Achieve The Unimaginable

ACHIEVE THE UNIMAGINABLE

STARRING TONY ROBBINS AND ALICIA KEYS, ACHIEVE THE UNIMAGINABLE DRAWS A CROWD OF MORE THAN 10,000, INCLUDING UAE ROYALTY, TO DUBAI’S COCA-COLA ARENA. TPMEA CATCHES UP WITH SLS PRODUCTIONS’ LIGHTING DESIGNER AND OPERATOR AIDEN KOBUS, TO FIND OUT MORE…

Organised by Najahi Events, Achieve the Unimaginable promised to be a groundbreaking event for Dubai’s newest large-scale events space. Globally renowned life coach and public speaker, Tony Robbins headlined the show, performing four hours of non-stop content. There were also unique performances by Alicia Keys, as well as guest speakers Prince EA and Nick Vujicic. Providing a triple threat of audio, lighting and video for the event was SLS Production, which was delivering its first turnkey project in the venue. With the dust settling on the highly anticipated event, TPMEA caught up with SLS Lighting Designer and Operator Aiden Kobus. A relative newcomer to the region, Kobus spoke of his experience with the event. “This is the first gig I’ve done as a Lighting Designer and Operator with an international client,” the young LD began. “I never thought I’d

be at this level at the age of 20. It’s amazing to see something I’ve designed come to life.” Having been a member of the wider SLS family for over a year after moving over from South Africa, Kobus has become an integral part of the company’s ever-increasing presence in Saudi Arabia, with the traditionally quiet summers now being busier than ever. “The past year has certainly been an eye-opening experience,” commented Kobus. “It’s a different way of how events are conceptualised,” he commented. On that note, the LD went on to describe the rig he was overseeing for Achieve the Unimaginable, which incorporated three circles of lighting trusses hung above stage (left, centre and right), with two left and right IMAG screens relaying the action. Below the main centre stage screen were an additional three-quarter circle trusses. “The only straight truss used was FOH lights and batten type fixtures. Whereas the entire

circle truss was highlighted to bring a different look for the show,” Kobus explained. For control, Kobus used an MA Lighting grandMA2 full size at FOH, having programmed the show on a grandMA2 Lite in the warehouse. “I only want the best fixtures to be there,” he said. To that end, Claypaky Sharpys and Martin by Harman Viper Performances were the workhorse fixtures on the extensive lighting rig, used primarily for their “gobo effect” capabilities. The show was part pre-programmed and part manual operation. “Timecode is great to see your vision replayed in front of your eyes, and busking is fun because I like being thrown in at the deep end and being kept on my toes,” Kobus said. During the set, Kobus busked through six of Alicia Keys’ songs, which he dubbed “an enjoyable mix of spoken word and music”. He furthered: “The show flowed nicely, with no abrupt song endings. My favourite aspect

of busking is creating a show that can never be replicated. It’s all about rising to the challenge.” The LD continued to explain some of the challenges he faced during the performance, namely getting around 200 house lights, run via ArtNet, in an acceptable state for camera. “Tony has a special ending scene where everything is a rich magenta colour, so I had to spend a lot of time tweaking it for camera work. We tried to make sure that line of sight was good enough for the audience while still having enough front lighting,” he said. A total of 18 Arri 2K Fresnels were purposed for front light to make sure it was high and wide enough to cover the faces of onstage performers. The show also gave SLS Productions a chance to use its latest audio equipment. The company has invested substantially in new equipment, including the new JBL A-12 Audio system, which was purchased to supplement the in-house

system at the Coca-Cola Arena. Director of Technical and Production, Coca-Cola Arena, Malcolm Giles added: “Any speech-based show in a big building such as this is always a challenge in its own right. The client has very strict criteria for the kind of atmosphere that they want the show to take place in, so it’s down to us to facilitate that,” he continued. “They wanted the bowl temperature to be down to 18°C for the duration of the event, and that’s not easy to guarantee in Dubai at the start of September. It’s a 10-hour show, so a pretty big deal.” Speaking after the show, Founder & CEO of Najahi Events, Awfa Mustafa, stated: “This event is about how to achieve the unimaginable and that’s exactly what we accomplished today. “After three years of visualising Tony Robbins on my stage, we delivered a message that learning is for everyone at any stage of life, and the UAE is capable of delivering this. I am all the

more humbled and grateful that the leadership of the UAE supported us,” he continued. “It’s an invaluable endorsement of our mission to inspire, encourage, educate and entertain the people of the Middle East. I am overwhelmed and thankful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, for attending and continuously inspiring us.” Mustafa concluded: “Gathering, motivating and empowering more than 10,000 changemakers at the largest event of its kind in the Middle East is a massive step forward for both the community and the region as a whole.” Photos: SLS Productions & Najahi Events www.slspro.net www.najahi.org www.coca-cola-arena.com