AV Magazine
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While the UK has baked under multiple heatwaves, the AV business environment of ‘cautious optimism’ is defining the temperature in a country where building and venue upgrades and refurbishments are driving investment.
Bryan Davies, regional sales manager for Ross Video, effectively sums up the consensus: “The UK ProAV climate feels cautiously positive.”
“People are spending, but they’re being more considered with
it,” agrees Craig Storey, CEO at Lightware Visual Engineering. “Projects still
need to show a clear return, whether that’s improving collaboration, making
offices work harder, or helping education spaces stay relevant and attractive.”
Pufferfish CEO Stephen Patterson dubs the market cautious
but creative. “UK budgets are being scrutinised more closely, but there is
still a strong appetite for AV that genuinely earns its place.”
Opportunities for growth
Both Anthony Hammond, consultant at Jigsaw24, and Arthur Brockhoff, regional
sales, PlexusAV, say the current climate feels challenging.
“Where I see growth is in the crossover between professional
video production and ProAV as well as in building solutions that prioritise low
ecological impact,” Hammond says.
Brockhoff highlights “strong opportunities, particularly around projects where
organisations are growing, consolidating, or investing in new environments.”
Ferdinand Van de Blaak, sales at Matrox Video, welcomes the
UK’s “resilience” with organisations “increasingly focused on future-proofing
their AV infrastructure,” as does Riedel’s local sales manager, Jamie Buckley.
He says, “While the past couple of years have been impacted by inflation and
supply chain pressures, we’re now seeing greater stability and renewed
confidence in long-term investment.”
Nonetheless the cost of services is rising constantly. “This
has a significant impact on smaller opportunities and support service costs,”
reports Hammond. “There are pockets of prosperity in the corporate market,
particularly in tech, fintech and startups, where I see the most opportunity.
This is largely in the overhaul of meeting rooms and event spaces.”
Davies finds cost awareness part of every AV conversation,
but the tone is constructive. “Customers are planning carefully, seeking
long-term value and choosing systems that are scalable, efficient and easier to
operate,” he says. “In many cases, that is strengthening the business case for
ProAV.”
A major factor is the increased global demand for chipsets
which is putting pressure on supply chains. “For AV this means vendors need to
take a more strategic approach to forecasting and stock planning, ensuring they
can support product roadmaps and customer requirements as technology continues
to evolve,” Brockhoff says.
Value above cost
Guy Phelps of LED manufacturer Leyard Europe notes UK customers increasingly
asking about European-made solutions to support shorter lead times,
sustainability objectives and reduced project risk.
“The UK market remains highly focused on value rather than
simply lowest cost,” he adds. “While economic pressures are increasing
competition, customers continue to consider the long-term impact and return on
investment of their technology decisions.”
There are more positive outlooks. Storey says inflation has
eased recently, and supply chains are better than they were, “but labour,
shipping, energy and specialist components still put pressure on margins and
timelines”.
Patterson finds pricing “relatively stable”, although
component supply remains something to watch. “Freight costs continue to
fluctuate, but we are not currently seeing significant pressure there. With the
broader cost of doing business continuing to rise, we would expect wage
pressures to become a bigger consideration over the next 12 to 24 months.”
Strength in depth
Respondents are far more positive about the UK’s strength in depth of its
creative and content ecosystem. “We have world-class capability across
broadcast, live events, theatre, museums and heritage, and that influences how
clients approach AV,” says Patterson. “The starting point is often the story
and the audience experience, with technology following to bring that vision to
life. Rather than beginning with a specification, clients are typically asking
how they can create impact and engagement.”
Storey agrees; “What stands out in the UK is how mature and
relationship-led the market is. Buyers tend to be knowledgeable, expectations
are high, and there’s a strong focus on reliability, service and long-term
support rather than just buying technology for the sake of it.”
Davies thinks the UK has achieved balance. He says the
country “combines a great understanding of broadcast with live-event
pragmatism” and that there is a general focus “on resilient, multi-use spaces,
lean crews and fast content turnaround.”
Taking an early lead
As one of the most densely populated AV markets in the world, the UK’s domestic
culture of early adoption sets it apart from other European regions, says
Richard McLean, commercial manager, d&b UK. “It’s a highly
professionalised, fast moving environment where new technologies are tested,
integrated and scaled quickly.”
Utelogy’s EMEA MD Jonathan Mangnall reckons the UK has “a
distinct AV personality… combining a mature, engineering-led integrator culture
with one of Europe’s fastest shifts toward IT-centric, software-defined AV.
“Organisations are early adopters of open standards, data-driven operations,
and managed services, with little appetite for proprietary lock-in,” he adds.
Stephen Rhead at Sonos points out that the UK has a strong
custom integration channel, “whereas in parts of Northern Europe installation
in these environments is more often handled by electricians.”This can influence
both system design and the extent to which professional solutions are
specified, he says.
Hospitality is the standout vertical for Sonos and operators
report sustained demand for refurbishments. “Although compared with France or
Germany, the UK has less emphasis on outdoor hospitality spaces, which reduces
the demand for external audio solutions,” he says. “Retail activity remains
more limited, with some projects paused or reduced in scope due to tough
trading conditions, whereas hospitality continues to generate consistent AV
opportunities.”
Reimagining the workplace
It’s apparent that significant activity stems from the workplace as
organisations balance hybrid models with renewed focus on office engagement.
“This is driving investment in collaboration spaces, digital signage and
technologies that improve the workplace experience,” notes Phelps.
Emphasising “flexibility” Danielle Myburgh, sales director,
Pixel Global AV says, “The office is no longer competing with home working by
simply offering desks. It needs to offer collaboration, creativity, mentoring
and connection. That is driving investment in better meeting spaces, improved
hybrid experiences and more adaptable environments.
“The UK market has always had a strong focus on user
experience and integration. There is a real appreciation that AV is not just
about installing equipment; it’s about creating spaces that work for the people
using them.”
The ‘light commercial’ market presents a “mixed picture” for
Sonos, as rising costs and reduced spend put retail shops, small offices, cafes
and restaurants under pressure. “We’ve actually been seeing increased
investment from operators who are refurbishing and upgrading venues,” Rhead
says.
Refurb and return to work
The strongest activity at Lightware is around workplace change and education.
“A lot of businesses are using office moves, refurbs and return-to-work plans
as a chance to rethink how teams actually use the workplace,” Storey reports.
In the mid-term he thinks investment will be driven by
“corporate real estate changes, hybrid working, campus upgrades, sustainability
targets” and the need to make physical spaces more valuable.Certain areas of
legislation and regulatory mandates such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and
Martyn’s Law (Terrorism Protection of Premises Act) are driving substantial
budgets across many sectors which partially pertain to AV solutions.
“I believe the continued growth and demand for EN54
certified systems for life safety, CRA and Martyn’s Law will together forge
monumental spending in AV across many sectors ensuring security and safety for
public buildings and spaces for many years to come,” assures James Kennedy,
operations manager, Peavey Commercial Audio. The MoD budget “will certainly”
see increased injection of funds within the next two years resulting in “plenty
of facilities and projects that involve elements of AV.”
The proposed 100,000-seat Manchester United ‘New Trafford’
stadium which is estimated at an eye watering £2bn will encompass all of these
disciplines at great scale.
Ross’ Davies also spies strong activity in corporate spaces,
sports and education. A recent London financial-services project turned an
under-used auditorium into a revenue-generating events space. Ongoing
investment at Principality Stadium in Cardiff reflects the sports trend towards
synchronised graphics, LED and data-rich matchday presentation. Confetti X in
Nottingham shows universities investing in world-class esports production.
Multi-operational venues
Beyond these Ross projects, the major UK drivers are creative-economy policy
and destination venues. The Creative Industries Sector Plan, London Olympia’s
£1.3bn redevelopment and Bristol’s 20,000-capacity Aviva Arena all point to
demand for production, display, control, networking and content systems, Davies
says.
The appetite for upgrading arena and sports stadia is picked
up elsewhere. Kennedy thinks the “high concentration of elite-level sports
stadia sets the UK apart from anywhere else in Europe. “There is a real
competition and demand for sports clubs to outdo each other on stadium spec and
size and the budgets are getting bigger!”
The Tottenham Hotspur stadium is among those to have set the
benchmark for large entertainment spaces. “There’s a real surge in embracing AV
technology in the sports and entertainment sectors in the UK mostly driven by
private funding,” Kennedy says.
Use multiple spaces
Sound is a crucial component of any venue, especially in house systems capable
of supporting diverse programming.
“The shift toward multi-purpose operation is a necessity as
running costs rise and revenue models broaden,” says McLean who identifies
fixed installation as the strongest growth area for d&b. It recently
equipped Venue Cymru’s (Llandudno) multiple spaces with a range of kit.
We’re also seeing notable activity in the small to mid scale
venue segment. These spaces are increasingly opting for premium audio to
attract higher calibre creatives and encourage repeat audiences.”
Netgear’s sale director Jordan Hobday is most upbeat. He
sees the UK leading in the convergence of AV, IT, and broadcast systems onto
shared IP infrastructure. “What was once a discussion is now being written into
project specifications, driving a new wave of networked AV deployments. Demand
is holding up well, and the pipeline going forward looks solid, particularly in
live events and education, where projects that stretched post-pandemic are now
completing or moving into the next phase.”
He goes further, “London and Manchester together represent a
density of production facilities, touring companies, and iconic venues that
have no real equivalent elsewhere in Europe.”
Couple that with continued inbound studio and streaming
platform investments and major venue and facility modernisation programs and it
all points to sustained infrastructure spend. Increasingly, that infrastructure
is converged.
Devolution in AV
As the country welcomes a new PM promising to prioritise regions and cities
outside the capital it’s worth mentioning that AV UK does not mean London.
“Absolutely not!” exclaims Kennedy. “There are many examples
of marquee AV projects across the UK that significantly contribute to the
overall nationwide spend.”
The planned Universal United Kingdom Resort in Bedfordshire
is a prime example of major private capex spend outside of Greater London.
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