Across FORTÉ’s Minneapolis and Madison Customer Experience Centers, Atmosphere helped bring furniture and technology together through intentional settings — demonstrating how an integrated approach can better support the ways people connect, collaborate, and work.
Designed to Be Experienced
The most compelling way to understand what a space can do is to experience it firsthand. FORTÉ’s Customer Experience Centers invite customers to step inside, interact with its communication and collaboration technology, and imagine what’s possible within their own environments.
For its Minneapolis and Madison locations, FORTÉ worked with Atmosphere Commercial Interiors to create immersive environments where furniture, spatial planning, and technology come together as one cohesive experience. Designed to support customer tours and live demonstrations, both spaces show what becomes possible when these interconnected elements are considered together.
Bringing the Partnership to Life
When FORTÉ updated its Minneapolis location in 2025, the goal was to create a space that communicated the company’s capabilities while demonstrating how technology and the physical environment work together.
Terry Gordon, Regional Sales Manager for Minnesota, describes the importance of bringing both disciplines into the process:
“As one of the top integrators in the entire world, it was critical that the space in which we host our prospective customers tell our story. Our relationship with Atmosphere Commercial Interiors has grown over the years…”
“We knew that the furniture and technology had to support each other for the best user experience, so we worked closely with them in our new space.”
For Atmosphere, the project was an opportunity to put the companies’ shared philosophy into practice — creating furniture environments that support the technology, reinforce the purpose of each setting, and contribute to a cohesive customer experience.
As Jeff Anderson, Executive Vice President of Atmosphere, explains, “It allows each of us to offer a better overall solution to our respective clients since our two disciplines are totally interdependent. The synergy is undeniable.” The Minneapolis and Madison Customer Experience Centers put that shared philosophy into practice. (Learn more about the Atmosphere and FORTÉ partnership)
Minneapolis, MN Customer Experience Center
FORTÉ’s Minneapolis Customer Experience Center showcases its broad technology portfolio through a series of intentional settings designed to demonstrate how different teams meet, learn, and collaborate.
Working alongside FORTÉ, Atmosphere helped shape furniture environments that complement the technology and support the purpose of each setting — from individual connection points to larger collaborative experiences.
Terry regularly conducts tours with current and prospective customers.
“There is a story that punctuates each environment. A significant stop on each tour is our Microsoft Signature Teams Room, featuring a 105-inch display where everyone in the meeting — whether in person or remote — has a seat at the table, immersed in the meeting face-to-face.”
Other environments include a flexible learning and training room, modular pods with louvered ceilings, huddle spaces, open collaboration areas, and private conference rooms. Across these settings, furniture and technology work alongside acoustics, lighting, and connectivity to support the intended experience.
“Simply stated, a holistic approach combining furniture and technology is crucial to transforming the modern workplace,” says Terry.
Visitors rarely leave uninspired. “In fact, all are impressed by our capabilities and the possibilities to improve the productivity of their own organizations. But they leave equally informed on how the furniture can make or break any investment in technology.”
The Customer Experience Center makes the reciprocal relationship between the two disciplines visible. Visitors see not only what the technology can do, but also how furniture and the surrounding physical environment can influence the performance and value of that investment.
Madison, WI Customer Experience Center
In 2025, FORTÉ expanded its Madison, Wisconsin, office and completed a full renovation, transforming the location into another Customer Experience Center.
Atmosphere worked with FORTÉ to create an environment that balances innovative technology with flexible furniture applications, hospitality-inspired settings, and an approachable experience for visiting customers.
For Shannon O’Reilly, Senior Vice President at FORTÉ, the goal was to create an environment that would leave a lasting impression while making customers feel at ease.
“It was important that we design a space to create a lasting impression, and I believe we accomplished that with Atmosphere.”
“Our hope was to set a tone that was innovative, inspirational, and comfortable. Hospitality is critical for us—to put our customers at ease.”
“Our gathering spot that anchors each customer tour includes a café and lounge, training, and meeting area that is a real showstopper,” Shannon adds.
That “showstopper” also demonstrates the capabilities of Meso Built, a fellow Omni Workspace company specializing in prefabricated interior construction. Meso Built created a flexible, modern environment that elevates the technology experience while allowing the space to adapt to different uses.
A telescoping wall system allows the area to transition seamlessly between breakout training sessions and open hospitality zones. Full-height glass fronts bring natural light deep into the technology conference spaces, enhancing visibility, energy, and engagement. Meso Built also integrated FORTÉ’s room-scheduling technology directly onto the glass walls.
The “wow” factor extends beyond the central gathering space. Throughout the Customer Experience Center, FORTÉ and Atmosphere intentionally incorporated a range of meeting configurations to demonstrate different ways people can connect, collaborate, and share information.
“We were very intentional in showing a variety of configurations for each meeting space — from conventional to contemporary — to demonstrate how people can connect and share information,” says Shannon.
Multipurpose adaptability is an important consideration for many organizations, and the Customer Experience Center demonstrates that flexibility in practice. Aesthetics were important, but so was creating an environment that feels comfortable and considered.
“We wanted a great aesthetic, but it was equally important to go a step further in how the space ‘feels,’ so we paid attention to temperature, sound, lighting, signage, and biophilia,” Shannon adds.
The experience continues into the Managed Services department, where clients can see firsthand how their systems are continuously monitored and supported through FORTÉ’s “Day 2” services. This proactive approach to identifying and addressing issues as they arise is a key differentiator for the company.
Designing for What Technology Makes Possible
The Minneapolis and Madison Customer Experience Centers demonstrate a shared philosophy: technology delivers greater value when it is thoughtfully integrated with the environment around it.
For FORTÉ, the spaces provide a tangible way to demonstrate its capabilities and help clients envision what is possible within their own organizations. For Atmosphere, the projects demonstrate how furniture strategy and spatial planning can help technology perform as intended while creating more intuitive, comfortable, and engaging experiences for the people using it.
“Technology is a significant investment for any company, and if you do not have a solid plan, you risk losing ROI,” says Shannon.
Susan Enlow, Atmosphere’s Regional Vice President for Wisconsin and Illinois, agrees:
“When Atmosphere and FORTÉ are engaged together early in the process — along with designers, general contractors, and real estate professionals — you have the best chance of achieving an optimal solution, reducing change orders, and realizing the powerful synergy between furniture and technology to maximize productivity.”
Together, the two Customer Experience Centers bring the partnership to life. They show how furniture and technology can operate as interconnected parts of the same experience — creating more intentional, adaptable, and effective environments while helping clients envision the possibilities for their own workplaces.
Project Photography Credits:
Minneapolis Customer Experience Center: Lisa Lardy Photography
Madison Customer Experience Center: Mike Rebholz Photography