Congress Australia has launched what it believes is the world’s first professional AuracastTM Silent Conference rental solution, introducing the latest Bluetooth broadcast audio technology to conferences, exhibitions and business events.
The new system has been created specifically for professional event use. It combines premium black active noise-cancelling headphones, clear digital audio, support for more than 10 audio channels and a modern wireless platform designed for flexible temporary event delivery.
Unlike many entertainment-focused silent audio systems, Auracast Silent Conference has been developed for speech intelligibility, delegate comfort and a professional corporate audience.
“Auracast gives us the opportunity to take silent conference into its next phase,” said Jeremy Ducklin, Managing Director of Congress Australia. “This is not simply a new set of headphones. It is a new professional rental application for Auracast technology, created around the needs of conferences, exhibitions and live business events.”
A new professional use for Auracast
Auracast is part of Bluetooth LE Audio and enables one audio source to broadcast wirelessly to multiple compatible listening devices. Congress Australia has applied the technology to silent conference as a complete rental solution, suitable for dry hire or supported event delivery.
The premium headphones are a new product developed in collaboration with an Australian company, with input from Bluetooth SIG during the technical validation of Auracast for this use case.
The result is a system designed around the expectations of a modern professional audience: clear audio, active noise cancellation, comfortable over-ear headphones, discreet black styling and simple channel selection.
“We wanted the headphones to look and feel appropriate in a corporate environment,” said
Sebastian Ennis, Head of Production at Congress Australia. “They needed to deliver the comfort, audio quality and appearance expected by delegates attending a professional event, rather than resemble the colourful, lightweight headphones commonly associated with silent disco.”
Professional wireless technology for modern events
Many silent disco systems use proprietary analogue or digital wireless platforms selected primarily for entertainment applications. These systems can operate in wireless spectrum also used by other event technologies and are not always planned as part of the wider AV environment.
Auracast uses an open Bluetooth standard and has been developed with broader device
compatibility and modern wireless audio applications in mind. Congress Australia’s solution has been tested as a complete event workflow, including source audio, channel configuration, headphone management and delegate use.
The system supports more than 10 audio channels, allowing organisers to run concurrent sessions, multilingual content or multiple presentation areas within the same venue.
Active noise cancellation helps delegates focus in busy environments such as exhibition halls and shared conference spaces, while the premium over-ear design supports longer listening periods.
Auracast Silent Conference is available as a simple dry hire package for clients who want to operate the system themselves. Congress Australia can also provide system design, installation, setup, testing and onsite technical support when required.
A familiar rental model, with a significantly upgraded experience
Auracast Silent Conference has been introduced at a rental price point familiar to the existing silent conference market, allowing organisers to access premium headphones and the latest wireless audio technology without fundamentally changing event budgets.
“This is important because the technology should be accessible, not positioned as a specialist luxury product,” Ennis said. “The aim is to give organisers a significantly better delegate experience at a price level they already understand.”
Applications include silent theatres, exhibition presentations, breakout zones, multilingual sessions,
workshops, product launches, training environments and events where conventional loudspeakers would create noise conflicts.
The next evolution of silent conference
Congress Australia was the first company to introduce professional infrared silent conference technology to the Australian business events market.
Professional infrared systems continue to have an important place. They remain the preferred option for applications requiring the highest audio quality, secure line-of-sight transmission, very large audience capacity or highly controlled mass deployments.
Auracast Silent Conference is not intended to replace infrared in every application. Instead, it expands the range of professional silent audio options available to event organisers.
“Infrared remains an exceptional technology and will continue to be the right choice for many major events,” Ducklin said. “Auracast gives us another professional platform, one that is flexible, scalable and well suited to the way many modern conferences and exhibitions are designed.”
Auracast also creates important accessibility and bring-your-own-device opportunities. Delegateswith compatible hearing aids, cochlear implants, earbuds or headphones may be able to connect directly to an event broadcast using a supported personal device. Compatible Android phones from manufacturers including Google, Samsung and Xiaomi are already bringing Auracast into the mainstream, alongside a growing range of hearing aids and wireless earbuds.
Congress Australia’s managed headphone fleet will remain central to the rental service, ensuring every organiser can provide a consistent and supported experience while allowing compatible delegates to use their own devices where appropriate.
Auracast Silent Conference is now available for rental through Congress Australia.
For demonstrations, dry hire, event planning and technical support enquiries, visit
www.congressrental.com.au
About Congress Australia
Congress Australia is a specialist provider of professional conference technology and technical event services. The company supplies and operates conference microphone systems, simultaneous interpretation technology, remote interpreting platforms, silent conference audio and related production solutions for conferences, government meetings, exhibitions and live events throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
