Immersive multi-zone AV design for 21,000 sq ft flagship competitive socialising venue.
Swingers: Back Bay, Boston
Swingers Back Bay marks the brand’s bold arrival in Boston – a 21,000 sq ft competitive socialising venue packed with crazy golf, Carnival games, craft cocktails and high-energy hospitality.
This case study explores how Middlesex Sound & Lighting delivered a fully immersive, multi-zone audio, lighting and AV solution – engineered in the UK, deployed in the US, and supported globally – while maintaining brand consistency across a decade-long partnership.
About Swingers
Founded in London, Swingers has become a global leader in “competitive socialising” – reimagining crazy golf as a premium nightlife experience. With successful venues across London, New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas and Dubai, the brand has built a reputation for immersive design, high-energy environments and seamless hospitality integration.
Swingers Back Bay spans more than 21,000 square feet across two levels in Boston’s Boylston Street. The venue includes:
- Two nine-hole crazy golf courses
- A Carnival arcade featuring 40+ games
- Multiple bars including the Clubhouse Bar and Fairways Bar
- A full food court anchored by Emmy Squared Pizza
- DJ-led entertainment and curated soundtracks
- With capacity for large private hires and full venue buyouts, the space needed to transition effortlessly from daytime social play to high-energy evening atmosphere.
MSL has worked with Swingers for over ten years. Boston marked another major chapter in that ongoing global partnership.
The Project
The brief was clear: deliver a fully integrated audio, lighting and display system capable of supporting:
- Two immersive golf courses
- A multi-zone Carnival arcade
- High-impact bar spaces
- Flexible DJ activation points
- Large-scale display integration
- Consistent user experience across the global Swingers estate
Importantly, the system had to feel familiar to staff who can potentially move between venues in London, Las Vegas, New York and beyond. Operational consistency is critical to the Swingers model.
MSL managed the full design package from the UK – including schematics, contractor liaison and system architecture – before conducting site visits for final oversight and commissioning ahead of launch.
The Challenges
Every Swingers project is exciting and ambitious – and the Back Bay location was no exception. Challenges and factors that would influence design included:
1. International Delivery & Scheduling Flexibility
External project delays required agile rescheduling of engineering and commissioning teams. MSL adapted deployment plans to ensure all systems were completed and fully tested ahead of opening – without compromising quality.
2. Multi-Zone Complexity
The venue spans 12 distinct audio zones across two floors, each with different energy requirements – from competitive golf environments to bar-led hospitality and arcade activation spaces.
Maintaining clarity, impact and control without overwhelming guests required careful system design.
3. DJ Flexibility Without Fixed Booths
Unlike many venues, Swingers Boston did not want a permanently fixed DJ location. The system needed to support multiple potential DJ positions across the space.
4. Being Sure to Integrate Regional Cultural Influence
Boston’s strong sports culture meant video integration was a priority. Large-scale commercial displays had to be incorporated seamlessly into the hospitality experience without disrupting ambience.
The Solution
We delivered a fully integrated AV solution, drawing on our long-standing brand templates but expanding them in every dimension to meet the scale and ambition of the venue.
Audio System
MSL deployed a powerful yet highly controlled distributed audio solution:
- 70+ Martin Audio CDD enclosures
- 22 Martin Audio SX Series subwoofers
- 12 fully zoned audio areas
- Powersoft Quattrocanali DSP amplifiers
- BSS Audio control system with Audinate I/O
- NETGEAR Pro AV managed switching
- AlphaTheta / Pioneer DJ integration
The distributed design ensures consistent sound coverage across golf holes, arcade areas and bars – allowing high energy where required without harsh hot spots.
Subwoofers provide controlled low-frequency extension, supporting the venue’s evening atmosphere while maintaining clarity and speech intelligibility where needed.
To maximise flexibility, MSL installed network DJ patch points across multiple locations, enabling DJs to plug in at various points throughout the venue. This allows the space to reconfigure for events, takeovers and private hires without infrastructure changes.
Lighting System
Lighting was designed to enhance the theatrical “English country club meets carnival” aesthetic:
- CHAUVET Professional Colorado Solo & Rogue fixtures across both courses
- MADRIX-controlled pixel lighting integrated into feature golf holes
- CHAUVET ColorDash battens for architectural lighting to entrance and window arches
120+ custom RGB programmable lamps - Digital pixel tape integration across Carnival and entrance zones
- ChamSys MagicQ custom servers & MADRIX professional servers
- NETGEAR AV Line switching backbone
The result is a fully programmable lighting environment capable of dynamic scene changes throughout the day – from relaxed afternoon ambience to high-energy night activation.
Displays & AV Over IP Infrastructure
To reflect Boston’s sports-driven culture and enhance the social atmosphere, MSL delivered:
- 11 LG 24/7 commercial displays (up to 86”): Installed across Clubhouse Bar,
- Fairways Bar and Food Court
- Dedicated QSR displays powered by 4K ONELAN players
- Full WyreStorm AV over IP network solution
- Custom Apple iPad control interface
- NETGEAR AV line switching
This ensures:
- Centralised control of all screens
- Seamless sports broadcast integration
- Branded content distribution
- Future scalability
- All systems are supported with 24/7 remote monitoring and support.
Training & Support
Swingers’ operational model benefits from a decade of collaboration with MSL.
Because the Boston system mirrors core architecture from other Swingers venues:
- Staff arriving from Vegas, London or New York immediately recognise the interface.
- Control systems operate identically across sites.
- Minimal retraining is required.
- MSL conducted on-site commissioning and handover before launch and continues to provide remote support and monitoring from the UK.
In some cases, regular system health checks and reporting are provided for global venues – ensuring performance consistency long after opening night.
Why Middlesex Sound & Lighting?
Swingers chose MSL for Boston because of:
- A 10-year global partnership
- Proven delivery across multiple international venues
- Consistent control architecture across the estate
- Expertise in immersive hospitality environments
- Full design, install and commissioning capability
- Global remote support infrastructure
From London to Las Vegas to Boston, MSL provides scalable, repeatable excellence – while tailoring each venue to its local market.
Customer Satisfaction
Reflecting on the project, Richard Gorog, VP of Development at Swingers, praised the collaborative effort behind the Boston opening and the strength of the team involved in bringing it to life.
He highlighted the contribution of Steven Billington MInstSCVE and the wider Middlesex Sound & Lighting team – including Charlie Rayfield, Jon Stanton, Ricky Froud and Greg McLenahan, who supported final commissioning on site – as part of the coordinated effort that ensured a successful launch.
With Swingers Back Bay now open and trading, the project marks another milestone in a partnership that has spanned more than a decade.