Shaping the Future of Finance
Project:
Overview
Roche AV worked alongside Manchester Metropolitan University to deliver a cutting-edge Bloomberg Trading Suite at the Business School. This state-of-the-art facility, featuring 70 workstations, provides students with an immersive learning environment where they can engage with live market data, simulate trading scenarios, and gain Bloomberg certifications to enhance their employability. Working alongside key partners including Sharp/NEC, PPDS, Crestron and onemedia - as well as leading audio manufacturers JBL, Sennheiser and Audio-Technica - we have helped create a dynamic space that bridges the gap between theory and real-world financial practice.
Project Goals
Manchester Met aimed to create an advanced teaching and learning space with the following Key features, allowing students to:
Key Features
- Simulate real-time financial trading using Bloomberg Terminals
- Analyse live economic data to develop risk assessment skills
- Engage with industry partners on live projects
- Benefit from a seamless, technology-enhanced teaching experience
Solution
The Bloomberg Trading Suite leverages state-of-the-art AV technology to deliver an immersive, interactive learning environment. At the heart of the teaching space is a fully integrated control system, enabling seamless content distribution and management. The control system uses a Crestron processor and touch panel, giving the lecturer intuitive control over the suite's AV components. The system integrates a powerful AV-over-IP distribution platform, ensuring that all content, whether from a Bloomberg Terminal or a lecturer’s computer, can be shared across multiple large-format displays in the room. This flexibility allows for a highly dynamic teaching experience. Additionally, the system incorporates a USB-C docking station for device connectivity, enabling quick setup and ease of use.
To ensure clear and effective communication throughout the space, the suite features an advanced audio system with a dozen JBL ceiling speakers. Sennheiser Speechline handheld and lapel microphones provide optimal sound capture for lectures and discussions. The Crown power amplifier ensures that the lecturer’s voice is heard clearly from anywhere in the room. The system includes an Extron DSP to manage audio levels and enhance clarity, creating an immersive audio experience that complements the AV content. The suite features 70 workstations which can either mirror the lecturer’s content or operate independently, allowing students to interact with live data, conduct research, and work on collaborative projects. The student workstations are connected via Crestron AV-over-IP technology, which ensures a smooth flow of content across the room, allowing for seamless teaching and learning.
The suite is equipped with a combination of 75” M751 and 86" M861 Sharp / NEC professional displays. These displays are strategically placed throughout the room to provide a clear, high-resolution view of real-time market data and instructional content. The 75" screens are used for primary content display, while the 86" displays serve as focal points for group discussions and collaborative activities. The displays are supported by Crestron AV-over-IP decoders, ensuring crisp, lag-free performance for both video and data content. In addition to the primary teaching space, the Bloomberg Trading Suite features a dedicated collaboration area which is equipped with a 75" Sharp / NEC display, allowing students to work together on projects and access live data. The collaboration area includes a Crestron touch panel for easy control of the AV system and a Onelan digital signage player to display real-time stock market information. The space is designed to foster teamwork, innovation, and the development of critical negotiation and presentation skills, all essential in the world of finance.
The Bloomberg Trading Suite also features five vertical PPDS LED ticker tapes, strategically placed around the room to display key stock market information in real time. These high-brightness displays provide a dynamic, authentic trading floor atmosphere. Each ticker is powered by a Onelan digital signage player, running a custom Bloomberg app developed by onemedia. Working closely with the customer, the app was tailored to meet their unique requirements, offering multiple design options and customising the development to ensure it fits seamlessly into the vertical layout of the ticker tapes. The app delivers live market updates, making the financial data more engaging and interactive.
Partners
Conclusion
The Bloomberg Trading Suite is fully integrated into Manchester Met’s curriculum, ensuring students gain practical experience alongside their studies. The facility also fosters collaboration between academia and industry, with businesses engaging in live client projects using Bloomberg's vast financial data. This real-world engagement prepares students for the challenges of the finance industry, giving them a competitive edge in the job market. The successful deployment of the Bloomberg Trading Suite demonstrates how cutting-edge AV solutions can transform education. By creating a highly interactive and dynamic environment, the university has equipped its students with the tools and experience needed to excel in the competitive world of finance.
Project Feedback
“This is not just a win for our students but also for our industry partners, who will collaborate on live client briefs and hands-on projects powered by Bloomberg's rich data. We’re shaping the future of finance, and we couldn’t be prouder.” – Professor Hannah Holmes, Dean of Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University.
“We were delighted to work with Manchester Metropolitan University and Roche AV to repurpose our Stock Market app with bespoke requirements for their new Bloomberg Trading Suite. The result is an eyecatching vertical ticker perfectly fitting their state-of-the-art facility.” - Lucy Wood, Services Manager, onemedia.
“We are extremely proud of this flagship space and especially the work that went into the vertical LED ticker tapes by all involved. We look forward to delivering more cutting-edge spaces in partnership with the University” – Craig Pickard, Director of Projects & Innovations, Roche AV Pro.
(Photographs in of the Bloomberg Suite in use courtesy of Hannah Holmes and Halle Watkins)