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The SET Awards celebrates projects using the best use of technology across live events and entertainment installs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For more information or for sponsorship enquiries, please email Fran Begaj: f.begaj@mondiale.co.uk”
Welcome to TPiMEA
Peter Iantorno Editorial Director
The eagled-eyed among you may have noticed that this issue of TPiMEA is hitting your inbox slightly later in the month than usual, and if you were one of the 85,351 unique visitors who attended Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) this year, you’ll know exactly why. Once considered more of a regional show, ISE is now the must-attend event on the tradeshow calendar with a truly global audience – including a healthy Middle East and Africa contingent –descending on Barcelona.
This year, the Live Events Stage made its ISE debut, with TPi’s very own Stew Hume curating a series of fascinating talks, covering a wide range of topics throughout the week. One of those topics was the emergence of Saudi Arabia on the global events market, for which I was delighted to welcome an expert panel of MDLBEAST’s Executive Director of Events, Michael ‘Curly’ Jobson, PRG’s Director of Music Lighting, Yvonne Donnelly Smith, and Harry Calthorpe of Rock-it Cargo.
Th e panel came hot on the heels of MDLBEAST’s flagship event, Soundstorm, which took place in December 2024. I was on site for the full three days of the festival, roaming the expansive grounds and discovering the titanic logistical operation behind this monster production. And when it came to writing up my experience, I didn’t hold back… If you’ve got half an hour to spare and want to know more, grab a coffee and turn to page 46
Also in this issue, we have an in-depth write up from the UAE’s 53rd Eid Al Etihad celebrations (page 68), we hear about CTME’s deployment at the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix (page 22), we sit down with industry veteran Marco Niedermeier of AO Multimedia & Drones (page 10), and much, much more.
Th e next stop for us is the TPi Awards in London on 24 February, where I’m sure as ever there will be plenty of regional representation. See you at the bar!
Enjoy the issue.
First Look
10 Marco Niedermeier
The longtime Dubai resident and creative brain behind some of the region’s most spectacular shows invites TPiMEA inside the fabled AO Multimedia & Drones creative villa.
Event Focus
18 Afterlife Abu Dhabi
A dazzling late-night production adds a new dimension to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
22 F1 Grand Prix Qatar
Creative Technology Middle East orchestrates the technical production behind Qatar’s F1 Grand Prix.
26 Global Champions Arena Tour & Longines Global Champions Tour 2024
A car park in the centre of Riyadh is transformed into a world-class equestrian venue.
32 New Year's Eve 2025
The skies of Riyadh are illuminated for the Kingdom's largest annual sporting event.
42 Maroon 5 in Mumbai
Mega Sound supports the audio needs for the American band’s debut performance in India.
Production Profile
46 MDLBEAST Soundstorm
As world records tumble and MDLBEAST continues to raise the bar for festival production, TPiMEA ventures into the belly of the beast to find out what it takes to organise the unique and extraordinary annual event that is Soundstorm.
68 Eid Al Etihad 53
A purpose-built theatre in the depths of Jebel Hafeet National Park plays host to a spectacular celebration of the UAE’s heritage and sustainable future.
Interview
84 Mastering RF technology
7Hertz hosts a groundbreaking masterclass with Sound Devices, introducing the Astral Series to some of the region’s top audio professionals.
In Profile
86 Titan Power UAE
Titan power launches its new UAE operation.
90 Trivandi aquires The Bulb
TPiMEA sits down with the new dream team to find out how the deal could supercharge sustainability in events throughout the Middle East and beyond.
92 Groupe Novelty grows in
the Middle East
The French giant making its mark in the region.
94 Gear Heads
d&b audiotechnik introduces the new CCL System..
95 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
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
Sheelan Shah
Mobile: +44 (0)7401 690960 e-mail: s.shah@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager
Tom Dyson
Mobile: +44 (0)7306 505230 e-mail: t.dyson@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
Marketing and Event Assistant
Charlie Moore e-mail: c.moore@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
MDLBEAST Soundstorm by Maja Moan @majamoan, courtesy of Vita Motus
Printed By Buxton Press www.buxpress.co.uk
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Marco Niedermeier, Founder, AO Multimedia & Drones
The longtime Dubai resident and creative brain behind some of the region’s most spectacular shows invites TPiMEA inside the fabled AO creative villa…
While drones are a reasonably modern development in the world of live events, many of the people who are driving innovation in this emerging medium have long and distinguished careers in the industry and a wealth of experience to call upon. This is certainly the case for Marco Niedermeier, Founder of AO Multimedia & Drones, whose varied career so far has seen him not only producing shows all over the world for some of the top rock ’n’ roll stars but also pushing the boundaries with the manufacturing and deployment of his own technology.
He re, the German national and longtime UAE resident looks back on his journey from searchlight distributor to multimedia drone show producer, charting some of the many highlights along the way and speculating on what might be next in the fast-moving and ultra-competitive business of drones.
What sparked your interest in the industry?
I started my career as a steel engineer working for my parents’ company in Germany. In 1995, my brother and I took an interest in searchlights, and he found a manufacturer in Italy called Space Cannon, which was making amazing lights at the time. We wanted to purchase some lights and ended up doing a deal to become the manufacturer’s sole distributor in Germany.
We first went into the discotheque market, installing Space Cannon searchlights at several venues and renting them for events, and the brand took off from there. Our first big show with the lights was with Scorpions when they played Bremerhaven, Germany, in 1996. They are wonderful people who I have stayed in touch with and funnily enough I met them again in Vegas last year.
Ou r journey into the Middle East started in 2000, after we had done the millennium show in Berlin with Mike Oldfield. After the show, we received a call from an interested party in the UAE who had seen the production and asked if we would be open to bringing our lights to the country. The rest, as they say, is history.
How obvious was the opportunity in the UAE even in those early days?
At the turn of the millennium, Dubai was unrecognisable from the city you see today. There was no Dubai Marina, no Burj Khalifa, and Sheikh Zayed Road wasn’t much more than a service road. It was a blank canvas, but the leaders, especially Sheikh Mohammed, had the vision. We had a vision of our own, which aligned with the vision of the leadership and to see how far the country has come in the past 25 years is incredible.
Op erating in both Europe and the UAE, our business started to diversify into TV production with LED lights and architectural lighting, which led us to launch AO Technology in 2002 in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Shopping Festival at this time was one of our first big gigs in the UAE, and it’s one that I’m proud to say we are still doing to this day.
In 2007, we made the decision to move away from Space Cannon and start manufacturing our own searchlights in Germany. We created the FALCON, a long-life, high-quality, state-of-the-art searchlight with long-term performance, high brilliance and great visibility. We manufactured this fixture until 2018, selling more than 1,000 units to permanent installs all over the world, from Disney in the US to Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, and putting them on some of the world’s biggest shows, from the Super Bowl, to Rammstein, to the Special Olympics in Shanghai 2007, to the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver, and many others.
When did drones start to come on the scene?
It was around 2017. I remember because it was around the time that we were first creating the Burj Khalifa New Year’s Eve show for Emaar under the direction of Jerry P. Appelt. I started to get into drones in the same year, investing in our first fleet of 120, working on coding the system and expanding the team.
Those early stages of drone shows were very exciting. Only a few had ever seen the technology before – some even thought that we had 120 pilots controlling each
individual drone! We established the drone business off the back of that initial investment and as the shows became bigger and bigger, our fleet grew and grew.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the business?
The pandemic slowed us down, of course, but drone shows remained an important form of entertainment that people could still enjoy without mixing too closely, or even from their balconies without having to leave the apartment at all. It was such a sad and difficult time for everyone, but we made the best of the situation and produced what was probably one of my favourite shows in our history.
I ha d seen the displays that had taken place in the US to thank the frontline workers, and I wanted to do something similar for Dubai. We had the drone technology, but that wasn’t enough – we had the idea of getting the emergency services involved and spelling out the words ‘thank you’ in English and Arabic using the emergency vehicles and police cars in formation with their lights flashing.
We worked with Sonu A.B. and Girish Bhat, who helped secure the support of the authorities, and we managed to have Sheikh Zayed Road closed for this incredible emergency services vehicle parade, before they all parked up in formation to form the ‘thank you’ image. Alongside the vehicles, we ran a drone show with a fleet of 120 drones, including a picture of Sheikh Mohammed, his famous three-
fingered salute, and various messages of hope and love, including the event’s title #StrongerTogether.
Tewe Pannier from GTV created a wonderful film, which was very well received and even shared by Sheikh Mohammed himself, which caused it to gain massive exposure all over the world. However, most importantly, everyone involved was so pleased to be able to do something to thank our front-line workers.
What other projects have you been particularly proud of?
There have been so many that I’m very proud of. The Burj Khalifa New Year’s Eve show was a milestone. It took more than 400 staff five months of work, and to bring it to life for the first time was very special. Dubai World Cup will always a special one; Sheikh Zayed Festival also gets bigger and bigger every year and it’s fantastic to be a part of.
Another especially cool project we did was for the launch of the new Nike Jordan store in Dubai, where we achieved two firsts – the first ever drone show at the Dubai Frame, and also the first flown QR code in the UAE. The engineering was extremely complex and it’s an achievement I’m very proud of.
Th e opening of Katara Amphitheatre in Doha was another fond memory, with AO being the general service provider for Lighting Designer Gert Hof’s production of a very special live show by legendary Greek composer,
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Vangelis. In an extremely short timeframe, the Amphitheatre was transformed into a chalice of light, with a spectacular multimedia show featuring over 350 high-powered searchlights, a variety of lighting systems, fireworks and video projection employed simultaneously.
We also set a new world record when global art platform CAST Studio enabled us to develop the first 360° drone show around a building, when we created a 300m-long Chinese dragon made up of 1,500 drones, which circled the Burj Al Arab for 20 minutes.
Also, more recently for Dubai Shopping Festival, we ran 72 shows, two drone shows per night at 8pm and 10pm. At a fleet of 1,000 drones, we’ve done shows with much higher numbers, but I’m particularly proud of the way we programmed this show, using a software, which took the content to the next level.
It ’s always nice to break records for the biggest and the most, but it’s when we do something really creative that requires some out-of-the-box thinking that really excites me.
As the business grows, how do you balance creativity and corporate success?
We have a very strong team in both management and creative, and even though I like to be the motor pushing us forward, I rely on the team for a lot. I’m happy to say that we have many people who have stayed with us for a long time, and we also have some people who have joined more recently, and they have learned very quickly and slotted into the company smoothly. We’re now scaling into
different countries, getting bigger and there are more and more people involved. Dubai is the hub, and the Middle East remains our key market. However, Germany and the rest of Europe is picking up, and we have staff who move between Europe and the Middle East to support during busy times.
Saudi Arabia is a very interesting market that we have been testing for the past few years, with several events in the Kingdom. Now we’ve dipped our toes in the water, it’s clear that the time is right to open our own company in Saudi Arabia.
I don’t feel late in doing this because I’m following leaders from our industry who are experienced and knowledgeable in these matters. The market is exploding already, but it’s just the beginning of what is to come.
We must also keep our focus on some of the other GCC markets that don’t always get as much attention. Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman… they are not on everyone’s radar, but there are some huge shows to be done.
How is the drone market changing around the world?
I was frustrated for a long time early on, because I always had a vision of having a large fleet of drones, even when we only had 300. I’m happy to say that we are now able to fly up to 10,000 drones a show in UAE, GCC region, Europe, or wherever our customers are – and we are investing in more all the time to respond to the massive demand globally.
Th e main change we’re seeing in the market is that more and more companies are increasing their own inventories, which I believe is a great thing for the industry. For example,
previously, if we got a show in Morocco, we would fly everything there, but now we have a partner in the country that owns a fleet of 300 drones, so we only need to send enough drones the supplement what they have. My vision is to have hubs around the world where we store large quantities of drones that can supplement any local supply.
How important are the sustainability credentials of drones when compared to fireworks?
I’m not against fireworks at all. Some drone companies are pedalling the narrative that drones are the new fireworks, but we’ve been using fireworks for more than 1,000 years and we like them for a reason. Do we like what fireworks do to the environment? No. So, it’s up to us to come up with solutions. Drones can be a good way to step forward, but I believe that there’ll always be a place for fireworks as well.
What are the next developments in drone technology?
We’re always testing new technology. This year, we have a new drone, which is double the speed and has an increased duration of 33 minutes. It can also carry a payload of 900g, which is a massive increase on the previous 100g. It comes with two brackets, and we can shoot fireworks, fire strobes and lasers, or even drop confetti.
Th e next area that I would like to see developed is live communication. Can you imagine having a drone show that
can react in real time to display people’s messages from social media? Or a huge aerial screen that can broadcast live images? Live capabilities open so many possibilities.
How do you switch off outside work?
I struggle to switch off; ask my wife! Everywhere I go, even on holiday, I am always studying my surroundings and coming up with new ideas.
Th e one real escape I have is desert trips with my family. It’s not just about dune bashing – which is fun, of course –but being in the desert when it gets dark is a special place to be. There’s no light pollution, no noise – just the people you’re with and the sound a light of the campfire. It’s the only place where I can truly switch off.
I’m 55 now, and I still ask myself every day how we can reach the next level. I’ve missed many birthdays and Christmases while working, which is a shame, but I’m happy to say now that my whole family is in the business, and we enjoy working together. My wife Britta runs the German company; my son Kevin is running the drone business and is pilot in command for the show; and my daughter will soon join the company after gaining her second Master’s degree. We’re already busy working on the next surprises, and I can’t wait to share what comes next.
Photos: AO Multimedia & Drones www.ao-technology.com
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Afterlife Abu Dhabi
A dazzling late-night production adds a new dimension to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend…
Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix weekend has always been one of the most exciting dates on the calendar for the UAE, with the on-track action and After Race Concerts providing worldclass entertainment for race fans and music lovers alike. The weekend got even better in 2024 with the addition of Afterlife Abu Dhabi – a spectacular showcase of cutting-edge entertainment technology, keeping audiences captivated through the night and into the early hours of the morning.
“Afterlife Abu Dhabi was an innovative addition to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, setting a new standard for the After Race Concerts,” stated Live Nation Middle East President, James Craven. “By extending into the early hours of the morning, we introduced a fresh dynamic to the F1 after-
party scene, attracting diverse audiences who may not have traditionally attended the concerts.”
Reflecting on the success of the debut
Afterlife Abu Dhabi event, Craven highlighted the impressive attendance as well as the response from attendees. “The audience was captivated by the use of cutting-edge technology,” he stated.
“From mesmerising lasers and lights to the largest screens ever seen in the country, Afterlife Abu Dhabi delivered an unforgettable experience that solidifies our commitment to pushing boundaries in live entertainment.”
Tasked with supplying a turnkey technical solution for the event was mediaPro International.
“We delivered everything from audio, backline, lighting and lasers, to video, rigging and trussing, show comms and radios, with the project led by
PM, Uchit Mehta,” stated mediaPro International COO, Shaam Pudaruth. “Anyone who has seen an Afterlife show will know how mind-blowing they are and how extensively they utilise technology. The client knew exactly what they wanted, and our team did an amazing job of bringing their vision to life.”
With Afterlife being known for its captivating visuals, the Abu Dhabi show featured a 40m by 20m LED wall, utilising INFiLED AR MK2 3.9mm pitch blackface panels. “This high-resolution display provided an immersive visual experience, meeting the creative and technical expectations of the Afterlife production team,” mediaPro’s Deepak Laxman reflected.
“W ith a total resolution of 10,240 by 5,120 pixels, the LED wall delivered ultra-clear visuals,
deep contrast, and vibrant colours, enhancing the immersive nature of the show.”
To manage this large-scale screen, 18 NovaStar MX40 Pro processors were selected for their ability to handle high pixel loads efficiently.
“The Afterlife team required all systems to run at 3,840 by 2,160 resolution @ 60Hz with 10-bit colour depth,” Laxman explained. “The 60Hz refresh rate ensured smooth motion rendering, eliminating screen tearing or lag, which is crucial for fast-moving visuals and synced lighting effects. The 10-bit colour depth meanwhile allowed for over 1.07 billion colours, providing smoother gradients, deeper blacks, and more accurate colour reproduction.”
Analog Way RS4 switchers were used to handle high-resolution signal management. “We leveraged their DisplayPort inputs and outputs for seamless signal transmission,” Laxman commented. “The RS4 allowed us to manage multiple 4K sources with minimal latency while maintaining full 10-bit HDR colour fidelity. Its robust processing power ensured that all video content was delivered flawlessly.”
The lighting rig was looked after by Lighting Designer and Programmer, Konstantine Chaika, alongside Senior Lighting Crew Chief, Midhun Basuran. The inventory consisted of 254 Chauvet Color STRIKE M, 294 COLORado PXL Bar 16 and 60 Maverick Storm 3 BeamWash, 102 Ayrton Domino LT and 110 Cobra, with two Robe Spiider
and two EKR3 BeamWash for key lighting. Two MA Lighting grandMA3 Full Size and an MA3 light were used for control, while full redundancy was achieved using Lumiex GigaCore 10 and LumiNode 12.
“A full-fledged visualisation suite was also deployed with Syncronorm Depence R3 and a grandMA3 Full Size console,” Pudaruth noted, adding that a total of 28 Smoke Factory Fan Foggers and 12 MDG ATMe haze generators were used as atmospherics for the entire venue.
mediaPro also provided 18 of its in-house Laswerworld RTI PIKO 80W lasers, with Pangolin Beyond Ultimate used for control and the show cued and triggered using a grandMA3 console.
Audio requirements were covered by an L-Acoustics K-series rig, featuring 48 K2 as the main PA, 31 K1 for front fills, 101 KS28 for subs and delays of two K2 and 12 KS28 for the VIP elevated platforms. Two A15 wide, four A15 Focus, and four KS28 handled live monitoring for the headliner, while the downstage DJ monitor system comprised two A15 Wide, four A15 Focus, and two KS28. An additional seven A15 Wide were used for stage fills, all powered by 44 LA Rack III w AVB. Yamaha PM5 Rivage consoles were used at both FOH and monitors. “We also catered for the various artist backline requirements with Pioneer CDJ 3000, DJMV10, DJS1000, DJ RMX1000, Allen & Heath Xone:96, PLAYdifferently MODEL 1 mixers along with a Nord Stage 4 88-key
keyboard,” Pudaruth stated, crediting Senior System Engineer, Sudakahr Madula, with the flawless deployment.
A 20 Riedel Bolero wireless system served as show comms, along with 20 Motorola RM7 digital radios. Rigging meanwhile comprised around 60 CM Lodestar hoists split between one tonne and 500kg for the PA, with various lighting trusses and towers as well as 500 running metres of Litec QX30 and QD40 trussing.
With the uneven terrain at the Yas Gateway Park venue, the mediaPro team worked closely with All Events Services (AES) to find a solution for rigging the giant LED screen. “The sheer size and weight of the LED structure required careful planning and execution,” Pudaruth recalled. “However, our video team delivered the complete LED wall ahead of schedule, which was an impressive achievement.
“I loved seeing the touring team’s reaction the first night,” The COO added. “When you see an artist walk into a venue with their production and technical team and everything is set up and ready exactly how they want it, that’s a sign that we did a great job. It was a delight to work with Fritz Anders and the whole Afterlife team and we look forward to seeing them again soon.”
Photos: Live Nation Middle East www.after.life www.livenation.me www.mediaproav.com
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F1 Grand Prix Qatar
With Creative Technology orchestrating the technical production behind Qatar’s F1 Grand Prix, TPiMEA gains insight into the innerworkings of the circuit and the concert series. Alicia Pollitt reports…
Hosting its first Grand Prix in 2021, Qatar is no stranger to the F1 World Championship, and 2024 was no different, with punters having not just races to look forward to, but also a two-day lineup of entertainment from Maroon 5 and Myriam Fares.
With a full technical solution supplied by Creative Technology Middle East, TPiMEA caught up with the CTME team to learn about the inner workings of the production.
The CTME team delivered cutting-edge solutions across the entire Lusail International Circuit, transforming the grandstands, pit lanes,
and designated concert area into an immersive experience. Our familiarity with the circuit having worked on many previous events, gave us an edge,” explained Greatrex. “But we didn’t just want to supply equipment – we set out to create an unforgettable atmosphere for every attendee.
“The project timeline was extremely short,” explained Greatrex. “We had just nine days to load in all circuit-based elements.”
Des pite the challenge, the team successfully installed 1,004 sq m of LED, 782 lights, and 124 d&b audiotechnik speaker arrays strategically placed for optimal audio reinforcement. With a
focus on enhancing the spectator experience, CTME deployed an impressive 350 Cameo ZENIT W600 fixtures, illuminating the pit building. These were complemented by 80 Elation KL PAR FC IP fixtures and 88 Astera Titan Tubes, ensuring a visually stunning environment. To further elevate fan engagement, ROE Visual BQ4 LED screens were strategically positioned around the circuit, delivering uninterrupted race coverage even when the action wasn’t directly in view.
De livering world-class audio for the grandstands, the CTME team deployed 103 d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers, designed to maintain clear sightlines while ensuring impeccable coverage. Y10P point-source speakers provided long-throw reinforcement to reach the back rows, while E6 and T10 models handled short-throw areas with precision, ensuring balanced sound across all sections. To complete the system, V-SUBs were placed discreetly beneath the grandstands, delivering deep, impactful bass that enhanced the overall experience.
The entire setup was powered by a robust, dual-redundant Dante network, originating in the main control room and seamlessly distributing audio across the venue.
In the control room, a five-person CTME crew comprising specialists in lighting, audio, video, and networking managed fibre connections throughout the track. An additional eight-person team was strategically positioned across the site, ensuring rapid response times.
“The success of this complex operation hinged on the seamless collaboration of three specialised teams working from the main control room, each bringing unique expertise to ensure every aspect of our digital communication system performed flawlessly throughout the four-day event,” explained Darius Charlerly, CTME’s Head of Integrated Network and Comms. “Through meticulous planning and real-time monitoring, we maintained zero downtime while meeting F1’s exacting broadcast standards.”
Greatrex added: “Our on-site Heads of Department knew they had our full trust to take the reins and deliver. Trust is a core value at CT our team is professional, reliable, and dedicated. The client not only appreciated their hard work but also personally thanked them, which spoke volumes to us.”
For the concert series, the team created separate lighting environments for each performer. Myriam Fares’ show on the Friday night shone under a rig that featured Elation Proteus Excalibur and Ayrton fixtures. Whereas
Maroon 5’s Sunday show required a more complex undertaking, with over 200 fixtures that included Robe iForte LTX follow spots and Elation Pulse Panel FX units.
“The F1 weekend presented us with a unique creative canvas – from illuminating the precision of motorsport to amplifying the energy of worldclass performances,” said Sam Connolly, Head of Lighting at CTME. “Our approach was to create distinct yet complementary lighting environments that would serve both broadcast requirements and live spectacle. The real achievement was in the transition between these two worlds, where technical excellence met artistic expression.”
Face d with the unique acoustical challenges of a live music venue, the CTME team rose to the occasion with d&b audiotechnik’s SL-Series system, ensuring powerful, precise sound for both the audience and performers.
At the heart of the setup was an ArrayProcessed 16-deep GSL8 array for the left and right mains, complemented by a 12-deep KSL array for outfills. Delays were covered by 10-deep XSL arrays, while a ground sub-array of 32 SLSUBs reinforced the low end. Eight AL90 cabinets were deployed for lip-fill duties. CTME’s Head of Audio, Wissam Shaheen, commented: “I’ve
lost count of how many times we’ve designed and deployed an SL-Series system, yet every single time, that first system check is completely mesmerising – like hearing it for the first time. The GSL is an absolute titan.”
On stage, d&b M2, M4, and M6 wedges delivered impeccable monitoring, while Shure Axient Digital managed radio microphones, with PSM1000 providing flawless in-ear monitoring.
To e nsure pristine audio control for both musicians and the audience, DiGiCo Quantum 5 consoles were stationed at FOH and side stage for monitors. DirectOut PRODIGY.MP handled matrixing, redundancy, and format conversions, allowing guest engineers to easily load show files.
Combining the two mammoth gigs and race circuit, this was the most LED screens CTME had ever deployed for a singular event. A total of 300 sq m of INFiLED ER5.9 panels and ROE Visual Vanish 8 were powered by Brompton Technology processors with screen management handled by a Barco E2 for synchronisation.
The event was captured using a nine-camera setup, including Panasonic UC4000 and UE150 cameras, operated through the Ultix Ross Carbonite switcher. The media server used for visual playback and integration was a Disguise
GX 3. “For the circuit, the setup featured nine LED screens, utilising ROE Visual BQ4 panels with Megapixel processing and INFiLED 4.6 panels with NovaStar, covering a total of 500 sq m. Additionally, three LED totems were deployed, contributing another 270 sq m, bringing the total LED display area to an impressive 770 sq m.”
With the CTME team preparing for a highly anticipated return to Lusail International Circuit in March and April, Irum Ashraf, General Manager of CT Qatar, reflected on the success of this latest project. “The F1 weekend in Qatar has set a new benchmark in technical production for global sporting events,” she remarked. “The future of both live and sporting events in Qatar – and across the region – is incredibly exciting, and we’re proud to be at the forefront.
“We are incredibly grateful to our skilled on-site teams for their dedication and expertise in executing this complex project across multiple sites. A huge ‘thank you’ to our client for trusting us with this ambitious setup; it’s been an exciting challenge, and we’re proud to have delivered outstanding results.”
Photos: CTME www.formula1.com www.ct-group.com
Global Champions Arena Tour & Longines Global Champions Tour 2024
How do you transform a 200,000 sq m car park in the centre of Riyadh into a world-class equestrian venue? TPiMEA catches up with Bona Fide Technical Director, Martin Lauth, to find out…
Top-level equestrian events demand extensive organisation, with specialist horse-related infrastructure, VIP areas, spectator seating and media facilities just some of the many requirements. Add to this an advanced audiovisual system, sitewide communications, large-scale broadcast deployment, and the fact that the project incorporated not one but two events, taking place in what was originally a car park in the centre of Riyadh, and it’s fair to say that this is a considerable undertaking. “We also had an extremely tight timeline of just four weeks, so the project required an extraordinary level of expertise, coordination, and problemsolving,” stated Bona Fide’s Technical Director, Martin Lauth, recalling the epic task.
Bona Fide was entrusted with delivering the 2024 Global Champions Arena Tour (GCAT) as well as the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT), with the project led by Matthias Maurer of Bona Fide and executed by Matt Larkin’s Special Projects team. Given the blank canvas
of a 200,000 sq m parking facility in Riyadh’s Financial Centre, more than 1,500 tonnes of materials including a specialised footing for optimal horse performance and energy-efficient lighting for sustainability were required. “This project set a new benchmark for temporary equestrian venues, merging engineering and event production for an elite sporting experience,” Lauth stated.
Re nowned Creative Director Nikos Lagousakos designed two captivating closing ceremonies for the events. The daily ceremonies were managed by The Fridge and the closing ceremonies by TAIT. “Under the leadership of Anna Canning, The Fridge handled entertainment, talent sourcing, and the daily award presentations. Meanwhile, TAIT – led by David Shapiro and supported by Technical Director Shannon Gobell – was responsible for the closing ceremonies,” Lauth noted.
“The lighting design for these ceremonies was expertly created by Roland Greil and his
team, delivering a visually spectacular finale to the events.”
Hive, a subsidiary of Bona Fide, was responsible for the groundwork and site preparation, ensuring a solid foundation for the arenas and infrastructure. “They also set up the arenas with the help of Martin Collins and built the event village, which included food stalls, retail outlets, and other amenities to enhance the visitor experience,” Lauth recalled.
A key highlight of the event setup was the two-tiered VIP structure, measuring 90m by 25m, provided by Arena. “This premium facility offered an elevated viewing experience and hospitality space for distinguished guests.”
Dynamic Motion played a significant role in designing a custom-built structure to accommodate the press, jury, and event control teams, also provided shading solutions for the grandstands, constructed by Oujch. Al Fares supplied over 40 marquees in various sizes, while OPS delivered office and toilet containers to meet
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operational needs. To support the extensive lighting, projection, and broadcast requirements, Al Laith supplied scaffolding towers and additional scaffolding where it was needed.
“This collaborative effort among industry leaders resulted in a well-organised and efficiently executed event setup that met both technical and operational needs,” Lauth added.
Working alongside Lauth was fellow Bona Fide Technical Director, Kris Collier. Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) was selected as the primary AVL supplier, with the team led by Project Manager Artur Kurowski. “Their team deployed cutting-edge audiovisual and lighting solutions, ensuring precision, reliability, and visual excellence throughout the event,” Lauth reported.
For communication and intercom systems, Bona Fide partnered with Clair Global, led by Stuart Wright. “Their solutions enabled clear, real-time coordination across multiple teams, ensuring flawless execution in a fast-paced environment,” Lauth explained.
Power infrastructure was provided by Al Taqaa, which offered “robust and efficient” energy solutions that ensured uninterrupted power distribution throughout the event’s technical and operational zones, supporting AVL,
automation, and broadcast needs. SkyWave played a dual role, installing both IT infrastructure and lighting towers, which were supplied by MUSCO, to meet international standards set by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).
ER Productions was a late addition to the supplier roster, brought in to enhance the daily ceremonies with dynamic flame effects and Sparkulars. “Their quick response and flexibility were invaluable in elevating the event’s atmosphere, delivering a stunning visual impact on short notice,” Lauth stated.
“Their ability to seamlessly integrate into the production process showcased their expertise and agility, ensuring that the ceremonies went off without a hitch,” he added. “Together, these technical partners contributed to a seamless and immersive event experience, setting new standards for innovation, reliability, and precision in large-scale event production.”
‘The power of collaboration’ Delivering crystal-clear, intelligible sound across all event zones was a top priority. “The audio system was meticulously designed to provide balanced coverage, seamless transitions between areas, and uncompromised sound
fidelity, regardless of venue size or environmental conditions,” Lauth stated, noting that the system utilised L-Acoustics L2 line-array speakers strategically positioned to provide uniform sound distribution across the grandstands.
“I n the VIP area, a combination of X8 compact coaxial speakers and Syva colinear source systems delivered pristine audio while maintaining a sleek, unobtrusive presence,” the Technical Director added.
Fo r presenters, performers, and key event personnel, a Shure wireless microphone system was implemented, complemented by Shure IEM systems. Clair Global also supplied an FM – IEM system implemented for the more than 100 participants in the closing ceremonies.
Th e video systems played a pivotal role, with a combination of 32 Panasonic PT-RZ31K projectors as well as ROE Visual Black Quartz 6.2 and Absen PL 2.5 LED panels enhancing the audience experience. “Real-time graphics and synchronised video feeds were seamlessly integrated, maintaining visual coherence throughout the event,” Lauth stated.
“To enable fluid content management, robust media servers and pre-configured workflows facilitated seamless transitions, even when
handling last-minute content updates.” Control over various playout channels was efficiently managed through interconnected Barco E2 systems, ensuring precise signal routing and screen management.
Disguise VX2 and VX4 servers, along with Resolume Arena servers, were employed for pixel mapping and content delivery. The entire system was interconnected via kilometres of fibreoptic cabling, ensuring low-latency, highbandwidth signal transmission across the venue.
“O ne of the most technically impressive aspects was the projection mapping executed during the GCAT and LGCT closing ceremonies,” Lauth recalled. “This innovative technique transformed architectural facades into stunning, dynamic displays, adding an extra layer of sophistication and engagement that left a lasting impression on audiences.”
Roland Greil’s lighting design was also a key element in ensuring a well-balanced visual environment for the LGCT event. Over 600 intelligent fixtures from Robe, Ayrton, and Astera LED were deployed, while the MUSCO lighting towers ensured consistent and functional illumination for riders and horses, maintaining necessary visibility without compromising the event’s aesthetic.
A ce ntralised control system allowed for real-time adjustments, ensuring synchronisation with video displays and live performances. An on-site previs studio facilitated efficient preprogramming of lighting sequences, helping to manage the constraints of limited rehearsal time. “This approach enabled precise cueing and adjustments, supporting the overall technical execution of the event,” Lauth explained.
The Technical Director described the automated entrance arch that dividing the warmup area from the Field of Play as a “standout” element. “This structure integrated highresolution LED panels that displayed dynamic, real-time content, enhancing both functionality and visual impact,” he commented. “The system’s execution demanded meticulous coordination between engineering, software integration, and live content management.”
Lauth highlighted Clair Global’s “deep expertise and familiarity with Saudi Arabia’s regulatory landscape” as vital when it came to the communications deployment. The system incorporated over 200 Motorola R7 radios, three repeaters, and more than 45 Riedel Bolero wireless intercom systems, all managed through a Riedel Artist frame.
Reflecting on the project, Lauth was pragmatic. “Could we have done better? Of course, every project presents opportunities for improvement,” he stated. “However, the short turnaround, tight budget, and limited availability of equipment and crew made this a particularly demanding challenge.”
Des pite these constraints, Lauth believes that the project set a new benchmark for technical execution in large-scale equestrian events. “The success of these productions was a direct result of the dedication, expertise, and resilience of the technical and production teams. Through the strategic use of cutting-edge technology, innovative problem-solving, and seamless collaboration, they not only met but surpassed the expectations of organisers, participants, and audiences alike.”
Photos: Bona Fide
www.bonafideksa.com
New Year’s Eve 2025
From fireworks and laser drones to melodic techno and opera, the Middle East has something for everyone to welcome in 2025…
Burj Khalifa
As the world’s tallest building welcomes in the New Year in typical Dubai style, TPiMEA delves into the details behind the now-iconic celebration.
Always the hottest ticket in town, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa New Year’s Eve fireworks attract both residents and tourists in their droves every year. This year was no different, with Groupe F and Artists in Motion teaming up to deliver a spectacular production.
This year was the 11th for Groupe F teams at the Burj Khalifa since the grand opening in 2010. “We’ve seen Downtown Dubai grow year after year, with safety perimeters, audience locations and points of view changing, giving challenges and new opportunities,” commented Groupe F’s Nicolas Chavance. “This year we managed to integrate bigger and never-seen-before effects into the show thanks to technological innovations made with our providers, hand in hand with Emaar, the client and owner of the tower.”
De scribing the project as both “the dream job” and “the biggest nightmare”, Chavance reflected on designing and performing the fireworks show at the world’s tallest building. “A show of this scale, visible worldwide on the highest tower, is a massive opportunity that our team is blessed to renew year after year.”
With the annual event now the go-to reference of Dubai’s New Year’s celebrations for an international audience, the live broadcast is an essential element of the production. This year, Whatever Live teamed up with Atlas
Television to deliver a seamless live broadcast and distribution, managing all aspects of the live production. “Our scope was to deliver a live broadcast experience for audiences in Emaar properties across Dubai, as well as for global viewers through online platforms and television,” commented Ean Thorley of Whatever Live, explaining the brief. “It was essential to ensure a high-quality experience for audiences across multiple platforms and global distribution.”
While Whatever Live started pre-production back in March 2024, on-site preparations began in earnest on 26 December with the construction of the OB village at The Dubai Mall, followed by rehearsals from 28 to 30 December. “In the leadup to the event, we meticulously scouted nearly every Emaar skyscraper to identify fresh camera angles while revisiting iconic locations used in previous years,” Thorley recalled.
On show day, the broadcast ran seamlessly from 5pm to 1am, featuring a captivating mix of fountain shows, Emaar promotional films, and vibrant live music performances at Burj Park, which included a DJ, dancers, and a house band.
One of the biggest challenges the Whatever Live team faced was placing camera positions in difficult locations to ensure that the OB broadcasting team could get a reliable signal back to the production hub, with the intricate
layout of Downtown Dubai and the scale of the event adding further complexity. “To overcome this, we collaborated closely with Emaar and Dubai TV, leveraging their infrastructure and local expertise,” Thorley explained.
“Together, we installed fibre feeds and RF links from strategic points around Downtown Dubai. This setup ensured robust signal transmission from various challenging locations back to the OB truck, enabling seamless broadcasting of the event and amazing cinematic visual shots.”
Lo oking back on the project, Thorley was pleased by the “seamless execution” of the eighthour live broadcast, as well as the collaboration with strategic partners, including Emaar, Dubai Media Incorporated, and CHOPPERSHOOT for drone support.
“The show was a standout, combining breathtaking screen content with spectacular fireworks and laser displays,” he reflected. “Even nature played its part, with light winds ensuring that the smoke cleared quickly, enhancing the audience’s visual experience. Altogether, it was a highly successful production, showcasing the best of our teamwork and expertise.”
Photos: Groupe F www.groupef.com www.whatever.live
Ras Al Khaimah
Records tumble as SKYMAGIC’s innovative laser drones get their first outing at RAK’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Ras Al Khaimah celebrated the arrival of 2025 in what is becoming its customary world record-breaking fashion, with a multidisciplinary spectacular featuring fireworks and pyrotechnics as well as LED and laser drones, all choreographed to a specially composed soundtrack.
Themed Our Story in the Sky, the show saw two new Guinness World Records for the ‘Largest aerial display of a tree formed by multirotors/ drones’ and the ‘Largest aerial image of a seashell formed by multirotors/drones’, as well as the first use of groundbreaking laser technology, developed by SKYMAGIC in collaboration with Light Electric.
“Working with Ras Al Khaimah Development Authority, we knew we wanted to create a beautiful show that told the story of Ras Al Khaimah and how it stands out as an emirate within the UAE,” began SKYMAGIC’s Phil Batty OBE, explaining the origins of the project. “RAK is undergoing a high amount of development, so we wanted to acknowledge the natural beauty, sand, mountain, and sea it is currently known for, but also incorporate the use of technology and innovation to demonstrate the journey and transformation that is taking place as they look to the future. We did this through the introduction of laser drones, achieving two Guinness World Records, and how we captured the show to be used and shared across multi-platforms.”
At the stroke of midnight, a fleet of 47 laser drones joined SKYMAGIC’s 1,400 LED swarm drones, creating an intricate display of iconic images and radiating vibrant beams of light before transforming a pyrotechnic display by Fireworks by Grucci.
“Laser drones are a new innovation from SKYMAGIC; implementing the technology of lasers on our drones is a first for us and to be integrated seamlessly within a fleet of 1,400 LED drones has never been seen before,” Phil Batty explained. “In collaboration with Light Electric, SKYMAGIC has developed a new product, which adds a new dimension to a drone light show and an element of immersion to the audience. When approaching each scene with laser drones, it was very much about adding value to the scene and bringing the audience closer to the action.”
With the first use of its groundbreaking laser drone technology and two more world records in the bag, the project was a resounding success for SKYMAGIC. “Ras Al Khaimah’s New Year’s Eve celebrations are known for breaking records, so when approaching the show, we knew it would be important to continue to push boundaries within the performance,” he concluded.
“SKYMAGIC is delighted to continue the trend and be part of the two Guinness World Records, which will sit proudly within our accolades. We look forward to continuing to push creativity and innovation in 2025.”
Photos: SKYMAGIC www.skymagic.show
Dubai Frame
Flash Art delivers a pyrotechnic masterclass at Dubai’s unique architectural landmark.
If ever a building was tailormade to become the centrepiece of a New Year’s Eve spectacular, Dubai Frame is it. Standing at a smidge over 150m tall and with a width of just over 95m, the building’s unique architecture presents the opportunity to create truly innovative and exceptional shows.
To s ignal the arrival of 2025, for the second consecutive year, Flash Art was tasked with delivering a pyrotechnic display that would make the most of the iconic location, and this year the company was determined to add some bespoke and innovative technical execution to take the show to the next level.
“U nlike the previous rooftop-only shows, the past two years’ displays accentuated the iconic structure by incorporating carefully engineered attachments from The Frame’s ‘leg facades’ and also the rooftop without ever touching the delicate golden cladding,” commented Flash Art’s Technical Director, Tony Samuel, who explained that the golden cladding has a
manufacturing and installation warranty that becomes void if touched.
Executing a show of this scale came with significant challenges. “A robust installation system was meticulously designed to comply with multiple engineering codes and Dubai’s wind code, withstanding wind speeds exceeding 100 km/h,” Samuel revealed. “Third-party inspections covered every aspect, from prop designs and welding to load testing and recoil force demonstrations. The firing system was also modified for enhanced durability and reliability suited to the structure.”
With access to the Frame restricted to nighttime, a 24-hour operation was essential. Pyrotechnicians worked in continuous shifts over 10 days, with day shifts focused on prop assembly, wiring, and testing, while night shifts handled the complex installation process. “Safety was paramount, with rope access schedules incorporating contingency days to mitigate highwind delays, of which there were a few,” Samuel
recalled. “Robust safety exclusion zones were enforced on show day adjacent to the East and West legs; the client enforced the busy car park closure and aspects of Zabeel Park.”
Th e Technical Director highlighted the importance of using “only the highest quality waterproof, low-debris European effects”, with each being rigorously tested and trajectory modelled for varying wind conditions.
“The timing of installations was carefully balanced, ensuring elements were in place on schedule while preserving the aesthetics of one of Dubai’s most visited landmarks by having the installation in place for the least amount of time possible while as much as necessary,” he stated, adding his final thoughts on the project. “With Dubai Frame now attracting more visitors annually than even the Burj Khalifa, it is imperative that the show highlights every aspect of the iconic shape.”
Photo: Flash Art www.flashart.com
Soho Garden Festival
SILA SVETA transforms Soho Garden Meydan into a mystical realm, taking 6,000 guests on a melodic techno experience.
Dubai’s techno fans were treated to an extraordinary fusion of music and immersive visuals at Soho Garden Meydan, with renowned DJ ARGY headlining an evening that offered a fresh alternative to the city’s traditional New Year’s Eve fare.
International multimedia studio SILA SVETA, best known as the creative force behind immersive shows for the likes of Drake, The Weeknd, and Billie Eilish, transformed Soho Garden into a mystical realm through a breathtaking visual spectacle.
Olya Nikolaeva, Executive Producer for International Projects at SILA SVETA, commented: “New Year’s Eve is a time for unforgettable memories, and creating an immersive experience like this for such a special night was a thrilling challenge. We ensured every detail resonated with ARGY’s sound and vision.”
Utilising the venue’s in-house 30m by 13m transparent LED screen, SILA SVETA designed a visual narrative tailored to ARGY’s distinctive sonic aesthetic. The visuals featured dynamic patterns and symbolic imagery – including mystical motifs such as eyes, hands, and masks – synchronised perfectly with the music to create an otherworldly atmosphere.
“Thanks to SILA SVETA for this meaningful synergy over the change of the year – an important moment in time for our visions and
creativity to radiate,” ARGY commented. Ekaterina Konovalova, Creative Director at SILA SVETA, added: “Working on projects that unite music and visual art is always inspiring for us. For this show, we combined ARGY’s musical
storytelling with our thoughtful and visually striking design to create a truly immersive and engaging atmosphere.”
Photo: SILA SVETA www.silasveta.com
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
Legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli serenades Abu Dhabi audience, with visual backing from SLS Production.
Andrea Bocelli has developed an affinity with the Middle East in recent years, with the legendary Italian operatic singer performing in the region several times and even recently acquiring a new luxury residence in Dubai. He returned to the UAE once again to welcome the New Year, treating guests at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental to a stirring headline set, performed alongside Lebanese singer, Mayssa Karaa.
With the event held in a purpose-built venue within the sprawling resort grounds, SLS Production was tasked by event producer Theory Eleven Entertainment with supplying a lighting and video package to ensure that the visual aesthetic lived up to the grandiose surroundings.
To that end, an impressive 62m by 8m LED screen was deployed, made up of INFiLED 4.6 LED panels, with NovaStar H9 processing, Analog Way Aquilon RS4 mixer and Dataton WATCHOUT 7 as the main server.
SLS Productions’ PM, Anuj Naik, recalled initial challenges with the build. “Due to the location of the site, the kit had to be offloaded some 500m away, which added an extra element of difficulty to load-in,” he revealed.
“Additionally, with the hotel remaining in operation through the build, it was essential to keep disruption to guests to a minimum, meaning that the team was allocated three evenings of setup, from 9pm to 7am. Building the 62m by 9m screen in 16 hours was a challenge, but it was all worth it, with the on-screen content proving particularly impressive.”
The lighting rig meanwhile included 80 of SLS Productions’ newly purchased Ayrton Rivale fixtures as well as 90 SGM P5s, 40 Claypaky Tamboras, six Robe Robin FORTEs, 30 Astera Titan Tubes, and 20 Aurora two-way molefays, with an MA Lighting grandMA3 full size backed by an MA3 light for control. According to Lighting HOD, Praveen Jayakumar, the ornate features
of the Emirates Palace venue meant a light touch was required. “Emirates Palace features luxurious decor, including gold finishes, intricate patterns, and high-end materials,” he stated. “Lighting fixtures and cabling had to be carefully concealed or integrated to maintain the overall venue’s grandeur.”
With high ceilings making precise focusing and even light distribution a challenge, truss pillars were used to minimise the physical impact on the venue. “The lighting design was successfully integrated with the opulent architecture and ambiance of Emirates Palace, enhancing its natural beauty without overshadowing it,” he reflected. “The lighting added excitement and energy to key moments, particularly during climactic sections such as the New Year countdown.”
Photo: Theory Eleven Entertainment www.theory-eleven.com www.slspro.net
The magic of light
Maroon 5 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse
As Mega Sound supports the audio needs for the American band’s debut performance in India, TPiMEA hears from the company about what the show means for Mega Sound and India’s standing on the international touring circuit.
With the Indian events markets growing in strength over the past year, more A-list artists are starting to add the country to their touring schedules. The latest act to visit was Maroon 5 who put on a set at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai, at the tail end of 2024. With 20,000 delighted fans eagerly awaiting the band’s first time in the country, local audio expert Mega Sound was brought in to supply the audio infrastructure for the show.
“This concert was a true turning point for India’s live sound industry,” enthused Mega
Sound’s Siddharth Chauhan, making it clear how important this performance was to the wider entertainment market in the region.
As Founder and Audio Director for Mega Sound, the fact that an act of the calibre of Maroon 5 was visiting the region elevated the importance of having a strong infrastructure.
“With global artists increasing touring here, there’s a significant demand for top-tier audio services and we were proud to be at the forefront of that evolution,” he commented. Alongside Chauhan working on this production on behalf
of Mega Sound were: Head System Designer, Vishrut V. Joshi; FOH Designer, Sanjay K; Stage Head, Devender Jethi; Stage Tech, Lokesh Salvi; and FOH Technical Team, Swapnil Elpass and Harshal Pillare. “This was a true team effort and I’m extremely proud of the work they put in to make this concert a resounding success,” complimented Chauhan.
For the performance, Mega Sound deployed an L-Acoustics K2 line array system. “Twenty K2 were deployed for their extended range to ensure that the sound reached even the furthest corners of the 20,000-capacity venue,” explained Chauhan. The system also featured flown K1SB subs and KS28 ground subs alongside KARA that provided near-field clarity ensuring no area of the venue had less than optimal sound.
A Di GiCo Quantum 5 was also supplied with the band bringing in their own SD5 and SD10 desks. “The deployment process began with detailed planning and simulations to ensure we could meet the specific requirements of the venue and Maroon 5,” stated Chauhan.
“We used advanced simulation software to design the system, mapping the speaker placement and signal routing to optimise coverage for every section of the venue. Once the design was approved by the band’s engineers, we moved into the physical setup.”
Th e physical setup was one of Chauhan’s highlights for the show, where he and his team ensured that the audio infrastructure would not affect any of the sightlines. “By working closely with the other teams, we ensured the sound didn’t interfere with any of the visual elements of the stage design, allowing for an immersive audiovisual experience,” he enthused.
While pleased with the delivery, Chauhan recounted some of the challenges the team had to battle, including weather and logistical delays. “Being an open-air venue, the weather posed a potential risk, especially with gusty winds,” he explained. To prepare for these adversities, Mega Sound proactively adjusted its
rigging to withstand the elements, securing the entire setup and ensuring stability even in the windy conditions. “Initially, we faced a full day of logistical issues,” he added. “However, we quickly adapted by restructuring our timelines and using the extra time to ensure all elements of the setup were fine-tuned.”
Alongs ide the more general challenges that come with hosting open-air events, Chauhan delved into some of the more technical challenges that came with the audio requests from the band. “We needed to implement a highly reliable, redundant signal routing system utilising a Luminex GigaCore switch to ensure network stability and smooth data flow across the venue.”
He noted that the use of audio over Ethernet with a 96kHz sample rate was crucial in preserving sound quality – “bypassing traditional analogue-to-digital conversions to maintain pristine audio fidelity,” he added. This ability to deliver such a high level of audio
networking was yet another example of how the region is able cater for bigger acts touring through India. “Our use of advanced technologies like L-Acoustics K1 systems and audio-overEthernet with 96kHz demonstrates the level of sophistication now required for these large-scale productions,” he stated.
“M aroon 5’s concert highlighted how far the Indian live sound rental industry has come,” closed Chauhan. “With a growing demand for high-quality audio in the entertainment sector, this event was a great opportunity for us to not only showcase our technical expertise but also to be part of a larger movement pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the live sound space. As India continues to welcome more international tours, the live sound industry is evolving rapidly, and Mega Sound is excited to be a key player in this transformation.”
Photos: Mega Sound www.megasound.in
The Mega Sound team provide sonic expertise and technical support at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai.
MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2024
As world records tumble and MDLBEAST continues to raise the bar for festival production, TPiMEA ventures into the belly of the beast to find out what it takes to organise the unique and extraordinary annual event that is Soundstorm.
MDLBEAST Soundstorm made a spectacular return in December 2024, with a stacked lineup combining international A-listers including Eminem, Linkin Park, Muse and Camila Cabello, with exciting homegrown Saudi talent. With 10 stages spread across the expansive site on the outskirts of Riyadh – including the gargantuan BIG BEAST main stage, which smashed the Guinness World Record for the largest continuous LED screen – the festival continues to push the boundaries of production not only for the Middle East but globally.
On s ite for the full three-day festival, TPiMEA racked up the step count, circling the sprawling grounds in an attempt to speak to as many people and take in as much of the packed programme as possible. While the festival’s focal point, the BIG BEAST stage, exerted an almost gravitational pull, standing tall and wide like a gleaming beacon in the distance, it was back of house in the Event Management Centre (EMC) where we discovered the secrets to Soundstorm’s runaway success.
We lcoming TPiMEA to the EMC was MDLBEAST’s Executive Director of Events, Michael ‘Curly’ Jobson, who gave a quick tour of the impressive control room, which is home to a wall of LED screens that shows CCTV of the entire site. “If you would have been in here four years ago, you’d have seen something very different to what we have today,” he smiled. “It’s taken time to get to this level, but we are
now operating at the very highest end of event delivery. This control setup could be dropped into any of the world’s top festivals or events, and it would be world leading.”
More akin to NASA Mission Control than something you’d expect on a festival site, the EMC is the heart of the operation and essential to the safe and efficient running of the festival. “The connection between every department and the communication that is being routed to all corners of the site continuously is extraordinary,” Curly commented. “Everything from top-level health and safety, crowd management, and tracking drones and helicopters to sitewide water and power is controlled from here. We’ve formed meaningful relationships with all the Saudi partners, from Civil Defence to Police and Military, and we’re now so indelibly connected that everybody is tuned in and treats each other with nothing but total respect. It’s a joy to be involved.”
Alongside Curly every step of the way is Festival Co-Director, TAIT’s Matt Richman. “Matt and I have had a strong relationship from day one. In four-and-a-half years of working together, we’ve never had a cross word, and if you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you how rare that is!” Curly laughed. “It’s a well-honed partnership, and we’re working to a level that we would have been unachievable a few years ago.” Richman agreed with Curly’s sentiment. “We have spent the past three years building the infrastructure, and we’re now in a place where
the processes are smooth and we have more headspace than ever to focus on operations and the patron experience,” he commented. “There is a genuine family feel across all the teams and throughout the site, which makes it a wonderful place to be.”
This renewed focus on the patron experience saw several tangible results, including the introduction of dedicated ‘Her Zones’ in prime viewing areas on each stage to ensure that any female festivalgoers who preferred to enjoy the festival away from the packed crowds had space to do that. MDLBEAST also operated its RESPECT programme once again, led by security, crowd management and event planning freelancer Claire Thorn, who worked with ESM Operations and Safe Events to ensure that the site was a safe and welcoming environment for all.
Safe Events Global’s Mark Breen has been working with MDLBEAST since 2021. “I came on board as Senior Health & Safety Director, as excited by the superb event professionals and suppliers from all around the world already on the master planning team, as I was the scale of the challenge to try deliver the show safely,” he stated. “Safe Events Global has continued to work with MDLBEAST across a wide range of projects since. They’re constantly pushing the bounds of creativity, which is exactly the type of client we enjoy working with.”
As well as changes that were immediately apparent to the audience, this year’s Soundstorm
also saw some more subtle changes, including the moving of the multi-tiered VIP structure to create a more intimate atmosphere in the BIG BEAST arena. In any normal circumstance, this would be a massive job, swallowing precious time and resources. However, since the structure was designed to be modular, according to Richman, the process was relatively simple.
“To be able to make site changes and leave your team with the energy to focus on the patron experience is fantastic,” Richman stated. “We’re now starting to see those strategic initiatives that we put in place collectively a few years ago play a role in the long-term success of the festival, which is extremely satisfying.”
Sitewide creative
Alex Reardon of Silent House has been a central figure in the development of Soundstorm over the past four years, and the Creative Director welcomed TPiMEA into his office to discuss how the festival has evolved. “In the 35 years I’ve been working in the live production space, this is the most creative, insane, rewarding, challenging, dynamic, and wonderful show I’ve ever worked on,” he beamed. “The site functions incredibly well; we’re getting better and better with each festival, and I love coming back every year.”
Initially brought onboard to design the BIG BEAST Stage four years ago, Reardon quickly
identified the requirement for a more strategic level of involvement across the entire festival site. “This led to me taking on the sitewide creative which, alongside designing the stages, involved me designing public spaces such as MIDTOWN,” he recalled. “I’ve been designing stages for years, but this was a different discipline altogether; thankfully, there’s such a well-established support structure within MDLBEAST and its collaborators that there was plenty of support for me to lean on.”
A ce ntral area in between stages, MIDTOWN is designed as a place for festivalgoers to rest, eat, drink and chat. “We were quite firm in our assertions that MIDTOWN needed to be a relaxing place where people can enjoy some downtime with no loud music away from the hustle and bustle of the main festival,” Reardon explained. “The design for the space is based on a plate we found for sale on Etsy, which had a beautiful Arabic motif. We used that as a starting point and built it from there.”
As well as plenty of traditional seating, the area is also home to something that can’t be found anywhere else on site, as Reardon explained. “The grass in MIDTOWN is special,” he smiled. “We talked to vendors who could provide what I call ‘the squidge’ – essentially a foam-padded turf.” After three days pounding the pavement, TPiMEA can attest that the soft grass
is a welcome change. “It’s great to see people lying on the grass,” Reardon added. “It becomes a sensory experience.”
On a c onstant mission to improve the patron experience year-on-year, the Creative Director makes a point of driving round the site before doors and taking fastidious notes on areas that could be improved. “The whole team has spent four years turning this into a well-functioning site, and we’ve now reached a point where we can start pushing the boundaries even further with the creative,” he commented. “We want to create a sense of wonder that’s not just based on scale, thinking about those smaller, softer experiences for the patrons wherever they are on site.
“H aving worked with the same team for the past four years, we’ve developed a great shorthand,” he added. “It’s a very friendly environment and a wonderful time to be working in this country. We’re honoured to be here at this transformative period in the country’s history and we take the responsibility very seriously.”
BIG BEAST creative
While Guinness World Records seem to be broken with almost comic regularity in the Middle East, in the case of the BIG BEAST stage – which featured the world’s largest outdoor LED screen, measuring 4,808.84 sq m, far surpassing the previous record of 4,159.8 sq m set by Adele in
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Munich – there was clearly a well-thought-out design to go with the epic proportions.
Conceived by US-based production design firm Vita Motus, led by Heather Shaw, the gigantic architectural and technological structure plays with the concept of weightlessness, appearing to float effortlessly despite its considerable heft. At an awe-inspiring 160m wide by 34.6m high, the stage is supported by 1,055 sq m of custom perforated metal skin and 2,300m of DMXcontrolled LED strips, with advanced engineering, such as load distribution through internal trusses and invisible anchoring points, allowing the massive structure to remain visually detached from its surroundings.
Known for her work on the Quasar Stage at Coachella 2024, numerous world tours, as well as the MTV VMAs in 2022, and now as the first female production designer for Soundstorm, Shaw shared her impressions of the festival with TPiMEA. “I first experienced Soundstorm in 2019 as a spectator, and even then, it was an impressive production. Seeing its evolution to its current scale is truly extraordinary – it feels like four festivals combined into one.”
With the aim of doing “something that had never been done on a festival main stage before”, Shaw and the Vita Motus team began working on the creative around April 2024. “Festival stages today tend to go big on fantasy-driven scenic designs with smaller LED sections, but with BIG BEAST, our goal was to seamlessly blend architectural scenic elements with larger sections of LED in a way that feels dynamic while still allowing for storytelling. At the same time, we wanted it to be iconic yet very clean and open – a blank canvas that artists can make their own.”
Th e creative praised the infrastructure already in place on site at Banban. “The permanent structural framework provided an incredible engineering foundation for our work,” she stated. “Having the freedom to design without significant technical constraints allowed us to think more creatively and meant we could fully explore innovative design solutions, making the entire process incredibly liberating.”
An architectural cubic set piece floats above the performance area, feeding into both the festival’s 8-Bit retro gamic theme and Shaw’s penchant for creating technical media sculptures in her designs. “The cubic structure is a multifunctional design element, reflecting my passion for creating technical media sculptures,” Shaw explained.
“It’s composed of perforated metal in a gradient pattern; it houses an integrated light grid with built-in haze and a grid of LED tape allowing for a dynamic interplay of light and texture. The fixtures are positioned within the framework, enabling them to either take centre stage or fade seamlessly into the environment, offering artists a high level of creative flexibility.”
With the stage realised, Shaw was excited to see what the artists and their teams did with it. “One of the most exciting aspects of designing a stage is seeing how artists and their creative teams interact with it,” she said. “Linkin Park’s team incorporated concrete-textured digital scenic, integrating their IMAG screens within it. The way they structured their visuals, combined with the monolithic aesthetic we had designed, resulted in a powerful visual experience.”
Shaw rounded up by praising the MDLBEAST team. “They are inspiring,” she commented. “The
MDLBEAST’s Michael ‘Curly’ Jobson, Heather Shaw of Vita Motus, PRG’s Yvonne Donnelly Smith, and TAIT’s Matt Richman.
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level of production and vision that MDLBEAST brings to the region is truly inspiring. Every individual involved has contributed immensely to making this a groundbreaking festival. Witnessing their dedication firsthand has been both impressive and exciting.”
BIG BEAST LED
Entrusted with the delivery of the BIG BEAST once again was PRG, who provided a 360° technical package, including video, lighting, audio and rigging. With a clean visual specified, PRG Germany’s rigging team, led by John Van Lok, designed and built a diverter rigging system that achieved the desired clean aesthetic by keeping the hoists hidden on the ground for a minimal profile along the top of the screen. “The only rigging that sits above the screen is around 80cm high and in black, so it’s almost invisible in darkness,” Van Lok explained. “We’re very happy with the look we achieved.”
De scribing the project as “engineering on a different level,” Van Lok explained the PRG team’s process, which involved building the stage from the outside in. “We work to an extreme level of precision,” he stated, adding that there was a 2mm tolerance on a stretch of 160m. “This is not
a usual one-week festival build; it’s more like a permanent structure, which is my background. Early errors will catch up to you quickly, so we must be spot on. It’s only achievable thanks to the teamwork of over 200 people.”
IN FiLED products were used throughout BIG BEAST, with the main wings and canopy made up of TITAN X transparent LED panels and ATLAS X used for the upstage risers.
Alastair MacDiarmid and the PRG LED team spent months in consultation with structural engineering firm Atelier One, led by Professor Neil Thomas, which engineered the frames of the TITAN X product, to see just how large it would be possible to build. “The maximum height we’ve been allowed to build to in the past is 24m, which is 20 panels. This design called for 28 panels, which is 34.6m, so we asked Atelier One to re-examine them,” MacDiarmid recalled. “They came back with 148 pages of engineering analysis, which gave us the answer we wanted that it would be safe.”
Th e porous nature of the LED served a dual purpose, as not only does it allow the transmission of sound and light, but wind also passes through, reducing the wind load that is exerted, which was vital on a screen of this size.
The huge quantities of LED coupled with the stark variation in temperature between day and night also brought the prospect of thermal expansion into play. “The metal in the LED frames expands after sitting in the sun all day, then contracts as temperatures drop through the night,” MacDiarmid explained. “On normal-sized builds this isn’t usually an issue, but on a 160m-long screen, we’ve theoretically got the potential for 100mm of expansion, which is quite significant.” This meant that tolerances were even tighter than normal, with no room for error.
Mac Diarmid also designed some custom tracking rails to allow for the easy movement of the upstage section of the screen, which was raised via a Movecat digital hoist system for stage access during changeovers, before being slotted back into position seamlessly.
With the engineering and building side of the project taken care of, Video Technical Specialist Jordan McMahon led the charge when it came to control. “It’s our job to make sure that the right pixels are displayed in the right places,” he joked. For precise and flexible control of the 15 UHD canvas space, the screen management and playback system included 16 Disguise VX4 media servers, 14 Barco E2 Gen 2 and six
Resolume media servers. A total of 42 NovaStar MX40s configured with full redundancy handled processing for the LED, with the whole system running at minimal latency. In total, over 40 racks of equipment were deployed on site.
An impressive 2.5 miles of fibre optic cable covered the media servers and camera systems, with a further 3.1 miles used for LED processing, covering the 120 and 220 active fibre cores respectively. Over 86 million pixels were processed on the continuous screen, all while ensuring capacity was available within the system to drive a variety of DJ riser screens throughout the festival.
A fu ll previs suite was built backstage, as well as a visualiser system at FOH, allowing artist teams to program up until the last moment.
“Everything has been designed with redundancy and flexibility in mind, and we’re now at a point where we can accommodate pretty much anything,” McMahon said. “We’re using tried-andtested methods from our experience on festivals all over the world to give that same experience to artists that they have come to expect from PRG.”
BIG BEAST lighting
The lighting brief was to follow the clean aesthetic, delivering the required punch yet
keeping fixtures as hidden as possible. “The aim was to come up with a rig that fitted the design and didn’t create any distractions from the clean look,” explained PRG’s Lighting Production Manager, Richard Gorrod. “We’ve got V-shaped and square trusses inside the scenic cubes, and we’re blasting light through the LED, which helps to achieve that goal.”
As well as following the design brief, the lighting rig also had to meet the challenge of catering to artists in multiple genres. “We needed a rig that would work for everyone,” Gorrod said. “Three or four years ago, the brief was mainly EDM, but now with the likes of Linkin Park and Muse, we need something than can cater to the rock ’n’ roll, too.” While the main rig remained the same throughout the festival, PRG supplied various extra floor packages according to incoming artist riders.
CLF lighting fixtures played a major role in the rig, with the IP-65-rated Poseidon Hybrid acting as the workhorse and CLF Sera deployed behind the screen, providing the power required to blast through. “They are three times as bright as anything I’ve seen on the market,” Gorrod stated. “We needed that power to make sure the light punched through.” The stage was framed entirely by CLF 1m LEDBar Pro multifunctional
linear LED battens. The scenic cube structure accommodated more CLF Poseidon Hybrid fixtures, as well as CHAUVET Professional Strike Ms, while PRG GroundControl-equipped Ayrton Domino LTs were on the delay towers to light the front of the stage and perform follow spot duties.
PR G placed a focus on previsualisation and control, with two Syncronorm Depence systems available 24 hours a day for incoming lighting designers, and MA Lighting grandMA3s at FOH that also had the capability of controlling the environmental lighting around the BIG BEAST arena on request. “Some LDs like to bring the environmental lighting into their shows, and the way we have set up the system makes that a simple process,” Gorrod stated.
“O ur delivery has evolved a lot over the years that we’ve done Soundstorm. Every year we finetune our workflow, and it gets better and better,” the PM reflected. “We spend a lot of time working on riders and providing detailed information for incoming productions so they’re at ease and have full knowledge of what they’re walking into. The fact that we have a lot of kit in the region also means we can respond quickly to last-minute additions without the need for air freight.”
LED Creative supplied a massive 2,750m of LED Flex, using Sigma 96 LED Creative Tape and
Gigabyte LED Creative Driver. “Given the size and scale of the project, the biggest challenge was the physical rigging,” recalled LED Creative’s Senior Project Manager, Tim Rees. “We were working at height on cherry pickers and also being mindful of fitting in alongside everyone else on what was a very busy site.”
Th e LED Flex was grouped in four pixels, with a total of 809 universes of LED. “We received a 4K SDI feed with video content from PRG. Our servers were running 8K Blackmagic Design Capture cards to receive this,” explained Rees. “We used Open Broadcast Software to scale this by taking the correct part of the main video screen, scaling it to fit the header structure. This was then passed to Light Jams software that we use to map the LEDs, much like Resolume but is designed specifically for controlling LED Flex. Output of Light Jams to the LEDs was running at a minimum of 60fps on a 1gb network.”
Lighting designers also had the option of controlling the LED Flex. “This is controlled via sACN and is run as a media slot on the server,” Rees commented, adding that there were various options in place including the use of video input, prebuilt FX and RGB control over specific strips within the structure, offering a wealth of different effect possibilities.
“We have provided site lighting for Soundstorm before, but this is the first time we’ve been on the BIG BEAST. It’s a hugely impressive
event on a scale that’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, and the organisation was outstanding.”
BIG BEAST audio
Along with the spectacular visuals, BIG BEAST also boasted a booming audio system, overseen by PRG’s HOD Audio, Martin Heinemann. “This project presents several challenges,” he began, discussing the audio setup. “The humidity is very low in the desert, which makes it difficult to transmit high frequencies over long distances. Also, due to the width and shape of the stage, we had to position FOH around 90m away, which is double the distance than we would usually expect for a festival in Europe.”
Des pite the challenges, Heinemann was glad to report that the new stage design brought with it an opportunity for more conventional PA positions than last year, when it was sitting around 18m behind the artist position onstage. “This year we’ve been able to place the PA almost on the stage edge, which helps when we’re throwing long distances,” he stated.
Comprising more than 500 boxes of L-Acoustics including K1, K2, K1SB, KS28, A15, the PA setup is designed with not only tonality in mind but also to avoid feedback, with a throw distance of more than 90m. “This is certainly the largest PA that I have ever deployed,” Heinemann commented. “The centre line running from FOH to the stage meant that we had to deploy the
subs in a left and right arrangement rather than all over the front of the stage, so we placed a lot of focus on ensuring that there was even coverage on the low end,” he added, discussing the sub arrangement.
A Di GiCo Quantum 7 was at FOH, with a Quantum 338 selected for the sunken monitors position due to its smaller footprint. “The whole system is running on AVB primary and secondary, on Luminex switches distributed via fibre,” Heinemann explained. “The system put out a lot of signals, so we decided to do the whole communication on our own Dante system including timecode, which we deliver to every department on stage.”
Ac cording to PRG’s Technical Production Manager, Nathan Avery, this cross-departmental approach is one of the major benefits that PRG brings to the project. “We have got representatives from each department working around the clock,” he stated. “We’ve been working on Soundstorm for the past four years, and every year we make improvements to our offering. Managing the large number of crew we have onsite is a challenge, but it’s one I enjoy. The project is an extremely rewarding one.”
Reflecting on the project, PRG’s Sales Director for Music, Yvonne Donnelly Smith, was delighted with the achievement. “We are so proud to have achieved the Guinness World Record with the video screen this year. We have worked with
the MDLBEAST team for many years now and it keeps getting better and better. It was a fantastic challenge for us to put our innovation and team to the test and what we’ve achieved is outstanding,” she commented.
“We are hugely thankful to MDLBEAST for choosing PRG as their production partner and being on this journey with them over the past few years and making entertainment history together. We are also delighted to work with Heather Shaw and the Vita Motus team for the first time and realise her incredible, unique and technically challenging design.”
Changeover shows
As if a world-record-breaking LED screen wasn’t enough, there was another notable addition to BIG BEAST this year, with a hydraulic elevated stage added to the centre of the arena, directly between the two FOH positions. Affectionately referred to internally as the ‘Mini Beast’, the stage hosted sets from the likes of Steve Aoki, with the aim of maintaining energy in the crowd between headline shows. “We added this feature to ensure that the changeovers between sets had more impact and the energy remained high, and it really worked,” Curly explained.
In a ddition to bonus sets from the Mini Beast stage, festivalgoers who stuck around the BIG
BEAST in between sets were rewarded with two multimedia drone shows, blending pyro drones, lasers, lighting and LED integration into spectacular productions that were an attraction in themselves.
“For the first time ever, we put a dedicated production team in front of those changeover projects,” Richman added. “Unlike a regular rock ’n’ roll show where you would have 45 minutes of downtime between performances, those changeover moments were high-energy and drew more people towards the stage.”
SK YMAGIC was tasked with creating the two distinct shows, both of which aligned with the festival’s general retro gaming, 8-Bit pixel aesthetics. “The two shows were playful, ambitious, and epic,” said Sunny Wong, SKYMAGIC Creative. “We were given significant creative freedom to explore various ideas and narratives, with the concepts being realised with SKYMAGIC leading the design of screen content, pyro and laser choreography, and soundtrack curation. We really wanted to create a ‘wow’ moment for festivalgoers through rich visuals that had them moving with the beat.”
Th e first show, Storm Games, transported the audience into a world of nostalgic 8-Bit aesthetics, entering an arcade where retro games collided with a ‘beastified’ twist, adapting
iconography synonymous with Saudi culture into a retro visual language.
Th e second show, Rhythm of the Cosmos followed a space explorer venturing into the universe and crossing paths with a droid on a distant planet. “We really wanted this show to be character-led, focussing on two beings that, despite their differences, connect through the universal language of music,” Sunny Wong said.
Having designed shows for audiences at iconic festivals like Coachella in the US and Wilderness in the UK, creating a show for Soundstorm was another milestone for the SKYMAGIC team. “We love working with music festivals because they allow us to be playful in our storytelling and transport audiences beyond the everyday,” stated SKYMAGIC’s Phil Batty OBE. “The festival atmosphere allowed us to push creative boundaries and craft show narratives that were playful and unexpected. The energy shared between the stage and the crowd reaffirmed our passion for working with festivals to create unforgettable moments for their audiences, bringing their passion for music to life in the air.
“B eing able to take that one step further, through the integration of elements such as the enormous onstage LED screen, synchronised animations, stage lasers, pyro effects, and
ER Productions have had a highly successful association with Soundstorm festivals since 2021. Our involvement has continued to grow and culminated in a spectacular Soundstorm 24 festival. ER productions met the challenge of providing a huge range of products across all the stages including 150 high-powered lasers and 72 flame fixtures.
ER Productions are also involved in a growing range of other live events throughout the region which has led to the rapid expansion of our Middle East office in Riyadh. Our experienced and highly trained Saudi Arabia team, backed up by our world-class London HQ facilities, are equipped to supply industry leading laser and special effects to create stunning audience experiences.
our SKYMAGIC pyro drones added layers of excitement that captivated the crowd and elevated the drone visuals,” Phil Batty continued. “To see all of these different production elements blending together to create a cohesive story is always rewarding from both a creative and production point of view.”
‘A visually stunning festival’
ER Productions has supplied Soundstorm Festival since the 2021 edition. The 2024 event saw a team of 44 dedicated professionals deliver the integration of effects across all stages. “Executing a project of this magnitude has its challenges due to the scale and complexity,” said ER Productions’ Creative Director, Ryan Hagan. “Coordinating a vast array of effects across multiple stages required meticulous planning and precise execution, as well as strict safety protocols.”
This year, the company deployed its new 60W RGB laser Head AT-60 as well as the new Hurricane coloured flame systems and Smoke Sausages – a smoke delivery system that allows more even delivery of atmospherics rather than larger plumes from a single source.
More than 150 high-powered lasers were deployed across site, including ER’s own KINEKT AS – a dedicated audience scanning system
that delivered immersive FX in DANCE BEAST. Meanwhile, BIG BEAST saw a new addition on the elevated ‘Mini Beast’ B-Stage, which was clad with G-Flames, CO2-free Cryo FX, AT30 Laser heads, and close-proximity pyro positions. A total of 72 flame fixtures were used across the site, including the new Hurricane system, Waveflames, G-Flames, and Stadium Flames. ER Productions also helped contribute to MDLBEAST’s environmental policies and green vision, with only biodegradable consumables and CO2-free FX used.
“The goal each year is to produce a visually stunning festival that leaves a lasting impression on attendees and sets a new benchmark for live event production in the region,” Hagan stated. “The successful execution of such large-scale projects also marks a significant milestone for ER Productions, showcasing our capability to deliver large-scale, world-class, immersive experiences. Our ability to overcome challenges and exceed expectations reinforces our position as industry leaders in laser and special effects production in the Middle East.”
Ag greko was entrusted with bringing power to the BIG BEAST, as well as several other key areas on site. Jake Murdoc, Senior PDR Manager for Aggreko in Saudi Arabia, oversaw the project,
working with a team of 21 people to deliver what he knowingly described as “a beast” of a job. “There was a total of 33MVA on this project,” he revealed. “We provided close to 7MW of power for technical and BOH in the BIG BEAST, including all audiovisual, FOH and SFX. With over 50km of power-lock and 35 different sets, feeding the stage has been an eye-opening experience.”
Th e company also supplied a BOH production setup of nearly 1MVA, covering the headline artist compound, which brought the additional challenge of providing 110v for on-stage production as well as the artist cabins for the US artists. Twenty-two generators provided 8MW of power for all UNDERGROUND (UG) stages and BOH production, around 3km of cable ran the whole technical and BOH setup for DOWN BEAST, and semi-permanent trenching was dug for the primary distribution for the NEON stage.
Described by Murdoc as “the trickiest cable run we’ve had to install this year”, the VIB Boxes required 35 cables to be flown at 6m high and 125m long. “Our team used two 6m Manlifts to fly each cable individually, which took around three days, and then distributed from two local panels,” he recalled. “We then had to test each box and fault find the house electrics, working closely with MDLBEAST to ensure the building was safe and
up to code.” The same sort of cable route was also required for the VIB Terrace.
A particular source of pride for Murdoc and Aggreko was the way that the company was able to support MDLBEAST with its ESG goals by helping to power the on-site recycling plant with its 90KWH battery and solar package as a Hybrid solution. “All plastics, wood, cardboard, and green waste are being repurposed, and with many of their machines needing power, what better way to do it than by using renewable energy like the sun?” he posed. “We also ran the technical for UG stages one to three on B100, which further showcases our commitment to going green and offering solutions to all clients.”
UNDERGROUND
Away from the towering BIG BEAST, the UG area serves as a haven for the festival’s ravers, with the four UG stages featuring dynamic designs by Sam Tozer of Vision Factory, and Philip Winward managing the area for MDLBEAST.
Co lour Sound Experiment supplied lighting, video and rigging for all four UG stages, as well as environmental lighting for the UG area. The supply comprised around 3,000 lighting fixtures in total, including CHAUVET Professional Maverick Storm 4, COLORado PXL Curve 12, COLORado PXL Bar 16, Color STRIKE M, Martin MAC Aura XIP, Light Sky Aquabeam II, Aqua Pearl, and QX40 MK3, with MA Lighting grandMA3 full size and light consoles used for control. The company also deployed around 1,000 sq m of LED, made mainly up of Leyard CLM6 and INFiLED TITAN X.
As someone who has been on the MDLBEAST journey from the early days, Colour Sound Experiment’s Haydn Cruickshank is well-placed to speak on how far Soundstorm has come. “As this was our fourth year, most of the big challenges have long been mitigated,” he told TPiMEA. “The environment, heat and dust are always a bit of a challenge for both the equipment and crew, so we make sure to use high IP-rated kit where possible and take on plenty of hydration supplements for the crew. The nature of the stages means a lot of welding and custom bracketry, but our team are well versed in deploying these now.”
As the Saudi side of the Colour Sound business continues to grow, with even the traditionally quiet summer season being significantly busier in 2024, the company now retains more equipment in the region all year round. “We’re recruiting more full-time staff to continue to build a self-sustaining operation in Saudi Arabia,” Cruickshank said. “Soundstorm is one of the most amazing events we do every year. To see how slick it’s become operationally and watch the audience mature and develop their own music culture is a pleasure.”
Clair Global deployed more than 650 loudspeakers for this year’s Soundstorm, including for all four UG stages, the sitewide evac PA system, the audio reinforcement for the VIB areas, and four stages worth of YouTube mix.
UG2 and UG4 had Cohesion PA systems comprising CO12 and CO10 for main hangs, CP6s and CF28s, while UG1 and UG3 had d&b audiotechnik KSL rigs with B22 subs. Each VIB suite had its own sound reinforcement system represented by the deployed CF24 loudspeakers on the same axis as the main PA system and delays, meaning that although guests were up
to 100m from the BIG BEAST stage below, they were enveloped by the live music. CO8s were used for VIB deck fill. The YouTube mixing suites had DiGiCo consoles with Waves servers.
As well as its audio scope, Clair Global also handled the sitewide critical comms system, with Motorola radios distributed to around 4,000 users, as well as the sitewide show communications, which required the deployment of 120 Reidel Boleros to cover all BOH performance spaces.
“We also take care of the entire data services of the site,” commented Clair Global KSA’s Stuart Wright. “Every metre of connectivity for everything from fan-facing Wi-Fi, production WiFi, and hard lines for media teams, to point of sale, site access, and credential scanners runs off our network infrastructure.”
The extensive networks comprised more than 1,100 access points and hard lines with over 5,000 actives users. “We installed 120,000ft of fibre, excluding the 35km of installed fibre that we previously integrated into the site,” Wright added. “This is probably the world’s biggest temporary network installation, which took the hard work of 150 Clair Global staff members, including 90 onsite, to make it happen.
“The relationship with MDLBEAST grows every year,” he concluded. “The festival is getting better and better. This year it took a massive step forward, both aesthetically and organisationally, and I believe it is one of the most welcoming festival sites in the world.”
Other stages
mediaPro International returned to Soundstorm this year, once again supplying audio, lighting, video, rigging, and trussing for the DOWN BEAST and DANCE BEAST stages, as well as sitewide environmental lighting, including the artist villages, working alongside LD Stuart Pring for the third consecutive year.
“It has been a fantastic experience to work with MDLBEAST on Soundstorm once again this year,” stated mediaPro International COO, Shaam Pudaruth. “Since day one of preproduction in early summer, we have been working together with the industry’s best once again throughout the entire process.”
An e ntirely new design for this year, DOWN BEAST featured yet more breathtaking LED visuals, with more than 1,000 sq m of Unilumin UGM XL panels arranged in a sweeping, wavelike formation. NovaStar MCTRL-4K processors were used, while eight Disguise VX4+ media servers with two Barco E2 Gen 2 and three Resolume Arena 7 with 4K output served as playback systems.
Th e LED was complemented by lighting, with over 100 high-performance fixtures, including Ayrton Domino LT, GLP impression X5 Wash, and Krypton Brute lights, all programmed on MA Lighting grandMA3 consoles.
Au dio meanwhile was covered by a powerful L-Acoustics system featuring K1 and K2 speakers, KS28 subwoofers, and 24 KARA II front fills. Four DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles and Lake LM44 advanced processing systems handled control. “This year marked a significant leap forward in both technical sophistication and operational scale,” explained mediaPro’s Project Manager for DOWN BEAST, Yogesh Malhotra. “One standout example was the introduction of custom-engineered solutions like LED dollies to
Above: The UNDERGROUND Stages, designed by Sam Tozer of Vision Factory.
tackle the unique challenges posed by the stage design. These innovations revolutionised stage transitions, showcasing our commitment to cutting-edge technology and the festival’s stellar reputation for visual and technical excellence.”
Ru nning a stage 24/7 comes with its own set of challenges, and DOWN BEAST was no exception. “Managing constant soundchecks, artist programming, and backline riser adjustments required relentless precision and coordination,” Malhotra commented. “I want to thank Tiago Machado, the Production Manager from MDLBEAST managing the DOWN BEAST stage, as well as the overall team from the festival and my amazing technical team who delivered this stage.”
For DANCE BEAST, mediaPro was once again tasked with end-to-end technical delivery and, according to the company’s Project Manager, Ankit Gupta, the design was much more complicated this time around. “The most challenging aspect of the project was working around the installation of the ceiling LED,” he revealed. “The design looks quite simple, but the installation and integration are much more complicated and required a lot of calculation and man hours from our rigging department,” he added. “This was important as the tent was
already at full load capacity and the dynamic weights needed to be balanced.”
Th e system was supported with a custom grid of trussing supported by more than 80 CM Lodestar hoists. LED again featured heavily on the stage design, with Visual Noise designing the content, which was controlled via NovaStar MCTRL 4K processors, with three Resolume Arena 7 with 4K output used for all the artists apart from David Guetta, who preferred Disguise GX3. Three Analog Way Aquilon RS4 4K handled screen management. The lighting rig meanwhile featured Robe MegaPointe and Spikie fixtures, along with Krypton Blaze and LED pars, all controlled via MA Lighting grandMA3.
Another L-Acoustics K1 and K2 system was deployed at DANCE BEAST, with a DiGiCo SD7 Quantum and Waves SG Extreme Server Kit at FOH and a Waves-equipped 338 Quantum in monitor world. “Our Audio Technical Director, Nitin Kurup, designed the PA system keeping in mind that the centre LED ceiling pod is under the coverage span and worked closely with the design team to incorporate all the necessary changes to achieve the right output level for the festival goers,” Gupta commented, also placing on record his thanks to Graham Filmer, PM of the DANCE BEAST, as well as TAIT’s Jeremy Shand.
For environmental lighting, mediaPro deployed more than 2,500 fixtures, 45 dimmer cities, seven grandMA3s with 10 Processing units and more than 50 Luminex nodes for more than 200 universes spread across 5.5 sq km, all connected in a single network via sACN. “Configured as a fully remote solution, from control to monitoring, the provided network infrastuctue by the festival allowed us to have a real-time monitoring system that was extremely useful, allowing us to fix issues before they even became visible,” stated mediaPro’s PM, Abdul Nawab.
An a ddition to the scope for this year was the MIDTOWN logo lighting, which utilised Ayrton Domino LTs placed strategically to achieve a rich, bright hue in the area. “I would like to thank Stuart Pring, LD of the overall venue, and Tim Sanders, Senior Crew Chief, for their continuous support,” Nawab said. “Their expertise made it very smooth for our team to deploy and deliver.”
De scribing the overall creative for this year as “impressive”, Pudaruth went on to thank the MDLBEAST leadership and praise his team for doing “an outstanding job”. He stated: “Soundstorm gets better and better every year, and we were very happy to be part of this incredible festival once again. I would like to thank Curly for entrusting me and my team with such
a world-class production and one of the biggest festivals in the world, as well as Matt Richman for the continuous support.”
The Event Verse
With any festival on this scale, crew and artist logistics is a major undertaking. This year, just six months after the company was formed, The Event Verse took on the challenge. “It’s wonderful to see our new Logistics and Artist Liaison, The Event Verse, doing so well,” Curly commented. “We’ve invested our time and trust in them, and they have delivered massively.”
“W ith a team of over 230, we navigated one of the most logistically complex events in the world,” The Event Verse Co-Founder, Ieva Irbina said proudly. “Supporting more than 2,000 crew members with visas, flights, and accommodation, while also issuing accreditation and providing live support for the 25,000-plus individuals working on the festival, was no small feat.”
Fe llow Co-Founder Alex Wiseman discussed The Event Verse’s process. “At its core, The Event Verse is built on technology-first operations. This ethos was shown on-site, where our team of three developers continually refined MDLBEAST’s Crew Hub product – the essential tool for all festival logistics,” he explained. “The Crew Hub provided real-time updates on travel plans and
event information, empowered crew members to complete their festival orientation, developed by the Academy of Live Technology and BEAST ED, and facilitated seamless mass communication across departments. Its efficiency ensured consistent information delivery, which is important for a festival of this scale.”
This year, the Crew Hub’s capabilities were expanded with the introduction of an Artist Management Module, streamlining artist ground movements by syncing directly with transport partner, AB Transport. This enhancement complemented existing integrations with TAG, allowing real-time updates to travellers’ profiles for flights and accommodations. “Additionally, a live RFID data feed was provided to the event control room, enabling our friends at ESM and Safe Events to monitor real-time crew data and vehicle movements while supplying TAIT, the festival’s master planners, with comprehensive post-event data for planning and analysis,” Wiseman added.
The company also recently launched a new Asset Management App, designed for Special Projects and Clair Global, to ensure the hiring process for equipment like golf carts, scooters, and radios was as fast and easy as possible. Crew members could now simply scan their badge to log asset usage directly against their
Crew ID, eliminating traditional spreadsheet logs and enabling better tracking, communication, and post-event reporting.
In the world of artist relations, The Event Verse introduced a new team to the festival from its North American talent pool and complimented the team with over 30% of KSA-based hires.
“With over 200 artist groups and more than 2,000 ground movements, our team ensured that every artist, local and international, enjoyed a seamless experience,” Irbina commented.
“For us, creating a memorable experience for artists is paramount, especially for international superstars. It’s not just about the performance at Soundstorm; it’s about showcasing Saudi Arabia’s potential as a global stage for live music. Positive word-of-mouth from artists is invaluable, and our team is proud to be the face of this connection on behalf of MDLBEAST.”
MD LBEAST is known for its focus on crew welfare, and the Event Verse supported this initiative through its 24/7 Crew Support Team.
“From lost keys to access to counselling services, our team of both English- and Arabic-speaking staff were on hand to assist both online and in person, ensuring every crew member had access to crew services,” Wiseman stated.
One of the most significant achievements this year was the collaboration with MDLBEAST and
The Event Verse Co-founders, Alex Wiseman and Ieva Irbina.
TAIT. “The synergy between our teams during the planning and build phases resulted in a positive, morale-boosting experience for all involved – a testament to the power of partnership,” Wiseman added. “However, one of our proudest achievements, which is a goal we set out at the start of the company being formed, was the hiring of a large percentage of KSA-based staff, providing both work but also learning and development opportunities for them. We are proud to say over 80 per cent of our credentials team was KSA-based staff, while between 30 and 40 per cent of our crew and artists logistics team were KSA based.
“As always, we extend our deepest gratitude to Michael Jobson and Matt Richman for their continued mentorship and support. We are very pleased to have been part of another recordbreaking Soundstorm.”
‘A well-oiled machine’ Rock-it Cargo once again handled most of the international freight and logistics for the festival, supporting MDLBEAST and all key stakeholders in the door-to-door shipping of everything from production elements and key infrastructure to band merch and crew uniforms. “I put great faith in Rock-it Cargo,” Curly stated. “There’s nobody else with the same level of experience in Saudi
Arabia. We gave them the authority to take this forward over the past four years, which has allowed them to develop a level of knowledge of the region that no other company has attained. The connections they have got because of our relationship are priceless.”
Ro ck-it Global’s Commercial Director, Harry Calthorpe explained the company’s process on Soundstorm. “We support the project through our core team as it has been for some years now, with me as project lead, and Thiago Silva leading the in-country operation once the on-site team deploy to Banban,” he explained. “We have a great mix of experienced site operatives and project managers from varied backgrounds and regional locations within our on-site team, coupled with key individuals in other global
Saudi Arabia, there can be a lot of requirements and prerequisites to import certain goods, such as drones and pyrotechnics, whereby multiple stakeholders need to collaborate to ensure a smooth import, and re-export.
“We always appreciate the opportunity to continue to support our friends at MDLBEAST and look forward to what the future brings.”
Also renewing its relationship with MDLBEAST was 3DB, which supplied a turnkey technical solution to the NEON stage, as well as several other on-site activations. “We were delighted to be involved in Soundstorm once again,” stated 3DB’s Matt Dale. “The site was fantastically well managed. We know the team at MDLBEAST well; we love working with them, and we we’re big fans of what they’re doing in Saudi Arabia.”
ergie Entertainment provided a variety of site-performances, both static and roaming.
“As part of our pitch, we suggested new and unseen acts, which included a bespoke performance structure for an aerialist, which was built exclusively for the VIP area of this event,” explained Founder and CEO of Energie Entertainment Middle East, Tyler Davis Smith.
“It’s exciting for us when clients want to push the boundaries creatively and try new things, as this aligns perfectly with Energie’s desire to bring bespoke acts to world-class events.”
In addition to the performers, Energie worked with an entirely local Saudi-based team of talent management. “This is imperative to the future of events in the Kingdom, and we were incredibly pleased with how that worked out,” said Davis Smith. “It is important that we work alongside locals and give them the opportunity to learn from us, as well as learning from them about what the Saudi Arabian crowds want to see.”
Reflecting on the project, the Energie CEO was impressed with what he saw in Riyadh. “The organisation of the event from MDLBEAST, TAIT, Special Projects, Rock-it Cargo and all other partners was fantastic. It really is a well-oiled machine and an example of how quickly things are moving forward in the Kingdom. Energie looks forward to supporting the MDLBEAST team on many more exciting projects in the future and would like to congratulate everyone involved in a successful Soundstorm 2024.”
BEAST ED
With a string of upcoming festivals and shows as well as the year-round planning that goes into Soundstorm, the MDLBEAST team is set for
another stellar year, and while Curly is excited by the constantly developing schedule of worldclass events now under the MDLBEAST umbrella, the development that has the Executive Director of Events most excited is geared towards the next generation of Saudi talent. “We are so proud of our BEAST ED programme,” he stated. “It was an idea that Matt and I hatched; Melanie Lemnios has taken it forward, and long may that continue.”
Richman was equally pleased with the programme. “BEAST ED has got to be one of the most successful aspects of MDLBEAST in 2024,” he commented. “It is something that has been important for years. We were able to execute it and bring it to life at a scale this year. To have 70% of the students take part in a MDLBEAST project this year is unbelievable.”
Clearly excited about the possibilities for BEAST ED, Richman believes the project will make its mark not just in Saudi Arabia, but all over the world. “In the past, we’ve had advanced entertainment markets such as the US, UK or Europe, exporting their technology and expertise around the world. What I believe you’re going to see over the next decade is Saudi Arabia starting
to export its own entertainment knowledge and expertise,” he explained. “What we’re seeing in Saudi Arabia is people learning, sometimes doing things in a different way and being successful at it, unlocking doors that haven’t been opened before in the entertainment industry.”
Photos: MDLBEAST, Azema (@3azemax), Alive Coverage (@alivecoverage), Luke Shadrick www.mdlbeast.com www.taittowers.com www.safeevents.ie www.silent-house.com www.vitamotus.com www.prg.com www.led-creative.co.uk www.skymagic.show www.er-productions.com www.aggreko.com www.coloursound.com www.clairglobal.com www.mediaproav.com www.theeventverse.com www.rockitcargo.com www.3db-dxb.com www.weareenergie.com
53rd UAE Eid Al Etihad
A purpose-built theatre in the depths of Jebel Hafeet National Park hosts a spectacular celebration of the UAE’s ancestral heritage and sustainable future.
As locations for large-scale events go, a patch of sand between two wadis deep inside Jebel Hafeet National Park miles away from the nearest road is certainly one of the more unusual and less convenient. However, as People CEO Tim Elliott and the rest of the team behind the 53rd UAE Eid Al Etihad discovered during the production of the show, sometimes the road less travelled is one that is very much worth taking. “The location recce to find that spot was an epic journey in itself,” he laughed. “We walked for hours, miles into the National Park, in search of the perfect spot.”
Af ter traversing numerous wadis and turning down several potential event sites, finally the team stumbled upon an area that had the desired characteristics. “At times it felt like we would never find the right place, but as soon as we saw the space and the stunning rock formation in the background, it just felt right,” he recalled. “It was a truly special location.”
While People has a long history of involvement in UAE National Day celebrations, this year was the first that the company has been the lead creative force on the project, working directly with the National Projects Office and Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, with Elliott taking
the title of Artistic Director. “It may be my name at the top of the bill, but I’m really representing the whole agency and the amazing full-time creative team that supported us to create the show,” Elliott said, humbly. “This wasn’t about us putting our stamp on the creative; it was about listening to our client, listening to the nation, and delivering what they want us to deliver. In doing that, I believe we’ve produced an extremely powerful production in terms of storytelling and an emotional arc.”
Heavily inspired by nature and the mountain backdrop, the show told the story of the stars that guided the early desert dwellers who formed communities, working together to thrive through change and growth. “Before we designed anything, the project started right at its core with one of the most profound, deep, ancestral stories of the UAE. By being in Jebel Hafeet, we were able to tell a story that’s never been pieced together for an Eid Al Etihad celebration,” Elliott reflected. “The story is set in the exact location of the show and, as we discovered things about that place, they became part of our production.”
The show’s concept was around “seeing the unseen”, with clever tricks of the eye in everything from the range of sculptures
surrounding the venue to the action on stage.
“Many of us have a level of abundance in our lives that we’ve become accustomed to, not only in the UAE, but around the world,” Elliott explained.
“The idea of going back to our roots, specifically in this location, was about understanding that back in pre-union days, knowing how to do a lot with little was very important.”
The environment surrounding the event site served as inspiration for the creative team. “We realised artistically that the most effective storytelling device would be building around our environment and providing a stage set that embraces the surroundings,” Elliott stated.
Production Designer, Josh Zangen, played a key role in creating the natural aesthetic. “Our design choices across all areas were guided by immersion in rich cultural heritage in this historically important space,” he commented.
“We knew we wanted to be respectful and not to falsely mimic Jebel Hafeet using fake sculpted rocks. This led to choosing video projection as the featured environmental storyteller and simpler theatrical elements of flats and gauzes for our canvas.”
Sc enic Production Manager, Kieran McGivern, and Production Manager, Omar Sharif, along with
Wonder Works, were integral in collaborating with VK and Al Laith on the physical build. “The team worked through the challenges both we and the environment posed and delivered many pieces ahead of schedule,” Zangen recalled.
Historical accuracy and representation were a priority, with “powerhouse” Pam Nichol leading the Props Department. “Pam is an expert in delving deep into cultural history and finding the right partners to deliver these accurately as well as the custom elements we devised,” Zangen said, adding his overall thoughts on the project.
“A favourite part of projects like this is bridging the large-scale spectacle, the intimacy of theatre, and precision of film to tell a story. Conceiving and building everything for an event of this size from the ground up in a tight timeframe takes a lot of coordination and this one had best-in-class teams across all departments.”
Elliott furthered: “The brief was to leave the entire site as raw as possible, which is easier said than done, because it’s difficult to make a site fit for purpose but also look like it hasn’t been touched.” A prime example of the untouched look was the way the roads leading to the venue were
built. “Instead of tarmac, the roads were watered, compressed and raked every night for weeks until they were hard enough.”
With regulations in the National Park prohibiting digging any deeper than 30cm and stating that the ground should be returned to as close as possible to its original state after the show, the team had to reinvent the way infrastructure is traditionally implemented. “We would normally build a village, but for this year we went back to basics and lived almost like the Bedouins used to live in camps the middle of the desert, with scorpions and snakes a very real consideration,” Elliott recalled. “We were living in a world that we were producing a show about – it was almost like method acting.”
As well as the challenge of working within a UNESCO World Heritage site, an even tighter timeline than usual meant that the entire creative team and technical suppliers had to be on top of their game.
“We were grateful for a very strong team of suppliers, which allowed us to turn around the project very quickly,” stated William Jensen, Managing Director of Spectaculars by People. “To
the team’s credit, everyone did an amazing job well within the timeframe.”
Th e cast of collaborators included: Aggreko, Al Laith, Al Watan Studios, Auditoria, Bani & Al, Bruno Poet Lighting Design, Clair Global, Creative Technology, DONE+DUSTED, Josh Zangen:Studio, Luke Halls Studios, Musicom, Pitchblack, Polyphonia, PRG, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Simple Solutions, SKYMAGIC, VK Exhibition and Décor, and Wonder Works.
“It’s important to honour all the creative partners who have been with us for a long time,” Jensen stated. “They have been through different types of shows and this show required some to think a bit differently to how they have in the past, but they were all phenomenal. Most of them are local businesses, too, which ties into our sustainability strategy.”
‘Outstanding results year after year’ Wonder Works was once again brought into the fold, with the company’s global technical team –led by Dave Williams, Head of Technical, and Ben O’Neill, Senior Production Manager – ensuring a flawless production that saw the mountains
transformed into a spectacular theatre, integrating advanced projection mapping, lighting, drones and stage engineering.
With a lack of existing infrastructure and soft, shifting ground throughout the expansive site, weeks of scouting and meticulous CAD work were required, with Hector Gaitan and Rishab Jain driving the CAD design work on site, supported by Andy Bailey, John Prentice, and Estenia Williams back in London.
“The picturesque wadi setting came with its challenges – soft sand, uneven ground, and limited infrastructure meant every step of the production had to be carefully considered,” O’Neill reflected. “We were fortunate that the weather held up; rain would have turned the whole site into a mud bath!”
Williams added: “Working with People, as well as established partners like Al Laith, Auditoria and SKYMAGIC is always a pleasure. Having such trusted collaborators helps us to navigate even the most complex challenges with ease and ensures that the production stays on track, delivering outstanding results year after year.”
Tasked with creating the core infrastructure, Al Laith was the project’s trusted temporary
structure supplier. As well as the main stage, the company created the curving amphitheatre-like grandstand, which was designed specifically for optimal viewing of the main stage.
“D espite the inherent challenges of working with scaffolding, which favours right angles, the team skilfully manipulated the material to create sweeping curves, resulting in a visually stunning and functional design,” stated Al Laith Project Manager, Jozef Hrinko.
Th e brief also included the creation of dedicated areas above the grandstand for projectors and FOH operations, an extensive network of ramps designed for golf buggies to enhance guest accessibility, and the bases, platforms and steel structures behind custombuilt majlis spaces to host VIP guests.
Planning for the project commenced during the summer, with the on-site build beginning in early October, leaving just two months to complete construction.
“D espite a compressed timeline and remote location, our team of 80 delivered the project successfully,” recalled Al Laith Director of Operations, Michael Clark. “For Al Laith, Eid Al Etihad remains a cherished event, representing
the pinnacle of our expertise in temporary structures and event logistics. The 53rd celebration stands as a proud achievement, reflecting the team’s resilience, innovation, and commitment to excellence.”
Pitchblack was responsible for production rigging, supplying a complete technical solution including two 27m towers, audio and lighting rigging and rigging for the majlis areas. “We had a short time window to design and fabricate something completely custom,” recalled Pitchblack’s Mark Hammond.
“I went to work designing the five-tonne steel baseplates in Vectorworks while simultaneously running the initial structural calculations through Production Assist, which enabled me to come up with a detailed design. We then engaged Rasti Bartek at Cundalls (London) to carry out the thirdparty structural report before we fabricated and delivered them as the paint was still drying.”
Th e 27m truss towers were built entirely out of Eurotruss HD44, consisting of four columns linked together at 4m intervals. “It took five 40ft trailers just to deliver the bases and ballast,” Hammond revealed, adding that 40 tonnes of ballast were used on each base as well as eight Ø14mm guy
wires, resulting in towers capable of handling wind speeds up to 30m/s.
Building the towers and their 8m-wide bases on relatively untouched land provided a challenge. However, the Pitchblack team worked closely with Site Manager Anthony Burke to get the ground as level as possible and conduct a ground pressure survey, which was important to achieve the desired results. “We were pleased with how it all came together,” Hammond added.
‘The scale of the location’
The ceremony was broadcast across the UAE on local TV channels and livestreamed internationally via the official YouTube channel. Managing the broadcast was DONE+DUSTED (D+D), which continued its long-running collaboration with People on the annual project. “It was essential that we worked with our friends at D+D to allow them to amplify the broadcast,” People’s Elliott said. “Unless you were on site, it was difficult to portray the scale of the location, but they managed to present the location and effectively give the broadcast audience a glimpse of how special the place really is.”
Ja mes Merryman, Broadcast Producer at D+D, gave some more details on the challenges involved in the project. “There’s a big restriction on movement of cameras and aerial shots during the live show, which means we aren’t always able to cover all the angles and shoot from the places that we’d ideally like to,” he began. “To counteract this, we film a variety of shots in rehearsals –both on-stage intimate shots of the cast, as well as large-scale aerial shots from drones and helicopters – and we roll that into the live show, so it blends seamlessly for the broadcast.”
D+D’s priority was showing off the location.
“With the show taking place in the natural beauty of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was begging for those epic aerial shots to really show off the scale,” he stated. “To capture those aerial shots, we lit the mountain in a bright clean white light, making it as visible as possible, then we graded it in post to get a better depth in the broadcast.”
Ac hieving a balance between portraying the enormity of the mountain backdrop and the intimate close-ups of on-stage action was a challenge that the D+D team relished. “We were pleased with the way we were able to expand the storytelling for broadcast. There were a lot of historic moments, and a lot of intimate details, which we hope the viewer was able to follow better than ever before,” Merryman concluded.
The company’s efforts were clearly appreciated by Elliott, who described the storytelling in this year’s production as “the clearest and most relatable” Eid Al Etihad yet. “We really hammered home the story in the way that it was told,” he commented.
“O ne of our objectives was to ensure that everybody understood the messages behind the show, and the feedback we’ve had so far is that it’s been the clearest show yet.”
‘There are no shortcuts’
Complementing the stunning natural surroundings were scenic mountains, constructed in the form of a scaffold structure and clad in plywood. This design provided a perfectly flat surface ideal for projection mapping, enabling a dual role as a conventional screen for image-based content and a dynamic canvas for three-dimensional effects such as
moving shadows to give the stage more depth. Video content was created by Luke Halls Studio, with the system designed and supplied by Creative Technology Middle East (CTME).
“Luke Halls and his team did an amazing job to create a three-dimensional world that people genuinely believed in,” praised Elliott. “Really good projection content removes the idea that the audience are looking at a stage and creates a feeling of depth to the set, and this was achieved very effectively here.”
A re gular fixture on the UAE’s annual national celebration in recent years, Halls believes that the presence of a well-established team is a major contributing factor to the project’s success.
“There’s something very powerful about getting a team who are used to working together. Having that shorthand with the team is useful,” he told TPiMEA, going on to delve further into the brief for this year’s project. “We were approached in August with this unique set design and given the task of bringing it to life.”
Ac hieving depth in the set was the primary objective, which required theatrical techniques that Halls would usually adopt in his projects in the opera and theatre world. “We did some fun things in terms of choreographic interaction, and all the apertures worked well, carving out bits of the mountain,” he commented. “We used a lot of old theatre tricks, which were very powerful and effective in the final show.”
Th e video-led nature of this year’s production meant that Halls was given free rein to set the
agenda for the visual team. “This year was especially enjoyable for us because the show was based primarily on video,” he explained.
“I have worked with Bruno [Poet, Lighting Designer] for years, and we’re very used to building a cohesive picture together; I’ve also got a long history with SKYMAGIC, and the drone show was very delicate and considered, which worked very well.”
Whe n it comes to the preproduction process, Halls prefers to focus on the fundamentals.
“There are no shortcuts; there’s no magic to it,” he stated. “We spent a lot of time perfecting the way that our digital mountains sat on the physical mountains, carving them out and getting them to feel right and connected to the surrounding area. Then it was just about pushing out a lot of pixels. We used a bit of Unreal Engine, traditional 3D, character animation, 2D animation, and combined all those ingredients.”
Th e Video Designer praised CTME for a “super smooth” delivery. “They were up and ready before I was, which is exactly what you want from a supplier. I’ve done a lot of work with them, and they are always very professional,” he reported, adding his satisfaction with the project. “It’s super cohesive and flows visually very nicely. I’m pleased with the level of depth we were able to achieve and how well it reads on camera.
I don’t think anyone would guess that they’re looking at a flat surface.”
CT ME designed and supplied the video solution, and while the company has been the
video supplier for several years, this is the first that it led the design of the system. “This is a very important step for us,” revealed CTME’s Head of Video, Carlos Aguilar. “To be a key part of the project from the early stages was extremely beneficial and allowed us to create a comprehensive plan and strategy for the project.”
Af ter developing UV maps of the projection area, CTME liaised with the Luke Halls team. “We have worked on many major projects with them over the years and there’s a great relationship there,” Aguilar commented. “We know the expectations and the very high standard that is required, and we’re happy to meet that standard.”
Th e projection solution included 42 Panasonic 4K projectors, with content powered by Disguise media servers, with an OmniCal system used for calibration. “The result was stunning, and the projectors performed exactly how we had anticipated on the projection study,” Aguilar commented. “Expectations were very high and using state-of-the-art technology was crucial in achieving the desired results.”
‘Beautiful misty mountains’
With lighting playing more of a supporting role on this year’s show, Lighting Designer Bruno Poet embraced the brief to deliver a pared-back production that elevated the video elements.
“The brief was to make the show less about big, sculptural, dramatic beams in the air and rhythmic punchy moments and more about settling into the landscape, and the video content
reflected that,” Poet began. “Luke did a beautiful job with the content, which meant that my job was taking a step back to support the video and the performances rather than trying to show off the lighting too much.”
Like the video, the lighting design also incorporated several old-fashioned theatre tricks. “We had some gauze panels on the mountain surfaces where people were hidden then revealed at certain points in the show,” Poet recalled. “I’m pleased with how the lighting and projection worked together and how we found clever ways of lighting the cast. It felt a lot like doing a piece of theatre. We were thinking about sculptural side light to pick out performers as they crossed the scene. It was about finding angles and ways of lighting people to make them interesting and present without firing too much light onto the projection surface.”
Illuminating the natural mountain backdrop was a significant task, with the “substantial lump of rock” more than 1.2km high, 8km wide and around 1km behind the scenic backdrop. “To light that mountain properly in its entirety, you would need an enormous amount of kit,” Poet stated. “PRG was super helpful in setting up demos with a variety of different configurations to give us an idea of how the final product would look, and in the end, we went with 96 movers, including Ayrton Domino LTs and Washes. An additional 140 Domino S and 50 Domino LT were the main workhorses of the rig, used both FOH and behind the scenic mountains.
An a rray of Ayrton Cobras were situated upstage to provide the sparingly used moments of aerial beam work, while Poet originally specified GLP X5 IP Bars to up light silhouettes of people on the walls before it became clear that the projection didn’t need any help in that regard. “We redeployed them as footlights and backlights, which worked nicely,” he recalled.
SG M P5s were deployed to add some front light to the mountains, Martin VDO Warm Atomic Dots were built into the floor and lined pathways, which followed the movement in the video content, and the 200-plus children in the cast were each given an Astera LED AX3 battery powered dome light, which was integrated into the choreography. Robe Forte LTX with remote operators meanwhile handled follow spot duties.
Th e windy conditions made atmospherics a challenge, however Poet reported that the six MDG theONE fog machines performed admirably, delivering enough haze to create a “beautiful misty mountains” effect when combined with the backlight picking out the mountain rim. Additional haze and smoke was deployed at floor level through a system of discrete holes with ducting and fans designed by Nick Read. Custom-built LED tape was also placed throughout the mountain walkways to provide front light for the cast, while a ring of pixel-mapped LED on the stage was hidden behind gauze, which remained invisible until it was triggered during key moments.
Th e control system was made up of four MA Lighting grandMA3 Full Size and three grandMA3 lights, all running MA3 mode. PRG also set up an onsite previsualisation suite running Syncronorm Depence, which was linked to the FOH consoles. “Once again, Depence was an important tool to the success of this project,” Poet revealed. “It allowed us not only to maximise programming time during the hours of darkness, but also to
provide an accurate visual to the client during the design phase.”
Th e LD was keen to share credit with the whole team, including Associate Lighting Designer Johanne Jensen who was “onsite from the beginning” and “did an amazing job”. He also singled out Lighting Programmers, Max Narula and Dan Haggarty, and DOP, Brett Turnbull, as well as thanking the PRG team. “I can’t sing their praises highly enough,” he stated. “Despite constant design tweaks, they remained adaptable and kept cool heads in what was a tricky site to operate in.”
With PRG deploying more than 1,200 lighting fixtures on the project, Director of Account Management, Harry Lister, led from a client liaison and commercial perspective, while James Speirs led the technical delivery, supported by Crew Chiefs, Tim Probert and Mark England. “Given the level of investment we have made over the past few years, we were able to deliver this production with minimal freight, making our lives easier and enabling us to react quickly to any changes made in the planning phase,” Lister explained.
“Although we were working in a remote location, our load-in went smoothly,” he added. “With an experienced team on the ground and great support from the client’s technical and logistics leads, we handed over a fully working system to Bruno and his team to work with.”
Lo oking back on the project, Lister believes that its success was down to the strength of the
team. “While I could speak about how pleased we were with the equipment, I believe the team members we had onsite where phenomenal and did an outstanding job. A special mention must go to James Speirs for making sure our reputation delivering special events in the region remains strong and continues to grow,” he commented. “We are very proud to have been selected as the lighting vendor for Eid Al Etihad and would like to extend our sincere thanks to People and the brilliant Bruno Poet for trusting us with this delivery.”
Drones played an important role in this year’s production, with SKYMAGIC deploying a swarm of 1,800 drones to not only add to the visual spectacle but also enhance the creative storytelling of the show. “Drones were used as part of the production fabric, like lighting or projection, rather than to simply display logos or icons in the sky, which is so often the case,” noted People’s Tim Elliott. “Here, they became an integrated part of the show rather than a gimmick on the side. It was a beautiful, innovative way forward for the art of the drone show and it took the breath away of people in the audience.”
SK YMAGIC’s Phil Batty added: “Our drones were more than a spectacle; they were storytellers. Weaving together natural landscapes and abstract forms as an extension of the projection mapping while enhancing the intimate performances of live artists onstage, the carefully choreographed drones arrived in
intervals, weaving seamlessly through multiple chapters of this immersive celebration.”
‘A unique set of audio challenges’
“This year’s Eid Al Etihad show saw, as usual, a unique set of audio challenges,” began Ethan Curry of Auditoria, who once again was entrusted with the sound design. “The venue geometry included an extremely wide seating grandstand at approximately 50m to 75m in width, and a live orchestra up-close to the front row of seating.”
Th e live orchestra in question was none other than the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by Emirati strings, percussionists and soloists, totalling 98 musicians. The orchestra was located to the far down-stage edge, giving the audience a close connection to the music performance, and the ability to hear the orchestra acoustically.
Th e music was composed by Polyphonia, which worked alongside Studio Al Watan and Musicom as well as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Nicholas Dodd, both at Air Studios and in UAE. “We loved the process of composing the music for the show,” stated Polyphonia Co-founder, Andy Theakstone. “Each year we learn more about the culture of the UAE.”
Curry described the primary music loudspeaker system – a nearfield arrangement of 600 L-Acoustics 5XT, 64 Syva Low, and 16 KS28, all evenly distributed through the grandstand and timed back to the conductor position. “This provided an excellent nearfield stereo experience
for every listener,” he noted, adding more details on the system.
“We also deployed seven arrays of L-Acoustics L2, each consisting of one L2 element, within the mountain-shaped structures of the up-stage set to provide a concave L-ISA scene arrangement for spatial imaging, along with one central block of 10 KS28. The relatively small form factor and wide horizontal coverage of the L2 enabled us to include most of the audience within the primary spatialised L-ISA zone.”
The main intention for the L2 scene system was for localisation of sound design and special effects, but it was also used to provide a spatial mix of longer note value instruments within the replay stems to be combined with the live and nearfield orchestra.
“To achieve this, we had to account for the time-of-flight from loudspeaker to the orchestra conductor for any musical content used in the L2 scene, which we compensated for within the replay systems, then delayed again for sources also amplified in the nearfield system,” Curry described. “The result provided great localisation and a spatial environment for all audience positions, along with great intelligibility through the reinforcement in the nearfield systems.”
The contrast between the nearfield system and the scene system also provided an interesting depth of field to be used in the
mixing process. “All three sources – the concave scene arrangement 30m from the audience, the acoustic orchestra 2m from the front seats, and the densely distributed nearfield system – held together excellently in the time domain throughout the audience,” Curry reported.
“As a listener in the grandstand, the show felt natural and easy to appreciate, which is often the intent of an immersive audio experience, with the addition of some key moments using localisation to pull attention to a specific place.”
Six positions of L-Acoustics Kiva II distributed along the rear wall of the grandstand were used as rear effects, along with a row of 72 X4i to provide a nearfield rear source for the leadership seating, who were masked from the Kiva II coverage. All systems were dual-redundant, with a pair of DiGiCo Quantum 7 consoles operating the show, and a dual-engine Quantum 7 providing the live orchestra stems and monitoring mix.
A standalone network of Optocore devices provided MADI transport and world clock between replay, consoles, comms and broadcast, all with redundant devices at each node. Multiple DirectOut PRODIGY.MP devices were used for MADI switching between the main and backup Ovation systems via GPIO, SRC between the show systems and comms and broadcast, PA matrixing and conversion from MADI to AVB. A pair of L-Acoustics L-ISA II processors were used
for spatial control of objects and generation of room engine.
As well as supplying the audio equipment, Clair UAE took on the critical role of providing comprehensive show communications, including the Mediornet data transfer and an extensive two-way radio interfaced system. The project utilised 500 Motorola R7 Premium handsets, which operated across 28 interfaced channels via Motorola SLR5500 repeaters, seamlessly integrated into the Riedel Show communications system. The ‘over the air’ programming via Wi-Fi allowed production teams to adjust with minimal disruption to the users. The Digital Matrix system was centred on the Riedel Artist with 1024 frames to facilitate sitewide connections.
Clair incorporated 80 smart panels and 130 Bolero units across 40 antennas and 16 IDF racks. Clair also managed 24 CCTV cameras with 16 Multiview positions, all through a Mediornet system using four 100GB links. For the Mass Cast monitoring and cueing, Clair deployed 1100 FRM receivers across 10 channels of FM broadcast.
“H aving worked on National Day projects since 2010, I’m continually amazed by the creativity and effort behind each show,” stated Andy Jackson, CEO, Clair Middle East. “As Clair Global, this marks our third year, and it was as enjoyable as ever. Delivering this year’s production with such ambition in a reduced
timeframe showcased the multi-service growth of our team in managing audio, communications, and data seamlessly.”
‘The ultimate accolade’
The site was powered by Aggreko, which supplied a temporary power solution for the entire venue, including offices and structures, show production, AV, and lighting, from 22 October through to January, where all generators ran on biofuel B20 for the event.
“We were approached by People in September to discuss power and sustainability options we could help provide for the prestigious Eid Al Etihad 53,” stated Aggreko’s Craig Lamb, discussing the company’s scope on the project.
“We worked with People to design an efficient energy solution for an ever-growing project,” he added. “We provided all engineering design prior to the project and went ahead with using B20 biofuel for the event, supporting People to meet their sustainability targets. It’s important to us as a company to keep at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions for our clients with a larger battery and solar fleet available, with all of our generators compatible with any grade of biofuel.”
Ag greko provided 7.6MVA of power generation across the site, over 1,000 cable ramps, more than 200 distribution boards, and 25km of cable from 2.5mm to 240mm. “The team on site led by Tim Shooter did a fantastic job
of what was a very large installation, with most of the main cable runs trenched in the ground to avoid any vehicles passing over,” he added, commenting on the Aggreko team’s biggest challenges on the project.
“The hard, uneven terrain on site gave the team some challenges, but with the close collaboration of People’s power team, we overcame any issues. We consistently worked with People to make sure any additional variations and increases in scope were kept within their budget, and we had an expert team on the ground to deliver it efficiently and safely.”
As ever, sustainability was a major focus for People and all its suppliers. The company has a long relationship with sustainability consultant
The Bulb, which once again worked with People this year to develop the event’s sustainability strategy. “Given the remote location in the middle of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making this year’s Eid Al Etihad as sustainable event as possible was a huge challenge, but also something that was crucial to its success as a project,” commented The Bulb’s Selina Donald. “A massive amount of credit must go to the entire event team. It’s not possible to achieve results like this without the buy-in of everyone.”
Je nsen was pleased to report that the event was awarded the ISO 20121 certification. “This was no small feat and something we’re really proud of,” he stated. “The ability to deliver
projects of scale sustainably is of increasing importance to both our team and the planet; we’re delighted to be an early mover in this space and bring that knowledge to future projects.”
Reflecting on the project, People’s Elliott was proud of the journey the company has been on with Eid Al Etihad over the years. “We came into this project for the first time on the 49th UAE National Day, with the brief of building the Majlis areas, and now we find ourselves being trusted by our client and our collaborators to deliver the entire show and lead on the creative,” he beamed. “To be chosen as that person or that agency, to be able to tell a story on behalf of the nation, to the nation, to celebrate their unity, is the ultimate accolade we can receive.”
Photos: People www.spectacularsbypeople.com www.aggreko.com www.allaith.com www.auditoria.systems www.brunopoet.co.uk www.clairglobal.com www.ct-group.com www.doneanddusted.com www.lukehalls.com www.pitchblack.ae www.prg.com www.skymagic.show www.thebulb.eco www.wonder.co.uk
Mastering RF technology
7Hertz hosts a groundbreaking masterclass with Sound Devices, introducing the Astral Series to some of the region’s top audio professionals.
While Sound Devices has historically been best known as a manufacturer of professional audio products for the TV and film industries, in recent years, the company has expanded its offering to include products catering to the live and install markets, with its latest Astral Series additions in particular gaining traction in the live segment. The manufacturer has been busy spreading the message since the latest expansions of the Astral range, and it recently teamed up with Dubai-based pro audio distributor 7Hertz to hold a two-day masterclass, led by Italian-born DJ and producer and Sound Devices Sales Manager, Leslie Lello.
“I had the privilege of visiting the 7Hertz office in Dubai for two days of Sound Devices masterclasses,” Lello began. “The event was exceptionally well-attended, with participation from some of the most prominent audio and event companies in the region. It was inspiring to witness the high level of engagement from attendees, particularly their enthusiasm for Sound Devices Astral wireless units.”
De spite having more than a decade of experience in the wireless world, the masterclass was Lello’s first visit to Dubai, and it’s safe to say that he was impressed with what he saw. “The visit highlighted Dubai’s growing demand for top-tier audio equipment, driven by an ever-expanding calendar of high-quality events,” he commented. “I was thoroughly impressed by the professionalism, expertise,
and advanced equipment I encountered in Dubai. The Middle East is undoubtedly establishing itself as a hub for major events, underscoring the importance of equipping it with nothing less than world-class audio solutions. This vibrant and thriving market promises a bright future for the region’s event industry.”
7H ertz’s Chief Technology & Strategy Officer, John ‘JP’ Parkhouse, first learned about Sound Devices’ intention to move into the live radio microphone market via what he dubbed as a “very impressive” presentation from touring veteran Andy ‘Baggy’ Robinson, who is now Sound Devices’ Vice President of Sales. “Baggy spoke at DiGiCo’s 21st birthday event in the UK in early 2023, and from that point on, we were extremely eager to see how these solutions would develop,” JP recalled.
“S ound Devices is world-renowned for its broadcast and location products, so given the high stakes in those environments, it’s clear the company places the highest possible emphasis on ingenuity, reliability, scalability, and robust design.”
Describing the Astral range as “genuinely remarkable and impressive”, JP is a big believer in the products. “We believe they are creating an opportunity to push the boundaries of RF technology within the industry, and this is only the beginning,” he stated. “In my view, the feature set and attention to detail are unmatched, and because of
where this technology has evolved from, there are many features you simply won’t find anywhere else.”
Th e masterclass was divided into two three-hour sessions on the first day, followed by an intensive workshop on the second. This structure gave attendees a comprehensive understanding of Sound Devices’ innovative solutions, supported by hands-on demos. Lello guided participants through an exploration of RF technology, highlighting the Astral Wireless family’s standout features, including the ergonomic and lightweight designs and features of the A20-Mini and A20-TX belt packs.
A highlight of the session was the flagship A20SuperNexus receiver. Lello demonstrated how the system can expand from 16, up to 24 or to 32 channels in a single 1U rack space via software licences, and how it can simultaneously output Dante, MADI, analogue or AES for a vast array of console connection options. Attendees also explored the A20-Opto, which expands the connectivity of the A20-SuperNexus. Designed with DiGiCo integration in mind, the A20-Opto adds Optocore connectivity, further mirrored outputs, GPIO functionality, and a MADI split.
Another popular product was Sound Devices’ newly released A20-HH handheld microphone, which has several key innovations, including: the calibrated CD1 dynamic capsule, an interchangeable upper collar, allowing any other type of mic capsule thread to be used, a second swapable control ring housing LEDs or user-programmable switches and buttons; and the Rocket Antennae, giving robust RF level, meaning no dropouts no matter where the mic is held.
Throughout the masterclass, participants also got to grips with the Astral range’s web-based interface, which allows for intuitive and quick configuration, realtime monitoring, and advanced diagnostic capabilities, streamlining tasks such as transmitter naming, frequency coordination, and firmware updates.
Among the 45-plus attendees was Luca Gianni, HoD Audio: Expo City at Agora, who described the masterclass as “truly outstanding”. He commented: “Sound Devices is clearly at the forefront of technological innovation, striking a remarkable balance between advancing capabilities and maintaining top-tier quality… What stood out was the story behind every feature, detail, and accessory. Each innovation stems from real-world field experiences and customer feedback, highlighting Sound Devices’ commitment to listening to its users. This approach not only meets specific client needs but also inspires new perspectives and potential solutions across the users in multiple industries.”
Andrea Granata, Sales Manager at Meyer Sound, added: “It was a pleasure to be invited to the Sound Devices Masterclass here in Dubai. The product they presented is very interesting and will certainly play a key role in redefining RF spectrum usage for PMSE.”
Meanwhile for James Lynch, Deputy Sound & Broadcast Manager at Dubai Opera, the Astral range is “a serious proposition”. He commented: “The A20-SuperNexus is a serious proposition for us being able to fit 96 channels of radio mics into a 3U rack space. The HexVersity antenna system would allow us to have full coverage of stage and the auditorium, and the A20-HH has a very useful feature of being able to record to micro-SD as a standalone unit.”
For 7Hertz’s JP, this is just the start of what he believes will be a long and successful collaboration. “We spent a lot of time discussing the training as a powerful way to launch these devices in our region, and the training Leslie provided was first class, offering excellent insight and practical usage examples,” he concluded. “We couldn’t be more excited about the prospects of the Astral range for our market, and we’re now equipped with our own demo system at 7Hertz – fully packaged and ready to go for any of our customers who’d like to experience what a genuinely fantastic set of products the Astral family has to offer.”
Photos: 7Hertz www.sounddevices.com www.the7hz.net
Sound Devices Sales Manager Leslie Lello delivers a two-day masterclass at 7Hertz’s Dubai facility.
Titan Power UAE
As Titan Power launches its new UAE operation, TPiMEA catches up with the team who are bringing high-quality temporary power solutions from the rolling hills of Cornwall, UK, to the deserts of the Middle East…
Everyone involved in the planning of event production is looking for a perfect balance between reliability, quality, speed and cost. There are levels in every aspect of event production, with low- medium- and high-cost options available in everything from audio, video and lighting equipment to special effects, staging and scenic. Of course, not every tour or event has the budget to splash out on top-ofthe range kit, cutting costs has an impact on reliability and speed of installation. However, for the bigger tours and more prestigious events, reliability and quality are critical and only products at the higher end of the market will meet their extensive requirements. With topspec equipment comes a demand for premium temporary power products – after all, without reliable power, nothing on stage works. This is where the likes of Titan Power come in.
A ma nufacturer of a range of premium temporary power solutions, Titan Power is dedicated to producing products that cater to the demands of the industry’s biggest and best events. Started in 1997 in Cornwall, UK, in the garage of founder, Simon James, Titan Power’s parent company, Essential Supplies, made its name through the production of power extensions and adaptors for the live events, TV, and film industries.
Af ter several years of steady development, outgrowing the garage, achieving ISO standards 9001 and 14001, and expanding from four to 20 full-time employees, the company established its own brand of power distribution products, called Titan Power.
These products soon gained traction in the market, being utilised by some of the biggest and best events worldwide, from Formula 1 at Silverstone, Wimbledon and Glastonbury Festival, to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
With the brand becoming a fixture on the equipment lists of a string of world-class events and projects, Managing Director, James Cottam, and Commercial Manager, Louise Chugg, identified an opportunity to expand internationally into the Middle East, launching Titan Power UAE.
“M any people look in awe at what is being achieved in the Middle East and how the region is navigating the changing world,” Cottam began, explaining the rationale behind launching in the UAE. “For most of our lifetimes, the region’s
economy has been reliant on oil and gas, but the way that they have pivoted into tourism and events and the speed at which the change has been achieved is incredible. Here at Titan Power, we know that we are in a great place to support this change.”
Cottam believes that the “high ceiling” of the Middle East means that the region is the perfect market for Titan Power to thrive. “The demand for high-quality temporary power solutions is huge, and the fact that they all run off the same regulations as the UK means it’s an easy and smooth transition,” he commented, explaining how the region’s approach to investing in longterm solutions is also beneficial. “Instead of trying to find the cheapest solution, many here in the Middle East are looking to invest in the future, and they want the best products that are built to last.”
With a comprehensive lineup of products ranging from 16A up to 2,000A, and dual CNC routers enabling quick and efficient production of distribution boards, Titan Power prides itself on delivering quality at every step. “One of the
easiest ways to explain it is everything from the enclosure through to the cables used is of the absolute highest quality,” Cottam commented when asked what makes Titan Power products special. “Our manufacturing partners include the likes of Vello Elektro, Mennekes, Titanex, Doepke, ABB, and Power Syntax, and we have a tremendously skilled team here in Cornwall putting the products together. It’s an extremely high-quality product, and that’s why it perfect for the Middle East.”
Having seen the business grow dramatically over more than 20 years at the company, Chugg is proud of how far the company has come. “We grew steadily at first, but the past six or seven years has seen the business grow massively,” she commented.
“We are built on serving event companies, but over the years, we have been agile and adaptable where needed – like when we supported the NHS with the building of the Nightingale hospitals during the pandemic,” she recalled. “This flexibility has put us in a great position to push on to the
next level, which we believe we can achieve in the Middle East.”
Th e company is set to exhibit at the Middle East Energy Show at Dubai World Trade Centre in April, and Cottam has high hopes that the tradeshow will be a springboard for success.
“Many of the companies I’ve visited are aware of Titan Power and have used the products before, which makes our job easier,” he stated.
With the new company formed under a mainland trade licence rather than a free zone, the intention is to show potential customers that Titan Power UAE is here for the long run. “We want to embrace the culture and the economic climate and be a proper Dubai-based company,” Cottam explained. “The immediate ambition is to have a positive Q1 and Q2, then use the summer months to put some plans in place for the busy season in Q4. We’re still in our infancy in the region, but we believe that Titan Power UAE has all the ingredients to become a market leader.”
Photos: Titan Power www.titanpowerglobal.com
Above left: Managing Director, James Cottam.
Above right: Commercial Manager, Louise Chugg, with Tracey Godfrey, Accounts.
Trivandi boosts sustainability strategy with The Bulb
As global multidisciplinary advisory agency Trivandi acquires sustainability consultant The Bulb, TPiMEA sits down with the new dream team to find out how the deal could supercharge sustainability in events throughout the Middle East and beyond.
From major events to venues, destinations and sporting organisations, there’s an increasing and much-needed trend towards the implementation of sustainable practices globally. Pioneering this push for sustainability is The Bulb – a sustainability consultancy that was founded in 2015 but first came to TPiMEA’s attention for its groundbreaking work on COP28 as well as the 52nd UAE Union Day in 2023. Since those projects, The Bulb has gone from strength to strength, creating sustainability strategies for a range of highprofile projects and organisations all over the world, and late last year, the company reached another significant milestone, as it was acquired by global multidisciplinary advisory agency, Trivandi.
Spe cialising in strategy, design, delivery and operations across multiple disciplines, Trivandi was formed in 2013 by the leadership team that planned, delivered and operated the 120-plus venues of the London 2012 Olympic Games. From the start, the company has strived to embed sustainability in everything it does, and, according to Co-founder and CEO of Trivandi, James Bulley, the acquisition of The Bulb will only serve to strengthen that resolve.
“Sustainability is a key part of what Trivandi does, and by bringing on board The Bulb, we are able not only to add their expertise, but also enhance our offering of sustainability, integrating it with all of our other business services –strategy, design, delivery, and operations – so
that it’s embedded in all our projects from start to finish,” he commented.
With the company working across major events, venues, destinations, and sporting organisations, it aims to “create better experiences for the audience, alongside improving the sustainability and the legacy” of its projects. Bulley added: “Particularly here in the Middle East, major events are part of the national vision of both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, so that makes it even more important to ensure that they deliver that legacy, and their events are aligned with a greater purpose.”
Co -founder and CEO of The Bulb, Selina Donald now assumes the role of Trivandi’s Director of Sustainability and takes a seat on the company’s Executive Committee. “Having built The Bulb organically for the past decade, I’m excited for the next phase of our growth as part of the Trivandi Group. I founded The Bulb to tackle climate change issues and make a real difference to the communities and environment where major events are held,” she stated. “My role on Trivandi’s Executive Committee is a strong signal of the importance that the company places on sustainability throughout the industry.”
The acquisition came about following a successful collaboration between The Bulb and Trivandi on COP28. “We were on the ground working together and everything just clicked,” Donald recalled. “It’s not very often that you
come across another company that has such similar values, ambitions and passions as yours. Both companies were launched off the back of London 2012, so there was that shared DNA from the outset.”
As well as the synergies between the two companies, the acquisition also appealed to Donald as it enables her the space to grow professionally. “For us to be able to have the security and the infrastructure of Trivandi to give us a bigger presence is incredibly beneficial,” she commented. “For me, professionally, it’s enabling me the space to grow, which you simply don’t have when you’re running a small company.”
A fu rther benefit will be the support that The Bulb can offer to the Trivandi Academy – an initiative launched in May last year to support the professionalisation of the industry. “There’s a real gap, particularly in the major events industry, in the training and the transfer of knowledge and how we’re innovating in events,” Bulley explained. “Trivandi launched the Academy to bridge that gap, and we rolled out its first training course, Major Events 101, in October last year.” This year the Trivandi Academy is set to run a module on sustainability, which will be led by The Bulb.
This industry piece was another important element for Donald. “The fact that we’re taking everything that we’re doing, sharing it with the industry and giving those insights away to help others grow is incredibly appealing to me,” she
shared. “For me, it’s the unique selling point of Trivandi. We’re not just another big corporate organisation that is only concerned with targets and growth. Being able to do great work, give back to the industry and achieve our ambitions are just as important.”
With offices in Dubai, Riyadh and London, and staff levels more than doubling in the past year alone, it’s clear that Trivandi is on an upward trajectory. James Bulley, had the final word.
“We are thrilled to welcome The Bulb to the Trivandi Group. Sustainability has always been core to our vision to create a meaningful impact in our sector and protect our planet. This partnership elevates our ability to take action in the fight against climate change by ensuring every p roject we work on reduces its carbon footprint through the advice we give and interventions we make,” he stated.
“By uniting The Bulb’s award-winning ESG model with Trivandi’s proven strategy, design and delivery expertise, we will raise the bar for sustainability standards across the events, venues, destinations and organisations we serve. This also enables us to continue our mission of improving the industry, applying our learnings from each project to the next, while sharing knowledge and best practice.”
Photos: Trivandi www.trivandi.com www.thebulb.eco
Above left: Trivandi Co-founder and CEO, James Bulley, with The Bulb’s Co-founder and CEO, Selina Donald, and Trivandi Chairman, Paul May.
Groupe Novelty grows in the Middle East
TPiMEA sits down with Serge Huber and Louis de La Guillonnière from Groupe Novelty to hear how the French AV specialist has expanded into the Middle East events market and its plans for the future.
At the end of 2024, the company formerly known as Groupe Novelty-Magnum-Dushow officially rebranded as Groupe Novelty, with international offices taking the Novelty name and the region they individually serve. Ahead of the rebrand, the French AV leader’s Technical Director, Nicolas Savigny, told TPi in its Nov/Dec issue that the change aimed to create a cohesive identity of the multifaceted organisation while also supporting its international expansion. A significant part of the group’s international expansion comes from its increased presence in the Middle East, following the purchase of Dubai- and Dammam-based company IRIS in 2019.
Established by Serge Huber in 2014, IRIS had built a name for itself providing solutions for the technical aspect of events from corporate conferences to concerts and fashion shows. Still at the helm, Huber now holds the title of General Manager for the Middle East for Groupe Novelty,
overseeing the group’s bases in Dammam, Doha, and Dubai. “Since the purchase of Groupe Novelty, we went from a team of 20 employees to 55 full-time members of staff,” began Huber, outlining the growth he had experienced since becoming part of the wider umbrella company.
The Middle East presence complements Groupe Novelty’s global footprint, which includes its core brands – Novelty, Magnum, and Dushow – as well as several others within the 15-strong group of companies.
While Groupe Novelty caters to a wide range of events, it has gained a reputation for delivering high-end fashion shows and brand activations, putting on events for the likes of Cartier, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. “Like Novelty in France, we have tried to replicate the same model in the Middle East, working with a lot of luxury fashion brands,” explained Huber.
Pa rt of the Middle East office’s success in this regard is its ability to call upon specialist crew
and equipment locally and from Europe to ensure a seamless delivery of events and replicate what clients have come to expect in Europe.
“I would argue that when it comes to our work with luxury brands, we do not have many competitors,” Huber stated, proudly listing off some of the events his team had been involved in over the past few years.
Hu ber was also keen to mention some of his team’s other accomplishments including its work on the French Pavilion at Expo 2020 as well as its involvement in COP28. “We’ve also been involved in the Red Sea Film Festival for several years,” the General Manager added.
While Huber oversees the Dubai and the Riyadh office, another key member from Groupe Novelty’s arm in the Middle East is Louis de La Guillonnière, General Manager of Novelty Doha. Having been in operation for the past two-and-ahalf years, de La Guillonnière gave his impression of the events market in Qatar. “The entertainment industry in this region offers very interesting possibilities, particularly in the winter season. We met a lot of reliable and friendly partners. While the competition is intense, the opportunities and projects are very exciting, and we are well equipped to answer our customer needs.”
In D oha, Groupe Novelty has a 600 sq m warehouse and five permanent employees along with a local network of freelancers. “We stock audio, video, lighting, truss, and power distribution from well-known manufacturers such as L-Acoustics, Yamaha, Elation, Robe, Martin, INFiLED, and Panasonic,” he stated.
He went on to explain how the recent FIFA World Cup had affected the group’s work in the region. “The World Cup fostered the notoriety of the region as an interesting tourist destination and enhanced the professionalism of events management,” he stated. “It increased Qataris’ confidence into their ability to host major events – a confidence that is further boosted by our technical support capabilities.”
de La Guillonnière continued to explain how the Doha branch often collaborates with the Dammam and Dubai offices, in terms of equipment rotation, business and client
management. “Our goal is to serve our clients with the same level of commitment and passion throughout the region,” he enthused. “For instance, we delivered a high-level conference in Bahrain last November thanks to the human and logistical support of the Dammam office, which made it much easier than if we would have had to manage everything from Doha. We also think all together about our investments into
equipment to deliver in quantity when required.”
With a growing presence in the region along with a more streamlined international brand, it will be interesting to see how Groupe Novelty will continue to make waves in the Middle East.
Aside from commercial success, to close, Huber explained how the expansion is also benefitting the development of local talent in the region. “Last summer, we send a team of
20 people to work on the Olympics in Paris,” he explained. “This was the first time we had sent over this many people, but due to the success we are now sending over a team for festival season in 2025. It’s great to give our team the chance to train and learn on large-scale events in the quieter summer months.”
Photos: Groupe Novelty www.groupe-novelty.com
d&b audiotechnik CCL System
Fresh from experiencing the new Compact Cardioid Line Array at ISE, TPiMEA speaks to d&b’s Product Manager, Santiago Alcalá Baillie, and General Manager for the Middle East, Brad Maiden, to find out more about the technology behind the system…
What industry need does the CCL cater to, and how has the R&D process behind the product helped shape its design?
Santiago Alcalá Baillie: “Once the analysis of the exact requirements of the compact line array applications and the target system architecture and physical characteristics of CCL were defined as a passive, two-way line array element of weight and dimensions between T10 and Y Series, the challenge for the d&b R&D LS development team, led by Matthias Christner, Nico Paul and Ewen Rolland, was to achieve broadband directivity control with low-frequency cardioid behaviour, applying an entirely new acoustical principle, different to the one utilised for the SL Series.
“S L Series models, as three-way active systems, use two channels of DSP and amplification to create the frequency dependant delay of the front radiating woofers, which together with the bass reflex ports are ideally spaced apart with the rear/ side radiating woofers, as in an ‘end-fire cardioid arrangement’, creating a coherent acoustical energy summation to the front and a very significant SPL reduction towards the rear of the cabinet.
“The CCL, being a passive, two-way system, uses a single amplifier and DSP channel to power the entire set of transducers, utilising a new acoustic resonator, in a new band-pass arrangement for the rear/ side woofers, which creates the frequency dependant delay that allows for a ‘gradient array’ acoustical arrangement, expertly implemented with a new d&b patent. This results, once more on a broad-band reduction of the LF to the rear and sides of the cabinet and an addition of acoustic energy to the front.
“Furthermore, the d&b R&D developed an entirely new target curve for the distribution of the acoustical energy over frequency, creating a new type of HF transducer and waveguide/ horn assembly design that allows for over 3dB of additional headroom above 1KHz, while minimising audible and measurable distortion compared to conventional designs.”
What features of the CCL system make it well-suited for the Middle East?
SAB: “Ever since the launch of the GSL, our customers have resonated with what we have achieved, with broadband directivity control and ArrayProcessing in particular, standing d&b apart from our competitors. It’s why our SL-Series are now the touring system of choice for the world’s top artists. However, not all applications require large-format line arrays. So, we followed with the KSL and XSL, which made massive impacts on the market. Still, people asked if we could deliver the benefits of the SL-Series in a smaller form factor.
“At d&b, we approach everything from a user’s perspective, so the CL-Series introduces an innovative new patented passive cardioid design with up to eight CCL cabinets or eight CCL-SUBs or any combination able to be run off a single 40D, D40, D80 or D90 amplifier. This means greater efficiency in system design and investment.”
Brad Maiden: “In the Middle East, we see the CCL being used in a range of applications including high-end corporate rental, festivals, sports arenas, auditoriums and theatres, complimenting the SL-Series in many functions, from side-fills to in-fills, to name just a few. The CCLi, install-dedicated versions will represent a new paradigm for smaller auditoria and theatre installations, allowing for an elegant, affordable access to the benefits of broadband directivity control with low-frequency cardioid behaviour to smaller venues than those that are targeted by SL.”
When will the CCL be available in the region?
BM: “The CCL is available to order now, with the first CCL systems due to ship from Q2 2025. In the GCC, you can contact Provision AVL or Avientek, and in Egypt users can contact Technology KAR. We hosted CCL listening sessions during ISE in Barcelona and plan to hold a series of CCL demonstrations across EMEA throughout the year.”
Photos: d&b audiotechnik www.dbaudio.com
GES opens Qatar division
The new branch expands the company’s presence in the Middle East, following the opening of its Saudi Arabia branch in 2021.
GES has launched a new division in Qatar aimed at expanding its capacity to deliver localised, in-region support for its clients. Organisers in the area will now be able to benefit from faster, high-quality and a more personalised service for their events, projects and exhibitions, with a range of GES services on offer including its event management platform, Visit.
GES has had a presence in the Middle East for some time and has been a trusted partner within the UAE exhibitions market for more than 15 years. The Qatar launch forms part of the company’s continued growth in the region, having most recently opened an
office in Saudi Arabia in 2021. “We’re excited to bring our expertise to Qatar at a time of huge growth across the events industry in the region,” commented Donna Hyland, General Manager, GES Middle East. “With our strong presence already established in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, this new location allows us to be more agile and responsive to our clients’ requirements across the region and continue to deliver high-quality and reliable services with the local knowledge to drive industry success.”
Over the past 12 months, GES has successfully delivered numerous major projects in the region, including COP28, Dubai Airshow, Arab Health, ADIPEC, and several
notable exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, such as Big5 Construct, Seamless, and Intersec.
Qatar has undoubtedly positioned itself as a destination for high-profile global events, delivering on the global stage with events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Similarly, the region’s facilities continue to evolve with Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre, Qatar National Convention Centre and Aspire Zone all offering versatile venues for events. The demand for major exhibitions, conferences, and events continues to rise in the region, and GES feels it is perfectly positions to contribute to this growth.
Photo: GES Middle East www.ges.com
MA Lighting and Avolites reveal new Middle East representation
Avolites will now be distributed by Robe Middle East, while former Avolites distributor Procom Middle East partners with MA Lighting.
Avolites MD, Paul Wong, with Robe Middle East General Manager, Elie Battah, and Avolites Director of Sales, Ron Carrington; The Procom Middle East team with MA Lighting MD, Stephan Saremba (centre).
Avolites has announced a change in partnership in the Middle East, which sees the UK-based lighting and visual control manufacturer distributed and serviced by Robe Middle East. Meanwhile, former Avolites distributor Procom Middle East has been appointed as the exclusive distributor in the GCC and Lebanon for MA Lighting.
For Avolites, service and support throughout all Middle Eastern countries is now managed via the considerable resources, experience and organisational infrastructure of Robe Middle East, headed by Managing Director, Elie Battah and his talented team.
Avolites investors, users, and customers in the area can now access the Robe Middle East Technical Centre – which becomes the hub for Avolites sales, tech support, repairs and returns, plus an active schedule of training opportunities and initiatives currently being developed.
Avolites’ MD Paul Wong thanked Procom Middle East for the “incredible” work that has delivered and supported Avolites products in
the region for the past 15 years – a collaboration that has positively impacted and shaped the landscape of live performances, theatre productions, and architectural lighting. This restructuring follows Avolites’ acquisition by the Czech lighting manufacturer in 2023, on which Wong commented: “We are looking forward to a new era for Avolites in the Middle East and a successful long-term strategic working relationship with the Robe Middle East subsidiary, which will benefit all involved in Avolites.”
Robe Middle East’s Elie Battah added: “We look forward to engaging with all levels of creative visual designers, directors and programmers and offering exciting, user-friendly, super-streamlined workflow options for all presenting their visual elements for the live show and performance environment.”
For MA Lighting, Managing Director Stephan Saremba is delighted with the new partnership with Procom Middle East. “Our two companies are united by a shared dedication to offering premium products, exceptional customer care,
and innovative solutions that cater to the unique demands of the markets we serve,” he said.
“With Procom’s expertise and commitment, we look forward to enhancing our engagement with current MA users while unlocking new market opportunities. We are delighted to have Procom join the MA family as we collaborate to expand and succeed in the dynamic Middle East market with MA Lighting solutions.”
Charbel Zoghbi, Commercial Director at Procom Middle East, added: “Procom is a centre of excellence in lighting control. This makes it the natural home for MA Lighting in the region. Our commitment to multilingual training programmes, technical support, after-sales support and product availability will help make MA products accessible to all. We are proud of the trust that MA Lighting has placed in us.”
Photos: Avolites, MA Lighting www.avolites.com www.malighting.com www.robe.cz www.procom-me.com
Monster Productions invests in Elation
The Johannesburg-based rental house expands its lighting inventory with a substantial purchase.
Monster Productions & Events has made a substantial investment in state-of-the-art Elation lighting equipment, including KL PANEL softlights, RAYZOR 760 moving head effect lights, and ARTISTE PICASSO profile moving head luminaires.
Spe cialising in large-scale corporate events, awards ceremonies, press events, and year-end functions, Monster Productions has over 25 years of experience providing expert production solutions. The company’s owner and CEO, Lloyd
Wild, expressed his excitement about the new Elation products. “The KL PANEL is a brilliant all-rounder for our day-to-day corporate events. Whether we need it for house lights, key light for a panel discussion, or just a general wash, the unit is always our go-to,” he said.
Wild also praised the RAYZOR 760, stating, that fixture was “the perfect companion” to accompany the ARTISTE PICASSOs. “The versatility of these fixtures means they can be used for eye candy and effects or simply a
solid wash,” he added. The purchase was made through The Production Warehouse, which has been Elation’s exclusive sales partner in South Africa since 2015. Marnus Nieuwoudt, The Production Warehouse owner, added: “Lloyd has been a loyal client since we opened our doors. We are excited to see Monster Productions thrive with their new Elation gear.”
Photo: Monster Productions www.monsterpe.co.za www.elationlighting.com
Pro AV Africa Expo to launch in 2026
The new tradeshow will take place from 14 to 16 July 2026 at Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, South Africa.
Practical Publishing has announced the launch of Pro AV Africa 2026 Expo. Taking place at Gallagher Convention Centre from 14 to 16 July 2026, the event is set to bring together global exhibitors from throughout the AV industry.
Th e Pro AV Africa Expo 2026 is aiming to attract a diverse audience from touring professionals to installation specialists, broadcast and film experts and educators. With live demonstrations, product showcases, and networking opportunities, the tradeshow is set to empower attendees to connect, learn, and adopt the latest AV innovations.
DW R Distribution will be the platinum sponsor for the first event. “It was a significant loss for the live events and broadcast industry when we lost
our bi-annual tradeshow due to the pandemic in 2020,” commented Duncan Riley, Founder of DWR, discussing his excitement at the new event. “That’s why it’s so exciting to see Pro AV Africa 2026 stepping in to fill that void.
“Dyelan Copeland and Charnia Yapp from Practical Publishing, who have been successfully organising exhibitions since 2005, are sure to make this one another success,” Riley concluded. “We are very proud to be part of it and hopeful that visitors from all over Africa will attend, and that suppliers from around the world will collaborate with the market to create something truly memorable.”
Photo: Pro AV Africa Expo www.proavafricaexpo.co.za
