Mid Ulster District Council in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland has modernised its council chamber and five associated meeting rooms with a fully integrated Kramer AV ecosystem designed to support modern governance, hybrid participation and streamlined system management via Kramer’s next-gen Panta Rhei platform.
The council’s previous chamber conference system had become outdated and unreliable, even prone to failures during critical meetings. It also lacked the ability to support modern hybrid or remote participation formats that have become increasingly important across public sector organisations.
To add to previous issues, the legacy infrastructure required manual reconfiguration for each meeting type significantly increasing staff workload. Following guidance from the Northern Ireland government encouraging digital accessibility and improved remote capabilities across the public sector, the council recognized the need for a comprehensive technology upgrade.
The challenge was to modernise the council’s meeting infrastructure while preserving the integrity of traditional in-chamber proceedings. The system also needed to accommodate architectural and heritage constraints within the chamber while supporting professional-quality streaming, recording and secure remote participation.
To deliver the project, Mid Ulster District Council partnered with award-winning system integrator Rea Sound, with a demanding requirement to complete the entire installation within a strict 90-day timeline driven by council scheduling commitments.
Delivering convenient flexibility
Central among the Council’s needs was the ability to support traditional, hybrid and fully remote meetings with a single-touch setup process that eliminated manual system configuration.
Ensuring inclusive participation was equally important. Councillors attending remotely needed to retain the same speaking and voting rights as those physically present in the chamber, enabling the council to preserve full democratic function regardless of meeting format.
At the core of the installation is a Kramer control system, centered around a custom-programmed Kramer KT-2010 touch panel that acts as the operational command centre for the entire AV environment.
Working closely with the council, Rea Sound developed bespoke control programming that unifies multiple technologies into a single intuitive interface. The system integrates a Bosch wireless conference system, Allen & Heath digital matrix audio, Panasonic and Samsung displays, LED lighting and Kramer’s AVoIP distribution platform into one cohesive environment.
With a single touch on the control panel, staff can now select the desired meeting format — traditional, hybrid or fully online. The system automatically configures all required technologies, activating cameras, routing audio, adjusting display settings and controlling lighting without the need for specialist technical knowledge.
“The most exciting aspect of this project is the innovative way in which all AV equipment has been brought together under one intelligent, centralised control system,” said Mr. Roger McMullan, Director at Rea Sound, adding: “And at the heart of this integration is the Kramer control system.”
Video distribution throughout the facility is handled by Kramer AVoIP encoders and decoders, including the KDS-17 and KDS-100, which provide flexible, network-based signal routing. The IP-based architecture ensures high-quality video delivery to displays within the chamber while simultaneously supporting streaming and recording for remote participants.
To provide enterprise-level management, the installation also incorporates Kramer’s Panta Rhei AV ecosystem platform.
Working alongside Kramer control, Panta Rhei’s Session Manager enables unified meeting initiation, content management, third-party application launching and wireless presentation. The platform provides secure access to collaboration tools and conferencing environments, ensuring meeting spaces can easily support video conferencing and hybrid workflows.
In addition to user-facing functionality, Panta Rhei provides advanced infrastructure oversight and remote system management. IT teams can monitor device status, system health and performance in real time through a centralised interface, allowing potential issues to be identified and resolved before they affect meetings.
“Panta Rhei gives the council confidence that their AV systems are always performing reliably,” McMullan added. “Remote monitoring reduces the need for on-site intervention, saving time and resources.”
Beyond the main chamber, five additional meeting rooms were upgraded with hybrid meeting capabilities and integrated into the same Panta Rhei ecosystem. Staff training was simplified through the deployment of a consistent user interface across all spaces, enabling users to operate any room without learning different systems.
A change for the better
The modernised AV infrastructure has transformed how Mid Ulster District Council manages meetings and public engagement.
Automated setup through Kramer control has virtually eliminated preparation time and the need for technical expertise during meeting configuration. Processes that previously required extensive manual intervention can now be completed instantly through a single touch, allowing staff to focus on higher-value operational tasks.
Remote diagnostics via Panta Rhei allow IT teams to maintain system reliability across all six meeting spaces while identifying potential issues proactively. To add to the man hours cost saving, automated shutdown functions further contribute to operational efficiency by reducing energy consumption.
Importantly, the system preserves the full integrity of democratic processes. Councillors joining meetings remotely retain complete participation rights, including managed speaking requests and secure voting capabilities. This ensures governance procedures remain consistent regardless of how participants attend.
The installation has also improved public transparency. Citizens can now follow meetings via live streaming or access recorded sessions on demand, strengthening civic engagement and improving public accountability.
Strategic Director JJ Tohill of Mid Ulster District Council welcomed the project’s success – “I am very pleased with system functionality and look forward to the Council availing of and benefiting from its investment in the coming years,” he said. “I also wish to acknowledge the professionalism, commitment and quality of Rea Sound in delivering this project within a tight deadline.”
In recognition of their innovative approach at streamlining a complex AV support brief with Mid Ulster Council, Rea Sound was awarded ‘Public Sector Project of the Year’ at one of the premier AV industry awards, reflecting the professionalism of their approach and ability to deliver a user-friendly system that supports a range of requirements.
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