With more visitors than ever before attending its shows and events, the Grimaldi Forum has decided to increase surveillance in a bid to ensure public safety and its “protect priceless artworks” with a high-tech network of AI-driven multi-sensor cameras.  

Some 120,000 visitors made the journey to Monaco and the Grimaldi Forum this summer to see the ‘Monet en Pleine Lumière’ exhibition on this Grand Master of Impressionism; a record-breaking figure by all standards. By the end of the year, upwards of 250,000 people will have walked through the doors of this celebrated events space, which is growing in popularity year-on-year as a top-notch place to hold conferences, trade shows and major exhibitions.  

While the exposure is welcome, and the reputation of excellence of the centre is well-deserved, it has made those in charge think harder about public safety and internal security measures.  

“When the Forum reopened its doors to the public after a shutdown period due to Covid, we were looking for a solution that would help us manage the number and flow of visitors while ensuring the security of the premises,” says Philippe Martin, Director of Safety, Fire and Risk Prevention at the Grimaldi Forum. “At the time, we were also planning for the much-anticipated Monet exhibition, so we wanted to find the best possible technology to protect these unique masterpieces without interfering with the visitor experience or compromising with the venue’s aesthetic values.” 

A solution was found thanks to the Monaco-based systems integrator MES i2S Security, who suggested the installation of a network of i-PRO products.  

Over 100 cameras, including multi-sensor and fisheye security cameras with advanced AI-based analytics, have now been installed with the aim of “improving visitor safety, protecting priceless artworks and ensuring a smooth and secure high-level event experience”.  

NO BLIND SPOTS 

The coverage is all-encompassing – there are reportedly “no blind spots” – and therefore the Forum’s security teams can monitor the entire landscape of the space in great detail.  

“If it wasn’t for the wide range of coverage offered by i-PRO’s multi-sensor cameras, we would have had to add another 77 cameras,” says Martin. “Not only do they offer wider coverage capabilities with a larger tilt range than other multi-sensor cameras on the market, but they are small and discreet so they can blend into the design of our beautiful facility.”   

“Using the i-PRO Active Guard plug-in, the Grimaldi Forum security team can quickly conduct real-time searches during an incident or deep forensic analysis post-event,” explains an i-PRO spokesperson. “They no longer have to spend time looking at multiple screens for persons of interest or watch hours of recorded video to search for important events. Operators can identify specific attributes in their watch lists, for instance, “male wearing a red shirt and blue pants”, and the plug-in will send them a real-time alarm whenever a match is identified, a feature that is unique to i-PRO. This enhances real-time situational awareness and enables proactive security.” 

The collaboration is already proving effective and efficient.  

“The technology we have implemented has precisely met the objectives we set at the beginning of this project,” says Martin. “But the human aspect cannot be understated; the teams at i-PRO, and MES i2S have been amazing to work with.” 

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Photo by Monaco Life