Japan - Audio engineer Krzysztof Borowicz from Commercial Audio, DirectOut’s distributor in Poland, flew out to Expo 2025 in Osaka to programme two Prodigy.MPs at the heart of both the Netherlands and Philippines Pavilions, overseen by one of the Expo’s turnkey partners, BeWunder.
“I was in Frankfurt meeting other DirectOut partners and doing some training when a friend called and asked what I was up to next week. A week later, I was sitting on a flight to Japan,” Borowicz recalls. “It was all very quick, but thanks to the flexibility of the globcon software, many things can be programmed in advance – even remotely. That helped me work more efficiently and avoid surprises on-site. Both Pavilions were a real multi-media experience, with many conversions between different formats, networks, computers and loudspeaker systems.”
Expo 2025 was set on an artificial island called Yumeshima, and in the region of 28m visitors attended during the six months the fair was open. More than 150 countries took part, each exploring different themes and ideas around the common prompt Designing Future Society for our Lives. Every Pavilion delivered a different experience.
BeWunder delivered 15 of the pavilions including the Philippines and Netherlands Pavilions, with a comprehensive scope from design to realisation. For the Philippines Pavilion, the organisation oversaw everything from the multimedia systems to the exhibition façade, developing the final design and delivering everything from multimedia packages and lighting systems to interactive elements, scenic fit-out, exhibit fabrication, graphics, and signage.
The Philippines Pavilion was titled Nature, Culture & Community - Woven Together for a Better Future and took visitors on a journey through a woven forest of Philippine art works, investigating human identity through textile craft, highlighting sustainability and home-grown materials.
To manage both Pavilions’ complex audio network requirements, BeWunder selected products from DirectOut.
“For us, DirectOut is a natural fit,” explains Shane Murphy, BeWunder’s head of project management, spatial experiences. “The result of this work was an immersive pavilion that reflects the cultural richness and spirit of the Philippines with precision and care. The quality of the Prodigy series consistently meets the highest standards across all our projects, and of course, we trust the brand. In addition, as a company with German origins, this alignment feels natural to us.”
The Netherlands Pavilion was titled Creating a New Dawn Together on Common Ground and was an open, circular space, built around a central glowing sphere. It was complete with a bespoke interactive sound system, designed and manufactured by BeWunder, that enabled visitors to engage with content in dynamic and personalised ways. Audio was delivered via a zoned L-Acoustic loudspeakers system, fed from a Dante network, with Milan AVB also utilised. Visitors were surrounded by video walls, telling the story of a future with plentiful and sustainable energy for all.
Borrowicz oversaw the audio systems for both Pavilions and, as he describes, coming into the process at short notice meant that he was grateful for the expertise and support of DirectOut.
“I had to make a quick decision. I had no idea what I was heading into, it was a real adventure and a very nice experience,” he says. “Before I flew to Japan, I called DirectOut and explained the situation. I asked if I could call them if I needed to and they couldn’t have been more helpful. The Prodigy.MPs were processing audio, managing DSP; I use them as part speaker-management, part backup playback-switcher, there are so many possibilities.
“It’s just a 2U rackable device, but it does so many jobs that to replace it, I would need a whole rack of convertors and processors. This flexible setup ensured high-quality audio distribution, precise timing, and reliable system performance throughout the exhibition.”