ITOKI Case Study: Creating Better Hybrid Meetings with MXA920
Summary
- ITOKI upgraded two meeting spaces at ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE in Tokyo to support more engaging hybrid collaboration.
- Remote participants previously found it difficult to hear discussions clearly, track speakers, and interpret facial expressions and other social cues.
- Shure MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphones and IntelliMix P300 Audio Conferencing Processors provide precise voice capture and highly accurate positional data for camera tracking.
- The Shure Audio solutions help remote participants be seen and heard, better understand the nuances of conversations and participate more actively.
For ITOKI, effective hybrid meeting spaces should allow remote participants to contribute as naturally as those in the room. Yoshisato Shiino, Manager of the System Design Office, Solution Sales Department at ITOKI, highlighted the impact of the solution on meeting engagement:
The MXA920’s ability to accurately locate speakers in three-dimensional space enabled us to create a highly precise camera tracking system. Because remote participants can clearly hear speakers and see their expressions, discussions have become significantly more engaging.
About ITOKI and ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE
ITOKI is a Japanese workplace design company that explores how office environments can improve communication, collaboration and employee engagement. ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE located in Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, serves as the company’s headquarters, a working office and a showroom where customers can experience new workplace concepts firsthand.
In 2024, ITOKI introduced two next-generation meeting environments, the Decision Room and The Stadium, designed to encourage active participation among both in-room and remote attendees.
The Challenge: Helping Remote Participants Read the Room
Although hybrid meetings are now commonplace, remote participants can still struggle to hear discussions clearly, track who is speaking and interpret reactions, facial expressions and body language. Without these social cues, it can be harder to fully understand the nuances of a conversation, contribute at the right moment and feel equally involved.
ITOKI needed an audio solution that could deliver clear, consistent voice capture while providing the accurate speaker-location data required for intelligent camera tracking. The goal was to show not only who was speaking, but also their facial expressions and responses.
Voice is one of the most important ways people communicate ideas and emotions. Microphones and cameras must work together seamlessly so that remote participants can clearly understand not only what is being said, but also who is speaking and how they are responding.
Yoshisato Shiino
The Solution: Intelligent Audio That Keeps Every Speaker in View
To create a more natural meeting experience, ITOKI selected the Shure MXA920 Ceiling Array Microphone together with the Shure IntelliMix P300 Audio Conferencing Processor.
Unlike conventional meeting room microphones, the ceiling-mounted MXA920 allows participants to move freely and speak naturally without thinking about microphone placement. Its microphone array technology accurately determines speaker locations in three-dimensional space and supplies precise positional data to camera tracking systems.
This capability was particularly important in the Decision Room, which has a distinctive seating layout designed to encourage discussion and collaboration. The IntelliMix P300 further enhances the experience by reducing noise and echo while supporting clear, intelligible speech for remote participants.
We experienced the MXA920 and camera integration firsthand in Shure’s showroom and were amazed by the tracking accuracy. The positional data provided by the MXA920 is extremely precise and allows us to reliably track speakers. Shure’s collaboration with camera manufacturers was another important factor in our decision.
Yoshisato Shiino
The Results: More Natural, Balanced and Engaging Collaboration
The combination of MXA920 microphones and IntelliMix P300 audio processing allows conversations to flow naturally while helping every participant be seen and heard clearly.
Because participants no longer need to worry about being heard, meetings feel more conversational and collaborative. Remote attendees can track active speakers, hear discussions clearly, see facial expressions and better follow the social cues that shape a conversation.
As a result, participation has become more balanced between in-room and remote attendees, creating a more engaging meeting and collaboration experience.
Remote participants who previously found it difficult to contribute can now participate much more actively in conversations. Users frequently tell us that meetings feel natural and comfortable, creating a welcoming atmosphere for discussion.
Yoshisato Shiino
The meeting spaces have also become a highlight for visitors to ITOKI DESIGN HOUSE. Many are surprised by the absence of visible microphones and impressed by the system’s ability to track speakers accurately while maintaining excellent audio quality, with visitors regularly expressing interest in creating similar hybrid meeting environments in their own organizations.
Shure Japan provided tremendous support throughout the project, from answering technical questions to assisting with onsite setup and system tuning. Their expertise played a major role in helping us successfully deliver these new meeting spaces.
Yoshisato Shiino
Key Takeaways for Organizations Designing Hybrid Meeting Spaces
Successful hybrid meetings depend on more than a video conferencing platform alone. ITOKI’s approach demonstrates the value of prioritizing:
- Clear, consistent speech intelligibility
- Accurate speaker localization and camera tracking
- The ability to capture facial expressions and other social cues
- Natural meeting experiences without visible tabletop microphones
- Greater engagement and meeting equity for remote participants
- Seamless integration between audio and video technologies
Organizations that focus on these elements can create more inclusive and productive meeting environments that support effective collaboration regardless of location.
Create Better Hybrid Meeting Experiences
Explore Shure conferencing solutions designed to help every participant be seen, heard and included.
Looking to build a stronger business case for collaboration technology investments? Download the IDC InfoBrief for analyst insights into workplace collaboration trends and challenges, and explore our ROI white paper to learn how organizations are measuring value, improving productivity, and maximizing return on investment.
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