Campus Center Ballroom Upgrades–Classic Elegance Made Digital
OK, so it’s not a “ballroom” in the way that word is typically used. It hasn’t held any events in which people dressed in formal wear could be seen gracefully gliding across a dance floor with an orchestra playing in the background. But it could if someone wanted it to. In fact, there are few rooms in Greater Boston that could host an event for up to 600 people as elegantly as the UMass Boston Campus Center Ballroom.ity, risk mitigation, and more.
It’s always been gorgeous, ever since it was constructed as part of the Campus Center in 2005. With two stories, 20-foot high ceilings and 8,100-square-feet of event space, the Campus Center Ballroom has the capacity to host indoor events of any magnitude. One far wall facing the outside is made entirely of glass and has a breathtaking view of the Boston skyline. It’s truly spectacular.
However, after 15 years the Campus Center Ballroom was in need of upgrades, especially its AV system. The room’s audiovisual system had become what AV Services Director John Jessoe called “antiquated,” and no longer capable of delivering the high-quality sound and visuals today’s audiences and events demand. So, Jessoe and Chief Audio-Visual Engineer Jeff Wade went to work bringing the AV up to date.
“Pushing a few buttons allows the room to convert from presentation mode to production mode and turns it into a full-fledged TV studio.”
Jeff Wade, Chief Audio Visual Engineer
This wasn’t a tweak here, a tweak there type of job. The existing AV system was analog, so a fully digital system had to be added from scratch. Both Jessoe and Wade deserve a lot of credit for taking on this complex project, but after it was completed no one (especially John and Jeff) would say the effort was not completely worth it. The capabilities of the newly upgraded Campus Center Ballroom are nothing short of extraordinary, including key improvements for those with audio and visual impairments.
Three 16-foot flat screens allow people in each of the room’s three sections to see activity in any area of the entire room, while the room can also be cordoned off for three separate events as required. Strategically installed microphones and cameras can be directed to capture sights and sounds wherever they’re needed. Newly installed 85” TV Monitors in the rear of the room will be a great visual aid for presenters. A person with an ordinary laptop can walk into the ballroom and, after a couple of quick network connections, make a presentation to hundreds of people. But perhaps the most outstanding new feature, and the one that qualifies the system as state-of-the-art, is the capability to allow events in the room to be seen live by remote audiences anywhere.
It is this last bit that got Jeff Wade’s eyes twinkling. “Pushing a few buttons allows the room to convert from presentation mode to production mode and turns it into a full-fledged TV studio.” It allows the room to hold high profile events that people are interested in outside the UMass Boston campus—way, way outside campus. Events of great demand can be streamed live on YouTube, Facebook Live, and other similar platforms. Imagine an upcoming event you are witnessing in the UMass Boston Campus Center Ballroom being seen in real time on the other side of the planet. Actually such an event—the second annual Black Lives Matter Day—was hosted in the upgraded Campus Center Ballroom in November 2021. It included panel discussions, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, etc., and the Zoom webinar of the event was broadcast to participants at far off locations.
So, it’s safe to say that the newly upgraded UMass Boston Campus Center Ballroom can host a ball, a fundraiser, or any other event effectively and efficiently now, and well into the future.