Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

About Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a seven-acre public garden in the heart of downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Its mission is to explore, explain and celebrate the world of plants through design, programming and exhibits.The not-for-profit organization has a commitment to education, culture, innovation and ecology. Its dedication is evidenced by its community activities, perfectly kept gardens and interesting, welcoming exhibits.

 The display of color and fullness is expertly tended and visitors can see what’s in bloom at any given time of year. The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is a seven-acre public garden in the heart of downtown Des Moines, Iowa.

Its mission is to explore, explain and celebrate the world of plants through design, programming and exhibits. The not-for-profit organization has a commitment to education, culture, innovation and ecology. Its dedication is evidenced by its community activities, perfectly kept gardens and interesting, welcoming exhibits. The display of color and fullness is expertly tended and visitors can see what’s in bloom at any given time of year. The Botanical Garden is open year-round with a showcase of timely plants and flowers, as well as presentations and information about horticultural subjects.

Kramer Product Spotlight

- KT-107 Touch Panel
- VP-778 Presentation Matrix Switcher/Scaler
- SL-240C 16-port Master Room Controller
- TP-580R Range Extender

Customer's Challenge

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden offers several conference rooms and large event rooms to the community. The original AV control system included two projectors, two screens, a matrix switcher, DSP for microphones, four sets of shades, three sets of lights and a touch-pad controller in each room.

When the room systems began to turn on and off at random and trigger the central system, officials at the Botanical Garden thought it would be a good time to upgrade the facility’s audio/video technology. They enlisted the help of local installer and reseller, Embark, whose team was tasked with reprogramming the entire system

Kramer's Solution

Embark recommended the Kramer Control solution. According to Gerson Carrillo, Embark technical sales engineer, the Kramer solution made sense because it was flexible and expandable, and would allow both Embark and the Botanical Garden to modify or update as needed. “We also created our own interface for the Botanical Garden, to which they were able to make changes, like including a locking mechanism for password protection,” he said.

The Kramer KT-107 touch panel control unit highlighted the installation, making it easy for presenters to choose any one of a number of video sources by simply tapping the screen.

Signals are switched by the Kramer VP-778 Presentation Matrix Switcher/Scaler and controlled via Ethernet connection to the SL-240C 16-port Master Room Controller. The Kramer TP 580R extends HDMI over the HDBaseT signals it receives from the matrix switcher. All other devices are also controlled via Ethernet and the projector screen uses relays.

Joint Challenges

Both Embark and Kramer said the timing of the installation was a challenge. It had to be done in a few days, because the Botanical Garden welcomes visitors every day of the week, and it couldn’t close the conference area.

David Regan, assistant director of retail and guest experience at the Botanical Gardens said, “Initially the controller presented some challenges. Embark was helpful to continue working with us to resolve programing and technical glitches. Now the controller works effortlessly.”

Results 

The new system was installed at Des Moines Botanical Gardens and it was cost-effective, innovative and on time. The system was up and running within two days, and it has been working fine, according to Carrillo. “This is just phase one,” he said.  

Customer's Feedback

“We looked at Kramer for financial reasons, but they gave us a new way of thinking about control,” Embark’s Carrillo explained. “They have a great warranty program and got great recommendations.”

“The Botanical Garden is a landmark in the Des Moines community,” Carrillo continued. “It has a strong educational program for the community and it offers presentations to schools and adult clinics, so they need to have new, high technology components.”

David Regan from the Botanical Gardens said, “Our success is determined by meeting the needs of our guests with the touch of a button. We were not delivering a great experience due to aging equipment that worked when it wanted to. Now our guests can trust that their AV needs will be met and lead to successful meetings and events.”