In October 2023, EM Acoustics, a British manufacturer of professional audio solutions, held a week-long demo event at its factory in Surrey. The event focused on the launch of the new R5 loudspeaker and was also a celebration of the brand’s 21st anniversary.
“We have the facilities here at the factory to host people and give them a first-hand feel for the capabilities of our products,” said Mike Wheeler, operations director at EM Acoustics. “The launch of the latest addition to our Reference Series was a catalyst for organising the event, and we’re incredibly pleased with the number of visitors we’ve welcomed, some of whom travelled internationally to be here.”
Each day of the event was split into morning and afternoon sessions, with attendees invited to enjoy a full demonstration not only of the full Reference Series but also the rest of the range in a newly uprated, permanent demo environment. Following the listening session, which was accompanied by talks from EM Acoustics’ technical director Ed Kinsella, full factory tours were offered.
“We are unusually transparent about our operations and we’re able to show the care and attention to detail that goes into every component produced here at the factory without any restraint or secrecy,” said Greg Clarke, brand manager at EM Acoustics. “We manufacture everything under one rather large roof, so we’re able to walk visitors through every step of the production process, from woodworking through to the paint workshop and the final assembly on the production floor, giving a real front-to-back overview.”
The tours, led by both Wheeler and Clarke, comprised a complete overview of the making of EM’s loudspeaker range while also providing insight into the history of the company, the materials used in its loudspeakers and the brand’s sustainability considerations such as packaging and supply of resources and energy.
“We keep input ‘miles’ and our overall environmental impact to a minimum,” said Wheeler. “We work with local partners wherever possible, and the factory is partly powered by a solar farm on site.”
With fully booked sessions and a total of around 120 attendees across the week, the demo event saw a mix of visitors including sound designers, distributors, integrators and other industry professionals. While many were already familiar with the Reference Series, for others it was their first experience of EM Acoustics and its products.
“The R5 event was a very positive experience,” said William Cottrell, technical sales engineer at Autograph. “I was impressed by the similarity of the sonic profile to the rest of the Reference Series. This means we can confidently spec this system knowing we will get the same tonality and consistency into all areas of a performance space, especially in harder-to-reach areas where sightlines or space are a critical factor.”
“EM Acoustics have a hidden gem of a demo space,” said Richard Borkum of Theatre Projects. “It’s always enjoyable to visit EM as you know you’re going to hear something fantastic.”
Following the success of the event and positive feedback from attendees, the EM Acoustics team is enthusiastic to continue the momentum. “It’s been a brilliant week and we’re already thinking about hosting more of these events in the future,” said Wheeler. “The feedback has been excellent and delivering extra value to our clients through events like this is something we’re focused on.”
