Sensory sound | Consultant of the Year 2026

• Features

• 24/08/2026

When Marcus Rose discovered ‘soundscaping’ at Plantronics over a decade ago, he didn’t instantly recognise it as a career pivot. The company had fitted out its Santa Cruz headquarters with nature sounds designed to support privacy and employee wellbeing.

But Rose did see something different in that installation — a medium that could do far more than provide background noise or serve as a product category. His belief that audio was a key component of wellness and productivity would eventually lead him to establish Valeo Technology and his work would result in him being crowned Consultant of the Year for 2026 at the Inavate APAC Awards.

Valeo Technology is no ordinary AV consultancy. From its base in Sydney, the firm has carved out a distinctive position in the regional market by treating sound not as an afterthought, but as a primary design discipline — one that deserves the same intentionality that architects apply to lighting or materials.

Rose explains his consultancy’s core philosophy: “We are using sound as a medium to shape spaces. We’re not just thinking about background noise or a product category. We’re really trying to elevate spaces, working with architects and installers to help them understand exactly how you can do this with sound.”

The path to this philosophy was illuminated after Rose witnessed the impact of Plantronics’ soundscaping initiative. When corporate restructuring saw the project shelved, Rose recognised an opportunity and started work alongside Evan Benway, CEO of Moodsonic.

Rose recalls: “We were very passionate and we saw an opportunity not just to work with Moodsonic, but potentially to tie other sensory elements around that.”

Over the past 12 months, Valeo Technology has expanded beyond soundscaping to integrate precision scent design, using custom scent formulations to enhance spatial experiences. But it is the soundscaping work — combined with a rigorous, research-backed approach to acoustic design — that continues to make an impact across APAC.

The roster of Valeo Technology’s clients speaks volumes. GSK, Sheldon Interiors, CBRE, Presynct, Medibank, and Griffith University have all deployed Moodsonic systems with Valeo Technology's consulting expertise, spanning corporate workplaces, education, and healthcare environments. GSK, in particular, has become one of Valeo’s most significant global clients, with installations completed in Melbourne, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei, and more in the pipeline.

Yet Rose emphasises that this success with large corporations masks a deeper challenge: educating the broader market that soundscaping is not the preserve of multinational workplace strategies. Rose says: “The biggest hurdle has been making organisations understand that this can scale from a small 200 sq m space to a multi-floor tenancy. We’ve deployed soundscaping in every imaginable space from foyers, multi-zoned office spaces, lobbies, to cafeterias, and meeting rooms. The hardest challenge has been working with architects and educating them about thinking of sound as another tool in their pocket when designing space.”

When the message is received, technology can deliver more than the sum of its parts. Rose highlights the Medibank Wollongong corporate office as an example. With an architect that was onboard with leveraging the capabilities of soundscaping, Valeo Technology went the extra yard to create a soundscape in the foyer of the facility that connected the space to culture, community, and place. Working closely with local D’harawal Elders to create Australia’s first major Indigenous-informed adaptive soundscape in a corporate fit-out, the foyer experience includes authentic regional sounds such as kookaburras in the morning, owls and cicadas in the afternoon, and these are combined with recorded spoken word from elders welcoming and farewelling occupants.

This project effectively illustrates Valeo Technology’s broader philosophy: sound as a vehicle for cultural identity, community connection, and occupant wellbeing. Rose believes that the shift toward networked audio architectures, which is gathering speed, is unlocking new possibilities and making Valeo Technology’s work gain relevance and traction. Moodsonic’s platform has already shifted from its legacy version to Dante-based systems which has expanded deployment scalability and reduced client costs, though it demands careful implementation.

Rose says: “It’s a great thing, but it’s got to be done right. Previously, we were restricted because we’d need a lot of equipment in the server room. Now, with Dante, we’re running the Moodsonic software over NUC PCs, allowing us to go large-scale at lower cost. But the complexity of Dante means installers need the right networking gear.”

This technical evolution has also empowered Valeo Technology to effectively push acoustic insights to clients. Working with partners, the company deploys boundary microphones to capture real-time acoustic data across spaces. This data feeds two parallel functions: the system uses it to dynamically adapt soundscapes based on occupancy, noise levels, and frequency characteristics. Simultaneously, clients gain visibility into their acoustic environment through a dedicated insights application.

Rose observes: “There’s so much data coming into buildings now. We can track lights, air quality, occupancy. But acoustic insights are something that haven’t really been tracked historically even though in post-occupancy surveys, noise and distraction is normally the number one complaint of employees. We’re able to show clients exactly how loud their spaces are, over 30 minutes, a week, or longer. It’s really important data that needs to be captured to truly understand how spaces can be improved.”

With an offering that is resonating with the market, it is no surprise that Valeo Technology is growing. The consultancy incorporated in Singapore in February 2025 marking a pivotal moment in the firm’s evolution. What began as a Sydney-based practice is rapidly establishing regional credentials. Current projects completed or underway span Bangkok, Hong Kong, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Taipei.

Rose states: “For us, we’re laser-focused on expansion across Asia Pacific. We incorporated in Singapore last year. We’ve done projects in Singapore, and we’ve just completed our first projects in Bangkok and Taipei. We’ve got some major projects in the pipeline across the region. And here in Australia, there are some really big corporations deploying over the next 12 months. It’s going to be a very exciting period for us.”

This expansion reflects growing regional appetite for workplace wellbeing as a strategic priority. Yet Rose remains grounded about the work ahead. He says: “We’re building a practice that sets the benchmark for audio and sensory design consulting in the region. But it requires constant education, partnership, and a commitment to getting the technology right. The invisible elements of space — sound and acoustics — play an equally vital role in shaping experience as the visible ones. That’s what we’re trying to champion.”

For Rose, the Consultant of the Year APAC 2026 Award represents validation of a vision that remains far from mainstream and not a final destination. He is ready to continue to push sound to being repositioned from an afterthought to a design imperative — one sonic space at a time./