New Zealand International Convention Centre Opts for Comprehensive Harman Professional Solution The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has officially opened its doors, unveiling a comprehensive Harman Professional audio solution designed to support the country's largest and most versatile convention and events venue. Located in the heart of Auckland, NZICC is New Zealand's only venue with official International Convention Centre status. The project was delivered in collaboration with Harman Professional distributor JPRO and integration partner Vega Global NZ. At the core of the installation is a scalable JBL Professional VTX A8 line array system in the venue's flagship space, the Te Paepae Theatre -- the largest JBL VTX A Series theatre installation in the Asia-Pacific region. "One of the most important things for us as an international venue is that when you cater to such a huge international audience, we have to provide world-class audio for every single one of our attendees," says Ryan Gollner, technology services manager at NZICC. "You need an internationally recognized brand that can meet that brief, and that's where JBL came in. We were looking for consistency across the entire venue, and so we needed the best products and solutions." From meeting rooms and exhibition halls to back-of-house and front-of-house areas, the team selected a cohesive Harman Professional ecosystem centered on JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft digital consoles, and BSS Soundweb processing to ensure seamless integration and consistent voicing throughout the facility. "There was a complex technical brief associated with the building originally, and so we reached out to our partners, JPRO," says Stephen Ward, managing director of Vega Global NZ. "From day one, NZICC were very clear about their ambition," adds Paul Edlin, director at JPRO. "This needed to be a world-class multi-use convention center -- one that could host everything from conferences to exhibitions and live performances. With that in mind, the audio system needed to be flexible and scalable." The centerpiece of the installation is the Te Paepae Theatre, a modular auditorium designed to accommodate 2,850 seated guests or up to 3,300 for banquet configurations. The space can also be divided into two independent, multipurpose theatres seating 1,235 each. To meet these demands, designers implemented a scalable JBL VTX A8 line array system supported by JBL VTX G28 and JBL VTX B18 subwoofers, JBL VTX F15 delay loudspeakers, JBL VTX M20 stage monitors, and JBL AC18/95 for front fills. The system is powered by 34 Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD amplifiers and managed via BSS Soundweb London BLU-806DA processors with Dante networking. Front-of-house control is handled by dual Soundcraft Vi3000 consoles with 64/32 channel stage boxes. When configured as a single large theatre, the system deploys 40 JBL VTX A8 elements in a 16-left, eight-center, and 16-right main array configuration, supported by the ground-stacked subwoofers, front fills, and delay loudspeakers to achieve consistent ±3dB coverage from front to back. In dual-theatre mode, the system is reconfigured into mirrored left-right arrays with cardioid subwoofer deployments and dedicated fills for each space. Scalability was central to the design. Using JBL's Venue Synthesis 3D acoustic simulation software, the team modelled multiple operational modes -- Full Performance, Dual Conference, and a Hybrid Conference Mode identified during the prediction phase -- ensuring optimal coverage and tonal balance without the need for extensive re-rigging between events. "The Te Paepae Theatre represents a milestone for professional audio in New Zealand," Edlin says. "The selection of the JBL VTX A8 was driven by performance, efficiency, and value. What truly stands out is how effortlessly it meets the demands of a space this size. The coverage is seamless, the sound is stunning, and the system gives NZICC the flexibility to handle anything from keynote addresses to world-class performances with ease." All tuning and calibration settings are stored directly within the Crown amplifiers, enabling the venue team to recall configurations in seconds. Combined with the JBL VTX A Series' lightweight design and efficient rigging system -- streamlined further through the JBL Array Link app -- the theatre can transition quickly between event formats, significantly reducing changeover times. Beyond the theatre, JBL's extensive product range enabled tailored solutions throughout the venue, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. "When we looked at the spaces, it became clear that JBL could cover everything, from back-of-house through to front-of-house, across meeting rooms, ceiling speakers and the event halls," Ward says. "We looked at different speaker sizes and configurations, but what really stood out was JBL's quality and voicing. The sound is consistently smooth, clear, and balanced, so no matter which room you're in, you get the same experience." "This project demonstrates how an integrated Harman ecosystem can scale to meet the demands of a truly world-class convention center," says Nick Screen, VP/GM, Harman Professional Solutions, APAC. "By combining JBL Professional VTX systems with Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft mixing consoles and BSS networked processing, the NZICC team has a flexible, future-ready platform capable of delivering exceptional clarity and coverage across every configuration of the venue." 
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