BCD Meetings and Events is an international hospitality company that produces corporate events worldwide.  The company creates original digital content and hosts conferences in-person and virtually.  Demand for virtual meetings and content skyrocketed during the pandemic, while the shift to work-from-home reduced the company’s need for traditional office spaces.

Realizing this, BCDME decided to bring video production and virtual meeting delivery in-house. The acquisition of a frequent collaborator allowed the company to create a content & production team of its own within the company’s North American headquarters in downtown Chicago. Field Guide was tapped to lead the design of the new studios.

The project includes three new spaces, chief among them the creative studio. To provide maximum flexibility and improved lighting quality, the existing lay-in ceilings were removed, new dimmable LED lights were installed, and a series of unistruts were provided for rigging of supplemental lights and equipment. Curtains and shades at the existing windows provide optimal controls for daylighting.  MEP services overhead are left exposed and painted.

The adjacent breakout room is visually connected to the creative studio with acoustically enhanced glass.  A multipurpose space for the production team, the breakout room can be utilized as a private office, shared meeting room, or secure storage for the video team.

The technological core of the space is the Broadcast Studio, where complex remote events are produced and delivered via the web.  Internal windows connect this landlocked space with the creative studio and the team’s kitchenette and hangout spaces. To manage the extra heat generated by all the equipment, a supplemental cooling system was provided.

Field Guide provided architecture, interior design, and self-certified permit acquisition.  MEP design was by Kent Consulting Engineers.  Construction began in August 2023.