SPL

11/14/2023

Planners have been telling us they are seeing erratic AV pricing. One planner told us he had just received a quote for 2024 that was 4x the cost of this year!

So many planners are also struggling with under-qualified technicians who are being assigned to operating and attendee-facing positions with less-than-stellar results.

The solution is to arm yourself with knowledge.

Michael Harward, Senior Director of National Accounts is presenting in a panel discussion TODAY at 4pm entitled The ABCs of AV sponsored by the MPI Potomac Chapter. If you are in the Washington, DC area, you can register here ( https://web.cvent.com/event/2697ccd9-bd52-49ae-9444-c903b0a9190c/summary?RefId=Nove223Website ). There will also be a live stream available on the site to those not in the area.

Meeting Professionals International - Potomac Chapter

08/08/2023

It’s always cool to see your brand up in lights.

We love helping our clients make their brand pop at their events. Whether it’s with unique LED panel stage design, digital signage, or creative lighting – we do it all.

Thanks to Joe Canham for taking this pic and getting our branding up onto the screens with Mike Kellner...y'all rock!

05/23/2023

In case you didn’t know, we don’t just say we support theater, we sponsor it!

This is our 6th year sponsoring the annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Many at SPL started their AV careers in high school theater AV programs and it makes us proud to be able to help support other young artists and great programs like this.

Broadway In Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards

05/02/2023

Come visit our team today at FILO 2023 and try out the Podcart!

Just in case you miss the glowing LED wall, we’re in the foyer at booth 22.

Hope to see you there!

FILO

04/20/2023

Just wanted to give a big congratulations to WSDG, RIOS, and Spotify for winning the 2023 NAMM Show TEC Studio Design Project Award.

We were honored to be part of the amazing design and installation process for this space and are overjoyed to see it’s getting such recognition from the community.

Congrats everyone!

Pictured here are William Garrett, left, and Chris D’Angelo, right, of Spotify and John Storyk, WSDG founding partner, center. Congratulations to the WSDG team, RIOS and all at Spotify at Mateo, who were recipients of the 2023 NAMM TEC

03/17/2023

SPL Presents – the Podcart

The Podcart is a mobile podcasting solution from the engineers and designers here at SPL Systems. We took the proprietary technology we developed for Spotify and decided to make it mobile.

With our “no engineer needed” automated recording software, any user of any experience level can sound like a pro.

Learn More Here: https://www.splchicago.com/av-integration/podcart/

Video Link: https://vimeo.com/803982989

This is "Podcart Short Video" by SPL on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

02/14/2023

How do AV people say Happy Valentine’s Day?

Obvious – a new Chauvet Ovation Rêve E-3 and custom rose shaped gobo!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours from the whole SPL team.

Shoutout to Christie for setting up this lovely gobo in one of the warehouse spaces today!

01/10/2023

🚨 Job Alert!

We're looking for a Lead AV Event Technician. Take a look at our post to see if this could be the right fit!

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=ba8d36a5744a8274

Trinity Solar Careers

11/30/2022

Running a marathon and need a lead car? Yup, we do that too!

This project was part of the lead cars for the 2022 Chicago Marathon. We designed the entire power system for this battery powered video wall. We utilized 180x 18650 Battery Cells, Orion Jr2 BMS, Meanwell Inverter, Novastar VX4S, and Gloshine Legend 3.9mm Outdoor panels.

The battery life was 7+ hours and we installed them on multiple vehicles. We had a great time designing and fabricating this solution for Chicago Event Management and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon

11/18/2022

Nothing like the post show unload 🙌

A huge part of our success on site comes from staying organized when we’re off site. For the cooks amongst you, the old French cooking phrase “mise en place” or “putting in place” is echoed in our warehouse operations every day.

We make sure every wrench and bolt are in place after every show so we can be ready to efficiently pack out the next. It is a cycle we maintain diligently for the sake of our team members and our customers.

Though we sometimes come back tired and ready to go home, the extra time it takes to pack in properly pays off tremendously in the long run. If you’re looking for an efficient AV production machine, look no further than SPL.

11/08/2022

a nice video conference room win you business?

In short – absolutely yes.

Clear and consistent virtual communications are crucial when negotiating those final terms as you reel in that next big client.

For the nitty gritty among you – we installed an 86" TV and a Logitech Rally Plus system for running Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is hosted on a NUC computer and it has a PTZ camera two speaker bars, two table microphones and a Tap touchpanel on the table as a user interface. It also has a "Swytch" interface for BYOD so that you can run Google Meets, Zoom, Blue Jeans, etc and have access to the room peripherals (camera, mics, and speakers) by bringing your own computer and connecting via USB or USB-C. There's also an HDMI running into the Tap for content sharing from a laptop as well.

As you can see above, a lot goes into making that perfect conference system. If you need that perfect system to help close those big deals, call us today.

Grow. Build. Tell. With SPL.

08/25/2022

We support AV education in all of its forms. So much so that we hosted this training for CHAUVET Professional in one of our warehouse spaces August 23 + 24. It was a beginner to intermediate training over 2 days.

We’re very pleased with the engagement we saw on this first run. Keep an eye out for future education opportunities at SPL!

Chamsys Programmers and Users

08/23/2022

Did we start a Metaverse AV company?

Well no…not yet…but we did support Solana Labs NFT gallery at this year’s music festival in along with an activation at Chicago Athletic Association Hotel and another NFT gallery!

We provided full production (lighting, audio, video, etc), for this exciting brand event for Solana. This included an NFT gallery, several dozen displays, over 200 exterior and interior lighting fixtures creating an engaging ambient vibe for the space, and an off site VIP lounge.

It was awesome to be a part of such a forward thinking experience and we look forward to the next!

07/20/2022

SPL Conference Rooms: Human Used, Dog Approved.

Oso, our lovable shop dog, loves to take part in quality assurance processes. We design, install and maintain conference room systems of all shapes and sizes. Call us today and you might even get a chance to meet Oso!

07/12/2022

We’re listed amongst the top AV Blogs!

We’re working on a bunch more articles for this summer and fall so keep an eye out for those. We will be continuing our theme of AV education and best practices to help you make informed decisions about your AV needs. Thanks Feedspot!

Best Audiovisual Blogs. Find all the latest audio-visual news with a focus on AV equipment & solutions for the industry professionals

06/30/2022

Wait…a project we worked on is in Vogue??

No – the article isn’t featuring our stylish uniforms – it is however featuring an amazing exhibition we were honored to support the incredible SV Productions on!

From concept to ex*****on, they were a thoughtful and creative group to work with. Their vision and direction in tandem with our talented technical and design teams made for a spectacular exhibition. Congratulations to everyone involved and thank you to SV Productions

The French luxury giant Hermès arrives in the Detroit metro area with a celebration of its artisans.

06/23/2022

Projection mapping is magic…it just is.

Though our technical team may be able to explain how projection mapping works…to us in marketing…it is entirely witchcraft.

We did this event for UofI where we projection mapped the mezzanine lip in front of the audience. When done properly, projection mapping can transport an audience to another place entirely. It can warp the walls and bend the space to a designer’s whim. To those less familiar with projection and physics, when projection mapping is executed perfectly, it approaches that point where science becomes indistinguishable from magic.

So in short – our technical team are all literally wizards.

05/20/2022

We don’t just say we support theater, we sponsor it!

We are sponsoring the 11th Annual Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards hosted by Broadway In Chicago along with My NBC5 and Jennifer Heim Photography

SPL has strong roots in theater and we all got our start in HS theater and are proud to support other young artists!

05/10/2022

Are We Athletes? Absolutely Not.

So what do we bring to the court?...A lot.

This was compiled of footage from an event we did for a footwear client where we turned an empty hangar into a high-production value basketball arena. So for what we lack in hand-eye coordination, we gain in event space creation.

05/06/2022

Are you an experienced video tech for events?

Are you also looking for a new and amazing workplace with a really adorable shop dog?

Well… look no further! We’re looking for a talented Video Project Lead for our event production team. If you are interested please reach out to [email protected] and attach a cover letter and resume.

Learn more about the opportunity here: https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=Sound%2C%20Production%20%26%20Lighting%20LLC&vjk=5a40f4a45cdcf79d&sc=0fcckey%3A83290b9d8dcad71a%2Cq%3A%3B

04/29/2022

🚨Hot Take…Winners Fold Drape.

Sure, origami is a beautiful art form with a long and wonderful history…but have you tried folding hundreds of square feet of drape after a show?

Now THAT is an art form.

04/27/2022

If you’re gonna do it…do it right.

Attention to detail runs deep here at SPL. We take care with every project, whether it’s a multi-million dollar installation or making sure our gear is labeled, we do it right.

04/26/2022

Oso is the cutest shop dog ever. Change our mind. 💪
Shoutout to for keeping our shop safe and being so darn cute. Every warehouse needs a dog and we are fortunate enough to have the best dog ever along with all of our team’s dogs who come through.

04/20/2022

Wait everyone stop…we build ball pits?? 😱

We just found out about this in the marketing department and we’re prettttttty stoked about it. Like how many AV companies do you know that have made a ball pit? We are officially pitching this for the SPL Christmas party…

04/19/2022

Flute solo!

We love all the events we work on but especially those that have a flute solo.

This was a celebration hosted by a Fortune 500 company at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. We supported all aspects of the production from this huge world music band to a barbershop quartet on the other side of the museum to the lighting around the space.

Most importantly though, the flute solo sounded and looked amazing.

**Random fact – our Marketing Director Andy Burrows produced this event before he was at SPL!

04/15/2022

The Forklifter - coming soon to a warehouse near you.

The AV industry, whether in systems or installations, is built by efficient warehouse operations and the teams that run them. If you can’t tell, we think forklift operators are pretty epic here at SPL. They’re working on the front line of SPL’s business operations every single day. They are the warehouse action heroes that make sure the trucks are loaded securely and on time. They work with their team members to make sure your AV installation or production has everything you need when the truck arrives on site. They are Liam Niesen.

04/14/2022

How is squash so cool??

This throwback to 2019 is from an epic squash event. Shout out to Lymb.io (also known as “Fun With Balls”) who we teamed up with for this National Squash Championship.

The LED wall on the back wall of the court was our favorite part though. It reacted when the ball struck it and would pop up a logo in response. Props on the awesome tech from you all at LYMB.iO out in Germany – Das ist sehr gut!

In short though…this event rocked.

04/13/2022

No way! It’s Michael Harward! 😮

You're looking at one of Kentucky’s finest right there ☝️

Michael is the Senior Director Of National Accounts for our AV production and events division. He has an immense amount of experience in AV and AV sales spanning decades.

At this point, he’s seen just about everything in the AV production world and can make sure you get exactly what you need.

So whether you’re a pharmaceutical company launching a new product or an association hosting a humongous conference – seriously – you want to work with Michael.

04/08/2022

Sports cars are cool…but have you seen an SPL podcast studio?

There is nothing quite like firing up your SPL podcast studio in the morning and taking it for a spin. Much like those who make the world’s finest sports cars, we are endlessly tweaking, designing, and refining our studio systems. We customize every part of your podcast studio for maximum efficiency, speed, and aesthetics.

If you’re looking for that next thrill – skip the boring old sports car – get an SPL podcast studio!

04/06/2022

There are men, and there are mountains. Larry Neubauer is both.

Larry is a time-tested institution of AV installation in and of himself. We are lucky to have this mountain of a man as part of our SPL Systems team and wanted to feature him for this week’s . Everyone who works with Larry will tell you he is a fount of knowledge and the first one up the ladder on a job site.

But oh…you thought Larry is just a master of AV installation? Well guess again…as you can tell from his photo, he can also slap the strings right off the bass.

Whether on a job site or the stage, Larry keeps things in the groove.

Thank you Larry for being such a foundational member of the team and such a strong leader. We can’t wait to see what you build next!

Grow. Build. Tell…With SPL.

04/04/2022

Look! A Timelapse of a projector being mounted!

It’s not all rock & roll and super cool time-lapses set to electronic music in the production world though…We take great pride in our safety record here at SPL. We maintain the strictest standards for our work sites and this is actually a time-lapse from a training video we made for proper projector mounting.

Go Benjamin Stopek and Christie Voyles go!

04/01/2022

Tape Ball Update 2022!

Those who are in AV are well aware but for those who are not in the industry, there is a tradition at many AV company warehouses of keeping a “company tape ball.” The AV industry uses miles and miles of tape per year. The tradition is to remove a small piece of that tape from every production or project and add it to a collective tape ball. It is a small memento we keep because we’re proud of the work we do with you.

We know it’s a silly tradition, and that the ball itself may be fiscally worthless, but it means the world to us. It’s a physical representation of all that hard work we’ve done together and we love it for that.

Just imagine if we’d had it going since the very beginning of SPL…we’d need a forklift to move it!

Christie Voyles…think we can beat the world record of a 2000lb tape ball? 😆

03/30/2022

Look everyone! It’s the amazing Carlos Lopez!

Carlos is famed at SPL for his detailed work and for being a great team player.

With a seemingly permanent smile, his positive energy is contagious amongst those lucky enough to work on projects with him. Carlos enters every job with open eyes and ears ready to learn and help with anything he can.

We wanted to feature Carlos for this week’s because he’s just too great not to.

Thank you Carlos for being such an awesome member of our team!

03/29/2022

The Pop-Up Studio | By SPL

With our expert team and top of the line equipment, we can turn your empty space into a professional studio in no time. Our team shows up, pops up the custom mobile studio, and then runs your live stream or recording. It’s simple and easily turns any space into a professional live stream studio. Grow. Build. Tell…With SPL.

03/25/2022

Whoa…checkout this wild flexible speaker. 😧

K-array…we have to say…this one is pretty cool. Not only does this speaker system have a wonderfully appropriate name (Anaconda) but it’s also one of the most creative innovations in the speaker market we’ve seen.

Our whole team loves innovations like this and keep our finger tight to the AV industry’s pulse to make sure that our clients, and their AV solutions, are utilizing every bit of technology available on the market. If you’re interested in the latest and greatest in AV technology for your event or installation, give us a call!

03/23/2022

Stop what you’re doing and look…it’s Mark Amber in Sweden!

For this SPL Systems we are featuring Mark Amber, Director of Systems Integration who just returned from his work in Sweden. He was there with our team working on an awesome new project. He insisted we use this picture of him on the banks of Stockholm for the post instead of the one that Matt took of him asleep on the plane home…and we finally agreed.

Though Mark and Matt Gajowniczek may poke fun at each other – Matt, SPL’s President and Founder, also had this to say about Mark when we asked him what made him such a good fit at SPL, “Mark is one of those smart guys every business needs. He just knows what the right thing to do is and he does it. He’s a great asset to our entire team.”

All of us here at SPL have to agree with Matt on that one. Mark is an invaluable member of our community and our working team. He delivers on time, on budget, and above expectations every time. He is an exemplary example of what SPL as a company stands for.

Thank you for all that you do Mark!

03/22/2022

So you have to admit it feels good to be organized…

A huge part of any live event or installation project begins and ends with your warehouse operations. Even a smaller load out like the one pictured here, required massive attention to detail and a time-tested system. There are a million and one different systems to stay organized, and we employ a proprietary combination of softwares and hardwares to make our warehouse organization 2nd to none.

As a world-wide AV company, we would be lost without our organization system and incredible warehouse team that implements it every day. Thank you to our warehouse team and to all warehouse workers that make the world go ‘round!

03/18/2022

Out here making Friday Night Lights look right!

This week we’ve been working at Round Lake High School upgrading the AV system for the football field. This is the first of a number of upgrades we will be installing over the coming weeks. We’ll likely shoot out another update once the project is completed.

Though we install large-scale arenas and stadiums, we always take special care to make every sports facility feel as much like a stadium as we can. We want athletes of all levels and ages to experience the production value and intensity that the pros feel in their giant stadiums. Even if a game may seem small to us, to every athlete on the field that game is the biggest thing in the world.

We love being able to support young athletes and make them feel energized and invigorated whenever they run onto that field with bigger lights, bigger sound, and bigger excitement!

Now….Go Panthers!

03/16/2022

Forklift operators don’t like jokes made about them...
..they find them very unpalatable.

Forklift operation is no laughing matter though. We’re seriously proud to see our team members getting new skills and certifications that will help keep our operations safer. On this congrats to Christie Voyles, Benjamin Stopek, Ali, Matt, and Carlos on getting your forklift certifications!

Thank you also to National Lift Truck Inc. for providing such an awesome training program and instructor. For any of our friends in Chicagoland who need forklift training, NLT’s great!

03/15/2022

So we all like super clean conference rooms, right?

Our team feels it’s mandatory for us to have shining examples of conference rooms in our offices. As a side note – one of our favorite ways to streamline any conference room is with a tablet. The one pictured is a great example made by Crestron the TS-1070-B-S.

If you like super clean conference rooms as much as we do, then give us a call and take your conference rooms to the next level!