Established by the African Union, the African Space Agency serves as a central organization for coordinating space science, research and technology initiatives among African member states. Located within Egypt’s Space City in New Cairo, the agency’s headquarters hosts international meetings, technical workshops and policy discussions that require clear communication and reliable conferencing technology. As part of a multi-year audiovisual integration project, the agency sought to create an automated conference environment capable of supporting multilingual presentations, simultaneous interpretation and formal governmental proceedings. The primary conference hall also presented acoustic and architectural challenges, requiring consistent speech intelligibility throughout the room while minimizing visible loudspeakers to preserve the space’s interior design.
Working with the African Space Agency, Audio Technology designed and integrated a HARMAN Professional conferencing system centered on two JBL Professional CBT 1000 column loudspeakers positioned at the front of the conference hall. Featuring Constant Beamwidth Technology, the loudspeakers provide controlled dispersion and consistent coverage throughout the audience area while reducing unwanted reflections. The configuration allows the entire hall to be covered using only two loudspeaker locations, maintaining speech intelligibility without requiring additional distributed reinforcement.
“The conference hall required a solution that could deliver uniform coverage while minimizing the number of visible loudspeakers,” said Nermeen Iskander, Marketing Director for Audio Technology. “The JBL CBT 1000's Constant Beamwidth Technology allowed us to achieve full coverage of the hall using only two front-mounted speakers while maintaining the speech intelligibility required for high-level conferences and multilingual proceedings.”
Soundcraft Si Series digital mixers provide audio processing and conference management, allowing operators to manage signal routing, simultaneous interpretation workflows and automated conferencing functions through an integrated platform. The system was designed to support both daily meetings and larger international conferences while maintaining consistent audio quality and straightforward operation.
The completed JBL Professional and Soundcraft system delivers consistent speech intelligibility throughout the African Space Agency’s primary conference hall, supporting multilingual discussions, technical presentations and international meetings. The two JBL CBT 1000 loudspeakers provide uniform coverage while minimizing visual impact, allowing the venue to maintain its architectural character without compromising audio performance.
The integrated Soundcraft mixing platform also simplifies conference operations, providing flexible routing and control for simultaneous interpretation and automated meeting functions. Since commissioning, the agency has reported positive feedback regarding speech clarity, system reliability and ease of operation.
By combining JBL Professional loudspeakers with Soundcraft digital mixing technology, Audio Technology delivered a conferencing solution that supports the African Space Agency’s ongoing collaboration, scientific exchange and policy development across the continent while providing the flexibility required for future international events.
