Transforming Networking Spaces: How Seaweed-Based Acoustic Panels Made Conversations Possible at Startupfest

Have you ever been to a networking event and tirelessly struggled to hear the person that you’re speaking with? The echoes of multiple voices make it impossible to maintain a conversation without holding your ear close to your peer’s face. Eventually, you lose track of what they are talking about and resort to nods and smiles to keep the discussion afloat. 

This is a common experience at networking events. Especially in large venues with concrete and exposed metal structures - reverb, echo, and ambient noise can undermine your conversations and prevent you from creating meaningful connections. 

But what if there was a way to acoustically transform these spaces into environments where dialogue could flourish, all while having a positive climate impact?

This summer, Seacork Studio partnered with Startupfest, a global gathering of over 2,000 entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem partners in Montréal, to pilot its seaweed-based acoustic panels to temporarily adapt the Grand Quai of the Port of Montréal for the conference’s needs. 

Startupfest’s Braindate Zone finished with Seacork’s Acoustic Panels.

Our challenge was to improve the acoustics of Startupfest’s Braindate zone. Braindates are intentional, small-format conversations that take place one-on-one or in groups. They allow participants to dive into focused topics of their choosing, and unlike formal panels or keynote talks, Braindates rely on clarity of communication. That means acoustics matter.

Within hours of setup, the Braindate zone evolved from an echo-prone corner into an intimate space where participants could engage in meaningful dialogue without straining to hear each other. The suspended panel system created visual definition without blocking sightlines or restricting movement. Participants could see across the zone while enjoying the acoustic benefits of reduced reverberation.

Seacork’s acoustic panels make the Braindate zone feel more intimate and functional—without the need for foamcore, or disposable materials. 

We designed and installed 176 ft² of acoustic panels for the zone. The panels were deployed to help define the space and improve its acoustic comfort. Suspended from overhead beams and lightly anchored to maintain flexibility, the system helped absorb sound and reduce reverberation, making the Braindate zone feel more intimate and functional.

Seaweed-based acoustic panels

Our acoustic panels leverage an innovative biomaterial: seaweed. While traditional mineral fiber panels require energy-intensive manufacturing processes and contribute to landfill waste at end-of-life, seaweed-based alternatives offer a dramatically different environmental profile. The production of mineral wool involves high-temperature melting of rock or slag, generating significant carbon emissions, whereas seaweed cultivation actually absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as it grows.

Seacork’s acoustic panels are made with seaweed, drastically reducing the waste and carbon footprint. 

The manufacturing process transforms seaweed into rigid panels that can be precisely cut, shaped, and installed. When these panels reach end-of-life, they biodegrade naturally rather than persisting in landfills for decades like their mineral fiber counterparts. This closed-loop approach means that what was once atmospheric carbon returns to the soil as organic matter, creating a net-positive environmental cycle. 

In a typical 10-storey office building outfitted with 200,000 ft² of conventional acoustic ceiling tiles (ACT), this ACT system would produce 700 m³ of waste at end of life and emit 300 tCO₂e during product manufacturing. Meanwhile, Seacork’s panels are compostable - producing zero waste at end of life, and store carbon in the biomass of the seaweed. In that same 10-storey building, Seacork’s panels would store -30 tCO₂e.

The installation of Seacork’s panels was designed to create acoustic comfort while retaining aesthetics.

The Braindate zone at Startupfest showed that better acoustics don’t have to come at the expense of the environment. With simple installation and a clear impact on sound quality, Seacork’s seaweed-based panels offered a practical solution to a common problem at large events. They helped create a more comfortable, functional space for conversation—without relying on wasteful, short-term materials. It’s a small but meaningful step toward making event spaces more thoughtful, both for people and the planet.