TPMEA #006

DECEMBER 2016 • ISSUE 006

INFECTIO ICAL N H C USLY TE PARTY IN THE PARK • RED BULL CLIFF DIVING • DUBAI WATER CANAL OPENING DWR INTERVIEW • IN PROFILE: SHOWTEX, NETWORK CREW, NEUMANN&MÜLLER

TPMEA

WELCOME...

TO TPMEA

It’s that time of year again - the MEA events season is back in full swing and, as a result, we are busier than ever. As well as covering events the world over, we are currently on the home stretch of our annual TPi Awards preparation, having released our shortlist officially just as we put this issue of TPMEA to bed. Congratulations to all of those that made the grade, particularly Dubai’s own Showforce, which has been nominated for Best Crewing Company.

We’re looking forward to seeing plenty of the MEA contingent on the night in February and, for those of you that are considering the trip, please remember we now have the Daytime TPi conference and networking event to ensure you make the most of your time in London.

Although the year is drawing to a close for us here in the UK, we are already gearing up to make sure we are around for as much as the MEA region has to offer - look out for features on Yasalam and Sensation as the standouts in another jam-packed edition. As for Issue #006, we have you covered whether you fancied a peek at the spook-tacular production of Fiesta de los Muertos (Pg. 20) or were curious about just how the team behind the Dubai Water Canal Grand Opening pulled off a logistical feat that would be impossible anywhere else (Pg. 30).

Before I leave you to indulge, please remember that our new TPMEA media packs are now available to download, complete with all of the 2017 print dates.

Have a lovely December break (if you can get it) and we will see you soon...

www.tpmeamagazine.com | www.tpimagazine.com | www.tpiawards.com

03

INSPIRING SHOWS AND GRAND PERFORMANCES

SCENIC FABRICS & STAGE DRAPE MOVEMENT JUST GOT MORE EXCITING

IMG WORLD OF ADVENTURE - CARTOON NETWORK THEATRE - DUBAI Complete theatre fit-out with flame retardant printed fabrics , acoustic wall treatments , moving light boxes , ShowLED Animation curtains, projection screens, motorised ShowTracks, HiSpeed Roll-Ups and stage masking drapes.

AMAZING STAGE FABRICS IN MOTION SHOWTEX MIDDLE EAST // UAE // T +971 6 557 9800 // INFO.ME@SHOWTEX.COM // WWW.SHOWTEX.COM

CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 - FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

Blink’s John Jossifakis rounds up 2016’s success.

06

10 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest live event news from the Middle East.

12 - ILEA COLUMN

Lesley Fair, Director at Custard Communications, identifies the challenges of the bidding process.

14 - TECH PROFILE

Party In The Park The Middle East’s very own indie rock festival packs a punch thanks to eclipse Staging Services.

18 - TECH PROFILE

20

Fiesta de los Meurtos December’s cover story depicts the tech feat behind universally known Mexican celebration, Day of the Dead.

26 - TECH PROFILE

Red Bull Cliff Diving Adrenaline reaches the UAE with a high-octane full production.

30 - TECH PROFILE

Dubai Canal Opening Collaboration is the theme of this grand opening spectacular.

50

36 - IN PROFILE

Ste visits Rick Wade to talk all things Neumann&Müller.

40 - IN PROFILE

ShowTex unearths future plans and reflects on its profound influence in the region’s health and safety developments.

44 - IN PROFILE

Network Crew’s Jo and Louise Marshall talk shop.

48 - EXPO

International brands showcased their latest innovations at the Middle East’s début of the industry-famous tradeshow, Prolight + Sound.

AFRICA 50 - INTERVIEW

TPMEA finds out more about one of South Africa’s high-flying technical traders, DWR Distribution.

52 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP The latest stories from Africa.

58 - TECH FOCUS

Lighting a comedy show requires a unique technical vision, and Sound Stylists provide exactly that for comedian John Vlismas.

EDITOR Kelly Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk

ASSISTANT EDITOR Ste Durham Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7891 679742 e-mail: s.durham@mondiale.co.uk

STAFF WRITER Stewart Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

GENERAL MANAGER - TPi MAGAZINE & AWARDS Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES Georgia Guthrie Tel: +44 (0)161 476 9357 Mobile: +44 (0)750 1597 837 e-mail: g.guthrie@mondiale.co.uk

EVENT MANAGER - TPi AWARDS Mo Naeem Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)775 9272 313 e-mail: m.naeem@mondiale.co.uk

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Zoe Willcox: z.willcox@mondiale.co.uk

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

www.tpmeamagazine.com www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Fiesta De Los Meurtos courtesy of 117Live / TPMEA.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne

PRINTED BY Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk

@tpimagazine facebook.com/TPiMagazine youtube.com/user/TPiMagazine

05

06

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

JOHN JOSSIFAKIS, BLINK EXPERIENCE IS IT REALLY DECEMBER ALREADY? WHERE DID 2016 GO? AS WE APPROACH THE BIG NYE CELEBRATIONS HERE IN DUBAI AND LOOK AT THE VARIOUS SHOWS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED IN THE YEAR, I CAN HONESTLY SAY ‘IT WAS NOT ALL THAT BAD’. BEING CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC IS VITAL IN THE MODERN WORLD AND OUR INDUSTRY IS NO DIFFERENT. SOME PEOPLE WERE HIT HARDER THAN OTHERS THIS YEAR LIKE THE FREELANCE PROFESSIONALS, WHICH IN MOST CASES, EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN Q3 AND Q4, WHILE OTHERS FACED DROPS FROM 20-35%.

The last few months of the year, I felt the industry picked up and, although it was not where it should have been, it was better then expected. This is the beginning of a new era for our industry.

In 2017, I believe it will be the year that the industry counts its battle scars from 2016 and heals towards a healthier Q3 and Q4. All global and regional indicators forecast a climb and hopefully this will resonate in the events industry as a whole. Here at Blink Experience, we are embarking on the new year with a lot of confirmed business, which sets the tone for what promises to be a better year. With an ambitious calendar kicking off in January with Market Outside The Box 2017, the flagship final event of the Dubai Shopping Festival, I am proud to announce that I have been appointed as the director of this festival for the second year in a row and with an expected 100,000 people attending, this festival will be no small feat to plan and deliver at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai.

Our year at Blink Experience continues with an ambitious portfolio in most of our six regional offices, unrolling a robust schedule that will surely bridge some of the gaps of 2016 and I believe this is the outlook for most agencies. 2017 promises to be a year of mending and preparing for the road towards the Expo 2020. I personally feel that our industry will wait it out and 2017 will exhibit pockets of activity that are currently not on anyone’s radar.

2016 was the year of change, a lot of people moved either companies or roles. New players were introduced to the market and a new wave of practitioners embarked onto the sandy shores of the GCC. Next year will be one of recovery and stabilisation, as we try to find our foothold to usher in the coming years leading up to the Expo and the World Cup in Qatar.

ME

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

07

ME

08

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

“This pioneering group of volunteering individuals has come together and united to strengthen the voice of our industry as a whole.”

John Jossifakis on ILEA

On a closing note, I must remind people about the International Live Events Association Middle East Chapter (ILEA ME). This pioneering group of volunteering individuals has come together and united to strengthen the voice of our industry as a whole. With a solid board of directors and board advisors, spearheaded by Lee Charteris, the industry now has proper representation. With over 150 active members, ILEA ME has become the powerhouse trade association for our sector and I am proud to sit on the board as the VP of Education. Recently I was also officially invited by the ILEA Global President to take a seat on the Certified Special Events Professional Certification Committee, where I hope to make a difference and act as an advocate for this recognised standard.

If I had a Christmas wish for the industry it would be for everyone to have a successful closing to 2016 and an ambitious start to 2017, while always operating safely and accident free.

Let’s put smiles on our audience’s faces. Season’s greetings everyone.

John Jossifakis, Blink www.blinkstudios.ae

ME

10

REGIONAL ROUND UP

GROWN-UP SOLUTIONS TO OPEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST GROWN-UP SOLUTIONS PROVIDES STRATEGIC GUIDANCE TO COMPANIES OPERATING IN, AND BUYING FROM, THE EVENTS AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR. THE COMPANY, LED BY MIKE SMITH, WORKS WITH INDUSTRY BUSINESS LEADERS TO FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, WITH THE AIM OF IDENTIFYING AND MAXIMISING UNTAPPED POTENTIAL. Grown-Up Solutions has opened an office in Dubai to better serve its existing client base and to support new business opportunities in the UK and Middle East.

Launched in the UK in 2014, the company has worked with a range of clients including a Premiership football club, where it introduced processes that increased hospitality sales volume by 14% and spend per head by 26%.

The Grown-Ups also act as intermediaries for merger and acquisition discussions, carrying out due-diligence work and representing one party as local agent.

The company is currently working with a celebrity chef, ensuring the behind-the-scenes

management structure is in place to support his future career.

Director Mike Smith said: “With my background in the Middle East it’s a natural extension to establish a presence in Dubai.

The event and hospitality sector is already used to working internationally but with Brexit coming up there is an increasing opportunity for businesses in this sector to explore new opportunities and trade links. Opening the new office will enable us to offer enhanced services to our existing clients as well as giving us the opportunity to support new clients in the region.” www.grownupsolutions.com

MAESTRA DUBAI EXPANDS & MOVES MAESTRA DUBAI’S OPERATION IS EXPANDING AND HAS MOVED TO A NEW WAREHOUSE FACILITY IN THE DUBAI INVESTMENT PARK (DIP) AREA, MORE THAN DOUBLING ITS WORKSPACE.

This follows a strong start to the year by the Dubai team led by Tom Clements. The company now has 18 full time staff with more joining shortly and 2016 has seen major investments in new sound, lighting, rigging and video equipment in response to this buoyance, in turn creating a need for more room for further streamline.

“Dedicated prep bays will assist in the overall speed and efficiency at which we can put productions out the door” explained Clements, “which will make a huge difference to the practical day-to-day operations. We’re still right in the commercial centre of the city with excellent transport access and all the other advantages of a prime business location.”

Clements also revealed that a new highly

ME

experienced warehouse manager will be announced shortly, who will be overseeing and running this aspect of the award-winning company.

There are ‘clean, environmentally controlled areas’ for the service and care of specific and sensitive equipment, and these will also enable mock-ups of technical scenarios and client demonstrations.

The new building has a series of meeting rooms, spacious offices and is fully connected via all the high speed comms, including to Maestra Dubai’s main office and HQ in Dubai’s Design district - where the project management and design teams are at the core of the creative action - and Maestra’s London headquarters in the UK.

Another recent investment has been in the

asset management system inspHire, which is being rolled out across both Maestra Dubai and London, designed to further refine the workflow and the dynamic interaction between the two companies.

Through these two principal hubs, Maestra is set up to service its clients internationally throughout Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim with the best and most comprehensive of technical production solutions.

The move is part of a planned expansion ahead of the 2016-17 Middle East event season, where Maestra is expecting another busy and interesting year of shows and events. Last year’s diverse range included WWE’s Dune Bash, Disney Live, Dubai Art Season, the 2016 World Drone Prix and SMK Tennis.

One of the first events to be supplied from the new warehouse was Groove on the Grass, Dubai’s leading EDM outdoor festival staged at the Dubai Golf Club, for which Maestra deleivered full technical production. www.maestra-group.com

REGIONAL ROUND UP

11

ECLIPSE INVESTS IN STORMYS RIGHT IN THE THICK OF THE BUSY SEASON, ECLIPSE STAGING SERVICES HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN 50 CLAYPAKY STORMY CCS, AN INNOVATIVE STROBE LIGHT THAT USES THE LATEST LED TECHNOLOGY.

The new LED strip used in the Stormy is an economical improvement to the classic strobe light while still retaining its classic charm. Although, unlike the classic strobe with a Xenon lamp, you are now able to individually adjust the frequency, duration and intensity of the pulse as it is fully digitally controlled. The Stormy also comes with RGBW LEDs, which eliminates the need for gels.

“eclipse has been a valuable customer that has always been on the leading edge of technology. We’re thrilled that they have reinvested in the Claypaky range and are committed to offering their customers access to innovative technology,” commented Egor

Popovski, Middle East Representative for Claypaky.

Martin Lubach, eclipse Staging Services General Manager, concluded: “We are extremely pleased with the support we receive from Claypaky, and are very happy with the performance and popularity of our existing Claypaky range. ” He went on: “The purchase of the Stormy CCs is a step in the right direction when it comes to the transition from power hungry fixtures to energy efficient technology.”

eclipse’s new units are due to venture to their first event over the National Day weekend for the Tiesto and DJ Snake performances at Dubai World Trade Centre. www.eclipse.ae

ME

12

ILEA COLUMN

LESLEY FAIR THE PERENNIAL PAIN OF THE PITCH PROCESS IS ONE THAT CROSSES ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY, AS CUSTARD’S DIRECTOR EXPLAINS... proposals, they know that the agency has taken the time to listen and learn.

3. THE RIGHT AGENCIES FOR THE PROJECT Sending a request for proposal to 15 agencies serves no one. The client has to wade through vast amounts of paper work to shortlist an agency, and the pitching agencies are not incentivised to pitch when their chances of winning the pitch are lower. Clients can vet agencies in advance and select three to five agencies of which their creativity, prices and team fit with the client team, with the net result being reduced time in the long term for short listing proposals 4. BALANCE CREATIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY WITH PRICE Low cost does not mean good value for money. In fact by selecting a low cost agency for a project a client can often find themselves haemorrhaging resources elsewhere to fix problems later on, or suffer limited creativity in the delivery of the project. Procurement departments working closely with the end client department (whether that’s a project or marketing team) that gives creative agency and the opportunity to negotiate on price will result in a more creative delivery of projects closer to clients’ budget needs.

Within the International Live Events Association there is the strong belief that the pitch process can be improved by client companies, to the benefit of all involved in the experience, to ensure that clients are receiving top class proposals and agencies are efficiently bidding for realistic business opportunities.

ILEA has chaired and hosted a number of lively discussions with involvement from both esteemed panels and input from the audience. The outcome is a white paper that will be issued by ILEA by the close of 2016.

As a sneak preview, and hopefully no surprise to those on the bidding side of the process of pitching, we have identified challenges and reasonable recommendations...

1. TRANSPARENCY OF INFORMATION The more information an agency receives in the briefing, the closer the agency can get to meeting the objectives of the client company. It takes time to write the brief, but it saves more time to receive a proposal that meets the objectives.

2. INTEGRITY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS From start to finish, the more time the client company invests in the process the greater the improvements in the proposals in the long run. Feedback sent to the unsuccessful pitching agencies will help clients filter out those agencies that also invest in learning. If the client sees an improvement in the pitching agency’s subsequent

ME

5. QUALITY OF IDEAS NOT QUANTITY Clients that ask for more than one idea move the focus off of the agency’s best idea. Clients will get the agency’s best idea in the time given to deliver the proposal if they ask for one, good quality, scalable idea.

6. CREDIT FOR CREATIVITY Creativity and intellectual property are ideas. Ideas and inspiration takes time, dedication and talent to turn into client’s concept. Theft of the ideas of one agency and gifting to another agency is unethical; as is the taking of the ideas of another agency given by a client. Creativity and intellectual property deserves credit and should be respected.

7. PITCH IN PERSON Proposals submitted electronically or in printed format afford no opportunity to present in person, meaning a lot of the rationale, strategy, passion and detailed explanation behind the ideas are potentially missed. No face-to-face meeting means chemistry and team synergy can not be part of the decision making criteria. Clients buy into the people as well as the ideas of an agency.

8. REALISTIC TIMESCALES We live in a fast-paced region and timelines are often short to the point of un-achievable. The result? Poor quality proposals, a lack of detail and limited creative development.

ILEA COLUMN

To avoid this, some of the busiest (and best) agencies may decline to propose. Many clients are aware of a project on the horizon, either because it occurs annually or because it is in their plans. Setting the proposal phase off early, with decisions made in good time result in a better planned, better executed project often with more reasonable budgets. Let the agency do the work.

9. MILESTONES PAYMENTS Requirements for tender bonds, pitch fees, bank guarantees, performance bonds, payment terms of 100% payment post event for up to 90 days, ties up their cash flow of an agency.

The agency effectively underwrites the event as well as freezing funds in their account for the bonds. This has the potential for good agencies to decline to pitch. These agencies are often more hungry to win, nimble to act and creative, however the client will not have the opportunity to work with them because of their imposed payment terms. Removing risk to the client and linking payment to project execution with an agreed payment schedule based on milestones of deliverables, ensures that the client pays based on work completed, and the agency achieves a steady flow of cash.

10. THINK LONG TERM Despite a busy events programme, or annual events, many clients are reluctant to retain their event agency resulting in

13

higher costs for clients paying agency fees per project with no economies of scale and no long-term retainer discounts.

When clients plan and identify their events activities it not only facilitates the entire pitch process, but also potentially results in leveraged savings for a longer term agency commitment.

The full pitch process white paper will go on the ILEA website later this year, at which time we encourage the events industry to share the document with their clients and engage in positive and productive conversation. In the meantime, take the opportunity to speak with any of the ILEA team to add your thoughts to this and other industry initiatives, and come and be a voice amongst the ILEA membership at our events and meetings.

Lesley Fair is Director and co-founder of Custard Communications, a passionate event management company based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, working for clients within the GCC and across the globe. She is also Deputy President of the International Live Events Association, the association for event industry professionals. ILEA provides a platform for the best practitioners in the creative event industry to connect and share ideas. Membership grants access to a global network of 7000 event professionals, monthly educational and networking events and a platform for professional promotion of yourself and your company. www.ilea-me.com www.welikecustard.com

ME

14

TECH FOCUS

PARTY IN THE PARK THE 2016 EDITION OF DUBAI’S PARTY IN THE PARK SAW ECLIPSE STAGING SERVICES PRACTICALLY RUNNING THE SHOW, WITH A FULL ARSENAL OF AUDIO, LIGHTING, VIDEO AND POWER SOLUTIONS ON SITE, AS WELL AS A WHOLE HOST OF CREW.

This year the Party In The Park annual festival saw a Brit indie-rock line up of The Charlatans, Travis and Kaiser Chiefs take to the stage at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre in front of thousands of eager fans. The event also marked the third time that the eclipse audio department deployed a large d&b audiotechnik system in the venue, as Head of Audio John Parkhouse explained: “It’s starting to feel a little like home, and we really enjoy working there.

Once again the system performed flawlessly on this event with the d&b Array Processing

feature throughout all hangs that were set to ‘full glory’.

“The real magic happened in monitor world and on stage to ensure timely and flawless changeovers, as well as comprehensive RF monitoring to result in another very well executed show for the eclipse audio team.”

Parkhouse led the venue’s system design with a speaker configuration that consisted of 16 boxes of d&b J-Series per side, with two d&b V-Subs and six d&b V8’s per side as outfill and eight d&b Y-Series for front fill. He also specified

a ground level sub array that consisted of 16 d&b J-Subs and six J-Infras. All of the artists used a mixture of the wedges and a Sennheiser G3 inear system for monitors.

The company provided six d&b D80 touring racks, nine individual D80’s and five D20’s, to drive the d&b system, as well as two Lab.gruppen Lake LM44 processors that handled the feed from both FOH consoles and distributed the Dante network. It also supplied a variety of generators for on-site power as well as a combined 15km of cable.

DID YOU KNOW?

J&C JOEL ARE EXPERTS IN FABRICS & FLOORING, DESIGN & INSTALLATION

As a world leading manufacturer of flame retardant fabrics and flooring, the recent circus tent at Motiongate Dubai, the Hollywood inspired theme park, used over 1200 metres of red and blue Poly Twill with each panel individually sewn on site.

United kingdom

ME

�

Europe

�

Africa

�

Middle East

�

Asia

�

Australasia

TECH FOCUS

Giving further details on the choices he made for the audio control and microphone packages, Parkhouse said: “We supplied all packages, apart from headliners Travis and Kaiser Chiefs, who brought their own mic packages. We also provided over 200 channels of stage boxes and two 48-channel splits for the changeovers between each artist.” He continued: “All of the headliners used Avid Profiles at FOH and

monitors. For local support acts I used a DiGiCo SD8 at FOH. Monitors were operated by Tariq Al Hassan.”

Dana Beaudin, RF Specialist at eclipse talked TPMEA through the RF setup that “ran flawlessly” with 24 channels, eight channels of Shure UR4 microphones and the 16 channels of Sennheiser G3 IEM. He commented: “This enabled us to have two or more bands patched at a time so

15

both the active performers on stage and the next act could have access to the systems. Each system was controlled via their respective control programs, Wireless Workbench 6 and Wireless System Manager, which allowed me to make changes globally or on multiple units quickly as needed.

“Professional Wireless antennas and GX-8 Antenna Combiners were used on the IEMs

Fabrics & Flooring Drapes & Shapes Stage Engineering Tracks Consumables

Motiongate, Dubai

mesales@jcjoel.com +971 (0)4 884 7801 www.jcjoel.com

ME

16

TECH FOCUS

and their Intermodulation Analysis Software to tune everything, ensuring both mics and IEMs worked together in neighbouring frequency bands. Multiple scanning devices were used in conjunction with Touchstone Pro to help tune the systems and then monitor throughout the event for rogue RF interference that could pop up.”

LIGHTING The lighting team deployed over 250 fixtures on the night to cover the main stage as well as the Hype Arena, a second stage made to resemble a club environment for DJs and MCs. Included in the kit were Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash FXs and Martin by Harman MAC Viper Profiles, which Head of Lighting Craig Ralph described as the “perfect spot / wash combination”.

Claypaky fixtures also featured heavily the A.leda B-EYE K10’s in particular added “a mappable pixel element to the show,” and the Sharpys “gave the added punch needed to break through the main stage coverage”, according to Ralph. Also included in the design were

ME

Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 Strobes and two Lycian follow spots. For the control desk, the MA Lighting grandMA2 and grandMA NPU were firm favourites, as requested by Travis LD Steve Hough. The eclipse team used a ChamSys MagicQ MQ 100 Pro and a MQ80 from Neg Earth Lights specifically requested by Jason Hyne, Kaiser Chiefs’ LD. Ralph went on to explain that the company utilised both Luminex GigaCore and Ethernet to “seamlessly switch between all consoles whenever needed”.

As well as this substansial lighting rig, eclipse supplied 130sqm of 9mm ROE LED video panels, a three channel camera PPU and two Green Hippo Taiga media servers for control.

The video crew consisted of eclipse freelancer Matthew Villis and Video Engineer Alex Menor, who concurred that they had a “walk in the park” during the event. “These festival style events are becoming the norm for us, so set up and delivery is very smooth,” commented Head of Video, Lee Worthington.

He continued: “The content was bespoke for each act with a mixture of live feed and live

mixed content across all LED screens.” The panels were arranged as two 6m x 3.6m screens at stage right and left showing a loop of the live feed and the festival sponsors’ content, while a larger 13.2m x 6m upstage video wall primarily focussed on live mixed visuals.

Elaborating a little more on eclipse’s investment in Green Hippo media servers, Worthington said: “The Hippo V4 Taiga media servers are the flagship models of their brand.

We decided to invest in two of these to ensure all of our shows are fully supported with the best possible processing power available. Whether it’s a conference, a car launch, or a live concert, the Hippo Taiga rocks every time.”

Martin Lubach, eclipse Staging Services General Manager, was once again thrilled with the way the event was carried out. He concluded: “The team’s planning and preparation really shone through for this gig, resulting in a relaxed atmosphere where our technicians and touring engineers could crack on with the task at hand.”

Photos: eclipse Staging Services www.eclipse.ae

DAZZLING

DUBAI BRITISH LASER COMPANY CREATES MAJESTIC DISPLAY TO LAUNCH DUBAI WATER CANAL

Award winning laser specialist, ER Productions, created a spectacular laser show for the long-awaited opening of the Dubai Water Canal on the 9th of November 2016.

The 3.2km canal, which leads to the Burj Kalifa and links the Dubai Creek with the Arabian Gulf, will provide 24-hour access by boat to a new development of luxury hotels, housing, restaurants and shops at the heart of the city.

ER Productions choreographed a 4-minute laser show for the opening ceremony to highlight key features of the development including six huge bridges that cross the canal. Unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the event was an electric celebration of vision and urban design.

In total, seventy-eight laser fixtures & CO2 jets were installed across the expansive location. ER Productions designed bespoke graphics for the opening segment, which was projected onto water screens on the stage to accompany a troupe of aerial performers. At the end of the opening 4-minute segment, the Sheikh lit a beacon across to the first bridge, triggering an awesome laser sequence, which travelled the full course of the 3.2km canal and beyond into the night sky. Lasers were rigged on each bridge to create a connective skyline canopy for the Sheikh, who travelled the length of the newly opened waterway by canal boat.

To find out more about ER Productions’ products, services or latest show news visit www.er-productions.com or call +44 1322 293 135.

UK +44 1322 293 135 | USA +1 214 2700665 AUSTRALIA +61 403 703 731 | SPAIN +34 938 000291 info@er-productions.com | www.er-productions.com

18

ME

TECH PROFILE

TECH PROFILE

19

FIESTA DE LOS MUERTOS TO CELEBRATE THIS YEAR’S HALLOWEEN PERIOD, 117LIVE HOSTED A SPOOKY MEXICAN FIESTA. TPMEA DONNED SUGAR-SKULL MAKE-UP TO MEET THE CREW BEHIND THIS SCARE-TACULAR.

For those who get a thrill from the things that go bump in the night, TPMEA may have just found your new favourite annual event.

Spawned from the minds of production house 117Live, Fiesta de los Muertos is one of the latest highlights to Dubai’s growing live event calendar. For its inaugural event, the Halloween themed show took place at the Autism Rocks Arena on 28 October featuring the likes of Major Lazer, DNCE and reformed UK girl group All Saints. Almost 9,000 party goers descended on the venue for a Mexican style soiree.

Once the dust had settled, TPMEA sat down with Malcolm Giles, Head of Production and Operation at 117Live to discuss the origin of Fiesta de los Muertos. “We started working on the theme for this show back in December of last year and began developing the line-up in the spring,” began Giles. He stateed that the goal from the outset was to create an immersive visual experience, the likes of which the Dubai crowds had not seen before. “We were very passionate about delivering amazing shows for our audience.

They shouldn’t feel that the only way to see a world class show is to travel to Europe or the US.

This kind of event gives us a chance to showcase what we can do in our region.”

PULLING THE PIECES TOGETHER To ensure that 117Live got the best looking production possible, it found a friend in PRG Gearhouse. “The design that was put forward

by PRG during the tender period. The design and package they put forward was the best fit with our vision for the festival,” explained Giles.

The company was appointed as the festival’s lighting and video supplier, although its services far exceeded this with the company also working on content design for all the transitions between bands as well as the 10-minute ‘Fiesta Experience’. The company also dealt with all the special effects elements on stage by subcontracting SNAP and Matrix Lasers.

Giles also highlighted the other suppliers he brought on board: “Flash Art were also chosen to look after the pyrotechnics and fireworks, as we have had a long relationship with them and they have always come to the table with impressive displays and a top notch service. We had a local company, Fixer Agency on board to deal with the

onsite décor and props and did an amazing job producing out tunnels, floating witches and our dancing skeleton puppets.”

The task of providing crewing for the show fell to Showforce. The company deployed three teams to aid with the site, backline and production as well as providing follow spot operators for PRG Gearhouse.

Finally, TECS was on site in order to cater for the adrenaline junkies in the audience, once again rigging its temporary zipline between the two towers that remain on site year round.

Shane Manning, Managing Director of TECS talked through the set up: “We supplied full temporary zipline solution from design calculations all the way through to operation. Personally I thought the way the 117Live team had the venue dressed with all the Halloween decor, plus all the performers, created a fantastic setting for a family day out.”

As with most festival style shows, all suppliers had to adhere to the wants and needs of the artists playing the event. However 117Live also wanted to give those working on the show a chance to spread their creative wings: “We

ME

20

TECH PROFILE

wanted to pay homage to the festival theme with a section of the evening named ‘The Fiesta Experience’, and encouraged all the suppliers to get involved,” explained Giles. “We had Oliver Wood from Hollaphonic [a local electronic duo] to put together a 10-minute track taking us on a musical journey that the team could then use to express their talents. PRG LD John Mitchell, their visual design team and Michael from Matrix Lasers all went away and started plotting a visual display, with Flash Art adding stage and aerial fireworks for the set.”

Hollaphonic was already on the bill for Fiesta de los Muertos before Wood was approached to produce the event’s soundtrack. “We’ve been in the Middle East for a long time, so we know what makes the region tick musically and how to play with the crowd,” he commented. “Our goal was to create an opportunity for the crowd to dance, jump and express as much boundless energy as

ME

possible alongside the pyrotechnics, fireworks, and lasers. We’ve been on stages performing with most of the suppliers involved so we knew what they wanted to get out of the setup.”

CREATING THE MAGIC Fiesta de los Muertos certainly had an audacious plan to set this event apart from other events in the region, with a theme that permeated all aspects of the production including the stage design. “This was actually one of the biggest challenges we had to face on this project; having to produce a thrust that was in the shape of a skull,” commented Giles. “As it was 1.5m high it was never going to be seen from ground level so it was about how to make it stand out from above and for all the visuals. Al Laith did a great job on the design and build. Seeing it in the aerial photo’s and the comments from the artists definitely made it worth it.”

Once the Al Laith structure was in place, the challenge was on for PRG Gearhouse and the other visual departments set about dressing the show appropriately as well as accommodate all the various artists.

TPMEA spoke to Theo Van As, Project Manager from PRG Gearhouse: “The stage design we produced was based on a combination of DNCE and Major Lazer’s technical requirements that were sent forward to us. This formed the building blocks of the festival.” The resulting look incorporated multiple LED screens, wrapping the internal performance area and continuing into the two large format portrait IMAG screens.

“For the Fiesta Experience, custom graphics were designed in conjunction with special effects department and all time coded to the music track, all of which was triggered from an MA Lighting grandMA2 Full Size situated at FOH.” For all the various LED elements, PRG Gearhouse

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW!

WWW.TPiAWARDS.COM/BOOK-TICKETS/

22

TECH PROFILE

opted for the ROE MC-7H product with a Martin

by Harman EC10 LED panel used for the IMAG. For video control the production deployed a Pandora Box media server package with the full event captured and relayed via an eight-camera PPU system.

The main workhorse features that were deployed on the lighting rig included the Philips Vari-Lite 3500’s and 3000’s, the Claypaky Mythos and the A.leda B-EYE K20 as well as the PRG Best Boy HP Spots. Also on the rig were Tmb Solaris Flare RGB Strobes, with floor lighting courtesy of Martin by Harman MAC Viper Washes and GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s.

PRG Gearhouse’s involvement with the show didn’t stop at the stage show either, with the company supplying PRG Icon Beams for the audience area along with Claypaky Sharpys and Martin by Harman Rush LED PARs for the entrance area.

ME

Adding to the visual landscape was, Matrix which provided 10 Co2 Jets, four Co2 Super Jets, eight Flamaniacs, six Stadium Shot Extreme and four Super Blasters. Last but not least, there were six Galaxis G-Flames and six 20W RGB Show Laser Systems.

The final element came from Flash Art, which provided fireworks for the Fiesta Experience. Piotr Szablowski, Senior Project Manager from Flash Art discussed its involvement with the show: “We were happy to be a part of the multimedia spectacle that the organisers of Fiesta De Los Muertos decided to deliver as a surprise to their audience. For this fully timecoded show, our effects were fired from three different groups of locations. We had theatrical pyro devices from the stage and thrust engaging the crowd, closeproximity pyrotechnics from wing towers on both sides of the stage as well as aerial shells from behind the venue. I feel confident in saying that

the combined elements of the lighting, special effects, and video became one of the highlights of the night.”

THING THAT GO BUMP… Working alongside the visual department and providing an audio package for the event was Delta Sound. The audio specialist supplied an L-Acoustics main hang of K1 and K2 speakers.

K1 Subs were placed behind the main hang with KARA front fills and 32 SB28 ground subs reinforcing the lowest octave of the system. The artists’ rider requirements led to quite a variety of consoles being deployed for the show. Al Woods, Director at Delta Sound, picked up the story: “We had a variety of console requests on the show, however DiGiCo was easily the most common.

We supplied a range including the DiGiCo SD5’s, SD7’s and SD11’s. This has been a common trend in many of the shows we have worked on

14919_HYDRUS_AD_MAY_TPI_v1R_OL.indd 1

18/04/2016 11:25

24

TECH PROFILE

recently, validating our latest decision in investing in more of them.” As well as enabling all FOH large format consoles with Waves packages, Delta also provided JoeCo Blackbox recorders to give travelling FOH Engineers the ability to record their show straight to a hard drive via a MADI split straight from the console.

On this occasion Delta entrusted the setup of the show to some of the up and coming members of the Delta Sound team to get some incredibly valuable live experience. Ethan Curry, who was handed the bulk of the responsibilities at FOH, commented: “Although I have worked on some fairly major events in the region, this was one of the first big shows I’ve done FOH for with Delta. One of the reasons I first got involved with them was because they have engineers on staff with a great deal of knowledge and experience who are willing to pass that on. Not only does that really help us as engineers but also makes us more useful to the company going forward.”

Curry went on to explain that his role during the festival was to oversee the FOH area with

ME

visiting engineers usually taking the reins for the show, although he stated that this gave him time to really focus on the system side and take full advantage of the learning opportunity it presented.

Summing up his thoughts on the event, Curry commented: “The show went seamlessly.

This was partly thanks to the two DiGiCo SD5’s along with an Avid Profile at FOH. The three consoles allowed us to use separate analogue splits, meaning there was minimal patching to do between artists, which kept the changeovers nice and quick. It also meant that All Saints and Major Lazer had exclusive use of their consoles.”

Woods was quick to compliment the fine work of his heirs apparent: “It was really good to get some of the younger guys to run a festival style event. It’s great experience for them and reassuring for us knowing that we have lads that are more than capable of taking on jobs of this scale. I was on hand to help but they did such a good job that I didn’t really need to be.”

As well as relinquishing a measure of control

at FOH, Delta also gave its less experienced staff an opportunity to take charge of the stage-side audio duties. The RF on stage was particularly busy at Fiesta de los Muertos, with a full two eight-way racks of Shure UR4D receivers and a plethora of Sennheiser IEM. Woods commented: “Most of our high end RF was out on this gig and Medhi Ben Khelil did an amazing job of looking after it. We gave him the onus to run the stage, just as we did with Ethan at FOH, and they both really repaid our trust. Craig Harvey was there keeping an eye on the stage, with Jentry Sierra and Rayno Spies exercising their stage craft with everything coming up the right holes.”

As well as bestowing well-deserved praise on Delta’s young guns, Woods was also keen to acknowledge the way that 117Live surpassed its previous endeavours with Fiesta de los Muertos.

“Its such a fantastic venue,” he said. “It really is a blank canvas which I suppose allows 117Live production to transform it from an outdoor temporary gig next to a cement factory into something that was really impressive. It sets a

TECH PROFILE

good benchmark for the rest of the season and 117Live should certainly be proud of their accomplishment.”

Byrne Equipment Rental supplied a wide range of behind-the-scenes infrastructure to the Autism Rocks Arena, including portacabins, power solutions, safety lighting, water and waste water solutions and diesel. Byrne Site Supervisor Marko Mitrovic explained: “We sat down with 117Live to try and find the best way to keep the arena running all season. We put everything back in after the summer break so we just have to get our guys on site to install power and consumables in time for the show.”

The company had around 50 of its employees on site over a period of two to three weeks. This included crews for setup, standby, two project managers, electricians, mechanics and drivers.

Mitrovic continued: “Everything is set up prior to the event but we always have our people in the generator compound. Sitewide power is supported to N+1 redundancy, which means we have one generator as back up for every generator that’s working.

25

It’s all automatic but we still prefer to have mechanics in house so, if something goes wrong, we can react in a matter of minutes.”

RETURN TO THE CRYPT Once the event came to and end and all those clad in fancy-dress had vacated the Autism Rocks Arena 117Live were able to take stock on what they had archived. Giles summed up the event: “The whole team at 117Live (including myself) had lots of fun producing this event and we have already started working on the next installment of the festival with discussions of event taking the brand into Asia. We are so pleased with the positive feedback from the public, suppliers and artists and the challenge now is on the make 2017 even better.”

Photos supplied by 117live http://117live.com/ www.prg.com/ae/en www.deltasound.uk www.tecs-me.com www.allaith.com www.byrnerental.com http://flashart.com/

Drumcode: LWE

Arcadia: Miami Ultra

LED SCREEN + PRODUCTION HIRE SPECIALISING IN: LED Screen Hire | Event Production | Custom Stage Design | Projection Mapping | Full HD/SD Camera Systems and PPU Racks | IMAG Screen Hire | Camera Operators | Custom Video Graphics / 3D Animation | Video Editing | Exhibition Solutions

Bloodstock Mainstage

DELIVERING INNOVATIVE SHOWS AT ANY SCALE Video Illusions have just added over 1000 panels of outdoor 6mm

01227 368867 info@videoillusions.net www.videoillusions.net Knife Party: The Crow

ME

26

TECH PROFILE

RED BULL CLIFF DIVING FAMED THE WORLD OVER FOR PUSHING THE LIMITS OF HUMAN CAPABILITIES, THE ATHLETES OF THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES WERE FACED WITH A FRESH CHALLENGE FOR THIS YEAR’S FINAL IN DUBAI - DIVING IN THE DARK!

There is an enjoyable irony when a company that claims it “gives you wings” sponsors scores of men and women who leap (and subsequently plummet) from a height of 28m night after night. For the uninitiated, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, originally established in 2009, has provided a platform (both literally and metaphorically) for a troop of athletes to showcase their frankly awe-inspiring acrobatic skills at various locations across the globe. This year’s final took place at Dubai Marina, with divers jumping from a structure next to the Pier 7 building. Always wanting to push the boundaries, the Red Bull organisers opted to do something that as of yet had not been done - diving at night!

Red Bull once again joined forces with Blink Experience to bring the high-octane event to the city. This was not the first time that Blink had worked with the Red Bull brand, being involved in

ME

several events including famed Red Bull Air Race in Abu Dhabi. Taking up the role of Production Manager was Blink’s Istvan Molnar.

ABOVE BOARD Installing the diving platform 28m above the water was Unusual Rigging and Engineering.

Denis Bramhall, Managing Partner at Unusual, commented: “Working with the event organisers, Blink Experience, we designed a solution made entirely of truss and clad with wood that would carry all the Red Bull branding. We built two platforms that were entirely self-standing, which meant we didn’t require fixing to the Pier 7 building.”

With an event that already held potential risks for those participating, Unusual led the way ensuring that all possible measures were taken to ensure the safety of both those diving and those working at the event. In recent years, Unusual

has been working hard in the region to bring the importance of correct health and safety practice to the forefront of the industry.

Jacques Van Moorsel, HSE manager for HSAFE Risk Solutions, said: “This was our first collaboration with Unusual Rigging and Engineering and hopefully not the last. In the time we worked together, I didn’t have to remind the team of HSE/PPE compliance at any point and I was impressed by the professional way in which they conducted their work. In my opinion this puts the company head and shoulders above its competitors.

“If other companies could take away a lesson from Unusual, it would be to understand how teamwork and respect, listening and taking on board the comments from the HSE Manager, contribute to a positive experience on site. I believe Unusual is contributing massively towards improving health and safety in our region - their

TECH PROFILE

27

ME

28

TECH PROFILE

“Safety of the athletes was a very high priority. If the lighting position that even slightly dazzled the athletes, they could misjudge the dive which could result in serious injury.”

PRG Gearhouse, Dave McCulloch

commitment to positive health and safety culture is infectious. We at HSAFE Risk Solutions look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Unusual on future projects.”

A SIGHT TO BE SEEN With the event taking place at night, it almost seems trivial to emphasise the importance of the lighting department. Responsible for ensuring the athletes and spectators didn’t miss a single flip or twist was PRG Gearhouse, providing a complete lighting package for LD Florian Schreiter. Dave McCulloch from PRG took on the mantle of Lighting Crew Chief. “The event certainly posed an interesting challenge,” he began. “The first of which was logistical. Dubai Marina is a very popular area with a number of bars, restaurants and residential buildings in the immediate vicinity of the dive area, some of which formed our lighting positions for this event. As such, a great deal of planning with all involved parties was required, and much of the work taking place overnight or in the early hours of the morning, before business opened for the day.”

The fact that this was the first time the Red Bull divers were competing at night meant several adjustments were inevitable: “During the focus sessions and test dives, there was much dialogue between the LD Florian, the broadcasters, and the athletes themselves to

ME

ensure that the best solution for all parties could be found,” commented McCulloch. “Safety of the athletes was a very high priority. If the lighting position that even slightly dazzled the athletes, they could misjudge the dive which could result in serious injury.”

As such the PRG crew spent a lot of time adjusting the lighting positions, especially on the jetties around the dive area, to make sure this didn’t happen. Aiding McCulloch in this process were PRG Lighting Technicians, Mohammed Tariq, Robin Stute and Matt Logan.

The rig that PRG supplied had already been specified to Schreiter prior to the event.

McCulloch talked through some of the standout elements of the rig. “The Martin by Harman MAC 2000 XBs gave us a solid fixture to build the wash over the main dive area over the course of the event. These Martin fixtures are an older model but the consistent beam field and high output of the units gave Florian the even wash he was looking for to satisfy the requirements of the athletes, the judges and the broadcasters.”

The rest of the rig made extensive use of LED for architectural and crowd lighting, with the Philips Vari-Lite VL3500 Wash units filling in where a higher, more punchy level was required. Also making an appearance on the rig were 10 Claypaky Sharpys and 10 Sharpy Wash along with 52 GLP impression X4 Bar 20’s,

eight SGM P5’s and 30 Q7’s. Also present on the spec were 18 Space Cannon Ireos 7kw, an outdoor searchlight for special events and other productions where high output, full articulation, full programmability, and precise colour control are required.

McCulloch concluded: “The end result was an successful event that looked good live, on broadcast and was safe for the athletes, and I hope we’ll be seeing more of these night dive events in next year’s cliff diving series.”

PRG Gearhouse’s also provided LED screens for the event deploying a hanging LED screen Lighthouse R16, 7x5 Tiles and 7112mm x 3810mm being rigged onto a scaffolding sub construction.

The screen was used to show a live feed of the event along with various sponsor loops for the audience who were watching the event in front of the Marina Mall with the signal being directly delivered by the broadcast van.

PRG was not the only company providing LED solutions for the live audience. Austrian base AirMotion provided its unique floating LED Video Wall. Robert Steininger from AirMotion commented: “Our floating LED Video Wall is a completely new product for the in industry.

We were first brought into the project by Red Bull’s Bernd Krainbucher and the whole team were great to work for. We were very proud to be involved with the event. Our company is still

TECH PROFILE

young and to be involved in such a large scale show was a great experience and not one will forget soon.”

BLINDING PROJECTION Laser FX by Blink Experience were called upon to project the iconic Red Bull logo onto a nearby building.

Using its high powered RYGB Pheanon Lasers, the technical team projected 150 meters across the Dubai Marina. The Laser Animation Sollinger projectors performed well against the high ambient light coming from the promenade, resulting in a high impact bright image. An outcome which, “couldn’t have been matched by any video projector and was far more cost effective than any LED screen,” commented Laser FX General Manager, Arran Hopkins. To run an LED screen, you would require a floating or scaffold structure, with these laser projectors it is just a case of the crew setting up on-site, positioning the kit, running it, and simply packing it up without any major construction.

For control, the team utilised their Pangolin FB4 Beyond Ultimate control system which gave Laser FX the ability to edit the content live with dates, times, hashtags and even scrolling text over the three-night period.

“The Red Bull Cliff Diving was a terrific event to be a part of, and it was great to see such a

good turnout,” concluded Hopkins. “As outdoor events have been at a standstill during the summer due to the hot weather, this means the events season is well and truly here, and I’m excited to see what the winter season brings.”

MAKE SOME NOISE Dubai’s Delta Sound provided a wide-ranging audio setup based in three main areas: Spectator Area One was situated in front of the mall and held a large proportion of the gathered masses; Two of the mall’s balconies served as the Red Bull Friends (VIP) Area and Media Area; and Spectator Area Two ran for 600m along the water on the Jumeirah Beach Residence side.

Spectator Area One was covered by four stacks of L-Acoustics KUDOs - six boxes per stack - along with eight HK Audio CT108’s for front fill, and a delay that consisted of eight L-Acoustics X12 speakers.

Both of the balcony areas were covered eight CT108’s, while the separate male and female athletes areas required a pair of CT108’s each.

The Delta crew ensured that everyone in Spectator Area Two could hear just as well as the rest by rigging 24 Electro-Voice EV SX300 speakers evenly all the way along the walkway.

Project Engineer for Delta Sound, Rob Eatock commented: “Although it was probably the first large scale gig we’ve done in the area, we wanted

29

to make sure that everyone got an equally satisfying audio experience regardless of where they were stood.

“The system was mainly used for commentary and making sure everyone was in the loop when it came to the score or any information on the divers and tournament, though there was music used intermittently.”

The crew set up FOH at the end of one of the marina’s jetties, where they had a DiGiCo SD9 and Sennheiser and Neutrik Xirium wireless network systems - all of which was run on an 850m Optocore loop.

CERTAINLY MADE A SPLASH As the last athletes made their final leap from the dizzying heights, this year’s 2016 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series came to a close. Despite the challenging conditions for the divers, by all accounts the event was a success and this was thanks to the combination of the grand ideas, tireless preparation and hard-working crew who made the event a reality.

Photos: Courtesy of Matt Logan LED Air Motion www.redbullcliffdiving.com www.unusualrigging.com www.prg.com/ae/en https://laserfx.ae www.deltasound.uk

ME

30

TECH PROFILE

DUBAI WATER CANAL: THE OPENING CEREMONY ITALIAN EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, THE PRODEA GROUP, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF GM OF PRODEA ENTERTAINMENT LUCA SANI AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR GEP PAOLO CUCCO, BROUGHT STYLE AND FLAIR TO THE GRAND OPENING OF THE DUBAI WATER CANAL - A NEW 3.2KM LONG WATERWAY LINKING DUBAI CREEK TO THE ARABIAN GULF. LOUISE STICKLAND REPORTS, EDITED BY STE DURHAM.

The 2.7 billion (AED) project was a joint venture between Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) responsible for all the road, water, rail and air transport in and around the city, together with Meydan and Meraas. It was the original brainchild of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed - the late father of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai who inaugurated the canal in an outstanding production.

To assist in making the demanding event a success, Sani asked Jo Marshall to come on board as Production Director because of his vast experience in the region. He also appointed Paul Flint to help harmonise all elements on site including the local production elements and a number of international suppliers and consultants, contracted by Prodea including Turin-based Technical Director Massimo Fogliati of Black Engineering.

All of the seemingly disparate departments worked together to deliver a memorable event staged at multiple sites along the length of the

ME

new canal, the latest crowning glory of a city replete with impressive and grand municipal projects.

A purpose built outdoor arena was constructed on reclaimed land off the Jumeirah coast to serve as the main presentation area, with set pieces designed by premium Italian scenic company Gioforma from Milan and built locally.

At the end of the eight-minute presentation show, Sheikh Mohammed activated two highpowered searchlights and a laser ceiling created by the UK’s ER Productions, that illuminated the canal as it snaked away behind the site. He and the amassed dignitaries and VIPs boarded a special hospitality barge that sailed along the length of the canal, passing under three newly constructed pedestrian bridges - each a modern architectural masterpiece in its own right - and three new road bridges.

En route, guests enjoyed various performance art staged on the water by French artists Ilotopie before the boat docked at the Legacy Stage on the canal bank by Safa Park

towards the end of the canal link, near to Sheikh Zayed Road. There, Sheikh Mohammed unveiled a permanent bronze sculpture, The Legacy, which will serve as a symbol of this massive feat of civil engineering, followed by an elegant firework finale courtesy of Flash Art.

Relatively simple in description, making all this happen smoothly and seamlessly involved a gargantuan effort by the full Prodea production team, as well as the multiple contractors and construction crews that grafted furiously to complete the canal itself.

“The real challenges of producing this event were in building relationships with key contractors and workforces already on site so they could finish their work and we could get on with building our event. Staging the event itself was demanding, but relatively straightforward,” explained Marshall.

The two event site managers Thorsten Dolinsky and Sam Gilbert worked long days and nights and played vital negotiating roles, making friends and smoothing the way for the event

TECH PROFILE

crew and a host of behind-the-scenes actions that made sharing the construction site infinitely easier.

Around 10 contracting businesses threw serious round-the-clock manpower at the project to get the canal finished and filled with water and the bridges functional in time for the opening. “We met some truly inspirational people during this process,” recalled Dolinsky. “At times it was quite humbling to realise the power of human relationships and the authenticity of shared responsibility.”

Both of the site managers have backgrounds in the construction industry. When they first moved into the event site the canal was empty and it was still possible to drive along its complete bed, an invigorating experience for all with access to the crew fleet of high performance all-terrain buggies!

The gently curved geometry of the main stage and seating was designed by Cucco and inspired by the geodesic symmetry of Roman amphitheatres with input from his creative team, which included Assistant Technical Director Guido Zanca, Technical Designer Lucca Bertolotto, Lighting Designer Marco ‘Made’ Denarde and Media Server Engineer / Programmers Marco Fissore and Paolo Bianciardi.

Fogliati had been asked by Prodea to be part

of its team before the pitch for the project, which it won amid some stiff competition.

The team was praised for the imagination and energy of its design and the concept of the journey - representing the canal - that united and harmonised the different locations around the city.

The design also had an aquatic theme that included two 10m wide x 15m high projection screens upstage, flanking a water screen of the same dimensions in the middle. A choreographed aerial performance in the water accompanied the first four minutes of the presentation, followed by another four-minute segment documenting the incredible development of Dubai from a creek and sand dunes to a world leading global metropolis in the space of 40 years.

Between the stage and the decked seating area were two 800sqm pools of water separated by a 27m long x 4m wide runway that was the pathway for the Sheikh Mohammed and guests to access - via three architecturally lit scenic arches - the VIP boat moored at the backstage jetty.

AV EXPERTISE Marshall, Cucco and Fogliati appointed the main contractors, all working under the auspices of Prodea Group, which included Protec for the

31

lighting, audio and video on both the Main and Legacy Stages. Its team was project managed on site by Simon Travis, who worked with a crew of 35 for three gruelling weeks.

The Main Stage video was delivered via 12 Barco 30K projectors, with two feeding each side screen, another two for the water-screen, plus six more back-projecting ambient footage onto three gauze screens each side around the perimeter of the pools.

The water screens proved problematic thanks to interference from coastal winds but Protec’s video team installed gauze grids to stabilise them, seemingly solving the issue. However, this introduced another problem; water screens are a back-projection surface, but gauze-based water screens perform best with front projection, so the four sets of towers and their respective projectors had to be re-positioned to the opposite side.

Protec’s Scott Walker commented: “Overall the wind proved the most challenging aspect to the whole production. As is so often the case with these big construction projects, they run right up to the last minute, which meant a lot of mechanical activity along the site stirring up considerable amounts of dust.

Fortunately, we anticipated the environment and acted accordingly - not one strategic piece

ME

32

TECH PROFILE

Lighting Designer, Marco Denarde; Paul Flint Executive Producer and Jo Marshall Technical Director; Stage Manager Sam Gilbert and Thorsten Dolinsky; Technical Director Massimo Fogliati.

of technology failed throughout the spectacular evenings’ entertainment. We are extremely proud of that.”

Together with the eclectic performance pieces on the canal, there was a plethora of eye candy for the journey.

The show video content was commissioned and produced by Prodea, including the corporate footage that was delivered by Real Image from Dubai. Prodea also supplied the bespoke Video Soft media servers, which were hooked into the Protec screen management system. Video Soft works on a cue line system much like a lighting console and, for the presentation, all lighting, playback video and lasers were timecode triggered to a bespoke soundtrack.

Multiple camera feeds were supplied by OB and television specialist Seven Video Productions,

ME

which made sure the event was aired live on Dubai TV without a hitch. Sabrina Bennai and Dave Baum liaised with the broadcast crew on behalf of production and also co-ordinated logistics at the Legacy Stage.

Inside the VIP tent, Protec supplied two Mambo 4.9mm LED screens showing camera relays to the assembling guests. This is a curvable proprietary Protec product but in this instance it was used in a straight format.

The six gauze screens left and right of the main projection surfaces were rear projected, and rigged by iRIG using a catenary wire suspension system so they appeared to be floating in air.

BRING THE NOISE Main Stage audio was an L-Acoustics K2 system, chosen for its quality and clarity, complete

with SB28 subs under the stage for bass reinforcement, all of which were driven by LA48 amp racks. L-Acoustics 8XT speakers and LA8 amps for the VIP pre-function suite were linked into the same fibre network as the FOH DiGiCo SD10 that was run by Protec’s Sound Engineer, Dan Dignan.

A KARA / WIFO combination of speakers took care of audio at the Legacy Stage, projecting in two different directions along the canal bank while the stage itself housed a flown centre cluster of 12XT speakers and more SB28’s on the floor. The console at that location was a DiGiCo SD11 running QLab to timecode. “We didn’t need it to be outrageously loud but it did have to cover a wide area and sound excellent,” explained Travis.

“Fit up commenced on 18 October and

TECH PROFILE

had to be rehearsal ready 6 November for the show three days later. As you can imagine, there was a big commitment of equipment from all departments, audio was led by Dan Dignan who ran the SD10 for the opening ceremony where a stage presentation played to a temporary grandstand, seating many hundreds of dignitaries and guests,” he continued. “It was here we provided a Kinesys automation system for the three aerialists that performed on the main stage.”

ILLUMINATION Prodea’s LD, Made, was assisted by Protec’s Aaron Russ in lighting the Main and Legacy Stages, with around 250 moving lights supplied to the job in total - a mix of Vari-Lite VL3500 Spots and Washes, and Claypaky Sharpys, Mythos and Scenius Profiles.

With video being the backbone of the main show visuals, it was important that the screens were kept clean and not obscured by lighting effects. Made has worked on some major TV shows including the Italian X Factor, as well as some high profile concert tours, and was able to use both disciplines to his advantage at the canal.

The fixtures above the Main Stage were rigged on to two enormous trussing spreader beams that

were craned on top of the left and right screen structures.

Around 75 moving lights were deployed along the canal route and across the bridges, all adding to the bigger visual picture and excitement en route to the Legacy Stage, which itself was lit with another 60 fixtures.

PIxelLine 1044 and 110’s were used on the main stage to graze up the back of the seating area, in troughs along the sides of the central runway and for illuminating the set arches upstage, and there was also a wide selection of other generic and LED fixtures dotted around the site for environmental and scenic illumination.

Travis added: “Lighting was arguably the most stretched department as over three kilometres of canal bank, each side takes a huge commitment of resources. MA Lighting Dot2 and two grandMA2’s were used at the main locations, controlling an armada of lighting largely, but not exclusively, drawn from the Claypaky range.

“There were over 700 Alpha Spots alone, which were complemented by large numbers of Sharpy, Super Sharpy, and A.leda B-EYE K10’s and K20’s, Scenius, Mythos and Vari-Lite VL3000 Spots. Ambient and architectural accents were provided by hundreds of Schnick Schnack strips, Pixel Smart and Pixel Batons. Arguably the most

33

artful lighting was at the waterfall across the full 120 metre width of the canal, cascading from the Sheikh Zayed bridge. Here we used the Clay Paky Scenius, taking full advantage of the shutter function to minimise spill off the water to spectacular effect,” added Simon Travis.

The three parts of the main arena - the arrival tent, the stage and the canal marina - were scenically linked with a series of freestanding arches through which the audience walked.

These were lit with Schnick-Schnack C-series LED embedded into recesses that illuminated semitransparent corded curtains that moved and rippled in the breeze. The two ‘lighthouse’ style searchlights ignited by Sheikh Mohammed at the end of the presentation show were Falcon Beam 7Ks.

All the rigging needed for these sound, lighting and video elements came from Protec, including the three WImotion performer flying winches that it purchased from Belgian entertainment engineering company, WIcreations. The 15m high TFL trussing masts for lighting positions around the arena, as well as the rest of the steel hardware on site, was certified by Dutest. All the local crew required for the build, the show and the de-rig periods were from the regional crewing agency, Network Crew.

ME

34

TECH PROFILE

ER Lasers crew; Mark Boyd and Sabrina Bennai; Creative Director Paolo Gep Cucco; Piotr Szablowski from Flash Art; Production Manager Rick Ceconi; Protec’s Production Manager Simon Travis.

MA Lighting grandMA2’s were chosen as the site-wide lighting control solution, with six full size / lite consoles and four dot2’s distributed around the various areas. These were specified by Russ for their stability and flexibility. Made himself ran lights on the Main Stage, Russ operated everything along the canal and on the bridges and Alberto Negri looked after the Legacy Stage.

Marshall commented that he preferred “the expedience” of dealing with one supplier to provide these major technical elements, and once again appreciated “the thoroughness and dedication” of the Protec crew, who brought much knowledge and value to the production.

TEAM LASER Lasers were integral to the visual picture, both at the main presentation area and along the canal, with ER Productions asked to specify the kit.

The idea was to provide a ceiling of lasers along the water, and in order to create the effect, the crew located units on all six bridges, effectively connecting these together in keeping with the flow of the new waterway.

ER Project Manager, Ryan Hagan, said: “Such a large-scale event requires large quantities of

ME

gear and personnel. Meeting the requirements of the client and designing this project within budget was a challenge, but as always we have delivered beyond expectation and staging the largest outdoor laser display Dubai has ever seen is a huge achievement for the team at ER.” On the Main Stage, subtle effects from six RGB white lasers - three on the truss above the aerialists and three at the back of the stage projecting onto the water screen provided by LKE - complimented the lights and added a layer of intricacy. The close of the show included a striking 3D graphic of the Burj Khalifa that overlooked the proceedings from a distance.

A total of 36 BB3 white light lasers were stationed on the bridges, while a selection of Laserblades lined the canal between the last two bridges, creating a striking crisscrossing effect around the Sheikh’s boat as the display concluded. These brought the total number of lasers on site to 72.

The bridge lasers were all cued manually from three different control positions using Pangolin Beyond in conjunction with a High End Systems Hog 4 console running the BB3’s and Laserblades via DMX. 30 smoke machines

were scattered around along the canal banks for additional atmosphere - a galvanising task given the persistent winds coming off the sea and up the canal. ER’s crew was led by Andrew Turner on site.

The event ended with a three-minute firework display provided by Flash Art. This included a 120m run of pyro across the bridge plus a 300m run down the canal opposite the Legacy Stage. The display involved the closure of Dubai’s central artery, Sheikh Zayed Road, to traffic for 20 minutes in both directions.

The display was designed by Cucco in conjunction with Flash Art’s Piotr Szablowski and Fogliati, and controlled using a made-toorder PTX control system from German specialist Pyrotronix. Szablowski and his crew of 13 started their setup six days before the event and worked behind a series of fenced off areas. “Everything was extremely well organised on that front,” he commented.

THE FINAL PIECES As well as the main showpiece aspects of the ceremony, a great deal went on behind the scenes to ensure that the short show time passed

TECH PROFILE

without a hitch. A total of 20 generators ranging from 50 to 500 KVA were positioned up and down the canal, all sourced from Flow Air & Power Solutions, and used together with some hard power for lights, video, and audio. The water screen had its own dedicated generator, as did the VIP structure at the main site.

EFM was drafted in to transport some of the rented gear from Europe, as well as The Legacy sculpture from its workshop in Naples, Italy where it was created. Chris Lumb, VP Special Projects ME who is based in Dubai, commented: “We freighted the water screen gear from LKE in Germany and the lasers from ER in the UK, both of which weighed around 5-6000kg per shipment. We had to leave it until the last minute because a lot of the gear, and the sculpture, weren’t ready. Then comes negotiating with airlines and customs to get everything sorted, within budget, in no time at all.

“We moved quickly and, as a result, got everything here in time and in one piece. We then had to do the whole thing in reverse bar the sculpture, which will stay here to commemorate the ceremony.”

The seating tribune in the main arena was built by All Event Services (AES) and completely clad by Electra, while the decor and interior design elements were co-ordinated by Jo Fleming with the support of Suzanna Vaz. All of the production structures - main site screens, projector towers and platforms seating tribune, FOH platform, ramps and so on were also built by AES, while the surfaces including the PVC projection screens and other soft drapage and finishing touches were provided by ShowTex. Along the canal banks, AES also installed four 20m wide x 8m high screen structures that were strategically positioned to show the video montages and IMAG camera feeds as the VIP boat passed.

Dubai-based IBS Group was heavily involved in the event, creating the laser-cut acrylic VIP tent entrance logos, the 5m high rotating logo sculpture and the slate-clad waterfall backdrop. The company also fitted out the VIP bathroom facilities with high-end tiles and tempered mirrors.

The huge volume of Health & Safety work on site was co-ordinated and dealt with efficiently by Mark Boyd and Riccardo Ceconi who worked closely with Marshall and Flint as an overall production and project manager.

As well as the temporary lighting on Sheikh Zayed Road bridge, 240 Helios Bronze FC underwater LED projectors by DTS were permanently installed to ensure that the waterfall remained especially eye catching all year round. Philippe Aerts, CEO of waterfall fabricator Magical Water Fountains, said: “We decided to go for the Helios Bronze FC as we have started the final development with DTS engineer, Andrea Gabrielli.

“Now the Helios is using a new generation Osram LED that is extremely bright and for sure is one of the most powerful right now. Our company always looks for the high quality full colour output.”

Marshall commented: “We were all very proud to be involved on another fantastic show, and the buzz of working on a large scale government event was, as always, really invigorating.

“It was a real pleasure working with Prodea plus a large, diverse and passionate international and local event team alongside everyone in a gigantic civil engineering operation. The camaraderie, work ethic, dedication and attention to detail was outstanding, and everyone from the caterers, cleaners and runners through to the executive producers, creatives, technical managers and directors all played their own vital part in producing a classy, vibrant and pertinent show for RTA on this landmark occasion.”

Photos: : Louise Stickland www.networkcrew.ae wwww.productiontec.com www.deltasound.uk www.ibs-group.com http://flashart.com/ www.wicked.ae http://floweventsme.com www.aes.ae www.allaith.com www.er-productions.com

35

The premier crew supplier in The Middle East supporting the live, exhibition and install industries.

IPAF OPERATORS - FORKLIFT DRIVERS - FOLLOWSPOT OPERATORS SENIOR CREW - HIGHLY SKILLED GENERAL CREW PASMA CERTIFIED FULL PPE Professional, efficient and highly skilled All our crew are part of the Network profit share scheme Tel: +971 4 4307560 | info@networkcrew.ae | www.networkcrew.ae

ME

36

COMPANY PROFILE

NEUMANN&MÜLLER DURING OUR MOST RECENT VISIT TO THE UAE, TPMEA FOUND THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH GENERAL MANAGER RICK WADE TO DISCUSS NEUMANN&MÜLLER’S RELATIVELY SHORT BUT INCREDIBLY EVENTFUL TENURE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. STE DURHAM REPORTS FROM THE COMPANY’S DUBAI OFFICE.

Although the Neumann&Müller (N&M) story first began a few thousand miles away in 1982, it was not until 2007 that the German company’s top brass decided it was time to offer its services in the Middle East. N&M’s Dubai operation is now one of 19 branches around the globe, growing exponentially in both staff and equipment over the nine years of its existence.

After an enviable career in the world of rock ‘n’ roll touring with the likes of Michael Jackson and Elton John, and various jobs in the UAE, General Manager Rick Wade came to the region 17 years ago. He picked up the tale: “It was slow to start with but as the years have gone by the region has really blossomed into something quite spectacular. N&M first started doing work here in 2005 and realised there was a great opportunity to offer its high quality of service here permanently. We had existing clients in

ME

Europe that wanted to do work in this region so we wanted to establish ourselves here and assist them as well.”

While TPMEA is unlikely to run into N&M on a rock ‘n’ roll site, the company’s offering for corporate events runs the gamut from audio and lighting, to video, conferencing equipment and content production. Its work on an array of exceptional events across the Middle East has gained N&M a number of accolades in recent years, such as the Middle East Event Awards gong for 2015 Supplier of the Year and a recurring place on the shortlists for Employer of the Year, Best Use of Event Technology and again, Supplier of the Year.

It’s something of a cliché to make the German company = high quality connection, but N&M has embraced that notion and embedded it into the company’s ethos. Wade explained:

“It’s part of our tagline; ‘the quality we deliver sets standards’. As an international company, our internal structure of network branches ensures that we can provide first class equipment and manpower quickly - anytime, anywhere.”

N&M is also a member of the AV Alliance, allowing it to operate more flexibly and efficiently to any client demand, anywhere in the world.

Even with this vast well of experience to draw from, the company is equally as concerned with bringing through the next generation of talent.

“We place a lot of emphasis on training of our personnel,” Wade said.

“A number of our employees are exapprentices of the company. We have a three-year training scheme in Germany that is recognised by the government with a certificate at the end of it – it can be taken on to further higher education externally. We’re one of the few

COMPANY PROFILE

in Germany that are able to offer young people that want to get into the world of events the opportunity to train to a high level.”

The N&M apprentice programme boasts an average 50 trainees all year round. Wade continued: “We generally offer a few of them an opportunity to work for the company. This gives us a very large database of highly skilled and qualified technicians to call on at a moment’s notice. We can always supply and support no matter the demand.

“We have a core team that are based here all year round and a few local freelancers that we call in when we need them. One of the advantages of being such a large company is that we can bring in additional people from other branches during the season when we’re really busy.”

In its relatively short time in the region, N&M has proven its quality and ingenuity with work on a number of high profile projects, including the work on the technical realisation of the Museum Of The Future - a crowning achievement in the company’s award-winning year.

“We’ve worked with the Dubai Government

Summit for a number of years, and we’re now working directly with the Prime Minister’s office regarding activations to market the museum, which is due to open in or around 2018,” Wade added.

This prestigious kind of work has become par for the course at N&M Dubai, having also been involved in numerous National Days, grand openings and government functions, and despite having inhabited the upper echelons of live touring, Wade insisted that this new chapter of his career is a different beast altogether.

He explained: “The attention to detail in corporate is a lot more particular than in rock ‘n’ roll. For example, on tour you can get away with a certain amount of mess but here I’ve done projects where the client has turned around to me and requested not to see any cables - even in the truss! It’s that level of finishing that we are expected to provide by now and we always do our utmost to deliver that.

“Obviously it’s quite common here that we’ll work to a slightly tighter timescale than our European colleagues but, even when that proves to be difficult, one thing we’ll never cut on is the

37

quality.”

Another aspect that distinguished Dubai’s N&M headquarters from its counterparts, until recently at least, was the way that health and safety was viewed. Wade laughed: “When I first came here 17 years ago, I was astonished at how much you could get away with! Today the clients in the region want something that’s world class and will rival any European or international show, but also something that’s compliant with the H&S standards in those areas.

“Although we are the only company in the region that has the seal of approval from German Testing Institute for Event Technology (DPVT) where we were certified as Type A Service Provider in the fields of IT, rigging, lighting, audio and video technology, a lot of companies have now had to up their game in the past five or six years, with a lot of the larger companies now focussing on international standards. As well as H&S being a primary concern, equipment testing is also becoming quite important.”

He continued: “Apart from the on-going tests that we do throughout the year, we have a special team that come in once a year from VDE

ME

38

COMPANY PROFILE

(Verband der Elektrotechnik), or the Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies, one of the largest technical and scientific associations in Europe, to certify all of our equipment. Every single piece of kit gets tested properly to their standards and that is very reassuring for potential clients here that are keen on keeping up to date in these areas.”

While Dubai is perhaps undeniably the Middle Eastern hub for both corporate and rock ‘n’ roll style events, Wade was optimistic about the possibilities elsewhere for N&M in the future.

“We’ve already undertaken significant projects in Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait to name but a few and we’re looking at other parts of the region as well.

Dubai still has plenty of room to grow, particularly with the Expo 2020 looming.”

While N&M, much like the majority of its competitors, is still waiting to discover the extent of its involvement in the Expo, Wade remains confident that a good amount of work will be on the table for local suppliers to share between them. He said: “It’s still yet to be seen what our involvement will be - obviously we’re hoping there’s going to be work we can pick up locally,

ME

and maybe internationally as well.

“From the Expo’s point of view there are always benefits of sourcing locally - it will save them a lot of money for a start as you haven’t got to ship all the equipment in or house all of the staff. Everyone has their own take and ideas on how it’s going to affect the market as a company.

“For N&M, we’re trying to establish partnerships and collaborate with other industry professionals locally and internationally to strengthen our bond and support the industry with our special expertise.”

Regardless of how lucrative 2020 turns out to be for Dubai’s local suppliers, Wade was confident that the events industry will continue to grow: “I am sure that the expansion I have seen since I joined the company six years ago in terms of people and business will continue, in the short term at least. I think Dubai is still developing and refining as it grows.

“We will continue to look at the technology that we provide to ensure that we have the latest and most cutting edge in the region. We are placed quite high up when it comes to tech, not just here but in Europe as well. Hopefully we can

continue our upward trajectory into our 10th year and maybe continue that as we set our eyes on 20 years in the region!”

While this goal might initially seem a long way off, this foresight is indicative of N&M’s overall ethos – one that has been instilled with the same potency in the staff at the company’s Dubai operation. “The company are incredibly good at planning,” Wade said. “One of the greatest things about them is their ability to plan a project and make sure that you have the right equipment for the right job, not to oversell or overspec, just to get something out of the warehouse. Their attention to detail is exceptional and that is just as evident in the way the company is run.”

He concluded: “The continuity between branches is excellent – everything is done the same way regardless of which country you go to. You’ll always get exactly the same quality. I keep my eyes peeled to make sure that we are in line with N&M’s corporate identity and adhering to the same standards; dotting all of the Is and crossing the Ts.” www.neumannmueller.com

FESTIVAL ARENA | DUBAI, UAE MEES is the event and exhibition industry’s platform to showcase, interact and inspire.

NEW VISION

MEES has relaunced its brand to focus on higher industry standards, major upcoming opportunities and to increase regional and international coverage.

CREATIVE FREEDOM

A new and larger venue, which will bring the show and awards together in one place, providing you with the perfect platform to showcase your brand.

GLOBAL REACH

Maximise your exposure as an industry expert and benefit by being a part of our content strategy, boosted by our year round marketing campaign.

BUSINESS HUB

Don’t miss your chance to connect with your potential clients and partners, and interact with the most recognised event professionals.

GET INVOLVED TODAY:

info@me-eventshow.com | +971 (0) 4 407 2551 www.me-eventshow.com

40

ME

IN PROFILE

IN PROFILE

41

SHOWTEX MIDDLE EAST FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, SHOWTEX MIDDLE EAST HAS BLOSSOMED INTO A LINCHPIN OF THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY OVER THE PAST DECADE. TPMEA’S STEW HUME SAT DOWN WITH MANAGING PARTNER, SVEN PEETERS, TO TALK ABOUT THE COMPANY’S HISTORY AND FUTURE ENDEAVOURS.

The UAE’s live industry has evolved dramatically over the last few years but, arguably, the most important – and life-saving – developments we’ve witnessed are credited to attitudes towards health and safety. One company that has seen these changing attitudes, and indeed been on the frontline of changing preconceptions, is draping, printing and screen specialists ShowTex. The company dates back to 1983, when it began in its home-turf of Belgium, and has since then has become a major player in the international live events market. UAE boasts one of ShowTex’s flagship branches – and the company celebrated a decade of supplying the region last year. TPMEA checked in with Managing Partner of the ShowTex Middle East department, Sven Peeters, to discuss the innovations and successes of the last 10 years.

There were few better qualified then Peeters to set up the Middle East branch. A veteran of the company, he had already been with ShowTex for 12 years before the Dubai office was anything more than a vision. Peeters started as a

carpenter at one of the European branches and worked his way up the ranks. Meanwhile, the company’s name became evermore prominent in the market. Peeters picked up the story: “In the early ‘00s there was a great deal of buzz surrounding the UAE region. ShowTex had the privilege to work on some prestigious projects in the Middle East even before the entity was established and we had exhibited at the Palme Show in both 2003 and 2004. By the end of the second show we, as a company, realised the only way to effectively service the clients we had out here was to set up a permanent HQ in the region so we could react quickly to the needs of the market. The UAE, and the vision it presented for the future, immediately proved to offer not only the facilities necessary for our industry but also held several potential clients who had already selected UAE as their base of operations.”

Grabbing the metaphorical bull by the horns, Peeters, along with his wife and kids, made the move to officially start ShowTex Middle East.

However, the first few months were not easy for the company. “We were the very first to

offer professional flame retardant fabrics and projection surfaces in the region; a concept that many event organisers never used to take into consideration,” explained Peeters. “It was a challenge in the beginning to create awareness for flame retardant fabrics. Suffice to say there were some pretty dangerous situations and even some tragic accidents over the years. Thank god those days are almost over!”

The first ShowTex Middle East headquarters began life as a small 200sqm warehouse and Peeters was the sole employee. He reminisced over the challenging conditions he faced when he first started: For example, a resourceful Peeters used his car headlights to illuminate the floor while cutting draping due to the intermittent power supply in the facility. “There were some hard times for the first months but I knew the services we were providing would attract the interest – thankfully, I was right.”

In setting up a branch in the Middle East, ShowTex hoped to cater its services to jobs of all sizes and build strong bonds with its international client base. Evidently, they

ME

42

IN PROFILE

To celebrate ShowTex Middle East’s landmark birthday the company organised a gala for the entire team and their families; National day at Burj Khalifa.

succeeded: Some contracts won by ShowTex in the first few months of business have remained as loyal customers through the past decade.

“One such job has been the Dubai International Film Festival,” remembered Peeters. “This was an incredibly welcome job during the early days of ShowTex Middle East, a job we have continued to work on since 2005. Another job that will always remain top of our memories was the DIFC Celebration when we wrapped two main buildings with a double layer of fabric and a giant kabuki in between two buildings.”

ShowTex has also become known for its input to the National Day celebrations which saw the company wrap the iconic Burj Al Arab with elastic white StretchTulle for projection mapping. It was certainly a sight to behold.

With more jobs and a fuller schedule year on year, it too came time for ShowTex to scale up. “The rate of growth has been exponential,” Peeters enthused. “While we started with a small team, of which most are still with us to this day, our need for professionals in the field of confectioning, fabrication, installations and design has increased as well.” The current company headquarters, in the Sharjah Airport Free Zone of the city, now stands as 5,800sqm with over 80 full-time employees. Peeters is adamant, however, that despite rapid growth over the last decade ShowTex Middle East has maintained a family-oriented relationship with its employees. “Team spirit and flexibility are at the core of a successful company and we have therefore chosen to stay away from complicated procedures adopting much more of a flat hierarchy. No individual would be able to deliver the necessary service to a client without having a team of enthusiastic professionals behind him.

From a management point of view, this means we have open communication with all our employees. We do have department supervisors

ME

and procedures in place, but we work in an open plan office, which we consider our open source platform. Any question can be answered by whoever is most capable to answer the query, whether this person is considered management or not.”

As well as the increased staff base, ShowTex Middle East has also broadened the services it provides. It currently has two textile engineers and several weaving, knitting and finishing machines at its disposal. “This has given us the ability to produce products incredibly quickly and create unique fabrics that didn’t exist in our field before now,” Peeters proudly pointed out. “We always strive towards client satisfaction and to guarantee our products are being used in the best possible way. Several years ago we also invested in a metal workshop. We now have 3D pipe benders, steel and aluminium cutters, drills and steel and aluminium welding units, as seen on the petals of Mother Of The Nation.”

The jewels in the ShowTex crown are two state-of-the-art high frequency PVC welding stations with a combined length of 36m to make practical invisible joints. ShowTex guarantees that it can handle any size curtain or print that customers require. “Within our textiles department one of the highlights is our textile laser cutter with a huge 75sqm vacuum bed, an industry first and able to cut the most challenging designs,” asserted Peeters.

In recent news, the company’s latest investment has been in its printing department, as Peeters elaborated: “At ShowTex Digital Media we now have a brand new 5m wide UV high resolution printer that can deliver photo realistic quality that is unrivalled.”

The company and its staff are visibly proud of the projects and services it now provides, but this pales into comparison when discussing the impact ShowTex has had on the region’s attitudes

to health and safety.

ShowTex Middle East’s General Manager, Sven De Beul said: “Everything has evolved so much over the last 10 years in the region. Health and safety regulations went from almost non-existent to now, where it is a primary concern for all the jobs we are put on. In our industry, the demand for flame retardant materials is now one of the first things considered by show producers and I have confidence in saying that we are one of the instrumental parties responsible in the changing attitudes within the region.”

With over 10 years of hard work behind them, and a glittering future ahead, you can imagine the ShowTex family was ready to celebrate its landmark birthday. “We really wanted to give something back to the ShowTex workers, so we organised a gala for the entire team and their families,” smiled Peeters. “We booked a hotel in Fujairah, put up the entire team in hotel rooms and planned a seated dinner followed by a party. It turned out to be a fantastic evening that we will remember forever. However, we will have to make sure we top it with our 20year celebration!”

After such a successful decade under its belt, you could be forgiven for thinking the company may decide to take the foot of the pedal. You’d be mistaken. In fact, in the words of Peeters, “The best is yet to come.” He continued: “With such talented and creative clients around the region, we are sure that the challenges and projects will keep us busy. We may have to adapt but we have been doing so for the last 10 years so we’re certainly keen on keeping this ability. Our only request is that customers give us more!”

TPMEA Photos: ShowTex, Ruggieri, JBM and Luca Parisse of Balich Worldwide Shows www.showtex.com/en

The Quality We Deliver Sets Standards

Photo: Courtesy of HQ Creative – winner of the Best Event Lighting Design, Middle East Event Awards 2016 For more than 30 years our name has stood for professional event technology. Our company is one of the first in Germany that received certification in the fields of lighting technology, audio engineering, video technology, IT technology, and rigging by the German Institute for Certification in the Event Technology (DPV T). With our highly specialised technicians and well-qualified engineers we are able to offer our customers the whole spectrum of technical services, including competent advice and planning in the run-up to a production, the rental of equipment and the complete implementation of events. Though founded in Germany N&M has been operating in Dubai since 2005 and has the necessary local knowledge to realise high-quality events and creative productions successfully.

Audio • Lighting • Video • Conferencing • Rigging • Event-IT • Content Production

Neumann&Müller Event Technology Dubai Investments Park 1 · Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 885 3558 dubai@neumannmueller.com · www.neumannmueller.ae Winner: • Supplier of the Year 2015 Shortlisted: • Employer of the Year 2015/2016 • Supplier of the Year 2016 • Best Use of Event Technology 2016

44

COMPANY PROFILE

NETWORK CREW NETWORK CREW IS A PRODUCTION CREWING ORGANISATION BASED IN DUBAI, FOUNDED BY JO AND LOUISE MARSHALL IN MAY 2014. THEIR VISION WAS TO CREATE A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY WORKING TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS WITH COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXCELLENT BENEFITS, THAT WOULD BE PART-OWNED BY THE EMPLOYEES.

A little over two years later, there are 42 full time employees and a waiting list for those wanting to join; Network Crew is regarded as one of the top crewing companies in the region and is more than capable of supplying skilled labour to multiple events simultaneously - from small one day events to large government cultural shows to five or six month contracts, all needing reliable, motivated and experienced crew.

It was fundamental to Louise and Jo that everyone involved in Network Crew should have a stake in the company, should feel included and have the opportunities to learn skills, gain experience and make a decent living.

As managers - and as people - UK expats Louise and Jo are driven more by altruism than money, but it’s important that the business is profitable and makes a difference to all of ‘The Boys’. “When writing the business plan, we removed money as the primary motivator and approached the success or failure of the business using quality of work and staff reward as the base line for forecasting.”

Network Crew’s employees are from the

ME

Philippines in the Asian sub-continent, working hard and enjoying the relative financial stability and economic bonuses of working in this bustling metropolis, so the whole raison d’être is to ensure their income and bonuses can be invested in their families and communities ‘back home’

Jo’s background is in the show and event production and Louise’s in marketing and project management. Since moving to Dubai 12 years ago, Jo has become well known as a production director / manager and worked on some of the largest and highest profile event and entertainment projects in the region, while Louise worked for the WAFI Group.

Louise is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business, which also includes site visits, reinforcing HSE, managing visa applications and developing client relations. Rebecca, the office manager, coordinates the diary, all administration, accounts, and logistics, while Jo takes care of financial forecasting and focuses on sales and business development.

Once the company framework was in place they let their first 10 employees know - who had already been hand-picked from previous

work and Louise then sorted out their visas and paperwork. The Boys came back from the Philippines, annd Network Crew was born.

For personal financial reasons, the crew needed to start working immediately, this meant starting the company operations in May, the worst time of year to start an events based company as it is the end of the season in the UAE. This meant that for the first few months Jo and Louise supported Network Crew with their savings hoping that the work would come.

The end of 2014 saw good business but no where near enough to offset the first months of a very quiet summer; it was 2015, the first full year of trading, when things really started to take off and they were able to pay staff dividends for the first time.

Between management and the staff, 20% of the profits are being recirculated as dividends. In January 2016 the first staff dividends were paid out. “We had a mental target of 1 ½ months salary as the bonus and would have been happy with that. At the end of our first full years trading it turned out the minimum dividend was the equivalent to two months salary and some of

COMPANY PROFILE

the Boys got over three months. This was the first time we really new that the system worked,” said Jo.

Jo and Louise were delighted to see the first construction photos from Ben Tacanloy’s new house in Iloilo, a rural region north of Manilla, the results of his hard work and efforts at Network Crew.

Ben and his co-workers mainly come from farming communities, so to be able to work the season in Dubai and return with enough well-earned money to purchase land and start building a property is a big deal.

Taking corporate responsibility very seriously is one part of the business philosophy, another other is “about empowering people,” said Louise, “That’s been our main goal from the outset. In our experience the more you trust an individual the more responsible they feel. This applies to every level of staff whether new to Dubai or with years of event experience.”

They also actively look for certain personality traits as well as positive energies and attitudes to work and in dealing with clients. Effectively when working on site, The Boys are the ultimate

ambassadors for Network Crew’s brand image.

Five levels of grading are right at the heart of the company’s infrastructure, and this is the benchmark by which crew can develop their work, specialise, set their sights and move up a skills ladder via a points system according to experience and ability.

Grade One is complete entry level, and this is for those who are new to the crewing game and the production industry. Grade Two is attained after they complete their initial three month probation period, but obviously at this stage, their experience is still limited. Grade Three - this applies to the majority of the Network Boys - is usually attained after 12 -18 months of experience.

As a Grade Three, The Boys are an experienced member of crew who can go on a job without supervision. If they wish to they can also start to specialise in specific areas - Lighting, mains distribution, rigging, etc.

Grade Four of the grading structure is achieved with some considerable experience, which is a minimum of three years crewing plus the acumen and communication skills to Crew

45

Chief a team and liaise directly with the client on a large production.

Grade Five means reaching Senior Crew Boss status and for this Network Crew personnel will be managing multiple Crew Chiefs and up to 100 crew on site. It’s a job for which they will be partly office based on site, as well as the single point-of-contact for multiple HODs on a production. Currently there are two Grade Fives in the company, Ben Tacanlov and Jerlito Barrios

To help with training Network Crew has a series of partnerships with rental companies and equipment suppliers who are willing to offer hands on teaching in exchange for free warehouse time from The Boys. Understanding the technical disciplines and doing the job properly makes a huge difference on site, and the fact that all Network Crew personnel are acutely aware of. “It’s a win win,” said Louise.

“We benefit from training and our clients benefit from additional staff when they need them. Stock taking, PAT testing.”

All of the Grade Fours and many of the Grade Threes have forklift tickets and are IPAF operators and several crew are trained in working at height.

ME

46

COMPANY PROFILE

There is a huge focus right now on health and safety and a drive to ensure that everyone knows their stuff and takes it very seriously.

For every day The Boys work on site, they are awarded points associated with their grade and this is the crux of how the bonuses are calculated at the end of the season.

The net profit from the year is divided by the total number of points earned by all the crew combined to get a value per point. The bonuses are applied to whatever points The Boys have accrued at the end of the year, which means everyone gets something and there is a real incentive to learn, move forward and work as efficiently as possible on site.

New crew from the industry have a path to enter as a Grade One and becoming a Grade Four by the end of the year, so there is plenty of motivation.

From the beginning of 2017 the points / bonus system is also being reviewed and may be applied to the most regular freelancers of which there are many excellent crew, although they keep the percentage to no more than 20 per cent on any one project to maintain the Network Crew standard. Most freelancers are Grade Threes and four of them have recently joined the company full time for the current season.

In addition to the bonuses, all full time

ME

Network Crew receive a basic salary, have full public liability insurance plus medical and healthcare insurance, full sets of PPE are provided and all their paperwork, documents and work visas taken care of. They have one month’s paid leave per year and can take more on request to enable longer quality visits to families ‘back home’.

Network Crew has marketed itself primarily through word of mouth and day-to-day, face-toface contacts, and so far this strategy alone has fuelled the company’s growth. In this industry personal relationships and recommendations are still the most powerful tool but the proof is really in the standard of the work delivered.

“When we started we were worried about finding the right people to join us. A couple of years down the line and there is a wait list to join Network Crew,” said Louise

The qualities looked for in potential employees start with being a ‘nice’ person with a decent character.

“‘Nice’ is an ambiguous word,” said Jo, but it’s the right word to use in this context by nice we expect them to be polite, respectful and conscientious, have an appetite for wanting to do well and move up through the grades, a pride in their work and, very importantly, work as part of a motivated team.”

Added to that, they have to speak good English and be physically fit. “They need to be good decision makers, be aware of who they are both as characters and individuals, and be able to run a controlled environment in which they know where they stand. There’s really no room for grey areas running a crew,” said Louise.

Jo and Louise have established a basic infrastructure which they feel is workable and genuine but if there are areas where they Boys feel the rules should be modified or changed, there’s a mechanism for that to happen.

Louise explained eloquently that this is more than just a job, it’s a family in many ways, and the work often supports whole absent families. It’s a responsibility that they take very sincerely.

Network Crew’s values comes from Jo and Louise being grounded, hard-working and fairminded individuals who believe that a healthy mutual respect and some imagination can drive a business model in which everyone can flourish.

It’s not about them feeling good or somehow philanthropic, it really is about encouraging personal growth and self-confidence for the benefit of all.

Looking forward to a bright and highly active future, Louise confirmed: “Setting up Network Crew is the best thing we have ever done.” www.networkcrew.ae

48

EXPO: PL+S MIDDLE EAST

PROLIGHT + SOUND MIDDLE EAST TO KEEP UP WITH BUYERS’ EVER-GROWING INVESTMENT IN LIVE EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION EXHIBITION CENTRE PLAYED HOST TO THE INAUGRAL MIDDLE EAST INCARNATION OF PROLIGHT + SOUND. Lined up alongside 40 exhibitors from 12 countries, various international brands targeted the burgeoning market that is home to spectacular live events, festivals, concerts, hotels, and retail centres that require the latest technologies to enhance the visitor experience. It attracted the some of the biggest names in the business, with the likes of Bose Professional, Sennheiser, Martin Professional, Adam Hall, and Monacor International rubbing shoulders with top regional distributors such as GSL Professional, Echo Beats, and AVISS.

For the MENA region as well as for many African countries, the premiere event played an important role for clients and partners to gather information and establish contacts.

Prolight + Sound Middle East also featured Stage On, a live outdoor demonstration area replete with the latest PA and AV system from a selection of exhibitors. The three-day tradeshow also played host to a series of seminars, headlined by an interactive session of largescale projection mapping by Thomas Giegerich of bright! Creative Event Solutions. Hosting informative Roundtable Discussions was the International Live Events Association (ILEA).

As part of its increased focus on the Greater Middle East region, Area Four Industries, the newest force in truss and support structures were in attendance featuring products from MILOS and LITEC, as well as representing the EXE Technology and Xstage brands. All were met with great enthusiasm by show visitors, and there was an particularly good response to the new EXERise hoist range from EXE Technology and the S8

ME

stage from Xstage.

Also present was German manufacturer Adam Hall Group, showcasing its various brands of event technology solutions including the patented CURV 500 portable Line Array Series from LD Systems as well as many new LED lighting products from the rapidly growing Cameo brand, Gravity. A particular highlight was the new Wireless LD Systems U500 Series.

It featured True Diversity wireless microphones, wireless transmission for instruments and conferences, and many professional features.

Defendercable protectors, including the latest LED-illuminated models, were also on show.

Bose Professional was among the headline exhibitors at the event, rolling out a range of new product lines including its ShowMatch DeltaQ array loudspeakers and PowerShare amplifiers.

Fuat Koro, the Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Bose Professional, said: “What’s really interesting, especially in the Middle East, is that there’s a very active corporate AV market such as conferences and trade shows that need sound reinforcement from a portable rental system. Their audio requirements have changed over time, from perhaps just a speaker going onstage and delivering a PowerPoint presentation to what is now very rich media delivery at a conference.”

Introducing its MAC Axiom Hybrid stage beam to the region was Martin Professional Middle East. The beam combined beam and spot functionality into a compact unit, offering diffused wash and remarkable intensity.

Sennheiser demonstrated its commitment

as a founding partner of the show by showcasing a wide range of wireless headphones, from the evolution wireless D1, aimed at musicians and performers that need to rely on class-leading sound that is simple to operate and ruggedly reliable for their gigs, to its top-of-the-line Digital 9000 series. Also featured were wireless microphones from the industry standard evolution G3 series, the dual-channel 2000 Series, and its high-end analogue wireless 3000 / 5000 series range, as well as its range of in-ear monitors. Mig Cardamone, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sennheiser Middle East emphasised the importance of this venture for the live events industry, “It is important that the main players support this initiative to help firmly establish it as a must attend event in the Middle East calendar.”

This comprehensive set of offerings was complemented by microphones from Sennheiser’s sister company, Neumann Berlin, which included the wired vocal microphones KMS104 and KMS105 and their counterpart capsules for the Sennheiser wireless systems from the 2000 series up. Also on display was the Sennheiser LSP 500 PRO, a completely wireless PA system that frees users from cables, power outlets,and accessories. Also included was a range of professional headphones for studio, monitoring and professionals.

Cardamone concluded that, “Prolight + Sound has a strong brand and reputation due to their annual fair in Frankfurt.” So the significance of this event was paramount for the growth of the industry in this promising region. www.prolightsoundme.com

EXPO: PL+S MIDDLE EAST

49

A DYNAMIC APPROACH TO EVENT PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL DELIVERY

SNAP PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT SPECIAL FX LIGHTING & VIDEO PRODUCTION

LASER SHOW PRODUCTION

www.snap.ae | info@snap.ae | Tel + 971 (0) 4 332 3229 |

/ snapdubai

ME

50

EVENT INTERVIEW

SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERTISE

Af

EVENT INTERVIEW

51

DWR’S DUNCAN RILEY TALKS SHOP HAVING FORMED IN 2006, DWR DISTRIBUTION HAS GONE ON TO BECOME ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER TECHNICAL DISTRIBUTORS. WITH AN UNPARALLED KNOWLEDGE OF THE MARKET AND AN UNWAVERING PASSION FOR THE REGION. DIRECTOR DUNCAN RILEY CHATS TO TPMEA ABOUT HIS BUSTLING BUSINESS.

Can you give us a brief background into how and why DWR was formed?

I had worked in the industry for 12 years. I really wanted to take service, support and back-up to a new level in the South African market, create a new standard and build stronger relationships with my clients and international suppliers. The most important thing for DWR is its relationships with people - staff, clients and suppliers. It’s a family based business where we are small enough to care for each other and big enough to deliver a project on any scale.

Why did you feel it was the right time to launch, when you did?

It wasn’t the right time, but luckily things just worked out!

How has the industry in South Africa grown in terms of live events and concerts during that time?

With the turn of democracy in South Africa, and sanctions being lifted, it opened doors for international artists and for larger corporates doing bigger events in the South African industry.

It has grown substantially.

Recently you took on your first audio console distribution deal with DiGiCo. How has this benefitted both parties in SA? The product has taken off beyond anyone’s

imagination. We were rather shocked at how fast DiGiCo took off here; the South African industry is small, and DWR is known for support. We are trying our best to promote DiGiCo and provide service, support and training which is the most important part of having a product. What adds to the success of DiGiCo is the relationship we have with Ian Staddon, Vice President of Sales and the DiGiCo team. When a distributor and manufacturer work closely together it is inevitable that the product will do well.

You’re known in particular for your expertise in pro lighting / visual hardware. Was the audio world a learning curve with a global brand such as this?

We were grateful to welcome Kyle Robson to the DWR team who has been in the audio market for numerous years and is passionate in all he does.

Kyle is able to offer the technical know-how and able to support clients and speak the language of the audio world. In future, the DiGiCo team will grow.

You also work with special effects, rigging and trussing companies. How does an overall knowledge of the entertainment technology industry enable you to better understand all of your brands?

Our team regularly attend international training from the manufacturers and we ourselves offer

training to the industry. DWR is really hands-on, and we like to educate our staff and clients.

You’re one of the few businesses in the industry which is run by a husband and wife team. What are the key things you have to keep in mind in order to work together successfully?

DWR has a lot of family working together. At the end of the day we are all one big family.

Sometimes when you are all in it together, there is a better understanding about long hours, and demanding situations, and on the other hand, being able to appreciate the success that comes our way.

2016 has been a busy year for DWR... What have been your highlights?

The Mall of Africa was an intense project for us, DiGiCo was our biggest surprise and we’ve been sad to see some staff leave for other countries.

But it been great to see our existing staff rise to the occasion, while our new crop of staff members have fit in perfectly. We were delighted to supply the technical gear for The Voice and our training days have been very successful. We have some great surprises on the training front for 2017. Thank you to all our suppliers who have supported us this year!

TPMEA www.dwr.za

Af

52

REGIONAL ROUND UP

DPA MICROPHONES HELPS PRESERVE INDIGENOUS MUSIC WITH NONPROFIT ORGANISATION, MUSICXCHANGE GHANA GEARHOUSE GROUP GIVES THE INDUSTRY A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE AS IT TRANSFORMS A HOT BEZUIDENHOUT VALLEY SITE WITH IN2STRUCTURES’ DOME VENUE.

MUSICXCHANGE Ghana, is an international nonprofit organisation that provides a platform for local musicians in the area to showcase their talents while giving them the chance to positively impact the local communities.

With the help of DPA microphones, Federico Masetti, CEO of MUSICXCHANGE, can provide professional microphones to those who may never have the opportunity to use them.

“During my last year at the Berklee College of Music, I took a three-week trip to Ghana as part of a study abroad programme, but also to follow my father’s work in the country,” said Masetti.

“My father is a doctor and was working on a humanitarian project to help build a nonprofit hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. I wanted to find a way to further his efforts and utilise my passion for music to help the people of Ghana. That’s where the idea of MUSICXCHANGE first came about.

MUSICXCHANGE aims to provide free highquality recording opportunities to local artists in economically disadvantaged communities, and support different kinds of music therapy

Af

and music education programs in their local communities. In Ghana, the people really believe in the power of music.”

While in Ghana, he relied on the DPA d:screet 4080 Miniature Cardioid Microphone, Lavalier, d:dicate 4017B Shotgun Microphone, d:dicate 4011F Cardioid Microphone Boom and d:facto Vocal Microphone for various applications, like recording interviews for a documentary about his work, providing free recording sessions to local artists and hosting local concert events in various cities in the region. Usually traditional music is played in a common setting like a summer hut or regular outdoor space, so MUSICXCHANGE didn’t record any music in a studio. Instead, Masetti brought the recording studio to the people.

“For the outdoor recording, I used the d:dicate 4011F in an ORTF configuration along with the d:screet 4080 Lavalier,” he explained.

“The music was often accompanied by dancing, but we only had to worry about making minor adjustments in the placement of the musicians

so that it would result in better sound. It was very interactive recording work to create the exact setting that represents the music and the DPA mics always did a great job in capturing the audio.”

One unique feature that caught the attention of Masetti and his team is the d:dicate 4011F microphones embedded 20dB pad switch in the center of the XLR connector. “That helped us because the microphones were closer to the sound source and sometimes the signal was coming in too hot,” he said. “Not being in a traditional studio, I needed more options, so the extra gain control on the microphones was a very big help. Also, the freedom to set up the sound configuration however I liked was pretty neat. If I wanted to do a 90° ORTF or a 120° ORTF I had the flexibility to do so.”

The d:screet 4080 was also used for interviews during the documentary. “It was the smallest microphone, very easy to set up and very reliable,” said Masetti. “Also, with the wind chill, it was important for us to get a good interview sound without being disturbed by the wind, which sometimes was bad because we were in the field most of the time. The d:screet 4080 gave me high-quality studio sound without any problems.”

While in Ghana, MUSICXCHANGE also organised four live concert events in the cities of Tamale, Obuasi, Accra and Aflao. “We created a partnership with the local communities and interacted by providing free musical events, accompanied by some conversation about the project,” he said. “We used the d:facto vocal microphones during these events and during a performance by Dela Botri, a master musician of the Ghanaian flute. The d:facto microphones gave us great audio and complemented the sound from Dela Botri’s flute because of its extremely linear off axis frequency response.”

In the future, Masetti hopes to develop a nonprofit recording studio in Ghana. “Eventually, I would like to see MUSICXCHANGE in many different countries around the world,” he said.

“I see us continuing to use DPA, as we will surely continue the work that we started and, most importantly, make sure that it becomes a sustainable practice and can empower others.” www.dpamicrophones.com http://musicxchangeghana.org

54

REGIONAL ROUND UP

DWR DISTRIBUTION TO SUPPLY CABLEJOG TO SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET DWR DISTRIBUTION IS DELIGHTED TO SUPPLY CABLEJOG TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET. BASED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, CABLEJOG DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE A RANGE OF CABLE TESTERS FROM EIGHT TEST POINTS IN THE CASE OF THE AUDIOJOG PRO 3 AUDIO CABLE TESTER THROUGH TO 1024 IN THE CABLEJOG 512 CABLE TESTER WITH THE EXTRA 512 ADAPTOR.

Eddie Zych, Founder, Director and Designer of CableJoG recalls initially meeting DWR’s Robert Izzett at PLASA a couple of years ago. “I seem to remember Robert coming to the stand and giving me quite a hard time but then sharing a table at the Price of Wales pub,” said Eddie.

“I’m sure it wasn’t me giving Eddie a hard time on the stand,” replied Robert. “I’d never do something like that, though sharing a beer does sounds more style.”

Rob purchased a couple of testers for office use at DWR at the time and has subsequently had many customers asking for them. All cable testers have at least one memory option enabling rapid testing of similar cables. All CableJoG’s units test every pin against every other regardless which ‘side’ of the cable tester they are plugged into. This means that shorts across unconnected pins are automatically identified. All testers check for continuity. The

minimum resistance detected varies from model to model but, is always sufficient for a whole roll or reel of cable to be tested. The RibbonJoG is designed to test standard 2.54mm by 2.54 IDC ribbon cable but with adaptors can just as easily test the smaller pitch versions.

The AudioJoG cable testers are designed for the Audio Professional who needs to check a variety of audio leads. Using two AudioJoG cable testers it is possible to test the cable in situ without bringing the cable ends together into one unit. Testing is carried out from the local end, however the results can be seen at both ends.

The AVjog range is taking cable testing to another level. Once the cable is plugged in and the test button pressed the tester does the rest by identifying the type of cable connected such as HDMI or DVI. www.cablejog.com

BLUE ARRAY PRODUCTIONS FIRST IN AFRICA WITH DIGICO SD5 BLUE ARRAY PRODUCTIONS HAVE INVESTED IN THE FIRST DIGICO SD5 IN AFRICA. THIS LEADING TECHNICAL SUPPLIER MADE THE PURCHASE FROM DWR DISTRIBUTION.

With Kobus van Rensburg at the helm of Blue Array, the company has supplied prominent international artists visiting South Africa. They also have a reputation for its talented audio engineers, who are some of the best in the country.

“There are many reasons we’ve gone the SD5 route,” said Marinus Visser, Head of Audio at the company. “It’s on every international rider, which was the main selling point. But for our shows, it was the ability of the console and all the things it can do, the enormous IO count and its exceptional audio quality. As Blue Array typically work on international productions,

Af

they’ve invested heavily in d&b Audiotechnik sound systems. It justifies having something that sounds so good complementing these amazing PA systems. Since taking ownership of the SD5 in the last couple of weeks, the console has already gone out on an international show.

“The SD5 was something Blue Array have wanted for quite a while,” commented Kyle Robson from DWR Distribution. “Blue Array are very good and everything they do is rock solid and professional. The SD5 was the first in the country and this was huge for me, absolutely like being a kid in the candy store. When I took the console out the box, I had that very special

feeling.

“The SD5 is in a league of its own,” he continued. “That’s the reason most riders ask for them. If you know how to use the baby console, you will know how to use the bigger one. It’s easy to get around, and the only difference on the SD5 is the bigger surface and higher channel count.

That’s the great thing with DiGiCo. All the consoles sound identical and the software is the same.”

Duncan Riley of DWR commented: “Thank you to Kobus and his team for their support. I hope that you’ll have many happy gigs and we can’t wait to see the console in action.” www.bluearray.co.za

REGIONAL ROUND UP

55

DWR DISTRIBUTION ANNOUNCE PROLYTE RIGGING TRAINING COURSE THE TRAINING COURSE WHICH WILL BE HELD IN BOTH CAPE TOWN AND JOHANNESBURG IN FEBRUARY 2017.

with Prolyte trussing. What was very important to me was learning about the safety aspects and then taking care of trussing from a maintenance point of view.”

Godfrey Dhlamini (Blond Productions) “For me the training helped to refresh my knowledge, especially as I have been doing this for years. It helped me to remember things like maintenance and checking the truss.

Leslie Wahl (MGG Productions) “I found the course very interesting and I think our team learnt a lot. I’ve been doing structures for the past eight years. It’s as I told Duncan Riley of DWR, there is no such thing as bad training.

You always learn something.”

The internationally recognised five-day training programme will once again be presented by Rinus Bakker and will cover important subjects like safety, machinery and equipment, maintenance, lifting materials, force calculations, load tables and much more. On the sixth day, delegates will enjoy a practical hands-on session. Interested delegates must be competent in Mathematics and those who pass the course will receive certification and 48 SACIA CPD points.

DWR hosed a similar event in Johannesburg in November of this year again presented by Date Jonkman and Ruud De Deuced. The course presented intricate information to assist riggers to comply with safety regulations practiced throughout the world. The topics were covered in detail and delegates were given information on the types of loading and the effect on truss, building a safe MPT or ST Tower, slinging of truss, the process of calculating applied forces and predicting the effects of environmental influences and the basic preconditions to safely build a roof structure. DWR Distribution were pleased with the great feedback received.

Ruud de Deugd (Prolyte) “The people were good and Robert Izzett from DWR took good care of us, and the food was good,” said Ruud. “The most fun part we had was after the course, when I heard someone say, those guys know what they are talking about.”

Peter Abrahamse (Gearhouse) “The course has been brilliant and we learning about alternate ways of doing certain jobs.

Any questions we had we got responces for immediately, which was great.”

Anthony Banks (Gearhouse) “I really think truss should not be sold unless the person completes this course. There is a lot of information that is very good – people don’t always realise the complexity of trussing systems.

There are many things that uniformed safety officers want, that actually at the end of the day could result in creating an issue.

Pule Mofokeng (Intelligent Sound) “The course was very important. There are some things that we have never known since working

Grant Nortman (MGG Productions) “I found it very interesting and it opened my eyes to certain things within the industry which people sometimes overlook. We’ll definitely be able to make use of what we learnt at the training in the future.”

Themba Dube (Carnival City) “The course was fantastic. I learnt a lot about trusses, how to build structures, weight, size, and wind impact.”

Brenton Lycett (Marshall Music) “The course was very informative. At Marshall Music I mainly sell equipment but you need to have this training when someone wants to buy truss from you. You need to make sure that what you’re selling them actually stays up, that people adhere to codes.”

The next courses take place from the 6 to 11 February in DWR’s Cape Town venue with the Johannesburg event taking place on the 13 to 18 February. For more information or to book your spot, please contact Amanda at rsvp@ dwrdistribution.co.za or call her at 011794 5023. www.prolyte.com

Af

56

REGIONAL ROUND UP

UP CLOSE AND TECHNICAL AT THE AFRICA AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE EXPO FORMATIVE WERE ONCE AGAIN CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE EXPERT TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO AIDAN BENNETS DESIGN FOR THE PARAMOUNT GROUND STAND AT THE 2016 AFRICA AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE EXHIBITION HELD AT WATERKLOOF AIR FORCE BASE, SITUATED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF PRETORIA. The 2016 iteration of the stand was built on the solid foundations of the 2014 show, the major change being a transition from Projection to LED Technology, supplied by LED Vision in the form of two highly impressive brand-new ROE BP 3.91mm screens with a total resolution nearing 6k, all run via Brompton M2 Processing and fed from d3 Technologies v2.5 Servers.

The lighting, supplied by MGG, was designed to make the stand ‘pop’ and stand out, and given its close proximity to doorways and the serious weight restrictions on the venue, required ultra low-weight fixtures that could provide both vivid colour and adequate punch to deliver high quality camera shots for the many high profile launches and announcements on the stand during the course of the show.

The design of the stand featured scale models of many of the Paramount Group’s flagship products, each individually and carefully downlit with 25 tightly-focussed Selecon SPX 15-

35 Zoomspots, controlled by the d3 servers via an MA Lighting grandMA2 System with a Command Wing and a 4-port node, the aim being to synchronise highlighting individuals models to the ultra high resolution custom video content displayed on the screens, such that as a product was featured on the screen the respective model was high-lit on the stand.

For general coverage and dynamic key light Formative relied heavily on an additional 14 Robin 1200 LEDWash, and for area-specific lighting on the stand Formative went with 25 of the everreliable Robe Robin 600 LEDWashes, which at trim of 8.5m deliver excellent light output relative to the throw distance, and with their fantastic weight and power consumption figures were the clear choice.

Audio requirements on the stand were for even coverage, spilling onto the walkway around the stand without interfering with the stands nearby, which called for a discrete truss-mounted

down-firing solution, with a 3×3 grid of JBL PRX 710 Power Speakers run on separate sends to deliver maximum gain before feedback by isolating the various presentation areas from each other, with a neat stack of JBL VRX918 subs mounted behind the screen to deliver the low-end rumble that gave the video content an imposing “acoustic mass”.

Thomas Peters, Technical Project Manager at Formative programmed and operated the entire show on a backbone of Luminex Gigacore switches to create VLANs for the different network types and pass data between them, to allow everything to communicate with everything else and ultimately run the entire show via a bespoke iPad application created specifically for the stand, giving him immediate single-point wireless remote control over video, audio and the lighting from anywhere on the stand. www.formative.co.za

EVENT LIGHTING CHOOSE ROBE POINTES AND SPIKIES THE BRAND NEW RENTAL AND PRODUCTION COMPANY IN CENTURION NEAR PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, OFFERING LIGHTING EQUIPMENT AND DESIGN SERVICES FOR ALL PRODUCTION SCENARIOS PLUS A FUND OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE FROM ITS FOUNDERS – PETER RIECK OF RIECK’S LIGHTING AND HENRY JENKINS OF EVENTECH. The joint venture has started with a serious investment in Robe – with 12 Robe Pointes and 24 of the new Spikie – small, super-fast LED WashBeams – to the rental inventory together with LED PAR cans – all supplied via DWR Distribution.

Rieck’s Lighting and Eventech will also continue to operate as normal however Event Lighting is a new and separate company running in parallel to both of these, adding an exciting and fresh dynamic to the South African rental and production scene. Eventech does not own any lighting gear and was continually cross-hiring equipment for the events they were designing and producing. Launching a new and separate lighting company made total sense.

Wynand Veldsman will be overseeing the day-to-day running of the new company. He’s

Af

a well-known industry face having worked at Eventech for the past year and prior to that, at Gearhouse South Africa and at C&S in Cape Town.

With a focus on corporate events and shows, Event Lighting purchased Robe Pointes for their all-round functionality. Peter, a longtime fan of the brand who has used Robe fixtures for a few years to light a string of high profile TV productions and live events. “The Pointes can do fantastic beam work, they unlock a vast amount of creativity and have become an industry standard in SA,” said Jenkins.

The Spikies are the first purchase of the new Robe fixture – launched at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt in April – in South Africa, following the first sale into southern Africa which DWR announced with rental company Mikel-Jes in Namibia a month earlier.

Event Lighting’s Spikies went out on their first event, The Queens Picnic at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg just a couple of days after delivery to their warehouse. A short time after, the Pointes were on their first Event Lighting show – ‘Ignite’ – a 50th birthday celebration for South African music producer and key influencer Lindelani Mkhize. www.bluearray.co.za

58

TECH FOCUS

SOUND STYLISTS SHINE FOR COMEDIAN JOHN VLISMAS SOUTH AFRICAN COMEDIAN JOHN VLISMAS PRESENTED REVELATIONS II – THE GOOD RACIST TO A SOLD OUT AUDIENCE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS AT THE TEATRO AT MONTECASINO IN FOURWAYS, JOHANNESBURG. SOUND STYLISTS SUPPLIED THE FULL TECHNICAL AND WERE ONE OF THE SPONSORS OF THE EVENT. THE SAME SET AND GEAR WAS THEN USED FOR THE SAVANNA COMICS’ CHOICE AWARDS THE WEEK AFTER.

John Vlismas is a stand-up comedian and the owner of Whacked Special Project, the producers of the Savanna Comics Choice Awards.

“Lighting the show was a bit of a challenge for me as I’d never done a comedian act before,” admitted Lighting Designer Sean Crawley. “When I spoke to John Vlismas prior to the event, asking him what his vision was for the show, he said he was aiming to combine rock ‘n’ roll with a theatrical twist. He enjoys beams, but also required clean looks, and essentially wanted the stage to be lit up to have this big, live feel. I also had to ensure that the stage was lit appropriately for camera.”

The concept design was a team effort between Dave Handley from Stageworks (another sponsor of the event), and by Kevin Glover and Andrew Robertson of Sound Stylists. The show saw five diamond shaped boxes, made out of H40V trusses, hung at an angle above the stage.

At the centre of each diamond was a floating

Af

white canvas, suspended with steel rope from the grid, and used as a lighting surface. Custom designed content was produced for the 9.6m wide x 3.2m high 10mm LED screen which created the backdrop for the stage, as well as the 6 x 3.9mm smaller side screens, each being 2m wide and 3m high. All video content was run off Wings Servers.

The lighting rig included 18 Robe ColorWash 2500’s and 12 ColorSpot2500’s, 24 Robin 600 LEDWashs and 32 Robe CitySkape 48’s, 32 Chauvet Professional legend 230SR’s and six Chauvet Professional Ovation Profiles, 28 Aryton WildBeams and six ADB Profile Fresnels and the use of H40V Prolytes. Control was on a High End Hog Full Boar 4 with playback wings.

Pre-programming and pre-plotting was done using the visualiser on Cast’s WYSIWIG software, minimised the amount of plotting time required on site as majority of the work had already been done.

The Robe CitySkapes were hidden on either

side of the stage wings as uplighters for 6m high flats and were also used as truss toners in the diamonds and to add colour to the white suspended diamond shaped canvases. Additional CitySkapes, hung from six totems above the main back screen, created beam work and created additional depth and height to the whole set.

The Robe ColorWash 2500’s were primarily used for camera work as the shows were filmed for Comedy Central. Gobo effects on the stage floor were created by the Robe ColorSpot 2500’s.

Crawley used the Robin 600 LEDWash to add colour and compliment the video material.

“Our team was awesome,” said Crawley.

“With Jo Metter as Project Manager, Sabello Mzizi as my systems tech, Rayne Ramsden on audio and Clinton Fowler on AV, we as team understood what had to be done to achieve optimum success for the show and we all enjoyed it.

The best part of all was seeing a mere drawing transformed into an actual production.” www.soundstylists.co.za