Sounds Commercial heritage image.

Our Heritage

40 Years of Sounds Commercial

A year-by-year look back at the people, projects, and moments that shaped the company from 1986 to 2026.

  1. 1986

    1986

    Sounds Commercial - Opening / 40 Years Begins

    The world is still analogue: landlines, paper diaries, fax machines, VHS, overhead projectors and heavy AV kit. Sounds Commercial begins its story.

  2. International Superstores conference production.

    1987

    International Superstores - Conference Production

    Conference production for a major UK supermarket chain before the Gateway transition. World context: Digital Audio Tape arrives as professional audio takes another step into digital recording.

  3. Sounds Commercial new AV kit.

    1988

    Sounds Commercial - New AV Kit

    Flightcased CRTs, decks and hardware show cutting-edge AV in 1988. World context: the first transatlantic fibre-optic cable transforms global communications.

  4. Campaign 88 election-style conference set.

    1989

    Campaign 88

    Election-style conference staging from the archive. World context: Tim Berners-Lee proposes the World Wide Web at CERN.

  5. Calor Gas Back to the Future conference.

    1990

    Calor Gas - Back to the Future

    South Western Region conference with a fully themed futuristic set. World context: Adobe Photoshop launches, changing graphic design and image production.

  6. ASDA product performance data conference.

    1991

    ASDA - Product Performance Data

    Retail data conference during a pivotal period for ASDA. World context: the World Wide Web goes live.

  7. AEG Olympia word processing showcase.

    1992

    AEG Olympia - Word Processing Showcase

    Office technology showcase at the end of the typewriter era. World context: the first SMS text message is sent: Merry Christmas.

  8. SWEB Telecoms Making New Connections staging.

    1993

    SWEB Telecoms - Making New Connections

    Early multi-projector staging pushed presentation technology beyond the norm, with edge blending before edge blending had a name. World context: the Web is made freely available.

  9. Bathrooms and Kitchens industry awards staging.

    1994

    Bathrooms & Kitchens - Industry Awards

    Awards-night staging for the UK interiors retail and design industry. World context: commercial web browsers and online shopping start moving business online.

  10. Energy Efficiency Office climate change conference.

    1995

    Energy Efficiency Office - Climate Change

    Government conference on climate change challenges and opportunities. World context: Windows 95 helps PCs become part of everyday working life.

  11. Travel Inn Rocking Not Shocking event.

    1996

    Travel Inn - Rocking Not Shocking

    Gothic-themed corporate event with custom castle-style scenery. World context: DVDs arrive, another move from analogue to digital media.

  12. Calor Gas A Whole New World conference.

    1997

    Calor Gas - A Whole New World

    Themed Calor conference continuing a long-running client relationship. World context: Wi-Fi's first technical standard lays the foundations for wireless connectivity.

  13. Travel Inn nautical conference scenic build.

    1998

    Travel Inn - Nautical Conference

    A ship-deck scenic build for a nautical themed conference. World context: Google is founded, changing how people find information.

  14. Somerfield staff welcome briefing.

    1999

    Somerfield - Staff Welcome Briefing

    Staff briefing during a major period of supermarket change. World context: Bluetooth launches commercially and devices begin connecting wirelessly.

  15. Cooper Tires Here We Go conference production.

    2000

    Cooper Tires - Here We Go!

    Dramatic conference production for Cooper's growing UK operation. World context: the camera phone arrives, putting image capture in everyone's pocket.

  16. Calor Gas The Power and The Glory set.

    2001

    Calor Gas - The Power & The Glory

    Classical themed Calor set with columns, drapes and grand staging. World context: the iPod launches with one thousand songs in your pocket.

  17. Capital Bank and Bank of Scotland Vision presentation.

    2002

    Capital Bank / Bank of Scotland - Vision

    Corporate presentation built around a clear Vision theme. World context: 3G mobile networks launch in the UK, bringing useful mobile data to phones.

  18. SuperMeat Awards production.

    2003

    SuperMeat Awards

    Awards production for Britain's meat, food and retail industries. World context: Skype launches and internet voice/video calling starts changing communication.

  19. Gibraltar 2004 300th anniversary event.

    2004

    Gibraltar 2004 - 300th Anniversary

    Commemorative event marking 300 years of British Gibraltar. World context: Facebook launches and the social-media era accelerates.

  20. Booker Prize for Excellence awards production.

    2005

    Booker - Prize for Excellence

    A spectacular trade awards production remembered as an AV industry talking point. World context: YouTube launches and anyone can broadcast video to the world.

  21. Charity Challenge Awards casino-themed production.

    2006

    Charity Challenge Awards

    Casino-themed awards production for charitable challenge achievements. World context: Twitter launches and real-time global conversation arrives.

  22. Matthew Clark MC-007 themed event.

    2007

    Matthew Clark - MC-007

    James Bond themed event for Matthew Clark. World context: the iPhone launches, a major shift in mobile technology and everyday digital life.

  23. Calor large-scale conference production.

    2008

    Calor

    Large-scale conference production for a familiar archive client. World context: Spotify launches and music moves from ownership toward streaming.

  24. Affinion UK Team of the Year awards production.

    2009

    Affinion - UK Team of the Year

    Urban-themed awards production celebrating Affinion's UK team. World context: 4G begins commercial rollout and fast mobile internet becomes real.

  25. Autoglass The Power of One Awards production.

    2010

    Autoglass - The Power of One Awards

    Awards-show production built around The Power of One. World context: the iPad launches and tablets create a new way to present and consume content.

  26. Affinion live performance with video and concert-style staging.

    2011

    Affinion - Live Performance

    Choreographed live performance with video and concert-style staging. World context: Siri brings mainstream voice assistants to millions.

  27. Bodyshop Magazine Bodyshop Rocks awards.

    2012

    Bodyshop Magazine - Bodyshop Rocks

    Rock-themed awards for the vehicle repair and bodyshop industry. World context: Raspberry Pi inspires a new generation of programmers and makers.

  28. Sustainability Leaders Awards production.

    2013

    Sustainability Leaders Awards

    Awards celebrating leaders in sustainable business. World context: 4K television gathers momentum and ultra-high-definition images move mainstream.

  29. Wildscreen Panda Awards production.

    2014

    Wildscreen - Panda Awards

    Prestigious wildlife and natural-history film awards. World context: VR returns as Oculus brings immersive technology back into focus.

  30. LMA 23rd Annual Awards Dinner.

    2015

    LMA - 23rd Annual Awards Dinner

    Football management awards dinner for the League Managers Association. World context: 4K production and LED display technology transform live events.

  31. World Procurement Congress 16 conference.

    2016

    World Procurement Congress 16

    Global procurement conference on customer-centric procurement and innovation. World context: live 360 video and VR expand how audiences experience events.

  32. Fix Auto UK Driving Forward conference.

    2017

    Fix Auto UK - Driving Forward

    National conference for the UK collision-repair network. World context: Face ID brings facial recognition to everyday smartphones.

  33. LMA 26th Annual Awards Dinner.

    2018

    LMA - 26th Annual Awards Dinner

    Annual awards dinner celebrating achievement in football management. World context: 8K broadcasting launches commercially in Japan.

  34. Team Moto Building for the Future conference.

    2019

    Team Moto - Building for the Future

    Conference focused on Moto Hospitality's future direction. World context: 5G launches in the UK, increasing mobile connectivity potential.

  35. IBIS TV Summit Tomorrow's World Today.

    2020

    IBIS TV Summit - Tomorrow's World, Today

    Future-focused summit for the collision-repair industry. When everything stopped, teams adapted and online connection became essential. World context: Zoom becomes part of everyday life.

  36. Morgan Sindall Construction Supply Chain Awards.

    2021

    Morgan Sindall Construction - Supply Chain Awards

    National awards recognising leading suppliers and subcontractors. World context: virtual and hybrid events mature, joining physical and remote audiences.

  37. NACFB Commercial Broker Awards.

    2022

    NACFB - Commercial Broker Awards

    Awards celebrating the UK commercial finance and broking sector. World context: generative AI enters public consciousness with ChatGPT.

  38. Bodyshop Awards 2023 30 Under 30.

    2023

    Bodyshop Awards 2023 - 30 Under 30

    Celebrating collision-repair excellence and emerging talent. World context: AI-generated images, video and content enter mainstream creative workflows.

  39. Business Leader South West Awards beneath Concorde.

    2024

    Business Leader South West Awards

    Business awards staged beneath Concorde at Aerospace Bristol. World context: spatial computing takes another leap with Apple Vision Pro and immersive experiences.

  40. WMPAA PA Awards production.

    2025

    WMPAA - PA Awards

    Recent awards production bringing together large-format presentation, scenic detail and atmospheric lighting. World context: AI-assisted production tools become part of everyday creative workflows.

  41. Sounds Commercial 40 years.

    2026

    Sounds Commercial - 40 Years

    From VHS, overhead projectors and analogue AV to LED, 4K, streaming, hybrid and immersive content. A celebration of 40 years of people, technology and making it happen.