WATERBOMB Dubai
Welcome to TPiMEA
Peter Iantorno Editorial Director
I moved to Dubai in August 2012, which makes me part of a generation who have only ever experienced Ramadan in the summer. During my first year in the UAE, I incorrectly assumed that the Islamic holiday was an occasion that always took place during the heat of the summer months. However, as I later discovered, the holy month moves forward in the Gregorian calendar every year, and now more than a decade on from my first experience, Ramadan sits firmly within the Middle East’s events season.
Th ese shifting sands are contributing to a changing dynamic within the live events industry in the region. While there was previously a rush to hold events before Ramadan, we’re now starting to see a post-Ramadan bounce, with several high-profile shows taking place right on the cusp of the summer.
Case in point is our cover story for this issue, WATERBOMB Dubai – a unique, water-themed K-pop festival that took place for the first time ever outside of East Asia at Dubai Festival City, thanks in no small part to the efforts of A LOUD MINORITY (ALM), which was tasked with bringing the festival to life.
Th e importance of putting on a major event such as this in the early summer was certainly not lost on ALM Co-Founder and Director, Karl Jenkins, who commented: “With Ramadan now falling in what traditionally is the season when we host large outdoor events, being able to continue delivering outdoor shows into the early summer is becoming increasingly important.” Read our full production profile on page 30
Elsewhere in the issue, I travel to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena to go behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil’s latest production, CRYSTAL (page 42); we learn about how the UAE President’s Cup is becoming one of the country’s cornerstone events (page 52); we have an in-depth interview with CTME’s Andy Reardon as the company opens its brand-new Dubai facility (page 8), and much, much more.
Enjoy the issue.
First Look
08 Andy Reardon
As CTME launches its new Dubai facility, the company’s Managing Director looks back on his career to date and shares his vision for the future.
Event Focus
18 Zarqa Al Yamama
Riyadh hosts the first-ever grand opera in Arabic, with a striking projection system to go with it.
20 Jeff Chang
The UAE's first-ever Mandopop concert comes to Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena.
22 Kathmandu Music Festival
Phoenix Networks deploys a vast Meyer Sound system on its first show outside of India.
24 African Judo Championship
A visually striking opening ceremony in Cairo.
26 Hans Zimmer
The multi award-winning film score composer and music producer returns to Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena with support from Clair Global UAE and CTME.
Production Profile
30 WATERBOMB Dubai
Water-themed K-pop festival makes its Dubai debut.
42 Cirque du Soleil: CRYSTAL
TPiMEA goes behind the scenes at Etihad Arena.
52 UAE President's Cup 2024
The natural evolution of a cornerstone event on the UAE calendar.
In Profile
60 Energie Entertainment
As the company opens in KSA, CEO Tyler Davis Smith reflects on the next step in the growth of Energie.
64 Halo Solutions
The innovative incident management platform making its mark on the Middle East.
Interview
66 Skill Tech Audio
Engineering Institute
Nurturing the next generation of audio engineers.
68 The magic of mapping
Anton Kolodyazhny of dreamlaser discusses the many potential applications of projection mapping.
70 Feedback
The CHOPPERSHOOT team dispel some common drone myths and Al Laith's Jason English explores how AI could revolutionise sustainability.
76 Gear Heads
Lifting the lid on the Ayrton Rivale Wash.
78 Regional Round-up
The latest news from the Middle East and Africa.
Editorial Director
Peter Iantorno
Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360
Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637
e-mail: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk
Contributing Editor
Stew Hume
Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk
Contributing Deputy Editor
Jacob Waite
Mobile: +44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk
Contributing Staff Writer
Alicia Pollitt
Mobile: +44 (0)7508 441986 e-mail: a.pollitt@mondiale.co.uk
Commercial Director
Fran Begaj
Mobile: +44 (0)7852 336728 e-mail: f.begaj@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager
Matilda Matthews Mobile: +44 (0)7413 555978 e-mail: m.matthews@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager
Philip Tucker Mobile: +44 (0)7522 130473 e-mail: p.tucker@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager
Sheelan Shah Mobile: +44 (0)7401 690960 e-mail: s.shah@mondiale.co.uk
Digital Content Manager
James Robertson Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk
Marketing and Event Manager
Alice Clarke Mobile: +44 (0)7752 392465 e-mail: a.clarke@mondiale.co.uk
Chief Executive
Justin Gawne Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk
Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh
Graphic Design & Production
Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk
Jez Reid: j.reid@mondiale.co.uk
Accounts
Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk
Cover Photography
WATERBOMB Dubai by ALM
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Andy Reardon, Managing Director, Creative Technology Middle East
As CTME launches its new Dubai facility, the company’s Managing Director looks back on a glittering career to date and shares his vision for the future…
There’s no doubt that the live events landscape in the Middle East has undergone a seismic shift over the past couple of decades, going from an emerging market to a territory of true global importance. One person who has contributed significantly to the region’s exponential growth is Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) Managing Director, Andy Reardon. From the moment he relocated his family and moved to Doha to establish CT’s Qatar branch in 2011, Reardon has never looked back, embracing the Middle East and all its quirks and throwing himself into the expansion and development not only of the company but the region’s entire industry.
With a long and varied career spanning almost 30 years that has seen him go from coiling cable as an apprentice at the age of 17 to managing one of the region’s largest AV solutions providers and a seat at the top table of NEP Group’s Live Events senior leadership team, Reardon has become a visionary leader, a fount of knowledge and an inspiration for so many in the industry.
On e of Reardon’s passion projects has been the launch of a brand-new, state-of-the-art CTME facility in Dubai. With the facility now nearing completion and due to be formally unveiled in September, he sat down with TPiMEA for an in-depth interview, charting his personal journey alongside the growth of the company, its biggest challenges, and his ambitious aims for the future.
How did you get into the industry, and what led you to the Middle East?
I got my start in the industry at the age of 17 when I was taken on as an apprentice by Playlight Hire, based in Park Royal, just up the road from Neg Earth Lights and Colour Sound Experiment at the time. I started in lighting and went through the ranks, from cabling in the warehouse to training in electrical, on-site engineering and project management. Moving lights were just coming onto the scene at that point, and I started to really get a grip of the new technology and enjoy seeing what it could do.
In 1998, I was the given an opportunity to build the lighting division for AVC Live and I joined the company as Technical Manager. I did that for six years before moving on to Richard Martin Lighting. It was around this time that LED came on the scene and there was a real shift within the development of moving lights and transparent LED screens, which really captured my interest. We were predominantly a rental company for lighting in TV, working on the likes of Top of the Pops, which was great, however, I’ve always enjoyed the buzz of live events, and when an opportunity to join CT London as a Project Manager arose in 2007, I knew it would be the right direction for me to pursue.
PM ’ing some of the largest TV, corporate and sports events in the UK was a great start to my CT career and a couple of years later we started working on large-scale
events in Qatar, which spanned high-level inaugations of state buildings to ground-breaking ceremonies for Qatar state gas. This involved deploying huge quantities of equipment from London remotely before I and my delivery team would travel into the country for the execution.
By 2009, with the Qatar events coming in thick and fast, we’d got to the point where we needed a permanent presence in the country, so I put a plan together, got the backing of the company and the next thing I knew, I was moving my wife and children out to live in Doha and launching CT Qatar.
What did you learn from your time in Qatar, and what was behind your eventual move to Dubai?
I’ve always believed in life that you get out what you put in, and even though I knew that building the business from scratch in Qatar was going to require a lot of hard work, I was sure that it would be worth the effort. I assembled a great team including Vikas Sharma, who is still with me today, Sid Lobb, who I asked to join me from the UK as a project manager, and Irum Ashraf, who is in fact now General Manager of the Qatar branch. We very soon outgrew our original 5,000 sq ft converted villa, moving into a 10,000 sq ft unit, then an 18,000 sq ft facility in a brandnew complex with a team of 18 people.
With business booming and the 2022 Qatar World Cup on the horizon, the branch was growing at pace until the summer of 2017 when we were faced with an embargo between Qatar and the rest of the GCC, and suddenly borders closed and the market plunged overnight. Going through negative periods like this taught me how to deal with adversity as well as the importance of diversification, and that’s where the venue services side of CT Middle East came in, to provide a steady revenue stream.
While we hoped the crisis would be resolved quickly, the longer the geopolitical situation persisted, it became clear that we would have to make some strategic decisions and temporarily scale back the business in Qatar, while looking to reformat the growing operation we had in Dubai to ensure that both spokes worked through the embargo.
How did you go about reformatting the Dubai business?
The Dubai branch was already a good business but there was lots of room for improvement and the potential for growth was clear. We restructured the business, bringing several people over from the Qatar branch and giving everyone the freedom to operate in a way that I knew would see us reach our potential.
We started to do very well – predominantly in video – and I was continually presenting business cases to the management team back in the UK for investment. I knew we could be bigger, but we needed investment to facilitate that growth, and I was willing to stake my reputation to help us get there. I knew the market had potential and thankfully the board agreed with me and signed off a large investment, with a lot more video products coming into the warehouse. Immediately there was a change in dynamic – the business was turbo charged, we got some great projects and more talented people came onboard. Soon after, NEP acquired CT and that helped us go up another level.
What was behind your decision to launch a Systems Integration arm?
I learned from my experience in Qatar the importance of not putting all our eggs in one basket. We needed to diversify the business and develop some alternative revenue streams, and one area we identified that could give us that was systems integration (SI).
Some CT regions were already active in the SI space and we had all these skilled people doing such brilliant things on live events, so why not have some of them turn their attention and skillsets to permanent installs? With the growing market across the GCC for visitor attractions, museums and cultural spaces, I have built out a team that
can take a complex project from AVL design and cosultancy through to installation, operation and maintenance. We now have a large dedicated team skilled in everything from construction, engineering, systems design, programming and procurement to deliver the highest level of AVL integrated solutions. My team is integrated with the global CT SI team, which allows us to scale up when required or to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
One characteristic of the Middle East market that always troubled me was the drop-off in summer, but with the introduction of SI, I had an arm of the business that continues at full pace all year round. This helps me present a stronger business case to the group for continued investment across both divisions of the business.
What have been your biggest challenges over the years?
The obvious one is COVID-19, which came along just as we were scaling up to deliver numerous pavilion projects at Expo 2020.
We knew as soon as we heard about what was planned for Expo 2020 that it was going to be truly special and we simply had to be involved, so I pushed very hard, built the team, invested a lot of time and money and ultimately won the tender for the centerpiece project, Al Wasl Plaza.
We scaled up hugely as a business, then along came COVID and watching the postponements and cancellations come through was devastating. However, while many businesses were laying off staff and scaling back, we were thankfully able to retain all our team, which meant we were well placed to bounce back and mobilise very quickly when the world got back to normal.
Re sisting the pressure to lay people off was the right thing for me to do for our people. Letting people go was the last thing I ever wanted to do, and I am so glad that we were able to come through and were even stronger as a team than before the pandemic.
What was behind the decision to launch CTME’s Lighting and Audio departments?
It came from client demand. We knew that our clients would want to get back up and running quickly following COVID; we were there to support them when they needed us, but increasingly we were being asked for more than just video. It was my job to put a case forward to the Group and put a team together that could take on the challenge.
We looked at acquisitions – we always have, and we still look at them today – but after examining the market, I realised that the best way was to do it was organically, by bringing in the best people and best technology and building the new divisions from the bottom up.
So, we made massive investments in kit, and we brought in people at the top of their game such as Head of Audio, Wissam Shaheen, and Head of Lighting, Sam Connolly. The team was the core; once we had those guys onboard and they built out their teams with top engineering talent, I knew they would make it happen and make clients happy.
Th e growth has taken us to a new level and now we could take on projects in their entirety, which is exactly what our clients were asking from us. To underline our progress in becoming a full-service provider, it was great honour to receive recognition for our efforts by winning awards for the Best Light and Sound Solution as well as the Best Video Solution at the recent Middle East Event Awards.
What’s your approach to bringing in new talent?
Hiring the best talent is a really important key to our success and I now have a company full of people who are empowered to come up with their own ideas, run with them and push the business forward aligned with our business objectives and strategy. Morale is high, collaboration across the company is good and we have a great and diverse talent mix here – some phenomenal people who do their jobs extremely well. It’s important that each individual and
each team supports the other. Just as the project teams must deliver on site, there’s a huge operation behind the scenes that must run in sync and just as fast and effectively to make the machine work perfectly.
We’re growing quickly and we are a well-oiled machine, but within that growth it’s important that we maintain the personal touch. Our clients work with us because they get on with us as people first and foremost. I believe that everyone in our business has a passion for what they do. There are always going to be difficult days, but we always rise to a challenge, and in general, we all enjoy the process.
How do you ensure that CTME leads the way in terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards?
I’ve always strived to be the leader in this part of the world, and ESG compliance is a very important part of that. The business is always held to the highest standard across all ESG standards and while it’s not a requirement to operate in the region, we work to the same standards as are required in Europe. I believe that this is not only the right thing to do but it also benefits us as a business.
We’re seeing clients request much more data on our carbon footprint and various other sustainability metrics, and that is a huge focus throughout the Group. We were also among the first companies in the region to complete our ISO standards across all three business units.
How does your new Dubai facility fit into your overarching vision for the company?
The brand-new 85,000 sq ft facility brings together everything from lighting, sound and video through to communications and networking, pre-visualisation, demo areas and systems integration all under one roof.
Th e Dubai branch has become a central ‘hub’, which our valuable ‘spokes’ in Qatar and Saudi Arabia are supported from. Our goal is to develop something similar to an Amazon
fulfilment centre, with shelves full of kit in one central location. With the correct licencing, logistics know-how, systems and people, we have the ability to deploy our equipment quickly wherever it is needed across the Gulf.
Th e central hub in Dubai supports two professional facilities in Doha and Riyadh, with great teams headed up by Irum Ashraf and Martin Hall respectively. While these entities are fully functional trading entities in their own right, should a massive project come in with a requirement for lots of additional kit, we know we can dispatch it and get it to them quickly and cost effectively.
Th e facilities deliberately replicate each other. Clients will be able to rely on the same level of service from Creative Technology anywhere in the world. Learning from some large multinational companies and how they have managed to replicate their business globally, is ultimately where I see CT going in the long term. We’ve got real skill sets within this company, and I feel we are well placed to do that.
I’m a big believer in education and I believe that the new unit is a space not just for me and the CT brand but also for the people who work there. When you’ve got an organised facility and an environment that is nice to work in and be in, people want to come to work. We support an ongoing programme of in-house training from our own specialists as well as from manufacturers, which helps keep our people at the top of their game. We also have strong ties with the education sector to nurture the next generation of engineers and technicians.
What does your new role within NEP Group’s Live Events senior leadership team mean for you and CTME?
I was delighted to join NEP’s Live Events senior leadership team. I now report directly into Graham Andrews [Global President, NEP Live Events] in the US, which is a further important step in supporting our growth plans. We’re one of the largest entities in the Group now and we have a much
stronger connection to Group level. We talk weekly, and I have regular leadership calls where all the leaders from all the business sectors come together and talk about overall strategy within the group and collaborate on international projects and equipment purchasing.
Th e Middle East has grown enormously for CT and NEP recently and they are very much behind me and our plans, which shows how important the Middle East is on the global level now. NEP sees us as a huge entity and a focus for growth in the region, and it’s fantastic to have that commitment and support.
What are biggest challenges you face as a company?
There are always challenges. We work alongside some incredible companies in the region with some great people, and you can’t ever get complacent with your status in the market. We don’t consider competition as a bad thing. In fact, dry hire is one of the markets I’m trying to build; we’ve got so much equipment, and we have peaks and troughs, so it makes sense for us to make the most of our inventory.
Ramadan moving is another challenge. As it continues to edge forward in the year, it may compress Q4 and Q1, which are our biggest months of delivery on the live events side.
Saudi Arabia is always the hot topic; while it can be operationally challenging, the Kingdom represents a massive opportunity and we’re committed to the long term there. Every day has always been a challenge in the Middle East but they are always fun challenges that I enjoy. There are many more exciting things to come both here and further afield. I still get a buzz every day from delivering world-class events and working with the best of the best in our team and with our clients.
Photos: CTME www.ct-group.com
ALL WEATHERS OUR RELIABILI
Zarqa Al Yamama
VLS Middle East deploys a striking projection system powered by Modulo Pi solutions as Riyadh hosts the first-ever grand opera in Arabic.
Saudi Arabia has celebrated many ‘firsts’ over the past few years, and the Kingdom recently added to the list with the first-ever operatic work produced in the country. Commissioned by Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture and produced by Arabian Opera and Hwadi, Zarqa Al Yamama is performed entirely in Arabic and tells the pre-Islamic story of a woman with the power of foresight who attempts to warn her tribe of impending danger.
At the heart of this ground-breaking production was a state-of-the-art projection system, deployed by VLS Middle East, with content produced by Roberto Vitalini of immersive experience specialist, Bashiba.
Th e staging centred around three panoramic screens – two landscape, each measuring 10m by 4m, and one portrait, measuring 3.2m by 7.8m – which were installed at a height of 25m, at the level of the fly lofts above the stage, and at different depths.
Th e screens were moved down to the stage and back up into the fly lofts, forming a moving horizon over the course of the two-hour show.
Each screen was illuminated by two Epson EB-PU2220B video projectors. Used in rear projection, the six projectors were installed on automated poles that moved simultaneously with the screens.
To p ower the system, VLS Middle East relied on Modulo Kinetic media servers by Modulo Pi. These solutions delivered the media with a resolution of 3,840 by 1,200 on each of the horizontal screens, and 1,200 by 3,840 for the vertical screen.
In addition, the on-board UI Designer function was used to create a control interface to make production rehearsals easier. Using the interface, Vitalini could launch the tailormade videos completely autonomously.
Ta king place from 25 April to 4 May at Riyadh’s King Fahad Cultural Center, Zarqa Al Yamama was the first of what will surely be many grand operas produced and played out in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Photos: Viviana Cangialosi/ Compagnia Finzi Pasca www.modulo-pi.com
Jeff Chang: The Continuum Tour
Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena hosts the UAE’s first-ever Mandopop concert, with SLS Production Middle East supplying a turnkey technical solution.
While K-pop has already become wellestablished on the global stage, with numerous notable productions taking place all over the world [including our cover story for this issue], Mandopop by comparison is still emerging on the international stage. The genre was recently given its Dubai debut as legendary Mandarin singer/songwriter, Jeff Chang brought his iconic sound to Coca-Cola Arena for one night only, with SLS Production Middle East entrusted to supply a complete technical package for the performance.
“O ur team at SLS Production embraced the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of this event head-on. We meticulously managed every aspect – audio, lighting, rigging, and staging – to ensure a flawless and memorable experience,” said Senior PM, Paurasp Waghchhipawalla. “Our teamwork and expertise prevailed, exceeding expectations and helping to make Jeff Chang’s performance truly memorable.” With a striking stage design that featured several custom
components, including three stage lifts, the SLS team had to be at the top of their game to provide a setup that met the client’s high expectations. “Effective communication was critical –particularly in a multilingual setting such as this,” stated Senior PM, Anuj Naik.
Th e scale and complexity of the event demanded an extensive rigging setup, which was overseen by SLS’ Head of Rigging, Kevin Shyamprasad. “We meticulously designed and deployed a system that was capable of supporting the extensive lighting, audio, and visual equipment essential for a production of this calibre,” he described.
Reflecting on the event’s success, Vishnu Venunath, Sales Manager, SLS Production said: “SLS Production showcased impressive meticulousness and attention to detail in organising this event. The support and guidance from Hassan Wehbe, who was appointed as the Project Director, were invaluable, providing an added layer of expertise and precision to
our efforts. Despite the initial challenges with translation, we successfully met the client’s expectations. I am incredibly proud of the SLS team and this significant achievement.”
At the heart of the setup were robust truss structures positioned strategically to accommodate the dynamic requirements of the stage and overhead displays. These structures not only provided essential support but also facilitated the smooth movement and positioning of lighting fixtures and video screens, ensuring optimal visibility and coverage throughout the arena. In all, the system comprised some 116 points and 400m of truss, alongside 24 VMK Movecat motors for automation.
“Rigging is the backbone of any largescale event, and our team spared no effort in ensuring every element was placed precisely and secured,” Shyamprasad noted, praising the efforts of Madhu Marri, as well as TECS Event Services’ HOD Automation, Lewis Calderwood, who played a pivotal role on the project. “Our
goal was to create a setup that not only met but exceeded the stringent safety and performance standards of Coca-Cola Arena.”
Th e formidable video lineup featured a combined 180 sq m of INFiLED GXII 4.6mm as well as Gloshine Vanish 3.9mm and 7.8mm LED. The screens were driven by NovaStar H-Series controllers at FOH, with CVT4K units in the backend, supported by an Analog Way Aquilon RS4 processing and the Apple Mac Studio M2 Ultra, with Resolume Arena 7 as a backup to ensure uninterrupted visual immersion.
While the inclement weather put paid to the original concept of an outdoor extension of the event, the SLS video team ensured that the desired look and feel of the show was achieved inside the venue. “The team had a very positive experience overall,” noted Senior Video Engineer and Crew Chief Renald Blance, who worked on the project alongside Video Specialist, Clinton Due. “Our approach was to align meticulously with the technical specifications provided by Jeff Chang’s team, ensuring seamless integration and minimal adjustment required for their touring video content.”
HO D Lighting Praveen Jayakumar oversaw an impressive rig including 143 Robe MegaPointe, 68 Robe Spiider, 60 BMFL Wash Beam, four Robin FORTE, and 64 Ayrton Cobra fixtures, which were “strategically utilised to create a dynamic atmosphere, highlight the performances, and enhance the spectacle”.
“The lighting team’s meticulous planning and execution ensured seamless integration with other technical aspects of the production,” he said, giving praise to Senior Technician Kiran Kumar as well as Deekshith Peruvenkot. “Their efforts contributed to an unforgettable visual experience that complemented Jeff Chang’s electrifying performance.”
Th e SFX supply meanwhile included a range of effects, from Sparkulars and Power Shots to Stadium Shots and a selection of lasers, all overseen by SFX Coordinator, Christian Baltazar. Last but certainly not least, HOD Audio Suresh Jayakumar worked alongside Audio Engineers Niket Shinde and Arun Kumar to deliver a sound system that “pushed the boundaries of technical excellence”. Jayakumar added: “Managing a production of this magnitude posed formidable challenges, with the audio setup standing as a testament to both innovation and precision.”
Th e main PA featured 24 L-Acoustics K1 and 8 K2 loudspeakers for the main hangs, supplemented by 20 K2 units for outfills. Ground-stacked for maximum impact were 24 KS28 subwoofers, complemented by 12 KARA II speakers positioned for enhanced intelligibility, with the system driven by 42 LA12X amplifiers. DiGiCo SD5 and SD10 consoles were used for FOH and monitors respectively, Shure Axient was the RF microphone system of choice, and a ClearCom FreeSpeak II system provided robust and reliable comms.
Photos: SLS Production www.slspro.net
Kathmandu Music Festival 2024
The Phoenix Networks team deploys an extensive Meyer Sound solution on the company’s first-ever show outside of India.
Hosted in April at the plush open-air ground at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal, the Kathmandu Music Festival 2024 is a twoday extravaganza marking the new year on the Bikram Sambat calendar. The festival included live performances by the likes of Atif Aslam and Anuv Jain, as well as renowned Nepalese pop bands such as The Edge Band and The VEK Band, among others.
Brought in to handle the festival’s audio requirements was Phoenix Networks, taking on its first gig outside India. The company is the largest Meyer Sound stockist in India, and it transported the entire system for the event from its HQ in Bhopal.
The loudspeaker system included 14 Meyer Sound PANTHER modules on each side of the stage, while four LEOPARD line array boxes provided front fill reinforcement. Six LEOPARD line array modules were deployed as delay on either side of the venue, with seven 1100LFC subwoofers rigged in a gradient array
arrangement on either side of the stage and three ground-stacked 1100-LFC subs deployed on either side of the stage in a cardioid pattern.
A total of three 816 processors ensured flawless signal distribution and comprehensive system management.
For Atif Aslam, Phoenix Networks provided a DiGiCo SD10 console at FOH with a Quantum 338 console for monitors, while a combination of SD10, Midas M32 Live and Avid VENUE S6L-24D consoles were preferred for the other artists.
Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring was also deployed, along with Axient Digital ADX2 wireless microphones for Atif Aslam and Sennheiser 6000 Digital series systems paired with an HSP4 head microphone for Anuv Jain.
The microphone selection also included Shure SM58s and SM57s for instruments, Sennheiser e900 and Audix DP7 for drum kits, while wireless guitars were equipped with Shure ADX1 belt packs and SKM6000 bodypacks.
One of the Phoenix Networks team’s biggest
challenges was the unexpected arrival of a snow blizzard during setup. “The storm was genuinely unforeseen, and we were completely blindsided by it,” recalled the company’s Founder and Director, Animesh Mishra. “Thankfully, almost all of our inventory came equipped with inbuilt weather hoods. The self-armoured PANTHERs sustained the storm without any external support. In fact, we were up and operational within 15 minutes of the storm passing.”
Reflecting on the project, Mishra was delighted with the company international debut. “Our first-ever international venture at the Kathmandu Music Festival 2024 showcased Phoenix Networks’ ability to deliver an exceptional sonic experience to a diverse global audience,” he stated. “Building on this success, I am confident that Phoenix Networks will continue to assert its presence worldwide by consistently raising the bar for world-class live sound reinforcement.”
Photo: Phoenix Networks www.phoenixnetworks.in
African Judo Championships
HiLights Group deploys Digital Projection TITAN units to deliver a visually striking opening ceremony in Cairo…
Held in Egypt’s Cairo Stadium indoor halls complex from 25 to 28 April, the 45th edition of the African Judo Championships saw top African judokas battle for places in the Paris Olympic Games. The tone for the tournament was set by a grand opening show that combined dance performances and projection mapping to create a celebratory atmosphere.
Hi Lights Group achieved the stunning visual experience by utilising eight Digital Projection TITAN 37000-WU projectors to cover an area of 40m by 20m, with a play of colours, shapes and African flags projected onto the middle of the stadium’s hall floor.
Th e content, which was also created by HiLights Group, was processed by a Dataton WATCHOUT media server. Each projector was equipped with a 2.56-4.16:1 lens, allowing the projectors to be placed discreetly away from the audience and the images to travel along a 45m path to the stadium complex floor.
“We mounted four projectors on the front truss, while the remaining four were positioned on the rear truss to ensure optimal coverage and uniformity across the venue,” commented Senior Digital Marketing Specialist at HiLights Group, Yara Mahran, adding that the “superior brightness, clarity and reliability” of Digital Projection projectors allowed them to deliver the required visual effect.
“E ach projector was adjusted to achieve optimal throw distances, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the pitch area, while maintaining image clarity and uniformity,” Mahran explained. “Our calculations were based on the stadium’s dimensions and the TITAN projectors’ specifications, guaranteeing precise alignment for maximum visual impact.”
According to Mahran, this was instrumental in delivering vivid and bright projections throughout the event. The projectors’ brightness, resolution and reliability were “paramount for
the success of the show”, said Mahran, ensuring “clear and vibrant visuals, even in a large well-lit stadium environment”.
Mahran praised the support offered by Digital Projection for the show, stating: “They have been an invaluable partner in our success. Not only did they provide us the projectors, but they also offered our technical team training at HiLights Group HQ, enabling our team to utilise the laser projectors to their full potential to deliver exceptional results in each of our projects.”
Th e opening ceremony left a lasting impression on attendees, with the feedback being “overwhelmingly positive”, Mahran concluded. “It was a successful AV setup, and we were thrilled to see the smiles on the spectators’ faces. We take pride in delivering projects with an unparalleled quality and seeing the successful result makes it worth it.”
Photo: Digital Projection www.digitalprojection.com
Hans Zimmer Live in Dubai
The multi award-winning film score composer and music producer returns to Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena with support from Clair Global UAE and Creative Technology Middle East. TPi’s Stew Hume reports…
Having cemented himself on the global touring scene, Hans Zimmer’s live performances where he gives rousing renditions of some of his most iconic musical masterpieces from hit movies such as Gladiator, Interstellar and The Lion King have garnered praise the world over. As part of his packed touring schedule, the German maestro recently brought his extensive orchestra to Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena for two sold-out shows.
Production Director Jim Baggott of Nvisible Productions called upon Clair Global UAE and Creative Technology Middle East to provide local support for the shows. “Clair supported us with all our audio needs throughout rehearsals and the
shows, and they also supplemented our touring crew with some amazing technicians, who blended in with our team effortlessly,” he said.
“CT, who we work with on many projects in the UK, bring the same professionalism and experience to their Middle East operation. They supplied lighting equipment to replicate the touring design and supported us with cameras and an all-encompassing show communications system,” Baggott added. “It is always a pleasure to work with both Clair and CT, and it’s a comfort to know that we can look to them both to support Nvisible Productions throughout the Middle East.”
Walking TPiMEA through the audio setup was Clair’s Al Woods. The production specifically
requested an L-Acoustics K1 and K2 system with a flown KS28s, KS28 ground subs and A15 front fills. “It’s a demanding setup, but the production knows what they want,” began Woods.
“We worked with Production Manager, Jim Baggott, FOH Engineer, Colin Pink and Monitor Engineer, Maurizio ‘Mo’ Gennari on their visit last year. They are very understanding of the fact it’s a big one-off show in a foreign territory.”
Th e flown system’s main hang featured 16 K1 over four K2 with 12 KS28 in cardioid flown behind at 45° off-stage. An upper out fill of eight K2, a lower out fill of eight KARA II and a 270° hang of six KIVA II covered the upper bowl extreme side of stage. Two hangs of 12 KARA II were flown as delays, with 16 positions of A15 wide and KS28 ground fills/sub. The PA was powered by 66 LA12X running AVB primary and analogue backup housed in six Clair PakRaks to reduce footprint. The drive system comprised four P1 processors incorporated into Clair’s bespoke fully redundant drive system and packaging.
Pink highlighted why the vendor was a natural choice for this project. “We chose Clair UAE as our needs are extensive and complex, but Clair is pretty much the only supplier able to fulfil our brief,” he commented. “Working with Clair was seamless and because of their global reach, there were no substitutions to our gear list. Everything was sourced as requested without a single issue.”
Pink also commented positively on the crew supplied by Clair. “This made putting on what was essentially a ‘one-off’ show a stress-free experience. These shows received great reviews, which was in no small part down to the pristine support we received from Al Woods and the team at Clair UAE.”
Wo ods continued to describe some of the challenging aspects of the production’s technical specification. “The whole system is very exact in its design and specification, from the PA design, control systems, RF, and microphone allocation,” he said. “An extensive amount of pre-production went into advancing a show of this size.”
With the specifics agreed with by production, Clair Audio Project Manager, Dana Beaudin and Systems Guarantee Engineer, George Forsyth advanced the PA design with the production’s System Engineer, Thomas Jacobs.
Beaudin advanced consoles and files with the production while Clinton Hattingh advanced the stage patch and RF with Daniel Melcher,
the production’s RF Coordinator. “The job was split into a few stages; off-site full production rehearsals with control, a load in day for PA at the arena and then the control package load in, rehearsals in the arena and two shows,” Woods recalled. “The scheduling was tight so preparation was key.”
With so many musicians on stage, a sizeable RF package was required, which included 32 RF microphones and over 40 IEM channels that were pre-programmed and labelled.
“Every connection and cable was tested and labelled before leaving the warehouse. This is the global norm, so every project leaving the Clair UAE shop is tour ready,” stated Woods, highlighting the importance of organisation.
Clair UAE also put together a fully redundant playback package for the artist, which incorporated a DirectOut PRODIGY to manage signal path redundancy between the two Mac Studio playback machines.
For control, Clair supplied DiGiCo SD7 Quantum consoles for FOH and monitor world. FOH ran the T software and utilised a TC M6000 and three Rupert Neve Porticos as well as plugins from Live Professor, and a KLANG card for Spatial FX. In monitor world, a KLANG Konductor and SSL Fusion outboard to helped achieve space for over 40 IEM channels.
Woods concluded: “It’s incredibly rewarding for myself and the Clair team to provide and deliver exactly what the artist requests. It’s also gratifying to achieve outstanding results for a one-off event, receiving numerous compliments from the audience, and witnessing the artist and their team leave Dubai very happy.”
‘Vision and artistry’
The show was produced by EVI, with lighting design once again overseen by John Fetherstone from Lightswitch. For the Dubai dates, Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) handled lighting, video and communications.
TPiMEA spoke to Dan Hughes, Key Account Manager, about the company’s delivery on the project: “EVI’s attention to detail and technical expertise have been instrumental in ensuring that our lighting and video solutions meet the highest standards for the production,” he stated. “Their commitment to excellence is truly commendable, and it is evident in the outstanding results we have achieved together.”
Hughes also rolled out the praise of Zimmer’s touring team for their “vision and artistry”, which “brought a unique and captivating experience to both sold-out nights”. He continued: “Their passion for creating unforgettable experiences for audiences around the world is truly inspiring, and it has been a privilege to be a part of bringing their creative vision to life.”
For lighting, CTME partnered with Artevor to provide all lighting fixtures, network systems, and cabling. CTME handled the lighting desks, the fibre-optics, follow spots and cable management, with Unusual Rigging supplying the rigging elements. “All cables were pre-loomed, ensuring a seamless entry into the arena and significantly reducing load-in times, which allowed for extended rehearsals,” stated Sam Connolly, CTME Head of Lighting. “Additionally, we supplied and operated nine follow spots, using our Robe FORTE fixtures for optimal spotlighting.”
Fixtures used in the show included Robe Robin FORTE, Robin BMFL WashBeam,
MegaPointe, and a RoboSpot system. Lighting control came from an MA Lighting grandMA3 full size console with a grandMA3 NPU. For haze, the production opted for MDG MAX5000 and The One Tour Kits.
“The extensive lighting network was managed through Luminex Luminode 12s and powered by 10.6KM of DMX cabling, ensuring a seamless and visually stunning experience,” continued Connolly.
CT ME faced significant challenges with the six moving Kinesys trusses and ensuring the safe attachment of fixtures. “One of the main issues encountered was the unexpected bouncing of the pipes on which the fixtures were mounted, causing the lights to shake,” Connolly recalled.
“To overcome this, the team swiftly reevaluated the bracing and fixation of the trusses, reinforcing them to stabilise the fixtures effectively. This proactive approach not only addressed the immediate issue but also ensured
the safety and reliability of the lighting setup throughout the event.”
On the video front, Brian Daya, Senior Video Engineer, oversaw the delivery, which featured a Ross Video Ultrix Carbonite that controlled an array of cameras including Panasonic UC4000, PTZ UE-150 and Marshall Mini.
With a fully integrated network system in place, CT communications were supported by a robust infrastructure. Darius Charlery, CTME Head of Comms, elaborated: “This mixed integrated communications system was tailored to meet the client’s specific needs. It included two-way radios and repeaters for project build and de-rig phases, as well as wireless intercom belt packs for production and technical aspects, ensuring comprehensive coverage throughout the entire venue.”
Ad ditionally, hardwired communication panels were installed at multi-control stations, enabling precise show calling and meeting
the main technical requirements of the event. The control unit system included Riedel Communications Artist 64 Frames, Motorola SLR 5500, Luminex 14R, 26i, Procom Cavity Drums and Bolero Antenna. Wired communications included Artist 12 Key Panel DSP 2312 and Artist 32 Key Panel 12332 HL. Wireless communications came in the form of Bolero belt packs and DP4801 two-way radios.
Dan Hughes shared his final thoughts on the project: “Creative Technology is pleased with the exceptional dedication of our team,” he concluded. “We are also pleased with the creative use of technology in how it helped create a one-of-a-kind experience that moved audiences throughout the arena.”
Photos: Joseph Eley (@thejoeeley) www.hanszimmerlive.com www.nvisibleproductions.com www.ct-group.com www.clairglobal.com
WATERBOMB Dubai 2024
The unique water-themed K-pop festival takes place for the first time outside East Asia at Dubai Festival City, with artists and fans engaging in a massive water fight to beat the summer heat…
Summer festivals have never really been a thing in the UAE for obvious reasons. However, if ever a festival was perfect for a scorching Dubai summer, WATERBOMB is it. Starring some of the biggest names in K-pop as well as a packed roster of international acts, the unique water-based concept saw water cannon-wielding artists and super soakerequipped audience members beat the heat by drenching each other throughout the weekend.
Launched in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, WATERBOMB took place for the first time ever outside East Asia on 7 and 8 June at Dubai Festival City Waterfront. Tasked with bringing the festival to life was A LOUD MINORITY (ALM), which leveraged its extensive experience in the region to take on a wide-ranging scope including sitewide operations, technical production and stage management.
“This was the first time that we have taken on the operational role, and it was a massive step,” reflected ALM Co-Founder and Director, Karl Jenkins, describing what he jokingly referred to as a ‘watershed’ moment for the company. “We have grown into that operational role, and we did a great job in bringing on the right partners to bring together a sitewide production.”
Those partners included: Aggreko, Fruition Event Services, Byrne Equipment Rental, Pitchblack, Clair Global, Flair Event Services, Gallowglass Health and Safety, and Showforce, while Be. Experiental took on the front of house operations and promotional side of the project.
“We had just eight weeks to turn this project around, which meant that it was important that we could work with vendors who we know and trust,” Jenkins stated. “We onboarded all the suppliers quickly, ensuring that we got the best result and also the best deal for our client.”
Th e extended remit meant that ALM had its biggest ever in-house team on the project, with 14 people covering the scope, including a Technical Director, Operations and Production Director and Stage Manager. “What we do is not like what anyone else in the region does,” Jenkins explained. “With this being WATERBOMB’s first stop outside of East Asia, we were able to add a lot of value with our local knowledge and experience of working in this territory.”
De scribed by Jenkins as “instrumental” and “a key partner” to the project, Aggreko designed, installed and commissioned all primary and secondary power requirements, maintaining service throughout the technical setup and
the live show days. “This was a challenging opportunity due to the short time frame and large scale of the power delivery required for the event,” stated Aggreko Key Account Manager, Divya Ganta.
With a main stage spanning more than 1,500 sq m of LED, a range of water effects as well as numerous F&B outlets on each side of the stage all requiring different power drops, connections and distros, the event represented a large and multifaceted deployment. “The requirement was for 4.45MVA of generators, supplied as 350kVAs, which were delivered from our Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah depots,” Ganta explained. “We installed approximately 6,000m of heavy main cables along with required distribution boards, spanning across the whole venue, with the bulk of the installation with cable bins and distribution boards hosted on to the venue.”
Ag greko supplied the bulk of the power to the winch farms that played a key part in the live show, as well as providing critical power supply to the audio, video and lighting elements.
“We managed to get all our supplies through successfully and ran heavy mains around the entire perimeter with zero cables on show,” Ganta recalled. “We ran cables on both the inside
and outside of the venue and once it was set in position, we only had a short time to connect all cabling correctly and energise the stage.”
Aggreko Event Sector Leader, Adam Rhodes, was delighted with the performance of both the team on-site and the supporting depots. “The team delivered another complex event very well,” he told TPiMEA. “We had a large power load, and it was delivered in some warm temperatures. It was great to support Karl and his team again and work on this first-of-its-kind event in the region.”
Wh en it came to crewing, Showforce was on hand to provide logistical support to ALM, on-site for 15 days, the team were split across day and night shifts, to assist with the event’s load-in, show days and the derig.
A de dicated team of Showforce crew installed over 40 high-pressure water cannons, which were supplied by South Korean special effects company, Blaze, connecting them to both the water and electricity supplies.
Ad ditional responsibilities included laying astroturf, installing pit and crowd control barriers across the site, setting-up various tents for catering concessions, vendors, wristband collection, and supporting Aggreko with running in power cables. “Waterbomb is a fantastic
example of how Showforce’s multi-skilled crew and experienced crew can be deployed site wide to assist with a broad range of tasks,” commented Showforce’s Account Manager, Ann Dacumos. She added: “Meticulous planning from our operations team ensured we had a core team of crew and crew chiefs in place to meet the client’s requirements.”
‘A similar ethos’
Another key partner that was onboard from the early stages was Pitchblack. “They are one of the only partners we could go to with such a crazy idea at short notice and they will spend time with us to work out how to make it into a reality,” Jenkins said of the company.
“We really enjoy working with ALM as both companies have a similar ethos,” added Pitchblack’s Mark Hammond. “The fact that Karl came to us at the beginning of the journey meant we could make a real difference and we worked closely every step of the way. It’s fun doing jobs when you’re involved from those early stages.”
Af ter receiving several case studies of the festival’s previous stage designs from the IP owner in South Korea, ALM took the initial concept and worked with Pitchblack to
expand on it and develop something that would work for the Dubai festival, creating a detailed three-dimensional technical drawing for all departments to refer to.
“There were many things to think about aside from simply designing a stage that looked good,” Jenkins recalled. “We needed to come up with something that not only fit in with the WATERBOMB brand guidelines, but also met the specific requirements of the artists,” he added.
Th en there was the small matter of making sure the stage could accommodate the water cannons and handle the water that was being sprayed onto it constantly.
The complexity of the stage design meant it made sense to have Pitchblack overseeing the entire rigging scope, rather than the respective in-house rigging teams of the audio, video and lighting suppliers coming into the project separately and trying to tie everything together.
“Rigging runs through every department, so to have that singular rigging team in place to take care of everything made the build a much smoother process than it might have been,” Jenkins explained.
With temperatures soaring on-site and timescales typically tight, Hammond made a
point of preparing as much as possible in preproduction. “There’s no time for procrastination on site, so we go into as much detail as possible in pre-production,” he stated, adding that there’s a limit to what can be done in advance.
“There’s only so much that can be ironed out in pre-production; I can scrutinise the design on a CAD drawing down to the exact placement of a single clamp, but we might get to site and conditions might mean that changes are needed. That’s when we must be agile and able to adapt.”
As well as the cantilevered system capable of handling the massive audio hangs, the central LED screen provided a challenge when it came to rigging requirements. “It was a very tight design with not much room to work around, but it needed to be that way,” Hammond reflected.
Broadweigh wireless load cells were used throughout. “We’re using load cells more and more on our designs,” Hammond shared.
“We can do all the pre-production and checks on our software, but if there’s even the slightest discrepancy in installation or it’s not quite levelled correctly, the load could be massively different to what was calculated,” he explained.
“Especially with big, heavy loads and on outdoor shows like this where there are so many
external factors such as wind that could affect the load, they really are worthwhile.”
Pitchblack also supplied the white fabric panels that were used to create the stage façade. “We sourced the best material, which would allow a little bit of wind through it and be tough enough to withstand the elements,” Hammond revealed, adding that the fabric was measured and stitched in the Pitchblack facility in Jebel Ali, before being fitted on site, which involved “a lot of climbing and cherry picker work”.
Two of the project’s other suppliers, Clair Global and Fruition Event Services, are located in the same block as Pitchblack in Jebel Ali Industrial 1 – the latter of which was working with ALM for the first time. “Fruition did a fantastic job,” Jenkins stated. “I needed a company that was really invested in this project and could give it their full attention, and Fruition was fully committed from day one. We’ll be looking to continue the partnership.”
Fruition’s Warren Barlow walked TPiMEA through the company’s scope on the project: “We were approached by ALM to evaluate the outline designs from the WATERBOMB team and propose a turnkey structural and site infrastructure solution,” he explained.
“This was our first time working with ALM and we found them to be to-the-point, straight talkers, looking for a quality product with a well-constructed budget. The project was well managed and deployed across the board, and we very much look forward to working with ALM on future projects.”
Fruition provided all scaffold and staging elements for the event including the Layherbased main stage structure, which was 60m wide, 24m high and contained an array of detailed cantilevers, rigging points, and LED screen provisions. “The stage deck comprised our favoured metric deck system including 20m stage thrust, water gun platforms with slimline staircase access to each, and it all tied directly into the main structure, ensuring a seamless and efficient design and build,” Barlow described.
The company also supplied the entrance arches, lighting and delay towers around the venue, along with the 800 sq m VIP deck “complete with all the trimmings”. Barlow said: “We deployed around 2km of Heras fencing, the pedestrian barriers for queuing lanes, F&B and security points, and also 400m of detailed primary stage barrier complete with angled parts, emergency gates and flexi corners.”
According to Barlow, the biggest challenges of the project involved the integration of elements from all the other suppliers. “This had to be well managed through ALM from the outset due to tight build time constraints, and it all came together thanks to the attention to detail provided by all stakeholders,” he commented.
“The Fruition team is passionate to deliver above and beyond with the best possible product, and the most efficient and versatile equipment,” Barlow concluded. “Our constant focus on structured growth and improvement was evident in not only the kit that was deployed, but its versatility and efficiency. Large-scale events are always a huge team effort, and having the flexibility to construct and allow other stakeholders access to their workspace in good time ensures a fantastic product and an amazing on-site atmosphere behind the scenes.”
‘Our go-to audio partner’
When it came to deciding on the audio supplier for the project, ALM’s ‘go-to audio partner’, Clair Global UAE, was the natural choice. “They once again were instrumental to the project,” Jenkins commented. “They understand the way we work, and it was great to have them onboard again.”
Bouncing to the project straight from its delivery at Hans Zimmer’s show at Coca-Cola Arena, the Clair team faced a quick turnaround to ensure that both the equipment and team were prepped and ready to go.
“M ost of the equipment went from Hans Zimmer into WATERBOMB,” revealed Clair Global UAE’s Al Woods. “The gear was tipped back in the Clair warehouse on the Sunday morning the day after the Hans show and loaded into WATERBOMB on the Monday evening.”
With intense heat during the daytime, load-in and most of the work thereafter was conducted during the evening and overnight. “We had the same guys who worked on the Hans show on this project,” Woods revealed. “Dana [Beaudin] and George [Forsyth] had already worked out an LA NET file for the WATERBOMB system, so Sunday was a full-on day of flashing PA and preparing cabling for the new speaker system.”
Th e RF rack was taken from Hans, with Mark ‘Magic’ Ellis Cope adding some extra equipment to enable a quad-antenna setup. “We added an 80-way split to the 32-bit SD rack setup for Hans,” Woods described, adding that the team decided against taking the DiGiCo Quantum 7 consoles that had been used for Hans Zimmer. “Alternatively, we had prepared two Quantum 338s and two SD12s – ready with show files to interface with the stage RF and racks.”
Th e flown PA comprised main hangs of 14 L-Acoustics K1s over four K2s, with eight K1SBs flown behind the main. A further four K1s over four K2s served as outfill, two hangs of eight Kara II were flown as delays, with eight positions of two Kara II, two positions of four A15 Wide and 10 sets of three KS28s rounding out the system.
Th e PA was powered by 66 LA12Xs running AVB primary and analogue backup, while a bespoke Clair fully redundant drive system was also deployed.
Di GiCo Quantum 338s were used as primary consoles for both FOH and monitors, with SD12s serving as secondary desks. “Most of the acts were DJ or playback, so it was a fairly straightforward deployment of control and RF systems,” Woods recalled. The
company also deployed a comprehensive show communications system comprising Riedel Artist Frames, panels, Bolero and 60 Motorola R7 twoway radios with accompanying accessories.
In terms of challenges, Woods unsurprisingly pointed to the two major elements that the team faced during load-in and the show.
“The show was outdoor in June in UAE, so temperatures were in the 40s during the day and extremely humid at night,” he recalled. “As the show’s name suggests, water was a big part of the production, with cannons onstage and the audience firing back, so we had to take extra precautions to keep equipment dry – especially the Shure IEM packs and handhelds.”
Reflecting on the delivery, Woods was pleased with his team’s ability to bounce from one high-profile project to the next. “This was an opportunity to showcase how fast paced and complex events are becoming in the region,” he commented. “Our personnel are highly skilled, and our equipment prep, and packaging has the same Clair Global world-class delivery for all our clients – even when we get soaked with water!”
‘A sense of excitement’
After first collaborating with ALM for UNTOLD Dubai festival in February, Flair Event Services was once again brought onboard to provide video, lighting and special effects. “This is another partnership we’re developing,” Jenkins commented. “Flair seems to fit our mould well when it comes to turning things around quickly. We also have the same ethos when it comes to level of production across the board.”
Flair Managing Director, Sameer Rahman, added: “Collaborating with ALM has always been a pleasure; there is a common wavelength among our teams and a passion to pull off amazing jobs. ALM know what they want and always approach us with a collaborative attitude, open to suggestions and recommendations. This allows us to put our best in and work together as partners for the project’s success.”
Th e Flair team did their homework in terms of understanding the kind of aesthetic that was required at the festival. “We studied the previous WATERBOMB events – the designs and design philosophy along with the overall look and feel,” Rahman recalled. “This gave context to the wish list of the principal client in terms of LED screens, lighting fixtures, and SFX.”
With that information established, the core Flair team of Marno Snyman as Technical Director, Rosario Lobo on drawing, design, networking and control systems and Rahman leading the lighting department came together to come up with the appropriate fixtures and placements on the stage design.
With the impressive 70m by 30m stage design featuring numerous asymmetrically placed 3D waves of screen and masking extending out of the façade, the Flair team proposed a flown lighting rig that would “work with the accents and curves of the third wave structure and punctuate the ends of the arches”, with 68 Robe MegaPointes – one of Flair’s “favourite workhorses” – selected for this task.
A layer of 48 Spiiders were placed below the MegaPointes following the peaks and curves on stage left and right, followed by 48 GLP JDC1s. The centre of the stage façade was adorned with 48 GLP impression X4 Bars on the horizontal ledgers either side of the central LED screen,
along with a further 24 Robe MegaPointes and 24 Spiiders. “We also punctuated the entire façade with 144 PWR Ranger RGBW Blinders, which is a product that we have co-developed with our partners and use on most of our live concerts and festival designs,” Rahman revealed, adding that 144 of the company’s FLX IP Bar IP65 batten fixtures were also deployed the illuminate the scenic white scrims.
A total of 32 Robe FORTEs were split between stage left and right to provide key lighting and “some punchy spot effects”, while the arch structure above the DJ booth was adorned with an additional 32 Robe LEDBeam 150s. The floor package and ramp meanwhile comprised a further 32 MegaPointes, accompanied by 32 SGM P-5 Washes.
Six 12m ambient lighting scaff towers were erected around the main stage and FOH area, housing a total of 32 P-5 Washes along with 32 Claypaky Mythos 2 fixtures delivering aerial beam effects. “We also used 16 Robe FORTEs and four BMFL FollowSpot and RoboSpot stations on the right and left towers at FOH,” Rahman described, before rounding off the fixture runthrough with the VIP deck lighting package, which consisted of another eight 6m truss towers equipped with 16 Robe Pointes, 16 LEDBeam150s and eight SGM P-5s.
Control came in the form of two MA Lighting grandMA3 full size consoles, along with six MA3 NPU XLs, with a grandMA3 light console used for
VIP deck control. The networking infrastructure was built around a Luminex system comprising two GigaCore 16Xts at FOH, a GigaCore 10, three GigaCore 14R along with 32 splitters.
Th e video package included 480 sq m of INFiLED GX MKII 3.9mm LED. “This required a total of six Resolume media servers and six 4K outputs,” Rahman revealed. “As this was a festival with multiple VJs and LDs, we required a switching system that could handle 18 4K inputs, so we deployed two Barco E2 Gen 2 for this.”
Flair also brought on its sister company, Stage-FX, to take care of the special effects scope. “We put together an impressive SFX package comprising 24 Showven Wave Flame, eight Galaxis G-Flame, 24 Showven Sparklular PRO, six confetti canons, 12 Stadium Shots, 12 smoke bubble machines, 16 CO2 Jets, and eight Showven smoke jets,” Rahman stated, noting that the special effects team was led by Charlie Creese, who ensured that “all SFX were deployed and operated to the highest HSE standards with impressive programming.”
Naturally, the liberal spraying of water throughout the event presented a unique set of challenges. “Our team put together a comprehensive risk assessment of all possible areas where we could identify and mitigate risks,” Rahman commented. “This began in the planning phase, where each cable run for data and power had to be carefully marked and well above the water spray area.” Dimmer worlds were also on
1m raised platforms and 5m backstage to stay clear of the spray radius.
“For power distribution we turned to our friends at Procom Middle East and invested in eight custom 400A power dbs with variable resistance programmable earth leakage devices and individual lines to ensure that if there was any water contact, it would minimise the impact on the stage while still providing electrocution protection at a higher-than-normal sensitivity,” Rahman added.
Flair deployed a separate team to handle cable management and waterproof containment at each contact point of power and data connectors to ensure there were multiple layers of water protection at each point.
While mostly IP-rated fixtures were selected, for the Robe MegaPointe floor package, Flair invested in, and air freighted, 48 SelbyGuard Large Inflatable Rain Domes. “We now have the country’s first batch of SelbyGuard inflatable rain protection domes,” Rahman stated.
Flair also took precautions to shelter FOH, designing and building a 2.5m-high, threetiered FOH structure from its newly purchased Eurotruss deck to ensure that it was fully covered on top and three sides. “For the show run, we had a total team of 12 technicians stationed around critical and sensitive areas, ensuring vigilance around any flooding or spraying,” he added, noting that appropriate PPE along with chemical and powder fire suppression systems were also
deployed around all sensitive areas. Looking back on the achievement, Rahman was pleased with the way that all the teams worked together.
“There were many challenges a lot of potential areas where the setup could have gone wrong, but it was amazing to see the weeks of planning, attention to detail and hard work by all the involved teams come together,” he commented.
“There was a sense of excitement onsite and real camaraderie across all teams. This made even the toughest challenges onsite seem easy with the right attitude and true teamwork.”
He a dded: “The team at ALM really know how to put together a great show. The level of planning and detail within such a timeframe seemed extremely daunting, but they did it with a smile, which set the tone for the entire project. Suz Cranny as Project Director put together a comprehensive site plan and it was refreshing as a vendor to work on such a site.”
‘Expert insight and thorough planning’ Gallowglass Health and Safety Middle East had an extensive remit on the project, as Senior Safety Advisor and Branch Manager, Declan Meenan, explained: “Understanding the scale and potential hazards of a large-scale event like the WATERBOMB requires expert insight and thorough planning,” he commented.
“Gallowglass Health and Safety was brought on board to draft strategic safety plans, which included an Event Safety Management Plan
(ESMP) and comprehensive crowd management strategies. These documents served as the blueprint for ensuring the festival was both safe and enjoyable for all attendees.”
A crucial aspect of Gallowglass’ delivery was ensuring that all contractors adhered to stringent health and safety standards. “Gallowglass undertook the meticulous task of reviewing all health and safety documents provided by contractors,” Meenan revealed. “This review process ensured that every party involved in the festival’s execution was compliant with both local regulations and international best practices.”
Th e complexity of setting up a large festival meant that a structured permit-to-work process was required. “We supervised this process, ensuring that all necessary permits were obtained and adhered to by all contractors and workers,” he stated. “This oversight was vital in preventing accidents and ensuring that the setup and dismantling of festival infrastructure were conducted safely and efficiently.”
Th e company provided health and safety assurance from the initial build to the final derig. “This continuous monitoring guaranteed that all construction activities, whether temporary stages, water installations, or other infrastructure, were carried out without incident,” Meenan reported. “Our presence was pivotal in maintaining a safe environment for workers during these high-risk phases.” According to Meenan, the most challenging aspect of the
festival was managing the safety and wellbeing of the thousands of attendees.
“Gallowglass, in collaboration with Ogma Safety, expertly managed crowd dynamics and movement, ensuring that everyone could enjoy the festival without compromising safety,” he concluded. “The in-depth and detailed crowd management plans that we produced were instrumental in preventing overcrowding and ensuring orderly access to different areas.”
‘A festival of firsts’
Be. Experiental played a “comprehensive and multifaced” role in the project. “We handled all event and talent-related licencing with the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and engaged with key government stakeholders, such as Dubai Calendar, to garner support for the event,” began CEO and Founder, Dan Bolton, discussing the company’s scope.
“O ur responsibilities extended to guest experience and management, talent booking and management, social media management, paid media advertising and public relations.”
As the project progressed, the company’s remit expanded to include sponsor management, F&B management, and front of house branding and furniture.
“A s ignificant part of our scope was to support the IP owners, Drip Bros, in navigating their entry into the UAE market,” Bolton continued. “We worked closely with the ALM team to ensure our
efforts complemented their tech production and venue operations.”
With less than two months to deliver the event, the planning phase was intense. “We began by securing key government stakeholder buy-in and approvals,” Bolton described, adding that some of the main challenges included gaining approval for the event name, activities, and hosting an outdoor festival late in the traditional event season amid heat concerns.
“Ensuring alignment among government entities, venues, and emergency services required extensive dialogue and education about the brand and festival offering,” he stated.
Once verbal approvals were received, the Be. Experiental team moved swiftly to secure written permits, engage suppliers and stakeholders, announce the event in the media, execute a digital marketing plan, book artists, and sell tickets. “This simultaneous execution, driven by our tight timeline, required quick decision-making and coordination,” Bolton commented.
Th e extensive use of water throughout the festival was a topic that required sensitive handling. “We navigated cultural sensitivities in our marketing messaging and ensured respectful behaviour towards the venue and its neighbours,” Bolton recalled. “Dress codes were more
conservative compared to festivals in the Far East, and we addressed sustainability concerns by minimising the event’s environmental impact wherever possible.”
Bolton described the event’s radio and digital marketing campaign as “a standout success”. He added: “With a limited budget, we creatively leveraged relationships with key stakeholders, including the venue, DET, and Virgin Radio, to amplify our reach. We engaged over 1,000 media personalities and social media influencers, generating significant traction across various channels. In just over a month, WATERBOMB content dominated radio, digital, and social platforms, creating widespread buzz. The successful brand awareness and market entry we achieved laid a strong foundation for the festival’s future growth, with dates for 2025 already in the planning stages. As a festival of firsts, WATERBOMB demonstrated the potential for innovative event experiences in the UAE,” he said. “The collaborative efforts of our teams, partners, and suppliers showcased the feasibility of such events, setting the stage for future editions as the brand continues to expand.”
Af ter two days of water pistol-powered fun and frolics that saw the Dubai audience embrace the concept wholeheartedly, there’s no doubt
that WATERBOMB made quite the splash on the UAE’s event industry. With the water cannons powered down and the Dubai Festival City site returned to its normal configuration, ALM’s Jenkins reflected on the success of the event and speculated on its importance to the UAE’s constantly evolving events ecosystem. “With Ramadan now falling in what traditionally is the season when we host large outdoor events, being able to continue delivering outdoor shows into the early summer is becoming increasingly important,” he concluded. “This was the first big outdoor festival of its kind that has ever taken place in the summer in the UAE, and to fill what was previously a gap in the schedule with something like this that has the potential to return year after year is a massive step forward.
Photos: WATERBOMB Dubai www.waterbombdubai.com www.aloudminority.com www.aggreko.com www.beexperiental.com www.clairglobal.com www.flair.ae www.fruitionevents.ae www.gallowglasshs.com www.pitchblack.ae www.showforce.com
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Cirque du Soleil: CRYSTAL
Exploring a new creative territory for the first time in the 40-year history of Cirque du Soleil, CRYSTAL pushes the boundaries of circus arts by combining stunning ice skating and incredible feats of acrobatics, all to the backdrop of a spectacular technical production. As the tour sweeps through the Middle East, TPiMEA heads to Etihad Arena to meet the team behind the scenes.
‘Running away to join the circus’ is a fantasy that has crossed the mind of many a worldweary worker who wishes for a life on the road, free from the constraints of the mundane where thrills and spills are the norm, and every day presents a new potentially perilous challenge to be overcome. While in years gone by the circus was the very antithesis of a long-term, stable career, nowadays, with major international groups such as the worldfamous Cirque du Soleil putting on increasingly sophisticated productions, when it comes to personnel – both on stage and behind the scenes – only the very best need apply.
With the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group now employing more than 4,000 people, including 1,200 artists, and putting on shows in 86 countries and counting spread across six continents, the organisation has grown massively from its roots as a street theatre group in Quebec, Canada, in the early 1980s. The company’s ambitious shows are now comparable to some of the biggest tours in the music world, with a stacked roster of creative and technical collaborators utilising the very latest in live entertainment technology to ensure that the show dazzles wherever it’s being performed.
Keen to witness these fabled levels of production firsthand, TPiMEA travelled to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena to meet the team behind the latest Cirque du Soleil show to arrive in the Middle East, CRYSTAL. Welcoming us to the venue in the afternoon before the show were the company’s Senior Publicist, Roberto Larroude, as well as Yasmin Qraitem of promoter, SESLive!, who led a whistlestop backstage tour that started in the office of Production Manager, Michael Davis.
“The keys to our show are communication and preparation,” Davis began, outlining how his team deals with the challenges of putting on a show of this scale and complexity. “We’ve all been doing this long enough to know that despite the best-laid plans, challenges can always crop up when you least expect them and it’s how you deal with them that counts. We have plans A through F ready to go, and it’s all about providing enough information to the team to keep things running smoothly.”
One challenge that comes as no surprise is brought about by the element that makes CRYSTAL unique, the ice. “Wherever we go, the ice is always the first thing to go in. That means everything is built on open ice, which is an acquired skill,” commented Davis, who started
at Cirque in 2009 working on Saltimbanco and gained experience on ice shows working on Disney on Ice. “If you keep the temperature down low enough, the ice is almost like concrete. It’s when the temperature rises, and the ice gets wet that things start to get difficult.”
With more than 100 members of the touring team plus the same number of local crew to manage, Davis stressed the importance of “keeping everyone going in the same direction”. He commented: “Because this show is so tech heavy and every element talks to each other, close collaboration between all the departments is vital. Thankfully, we all get along well and we’re able to run a slick operation. From the top down, it’s a great environment to be in.”
‘A beautiful way to tell a love story’ CRYSTAL tells the coming-of-age story of the eponymous star of the show – a teenage girl struggling to fit into her mundane surroundings who has a breakthrough experience while skating on a frozen pond, falling through the ice and into a strange upside-down land that teaches her valuable lessons about how she should live her live if she’s able to make it home. “She goes through a journey of self-discovery,
so that by the end of the show, she’s a much more mature person who is in control of her own destiny,” stated, Artistic Director, Crystal Manich, who insisted through a wry smile that the show wasn’t named after her. “It’s a beautiful story that many people connect to, which is why it’s been so successful.”
Having spent the past 20 years as a director of live performance in mediums ranging from opera and musical theatre to film and music videos, Manich first worked with Cirque some 14 years ago, before leaving and subsequently returning to the camp towards the end of 2023 to join this tour.
“The unique thing we have on this show is the ice element, and the fact that we join skaters and acrobats together to create the show,” she explained. “The two disciplines work together in a way that is not seen in any other ice show in the world. We have people flying, skating, running, tumbling – there are so many different aspects and so much going on that adds to the overall visual spectacle.” While the start of the show is
depicted in a realistic atmosphere supported by natural-effect lighting and projection, as soon as Crystal falls through the ice and into the fantasy underworld “all bets are off”.
Ma nich explained: “The magical and mysterious underworld gives us a lot of leeway for how projection and lighting are utilised to transport Crystal into this other dimension. Once we’re there, we’re not bound by realism, and we can really let our imagination run wild.”
Manich’s favourite moment of the show comes as the main protagonist is skating on the ice before being lifted into the air by an aerial straps artist. “I cried the first time I saw that act,” she revealed. “The way that act is put together is brilliant; it combines air and ice, and suddenly Crystal goes from being a normal skater to a skating aerialist. It’s a brilliant use of both disciplines and a beautiful way to tell a love story.”
With this being her first visit to the UAE capital, Manich had nothing but praise for the city and the venue. “I’ve loved Abu Dhabi,” she beamed. “Everybody here has been incredibly welcoming,
the food has been fantastic, and the Etihad Arena is one of the best I’ve experienced.”
‘Nothing here is done by chance’
Describing the show’s lighting as “simple but effective”, Assistant Head of Lighting, Ross Pringle talked TPiMEA through the lighting setup, which relies heavily on the use of real-time tracking software, BlackTrax. “This is such a big show that manual follow spots would be very labour intensive, so Blacktrax was the natural solution,” he revealed. “It’s the crucial element of our show; without Blacktrax, you can’t see anything.”
While this show is Pringle’s second experience with the tracking technology, it’s his first time being “fully submersed” in it, and he described it as “fantastic”. He stated: “I came from a rock ’n’ roll background and was a bit sceptical at first as I wasn’t sure how reliable it would be, but this has really opened my eyes to the capability of the technology. Because it’s such a big part of our show and our workflow, I’ve had to dive in headfirst, and it’s been sink or swim. It’s a lot to take
in, but it’s really strengthened my networking knowledge and my understanding – and I’ve never been so interested to clean Claypaky Sharpys in my life!”
All equipment across every technical discipline was supplied by Solotech Montreal and travels with the tour wherever they go in the world. Martin Carrier, President, Live Productions Canada / Global Media and Entertainment Technology, Solotech commented: “Solotech is honoured to continue its 40-year collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, supporting CRYSTAL’s production since 2017. We’re proud to provide audio, lighting, and video systems that bring this captivating show to life, and we’re thrilled to be a part of its global journey.”
Th e main lighting rig comprises 58 Robe BMFL Washes to provide the main stage wash light; 36 Claypaky Sharpy Wash 33W fixtures synced up to BlackTrax; six Mythos 2 and seven A.Leda B-EYE K20s each side on the floor that deliver some of the shows beam effects; and 60 Show Batten 100s surrounding the stage to light the side of the stage and for some effect and wash lighting. The show – as all current Cirque productions – is programmed and operated on an MA Lighting grandMA2 console.
According to Pringle, the main role of lighting on this production is to support the video element. “The video looks on this show are spectacular, and our main remit is to avoid masking those. We’re there to make sure that everything looks crisp and clean; most of the time the audience’s gaze is being directed to the video content and you wouldn’t even notice the lighting, which is exactly what we’re looking for.”
Co llaborating closely with Pringle was Assistant Head of Video, Miguel Oliveira, who found his way into the industry after taking a master’s degree in architecture and subsequently discovering a passion for AV systems.
“I started working on corporate events with video, sound and lighting, and as soon as the opportunity to join this beautiful project in the video department came in 2019, I was delighted to jump onboard,” he recalled.
Oliveira described the video setup, which is built around 20 Barco HDX-W20 and eight UDX32K laser projectors.
“The HDX-W20s are pointing to the floor – 10 on stage left, 10 on stage right – while the UDX32Ks are pointing towards the back wall – four on each side,” he noted. “The wall has a little bit more brightness than the ice, so we try to balance and bring down the brightness slightly, so it blends with the floor projection.”
Six Disguise GX 2 media servers are used, set up as one director, four actors and one understudy. “The way the architecture was developed is that the director does not output any signal but controls the other servers,” he explained. “The director sends orders to the other units. The actors output the signal that you see on the ice and the wall, and the understudy is a hot backup that can take over any of the other five servers if needed.”
Oliveira added some more detail on the specifics of the BlackTrax system that is so crucial to the show. “Our BlackTrax system merges data to both lighting and video, which is a huge selling point,” he said.
“The system is made up of 20 cameras –10 on each side. Each beacon contains three stringers, which emit infrared that is captured by
the cameras. The cameras see the coordinates, do the calibration and each beacon is given a singular ID. Movement within the 3D space is recorded and translated into data, which is sent to both to the lighting console and video servers and acted upon accordingly.”
Th e video department uses this tracking data to display generative content through Notch that interacts with the performers in real time. “There are two really notable moments during the show when this comes into play,” Oliveira described. “We use it to create the effect of lines in the ice, following the skaters as they move; and we also have a reflection effect that follows Crystal as she moves around the ice.”
De spite his techie leanings, one of the things that gets Oliveira excited about this show is the fact that the narrative is always the most important aspect, and the technology is merely a tool to support the narrative. “We try to blend in within the story and provide the backdrop rather than overshadowing it with flashy use of technology,” he explained. “Nothing here is done by chance. Everything we do is done to support a message or narrative that we’re trying to convey to the audience at that moment.”
Another key collaborator in this visual spectacle is Head of Wardrobe, Isabel Franco Lanao, who joined Cirque after the tour passed
through her home city of Barcelona around seven years ago – “I joined up with the tour in my home city and literally ran away with the circus!” she laughed.
Res ponsible for overseeing some 3,000 costume items, Lanao explained how the show’s costumes are based around 1950s and 1960s style, but with a surrealist twist. “They also reflect the internal travel of the main character through her own personal styles,” she added. “One of the things I like about the costume is the pattern of fractured ice that is reflected in many pieces of clothing. It’s one of the biggest symbolistic statements of the costumes.”
Costume plays a key role in the BlackTrax solution, with each performer required to have sensors embedded in their clothing. “The sensor for the movement is integrated into the costume, and where we come in is to provide the right elements to allow this to happen. Our part is definitely simpler than the technical side,” she added, self-deprecatingly.
‘You must take care of the dynamics’ One of the newer members of the touring team is Head of Audio, Lucas Spangaro, having joined the production in August 2023. “I’ve settled into the team really well,” he told TPiMEA. “I’ve spent the past 20 years doing rock ’n’ roll touring
around Latin America, and this is a very different experience but one I’m really enjoying because it is teaching me about many different aspects of the job.”
Lo oking down at the stage from his aerial vantage point at FOH, which was located high up in the seated area of the Etihad Arena, Spangaro talked through the audio setup of the production. “The main PA is L-Acoustics; we tour with more than 100 boxes and the box count varies depending on the size of the room,” he explained.
“For this show, we have 15 KARA and four subs for each of the four main arrays, while for monitors we have four Meyer Sound UPQ loudspeakers, hanging. Sometimes we add UP-4 for side fills where more coverage is required, but they weren’t necessary here.”
For control, Spangaro uses a DiGiCo SD10 running AES output to L-Acoustics LA8 and LA12 amplifiers, while Meyer Sound Galileo processing manages the UPQ boxes. “We’re using DiGiCo SD-Racks backstage, we have a big fibre loop, and everything is running 96k digital,” he added.
Playback is synchronised to timecode run through Ableton, with up to 12 live instruments adding dynamism to the mix. “You must take care of the dynamics,” Spangaro commented. “There are some down moments and some moments where the sound is big and full. It’s all
programmed to snapshots and changes depend on the room and the audience situation.”
Considering the production’s heavy overhead requirements, Spangaro explained how the audio team must always take account of sightlines and weight-loading calculations when specifying a system. “We must make sure that we don’t impact the visual,” he stated, adding that he prefers to arrive at the venue early before load-in and use L-Acoustics SoundVision to calculate how many boxes will be needed.
Of course, anything that goes into the roof must pass muster with Head of Rigging, Joshua Wong. “We have around 130 points for this show, and it takes us around 14 hours to get it up and running,” he revealed.
“It’s roughly three-and-a-half hours to take it down, but we’ve managed it in two-and-a-half hours when we needed to go quickly, which is quite a feat for a show of this size.”
Th e main rig is based around a central acro-grid, which is secured to the roof using 16, two-tonne points. “Think of it as a big lollipop,” he said by way of explanation. “We have a track and trolley central spine then the acro-grid square in the downstage centre. All our acrobatics run off that, and everything else on the sides are video and lighting truss.”
A longstanding Cirque team member having joined the company in 2009, Wong believes that adapting the show into new environments is the biggest challenge for him and his team. “Most
arenas are similar, but they all have their quirks, so getting the show in and out is always a bit different every time.
“F iguring out logistically how it’s going to work and where we can and can’t hang things is always the main challenge,” he noted. “We do a lot of advancing and scouting before we get to the venue and look at other shows that have taken place in the arena, which helps us gauge what is needed; 90% of the gig is prep work and 10% is getting the show in and running it.”
‘The magic of the show’
Last but certainly not least, TPiMEA chatted to Head of Automation, Rory Boyd, who has spent the past eight years with Cirque du Soleil working on six different productions, starting at just 19 years old as an intern Production Assistant and ultimately becoming the company’s youngest Head of Department.
“It’s been a whirlwind eight years,” he reflected. “Automation is crucial to everything we do; it’s the magic of the show; it’s where you can have your tricks hidden up your sleeve to wow the audience,” Boyd stated, explaining the importance of his craft.
With no stage automation on this show due to it being performed on an ice rink, all the automation is above the stage, with all equipment supplied by TAIT.
“The main element is our track and trolley, which traverses up and down on a Fisher fast
track system, powered by four BT290 winches – three of which are part of our group set of winches that we use for various things during the show,” he explained. “We use that for our trapeze, for the aerial entrances and exits, and for our straps act. It’s a versatile piece of equipment that we can do a lot with – it’s very powerful.”
Eight Nav Hoists are used to control the poles for another act, with the artists on stage lowering the poles into place before they’re pulled to tension. “We run Navigator, with one operator on a Polaris,” Boyd added, adding some detail on the control system.
Boyd described the automation element as “quite small in terms of equipment”. However, he noted that the versatility of the rig enables the team to achieve a lot with a limited amount of kit.
“A lot of our real estate on the show is taken up with projectors on the grid as we have so much video up there, which means we have a limited amount of space for automation, but what we have up there achieves an awful lot.”
While most of the show is programmed to timecode, when it comes to automation, everything is triggered manually.
“We have around 100 cues during the show, and nothing is timecoded,” Boyd revealed. “We could easily timecode everything together, and for a rock ’n’ roll show we would, but this is a completely different ballgame. We’re not just flying people; we’re flying people holding on to other people at high speeds over an ice rink.
There are so many variables, we must make sure that everything is spot on.”
Boyd stressed the importance of safety in the disciple where there is “no margin for error”. He added: “For our acrobatic acts such as straps and trapeze that rely on automation, you must be focused and switched on. With our straps act for example, there are four people running it – stage manager, automation operator, and two performers. We’re all locked in; if there’s the slightest wrong move, if we take a cue half a second late, a performer is going to dragged across the ice and it could end very badly.”
With such high stakes, a massive level of trust is required between artist and operator. “That trust takes time to build,” Boyd commented. “You’ve got to form a relationship, building a rapport, getting to know the artists and having fun with them so they feel you’re approachable if they have any issues, but also showing that you’re responsible and take your job and their safety seriously.”
Boyd expanded on the artist relationship side of the job, explaining why it gives him so much satisfaction. “Artists are people, not machines. Before every cue, they will give a clear signal; it looks like choreography, but it serves as a signal to us to say they’re ready for the next flight. If we don’t get that, we adapt the act while it’s running,” he explained.
“You must be in sync with the whole group. That’s why automation is so fun. It’s so dynamic – plus there’s something really satisfying about pressing a button and launching someone in the air at 20mph!”
As ked to pick a favourite part of the production, Boyd plucked for a moment right at the top of the show. “It’s a sequence called The Fal l, where we pre-load our aerial artist backstage, fly her out on the track and trolley and then she traverses all the way downstage and waits for the show to start in a black cloak, so the audience don’t know she’s there,” he described.
“As the lights change, the snow machines come on and she drops very quickly from the grid before slowing down and she looks like she’s freefalling in slow-motion through the water. You can hear the audible gasp of the crowd. It’s a stunning trick.”
Sp eaking in more general terms, Boyd described the advancements in the field of automation in recent years. “There’s been an insane amount of progress made over the past few years and everyone wants to continue to improve. What TAIT is doing is incredible. Navigator is amazing – what you can do with this system is off the scale,” he stated.
“We’re on a constant quest for improvement. You’d think after five years of this show touring that everything is set and done, but that’s not the case at all. We’re always looking for ways to make it better and better every time.”
Following a hugely successful run at Etihad Arena from 26 April to 5 May, the CRYSTAL team made the short hop over the Persian Gulf to put on five ground-breaking nights at the Arena Kuwait, again with SESLive!, before heading to South America for a mammoth three-month stint in São Paulo, Brazil.
Photos: Matt Baker, Oliver Brajon, courtesy of Cirque du Soleil www.cirquedusoleil.com www.sesme.com
UAE President’s Cup 2024
A familiar cast of creative collaborators and technical partners reassemble to produce the natural evolution of a cornerstone event on the UAE calendar…
Returning to the same gig year after year is never a straightforward task. While the temptation might be to rip up the blueprint and start afresh every year to appease the external demands for constant innovation, often a more prudent and logical approach is to build on the foundations that were laid for previous renditions. This was certainly the view of People CEO, Tim Elliott, whose company was recently invited back to produce the Opening Ceremony of the UAE President’s Cup for the second year in a row.
“We started this project last year knowing that the story of the President’s Cup was not one to change every year, but one to evolve over time,” he began. “We believe that the ceremony and the content around the ceremony can be consistent and become recognised and known for being the essence of the President’s Cup. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel every year, but rather build on what we already have.”
The People team started the creative process for this year by first looking at last year’s starting point, which was around aligning the President’s Cup to the values of the then new President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan.
Bu ilding on those values set out in last year’s show, they developed three “messaging nuances” – lifelong learning, diversity in sport,
and friendly rivalry – that would underpin everything on this year’s ceremony. “Taking those three key messages, we continued from last year to create a consistent show,” Elliott recalled.
While last year’s President’s Cup Final took place at Al Jazira Club’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, this year’s venue was Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, home of Al Ain FC. “This meant an entirely different production setup,” Elliott revealed, discussing the venue, which also happened to be the site for People’s first ever show around 10 years ago. “It was nice to go back to where it all started for us after almost a decade. We have come a long way since then, but one thing that has remained constant is the support of the team; in fact, most of the technical team who delivered that first show came back for this one. We have a lot of loyalty within our freelance and permalancer community, which we value massively.”
Th e show was Co-Directed by Gavin Robins and Chelsey Raysbrook; Hamza Elbellaj was the Choreographer; Composer, Dom Jones took care of the music; Tim van Someren was Broadcast Director; Stephen Page handled Lighting Design; while Content Creation was overseen by Antitled.
As well as returning freelancers, People also welcomed several familiar suppliers, including Al
Laith, Clair Global, Creative Technology Middle East, FLOW, Pitchblack, IBS Décor and VK Exhibition. “We go through a rigorous process of putting projects out to tender and there are a finite number of suppliers when you want to work at the very highest level,” Elliott commented, explaining the choice of suppliers. “Everyone who worked on this project did a fantastic job, which is no less than we expected.”
Th e CEO explained how fluidity around the date of the event meant that People had to lean on both the team and the suppliers to deliver despite the shifting timeline. “The date was flexible because the teams involved in the match were also involved in several other competitions, which meant that the final date couldn’t be confirmed until a couple of weeks prior,” he recalled. “It’s situations like this where great relationships with suppliers are vital.”
On e of the key learnings taken from last year was the importance of engaging the crowd right from the start of the show. “Last year, we didn’t get the crowd involved in the show until the eighth minute out of 10. As soon as the fans were engaged, the stadium erupted, and it became an amazing atmosphere,” Elliott recalled. “This year, we chose to engage the fans much earlier – in the first minute, in fact – before going into the more nuanced storytelling, then ultimately
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bringing the fans back in towards the end. This paid dividends, as the atmosphere was incredible from the start, and it built from there.”
‘Spectacular and environmentally considerate’
While following a similar aesthetic to last year, this year’s show had a significant change in the absence of a pitch cloth. “Last year the colour palette was entirely black and white, and we wanted to remain almost the same for this year,” Elliott said. “The big difference for 2024 was that we used the pitch to our advantage, outlining and accentuating the markings as part of the show.”
Th e other marked difference was the increased number of cast members. “We brought in more cast to give more scale to the pitch, and we deliberately had a slightly older cast to show the evolution from last year in a way that could be told through broadcast,” he described.
Projection and lighting played a key role in the production, with Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) brought in once again to handle both disciplines. “We have a long relationship with CTME, and they came out on top of the procurement process,” stated William Jensen,
Managing Director of Spectaculars, People&Co’s dedicated brand for global ceremonies.
As ide from making the show look spectacular, the projection played an important role in the choreography. “Every 10 seconds or so, a series of small crosses, which were subtle enough to not be noticed by the audience or picked up by the broadcast were projected onto the playing surface,” Jensen recalled.
This gave the cast members their mark and from that point on they were led by their projected spotlights. “This allowed us to control the choreography to almost perfect synchronicity,” he added. “Given the limited on-pitch rehearsal time, this gave us more confidence to push the boundaries through choreography and movement because we knew we had an element of support with the projection being the markings.”
CT ME Head of Video, Carlos Aguilar, talked TPiMEA through the company’s video deployment. “We started by designing a projection study accurately using CAD and a 3D model of the stadium, which allowed us to plan accordingly,” he said, adding that finding the right
positions for the projectors provided a challenge. “Even though we had done projections in that stadium before, the requirements for this project needed a different solution.”
Th e solution involved the construction of three 8m-high projection towers on the stadium’s West Stand to get above the commentary boxes and provide the exact angle required. “We also had a simple projector platform on the East Stand, but height was limited, which gave us a very tight area for shooting,” Aguilar recalled.
“The restriction on position caused different pixel deformations, which, with common calibration methods, would make it almost impossible to achieve. We overcame this issue, using 500 marks on the field of play and highresolution cameras to analyse the shape of a pixel from an 80m distance,” he added.
“These cameras helped us to better understand the colours projected on the grass and calibrate them to the desired tone that the creatives required.”
The innovative projection mapping across the 7,140 sq m field of play was achieved using 40 Panasonic laser projectors. All pixels were driven
by Disguise VX 4 media servers, while signals were managed through a Blackmagic Design 128x128 router.
CTME’s lighting rig meanwhile featured a comprehensive array of advanced fixtures, including Robe FORTEs, Elation Proteus Excaliburs, Ayrton Perseo Profiles, among others. “These were carefully deployed around the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, with particular attention to placement during the halftime break to ensure swift setup without disrupting the event,” explained CTME Head of Lighting, Sam Connolly.
“Each fixture was selected not only for its high output and reliability under adverse weather conditions but also for its ability to integrate seamlessly into our complex network infrastructure,” he added, explaining the fixture selection. “This allowed for dynamic control and positioning, enabling our team to illuminate specific event elements effectively and create a visually captivating experience for both attendees and viewers at home.”
Following the creative blueprint of Lighting Designer, Stephen Page of dbnAudile, the CTME team strategically integrated IP-rated fixtures to ensure resilience against the UAE’s humid and wet conditions, allowing for continuous operation even during the stadium’s regular grass watering.
“Additionally, we emphasised sustainability and efficiency by opting for LED fixtures across the board, significantly reducing our power consumption,” Connolly noted. “This approach not only upheld Stephen Page’s aesthetic vision but also addressed practical concerns such as environmental adaptability and energy efficiency, ensuring that the lighting design was both spectacular and environmentally considerate.”
Dan Hughes, CTME Key Account Manager, concluded: “We are pleased to be the trusted partner of People in delivering mesmerising visual displays on the opening ceremony. It is always our pleasure to work with them.”
CTME collaborated with Pitchblack on what the company’s Mark Hammond described as “a tricky job”. He commented: “The challenge was to create ground supported trussing structures that sat at the back of the seating units and spanned in between the concrete stadium beams. There wasn’t a straightforward solution, but we’ve been working with CTME for a while now and we enjoy collaborating on challenges such as this.”
‘Good coverage throughout the stadium’ Audio and communications requirements were handled by Clair Global UAE. “They did a great job of integrating with the existing stadium PA,” Jensen recalled. “Being able to hire comms locally from a top-class supplier such as Clair is
also a plus point.” Clair Head of Communications, Rob Turner, talked TPiMEA through the communications delivery. “We deployed two Riedel 1024 matrix frames, controlling a mix of 1232 and 1216 panels, as well as 50 Bolero belt packs,” he said. “As most of the stadium and surrounding areas needed Bolero coverage, we used 26 antennas across the site.”
A single Artist 64 frame, fitted with analogue and GPIO cards, was also used for radio interfacing. “Radio interfaces were a mix of SLR8000 repeaters for Semi-Duplex and DM4601e base units for simplex interfaces,” Turner described.
“We had nine remote switch racks across the stadium, with a mix of Netgear 4250 and 4350 switches,” he added, noting that broadcast feeds were sent from the truck via Stage Racer 2 fibre optic transmission units, with 16 four-wire connections used, and a total of 120 Motorola R7 radios deployed throughout the event.
Clair’s George Forsyth discussed how the company integrated into the stadium’s house PA system. “We used a Lake LM44 with an analogue backup at a point before the stadium announcer to keep them on a separate feed for local and emergency announcements,” he revealed.
Th e console of choice was a DiGiCo Quantum 338 with a Shure Axient RF microphone system and Shure PSM 1000 for the more than 100 performers and crew in the opening ceremony. “Each element of the show had a comms channel, click track and backing tracks integrated from our Riedel communications system to give live cues,” Forsyth added.
Playback was handled by redundant QLAB systems on two M2 MacPro Studio machines with Waves MGB feeding MADI signals into the console. “Broadcast also fed us ref mics, content playback and some tunnel interviews,” he noted, adding that timecode transport was via Visual Productions Timecore units, fed from redundant QLAB timecode tracks.
Clair deployed two L-Acoustics SYVA and SYVA Low systems for VIP overlay, with 5XT fills and X8 monitors for presentation foldback and VVIP fill, which was equalised and time-aligned using Lake LM44s. “We also had two SYVA and SYVA Low systems filling in to guarantee good coverage throughout the stadium,” he stated.
With content updates throughout rehearsals and right up until the show and the Clair team located around the stadium looking after comms, radios, microphones and in-ear monitors, the project wasn’t without its challenges. However, Forsyth reported a “very enjoyable” working experience on the event. “Our team performed their tasks well without any issues,” he added.
‘A unique bespoke design’ FLOW covered the event’s power requirements. “We provided primary and secondary power to all technical, BOH and rehearsal zones,” stated FLOW Senior Account Manager, Aaron Lewis.
“We were also tasked with coming up with an outdoor cooling solution for the VVIP stand. This was a unique bespoke design that our engineering team came up with, using our compact package units and a series of plenum boxes and grills.”
FLOW provided three generator farms totalling 1,800kva of power. “There were a serious amount of long cable runs to distribute power around the pitch side and all levels of the stadium,” Lewis recalled, fondly. “This all came from and was linked through a series of our event-style mains distribution units and sub-main distribution boards.”
While those long cable runs provided a challenge for the team, Lewis was pleased to report a good working relationship with the stadium’s in-house team, which allowed FLOW to have cable pulled up the side of the stadium and use cable bridges from the generator farms to ensure that all live power was kept away from the public. “The biggest challenge came with installing the outdoor cooling solution,” he added. “Getting our compact package units inside the stadium and on to the grandstand had its feats to overcome, but it was all manageable working with the onsite team and the stadium.
“H aving a FLOW team onsite working in synergy with all other suppliers and the client is always something we are very proud of, and it was no different this time,” Lewis concluded.
“Working in hot conditions as we were moving into the summer months, with long cable runs and a tricky HVAC solution, the team always finds a way to make it look effortless – no cable is ever out of place, no DB is left unlabelled, and none of the power or cooling is ever disrupted.”
Lo oking back on the project, People’s Jensen was particularly proud of the way the team came together to deliver the show. “All the learning we took from last year, from the way the team operated to the event delivery was a real win,” he commented. “It’s important to acknowledge the team. Everyone sees the cherry at the end, but the journey that people go on is important. It was a huge collaborative achievement.”
Elliott was similarly pleased with the element of consistency achieved throughout the production. “It would have been easy for us to rip up everything and start again, but we wanted to make this the most sustainable reoccurring event possible,” he reflected.
“I ’m pleased that we had the confidence to continue the story, with consistent suppliers, growth and learning to make it a slicker, more seamless operation. It was a brave decision but one that I believe has been a major success.”
Photos: People www.peopleandco.com www.spectacularsbypeople.com www.clairglobal.com www.ct-group.com www.flowsolutions.me www.pitchblack.ae
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Energie Entertainment opens in Saudi Arabia
As the company opens its fully licenced Saudi Arabian operation, Founder and CEO, Tyler Davis Smith reflects on the next step in the growth of Energie Entertainment.
Energie Entertainment is a name that feels synonymous with the UAE’s live events industry, with the company cropping up on high-profile events all over the country and its prolific social media presence helping to keep the brand in the spotlight even during the typically quieter summer months. In fact, such as the ubiquity of the company, it’s difficult to believe that it was formed just four years ago, as the world wrangled with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back then the company’s charismatic Founder and CEO, Tyler Davis Smith, described the business as his ‘COVID baby’, and in subsequent features, we’ve charted the growth of Energie, from newborn into childhood, and adolescence. Continuing the long-running analogy, in our latest catch-up, Davis Smith revealed how recent developments at the company – including the opening of its fully licenced Saudi Arabian operation – have seen Energie take the next step into what he described as “early adulthood”.
“This year marks another huge leap forward in the development of the business,” he began. “The opportunities in Saudi Arabia are clear for all to see, and while we have done some work there over the past few years, for us to really gain a foothold in the Kingdom, we made the decision to open a fully licenced operation in Saudi Arabia.”
With Saudi Arabia’s prominent, governmentbacked event agencies making no secret of their desire to work only with companies that show a commitment to investing in the long-term development of the Kingdom, this latest move by Energie seems a logical step if the company is to achieve its ambitions of becoming a major player
in the country. And according to Davis Smith, the decision started bearing fruit even before it was formally announced.
“As soon as we decided that we would launch in Saudi Arabia, we had a list of the top companies and organisations who we planned on approaching, and I’m delighted to say that even before we advertised the fact that we’d become fully licenced, many of those companies have already come to us and asked us to pitch for some incredible projects,” he revealed. “The opportunity to be at the forefront of a brand-new industry is extremely exciting. We’ve only dipped our toe into the market so far and already it is proving to be very promising. Hopefully with the news now out, the floodgates will open.”
Davis Smith’s confidence is based upon Energie’s “unique” offering, the likes of which he believes simply does not exist in Saudi Arabia yet. “We feel that we’re well placed to offer something new to the market over above what currently exists,” he commented. “We bring the full package – from special projects to talent booking to show control, and everything in between.”
With the size and scale of the projects that Energie is involved in continuing to increase, the company is investing in bringing in new full-time team members to help cater to the demand. “We’re bringing in some seriously high-calibre people who are already at the top of their game and known widely throughout the industry,” Davis Smith revealed.
There have also been some major changes in the company’s branding to reflect the different clients that Energie is now working with. “We have refreshed our brand approach from the early days of Energie to a more corporate,
grown-up look,” Davis Smith noted. “We’re working at a higher level now and we’re evolving quickly to ensure that our aesthetic matches the expectations of the kind of clients we’re increasingly attracting,” he said, adding that the addition of in-house designers has made a big difference in the company’s ability to go into the finer details of branding.
Among this constant pursuit for growth, the Founder and CEO sounded a note of caution.
“You are only as good as your last event and we must always maintain our core values that have got us to where we are today if we are going to maintain and build on the success,” he explained. “We’ve always had a strong ethos that runs throughout the company and as we grow, it’s essential that we ensure that our company culture is carried through in anything we do.”
According to Davis Smith, it’s these core beliefs of being a partner rather than just a supplier and always looking after its people that are the major drivers for the company’s success so far.
“It’s vital that we continue in the same vein, as this ethos is what we’re known for throughout the industry,” he said, noting his pride at recent industry recognition in the form of a nomination for Best Supplier at the Middle East Event Show and a win for the company’s Lisa Pearson in the Entertainment Manager of the Year category at the TPiMEA Awards 2024 – marking the second year in a row that an Energie employee has taken home the prize following his own victory in 2023.
“We’re certainly making our mark on the industry, and we must carry on,” he remarked.
At the start of January, Davis Smith laid out a three-point plan for the development of the
company, and now just over halfway through the year, he’s pleased to report that progress is on track. “First, we needed to stabilise, because you can’t grow if you’re not stable. That meant upgrading all our back of house infrastructure, and working on policies and procedures,” he explained. “As part of that we have moved over to a fully mainland trade licence in the UAE, essentially closing one company and opening a new one. It wasn’t an easy process, but it supports our infrastructure for future growth.”
Next on the agenda was strengthening, which Davis Smith said included hiring for new positions and securing new business. “The third aim for the year is cementing ourselves as the leader in entertainment in the region,” he stated, boldly.
“It’s an aggressive target and we’re not there yet, but with what we anticipate will be a crazy Q4 on the horizon, if we continue to deliver to the same high standards, it’s a target that is well within our capabilities.”
Having already worked on projects as far afield as Turkey, India and Uzbekistan, Davis Smith isn’t putting any limits of where Energie can go and what it can achieve. “I said before that Energie is an adult now, but we’re nowhere near done yet,” he smiled. “We’re building a team of people who really care about the brand and who carry through our ethos in everything they do. The plan is to continue to grow while maintaining the high standards we constantly set ourselves. I don’t think we’re anywhere near our full potential yet. There’s much more to come from Energie.”
Photos: Energie Entertainment www.weareenergie.com
Halo Solutions
The innovative incident management platform is making its mark on the Middle East, after a successful crowdfunding effort that saw major investment from both JAM Events Services and Safe Events Global…
When it comes to incident management and safety at events, the flow of information is vital. According to Lloyd Major, CEO and Founder of Halo Solutions, speed, accuracy and efficiency are key. “Moving information around is the biggest challenge,” he told TPiMEA, referencing what he refers to as ‘the 90-90-90 principle’. “How communications are handled in the first 90 seconds of any incident affects the next 90 minutes, which in turn has an impact on the next 90 days and beyond.”
A former police officer with almost 20 years of experience on the force in the UK, including several on the National Counter Terrorism Police Operations Centre (NCTPOC) in London, Major knows a thing or two about what it takes to keep the public safe. He recalled how Halo was born when he was looking for an incident management system to champion in his work with the police but didn’t find any that delivered everything he was looking for. “We found several passable systems, but none could do everything we wanted. I saw a gap, and once I’d seen that gap, I couldn’t unsee it.”
Unable to ignore the gap in the market, in 2018, Major launched the Halo System – a universal incident management platform that can be implemented across the globe.
De signed to be easily set up to match the requirements of any processes for any specialised events or locations, from festivals and sports to universities and train stations, wherever the public gather, Halo aims to help event teams with a simple-to-use app, connected to a powerful digitised control centre that allows for complete shared situational awareness across stakeholders, and real-time management of the entire event from within the platform.
The solution was an immediate success, and after gaining a strong foothold in the UK events industry, Halo Solutions soon looked further afield, with the Middle East proving to be a fruitful territory, thanks to its consistent investment in the live events sector and rapid speed of development. “The sports and events market in Saudi Arabia and UAE is established and growing tremendously with investment across
the region. Countries like Qatar, now with an established infrastructure due to the investments around the FIFA World Cup, just showcase the incredible things happening in the region and it’s a privilege for Halo to play a small part in that and learn from these mega events, infrastructure and construction projects,” Major stated.
“Given the size and complexity of events in the region, the Halo System is a great proposition for event organisers, security companies, construction projects or transport hubs who want to be able to apply a best practice approach to managing their security and safety operations while getting the most from their available resources and mitigating the risks associated with any large-scale public event or location where the public gather,” he added.
“B uilding strong and effective relationships with our partners in the region is key to the successful delivery of our global strategic plan. The combination of the power of the Halo system with the local knowledge and expertise of our partners means we have a compelling proposition to jointly maximise the growing opportunity we see.” The company’s approach
in the Middle East involves working with carefully selected partners who are already well established in the region and regularly deliver some of the Middle East’s biggest and highestprofile events.
“H aving partners in country is a crucial first step in assessing market viability and building a sustainable revenue stream so that we can build a foundation that secures the second step of investment in country and employ local people,” Major explained. “In the MEA region, across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, Halo has shown it can deliver support to some of the largest events in the world.”
Two of those partners in the Middle East are Safe Events Global and JAM Events Services –both of which tick all the boxes for Halo.
“They understand the local market, how events are set up and managed in the region and are familiar with any specific regulations or security requirements,” Major commented. “Working with specialist providers in the Middle East creates an ideal solution for end user customers. They benefit from the power of the Halo System to help them keep their
own customers safe and the knowledge and experience of our local partners to implement the Halo solution in the best possible way for their needs and the local market requirements.”
Halo has been working with Safe Events Global and JAM Event Services for several years and has successfully supported them at highprofile events across entertainment and sport, including Formula 1 in Jeddah, Noor Riyadh and MDLBEAST Soundstorm.
In February 2024, Halo opened a public investment opportunity with Crowdcube and both Safe Events Global and JAM Event Services – as well as 188 other private individuals and businesses – decided to invest in the company as part of that initiative. The investment gives Halo the capital it requires to deliver against its strategic product roadmap. “This will help us add even more powerful capabilities to Halo,” Major said of the crowdfunding effort. “It will also help us to increase our marketing efforts, which will support our partners in the region in developing their target markets further.”
“We are honoured to partner with Halo Solutions on this,” commented JAM’s James
Mistry. “We have watched their spectacular growth across the past few years, and we know that Lloyd and his team share the same passion and drive JAM holds for the flawless delivery of the safest events across the region.”
Safe Events Global’s Mark Breen added: “At Safe Events Global, we are all about people and process. I met Lloyd at an industry conference over seven years ago; he introduced me to V1 of their Halo platform, and I saw huge potential in it. We began working with Halo almost immediately, both because of the system (process) and Lloyd himself (people). Fast-forward to 2024 and we’ve deployed Halo all around the world for clients and Lloyd has become a friend as well as a superb industry colleague.”
Breen stated that the company’s decision to invest a six-figure sum in Halo was “a natural progression”. He added: “We use the system. It helps us keep people safe across pretty much all our events for clients around the globe. We feel we can hopefully have a tiny input into Halo’s continued and growing success. We share the Halo team’s vision, and we are excited for what’s to come with the platform.”
Looking ahead, Major plans to develop Halo’s presence in the MEA region, taking the company’s market-leading position in the UK and growing across the Middle East and Africa in safety operations technology for the events industry and many others.
“We aim to achieve this by working closely with our partners to identify market growth opportunities and supporting them with the tools they need to effectively position the Halo Solution and eventually business registration as well as employment and investment in local people and local economies,” he concluded. “We want to set ourselves apart from other tech companies by employing local people and getting involved in projects for good, investing in educations and sustainability programmes to support people around the world to become developers. We’ve always been about people. People are at the heart of our products, central to our mission and at the heart of everything we want to do.”
Photos: Halo Solutions, MDLBEAST www.halosolutions.com www.jameventservices.com www.safeevents.ie
Above: The Halo System has already been used on several high-profile events in the region, including the Formula 1 in Jeddah
Skill Tech Audio Engineering Institute
The Dubai-based educational institute now offers KHDA-accredited courses to nurture the next generation of audio engineers…
One criticism that is often levelled at Dubai and the Middle East in general is the perceived lack of pathways for those just starting out in their careers in live events. While some of the region’s larger organisations have launched their own training and internship programmes, there’s undoubtedly more that could be done to nurture the next generation of live event professionals. Aiming to satisfy that need when it comes to the audio side of the industry is Skill Tech Audio Engineering Institute – an organisation that claims to be “not just about teaching sound engineering, but also shaping futures”.
Founded by industry veteran Andy Ward – who has an extensive audio engineering background spanning more than three decades that has seen him collaborate with the likes of Carl Cox, Faithless, Dido, Jarvis Cocker and Motorhead to name just a few – the institution provides “top-
notch vocational education” in live sound engineering and studio production.
Clearly a passion project for Ward, Skill Tech Audio has grown from its early days, when it operated under the name Academy of Sound Dxb, and recently moved its live sound location to Business Central Towers, close to the Dubai Internet City Metro station, in partnership with Dubai-based premium audio specialist, DrHead.ae. “We can now run our live sound course in the heart of Dubai, within easy reach of the Metro, which is hugely beneficial for our students,” Ward commented, explaining the reason behind the move.
Advanced sections of the live sound engineer course will also take place at 7Hertz Pro Audio in Silicon Oasis, with students given the chance to gets hands-on with some of the very best equipment from the likes of DiGiCo and d&b audiotechnik. New industry partnerships are opening frequently as audio suppliers and event companies see the strategic advantages of supporting live sound education and building community with the next generation of live sound professionals.
Another recent development for the institute is its accreditation status from the Knowledge and Human
Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai. “This accreditation is a testament to our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of education and ensuring that our students receive a high-quality learning experience that prepares them for success in the industry,” Ward stated.
Ward is a big believer in ‘learning by doing’. “There’s no point in doing the course if you’re not going to put it to use after, and all our training is geared towards getting graduates straight into paid work,” Ward stated, adding that the organisation also has links with recruitment agencies and event companies in the industry, which helps smooth the path to employment. “Having that direct connection with the industry is a great feature that our students certainly make the most of.”
Another string to the Skill Tech Audio bow is in-house training, which sees an instructor visit an event company or equipment suppliers and conduct some sessions at their
premises. “This isn’t just for people in the audio department,” Ward said of the service. “It’s something that sales and marketing personnel also find useful.”
With various courses ranging from absolute beginner to more advanced audio engineering techniques for those already in the industry looking to broaden their knowledge or sharpen their skills, Ward believes that there’s an option for everyone. “Our trade license as an institution for vocational education underscores our mission to empower aspiring sound engineers with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience they need to thrive in the competitive world of live sound,” he commented. “From mastering the latest technology to honing their creativity and problemsolving abilities, our students graduate ready to make their mark in the industry.”
Photos: Skill Tech Audio Engineering Institute www.audioengineeringskilltech.com
The magic of mapping
Anton Kolodyazhny, Creative Director of dreamlaser, discusses the many applications of projection mapping and recalls a few of his favourite recent projects that have utilised the medium.
Projection mapping is a technology that turns almost any object into a canvas, captivating the attention of viewers and passersby, and making it possible to bring a range of ideas to life, from commercial presentations to media art projects. One company that has its fair share of experience in the field is dreamlaser, which has a portfolio encompassing dozens of large-scale projects, including installations for media art festivals, projects for global companies, works for exhibitions and numerous projection shows.
“M apping can take various forms,” began dreamlaser Creative Director, Anton Kolodyazhny, discussing the many applications of the medium – including architectural, “on buildings and structures like bridges, aeroplanes, and ships”; interior; on small objects “such as cakes, dresses, or building models”; landscape “on natural objects like mountains, cliffs, and trees”; and interactive “where viewers can interact with the projection using different technologies”.
According to Kolodyazhny, well-researched content is key to achieving meaningful projection mapping shows.
“Content creation always begins with extensive research by our production team, and this is something we take particular pride in with our approach,” he commented.
“D elving deep into the subject matter, studying its history and all available materials, conducting interviews with experts in the field – these form the foundation upon which we build our content creation process. Given our extensive work in cultural projects, we understand the importance of preserving the authenticity of cultural codes and finding suitable visual forms to represent them.”
One of the company’s most deeply researched projects was the mapping of the White Mosque in Bolgar, Russia. To commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of Volga Bulgaria’s adoption of Islam, dreamlaser utilised Notch Builder software as well as 12 Christie D4K40 projectors to create a 3D projection mapping, with hyper-realistic
Above: White Mosque; Khareef Dhofar Festival; and the anniversary celebrations of Magtymguly Fragi
animation showcasing the building’s architectural beauty.
“The mapping visually explored themes of culture and religion in Volga Bulgaria,” Kolodyazhny recalled. “Consulting with historians and Arabic specialists, the visual concept was crafted to reflect Islamic traditions and local cultural imagery, with intricate patterns, colour schemes, symbols, and script elements drawn from cultural sources.”
Some of the most impressive examples of projection mapping emerge when creators take an unconventional approach. For example, dreamlaser’s work at the Khareef Dhofar Festival in Oman – named after the annual monsoon bringing coolness to the arid region every summer.
“D uring this time, clouds gather over the desert, winds blow, rain falls, and greenery sprouts, creating a unique natural backdrop,” Kolodyazhny explained, recalling how the dreamlaser team utilised eight 30W lasers and 14 Panasonic PT-RZ31KE projectors to transform a huge dome-shaped stage on the edge of the misty desert into a canvas for ornamental and historical animations.
“V isually, the mapping in Oman was rich with images of the region’s culture and nature, including marine life, calligraphy, unique daggers, the moon, and stars vividly visible in the desert,” he added. “The semicircular structure not only served as a recognisable landmark at the festival but also provided a convenient surface for displaying intricate content. An-other innovative aspect was the realtime processing and projection of live performances by artists during the festival concert.”
As the capabilities of computer graphics continue to advance, the possibilities for telling rich stories featuring
intricate details grows with it. Another of dreamlaser’s recent projects that made full use of this increasing capability was the show commemorating the 300th anniversary of Turkmen poet, thinker, and humanist, Magtymguly Fragi, who laid the foundation for the Turkmen literary language.
In honour of this event, a grand inauguration of Fragi’s monument took place in Ashgabat at the foothills of the Kopetdag mountain range on the border between Turkmenistan and Iran.
“The show celebrated the life and legacy of the poet, using various symbols from local culture and nature. Spectators, along with the protagonist, journeyed through the mountains of Turkmenistan, culminating in arriving at the modern new city of Arkadag,” Kolodyazhny described.
“The main stage for mapping was a majestic staircase adorned with massive granite bowls, illuminated by 130 multimedia projectors, including the advanced Christie D4K40 model. At the climax of the show, the staircase was rolled out with a bright carpet leading to the towering 60m sculpture of Magtymguly Fragi.”
From national celebrations and global events of international importance to sporting tournaments, corporate showcases and art installations, projection mapping is a versatile solution that can be deployed to achieve a range of effects. And with the region’s ever-increasing hunger for bigger, better and more eye-catching productions, it seems certain that the technology will continue to advance to keep up with the demand.
Photos: dreamlaser www.dreamlaser.com
Drone’s-eye view: the truth behind aerial filming
CHOPPERSHOOT Managing Partner, Liam Allen, and Business Development Manager, Mouna El Alaoui, debunk some common misconceptions and share advice on what to consider when incorporating aerial filming into an event…
Drones are increasingly becoming a regular part of live events throughout the Middle East, with large swarms often combining with fireworks as well as more traditional audiovisual mediums to produce ever more spectacular shows. Alongside the rapid development in terms of drone shows, drones are also being utilised when it comes to capturing the region’s live events on film, with the quickly evolving technology offering new and innovative angles and making possible the kind of footage that would previously have required the use of a helicopter or, in some cases, wouldn’t have been possible at all.
Standing at the forefront of this aerial filming revolution is CHOPPERSHOOT, with the company boasting extensive experience in filming for live events as well as the TV and film industry via both helicopter and drones. Catching up with TPiMEA as a busy events season was winding down, Managing Partner, Liam Allen, and Business
Development Manager, Mouna El Alaoui, talked through some of the most often overlooked considerations that should be accounted for when incorporating aerial filming into an event.
“The biggest source of uncertainty among clients tends to be around permits,” began Allen, casting a knowing look towards El Alaoui. “There are plenty of misconceptions in that space, but one of the most common we tend to encounter is the belief that you can fly a drone without a permit in the UAE as long as you’re in a ‘green zone’. Of course, that’s not the case, and every location that you want us to fly a drone in requires a full set of permits and approvals.”
CH OPPERSHOOT has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, as well as a global presence in Barcelona, Spain, and every country the company operates in has different requirements when it comes to regulations. “We have a dedicated team especially for applying for permits,” El Alaoui revealed. “Also, maintaining
relationships with all the authorities in the regions where we operate is extremely important so if there’s going to be a change in policy that could affect us, we know about it.”
Loc ation choice is another factor that requires careful consideration. “Let’s say you’re shooting a project at Burj Khalifa, for example,” Allen proffered. “You might have all the necessary permits and approval to shoot the building, but you also need to be covered for its surrounding areas – and when you’re in the middle of Downtown Dubai, there are a lot of notable attractions packed into a relatively small area that you need to be covered for.”
The issue is brought into even greater focus in a city such as Dubai, where every major building has its own in-house security team. “Even with all the correct permits and permissions, we could still face resistance from building security staff who are not familiar with what we’re doing,” Allen commented. “We do a lot of work around Emaar
properties and that is always fantastic because their security teams are so well-versed in what we do.”
One limitation that is becoming increasingly common is the need for drones to be fitted with a tracking device that reports their exact location to the Civil Aviation Authority. “If we were to stray outside of the pre-agreed area, the tracker would alert the authorities and our flight would be cancelled automatically,” Allen revealed.
“It’s a balancing act as a pilot to make sure that you are getting the best shots for the director but also flying safely and staying within the agreed flight zone.”
CH OPPERSHOOT was recently engaged to capture the action at Untold Dubai, and the added challenge of filming an event with tens of thousands in attendance brought with it some extra considerations than would be required for a film or TV shoot. “We used small drones under 250g in weight, which meant that we were able to fly over the crowds without risking anybody being hurt,” Allen recalled.
“Those smaller drones have a very limited flight time, so we required multiple drones taking off in staggered timeslots to capture the whole event.”
With so many people on site and several drone flights occurring concurrently, preparation and constant communication are vital for a project such as Untold. “Ensuring that everybody knows exactly what is going to happen throughout the night is essential,” El Alaoui stated.
Looking ahead, Allen believes that tightening regulations will provide the main challenge in the future. “Everything comes down to regulations,” he concluded. “As more and more companies come on the scene, restrictions are going to get tighter to ensure that only the people who have the experience and expertise and who are working in the right way will be able to fly. As a well-established company in the field, we hope to work with the authorities to help create plans that work for everybody and keep the airspace running as efficiently as possible.”
Photos: CHOPPERSHOOT www.choppershoot.com
AI: The future of sustainability
Al Laith CEO, Jason English explores the exciting possibilities of how AI-powered technology could revolutionise companies’ sustainability strategies throughout the live events industry and beyond…
Ask most events industry clients what they want from their suppliers and the words ‘sustainability’ and ‘innovation’ often appear high on the list of priorities. They are two qualities that are becoming increasingly valued, and organisations are placing more and more emphasis on ensuring that both are being delivered at every possible touchpoint.
On e person leading the charge in both fields is Jason English, CEO at Al Laith and Chief Ecosystem Officer of the wider CG Tech Group. In addition to his more than 20 years of senior management experience, English is one of the handful of South African-born leaders to be selected as part of the Peter Diamandis mastermind of 250 exponential entrepreneurs, serving on the EXCO of the Young Presidents Organisation.
“There’s more than enough data to show the impact that we’re having on the planet collectively,” English explained, further underlining the importance he places on sustainability. “It starts with wanting to make a difference as individuals and then it transfers to how we act as companies, and there’s a whole industry and an ecosystem that develops around that.”
While there’s no doubt of the desire for change, according to English, there are several factors that are hindering the general pace of change throughout the industry. “We think about sustainability, and we talk about sustainability all the time, but giving effect to sustainability is a much more difficult task than talking about it. Ultimately, sustainability has a cost impact and that influences people’s ability to affect change,” he explained.
“Clients want to see innovation, but they want it at the same price, which creates its own challenges. That means we as organisations must get smart in terms of how we manage our costs and create that added value.”
On e form of innovation that offers a potentially hugely powerful solution when it comes to increasing sustainability is artificial intelligence (AI). “AI is the hot topic right now internally, and that extends to our clients, our supply chain and, I’m sure, our competitors,” English commented. “Everybody is talking about AI, but the key to getting the most out of it is establishing how we use AI effectively so it’s not just a cool thing to have, but something that adds genuine value.”
With a background in mechanical engineering, English describes himself as “a gadget freak”, and it’s this penchant for technology that has led him to pioneer a range of innovative initiatives across the entire GC Tech Group.
“My love for the software part of technology really developed around 2014, when I needed to try and scale training of an organisation that was growing at tremendous speed, and there was no way to do that without bringing in digital,” he recalled.
By 2016, inspired by his participation in the Abundance360 programme by Peter Diamandis, English fast-tracked the deployment of technology within the group of companies. “We decided to create our own technology laboratory,” he revealed. “We assembled a group of software engineers and gave them the mandate of trying to disrupt our own business by using technology. It became a very much a MAFO – Mess Around and Find Out – experiment, where we played with everything from virtual reality to drones.”
With the full-hearted backing and participation of English, the rollout of technology throughout CG Tech has
become so ingrained in the group that it now forms a key aspect of the company culture. “Technology is central to every conversation within the group,” he stated. “We have an AI champion in every organisation who is mandated to manage the rollout of AI, and we have weekly tech talks where we take the teams through the deployment of AI and how to use it effectively to achieve our goals.”
‘We could be on to something big’
From a sustainability standpoint, English explained how AI can be harnessed in several valuable ways. “AI can be incredibly useful from an environmental monitoring perspective, for energy consumption analysis and helping us to understand how we use energy internally and what improvements could be made.”
Th ere is also a catalogue of other uses for AI technology that will undoubtedly contribute to greater sustainability. “I believe that it is going to be a consistent development rather than a ‘eureka’ moment,” English stated. “Predictive analytics is something that can help us streamline everything from how we utilise and maintain our materials and equipment to the strategic deployment of people.
“A I will also play a major role in safety management in terms of how we can identify potential hazards through video technology,” English added. “We’re already playing a lot with that in the oil and gas industry, so I suspect that this will naturally enter the events industry.”
On the design and engineering side, English believes that we will see generative AI design capability in event structures within the next decade, while supply chain optimisation and inventory management is another area of huge potential use for the technology.
“B eing able to optimise stock takes and availability of material will be huge in terms of managing our supply chains and increasing efficiency,” he remarked.
English is also heavily focused on the training and development applications for AI, being aware of the huge benefit it could offer in terms of increasing access to training. “If we can train an AI to be able to deliver the kind of professional development that usually takes time away from senior members of the team then we could be onto something big,” he shared. “We’re making major moves in that direction already.”
Not all sustainability has to be powered by futuristic technology; some come as a result of good old-fashioned ethical practices. “Sustainability has been going on naturally within Al Laith for a very long time,” English commented. “Most of the materials are reusable and the majority are dismantled after each event and used again and again on future projects.”
Of c ourse, there’s only so far that basic sustainable practices can take us, and English is a big believer in the power of innovation when it comes to futureproofing the organisation and doing the best thing for the planet in the long term. “We’re looking at multiple initiatives across the board, from replacing plywood with recyclable products to eradicating single-use plastics from our facilities through a partnership with No More Bottles to the widespread use of solar and hydrogen power – to the point that we have even started a renewable energy company under the CG Tech Group called Serious Energy,” he revealed.
“W ith all these initiatives, the initial impact that you make on a global scale is always questionable, but if everybody around the world did their small part, maybe there would be a significant outcome,” English concluded. “I would like to think that we’re at the forefront of leading the change across our industries.”
Photos: CG Tech www.cg-tech.co www.allaith.com
Ayrton Rivale Wash
Ayrton CEO, Chris Ferrante discusses the latest addition to the company’s 3 Series Ultimate range of fixtures.
Where does the Rivale Wash sit within Ayrton’s 3 Series?
Rivale Wash sits alongside Rivale Profile as part of the 3 Series in Ayrton’s Ultimate range of fixtures. Its light engine and colour mixing system are identical to the Profile, making both fixtures totally complementary.
What are some of the main features that will benefit the end user?
Full field internal barndoors are perhaps the most interesting feature when paired with the brand-new fresnel lens, which has been designed to enable smooth and soft wash effects while still being able to ensure effective control of the light. This is coupled with a full set of features not often associated with a wash fixture: a set of gobos for the creation of texture, a multicoloured animation wheel which creates realistic liquid and fire transitions, an intense 4° beam, a wide zoom range, and our colour mixing system.
Why is the fixture well suited for the conditions in the Middle East?
Ayrton has a track record of producing IP65 and IP66 fixtures and we have years of experience with our units in the Middle East. They perform well in the harsh temperature, humidity and corrosive environments found there, not to mention the sand and the wind.
Ratings are one thing, but real-world field use is another and since the launch of Perseo in 2019, the Middle East has been one of our largest markets for our IP65 units.
What kind of R&D process went into the development of the range?
As always when we develop a product, we try to push the technology we’ve embedded to its limit. For Rivale Wash, we followed the same concept; we started from the base of Rivale Profile with its LED engine perfectly centred on the black body.
We also used the same unique CMY module with its dichroic colour wheels, and adapted the optical system that we created for Huraçan and Domino Wash with its fresnel front lens, and applied it to Rivale Wash. All this is encapsulated in an IP65 enclosure.
What are the main potential applications for the fixture?
The goal for the Ultimate series is to provide a set of tools that can be used across disciplines and markets. With a focus on weight and miniaturisation, Rivale Wash will be just as at home outdoors as it is indoors. With its incredibly quiet operation, feature set, colour mixing and the choice of its light engine sitting perfectly on the black body curve, Rivale is perfect for fixed installations, rental, concert touring, theatre, film and corporate rentals.
Where can Middle East users get hold of the Rivale Wash?
All of Ayrton’s products can be found at our partner, Procom Middle East, which holds extensive inventory, can provide demos and has a state-of-the-art service centre.
Photos: Ayrton www.ayrton.eu
www.procom-me.com/brands/ayrton
DLC Events partners with Silent Seminars
The company will provide the UK-based headset supplier’s technology throughout the Middle East.
DLC Events has entered into a partnership with Silent Seminars to bring the company’s headset technology to its projects in the region.
“The Silent Seminars headsets will be
a unique product in the region, in terms of style, features and convenience”, stated Mark Breakspear, Sales and Operations Manager at DLC Events. “Alongside the silent-disco potential,
the capabilities of these headsets due to their impressive count of 10 simultaneous channels mean they are perfect for a vast array of uses in the corporate world, from language interpretation to large exhibition areas.”
Already prominent in the conference and meeting space within the Middle East, the new agreement will further strengthen DLC Events’ scope of services in the region.
Du ncan Strain, Director of Silent Seminars, added: “We are delighted to launch our new partnership with Mark and the team at DLC Events to bring Silent Seminars to the Middle East. Our tech provides game-changing audio solutions to the ever-growing conference and exhibition market here in Europe and we are extremely excited about the opportunities in this extended region.”
Photo: DLC Events www.dlcevents.com www.silentseminars.com
ShowTech Productions invests in Robe
The Bahrain-based company adds to its stock with new iFORTE fixtures.
ShowTech Productions, based in Riffa, Bahrain, recently added to its extensive Robe moving light stock with the purchase of 12 iFORTE LTX luminaires, which were delivered by Robe Middle East in Dubai.
The Bahrain-headquartered event production and technical services company, which also has a base in Saudi Arabia and works across the GCC, already has an extensive inventory of Robe fixtures, including Spiiders, MegaPointes and BMFLs. “Robe products have consistently been on all the international riders we have seen in the past 10 years,” stated owner and CEO, Lawrence Rodricks.
ShowTech’s clients include the 10,000-capacity Dana Amphitheatre, which regularly hosts numerous global touring artists and has helped put Bahrain on the international Middle East touring circuit since its inauguration
in 2018. “Typically, we will supply Robe moving lights for shows in this venue,” explained Lawrence, “The brand is very often on their specs already, and if it’s not, then lighting designers and directors are always happy to use Robe.”
Lawrence is confident the iFORTES are a “great investment and an amazing, excellentquality and popular product that ticked all our boxes and also has value as a cross-rental item.”
Th e iFORTE LTXs were delivered to ShowTech immediately after the recent SLS Expo in Riyadh, and their first show was German rock band, Scorpions, whose Lighting Designer, Manfred Nikitser, specified 50 of the fixtures on his rider, complete with additional fixtures from dry hire specialist, Perfect Ovation.
Photo: Louise Stickland
www.robe.cz
www.showtechbahrain.com
Starway partners with FA-BT in Iraq
The deal marks a key step in the French manufacturer’s progress in the region.
Starway has announced a new strategic partnership with Iraq-based FA-BT (Future Art Broadcast). A major player in the country’s lighting sector, the distributor will now offer Starway’s entire range to its clients throughout the region.
“This collaboration marks a key step in exporting our French expertise and offering innovative lighting solutions to a new market,” commented Starway Communications Manager, David Vincent-Sully.
“Starway and FA-BT are committed to illuminating Iraqi events with the excellence and cutting-edge technology that characterise our products. This alliance further strengthens our international presence and helps to pave the way for exciting new opportunities in the event lighting industry.”
Photo: Starway en.starway.eu www.fa-bt.com
NMK Electronics to distribute MILOS
The partnership covers the entire Middle East, with a focus on the six GCC countries.
NMK Electronics and MILOS have recently revealed a new partnership, which will see NMK distribute the Czech manufacturer’s trussing and structural support solutions throughout the GCC.
Th e decision to partner with MILOS was driven by NMK’s strategic goal to enhance its structural support offerings.
“I n our quest to provide comprehensive solutions to our clients, we identified a gap in our portfolio for trussing and structural support systems,” said Nicolas Cox, Managing Director at NMK Electronics. “MILOS’ reputation for quality, coupled with their attractive pricing and adherence to European standards, made them the ideal partner for us.”
Th e partnership will cover the entire Middle East, focussing on the six major GCC countries: Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and
Bahrain. The addition of MILOS to NMK’s portfolio allows for enhanced offerings to clients across various sectors. Initially, the focus will be on the rental market, including live staging and professional AV departments.
Th e solutions provided by MILOS will also cater to permanent installations in auditoriums, large venues, and other significant projects requiring structural support.
“O ur goal is to create strong brand awareness and highlight the unique features and advantages of MILOS’ offerings,” added Cox. “We plan to leverage our existing relationships with rental companies and key clients to introduce MILOS to the GCC market effectively.”
MI LOS is equally enthusiastic about the partnership. “We are thrilled to collaborate with NMK Electronics, a company known for its dedication to quality and customer satisfaction,”
said Jiri Krebs from MILOS. “This partnership allows us to expand our reach in the GCC market and provide our innovative structural solutions to a broader audience.”
Photo: NMK Electronics www.nmkelectronics.com www.milossystems.com
Pretoria Union Buildings shine bright for presidential inauguration
Immersive Show Technology utilises Robe ESPRITE and iBOLT fixtures for the striking celebration.
Lighting Designer Chris de Lancey from Immersive Show Technology recently created a stunning architectural lighting scheme for the Union Buildings in Pretoria to help celebrate the recent South African presidential inauguration.
Th e LD selected Robe ESPRITE moving lights as well as the new Robe iBOLT to meet the challenge, which combined with projection mapping of the South African flag onto the building to create the desired effect.
A notoriously difficult structure to light effectively due to is extremely long 285m façade, the Union Buildings are semi-circular in shape with two side wings representing the union of formally divided people.
This was the first time that de Lancey had lit the buildings, and he specified six Robe ESPRITEs per side for the façade illuminations, and two 40K projectors for the flags onto the two end-walls.
Af ter a conversation with Duncan Riley from Robe’s South African distributor, DWR Distribution, the LD learned that the iBOLT had recently arrived in the country, and as soon as he knew it was available, he had to have it.
“It’s a completely awesome fixture and created some beautiful effects,” he commented, adding that it juxtaposed seamlessly with the lit building. The ESPRITES were rigged on truss
tower sections on the other side of a road that passes directly in front – with a 9m drop – of the buildings, along the edge of the large amphitheatre that stretches away in front of the seat of government. They were positioned to avoid greenery, and the shutters used extensively to produce crisp delineating lines between the different bold flag colours.
ES PRITES are one of de Lancey’s go-to fixtures for multiple shows and corporate events, so he knows them well, but even he was surprised at how well they worked in this architectural context.
Th e central curved building and its two distinctive turrets, illuminated by a permanent lighting installation already in place for some years, provided depth, contrast and a negative space that coincidentally referenced the black parts of the South African flag.
Th e installation ran for three nights from dusk to dawn and was enjoyed and appreciated by the press and the public either side of the actual inauguration ceremony, which took place at midday on 19 June on the South Lawns of the Union Buildings.
Photos: Chris Duys www.robe.cz
www.dwrdistribution.co.za
Pro AV Team completes largescale gospel church installation
StageOne-supplied Beamz Pro fixtures bring new light to Johannesburg’s Chosen Word Ministries.
Pro AV Team, using lighting supplied by StageOne, has successfully completed the first phase of a large-scale Beamz Pro lighting installation at Chosen Word Ministries. Located in Rispark in the south of Johannesburg, the new house of worship opened its doors with a spectacular event, the Greater Works Conference, in early June.
Le on Fourie, the owner of Pro AV Team, expressed his excitement about the project: “We were privileged to design a lighting system that meets the diverse needs of Chosen Word Ministries,” he began.
“This venue is not only a church but also a multipurpose space that can be rented out for various events. Our goal was to create a lighting setup that is both visually captivating and easy to operate, even for volunteers. We wanted the lighting to enhance the emotional element of the church services, making the worship experience even more engaging.”
The scale of this project is unprecedented for Pro AV Team. “This is the biggest installation we’ve done to date,” said Fourie. “We used over 150 Beamz Pro fixtures, 600m of power cables, 200m of truss, and 800m of DMX. The church building is 52m wide by 71m long.”
For the stage lighting, Pro AV Team used 36 Beamz Pro LCB-14 Hybrid LED Bars to frame a massive 20m by 8m LED screen. “These fixtures have full pixel mapping ability, creating stunning
visual effects and chases around the screen,” explained Fourie. “The pastor loves them.”
Pro AV Team chose 12 BeamZ Pro Ignite 300s for their moving head fixtures. “The Ignite 300 is a super versatile LED moving head with the same brightness as a 380W lamp-based fixture,” said Fourie. “I love the dual prisms and the ability to overlap them to create an even larger effect.” In addition, 16 Beamz Pro Kratos LED Tube Lights were positioned in front of the stage for special effects and to enhance the overall visual impact.
For FOH lighting, Pro AV Team used 10 BeamZ Pro BTS300Z LED Profile Spot Zoom fixtures. “These fixtures punch as high as conventional tungsten-based lights but at a third of the power usage,” commented Fourie. “We use the blades to shape the beams so they don’t go too high compared to the height of the LED screen onstage. We can also cut it off at the bottom and adjust the zoom for consistency.”
The team also used eight Beamz Pro MHL1240s. “These fixtures can zoom in on specific areas or wash the entire stage, providing flexibility for different lighting needs,” said Fourie. “They are perfect for highlighting specific areas on stage, such as the podium or solo performers, while also blending the light to match the BTS300 fixtures for a consistent look.”
The audience lighting was equally impressive, with 36 Beamz Pro Lucid 2.8 LED Bars installed in the ceiling. These fixtures serve as both house
lights and effect lights, capable of changing the colour of the entire venue during a service. “Running them in full mode allows us to create beautiful effects and chases inside the venue,” noted Fourie.
The entire lighting system is controlled using an Avolites Tiger Touch II, utilising 16 full universes of lighting control. “We are running the system to its full potential with Artnet and Beamz eight-way boosters to ensure clean signal distribution,” commented Fourie. All trussing in the venue is Alustage, with 200m of Quad Truss used in the first phase of the installation.
The feedback from Chosen Word Ministries has been overwhelmingly positive. Reverend Witness Acts commented: “Our experience working with Pro AV Team has been amazing. Their professionalism, work ethic, and commitment are exceptional. They delivered ahead of schedule, and we are extremely satisfied with the results.”
Fourie also shared his excitement at the project: “We are still training the church team, but everyone is eager to start painting with light and pushing faders. We are already planning for phase two of the installation and looking forward to further enhancing the visual experience at Chosen Word Ministries.”
Photos: StageOne
www.stage-one.co.za www.proavteam.com
