G7 Summit’s Mission-Critical Network Infrastructure

Distribution Partner

The G7 Summit represented one of the most challenging networking deployments in recent history, requiring
absolute reliability for world leaders’ communications.

This high-stakes event demanded a network infrastructure capable of supporting real-time translation services, secure diplomatic feeds, and broadcast-quality production across multiple remote locations with zero tolerance for failure. NETGEAR AV switches provided the mission-critical foundation that enabled Proshow Audiovisual to deliver flawless performance for this globally significant diplomatic event.

Background

Proshow Audiovisual, a leading rental and staging company in Western Canada, was awarded the G7
Summit contract to supply and operate all audio, video, simultaneous interpretation, broadcast lighting, and video displays throughout all G7-related sites. The summit involved nine world leaders meeting for the main G7 sessions, plus an additional outreach meeting with invited nations, requiring interpretation into up to 10 languages.

The event presented unique logistical challenges, taking place in the remote mountain village of Kananaskis,
approximately 80 kilometers or 50 miles from Calgary. Mark Fisher, Proshow’s SVP of Engineering and
Technology emphasized the complexity: “This was a logistics challenge getting equipment to such a remote
location, and we were only awarded the contract 75 days before the meeting day. The timeline was
extremely tight.”

The network had to support exclusively robotic cameras for security purposes, with all video feeds going to
interpreters and security personnel rather than public broadcasts. Proshow CEO Matt Hussack, who wrote the
original RFP response, noted: “Everything we did was seen by world leaders, government officials, security
officers, diplomats and translators.”

Challenge

The G7 Summit presented networking challenges that required careful consideration of both technical requirements and extreme time constraints. The system needed to connect multiple sites across significant distances, including the central summit location in Kananaskis, the media center in Banff (60 kilometers/35 miles away), and operational centers at Calgary airport.

The network infrastructure had to support mission-critical applications with zero tolerance for failure, including real-time simultaneous interpretation for up to 10 languages, secure diplomatic video feeds, robotic camera systems for security monitoring, and broadcast-quality production capabilities. The system needed to handle multiple protocols simultaneously, including NDI video, Dante audio, and various control systems.

The timeline was severely compressed, with product availability becoming a critical concern. Fisher
explains: “There was very little time between us being awarded the project and starting the deployment.
Initially, NETGEAR could not supply what we needed through regular channels on such short notice,
but thanks to the efforts of and partnership with NETGEAR and SFM, we made it happen.”

The deployment required approximately 40 switches in total, with 30 NETGEAR AV line switches forming the core infrastructure and 10 smaller NETGEAR switches supporting the remaining components. This setup enabled the connection of over 1,200 individual components, including 184 monitors, 21 robotic cameras, and extensive interpretation equipment, across all connected sites. The network had to be completely isolated from the internet for security purposes, creating a “clean network” that connected cities, buildings, and sites across the region.

Solution

Proshow Audiovisual selected NETGEAR AV switches as the foundation of their network infrastructure, working closely with SFM, NETGEAR’s distributor in Canada, to overcome supply chain challenges and ensure product availability. The solution featured a distributed network architecture connecting multiple remote sites through dedicated AV-optimized switching infrastructure.

The core network design utilized NETGEAR’s AV-specific switches optimized for the demanding requirements of professional broadcast and interpretation systems. The infrastructure supported multiple critical applications: Simultaneous Interpretation: Supporting centralized interpretation booths with real-time audio and video feeds distributed across all meeting locations, with interpreters able to see and hear proceedings regardless of which room leaders were meeting in.

Security Monitoring: Providing secure video feeds to security personnel and summit management operations,
enabling real-time monitoring of all protected persons and locations.

Broadcast Production: Delivering broadcast-quality video and audio to remote sites while maintaining complete separation between diplomatic and public feeds.

The NETGEAR solution utilized specialized AV switches with simplified interfaces designed for AV technicians, reducing configuration complexity while maintaining enterprise-grade performance. The system leveraged NDI video and Dante audio protocols across the network infrastructure, with NETGEAR’s AV switches providing the reliable backbone for all communications.

Results

The NETGEAR-based solution delivered exceptional performance under the most demanding conditions, successfully supporting the communications of world leaders without a single network failure throughout the entire event. The system performed flawlessly during both the main G7 summit and the expanded outreach meeting, demonstrating the reliability required for mission-critical diplomatic communications.

Zero Downtime Achievement: The network operated without interruption throughout the entire summit duration, supporting simultaneous interpretation, security monitoring, and broadcast production with complete reliability.

Rapid Deployment Success: Despite the compressed timeline, the NETGEAR infrastructure was successfully deployed and tested across multiple remote locations, demonstrating the efficiency of AV-optimized switching solutions.

Supply Chain Partnership: The collaboration between Proshow Audiovisual, SFM, and NETGEAR overcame critical supply chain challenges, with demo units and flexible inventory management enabling the project to proceed on schedule.

Simplified Management: The AV-specific interface reduced configuration complexity, enabling efficient setup and management across the distributed network infrastructure.

Fisher emphasizes the technical success: “The network was really key to the whole operation. It had to support
low-latency communication and be flexible and resilient. The NETGEAR AV switches made management so much
easier with their simplified interface for AV technicians.”

The partnership proved invaluable beyond just equipment supply. Hussack notes: “The ability to call our distributor and say ‘send us an expert please’ and actually leverage that support is enormous. We had remote support throughout the event, and even though our experts weren’t always on-site, we could get answers anytime.”

Training and Support Value: The pre-event training courses provided proved crucial to the project’s success, with Fisher noting: “Because I had had that training, and the relationship with the SFM team, I knew I could call on experts who understand the networking side. That training had collateral value that made this entire
deployment possible.”

The G7 Summit deployment demonstrated how NETGEAR AV switches can provide the reliability and performance required for the most demanding applications. The success of this mission-critical network has positioned Proshow Audiovisual for future high-stakes events, with Fisher concluding: “I look forward to more projects like G7. The combination of the right product and the right support partnership makes seemingly impossible timelines achievable.”

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