Silent Seminars Makes North American Debut at Morningstar Investment Conference
Silent Seminars has taken an exciting step in its global growth with a major debut in North America, delivering its largest-ever deployment of silent audio technology in the region at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago. Working in collaboration with U.S. partner Show Gear, the team provided more than 1,500 wireless headsets across nine concurrent seminar zones inside Navy Pier, supporting one of the most influential events in the financial services industry.
The Morningstar Investment Conference draws thousands of investment professionals, analysts and decision-makers every year. Its programme is known for running multiple breakout sessions, keynotes and panel discussions simultaneously, often within close proximity. To manage the acoustic complexity of the venue and ensure audiences could hear speakers with absolute clarity, the organisers turned to Silent Seminars and its proven multi-channel headset technology.
Duncan Strain, Director at Silent Seminars, said:
“Delivering seamless, intelligible audio across multiple zones without audio spill or distraction is what we do best. The Morningstar Investment Conference was the perfect opportunity to introduce our system to the North American market, and the response has been fantastic”
Transforming Audio Delivery in Busy Event Environments
Across two days, the Silent Seminars and Show Gear teams installed nine audio channels throughout the exhibition and conference halls, allowing delegates to move freely between theatres while tuning in instantly to the content of their choice. The format removes the need for traditional PA systems and prevents sound bleed between adjacent sessions, creating a focused, distraction-free listening environment even in open-plan spaces.
Technical specialists from both organisations supported the event on site, managing everything from headset distribution and frequency coordination to real-time monitoring to ensure seamless delivery throughout.
The collaboration with Show Gear was instrumental, as noted by event partner David Ellis:
“Collaborating with Show Gear has been essential to making this event a success. Their deep knowledge of the U.S. event landscape and outstanding reputation in the AV sector made them the perfect partner for our North American launch.”
A Partnership Built for Innovation
Show Gear, a respected U.S. AV provider known for large-scale corporate productions, brings extensive local expertise to Silent Seminars’ international experience. Together, they offer event organisers across North America access to a highly scalable audio solution designed for multi-session environments.
David Wight, Managing Director at Show Gear added:
“Partnering with Silent Seminars allows us to offer clients something truly unique: a scalable, flexible, and high-quality audio solution that’s tailor-made for modern event formats. The Morningstar Investment Conference was a textbook example of how this technology can enhance the attendee experience while simplifying logistics for event organizers.”
Meeting the Evolving Needs of Modern Events
The success in Chicago highlights a growing trend across the industry. As conferences and exhibitions become increasingly content-rich, organisers are seeking smarter ways to manage sound, space and audience experience. Silent Seminars’ headset technology supports:
• Clear audio without background noise
• Multiple sessions running in close proximity
• More flexible theatre layouts
• Improved accessibility for delegates with hearing differences and neurodiverse needs
Feedback from delegates and speakers at Morningstar emphasised the ease of use, exceptional clarity and improved focus that the silent audio format enabled.
Following this milestone event, Silent Seminars is preparing for further expansion across North America. Its longstanding reputation in Europe, combined with Show Gear’s operational strength in the U.S., creates a powerful offering for organisers seeking to elevate their event audio.
“We’re thrilled with how the Morningstar event went. It’s just the beginning of our journey in North America, and we’re excited to show more organizers what’s possible when you take a silent approach to sound.”