Driven. There is no other way to describe Ben Morris. He is a man with a clear vision to make the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) a leader in integrated audio visual and information technology in the business events space.
The former Audio Visual Manager at GCCEC has been elevated to the newly created role of Executive Manager – Technology. The position oversees the combination of the 30 full-time and casual AV and IT professionals into one team. The alignment recognises the synergies between AV and IT that will benefit from an amalgamated approach.
“Our aim is to have a seamless technology offering that streamlines the guest experience without adding layers of complexity. We want to make things easy for our clients, presenters and delegates,” he said.
“While they’re still very separate technologies and skill sets, they’re interdependent. IT and AV are convergent.
“Just as mobile phones moved from simple telephony to be sophisticated devices connected to enterprise IT, AV has also evolved from standalone equipment into a sophisticated networked IT ecosystem.
“Proportionally, AV and IT are becoming an integral part of the business. We are constantly trying to evolve our offerings and look for ways to drive a better outcome for our clients.”
The new role is one that Ben is relishing. He has big plans to enhance the venue technology further.
The Centre’s most recent acquisition was a 108m2LED screen. GCCEC was the first convention centre in Australia to invest in modular LED panels for production.
The lightweight, simplified construction and modular design of the panels was particularly useful during the recent 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The panels were formed into a cube shape and suspended from the arena ceiling to give a 360° view of all the on-court action for the netball competition and basketball finals. The result was an enhanced experience for the 5,000 spectators who packed in to the Centre each session over the 11 days of competition.
It is technology such as the LED screens that Ben knows will provide the opportunity for GCCEC to set a benchmark for first-class technical and production facilities as well as a reimagined client experience.