Crestron Electronics has opened its doors to a state-of-the-art flagship experience center in New York City. The space is located at 200 Lexington Avenue in the prestigious New York Design Center. This new facility offers visitors an unparalleled opportunity to explore and engage with Crestron’s cutting-edge solutions for both residential and commercial applications.
Broadway-Inspired Wonderland
The Crestron Experience Center is an interactive journey through the future of smart living and working. Each space within the center is named after iconic Broadway shows, adding a touch of New York flair to the high-tech environment. From “Wicked” to “Hamilton,” visitors can explore a range of integrated systems that showcase Crestron’s innovative approach to technology.
Dan Feldstein, Crestron CEO, emphasizes the importance of this hands-on experience: “It’s hard to describe AV technology, it’s better to show.”
Home Automation Reimagined
The residential section of the center features a New York City apartment-style setup. The space brings Crestron Home to life. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by an entry keypad, setting the stage for a fully automated home experience. The apartment demonstrates Crestron’s prowess in controlling multiple lighting platforms, allowing for intricate lighting zones and color tuning. Climate control is seamlessly integrated, showcasing how Crestron systems can manage HVAC systems with ease.
Revolutionizing the Workplace
The commercial spaces within the center are equally impressive, featuring a range of solutions for modern work environments:
The “Rent” Room houses the Crestron One Beyond conference room. Visitors experience a demonstration of the Automate VX Intelligent Video Room Designer. This system creates a “broadcast style” production experience for remote video conferencing participants, elevating the quality of virtual meetings.
The “Jersey Boys” Room is a small conference room featuring the Crestron Video Bar 70. Upon entering, visitors experience automated activation of displays, lights, and the Video Bar itself, showcasing the seamless integration of Crestron technologies.
The crown jewel of the center is the Event Space. This area boasts an LG DVLED video wall, complemented by eight One Beyond cameras, Crestron speakers, and Shure MXA 920 microphones. As Rich Sasson from Crestron notes, the space was designed so that “the AV disappears,” creating an immersive environment for presentations and events.
The “Hamilton” Room allows for your “One Shot”. This small conference room demonstrates Crestron’s One Touch meeting experience, simplifying the process of starting and managing meetings.
Finally, the “Les Misérables” Room is a BYOD/BYOM huddle space featuring a Jabra Panacast bar and Crestron Air Media. It also showcases a Sony-connected display that can be monitored and controlled with Crestron XIO Cloud, highlighting the company’s commitment to flexible, user-friendly solutions.
Technological Marvel
The entire facility is a testament to Crestron’s commitment to network-forward and AV-over-IP solutions. With 26 miles of cable running throughout, the center leverages Crestron’s DM NVX® AV-over-IP platform to power its impressive displays and ensure seamless integration across all spaces.
The integration of partner technologies is another highlight. There are products from Sennheiser, Shure, Sony, LG, and Netgear working in harmony with Crestron’s systems. This collaborative approach demonstrates Crestron’s ability to create cohesive, interoperable solutions that cater to diverse needs.
A New Era of Customer Experience
Brad Hintze, EVP of Global Marketing at Crestron, emphasizes the center’s role in customer engagement: “This center provides an unparalleled platform for visitors to experience Crestron’s capabilities and inspire new possibilities to drive their success and their growth in the rapidly evolving markets.”
The Crestron Experience Center is now open to the public by appointment, offering personalized tours and hands-on demonstrations. As technology continues to shape our lives at home and work, this immersive playground stands as a beacon of innovation, inviting visitors to step into the future of smart living and working. As Feldstein stated “A picture is worth a thousand words. This CEC is worth a million.”
Tim Albright is the founder of AVNation and is the driving force behind the AVNation network. He carries the InfoComm CTS, a B.S. from Greenville College and is pursuing an M.S. in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. When not steering the AVNation ship, Tim has spent his career designing systems for churches both large and small, Fortune 500 companies, and education facilities.
