Hamilton Princess & Beach Club has appointed Oliver Godwell to the role of director of technical events.

Mr Godwell, a spouse of a Bermudian, will oversee all aspects of audiovisual operations, development and strategy at the hotel.

The hotel said the move comes as it “doubles down” on its commitment to establish itself as the pre-eminent provider of polished virtual, hybrid and socially distanced events by investing in top-of-the-line video conferencing technology.

The Princess said the new equipment means that it can offer a wide range of technical events, including professionally set up webinars, scalable to any audience; hybrid meetings that connect participants locally and globally; and creative closed loop video solutions to help navigate gathering limits, quarantines or even corporate policy requirements. Dedicated high speed internet set ups can also be arranged.

The hotel said the global Covid-19 pandemic has seen an unprecedented boom in virtual and hybrid meetings, from socially distanced weddings to high-powered conferences blending in-person and digital attendees.

The Princess said there is also a greater need and appreciation for polished and professional large scale events, including a greater understanding of the importance of high quality audio.

It said the hotel offers clients a dedicated in-house AV team, who look after all technology needs and are on hand in the run-up to and during events, adding that corporate clients benefit from being able to integrate their own, secure IT systems with the hotel’s technology.

The hotel said its new acquisitions utilise cutting edge NDI technology, alongside SDI and digital audio hardware, and include a high-end, top-of-the-line custom made production computer, featuring vMix software; new remote controlled conference cameras including BirdDog Pan Tilt Zoom HD cameras, and Sony 4k wide-angled cameras; and an increase to the hotel’s microphone stock, bringing in new Countryman Earsets.

A Princess employee since 2017, Mr Godwell said: “Over the past four and a half years, it has been a privilege to help develop the hotel’s AV offering into one of the island’s foremost technical event providers. We pride ourselves on offering dedicated support and customised AV solutions to all of our clients, from the smallest celebration to the most high-end conference.

“While many businesses have taken steps to incorporate built-in technology support for their in-house virtual meetings, having a specialised AV team with bespoke solutions, rather than general IT support, is essential. For those important or complex events where things need to run smoothly and everyone needs to be heard clearly, it can make all the difference.”

Tim Morrison, the hotel’s general manager, said: “An incredibly knowledgeable technician, Oliver has been with the department since the beginning, and with his unrivalled range of experience, it has grown into something incredibly special.

“The pandemic has transformed the landscape of events not only in Bermuda but globally. While social distancing has limited some events, in other ways it has expanded them: events now often include not only those in person here, but hundreds more attending virtually.

“With the appointment of Oliver and the acquisition of exciting new equipment, we believe Hamilton Princess is the place to be to hold your virtual or hybrid event to high standard and with peace of mind.”

A graduate of John Curtin College of the Arts in Australia, the hotel said Mr Godwell began his career as an actor before discovering a passion for stagecraft and lighting design which led to more than 20 years of experience in the AV industry.

The hotel said career highlights include a long term association with MicroHire, an Australian AV company, where he worked on the Australian Open and the Australian Good Food and Wine Tour featuring chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Ainsley Harriott.

He was also employed by AVC Live as the in-house technical manager based at Accor’s Hotel ibis London Earls Court ILEC conference centre, during the lead up to the Olympic Games.