the fly, according to Mike Mahn, Vice President at Engineering Plus.

“Behind the displays and showcases in each vignette sits a centralized network-based video distribution system,” Mahn said. “This allows NEC to quickly transform areas of the Briefing Center into a customized experience for guests, as well as easily accessible broadcast video connections and video conferencing technology. NEC Display now has the scalability for customers around the world to peek into its space for an interactive experience with their solutions.”

The new digs are at 3250 Lacey Road in Downers Grove, Ill. NEC says that means convenient access to both O’Hare International Airport, as well as the Chicago Loop. Having seen Chicago traffic, I think convenient is a relative thing.

Place looks nice!

Leave a comment