TPMEA #026 - October/November 2020

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER • ISSUE 026

TOMORROWLAND AROUND THE WORLD

DUBAI TAKES ITS FIRST STEPS OUT OF LOCKDOWN

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JIMMY CARR: TERRIBLY FUNNY • COCA-COLA ARENA CEO, GUY NGATA • FIRST LOOK: DAN BOLTON • #LIGHTSARED

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TPMEA

WELCOME...

TO TPMEA

Green shoots...

To say that the past six months has been a challenging time for our industry would perhaps be the understatement of the century. Travel restrictions, loss of income and even loss of life has been a devastating blow the likes of which we have never experienced before. However, in the following pages, you’ll read how through innovation, ingenuity and sheer grit and determination, some ‘green shoots’ are beginning to appear.

It’s a term that has cropped up a number of times in conversations with some of the people featured in this issue. Coca-Cola Arena CEO, Guy Ngata uses it to describe what he sees as vital signs of recovery for the industry. I spoke to him at length about how the pandemic has affected Coca-Cola Arena, his reaction to the upcoming opening of the new Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and the prospect of a genuine Middle East touring route being established in the future (page 34).

Another contributor who reported some green shoots is Dan Bolton. Writing in this issue’s First Look column (page 6) Bolton issues a rallying cry to the industry. “As the world starts to open up again, the events industry and the incredibly talented people that work within it are poised to take their rightful place on the front line of this global recovery,” he commented. And from a person who was key in helping to establish guidelines for the safe return of live events in the Middle East, I’m inclined to believe him.

Our cover story for this issue is a prime example of these green shoots. Representing Dubai’s first steps out of lockdown, Tomorrowland Around The World saw Dubai Festival City Arena host a spectacular two-day digital hybrid festival, with comprehensive health and safety measures in place to ensure that both audience and crew were safe throughout the event. Turn to page 18 to read our extensive write-up.

Elsewhere in the issue, we look behind the scenes of another post-lockdown Dubai event – Jimmy Carr’s Terribly Funny show, which sold out an impressive three nights at Dubai World Trade Centre (page 26). We also check in with the RED Events team (page 42) and get all the latest news from Africa (page 45).

Enjoy the issue.

Peter Iantorno Editor

www.tpmeamagazine.com | www.tpimagazine.com | www.tpmeaawards.com

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 – FIRST LOOK: DAN BOLTON

A rallying cry to the Middle East events industry.

09 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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The latest news from the Middle East, including eclipse’s new virtual studio, an impressive school theatre fitout from Provision AVL and two exciting new company launches.

18 – TOMORROWLAND AROUND THE WORLD

Dubai takes its first steps out of lockdown with a ground-breaking, two-day digital hybrid show at Dubai Festival City Arena.

26 – JIMMY CARR: TERRIBLY FUNNY

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The British comic makes his UAE debut, playing three back-to-back, sold-out shows at Dubai World Trade Centre.

34 – INTERVIEW: COCA-COLA ARENA CEO, GUY NGATA The head of Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena talks about COVID-19, personal highlights and the potential for an established Middle East touring route.

42 – COMPANY PROFILE: RED EVENTS

TPMEA checks in with the RED Events team.

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AFRICA 45 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest news from Africa, including Urban Sessions 2020 and the #LightSAred campaign.

EDITOR Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 e-mail: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk

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

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT James Robertson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Capper: m.capper@mondiale.co.uk

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Tomorrowland by eclipse Staging Services

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CONTRIBUTING ASSISTANT EDITOR Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8352 Mobile:+44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

DAN BOLTON, OWNER AND DIRECTOR, DAN BOLTON CREATIVE MANAGEMENT AGENCY AS THE MIDDLE EAST STARTS TO EMERGE FROM LOCKDOWN, DAN BOLTON REFLECTS ON WHAT HAS BEEN A TORRID TIME FOR THE INDUSTRY AND SPECULATES ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY.

Every time I try and put pen to paper, no matter how many times I promise myself that it won’t happen, the subject matter always seems to gravitate towards COVID-19 and the massive challenge that the live events and entertainment industry undoubtedly faces.

I think it’s safe to say that the past six months have seen a giant wrecking ball make its way throughout our industry, whose sole purpose is to bring people together and create shareable memories. No matter how big or small our companies may be or where we sit within the food chain of the events ecosystem, we have all, in some capacity, been negatively affected by the repercussions of the global shutdown and cancellation of events across the world. Physically, financially, emotionally and mentally.

One of the biggest personal challenges during this uncertain time was a reluctant acceptance that our industry is often portrayed as ‘nice to have, but not a necessity’.

As the entire planet took a collective pause and the health and wellbeing of the population quite rightly took priority, we took a much longer than anticipated back seat as the medical front liners, shop workers, transport professionals and many others kept the world spinning and kept us safe. We were confined to the sidelines, trying to work out our place in life, our relevance and fighting for our continued existence.

Fast-forward six months to a world where the dust is beginning to settle from that wrecking ball that demolished everything within its path, and we can see the green shoots of recovery emerging from the debris. They may be small green shoots, but they are there. At

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When the whole world came to a halt, borders were closed, families were disconnected and global economies were struggling, the sound and lights went off on our industry. The greatest lesson we have all learnt is that we are in this together.

We don’t know when this dark cloud will lift, but when it does, and as we enter a new era, we are ready to build a

BETTER

BRIGHTER &

BIGGER STAGE and create awe-inspiring event experiences to once again connect and inspire people.

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

“As the world starts to open up again, the events industry and the incredibly talented people that work within it are poised to take their rightful place on the frontline of this global recovery.”

Dan Bolton, Owner and Director, Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency the time of writing, official communications have been released to the Dubai-based events industry signifying start dates and guidelines on what to expect when we can all get back to doing what we love. Events, shows and performances have opened up across some parts of the world and people have confidently started to re-emerge from the confines of their isolation.

Way back when this all kicked off, I thought the day that live events resumed would be a day of huge celebration – that things would start to get back to normal and we could pick up almost just like where we left off.

The reality is that much has changed. Some businesses are no longer here. Challenges persist in the ability to retain workforces and creative talent. Our finances have been decimated. The hard work that many have invested over the past

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decade and more was essentially undone in one devastating blow and now as we all start to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down, we realise that the real hard work is still ahead.

The media has shifted the narrative from a health pandemic to a social and economic one. The world is battered and bruised from the constant blows of misery that have rained down since March. Yet, here we are, six months on refusing to give up. Down but certainly not out.

As we all emerge from the dark days of past, now is the time where our industry starts to once again play to its full potential. Whether it’s the hard work and sheer perseverance that many have conducted in the background to ensure that audiences can safely return to events, or the initiatives reminding us all of the important memories and experiences that our great industry

creates. If there is one thing that the past six months has taught us, it is that a world with no events, live entertainment, the sharing of laughter, enjoyment or simple fun is no world at all.

As the world opens up again, the events industry and the incredibly talented people that work within it are poised to take their rightful place on the front line of this global recovery.

People will start to leave their homes; we will once again create unique memories; we will travel the world delivering exceptional experiences; we will be called upon to help rebuild battered economies; we will be there to create amazing content for the world to see; and we will be called upon to bring the world back together, because that’s what we do and what we do so well.

Photos: Dan Bolton www.danbolton.me

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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ECLIPSE INTRODUCES NEW VIRTUAL STUDIO IN DUBAI THE PURPOSE-BUILT STUDIO SPACE CATERS TO THE GROWTH OF VIRTUAL AND HYBRID EVENTS.

While Dubai is beginning to emerge from lockdown, virtual and hybrid events are still expected to play an important role in the sector through to the end of the year and into 2021. In response to the growing demand for these innovative events, eclipse has launched its brand-new virtual studio in Dubai.

“Although countries are now slowly starting to loosen COVID-19 lockdown measures, we understand that there is still a long way to go before our industry returns to normal,” commented Martin Lubach, eclipse Staging Services General Manager.

“The pandemic has forced us all to change and adapt, but one thing that hasn’t changed

is our passion to deliver extraordinary event experiences that connect and inspire audiences.”

Designed to take the production values of virtual and hybrid events “to another level”, the purpose-built space can be used for a wide range of events including award ceremonies, meetings, conferences and product launches.

Featuring an 8m by 3.5m ultra-highresolution LED screen, HD cameras and LED studio lighting, the studio provides organisers with a professional and engaging experience that they would expect from a live event.

The flexible studio allows eclipse to tailor the environment to suit a huge variety of designs featuring branding and sponsorship

opportunities. Presenters can interact easily with the LED screen, or the studio can be transformed into a completely virtual space. The company also offers bespoke mobile studio builds.

The entire project is operated within PSAV’s MeetSAFE guidelines, which ensures a safe and healthy environment for all customers, team members and business partners.

“With enhanced cleaning procedures, physical distancing and technology considerations taken care of, we can let event organisers get on with what they do best – organising incredible events,” Lubach added.

Photo: eclipse Staging Services www.eclipse.ae

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

ENERGIE ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES IN THE UAE FOUNDER AND CEO, TYLER DAVIS SMITH EXPLAINS HOW HIS NEW ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY AIMS TO REINVIGORATE THE REGION’S EVENTS INDUSTRY.

At a time when the events industry is struggling globally, launching a brand-new entertainment agency might not be the most obvious of moves. However, despite current circumstances, Founder and CEO, Tyler Davis Smith firmly believes that now is the ideal time to launch his new venture, Energie Entertainment.

“I had lots of events cancelled and have felt the financial and emotional burden of this. My diary was fully booked with events in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the UK, and I’d been fortunate

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to be incredibly busy last year. Then it all came to a grinding halt,” he shared with TPMEA, reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“However, it gave me a chance to reassess, look at what I had been doing and look at where I wanted to go. I want to spend my life surrounded by good people delivering worldclass entertainment. I thought, now is the time.”

Davis Smith has extensive experience in the region, working in a variety of positions, from Stage Manager to Show Caller, and Production Manager to Producer, on a variety of high-profile

projects, including Diriyah Season, where he was Entertainment Manager on the Diriyah Oasis, and Expo 2020 One Year To Go, as PM. “I have been fortunate enough to work in lots of positions within the event and entertainment industry,” he commented.

“This gives me a really rounded approach, understanding exactly what clients want, understanding what is technically possible and knowing how to get the best out of the artists.

Over the years of freelancing, I have been lucky enough to work with the best people, incredible

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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Energie Entertainment Founder and CEO, Tyler Davis Smith.

Wash light – with an Edge

performers and management. I want to bring everyone together to produce great entertainment, whilst making sure everyone on site is smiling and having a good time.”

According to Davis Smith, the company aims to provide “a full show solution of production, talent and management”. He explained: “I have been freelancing all my life and people are always asking me to put teams together, from artists to stage managers to full entertainment teams. So, I thought now is the time to do it, do it right and make sure that clients get the best result and the freelancers and performers are treated right.”

While the current circumstances around flight restrictions dictate that the company will be restricted mainly to the UAE market initially, Davis Smith has his eyes on international expansion throughout the region in the future. “Saudi Arabia is a very exciting market with its Vision 2030,” he pinpointed. “I spent a lot of time working on some brilliant events in Saudi in Q4, 2019 and Q1, 2020, so I understand the challenges that arise whilst working in a very young market. We’re ready to grow with that market offering solutions and support from our learnings on previous events. It’s exciting to see what the future has in store for Saudi Arabia and I want to be part of the forward-thinking vision that they have.”

Looking forward, the CEO and Founder is full of positivity not only about his new company, but the industry as a whole. “I see this as a new dawn, a re-birth of the events industry in the Middle East,” he commented. “We are just over a year away from the postponed Expo 2020, we have Qatar 2022 World Cup coming up and the Saudi Vision 2030. We are really excited about what the future holds for the region and cannot wait to start working with event agencies to produce amazing events and entertainment once again.”

Photos: Energie Entertainment www.weareenergie.com

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

NMK TEAMS UP WITH AMPETRONIC IN THE GCC AMPETRONIC’S US DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH WILLIAMS AV PAVES THE WAY FOR NMK LINK UP.

NMK Electronics has become the new GCC distributor for Ampetronic induction loop systems. With Williams AV recently becoming the US distributor for Ampetronic, and Williams AV already enjoying an existing relationship with NMK, this has opened the door for NMK to bring Ampetronic hearing loop technology into its portfolio.

NMK has great expectations for the new relationship, as hearing loop solutions are becoming more and more prolific throughout the region. “We’ve been watching Ampetronic actively engaged in growing their business in the market and in the region for over a decade and we are delighted to hear of the collaboration with Williams AV, it’s a perfect fit for the these two companies,” commented NMK Business Development Manager, Dino Drimakis.

“It grows our portfolio in the induction loop market, where we are actually seeing a lot of potential for growth. An increasing number of consultants are becoming aware of the importance of assistive listening solutions in the region, and as international venues and projects start to materialise, we’re seeing a big uptake.”

NMK expects the majority of this uptake to come from the healthcare and medical industry but sees great potential in nearly every installed vertical market. “Any public area typically needs an induction loop facility, and the requirements

for them are increasingly consistently,” added Drimakis. “We’ll be getting our presales team to work on more in-house designs with regards to loop induction simulations, and in general continuously promote and develop the brand.

He added: “The nice thing about the brand is that it already has a very strong presence because of their highly active approach to the market. We’re super excited about partnering with Ampetronic because we’ve enjoyed really great synergy right from the first conversation.”

Sam Burkinshaw, Head of Business Development at Ampetronic, commented: “By servicing the GCC market directly for the past 10

years, we recognise the value that a strong local partner provides. Having competed against NMK previously, we are confident that they will be able to offer unrivalled support for our segment with the combined portfolios of Ampetronic and Williams AV. We look forward to working with NMK to develop the growing assistive listening market in the region.

“We would like to thank all of our existing integration customers and look forward to continuing our work with them through NMK.” Photo: NMK Electronics www.nmkelectronics.com www.ampertronic.com

3DB LAUNCHES NEW PODCAST THE FIRST EPISODE FEATURES GALLOWGLASS HEALTH AND SAFETY’S STEVE KEARNEY AND DECLAN MEENAN. Dubai-based production company 3DB has launched its own podcast.

Entitled That 3DB Podcast, the series sees the 3DB team invite various key members of the region’s event industry for an informal discussion on issues facing the sector today.

Hosted by 3DB Managing Director, Eddie Mulrainey and Director of Marketing and Events, Adam Griffiths, the first episode features Gallowglass Health and Safety’s Managing

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Partner, Steve Kearney, and Senior Health and Safety Advisor, Declan Meenan.

Reflecting on the company’s involvement in the recent UFC Fight Island event in Abu Dhabi, Kearney and Meenan share their valuable insights on the state of the industry and how it can emerge from the COVID-19 lockdown.

Photo: 3DB www.3db-dxb.com www.gallowglasshs.com

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VIZRT MARKS 15 YEARS IN MIDDLE EAST THE COMPANY NOW OPERATES IN 13 COUNTRIES ACROSS THE REGION. Vizrt is celebrating 15 years of fantastic growth, progress, and customer success in the Middle East as a key partner to many of the region’s top broadcasters.

Establishing a permanent base in Dubai in 2005, the company has grown into one of the largest vendors of broadcast software in the region, eventually relocating from its shared office in Dubai Knowledge Village to Al Shatha Tower in Dubai Media City.

“Our initial customers were Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and Dubai Media Incorporated, whose belief in us and tremendous support really

helped establish Vizrt as a major player in the region’s broadcast industry,” commented Ian Davies, Regional Manager for Vizrt’s Middle East operation. “From there, we expanded rapidly to include all major broadcasters across the Middle East, including most state broadcasters of most countries,” he said.

Davies added: “We’d like to thank our customers and partners for their support, trust and belief, and we look forward to extending our combined successes into the future.”

Photo: Vizrt www.vizrt.com

XKIT.ME GOES LIVE A NEW PLATFORM DEVOTED TO BUYING AND SELLING PRO AV EQUIPMENT LAUNCHES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

xKit.me, the region’s first online platform for buying and selling pro AV equipment, has launched in the Middle East. Offering a wide range of products, from used B stock to the latest new releases from world-renowned brands, the new platform will cover the GCC, Middle East and Levant.

“We’ve teamed up with some great brands in the industry and we look forward to connecting this whole region together,” commented Jean Michel Elias, Co-Founder of xKit.me. A lighting designer by trade, Elias has been involved in the industry since 2006, working all over the Middle East throughout his career.

“Working with suppliers and vendors, there was always someone either selling something or wanting to upgrade and looking for kit,” Elias told TPMEA, explaining the inspiration for starting the company. “I had previously connected suppliers together and helped them facilitate a deal and this is where the idea of xKit was born – a platform to connect vendors and suppliers in the region and help with facilitating deals and all the logistics that come with it.”

Offering official brand-certified products, free vendor registration and product listings, as well as consultancy and in-house product

inspection services, the company aims to transform the way that people in the industry buy and sell equipment. According to Elias, while the slowdown in work caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately meant he had more time available to devote to the project, this was an idea that had been in the pipeline for a while.

“This concept has been in the works for more than a year,” he revealed.

In the short term, Elias aims to provide a platform to help companies that have been

affected by the pandemic sell some of their unused inventory in order to generate cashflow.

However, the long-term plan is not short on ambition. “We aim to become the most sought out hub when it comes to buying and selling AV kit,” Elias confirmed. “We’re making sure the prices on the platform are the best prices the buyer can get and the support with the logistics is unparalleled.”

Photo: xKit.me www.xkit.me

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

STUDIO SESSIONS CHAMPIONS LOCAL TALENT THOMSUN, LIVE NATION AND MEDIAPRO INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATE ON NEW LIVESTREAMING PROJECT. Taking place every fortnight on Thursday evenings from 9pm (GST), Studio Sessions invites some of the UAE’s top talent to perform short sets, which are livestreamed on social media.

The event was inspired by Thomsun Unplugged, which saw well-known local acts perform in Thomsun’s Ibn Battuta Mall store on Saturday afternoons twice a month. “We wanted to create a community where artists don’t just buy an instrument and we don’t hear from them again; they keep in touch and we connect them with each other,” explained Mikhail Sujan, Business Development Manager at Thomsun. “We wanted to recreate that same community feeling with Studio Sessions.”

With this in mind, Sujan got in touch with Bryan Kelly, Director of Operations at Live Nation Middle East. “He talked to me about the Rotunda Sessions, which happens at the Caesars Palace Bluewaters in Dubai. The idea

is that musicians can come and play and, if they impress Live Nation, then they will be considered for a slot at Rotunda or as a warmup act for a live concert,” Sujan commented.

The space is a 9m by 7m demo studio, equipped with Adamson/Yamaha speakers, with lighting provided by MediaPro International. Artists perform using a range of instruments supplied by Thomsun.

Sujan was keen to stress that while he was excited about the project, it should in no way be considered as a long-term option for the industry. “We don’t want this to be a replacement for live shows,” he noted.

“Everyone is going virtual now, but we don’t believe that this is the future if our industry is going to bounce back.”

Photos: Thomsun www.thomsunmusiconline.com www.livenation.me www.mediapro-av.com

SENNHEISER ROLLS OUT TOUCHLESS DIGITAL AUDIO SOLUTION THE COMPANY’S OFFERING CENTRES AROUND THE TEAMCONNECT CEILING 2.

As offices reopen throughout the Middle East, Sennheiser is aiming to enable organisations to deliver seamless virtual collaboration experiences in a reliable, safe and hygienic manner, with its TeamConnect Ceiling 2 solution, which ensures optimum audio quality for remote video callers.

With hygiene still the primary concern, TeamConnect Ceiling 2 enables touchless audio in meeting rooms. As it is ceiling mounted, the system does not require constant cleaning as table microphones would, and the fact that it covers the entire room reliably without the need for re-adjustment allows for participants to sit at the recommended distance from each other.

“The importance of video conferencing and webinar solutions has increased massively during the COVID-19 crisis, and so has the significance of touchless microphone systems like TeamConnect Ceiling 2,” explained Mig Cardamone, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sennheiser Middle East.

Compatible with both Zoom and Microsoft Teams when deployed with Microsoft-certified DSPs, TeamConnect Ceiling 2 enhances the performance of these solutions, with features

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such as dynamic beamforming, which automatically focuses on the active speaker and follows their voice no matter where they move in the room.

Sennheiser’s collaboration with other leading audio solutions specialists ensures that the TeamConnect Ceiling offers easy installation and control. With the Bose ES1 Ceiling Audio Solution, organisations can benefit from a bundle of the Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone along with the digital signal processor, in-ceiling speakers and accompanying amplifier from Bose for an all-in-one solution.

Businesses with existing Q-SYS Ecosystems can use the QSC plugin to easily configure and manage TeamConnect Ceiling 2, such as monitoring audio levels, and viewing, in real-time, the vertical and horizontal angle of the detected person speaking. Similarly, full compatibility with Crestron’s control system platform enables remote access to the ceiling microphone’s audio parameters, mute and customisable LED control.

“The rapid digitalisation of the office environment has been daunting and our intention has been to ease this transition by

providing seamless and intuitive solutions that enable employees to maintain focus on collaboration rather than technology,” Cardamone commented. “For this reason, we have worked with other industry leaders to ensure the most effective and convenient deployment and management of the TeamConnect Ceiling 2 solution.”

Photo: Sennheiser www.sennheiser.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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GSARC TEAMS UP WITH AMAC GROUP IN THE GCC THE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT BOOSTS GSARC’S EXPOSURE IN THE REGION. AMAC Group has been appointed to represent GSARC in the GCC.

“A new and exciting step for AMAC is underway, as we have recently signed a regional distribution agreement with GSARC – the rising star in architectural lighting solutions globally,” said Abdul Assafiri, General Manager of AMAC Group. “We are looking forward to a long-term relationship and step forward into offering new and out-of-the-box lighting solutions,” he added.

GSARC offers a unique range of lighting fixtures to fit the needs of small to large scale projects, from Dot series, to Flood series, to Linear fixtures, the company has the variability to create scalable systems designed to meet the extreme weather conditions.

“With their portfolio and reputation, it was a no-thought decision to go forth with a partnership with AMAC,” commented Rebecca Xiao, International Sales Director and Deputy

AMAC Group’s Abdul Assafiri; Golden Sea’s Rebecca Xiao.

General Manager of Golden Sea. “We know the scale of their operations and the knowledge that their team possesses. This step adds immense value to our operations in the region and opens

the door for greater exposure and growth.”

Photos: AMAC Group www.amacsarl.com en.gsarc.com

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Jentry Sierra, Robert Turner and Sherin Dsouza.

CT MIDDLE EAST BOOSTS INTEGRATED NETWORKS TEAM ROB TURNER LEADS THE DIVISION, WHICH AIMS TO BRING NEW IMPETUS TO CT’S COMMS/NETWORK OFFERING. Creative Technology Middle East now has a fully established Integrated Networks team. The department, which is headed up by Rob Turner, has some of the Middle East’s best known and respected Integrated Network professionals.

Turner has been working alongside Middle East Managing Director, Andy Reardon to develop this new division strategically.

“It was important we had the right people to set up and run this new division, and I am pleased to announce we now have a team of highly experienced and established Integrated Network professionals,” Reardon explained. “The team consists of several key players who have a long history of working together after originally working at Delta Sound before the company was taken over last year.”

The team has years of experience in event communications across corporate, entertainment, sporting events, virtual events and much more. Their experience across multiple events in the region has given them an excellent understanding of a number of venues in and around the GCC. Turner added: “This knowledge is really valuable, especially when helping clients during site visits and in the planning and prepping stages with the other departments.”

Integrated Networks has never been considered the most exciting part of an event and can often be overlooked in the quoting

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stages. Still, with ever-advancing technology, it offers clients so many added benefits and can facilitate a more seamless event approach than ever before. “With our Riedel (MediorNet) approach, all departments can prep and interface their disciplines with the whole event in mind, not just their area,” Turner commented.

“This, in turn, makes the whole setup and onsite testing a more fluid affair. Communications has become a lot more complex and now incorporates the distribution of timecode to video, audio and technical element control systems, along with timecode displays for clients and technicians. Having all these elements prepped prior to site makes a vast improvement technically on-site, as well as to the client. The comms system is the gel that holds an event together and is often the only element of technology that the client physically handles.”

Over the past five months, CT has been investing in the latest communications technology from two-way radios, event networks, signal distribution and much more. The company now houses a variety of communication brands such as Clear-Com, Riedel, Luminex, and Glensound, to name a few.

“We wanted to ensure that we invested in the very best communications technology available while also ensuring the equipment would work within the infrastructure of venues,

broadcast and event spaces around the MENA region,” Turner explained.

Reardon highlighted the importance of CT’s ability to purchase as part of a wider group. “It ensures our clients get the same products and services across all our regions,” he said. “We pride ourselves on consistency.”

From a few Riedel Bolero belt packs in stand-alone mode to a fully incorporated matrix system, CT’s communication system is tailored to the client’s needs and easily scaleable.

Turner explained: “This allows us to send out a system that we can easily add equipment to without having to rewire/program the setup.

Most of the larger events in the Middle East require a fair amount of radios and wireless communication, due to the size of the sites. With the radio channels often being interfaced into the communications, we can easily scale up the footprint that the communications can cover, and in turn, increase the area that the show call and stage management teams can communicate in.

The radios also give us the ability to increase the personnel count on a communications group.”

Turner concluded: “I am very much looking forward to seeing this new division of CT flourish.

I think we can bring something new and exciting to the Comms/Network market.”

Photo: CT Middle East www.ct-group.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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PROVISION AVL KITS OUT DUBAI SCHOOL THEATRE DUBAI-BASED MURANO LIGHTING PROCURES AND INTEGRATES A COMPLETE AV SYSTEM, LIGHTING AND TRUSSING STRUCTURE FOR AL RASHID AL SALEH SCHOOL.

Provision AVL recently completed the supply of a brand-new AV system, lighting and trussing structure at Al Rashid Al Saleh School Theater in Oud Metha, Dubai.

Procured and integrated by Murano Lighting, the package included a range of high-end fixtures from manufacturers including Clair Brothers, CHAUVET Professional and Absen LED.

The audio system comprised six Clair Brothers KiTCURVE12+ loudspeakers, two 10SPOTs, two CS219+ subwoofers and a Lab Gruppen amplifier. Lighting was made up of 12

CHAUVET Professional COLORado 1 Quad Zs, eight Rogue R2 Washes, eight Rogue R2X Spots, eight STRIKE 4s, seven Ovation E-910FC Ellipsoidal fixtures and 19 Ovation F-265WW Fresnels, as well as an MA Lighting dot2 console.

The video system was a simple yet striking 44 sq m screen of Absen P3.9mm panels, combined with a Dataton WATCHMAX server.

Trussing meanwhile, comprised 67m of Prolyte H30V, as well as 62m of H40V.

“The main challenge was in providing the integrator with a trussing grid solution, while

working around an existing false ceiling and a fire sprinkler system already installed in place,” explained Kevin Boujikan, General Manager of Provison AVL. “The second challenge we faced was that the screens could not be wallmounted due to the wall type, so they had to be suspended using trussing.”

The theatre will be used internally by the school initially but has the potential to be rented out to clients in the near future.

Photos: Provision AVL www.provisionavl.com

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TOMORROWLAND AROUND THE WORLD FESTIVAL CITY ARENA HOSTS AN IMPRESSIVE TWO-DAY DIGITAL HYBRID FESTIVAL, AS DUBAI TAKES ITS FIRST STEPS OUT OF LOCKDOWN.

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With Tomorrowland taking its annual festival online this year, Envie Events provided Dubai residents with a spectacular hybrid digital festival, allowing ticketholders to experience virtual performances from a star-studded bill of headliners, combined with a real-life production at Festival Arena by InterContinental Dubai Festival City. Taking place on 25 and 26 July as part of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), the two-day event featured sets from the likes of Katy Perry, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, Tiësto and many more.

Designed to bring together EDM-lovers all over the planet, Tomorrowland Around The World saw over a million people unite, simultaneously livestreaming the event from their homes.

However, with a long history of working directly with Tomorrowland to put on sister events in the UAE – including in Dubai in 2017 and Abu Dhabi in 2018 – Envie Events spotted an opportunity.

“As soon as Tomorrowland made the announcement, we came up with the idea of running a live version of the show,” commented

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Envie Events Director of Operations, Tessa Sprangemeijer. “We’ve had a great relationship with the team behind Tomorrowland for the past 20 years and are the IP holders for the Middle East, so seeing how we could spin this unique event into a hybrid festival was a challenge we were happy to take on. After all these months in a void, everyone was itching to get back to creating the magic. Walking onto site on that first day of load-in never felt so sweet.”

With the concept agreed, Envie Events called upon eclipse Staging Services to provide audio, lighting, video and rigging, while All Events Services (AES) supplied a Layher Stage structure, scaffolding as well as a range of health and safety equipment, including a sanitisation tunnel and thermo-detection robot, which helped ensure that both audience and crew were kept safe throughout the event.

“Every company that worked on this event came together to showcase what is possible and give the trust back to not only the visitors but also the industry, to show that if you put

all the correct measures in place, it is safe to do a large-scale event without compromising on experience,” Sprangemeijer told TPMEA. The Director of Operations added that while she was pleased with the event as a whole, she considered it more a proof of concept, rather than a viable long-term solution. “When you go from 8,000 visitors to 800, it’s very hard to make the finances work out,” she admitted.

Martin Lubach, General Manager, eclipse Staging Services, explained how he got involved.

“Tessa gave me a call to explain the project,” he began. “She made it clear that this wasn’t going to be a massive money-spinner – it was more a way of proving that it can be done and getting the crew back out working in the field.”

At this point, eclipse Project Manager, Ghanim Williams was brought onboard to iron out the technical details, consulting with Envie as well as Lighting Designer and Operator, Aaron Russ, on the package that would be required for the show. Having worked on a number of previous iterations of the Unite with

9-13 November 2020 A week of engagement with the Live Events Production Industry For more information please contact: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

www.productionfutures.co.uk

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Tomorrowland events, Russ was ideally placed to reprise his role on this year’s project.

“My previous experience with Tomorrowland meant that I had a good idea of what the general vibe was for this event,” Russ commented. “It’s fast electronic music, so I needed fixtures that would keep up!”

To that end, Russ specified more than 220 moving lights, including a range of Claypaky fixtures such as 60 Sharpy Profiles, 20 Sharpy Washes, 34 Mythos 2s, 32 A.leda B-EYE K10s and 24 Stormys, as well as 12 Martin by Harman MAC Auras. “Fast and punchy was required here, so I called upon the usual suspects,” Russ explained.

With MDG and Smoke Factory Hazers adding scenic elements, Russ explained that he needed a “big old workhorse to push some nice aerial textures through the haze”. This was a job for the Robe BMFL Blade – 36 of which were deployed.

Also on the rig were 20 Showtec Sunstrips – an element Williams was a particular fan of.

Explaining the reasons for his lighting selections, Russ revealed that he made his choices based on two factors. “All the fixtures were chosen primarily for their ability to project light, but the second thing in my mind was ‘these fixtures are going to get hammered for

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nine hours straight, so I need something reliable’.

Hence why only top-tier fixtures were accepted,” he commented. “I was very happy with all the products delivered to me.”

Having worked on numerous events in Festival Arena throughout his career, Russ was extremely comfortable working in the venue.

“The only real challenge I faced was the load capacity of the roof,” he pinpointed.

However, this was easily overcome when he proposed a Layher Deck structure to support the large central screen on stage. “This gave me some nice wings and a scenic structure to play with,” Russ explained. “If you look at the original Tomorrowland event in Belgium, it is a very wide set that draws you in. I wanted to create a similar feeling inside the arena.”

Russ also highlighted the lack of ground power as another consideration. “Everything is on generators – including the AC!” he laughed. “In the 50°C Dubai heat, with a few hundred fixtures burning away, I needed to consider the AC and diesel consumption.”

This is where the Sharpy, Mythos and K10 fixtures came in. “They really excel in this regard,” Russ said. “They deliver huge amounts of light with very little power consumption.” And while

the LD admits he may have had a “bit of a blowout” with the “massive” 1,700W lamps in the BMFLs, he added: “this needed to be done”.

Russ was especially pleased with the overall look of the upstage wall – something which he said was made possible by the use of the Layher Deck. “I love working with Layher,” he commented. “The mounting points are almost limitless. It gives me options, which I like – although that doesn’t always make me that popular with the riggers!”

Control came in the form of an MA Lighting grandMA2 full size, with a light for back up. “eclipse sanitised my console for me every few hours during the set-up process, then once a day during the show,” Russ recalled. “By this point, I was the only person touching it so there was no real risk, but it was good to see that extra safety measures were being taken. I definitely felt safe throughout the event.”

‘BETTER CONTRAST AND NO BURNED RETINAS’ While an initial iteration of the stage design had included a large LED screen, the final version saw this changed to a projection option, using three Panasonic 21K HD Laser projectors – something Russ was pleased about. “I was happy with

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the change, because I was worried that the LED might overpower me,” he revealed. “With projection, everything was very well balanced. It meant we had a better contrast in the house and no burned retinas.”

Williams added: “With the three 21K projectors, it was plenty bright enough and it looked really effective.”

Elsewhere in the video department, eclipse also provided 132 DC 4.8mm LED panels, which were purposed as small screens running throughout the venue.

“We were initially going to have these set up as IMAG screens either side of the main projection, but in the end, Envie came up with the idea of creating a number of smaller screens in different heights visualising different equalisers to create a more immersive experience throughout the venue, even if visitors were further away from the screen,” Williams stated.

“We ran a section of the Tomorrowland content and overlaid some equaliser effects in order to bring it towards the audience,” he added. Content

was run through Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal+ media servers.

Williams was pleased with the overall visual effect, commending the team on “an amazing job”. He commented: “From an audience perspective, it was incredible to see how the look and feel of Tomorrowland was recreated. The fact that the audience was surrounded by lights and video screens meant that everyone inside the venue was fully immersed in the experience.”

The PM was also extremely complementary about Russ’ contribution to the event, highlighting the importance of maintaining a “live element” to the show.

“Tomorrowland didn’t want any of the content to be leaked, so we only got hold of it the night before the show,” he revealed. “This meant Aaron had to work hard to programme as much as possible, but he also had to ride parts of the show on the fly. He put in his own creativity where it was needed.”

The eclipse Audio Department “went all out” with a d&b audiotechnick rig, comprising

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an ArrayProcessed 16 J-Top per-side, six V8 lip fills, 16 J-SUBs and six J-INFRAs in a Sub-Array configuration, all powered and controlled by D80 amplifiers, with a Dante network handling the PA feeds. “It’s the usual arena sound design challenge of managing sources and sound fields, a mindful design coupled with a carefully applied AP helped us greatly with distributing the energy where it’s needed, and maintaining a balanced coverage throughout the venue”

“Our audio team had different calibration mics set up throughout the venue in order to make it sound as good as possible for each little pocket of the audience,” Williams furthered.

“They were looking at the levels all the time, monitoring constantly to make sure that the sound was as close to perfect as possible.”

While Williams described a “bit of a slow uptake” from the audience while the venue was filling up, once the event got into full swing, the PM reported that the atmosphere was every bit as engaging as a normal show with live DJs. “The audience were cheering, reacting to the DJs and

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you really got the sense that it was a proper live show,” he commented. “Everybody seemed to be having a great time.”

Reflecting on his first live event since lockdown, Russ commented: “It was great to see a return to some kind of live entertainment. It was an ideal litmus test to see what could be done.” The LD also praised Envie Events for how the company handled the show and worked within the government-mandated regulations.

“I’d also like to tip my cap to DTCM [Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing] and Dubai Police for allowing us to produce such an amazing event and demonstrate to the industry what can be done,” he added.

‘BACK TO DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST’ With the event representing Dubai’s first foray out of lockdown, health and safety considerations were more important than ever.

“The eyes of the industry and government from the entire GCC region were on us, Sprangemeijer recalled. “We worked with DTCM and DHA to draw up an extensive set of guidelines on what safety measures we could implement to make it possible to hold an event such as this.”

The 103-page document covered every aspect of the event, from a detailed floor plan, ingress and egress plans with social distancing measures in place, a separate medical holding

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area, extensive new SOPs and guidelines for every staff member from ticketing to F&B to security, to the use of sanitisation tunnels for visitors and crew entering or exiting, and the sanitisation and sterilisation of the entire venue prior to the event and between shows.

While the safety of visitors and staff was undoubtedly of utmost importance, Sprangemeijer was also keen that the guidelines were perceived as relaxed enough so the audience would still be able to have an enjoyable experience. “We had to strike the balance of making sure that we put on a safe and secure event in every sense, but also ensuring that the visitors still had an experience rivalling the feeling of being at an actual festival immersed in the experience,” she commented.

Key to the health and safety of the event was AES, which supplied a range of health and safety equipment, including the ATDS (Automatic Thermal Scanning and Decontamination Station) tunnels for both audience and crew, and FTR (Friendly Thermal Robot), as well as Heras fencing and Police Barriers.

“The ATDS tunnel functions as a mandatory passage, with thermal scanning and decontamination functionalities, which monitors and disinfects people as they pass through,” explained Christo Trichardt, Business Development and Project Manager, AES. He added: “The FTR is a fully integrated body

temperature measurement equipment, built as a life-size friendly robot, which allows remote people monitoring without direct contact or obstruction of traffic.”

Bearing in mind the fact that this was the first event that AES had deployed this type of equipment on, Trichardt was pleased with the results. “As these are new products, our main focus was on social distancing and monitoring individual temperatures,” he stated. “All scanning and disinfecting of people took place in transit, without stops or without touching any surfaces.”

As well as the specialist equipment from AES, Envie put in place an extensive list of health and safety measures to ensure that the risk of infection during the event remained as low as possible. “As well as daily temperature checks on everyone working on site and a crew and equipment sanitisation tunnel, we had a staggered load-in and load-out schedule,” Sprangemeijer revealed. This meant that while everything inevitably took longer, different groups of crew were able to work in separate ‘bubbles’ – something the eclipse crew appreciated.

“Envie planned the schedule really well,” Williams told TPMEA. “Everything was thought out and considered in order to keep contact to a minimum.” Within that staggered setup, Williams revealed that eclipse had its own strict measures in place. “We split our teams, so the rigging team came in first, then lighting, audio and finally

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video,” he explained. “It was all planned and structured so there were no overlaps.”

Taking the health and safety conversation further, Lubach informed TPMEA about the inhouse protocol that eclipse’s parent company, PSAV, has developed, which is now being utilised across all events. “PSAV’s MeetSAFE Guidelines are based on four key tenets: room layout, traffic flow, technology and cleaning,” he commented.

“It’s a free document that is readily available on the PSAV website. It demonstrates that PSAV has put a lot of thought and energy into putting on live events in a safe environment.”

Williams praised the eclipse crew on site, which included: Wissam Shaheen, who led the audio team; Richard Bearpark, who was in charge of video; Sam Connolly who took care of lighting; and Max Bagehorn, who oversaw the rigging team. “We were all delighted to finally be back on site again and everyone involved was absolutely amazing,” Williams beamed. “Because we had a limited number of staff on site, everyone more than pulled their weight. The whole team worked really well together and that is why we got it done so quickly and efficiently.”

Lubach echoed Williams’ sentiments, reflecting on the importance of getting back to

some semblance of normality. “Everyone was so happy,” he recalled. “There was such an energy in the team. The long days and hard work that might have got them down in the past were now being welcomed – there was nothing that would have got these guys down. They were just so pleased to be back doing what they do best.”

While working on this event was clearly a boost for eclipse, Lubach was under no illusions of what would be required for the industry to return to profitability. “The biggest thing our industry relies upon is putting a lot of people in a small space – whether that’s for a corporate event, an exhibition or a live show,” he said matter-of-factly. “It all comes down to managing that in a safe way. It’s not going to be an easy journey back to where we were a year ago, but we’re pleased that we’ve been able to remain operational and everyone is being very creative with ideas to get the business back on its feet.”

Sprangemeijer added her final thoughts on the event, emphasising her belief that this kind of production is very much part of the solution on the road to the resumption of live events as we know them. “This kind of event definitely has a place in the immediate future,” she stated. “This was the first of its kind and we had very strict

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safety measures in place – 4m between each group setup. This has already been decreased to 2m for future events, so capacity can increase moving forward.”

She added: “What this event showcased is that it’s possible to create a show that still has all the bells and whistles of a festival, giving people that live experience while making sure that they feel safe from the moment they walk in the door to the moment they exit. However, this will only be a viable alternative if collectively as an industry, we change the way we approach things and learn to work within tighter budgets that reflect the current spending power of consumers.

“In the end, this would not have been possible without all our partners and co-pioneers on this event and the trust and support from the Dubai authorities. We would like to thank each and every one of them for making this first show such a success, showcasing that, yet again, Dubai is the frontrunner in the region to create amazing events no matter the corcumstances.”

Photos: eclipse Staging Services www.aes.ae www.eclipse.ae www.envie-events.com www.tomorrowland.com

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JIMMY CARR: TERRIBLY FUNNY THE BRITISH STAND-UP COMEDIAN MAKES HIS UAE DEBUT, SELLING OUT THREE NIGHTS AT DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE.

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After the enforced hiatus of live events due to COVID-19, Dubai continued its journey out of lockdown, with a trio of sell-out shows from British comedian, Jimmy Carr. Appearing in the UAE for the first time, Carr brought his Terribly Funny show to the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for DXB Laughs as part of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS).

Entrusted with the task of ensuring the shows went off without a hitch was Done Events.

Girish Bhat, the company’s Managing Director, gave TPMEA some background on how and why this vital step for Dubai’s live entertainment industry came to be. “We wanted to do something that brought laughter to the people,” he opened.

Bhat walked TPMEA through the details of how the shows were produced while adhering to health and safety guidelines, explaining how they operated the events at a reduced capacity in order to allow for social distancing. “Dubai World Trade Centre’s Sheikh Rashid Hall can usually accommodate between 4,500 and 4,800 seats.

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However, health and safety guidelines dictated that we had to have a space of 4 sq m for each person. Once we applied that rule, we came out with around 1,450 seats,” he explained.

The next challenge for the Done Events team was to work out how seats could be assigned and how the social distancing and hygiene guidelines could be applied within that. “We clubbed the tickets into four categories or ‘pods’: twos, threes, fours and sixes,” Bhat explained.

Naturally, the ticket sales were made up mainly of twos and fours, while the threes and sixes were “few and far between”. When it came to allocating the seating, every alternate row was left unoccupied, while a space of either two or three seats was left between each ‘pod’, meaning the social distancing guidelines could be maintained.

Peter Green, Manager – Live Events, expanded on the extensive health and safety considerations. “It was a steep learning curve,” he began. “Once we had an understanding of what the hall capacity could be and how we could

allocate seating, it was important to make sure that the blocked-off seats weren’t accessible and that any temptation to move seats mid-show to sit with friends was removed.”

Every seat was sanitised before doors opened, and fitted with a paper seal, which was broken when the seat was used for the first time. “That was important to inspire customer confidence in the measures that we had taken,” Green added.

As well as the seating considerations, signage was used heavily throughout the venue and 2m queuing was enforced at the entrances, exits, toilets and F&B outlets.

“All drinks were given in cans, rather than the usual practice of decanting into plastic cups,” Green pointed out. Attendees were also required to wear a mask at all times, with the only exception being while they were at their seats.

“And even then, it was recommended that masks were worn throughout the show,” Green added.

Absolutely nothing was left to chance and no expense was spared in making sure that the

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“We can do all the planning in the world, but if an event like this is going to be a success, then ultimately it’s up to the end user – the ticketholder – to make sure that they adhere to the guidelines.”

Peter Green, Done Events

facilities were compliant, as Bhat explained: “We were very lucky to have the use of an adjacent hall in DWTC, which opened up solely for F&B,” he said. “That spread the F&B into a very large area, which allowed us to ensure that even the ingress and egress between each category of tickets was separated, so there was no crossover between people seated in different areas of the hall.

Entrance, exits, toilets and F&B were all separate.”

All the ushers wore face shields and gloves and sanitised regularly. The whole Done Events crew also underwent COVID-19 tests to ensure

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that nobody was carrying the virus. “Maybe we went slightly overboard, but it’s always better to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared,” Bhat smiled.

Done Events also produced a video that explained all the health and safety measures and told people what to expect, which was released a few days before the event.

“We went very heavy in terms of social media communication,” Bhat confirmed. “For the majority of the audience, it was their first time out in months, so they were far happier to be

out, regardless of all the extra precautions that were in place.”

Taking into consideration the fact that this was an entirely new experience for everyone, Green was delighted with the audience feedback.

“We can do all the planning and preparation in the world, but if an event like this is going to be a success, then ultimately it’s up to the end user – the ticketholder – to make sure that they adhere to the guidelines,” he commented.

“Overall, we saw an excellent level of compliance – far, far higher than what we

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anticipated and expected. People were extremely supportive and very understanding of the need for all the new measures. Everyone took the changes in their stride and understood that whatever measures were put in place were there for their own safety and essential for the event to go ahead.”

‘CRISP AND CLEAR’ Unsurprisingly for a stand-up comedian, Jimmy Carr’s technical requirements were not especially large. However, always keen to put on the best show possible, Done Events worked with DWTC’s in-house events team to put together an impressive production package that more than

measured up to international standards. “The rider was fairly basic, so we enhanced it quite a bit,” Bhat revealed. “Jimmy’s management was impressed with what we provided – especially with the LED screens on stage.” The screens comprised a centre-hung 8m by 4.5m, flanked by six 2m by 4.5m vertical panels on stage, as well as two 8m by 4.6m IMAGs either side of the stage – all made up of Absen DV2 Plus 2.9mm.

The lighting package was similarly impressive, with a range of Claypaky fixtures including 20 Alpha Profile 1500s, 20 Alpha Wash 700s, 32 A.leda Wash K10s and 24 Mythos, as well as 20 Terbly F250 LED Fresnels, 30 Philips Showline LED 510C Nitros and 16 Silverstar MX Indigo 6000

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XE LED moving washes. Two Reel EFX DF-50 Diffusion Hazers provided atmospheric effects, while the lighting setup was controlled via an MA Lighting grandMA2 full size.

“We probably went overboard on lighting, but, again, it’s better to have more than what we need than not enough,” Bhat laughed.

Audio meanwhile “needed to be crisp and clear, rather than to rock ’n’ roll specifications,” said Bhat. To that end, a mixture of L-Acoustics and Meyer Sound products were used, with 24 L-Acoustics KARAs and 16 SB18s combining with a Meyer Sound LEO package comprising 24 LEOMs, 16 1100-LFCs and eight MINAs, all controlled via a Midas PRO6 console. Two Shure ULXD1 lapel

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“Ultimately, we want to see more people out enjoying live entertainment, filling venues and having fun. That’s what excites us and that’s why we are in this business.”

Girish Bhat, Done Events

mics and two Axient AXT200 wireless handheld mics were also supplied, as well as a comms package of a Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless base station and 10 beltpacks.

According to Bhat, the fact that such an extensive range of equipment was available inhouse at DWTC was a big bonus, which allowed them to focus on the numerous extra operational considerations that needed to be taken care of.

“Having the setup installed in the venue four or five days prior to the first event so we could do all the testing well in advance really helped ease the pressure,” he stated. “We knew then that there was nothing to be concerned about from

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a technical perspective, so we could focus our energy on all the other operational measures we had to think about.”

The Managing Director explained how his team took the reduced capacity of the venue into account when designing the setup. “We set up the venue understanding that we were operating at one-third capacity,” he said.

“So, while the audience was spaced out for social distancing, we did it in such a way that it didn’t feel over spaced out for the artist.

Once the lights went out and Jimmy came on stage, the laughter and applause were very well contained and spread evenly around the venue,

so it was hard to tell that the capacity had been reduced. That’s very important for a stand-up comedian who feeds off the audience reaction and feedback.”

‘FILLING VENUES AND HAVING FUN’ With Dubai yet to fully emerge from many of the lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Done Events team could have been excused for being apprehensive ahead of tickets going on sale. “We were feeling confident, nervous, excited… a mixture of all three,” Green recalled. However, if there was ever any doubt of the consumer demand for live entertainment

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during these unprecedented times, that was dissolved within a day of the tickets going on sale. “We announced the Thursday and Friday shows first and, just over 24 hours into sales, both had sold out. So, we quickly got on a call with Jimmy’s team and tried to work out what was possible in terms of adding another date.”

With the details ironed out, Done Events announced an extra show set to take place on Wednesday 12 August. “We announced the extra date just six days before the show was set to take place, and that sold out too,” Green confirmed.

“Thankfully, we were able to make it work.”

With three back-to-back sold-out shows, TPMEA wondered whether there might have been a case to add a fourth… “We didn’t want to overdo it,” Green said, diplomatically.

“We were very cautious that this is a kick-start of the industry, so rather than being overzealous, we wanted to build up gradually.

It’s important for us to build up consumer confidence, and the best way to do that is through taking baby steps. It’s better to be happy with the number of shows we have done and satisfied that we did all of them properly, than to overextend and get something wrong.”

And far from getting anything wrong, Green and Bhat were happy to report that audience

feedback was “overwhelmingly positive”. Green said: “Everything we have heard so far has been incredibly encouraging. People were surprised initially at the extent of the health and safety measures that were taken, but everyone was happy to abide by them and pleased that we took it seriously.”

Bhat added: “We’ve learned a few things on this journey that we will implement on the next event, but there are always lessons to be learned on every event that we have, and generally we are delighted with how everything turned out.”

Bhat was keen to stress how support from the Dubai Government-backed DSS was crucial to the event’s success. “There’s no denying it,” he said. “Every bit of support we got from DSS, from the announcement of the event, to the marketing and working together on the guidelines, was vital to its success.” Green added: “We worked really closely with DSS and benefitted extensively from their expertise and support.”

Looking to the future, while Bhat described the three-night run as “a step in the right direction”, he’s also aware that socially distant performances are not a viable long-term solution if the events industry is going to return to profitability. “We definitely know that this type of event can work within the current guidelines that

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have been set,” he stated. “However, we’d like to think that the current guidelines are the worstcase scenario, and at some point, we will be able to operate at a higher capacity with less distance between the audience.”

Green meanwhile was hopeful that the success of the shows would lead to similarly organised productions taking place in Dubai, at least until social distancing measures are relaxed.

“This definitely opens the door for us in terms of other artists and artist management teams, as they can see how Dubai is managing its events and the hunger from Dubai audiences to get back out there and enjoy live entertainment again,” he commented.

Bhat concluded: “If we understand what we need to be cautious about, it’s still possible to have a ‘new normal’ until we come back to live events as we knew them. Ultimately, we want to see more people out enjoying live entertainment, filling venues and having fun. That’s what excites us and that’s why we are in this business.”

Photos: Done Events www.doneevents.com www.dwtc.com www.dxblaughs.ae www.jimmycarr.com www.visitdubai.com

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INTERVIEW

GUY NGATA, COCA-COLA ARENA CEO THE HEAD OF DUBAI’S COCA-COLA ARENA SITS DOWN WITH TPMEA’S PETER IANTORNO TO DISCUSS THE ARENA’S PLAN FOR EMERGING FROM THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, HEALTHY REGIONAL COMPETITION AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A GENUINE MIDDLE EAST TOURING ROUTE.

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TPMEA: Cleary, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on the whole industry.

How has it affected Coca-Cola Arena?

Guy Ngata: We have had a number of events cancelled, postponed and rescheduled, and we’ve been working with our venue owner, key stakeholders, promoters, sponsors and partners to ensure that all the necessary measures have been put in place in a functional capacity. We’ve also been looking at the long-term partnerships that we have in play and how we effectively put them on pause. So, a lot of activity has been undertaken with the team at Coca-Cola, for example, from a naming rights perspective.

This has been an exercise that we obviously would not have chosen to go through, but it just shows how strong those relationships are that all our family of partners are in place. All are looking forward to us returning and seeing some sense of normality which is really encouraging.

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In terms of our team, we established a small essential group on site in order to maintain and secure the venue. We then looked at formulating a strategy to work through a whole raft of activities that needed to be undertaken, reviewing policies and processes, and continuing to drive a number of open projects. We’ve all done more video calls than we would care to mention, but it’s been a saving grace that we can still connect, keep engaged and keep activity moving even in times like these.

What measures have you put in place to ensure that Coca-Cola Arena is in the strongest position possible to return to events safely, once the government guidelines allow?

ASM Global has launched its VenueShield programme, which is being rolled out in 325 international venues across five continents. That has been an enormous amount of work and has

helped boost confidence in what we do, giving certainty to ticket purchasers, promoters and different government municipalities around the world, taking into account some nuances of different markets as well as rules and regulations.

There are inherent risks in our business and our role is to mitigate and to remove those risks as much as possible in order to make sure we create a safe workplace and a safe place for people to enjoy outstanding entertainment. It’s critical that we can assure people that they are coming into a safe and secure environment. That has always been our primary focus; so, in that regard nothing has changed for us, but the focus is now very focused toward the social connection-related risks.

Social distancing is a really challenging prospect in what we do. To be commercially viable, it’s hard to be socially distant at the same time, but we’re conscious that some people may

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Left: Game.ae’s Isaac Kumer; Below: TPMEA Awards 2020 host, Stuee Kennedy

need to take a slow journey back into the space.

We’re already really encouraged to see a number of events that have rolled out over the past few weeks in Dubai, including Tomorrowland and Jimmy Carr – both of which I attended. It was great to see people getting out and about and enjoying live entertainment again.

We are confident of our role in the natural progression in terms of hosting events at a more significant scale. It will take thorough planning as both of those recent events took to deliver, and the public also have their role to play by adhering to the guidelines and not attending if they are feeling unwell.

As one of the largest venues in Dubai, does having a larger capacity help when it comes to creating larger shows while sticking to social distancing?

It does, however that also comes with its own challenges. The bigger the space, the more people are needed to operate it, clean it and prepare it for each show, and so the operational costs become higher. We feel that to truly get back to events, socially distant shows aren’t a viable option in the long term. The key element

for us is the health and safety of our patrons first and foremost, so we’ll focus on that, and I’m sure there will be progressions as we move forward.

Moving on from the global pandemic… What have been some of your personal highlights since you started at Coca-Cola Arena?

I made a commitment to move to Dubai with my family back in 2017 while we were in the midst of the construction phase. I enjoyed seeing all the different milestones being achieved in the building, but it’s not until you start putting a voice in it or giving it a soul with content that you really get to feel that sense of pride and achievement which resonated through everyone involved with Coca-Cola Arena. As the operator of Coca-Cola Arena, ASM Global was particularly pleased that we could support the vision of the venue owner in bringing the arena to life for the people of Dubai.

Russell Peters was great. Maroon 5 with a full house of people totally engaged was amazing, too. It was hot in the middle of summer in June.

We were bucking a trend where the event market typically hibernates during that time for obvious reasons, so to launch Coca-Cola Arena during

that time was hugely exciting. AR Rahman was another highlight. If you went to that show, you’ll know the incredible production value created for the event, which would stand up against any major international tour globally. Westlife was another; the excitement from our team and our partners and the number of people singing along to every word in the crowd was something special.

I always try to walk the aisles and get feedback from people. There will always be things that we have got to work on to improve, but equally, I hear so often how pleased people are that Dubai now has an asset which is akin to some of the other great cities around the world.

I think Dubai had been crying out for a proper arena for a while…

That’s right. In every market, you get sceptics. The 02 Arena in London for instance was going to be a white elephant according to some critics, but it turned out to be the world’s busiest venue with the highest ticket sales every year since it’s been open. There is no doubting their success now.

So, we’re giving the people of Dubai something which was probably long overdue.

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You mentioned that you like to walk the aisles and get audience feedback. What kind of things do hear most often?

People are always really positive about the venue.

Some people will talk to us about the length of queues from time to time; it’s something which is really important to keep on top of. The key thing we really try to push for within our teams is that they don’t neglect their sense of engagement.

Don’t run away from an issue but deal with it promptly. Typically, fans are pretty understanding.

It’s only when you leave someone unattended when issues turn into something bigger.

I think it’s really important that everyone who comes to Coca-Cola Arena events has a great sense of fun. We don’t want to be the fun police – we want to find that balance of crowd management and appropriate behaviour, all while allowing people to enjoy the occasion, which is a fine line. We’re lucky in Dubai because people are very tolerant, very understanding of different cultures and expectations of how to behave.

So, we have a huge advantage in that space compared to some markets.

We don’t always get it right, but we certainly analyse everything we do and see where

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improvements can be made. We’ve got an obligation to a lot of people and to a city, so we want to make sure that people have a sense of pride about having Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

What are the main challenges you face?

Length of queue can sometimes be an issue – especially when it’s hot. We always try to get people processed and through the door as quickly as we can. F&B is another interesting subject, because you can’t get it right all the time for all the people. So, having different types of F&B available and offering something which is diverse in its nature is really important for us.

Speed of service is something that is incredibly important, too. You’ve got a pretty short window to get people moving through a building during an intermission, so there’s an expectation that service is going to happen in plenty of time to get everyone back into their seats before the show starts. When you’re dealing with the numbers of people that we often are, that can lead to a bit of pressure. We encourage contactless payments to speed up processes and it is technology like that which of course is of even greater importance now.

I have to say, though, that when it comes to traffic management, our team has done a really great job, to the point where ASM Global is now looking at Coca-Cola Arena as a test case for how to successfully do what we’ve done in other markets. We recently won the Stadium Business Sponsorship, Sales and Marketing Award for delivering outstanding levels of service and fan experience at every stage of the customer journey, and we’re incredibly proud of the team’s efforts.

We also want to make sure that the reach of our ticket selling and the marketing around that is broad enough to reach into communities that at times might not be aware or able to attend events like the ones we host. We do this by hitting the right channels and working with a variety of promoters to reach as many different target audiences as we can.

Coca-Cola Arena has already hosted a range of different-genre events… How important is this flexibility?

We’ve always looked at arenas in terms of being truly multipurpose. We are a modern-day town hall. Historically, everything happened in the

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Left: Game.ae’s Isaac Kumer; Below: TPMEA Awards 2020 host, Stuee Kennedy

town hall – marriages, funerals, sports, concerts, literature and art. So, in some respect, we’re the same thing. We need to be able to economically move between one mode and the next, so we can configure each different format.

Diversity of content is also important so we can touch all the different communities in Dubai and provide something great for everyone. From sports to music, to government and corporate events, each are hugely important to us.

That said, we still see music as our core tenant. With that in mind, there was a lot of work contemplated in the design and construction phase to make sure that the space works acoustically, and music could be delivered to its optimal standard given the size of the space.

There are always going to be big hard objects in an arena that you can’t acoustically treat, but a lot of work has been undertaken by the design and construction teams in that critical area.

How important is it to maintain relationships with both large global promoters as well as local promoters?

We’re happy to work with multiple promoters; we think that’s good for a business of our nature. If

you look at really successful arenas around the world in key capital markets, they all work with multiple parties across multiple types of shows – from family to music, sports to corporate and everything in between.

We’ve worked hard to build strong relationships based on good value for all parties concerned; certainly, as we have established our business model and given a number of promoters an insight into the economics of an arena show versus an outdoor show. So, for us, it’s the more the merrier.

They all bring a different way of looking at it.

There’s no cookie-cutter approach to promoter relationships, because they’re all unique and they take an extremely challenging risk proposition to market, which we really respect. We’re very fortunate to work with the promoters that we do, and we are very keen to explore more opportunities for those that are involved in the space.

Prior to the lockdown, you were building an impressive list of shows set to take place, including the likes of Iron Maiden. How satisfying is it to see more artists including

Coca-Cola Arena and Dubai as part of their world tours?

I think it’s really important. We’ve got an incredible asset here in this world-class arena, which is similar and consistent with other major markets. So, when artists are routing an arena show, we want to be in the mix, where Dubai and Coca-Cola Arena becomes a must-play destination.

We give a consistency of venue, and up until recently we were the newest arena globally, so what we need to do is give promoters the confidence in terms of what they believe they can sell and deliver and an operational overlay that they know is going to be consistent. If you’re playing Coca-Cola Arena, then you should have the same confidence as if you were playing New York, London or Sydney.

What’s your take on the upcoming opening of Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi? Do you see this as competition, or could it actually help when it comes to the Middle East developing its own recognised touring route?

It’s a bit of both. We’ve been through the process of opening a building. It’s tough, so those guys

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have got some challenges ahead, but they have a good team operating the building and they’ll be well supported by municipal government. We have done a bit of work with Flash Entertainment in the past – they co-promoted the Russell Peters show along with Live Nation – and we’d like to do more with them in the future. I’ve spoken with John [Lickrish, Flash Entertainment CEO] about different opportunities and it’s good to maintain that relationship.

Of course, their priority is to get on and launch the venue, and that’s probably the right thing to do for them, but we’d like to think long term that it will create more synergy and more opportunities, with a larger market in the UAE. There will now be an opportunity to play both arenas. Hopefully everyone will feel less inclined to strike exclusive regional deals – that will be important.

Whilst it’s great to be first, it’s going to take multiple venues of a similar nature in the region – whether that’s, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Bahrain or somewhere else – to really create a

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tour. When a tour is created, then production costs and artist guarantees can be amortised and suddenly a Middle East route becomes much more viable.

We’ve covered a number of productions from Saudi Arabia over the past year or so, and they have been really impressive…

Absolutely. What we’ve seen in KSA has been really extraordinary; the production and effort that has gone into the shows, the quality of teams on the ground – it’s great for the industry.

People might say that it’s not necessarily good directly for Coca-Cola Arena, but I believe that the more the region attracts talented people with genuine expertise, we will see a benefit, because Dubai has always been very much a focal point of the region and it will continue to be.

Finally, what are your plans and aims for the Coca-Cola Arena in the short, medium and long term?

The short-term plan is to get open and to build

the consumer confidence in the way we operate – to deliver a safe environment where promoters also feel that the commercial opportunities are continuing to return. And more than anything, we want people to be entertained.

Beyond that, we want to give confidence to our commercial partners in terms of where the industry is going and how it will bounce back.

That’s certainly not a sure thing at this stage, but there are green shoots of positivity that events will eventually be able to return. We are social creatures and we need to be able to return to some form of normality in a safe, protected manner.

Long-term, we want to be a must-play destination in this major market. We want to continue to create great value for our partners and pride for the people of Dubai that Coca-Cola Arena is a place where they feel safe, secure and a visceral connection to the entertainment that we are able to provide.

Photos: Coca-Cola Arena www.coca-cola-arena.com

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COMPANY PROFILE

COMPANY PROFILE: RED EVENTS WITH A FOCUS ON DELIVERING OUTSTANDING PROJECTS TO ITS UAE GOVERNMENTAL CLIENT BASE, RED EVENTS’ SONAL LOHIA SHARES THE SECRETS TO THE COMPANY’S SUCCESS AND EXPLAINS HOW IT AIMS TO NAVIGATE ITS WAY THROUGH THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

The origin story of RED Events is one that centres around the vision and passion of its founder, Arif Ebrahim, who launched the company back in 2005. With UAE federal and government entities requesting increasingly spectacular productions, RED was founded specifically to cater to that rapidly growing demand. “Back then, the company had just six full-time employees,” recalled Sonal Lohia, Director – Events at Red Events. “Everyone had

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to get involved in every aspect of each event, from creative conceptualisation to flawless implementation.”

In the 15 years since its inception, the company has grown exponentially, now employing more than 100 staff. “We believe in the development and professional growth of our employees and consequently, versatile and flexible people with passion always find themselves in great demand by our hiring

department,” Lohia commented. “We have seasoned positive and productive events professionals from different countries and cultures, bounded with one vision of creating differentiated event experiences for our clients.”

Lohia explained how RED’s offering has developed over the years to become the allencompassing “turnkey event management solution” it is today. She commented: “We offer creative conceptualisation, event planning,

COMPANY PROFILE

event management, technical production, printing, state-of-the-art technology solutions, live entertainment, talent management, special effects, and fireworks.” And these solutions can be applied to a range of applications, from opening ceremonies to festivals, awards ceremonies to gala dinners, conferences to educations fairs, National Day celebrations to Ramadan events, and sports events to special events. “We do it all,” she added.

With RED’s close collaboration with UAE government entities, it was vital that it had the relevant accreditation. So, the company’s acquisition of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications in 2015 came as a major boost.

“Many government organisations require that bidders on lucrative contracts have effective quality management systems in place. Hence, achieving these two certifications has helped us achieve greater accountability,” Lohia stated.

“These certifications also helped us in streamlining our internal practices for more efficient management. As a company, we believe in environmental management, and every employee is given training on environmental

waste management.” And RED didn’t stop there. “We also have the OHSAS 1800:2007 Occupational Health and Safety Management Certification – an international standard, which provides a framework to identify, control and decrease the risks associated with health and safety within the workplace,” Lohia revealed.

“Employees’ health and safety is a top priority for us at RED Events.”

With more than 1,000 events and some 70 industry awards under its belt so far, picking a highlight is no easy task. However, Lohia looked back fondly on the very first Dubai Modest Fashion Week, which took place in 2017. “It was held at Burj Khalifa Park, right in front of the majestic Burj Khalifa forming a dream-like backdrop,” she reminisced.

“It is now an outstanding intellectual property in the modest fashion industry and is popularly known as DMFW. In fact, we’re currently planning for the third DMFW, which is due to be held in January 2021.”

RED’s expansion into Saudi Arabia in 2019 was another highlight for the company. “It was definitely one of our key moments as business,”

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Lohia recalled. “Expansion strengthens not only the faith of employees, but also of different stakeholders and our clients.”

‘NO STRANGER TO CRISIS MANAGEMENT’ Of course, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for RED and, like many in the industry, the company is currently facing its greatest ever challenge. “COVID-19 is a first for all of us – an unprecedented moment – but RED is no stranger to crisis management,” said Lohia.

With the company in the planning phase of three major internationally recognised projects when the pandemic struck, suddenly all work was brought to an immediate standstill. “We had a strong line-up of back-to-back events in the calendar, but with everything either cancelled or postponed until further notice, we experienced a major blow to our revenue,” Lohia conceded.

However, Lohia is sure that the RED team is made of the right stuff to bounce back from this unprecedented challenge. “Since the foundation of RED, along with tremendous growth and success, we have faced numerous challenges,” she stated. “We have always embraced each one

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COMPANY PROFILE

of them as we have emerged stronger and better for the experience.”

Not one to dwell on the negatives, the company is using the enforced downtime to ensure that it is in the strongest possible position to bounce back as soon as restrictions allow.

“We are utilising this time to re-strategise, refuel, restructure and rest, to recharge for the hectic times ahead,” Lohia commented.

“RED has established a multifunctional COVID-19 response taskforce with safety and wellbeing as its top priorities. The taskforce aims to study and get the best solutions onboard for both physical and virtual events, using advanced interactive techniques.”

Lohia was pleased to report that, despite the temporary albeit sharp drop-off in business, RED hasn’t had to make any redundancies – something she praised the company’s Managing Director for.

“Since, our Managing Director, Arif Ebrahim, holds the RED family very close to his heart, he decided not to let go of any employee in this difficult time,” she told TPMEA. “Instead, he created a new business model to streamline all his businesses under RED Holdings, while saving the jobs of those employed and also creating jobs

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for those laid off by other companies.” And Lohia is already starting to see some green shoots for the UAE events industry.

“Slowly, our clients started reaching out for virtual event requirements towards the end of May,” she revealed. “And now, under the brilliant leadership of the UAE government, the events industry in the UAE is starting again. With a few live events projects in the pipeline, we designed the ‘new normal’ for events, in accordance with the current guidance from government and local health authorities, where safeguarding the health of our employees, clients and everyone attending the event is of the utmost importance.”

Clearly, the pandemic has been a blow to the short-term ambitions of every company in the industry, but looking further ahead, Lohia is positive on RED’s ambitious plans. “In the short term, our plan is to develop ourselves, innovate and survive the market – this means active research, developing our employees and aligning all procedures while developing the best solutions for our clients’ needs,” she shared. “Our two-year plan is to increase the business by 300%. This includes using advanced technology for events, active marketing strategy, hiring passionate individuals and improving

our branding, while being the trusted choice in events for our esteemed clients.”

Lohia predicts that 2021 will see a major bounce back in the UAE events industry. “Next year will witness major events in the UAE, including the UAE’s 50th National Day and the rescheduled Expo 2020, so we are basing our current plans on a strong belief that the events industry will jump to new heights despite the current scenario.” And in terms of long-term plans, the aim is quite simple: “To be the premiere choice for event services in the GCC region.”

To conclude, Lohia explained her belief in RED’s philosophy: ‘Excellence is a journey, rather than a destination’. “One word that describes this philosophy is ‘passion’. This unique approach has led to the creation of some of the finest events the region has ever seen,” she commented.

“Our core values include creativity, innovation, excellence, sustainability and transparency. We believe in the development of every employee and thus encourage them to handle projects independently. This clear set of values helps each employee make decisions in line with the company’s vision and goals.”

Photos: RED Events www.redeventspro.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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RBA RECEIVES AFRICA’S FIRST S12T OB VAN BUILT AND OUTFITTED BY BROADCAST SOLUTIONS IN GERMANY, THE S12T STREAMLINE OB FEATURES THE FIRST LAWO MC²56 MKIII CONSOLE FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT. The first S12T Streamline OB van for the African continent has been delivered to Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA). Built and outfitted

by Broadcast Solutions in Germany in a mere three months, the Streamline S12T is a truck and box body combination with one extension for up to 14 workplaces. Accommodating up to 12 cameras, which is unique in this segment, it also features the first Lawo mc²56 MkIII console for the African continent.

Arthur Asiimwe, Director General at Rwanda Broadcasting Agency, commented: “We were looking for a flexible OB truck that is easy to deploy and to operate. The vehicle’s fast delivery time and perfect price-performance ratio were further decisive criteria for contracting Broadcast Solutions with the production and delivery.”

At the heart of the vehicle’s audio section, Broadcast Solutions installed a Lawo mc²56 console with 32 channel strips and a Lawo

Nova73 compact core router to provide a flexible user interface with a host of control options right at the audio engineer’s sweet spot. The mc²56’s pristine audio quality and full support of the open RAVENNA/AES67 and ST2110 standards were additional arguments to select the mc²56.

Ralf Schimmel, Lawo’s Sales Director for the African continent, commented: “Lawo is delighted with RBA’s choice of an S12T truck and the decision to equip it with an mc²56 console alongside other top-spec gear.

“With well over 1,200 models sold, Lawo’s mc² series has been a staple for OB trucks built in Europe and used the world over – and now Africa is following suit. That this should be in Rwanda, which has been avidly adopting technological evolution, comes as no surprise.”

Photos: Lawo www.lawo.com www.rba.co.rw

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

#LIGHTSARED THE CAMPAIGN MAKES HEADWAY, ENGAGING SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY.

Like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a crippling effect on the South African live events industry. However, unwilling to standby and accept their fate, the Technical Production and Services Association (TPSA) and Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA) joined forces to initiate the #LightSAred campaign.

Sharif Baker, Chair of the TPSA and Spokesperson of the #LightSAred movement, along with representatives of SACIA and the SA Events Council, are in discussions with representatives from the Department of Sports Arts and Culture – including Charles Mabaso, Chief Director for Cultural Development and Topsy Musi, Chief of Staff – to devise a strategy

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for the industry’s survival during South Africa’s lockdown ‘level two’.

“It is imperative that we develop the guidelines needed to kickstart our industry, with regards to adhering to the protocols prescribed in the gathering act,” Baker commented. “We are pleased to report that the government is working with us and not against us.”

Baker revealed that discussions with the government are underway to determine how social distancing will be achieved at live events.

“We are particularly interested in creating a situation where permissible capacities will be based on volume capacity rather than a hard and fast number,” he pointed out. “We are making serious progress. So much so, that a meeting with

the legal department of DSAC is on the cards for this week to establish this in actuality.”

With a priority on safety, a practice the live events industry has implemented for decades, the TSPA, SACIA and the Events Council are coming up with solutions to implement a safe environment for those attending events and are presenting this information to government.

The entertainment and live events industry has been under lockdown since 27 March, and until mid-August, the industry had received no acknowledgement or targeted financial assistance from the government. As financial institutions, in turn, are lifting their original financial holiday assistance as initially given during the COVID-19 lockdown period, the live production and

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

entertainment sector has seen many companies close their doors, unsure of the future and unable to pay their employees.

“Although there are operational discussions with government in progress, my calls for discussions with the Minister on a humanitarian and corporate business level are still being ignored and, unless we engage as soon as possible, the damage to life will be insurmountable,” Baker commented.

On 5 August, the industry lit up 505 building sites across South Africa in an effort to gain attention from government and the general public. This was followed up on 8 September, when some 200 business owners, technicians and freelancers gathered at the Paul Kruger Statue in Central Pretoria to hand over a memorandum of demands to the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. Held under the banner of the #Flightcasemovement, this historic event echoed similar initiatives around the world in the likes of Brazil, the UK and Europe.

Kagiso Moima Wa Masimini, owner of rental company Blackmotion and founder and spokesperson of #Flightcasemovement addressed the crowd in Pretoria. “For years, we have invested in our crew and in equipment,” he said.

“Now even the banks are telling us that we are high risk. We can’t continue like this any longer.

Enough is enough. Our industry is always behind the scenes but today we want to be in front of our government and say that we matter too.”

While the media has covered various violent protests held in South Africa during this time, #Flightcasemovement saw friends in the industry gather peacefully and in an organised manner befitting the skillset of the industry.

“I had to laugh,” commented Tamsyn Strydom of MGG, an organiser for both #Flightcasemovement and #Feedourcrew. “We were probably the only protestors to carry out two site visits before our protest, supply our own marshals – thanks Bra Eddie Sithole – supply water to the participants, register and hand sanitise each participant, and have the representative of the DSAC sing along while signing the memorandum. Metro Traffic even assisted us when we had to reload the trucks.”

She added: “I felt proud to be part of such an incredible industry that holds themselves high in their work ethic and perseverance.

What broke my heart was seeing many of my colleagues for the first time in six months, some who have become close friends. My hope is that

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the government hears our desperate pleas and responds to them in a way that will allow us to survive until our industry regains momentum.”

The memorandum was received by a representative at DSAC, who promised to address the issues with urgency. The demands included the reopening of the live events industry at a 70% capacity; specific relief fund for businesses in the live events and technical production sector to the sum of R2 billion; extended relief from financial institutions; relaxation of relief fund application requirements for freelancers; recognition of the live events and technical production sector, and a seat at the table; and a strategic, deliberate and sustainable plan on how to support the sector.

Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution, who attended the protest, commented: “Congratulations on a very successful march. I felt like I was a part of history in the making and it really touched me. I am still emotional about the movement and its vision and would like to commend everyone involved. In the words of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela: ‘We can change the world and make it a better place; it is in your hands to make a difference.’”

Photos: Duncan Riley, SkyPixels SA www.lightsared.org.za

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MGG’s Tamsyn Strydom and Vickie Whitehead.

MGG SETS UP VIRTUAL STUDIOS THE TWO NEW SPACES AT THE COMPANY’S PREMISES CAN ACCOMMODATE EVERYTHING FROM CONFERENCES AND PRODUCT LAUNCHES, TO LIVE BROADCASTS AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES. MGG has set up two virtual studios at its premises. Purpose-built to accommodate the company’s clients’ wide range of events – from conferences to product launches, live broadcasts, and music performances – the virtual experience is not only professional, but also extremely affordable.

The spaces are part of an appealing package for companies wanting to reach out to their clients or employees, and a temporary solution while South Africa awaits the green light to reopen events. MGG is also able to assist with hybrid events, which cater for up to 50 guests.

MGG Project Managers, Tamsyn Gia Currie and Vickie Whitehead, explained how the studios came about. “Many other rental companies made this kind of offering available immediately, but we took a back seat and first ironed out how we could create this environment for our clients within our space, keeping in mind that we had a pandemic on our hands,” Currie said.

While a local band was one of the first to make use of the virtual studio, Whitehead wanted to reach out to her corporate clients such as event planners and professional conference

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organisers. “We wanted to keep our clientele up and running, not only the end client but all the PCOs and the service-providers in between, who otherwise would have no facility to carry on making a living,” she stated.

MGG initially built a large studio in Warehouse B, consisting of a stage with stairways on either side. While this stunning platform was successfully used for various events, the crew soon realised that there was a need for a smaller, corporate space. As a result, Studio A (Warehouse A), was born.

“It’s about changing your view on events,” said Whitehead. “We are used to big stages and everything we do is on a large scale. We had to change our mindset and now everything is much smaller, more intimate and offers a very different angle to how we previously did things. Many new skills have come out of this.”

The set in Studio A can be split up. There is a small satellite stage on the left, ideal for MC linkups, and a big screen on the right-hand side.

The separate spaces work very well for broadcast, offering two very different looks and giving time for cross and changeovers while keeping the

screen dynamic for viewers at home. Studio A was designed specifically to accommodate a green screen element. “We have done a number of events with virtual sets, which is a fantastic solution and comes at a tenth of the price it would cost to build an actual set,” said Tamsyn.

MGG has three in-house designers, who virtually draw the sets and have worked exceptionally hard over this period. “It works out very well because on the big screen you can have a full green screen event, and then on the smaller satellite side, you can have the link-ups.”

While virtual events will never replace the thrill of a live production, the platform has opened doors for the future. It means that international speakers, as an example, could attend an event virtually and thus save costs on flights and accommodation.

It’s also a great way to host product launches, interactive conferences or live streaming events having the peace of mind that a technical company, like the MGG team, will ensure a smooth and professional broadcast event.

Photos: MGG www.mgg.co.za

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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ZIMBABWE LIVESTREAM UTILISES CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL FIXTURES EVENTS EVOLUTION USES MAVERICK AND ROGUE FIXTURES FOR AN INNOVATIVE CEMENT LAUNCH EVENT LIVESTREAMED FROM HARARE’S SK BORROWDALE THEATRE. While cement might not be the most exciting of products, for the launch of its new SURERANGE series, PPC Zimbabwe, the African nation’s largest cement maker, wanted to create the kind of fanfare typically associated with the release of a film or rock album.

To that end, the company came up with a lavish livestream presentation with exuberant dancing, music by performers dressed in construction worker outfits, and a colourful fast-moving light and video show from Events Evolution that featured a number of CHAUVET Professional fixtures.

Lighting and Set Designer, Blessing Bero deployed nine Maverick MK2 Spots and four Rogue R2 Wash fixtures on the livestream, which was recorded at Harare’s SK Borrowdale Theatre.

The Maverick units were flown in groups of three

on upstage truss, while the Rogues were hung in pairs from the same structure.

Orienting these fixtures downward, Bero used them to add depth to the stage with gobo patters, to separate areas with colour changes, and to create captivating patterns that would fit the small screens that are common in the livestream format. The Maverick and Rogue units were also used to downlight performers, and highlight individuals during solos. “Our Maverick and Rogue fixtures both have extreme zoom, so they worked well together to give us coordinated looks,” said Bero. “We relied on them to create immersive colours across the stage.”

The colour and movement from the Maverick and Rogue fixtures flowed seamlessly with the video images that danced across the stage. Video Designer Tatenda Gaylord Rushwaya arranged his

LED panels in three strips, located to both the left and right of centre stage, where he positioned a 4.5m by 3m solid wall.

Rushwaya used the panels to display breakout patterns that supported the musical performances and to show messages from PPC Zimbabwe. Throughout the entire series, the SURERANGE banner was displayed on the backdrop.

Lighting Tech, Kingdom Kudzerema and Video Tech, Isaac Kaseke worked with Bero and Rushwaya to ensure that cues were hit to perfection, something the design team felt was particularly important in a livestream production for a multinational corporate client.

Photos: Events Evolution www.chauvetprofessional.com www.eventsevo.co.za

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

URBAN SESSIONS 2020 A DESERTED BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN JOHANNESBURG BECOMES A BEACON OF HOPE FOR MUSICIANS, THANKS TO MILITIA BROADCAST, STAGE EFFECTS AND SMACK ENTERTAINMENT. While the COVID-19 pandemic has halted all live performances in South Africa, in Johannesburg, a joint project to transform an unused building into a fully equipped studio space has seen more than 150 performances livestreamed to fans all over the country.

Back in May 2020, under no illusions that they had to do something to survive the strict lockdown, Militia Broadcast, Stage Effects, and Smack Entertainment managed to secure an empty warehouse at Thabo Mpelo Studios in Johannesburg. The collective set about converting the space into an intimate and beautiful looking environment with a bit of a nostalgic feel, giving viewers at home the impression that they were part of a rehearsal or jamming session, with rugs, ambient lighting and five cameras set up in a 180° angle to capture close-ups of the musicians.

Stage Effects’ Erik de Bruin chose lighting that would need the least amount of maintenance, opting for LED-based fixtures, including 15 Robe Robin 600+, five Robe Pointes, 15 Martin by Harman MAC Quantum Profiles, 12 Portman P1 retro lamps, as well as Elation Professional DTW

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1000s bars, all controlled via an MA Lighting grandMA2 light.

Under normal circumstances, Lighting Designer, de Bruin would be on the road with festivals and concerts. Now based in the same location, each week from Wednesdays to Sundays, he and the team have changed the set several times to keep it looking fresh. He has also invited Lighting Operators, Marius Coetzee and Ethan Benjamin to control the lighting console and light some of the performances.

Urban Sessions 2020 works as a revenue swap. Artists are invited to perform in the professional space at Thabo Mpelo Studios.

Ticket prices to watch the livestream start at R80 per live show, while there is an option to purchase a View on Demand (VoD) for those who missed the livestream for R40 to watch anytime.

Ticket sales are split, with 50% going to the artist and the remaining 50% divided amongst the Urban Sessions team, from camera operators to tech suppliers.

“It has given us a lot of encouragement, and hearing the positive comments and creating an archive of stunning video productions has made

it worthwhile,” said de Bruin. “From rock ‘n‘ roll to jazz, any band is welcome. It’s great to see that South Africa has die-hard followers who want to see the show and support the artist.”

He added: “We have tried to create as much content as possible, to show people that something is happening, even during these COVID-19 times, and to try to give hope. We want people to know that there is still a music industry out there and because Stage Effects comes from a music and festival background, we need and rely on the artists.”

The Lighting Designer went on to thank the core crew who made the event possible. “Eban Olivier, Militia; Theo Papenfus, Stage Effects; Chad Summers, Camera Op; Sammy Aphane, Camera Op; Refiloe Mojapelo, Camera Op; Mpho Tekane, Camera Op; Bradley Davis, Vision Mixer; and Fourie Smit, Smack Entertainment,” he listed. “I’d also like to thank the external artist bookers and the viewers at home.”

Photo: Duncan Riley www.interfacebusinesses.co.za www.militiabroadcast.com www.stageeffects.co.za

CS7 CS7p CS10 CS10n CS10p CS118

INTRODUCING CS-SERIES

THE REBIRTH OF POWER

CS119

Adamson has earned a reputation for sound systems that provide unparalleled performance, coverage, and vocal intelligibility. The all new CS-Series is a powered, intelligent loudspeaker platform, with on-board Class D amplification and DSP, plus Milan-ready AVB connectivity.

This is Adamson’s legendary sound, evolved for the networked future of professional audio.

E X P L O R E C S - S E R I E S AT P O W E R . A D A M S O N S Y S T E M S .C O M