Pfizer Conference Center

Background
Pfizer, a leading pharmaceuticals manufacturer, needed a solution to a very costly problem that is common among large enterprises with large collaborative meeting needs. Previously, Pfizer had found itself building and rebuilding expensive conference rooms on every floor of every building and in every department. Each department wanted a complete array of equipment for their individual rooms. However, experience showed that in most cases the equipment that was installed was never used.

To be successful, RTS had to provide a solution that addressed a full range of budgetary and usage issues, both short- and long-term. It had to be economical and flexible, yet capable of providing an entire spectrum of technological capabilities.

The Project
The RTS team went to work. Using the Low-Stress Buildout process, we determined the appropriate quantity of rooms, a location that was central to all of the offices, and the make-up and quantity of the technology packages that would be required.

The final design called for a full floor build-out in the middle of a multi-building campus in Manhattan. The facility contained 30 rooms and included a digital way-finding system so users can locate their room when they arrive on the floor.

The rooms were small, medium and large (to accommodate various size groups) and consisted of presentation-only rooms, team rooms, video conference rooms and multipurpose rooms. A pool of portable VTC systems were designed and built, and the team created an infrastructure to support the IP/ISDN needs. Additionally, RTS developed a network of communication cables for audio, video and data to connect all the rooms. This made conferencing possible between a number of groups and sites.

The Result
RTS Unified Communications worked with Pfizer’s architect to provide the engineering and design for these systems so that they would provide the technology required for the overall look and design of the space while providing the functionality the client required.

Creating a central multi-room facility equipped with several tech packages and several venue sizes allowed internal groups at Pfizer to book the space they needed for the time they needed. When these various groups moved from location to location around the campus, there was no longer a need to build and rebuild facilities. In addition, we designed a booking system that allowed the new center to be used more efficiently. This booking system included a way to integrate catering and service scheduling to maximize up-time. We also specified mobile equipment packages that could be shared between venues and included additional multipurpose space in the layout for breakout sessions and other uses.