TPMEA #029 - April/May 2021

APRIL / MAY • ISSUE 029

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DAVID GUETTA UNITED AT HOME A TECHNICAL MARVEL FROM THE BURJ AL ARAB HELIPAD

ETIHAD ARENA • FORMULA E • AMR DIAB • ALAN WALKER • DESERT SWING • ARABIAN GULF SUPER CUP • IDOLS SA

TPMEA

WELCOME...

TO TPMEA

Long and bumpy road The road to a return of live events is a long and bumpy one. Over a year has passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and while the rollout of the vaccine is gathering pace – with especially encouraging statistics coming out of the UAE – there is a fine balance to be struck between getting the economy back up and running and the dangers of opening up too quickly.

One potential solution that could help speed up the reopening of live events is the introduction of vaccine passports – something that Steve Kearney, Managing Partner at Gallowglass Health & Safety, has voiced his support for. “In these extraordinary times, with a highly infectious disease spreading around the world, I think it’s only fair that if you want to go to events where you’ll be mixing with others, then you should need to prove that you’ve either had the vaccine or at least tested negative for the virus,” he commented. To read the rest of Steve’s insights on how the pandemic has been handled and what needs to happen for the industry to make a comeback, turn to page 6.

One thing that will certainly help get the UAE’s live events industry back up and running is the country’s continued investment in world-class venues and infrastructure, such as Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena. After welcoming fans for the first time earlier this year for UFC Fight Island, the brand-new, multipurpose facility is a welcome addition to the UAE’s entertainment landscape. Read our interview with the Etihad Arena’s General Manager, Brint Jackson, on page 36.

While we might not be quite ready for a full-scale return to live events just yet, there are still several projects taking place that are testament to the commitment and creativity of all those involved. Case in point is our cover story for this issue, David Guetta: United at Home. After raising a reported $2 million for charity so far by performing from spectacular locations in Miami, New York and Paris, the French DJ raised the bar even further with an incredible livestreamed show from the helipad of the Burj Al Arab. We speak to the people who made the show happen on page 20.

Elsewhere in the issue, we profile the catalogue of stakeholders and suppliers behind the Formula E World Championship Diriyah E-Prix (page 30), we catch up with the newly formed Area Four Industries Direct Middle East team (page 44) and get the latest news from Africa (page 48).

Enjoy the issue.

Peter Iantorno Editor

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

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it’s time for

controLlabili flexibili luminos i LONGEVI TRANS FeRABILI

CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 – FIRST LOOK: STEVE KEARNEY

The Gallowglass Health & Safety Managing Partner gives his insight on how the industry has handled the pandemic.

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09 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest news from the Middle East, including shows from Alan Walker and Amr Diab, the Arabian Gulf Super Cup and Desert Swing.

20 – DAVID GUETTA: UNITED AT HOME A technical marvel from the Burj Al Arab helipad.

30 – FORMULA E DIRIYAH E-PRIX 2021 A catalogue of collaborators come together to put on Formula E’s first ever night races.

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36 – ETIHAD ARENA GENERAL MANAGER, BRINT JACKSON

We catch up with the man in charge of the UAE’s latest entertainment landmark.

44 – COMPANY PROFILE: AREA FOUR INDUSTRIES DIRECT MIDDLE EAST The world’s largest truss supplier opens a dedicated Middle East office.

46 – PETER GREEN, GME EVENTS

A new company keeping Dubai audiences smiling.

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AFRICA 48 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest from Africa, including Idols SA, Miss Soweto and Sounds of Victory.

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

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

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

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY David Guetta: United at Home by High Scream

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

STEVE KEARNEY, MANAGING PARTNER, GALLOWGLASS HEALTH & SAFETY STEVE KEARNEY GIVES HIS INSIGHT ON HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS HANDLED THE PANDEMIC AND SHARES HIS VISION FOR THE COMEBACK OF LIVE EVENTS IN 2021 AND BEYOND.

It has been more than a year since COVID-19 swept like a tidal wave around the world, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. In that year, we’ve learned a lot about our industry; while its dependence on assembling large crowds in one place makes it particularly susceptible to the effects of a global pandemic, the industry has also shown its resilience, with a number of events that have overcome the odds, keeping business ticking over until a more long-term solution can be achieved.

Take BreakoutDXB [TPMEA #27], for example – an event put together

by Dan Bolton, which we worked on.

Everything was managed in accordance with the guidance and directive from the government, and we worked extremely closely with Civil Defence and Dubai Tourism to ensure that all the safety standards were met. The result was a fantastic event that not only provided entertainment for the public, but also much-needed work for the suppliers involved.

Events like that are an example of a small number of people coming together to proactively work out and implement a solution, in order to hold an event safely while COVID-19 restrictions remain in place. However, I can’t help but feel that there could have been many more events like this, if only we as an industry would have been able to come together and get behind a single organisation or body that could represent the industry as a whole and engage with the government. Instead, it’s been left up to individuals and companies to develop their own strategies and protocols for how to operate safely throughout the pandemic, which is a great shame and a missed opportunity – especially when you consider that our industry is worth many millions of dirhams to the local economy every year.

The very nature of the pandemic means that restrictions have to be updated regularly, and I believe that the current tighter restrictions in the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East are absolutely the right thing to do. It is imperative that the number of cases goes down before we can consider opening up again. However, when we do start to open up again, I believe that we should consider how and in what areas restrictions are lifted.

From an events perspective, consistency is key. At any event that we work on, we consider everything from the load-in to crowd safety, with a rigorous process ensuring that the potential for transmissions is as low as possible. In my view, a properly managed, ticketed event is a much safer environment than, say, a pub or hotel, where people come and go freely, so events should be subject to more lenient restrictions.

One thing is for sure, though: if anyone is trying to put on an event in 2021 and beyond and they don’t use an event safety specialist, they are asking for trouble. That’s not to say that

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

“When it comes to health and safety, as in any department, the importance of qualifications and experience can’t be underestimated. Unless you have both, then you’re putting your event at risk.”

Steve Kearney, Managing Partner, Gallowglass Health & Safety

everyone needs to come to us – there are a few really reputable and professional event safety specialists in the region who do a great job in keeping events safe – but the most important thing is that, moving forward, all events should be overseen by a specialist.

The pandemic has meant that there is now a lot more focus on health and safety which, in general, is a good thing. That said, this has provoked an influx of people changing disciplines. I’m all for people gaining a greater understanding of health and safety, but just because someone has done the entry-level NEBOSH General Certificate, that doesn’t make them anywhere near qualified to handle largescale events competently.

When it comes to health and safety, as in any department, the importance of qualifications and experience can’t be underestimated. Unless you have both, then you’re putting your event at risk. Decisions based on the personal opinion of the safety advisor are what cause problems – that’s the last thing an advisor should do. Base decisions on legislation, regulations, approved best-practice, but if you’re basing it on ‘I think that ladder should be positioned differently’ then

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you’re on a very slippery slope indeed. Looking ahead, I believe the only way we’re going to get events back to anything like what they once were is by introducing proof of vaccine status.

Some have the view that this is an invasion of privacy or a removal of freedom, but I don’t accept that. There are already so many areas where we have to prove things in order to be granted certain freedoms – if you want to travel, then you need a passport; if you want to drive a car, you need a driving licence. And in these extraordinary times, with a highly infectious disease spreading around the world, I think it’s only fair that if you want to go to events where you’ll be mixing with others, then you should need to prove that you’ve either had the vaccine or at least tested negative for the virus.

We’re already seeing this start to happen on the supplier side of things, with some clients now requiring that every contractor on site has to have proof that they have had the first vaccine, and I believe that it is only a matter of time before we see this extended to the public – something which I support wholeheartedly. As we move along the so-called roadmap, I hope that we will eventually reach a point where these

measures are no longer required. However, we as an industry can’t afford to wait around for that point and, what is more, the public don’t want to have to wait until that point either. That’s why we have to put these measures into place.

We have already made great progress in some areas since the start of the pandemic.

Think back to October when it was considered a huge achievement to hold UFC Fight Island in a complete bubble with no spectators. Skip to UFC Fight Island in January and there were 2,000 fans inside a brand-new Etihad Arena. That is genuine progress, and it is to be celebrated.

There are so many exciting projects coming to the region in the near future: Expo 2020 is around the corner; the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is on the horizon; and Saudi is a massive and still relatively untapped market that we’re looking at very closely. We know that events are coming back bigger and better, and we’re actively recruiting for qualified and experienced advisors now, so we can make sure that we’re equipped to meet the needs of what we predict will be a market that grows rapidly.

Photos: Gallowglass Health & Safety / Hyku www.gallowglasshs.com

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Encore’s Fiona Robson; Byrne Equipment Rental’s Pat Fallon; Byrne Equipment Rental’s Rorce Au Yeung; Creative Technology’s Mark Johnson and Dalios Rodriguez.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS THE LATEST MOVERS AND SHAKERS ACROSS THE REGION. Byrne Equipment Rental has announced a change in management structure, which sees former COO, Pat Fallon return as Deputy CEO, working alongside new CEO, Rorce Au Yeung, who replaces Hamad S. Sulaiman. Quentin Lo has also been appointed as Chief Strategy Officer.

“It has been my pleasure and privilege to work alongside the Byrne Group employees and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for the support, hard work and loyalty they have shown to this great company,” commented the Sulaiman, who retains his position as Group Chairman. “The success of the business is a testament to all their hard work and dedication.

Being a substantial investor and Chairman of the Group, I know our business has a bright future – a future that brings with it wonderful opportunities for both the company and its people.”

Creative Technology Middle East has made two major hires for its newly formed Venue Services Department. Dailos Rodriguez joins as Venue Operations Manager, while Mark Johnson

has been appointed to the role of Business Development Manager.

“It is an exciting time for the Middle East as we continue to grow and expand our team of professionals and our offering,” commented Andrew Reardon, Managing Director. “It is a pleasure to have both Mark and Dailos on board, and I wish them all the best going forward.”

With over 24 years of experience in the hospitality and audio-visual industry, working across multiple venues, Rodriguez has secured various high-profile contracts during his time and implemented in-house AV services for some of the Middle East’s biggest hotel chains.

“It is a great honour joining the Creative Technology team, and I look forward to getting started on the variety of fantastic projects we already have lined up,” he commented.

Johnson brings over 19 years of experience in the AV hospitality industry, having secured several large-scale contracts across various venues and been a key factor in the growth and

development of many different AV venue services throughout the region. “It is very endearing to be a part of Creative Technology’s new Venue Services department from conception,” he commented. “I look forward to accomplishing many new firsts with CT.”

Encore has named Fiona Robson as Vice President and Group Commercial Director, EMEA. “I’m delighted to welcome Fiona to the Encore EMEA team,” said Nicholas Rudge, Managing Director, EMEA. “She has deep, cross-functional expertise in sales, meetings and events, and distribution, as well as a passion for innovation.

With working experience in many of the markets in the EMEA region, as well as speaking a number of languages, she was the perfect candidate for this critical role.”

Robson added: “I’m delighted to be joining the Encore family at such a pivotal time and can’t wait to get started. I’m excited to build on today’s success within an organisation leading the field.” www.tpmeamagazine.com

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ALAN WALKER THE HOODED DJ WOWS SOCIALLY DISTANT FANS AT DUBAI’S COCA-COLA ARENA.

During this strange time where many theatres, venues and event spaces have closed their doors, indoor music events with a live audience are something of a rarity. However, that is exactly what took place at Coca-Cola Arena on 7 January, as British-born Norwegian EDM DJ, Alan Walker treated Dubai-based fans to a set that rolled back the years to a time before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Held as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival, organisers Book My Show appointed eclipse Staging Services to deliver a full lighting and LED package, with Laser FX and Stage FX supplying lasers and special effects. While

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Alan Walker’s set harked back to a time before COVID-19, the reality of the situation meant that strict restrictions were adhered to during the load-in and the event, with fans remaining socially distanced throughout and all crew fully compliant with eclipse/PSAV’s MeetSAFE programme, including mask wearing, sanitisation, staggered load-in and load-out and a larger FOH area to allow for social distancing.

Describing the working relationship with Coca-Cola Arena as “one big team”, eclipse Project Manager, Ghanim Williams recalled how easy it was to work with the venue. “We are well acquainted with the Coca-Cola Arena and

have built a great working relationship with the management and the staff over the years,” he revealed. “It was impressive to see the measures the Coca-Cola Arena had put in place to ensure safety, not only for the guests, but also the staff and visiting staff.”

Williams went on to praise his crew for “a flawless setup and show”. He commented: “We loaded in 24 hours before doors opened, yet, we all had a full night’s rest, and the touring team had more time to program than they had requested. This once again displayed our team’s strength and expertise in doing what they love.”

The lighting rig consisted of six Robe BMFLs, 28

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“We left the arena reminded once again of what it was like to deliver an exceptional show, and what it will be like to deliver more memorable event experiences in the future.” eclipse Project Manager, Ghanim Williams.

Martin by Harman MAC Auras and 14 Thomas 4 lite Molefays, as well as 40 Claypaky Sharpy and 46 Stormy fixtures.

All of this was controlled using two MA Lighting grandMA2s in the very capable hands of Alan Walker’s Lighting Programmer.

The venue’s PA system was tuned meticulously by the eclipse Audio team and ran through a DiGiCo SD8 at FOH. Monitors comprised six d&b audiotechnik V8s and four V-SUBS, as well as a Shure PSM1000 wireless IEM system, all controlled through a DiGiCo SD9 supplied by eclipse.

A central 16m by 7m 4.8mm LED screen was supplied by eclipse, with the venue providing IMAGs either side of the stage. All video content ran through an Analog Way ascender 48, with

camera and visuals produced by Alan Walker’s VJ. All of this kit was hung from the rigging system of 74m of 52cm by 52cm truss, 32m of 38cm by 38cm truss and 38 one-tonne hoists.

As is customary on any EDM show, SFX and lasers were prominent throughout. “It was a pleasure to be back working in the Coca-Cola Arena, along with the dedicated eclipse and Book My Show teams,” commented Stage FX and Laser FX Managing Director, Arran Hopkins.

“We provided SFX to the same standard as any pre COVID-19 audience would expect, including CO2 jets, confetti blasters and, of course, stunning laser effects. Alan Walker’s touring production team knew exactly what they wanted creatively and technically, with our team providing precisely as requested.” For eclipse’s

Williams, the show was a ray of light in what has been an incredibly tough year for the industry.

“It was a great moment in reminding us and the attendees that this time of restricted live shows will end,” he concluded.

“It was a beacon of hope for us at the event and to the thousands of colleagues in our industry across the globe, looking out for the start of the end to all of this. We left the arena reminded once again of what it was like to deliver an exceptional show, and what it will be like to deliver more memorable event experiences in the future.”

Photos: eclipse Staging Services www.ae.bookmyshow.com www.eclipse.ae www.stagefx.ae

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AMR DIAB T.H.E TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES AN EXTENSIVE L-ACOUSTICS RIG FOR THE EGYPTIAN SUPERSTAR AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL STADIUM.

T.H.E Technology provided a turnkey solution, including audio, lighting, video and SFX, for Amr Diab’s recent performance at Dubai International Stadium. Held as part of Dubai Shopping Festival and organised by SIA Pro, the show saw 6,000 fans spread around the 25,000-capacity stadium, with strict social distancing measures in place.

Ensuring full audio coverage for the socially distant crowd, T.H.E selected an extensive L-Acoustics rig. “The spectators were seated in an area five times larger than in all previous years.

Achieving full coverage with the same great sound as before for 6,000 people in such a big open space presented us with many challenges,” commented T.H.E. Technology Sound Designer

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and System Engineer, Walid Antar. “We knew that the only choice of system was L-Acoustics, and we needed to be very detailed in the design process, ensuring precision in every loudspeaker angle to avoid reflections and to account for the smaller number of people absorbing the energy of the system.”

The final setup comprised main hangs of 12 K2s atop six KARAs per side, with 12 stacks of two KARAs atop two SB28 subs, evenly spaced in front of the stage lip.

A further 60 KARAs, 12 SB28s and eight SB18s catered for delays, while stage monitoring comprised two stacks of six KARAs atop four SB28s for sidefill, plus 24 X15 HiQs along the stage lip. Control was via a total of eight LA12Xs and 27

LA8 amplified controllers with additional Shure PSM 1000 IEMs. Yamaha Rivage PM7 consoles were at FOH and in monitor world.

The design changed almost daily to accommodate new health and safety measures and modifications in the audience seating plan.

“Because of the restrictions, we weren’t able to bring in external help from L-Acoustics as we normally would, but by using the manufacturer’s Soundvision software, we were still able to achieve great results,” Antar noted.

Vari-Lite fixtures were used extensively on the lighting rig, with 64 VL 10 BeamWash, 24 VL 2600 Wash and 24 VL 2600 Profile fixtures deployed. A further 64 PR Lighting XLED 1061s and 40 CITYCOLOR LEDs were used, as well

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as four Robert Juliat 2500s, 36 Martin by Harman Atomic LED 3000s and 140 LED Blinders. Control came from two MA Lighting grandMA3 full size consoles.

A total of 600 sq m of Absen 4.8mm LED was used for the production, comprising two large IMAG screens either side of the stage, flanking a number of vertical screens used as a backdrop.

Content was managed using two Barco Event Master E2s and an EC200 event controller, as well as eight NovaStar MCTRL 4K processors.

Special effects came in the form of four Hazers, eight CO2 Jets, four Confetti Blowers, four Stadium Shots and eight Sparkulars.

Amr Diab’s crew comprised Singer Engineer, Andrew Daoud; FOH Engineer, Tamer Zouaiby and Monitor Engineer, Andrew Esbergen. Meanwhile, the T.H.E Technology contingent included Sound Designer and System Engineer, Walid Antar; Light Designer and Operator, Tamer Oraby; Visuals Operator, Bechier Kamouny; Network Engineer, SBOBO; Project Manager, Hady Hussien; CEOs, Emad Nabil and Hamed Arafa; and GM, Ahmed Arafa.

The success of Amr Diab’s show is a hopeful new beginning for live events in the Middle East, as the region begins to plan an exit from a year-long hiatus. “We believe that this new audience/area ratio will be the norm during the coming year, which means that adopting these practices will be a stepping-stone to bringing live events back to fans,” Antar concluded. “We’re fortunate already to have a large stock of L-Acoustics sound equipment, but we plan to extend it further to be ready to put on more great shows this year.”

Photos: T.H.E Technology www.thetechnology.me

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ARABIAN GULF SUPER CUP A FEAST OF LIGHTING, LASERS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS PROVIDES A BREATH-TAKING BACKDROP FOR THE UAE FOOTBALL SEASON CURTAIN-RAISER.

Sharjah and Shabab Al Ahli faced off in the Arabian Gulf Super Cup on 22 January, with Dubai’s Al Maktoum Stadium transformed into a visual feast of lighting, lasers and SFX to celebrate the event. The match saw Shabab Al Ahli run out 1-0 winners to claim the title for the fifth time in their history, while off the pitch, No1 Events was appointed to provide the technical production for the opening and closing ceremonies, with LaserFX and StageFX brought in to supply lasers and special effects.

Taking on the dual role of Technical Director/ Show Caller was Mirco Resta. He explained to

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TPMEA how design inspiration for the show started back in November 2020 during a brainstorming meeting at the No1 Events office.

“Initially, Mr Hassan [Abdul Hamid, CEO of No1 Events] suggested a few ideas,” he recalled. “We also had some guidelines from UAE Pro League about what kind of content they would like on the show, so we created a storyboard based on a combination of all the ideas and suggestions.”

The lighting package included a range of Robe fixtures, including: 24 Pointes, which were split into groups of six and placed in all four corners of the stadium; 12 DL7S Profiles, six each

placed on the pitch behind each goal; and 12 LEDWash 600s, also on the pitch behind each goal. A further 60 Beam 230W fixtures were positioned on the catwalk of the stadium roof, while 12 Hybrid Spot/Beam/Wash 440W fixtures were positioned on top of the VIP stand, and 20 Searchlight 7K fixtures were positioned on the pitch, opposite the VIP stand. Control meanwhile came from an MA Lighting grandMA2 full size, with another as backup.

While the stadium has an in-house video solution comprising a pair of 10m by 4.5m LED screens as well as an LED that runs around the

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perimeter of the pitch, a 15m by 8m P8 LED screen on a scaffolding structure was added to the setup. All screens were controlled with the aid of two Dataton WATCHOUT media servers with four outputs each, two Analog Way NeXtage switchers, an Analog Way Pulse2, a HD-SDI Distributor, an Elgato Stream Deck XL controller and a vMix server.

The audio solution also made use of the existing stadium sound system, with an extra four L-Acoustics SB28s deployed to bolster coverage for the VIP area. A Midas M32 with DL32 Stage Box was used for control, with two Shure ULX Handheld microphones also utilised.

According to Resta, one of the biggest challenges of the project came from the sheer distance between all the various technologies that were spread around the stadium. “We ran kilometres of power and signal cables,” he revealed. Another challenge, unsurprisingly, was ensuring that all COVID-19 protocols were adhered to. “We had to undergo regular testing and we had to work using masks and gloves all the time,” he commented. However, with “early and meticulous planning”, the Technical Director was glad to report that all the challenges were overcome and the event was a success.

Resta went on to thank some key members of the team, including: Finance Director, Ahmed Mebed; Technical Coordinator, Mohammed Navas; Crew Coordinator, Mido Kamal; Light Designer/Operator, Lucas Rey; Video/Watchout Operator, Edgar Pulido; Sound Operator, James Alayo; Photographer, Ahmed Taranh; Graphic 3D Designer, Mohammed Rasin; and Content Editor, Sulaimon Olasunkamni. “The crew attitude was amazing,” he commented. “We worked very

much as a team, having multiple short meetings on the field to plan all the movement without facing any hiccups.”

He added: “I would also like to thank Al Maktoum Stadium’s AV, Engineering and Logistics teams as well as the TV broadcast team for the great support. Thanks also to the UAE Pro League team for the trust and the amazing support.”

‘BACK IN THE SADDLE’ Special Effects and lasers featured heavily on the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the player entrances, with StageFX and LaserFX delivering an extensive supply. The SFX and Laser teams on-site comprised: Project Manager, Hassan Talab; SFX Techs, Philip Tharian, David Luzon, Mark Cadena and Naser Ahmed; and Laser Techs, Valera Dmitriev and Oliver Yates.

Yates talked TPMEA through the impressive delivery. “We had five different types of Sparkluar effects on this one,” he commented, listing the 12 Jets, eight Triples, eight Spins, eight Cyclone, and eight Sparkulars that were used. In addition, a further 15 G-Flame units, three Sunshines, four Stadium Blasters and four Stadium Shot Extremes were deployed. “The Sparkular Jets are brand new and look almost like the shot of a firework. Arran [Hopkins, Manager Director, StageFX and LaserFX] bought them as soon as they were available, as we want to make sure that we can offer all the latest technology on the market.”

In terms of lasers, 10 30W Aerial Beams were used, as well as 12 30W RYGB Phaenon projectors for pitch mapping and other graphics. A ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 console along with a LumiNode 12, Luminex GigaCore 10 and a Rosendahl mif4 timecode reader were used. Content was

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created in Autodesk 3ds Max and transferred into Pangolin Beyond Ultimate.

According to Yates, the fact that there were only a very limited number of VIP guests in attendance made it possible to really push the limits and do much more than would usually be possible at a typical event. “We had lasers positioned in walkways, aiming in all different directions. It gave us more flexibility to be creative,” he recalled. The Laser Tech reflected on one particular effect, which involved a falcon projected flying across the stadium seats and swooping down onto the pitch. “To have all the vacant seats covered was like a blank canvas for us,” he said. “If there was an audience there, that effect would have been impossible to achieve.”

Considering the large amount of SFX and lasers on the project, Yates was pleased to report that “everything went extremely smoothly” – a feat he puts down in no small part to the project management of Talab. “Hassan was incredible on this project,” he reflected. “He was always on top of everything, and he always made it easy for us to focus on what needed to be done.”

After an enforced hiatus due to the pandemic, the project marked a much-welcomed return to action for the company. “It was a great way to get back in the saddle,” Yates concluded.

“Considering that most of us had barely worked for nearly 10 months, you might have expected a few teething problems, but the whole team was so ready to get back to work that everything went really well. We’re delighted with how it turned out.”

Photos: Ahmed Taranh www.no1events.net www.stagefx.ae

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DESERT SWING 2021 ABU DHABI, DUBAI AND SAUDI ARABIA HOST THREE EUROPEAN TOUR GOLF TOURNAMENTS ON CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS, WITH ARENA MIDDLE EAST PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALL THREE. The European Tour 2021 season got underway in style, with a Middle East triple header of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Omega Dubai Desert Classic, followed by the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers. Taking place over consecutive weekends in late January and early February, the three tournaments, known collectively as Desert Swing, had a combined prize fund of $14.5 million.

For the third year in a row, Arena Middle East was tasked with providing much of the essential infrastructure for the three tournaments. Director of Operations, James Burgess explained how the company’s prior experience working on the events stood them in good stead when it came to this year’s delivery. “The biggest challenge for us was in the first year,” he recalled. “From that point onwards, we were able to tweak our process and apply everything we’d learned in the previous year. This time we reaped the rewards of our experience and all three tournaments were delivered extremely smoothly.”

The Arena supply varied between the different events, with the various stakeholders having different requirements each weekend.

For the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, this year was actually the 13th in a row that Arena has delivered structures for the event, but the first time that it was managed by the European

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Tour. The company provided more than 3,800 sq m of structures in total, including the 18th Championship Pavilion, the media centre inside the Westin Ballroom and the hospitality chalets for the main sponsors. “We provided a full turnkey interior solution within all the hospitality areas,” Burgess noted.

The Dubai leg of Desert Swing saw another varied delivery including 1,125 sq m of Viewing Deck over two levels, comprising 575 sq m of Arena Superdeck and 550 sq m of Arena Scaffold structure for the 18th hole. Again, a turnkey fitout solution was also supplied, including glass handrails, staircases, wooden deck flooring, bespoke planter boxes, outdoor furniture, florals and plants. Interiors were also provided for a number of hospitality areas, including the Gentleman’s Lunch Area, Player’s Lounge, Caddies’ Area and Driving Range.

The final instalment of Desert Swing took place at Royal Green, KAEC, Saudi Arabia. The extensive Arena delivery included interior fitout, furniture and floor ducted cooling units for the two-storey 18th Hospitality Pavilion with back side terrace. Also supplied were structure and interiors for the Royal Majlis, Aramco Observation Deck, 17th Tournament Bubble Viewing Platform and 16th PIF Pavilion, which included full branding supplied by Arena’s in-house team, as well as a number of on-course tents.

“It really was a huge undertaking,” Burgess told TPMEA. “From our point of view, the key to these events is building a specialist knowledge of that specific event within the crew. It’s important to analyse the project and make sure that you put the right team in place, then try to maintain that through the years. Every year we return, we take what we’ve learned previously and apply it to refine the delivery even further.”

Despite COVID-19 adding an extra layer of complexity to the project, Burgess was pleased to report that there was just a single positive case recorded among the entire Arena team and its supply chain. “That happened right at the end in Saudi,” he revealed. “We had to isolate four people as a result, but the speed at which we reacted meant that the virus wasn’t allowed to spread throughout the team and, importantly, the tournament.”

With another successful delivery under the belt, Burgess is looking forward to continuing the long-term relationship in the future. “We work so closely with our clients right the way through the year that we view the relationship more as a partnership than client and supplier,” he concluded. “We’re all about long-term partnerships and, as this year’s event proves, our delivery continues to improve every year.”

Photo: Arena Middle East www.arenamea.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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ILLUMINATE DUBAI A 10-DAY FESTIVAL SEES CUSTOM-DESIGNED LIGHTING INSTALLATIONS ILLUMINATE THE FACADES OF NINE HOTELS ALONG DUBAI’S SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD. Driving down Sheikh Zayed Road is never a dull journey thanks to its wall-to-wall skyscrapers and numerous landmarks, but from 18-27 February, the views were made even better thanks to an eye-catching initiative, which saw many of the emirate’s most popular hotels benefit from temporary custom-designed lighting installations.

Launched by The Hotel Show Dubai, Illuminate Dubai brought together a number of the region’s top lighting designers, who created installations for hotels including Fairmont Dubai, Radisson Blu Residence Dubai Marina, Dusit Thani Dubai and Sheraton Mall of the Emirates Hotel.

Among the LDs to work on the project was Paul Miles of Light Touch PLD, who teamed up with Martin Professional Middle East (MPME) to create a bespoke design for Fairmont Dubai, using a range of Martin by Harman EW Series and Exterior 1000 and 500 fixtures. “We immediately teamed up with Martin Architectural, due to the nature of design intent,” Miles confirmed. “We wanted to show something active and dynamic.

‘Architainment’ was always going to be the approach; Martin supported us throughout the

process and was fundamental to the success of the installation.”

Miles explained how he and his team sat down with the operator from the very first instance to discuss the approach and what they wanted to portray through the design. “As a collaboration, we decided to tell a story that related to the recent challenges of the current market conditions – how the hospitality industry has had to realign, reassess and regenerate through the process,” he recalled. “Our main theme and inspiration was ‘Reenergise’, reflecting the heartbeat of the hotel and how it fully reenergises to prepare for the positive times ahead. We then developed the concept in line with feasibility studies, working closely with the FM team and local manufacturers in order to realise the end result.”

While the team faced the typical challenges you might expect on a project of this nature, such as working around an active hotel without disturbing guests and managing the implementation considering “the pure scale of the structure”, according to Miles, thanks to “the team effort, with multiple contributions from a

number of parties”, they were able to achieve the desired result in the end.

MPME’s Bilal Assidi was delighted to be involved in the project. “To be able to be part of this amazing initiative among the greatest lighting designers in the region, if not the world, is a big honour for us at Martin Pro Middle East,” he reflected. “Illuminate Dubai is a testament to the capabilities of the city to creatively promote local lighting programmes as well as reminding the world of the possibilities within.”

With MPME taking on six out of the nine projects, Assidi described the undertaking as “a big task”. He concluded: “Our team had to work after hours to ensure that everything operated smoothly and safely. The end result was a common goal from each of the participants to make a statement that the lighting industry is alive and well in one of the greatest cities worldwide.”

Photo: Martin by Harman www.martin.com www.martinpro-me.com www.lighttouchpld.com www.thehotelshow.com

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

PIXEL ARTWORKS OPENS IN DUBAI NEW SHOWROOM UNDERLINES THE COMPANY’S COMMITMENT TO THE MIDDLE EAST MARKET. Pixel Artworks has opened its new Middle East office and state-of-the-art immersive showroom, located in Dubai’s Design District.

While the Pixel Artworks ME team has been based in Dubai for two years, the launch of this brand new facility underlines the company’s commitment to the local market.

“With 15 years of innovation, creativity and technical expertise behind us, we’ve been able to deliver some of the Middle East’s most ambitious AV installations over the past two years,” commented Dan Alldis, Global Development Director, Pixel Artworks.

“When you see some of the incredible work we have produced, it is easy to forget that it starts with a single pixel – so we are excited to be able to welcome visitors to our new regional office and immersive showroom and

demonstrate just how we push the boundaries in light technology.”

Some of Pixel Artworks’ recent installations include: Essence of Expo, featuring 10 10m-tall LED sculptures that transformed Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3 Arrivals Hall into a giant LED and audio installation; A pop-up travelling LED and OLED cube, which toured various districts of Dubai highlighting aspects of Expo 2020; Tamawuj, a live and interactive LG OLED Mirrorbox installation at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 Departures Hall and Abu Dhabi International Airport Departures Terminal 3; and Gulf Air, one of the world’s tallest projection mapping shows ever displayed onto the Four Seasons Hotel in Bahrain.

The showroom experience at Pixel Artworks’ new facility gives visitors a taste of how some of

its projects have been designed and created, in a completely immersive environment.

Photo: Pixel Artworks www.pixelartworks.com

BARCO POWERS INFINITY DES LUMIÈRES IMMERSIVE ART CENTRE DUE TO OPEN DOORS IN Q2 2021 AT THE DUBAI MALL. Barco has provided projection for a brand-new immersive art centre. Located in The Dubai Mall, Infinity des Lumières will allow visitors to discover a novel approach to experiencing art. The first set of digital immersive shows, starting in 2021, will focus on the masterpieces of coveted artists including Van Gogh, Japanese artists such as Hokusai and Kuniyoshi, as well as the contemporary artist, Thomas Vanz.

With an area of 2,700 sq m and 3,300 sq m screen surface (walls and floor), the art centre will be powered by 130 of Barco’s cutting-edge projectors, including 119 G60-W10s as well as additional F70-W8 and F80-Q12 projectors.

Created by Infinity Art and Culturespaces Digital, the art centre will follow the same outline as Culturespaces’ prestigious Atelier des Lumières in Paris, displaying inspiring, multi-layered virtual exhibitions and fascinating immersive content.

“Dubai has transformed significantly over the past decade and is at the forefront of the global transformational era. That is why the image quality, detailed rendition of the artwork, and impeccable immersiveness were critical in our technology selection,” commented Infinity des Lumières Director, Catherine Oriol. “We are delighted to have Barco as our technology partners to help provide a superior visitor experience at the centre.” Infinity des Lumières

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builds on the success of previous Culturespaces projects with Barco projectors in Paris, Les Bauxde-Provence and Bordeaux.

The projectors at Infinity des Lumières have an even more challenging operational schedule, because they will need to deliver engaging and accurate content from 10am to midnight, seven days a week. “We are glad to contribute to Infinity des Lumières’ goals of attracting new audiences

for art through cutting-edge digital technology,” said Erdem Soyal, Barco Vice President Middle East and Africa. “Infinity des Lumières is the first immersive art project of this size in the Middle East, and we are looking forward to seeing our projectors in operation.”

Photo: Barco www.infinitylumieres.com www.barco.com

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ECLIPSE LAUNCHES GREEN SCREEN STUDIO NEW DUBAI FESTIVAL CITY FACILITY CATERS TO THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR ENHANCED VIRTUAL EVENTS. While in-person events are making a tentative comeback as restrictions begin to lift in the region, the hunger for virtual and hybrid events is still as strong as it was at the height of the pandemic. To cater to this increased demand, eclipse has launched a second Green Screen Studio, a new facility aimed at giving clients enhanced virtual event experiences.

Located at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, the studio offers clients who are accustomed to hosting their events in hotels or conference venues a similar event environment to what they would experience with a normal event, with a prime location as well as hospitality and F&B services from the hotel available.

“The Green Screen Studio is a fantastic tool for our clients to engage and connect, despite the current limitations on face-to-face interaction,” commented Sacha Morazain, General Manager of eclipse Venue Services. Inside, the studio benefits

from a vMix server with brand-new Sony NX100 cameras as well as a Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro. There are also three 49in monitors – two for speakers and one for the operators – as well as an Analog Way Saphyr, which manages comfort monitors when using the ATEM.

“In addition, we have constructed a threesided hard surface chroma set [green screen],” Morazain added. “We have also installed a ground support, and studio LED camera light panels.”

The new facility increases eclipse’s digital capabilities, with the company also operating a purpose-built virtual studio at its HQ in DIP. “As more clients realise the level of production that can be achieved over just a standard Zoom or Teams meeting, virtual and hybrid events will continue to be a key part of our workload for the foreseeable future,” Morazain stated.

“In-person events are starting to happen as restrictions are slowly lifting, but we are seeing

a demand for a streaming element for a virtual/ hybrid component, to reach a wider audience and increase attendee capability and to compliment typical event production.”

Photo: eclipse Staging Services www.eclipse.ae

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TECH PROFILE

DAVID GUETTA: UNITED AT HOME FRENCH SUPERSTAR DJ AND DUBAI RESIDENT PERFORMS TO FANS WORLDWIDE FROM THE HELIPAD OF THE ICONIC BURJ AL ARAB.

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David Guetta is not a man who does things by half measures. With the global pandemic putting a halt to his world tour, the awardwinning DJ has devised an alternative way to keep his fans entertained and raise muchneeded funds for charity in the process. The resulting project, United At Home, has seen Guetta put on spectacular performances from Miami, New York, a New Year’s Eve show from the Louvre, Paris, and now Dubai’s Burj Al Arab.

“In these difficult times, we hope to bring comfort, joy, and support through the power of music and emotions,” the DJ commented. “We have supported many charities and helped make a real difference in people’s lives during the pandemic. We continue in this direction today, benefiting UNICEF and Dubai Cares.”

As was the case for Guetta’s previous performances, the entire Dubai show was streamed free of charge on the DJ’s official YouTube channel, with viewers encouraged to make a donation to charities tackling the impact of COVID-19 on children’s education.

The opportunity for the Dubai show arose as a result of two separate projects that shared

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similar DNA. At the same time that Guetta was forging ahead with United At Home; Dubai Tourism was busy creating its Sounds of the City series, which highlighted various locations around Dubai using musical performances from a range of top local artists. As a Dubai resident, when the chance came about for Guetta to bring United At Home to one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, it was an opportunity too perfect to miss.

“When David offered us the chance to work with him again in Dubai, we didn’t think twice,” revealed Show Director, Romain Pissenem of High Scream. “Dubai is an amazing place and the Burj Al Arab helipad is an absolutely incredible location for a show.”

A long-time member of Guetta’s creative team, Pissenem was a central figure in the design and conception of the show, while Dubai Tourism called upon Create Production to produce the show on the ground. “Our role as producers was to bring everything together – from logistics, to arranging the suppliers,” explained Create Production’s Dia Hassan.

Create appointed a number of trusted contractors to help fulfil the ambitious project,

including primary technical supplier, 3DB, which, in turn, brought in LED floor partner, Rave Audio Visual, and laser partner, LaserFX. Create Production also appointed CHOPPERSHOT to handle the drone work, ARRI for the remote camera system and Gecko Middle East to oversee safety on the helipad.

In all, more than 80 creative professionals contributed to the production, including: Show Director, Romain Pissenem; Lighting Designer, Ian Tomlinson of High Scream; Lighting Director, James Betts-Gray of High Scream; Video Director, James Codes; Video Content, Sugo Design / High Scream; Laser Operator, Dennis Klipp; DJ Camera Operator, Toby Vogel; Production Manager, Richard ‘Avo’ Atherton; Logistics, Suzie Shorten; Broadcast Director, Remco Evers; and Live Director, Job Robbers.

‘ALL ABOUT THE ANGLES’ With the show confirmed, Pissenem and his colleagues at High Scream set about the process of putting together a bespoke design that would make the best use of the incredible setting. “The best ideas are the ones that you have in two

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“With livestreaming, you have to work extremely hard to keep up the energy and capture people’s attention… You have to have very strong content and great programming to ensure that people aren’t going to switch off.”

High Scream’s Romain Pissenem.

minutes,” Pissenem told TPMEA, describing his design inspirations. “The helipad is basically a big circle up in the sky, so all I had to do was reflect that with the design.”

The fact that there was no in-person audience presented Pissenem with an opportunity to include an element he had been trying to incorporate into his designs for a long time. “I always wanted to put an LED screen on the floor – I tried to work out a way to do it on some of our previous live shows, but it wouldn’t have worked because 90% of the people at the venue wouldn’t see it,” he explained. However, with this production utilising camera drones that filmed the action from above, it was the perfect chance to deploy the LED floor.

At the start of the show, an image of the helipad’s floor was displayed on the LED, creating the illusion that there was no screen at all. “Then, as the show kicks in, the LED comes to life and you see all the cool effects start to happen,”

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Pissenem described. Among the most striking looks that the LED floor was used for were 3D effects, which gave the impression that Guetta was standing in a vortex, or that the floor was crumbling away beneath him.

“These effects rely completely on the angle of the camera,” he explained. “The camera had to be at exactly 45° to get the right shot and create the illusion; it’s all about the angles.”

The circular LED floor was surrounded by rings of lighting fixtures and lasers. “It is actually a very simple setup, but it’s compact and powerful and you can create so much impactful content with relatively few fixtures,” the Show Director explained. “When you have a location like this, it really doesn’t take too much to make it look absolutely incredible.”

The biggest issue that most livestreams face is that it is so much harder to keep the audience engaged when they are watching from home, often surrounded by distractions and without

the benefit of seeing and hearing the show in the flesh. “If you’re watching a show in an arena or a stadium, you’re completely surrounded by the ambience – it’s a physical experience as well as visual and auditory,” Pissenem reflected. “With livestreaming, you have to work extremely hard to keep up the energy and capture people’s attention,” he added. “You have to have very strong content and great programming to ensure that people aren’t going to switch off.

At the same time, you don’t want to be too stroboscopic. You need moments of downtime where you see the artist and the surroundings.

So, it’s a balancing act.”

According to Pissenem, while the streamed nature of the show presented his team with greater creative freedom, if the production was to be enjoyed by the at-home audience to its full potential, all the elements had to work together seamlessly. “It’s something that I never really considered before we started doing livestreams,”

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he commented. “If we design a show, we have certain effects being cued at certain times to create special moments. However, if the TV director gets the timing wrong even slightly, that magic moment is missed. That is why it is so important to work with the right people – like Remco Evers and Job Robbers from NOMOBO – who understand the show,” he added. “They were outstanding as usual.”

When it came to operating lights and lasers, timecode was not an option. “David never plays the same set twice, so everything has to be operated live,” Pissenem revealed. “Even if that makes our lives a bit more difficult, I really love that. This is where our team really comes into its own; they never miss a beat.”

As was to be expected when working on a helipad on top of a luxury hotel, the production presented its fair share of challenges. “A big part of the design was the cage of light, with beams crossing over each other, and smoke is really necessary for that look to be effective,” Pissenem

explained. However, at 250m, even the slightest wisp of wind is enough to disperse a lot of smoke.

“It was a huge challenge,” he reflected. “All we could do was try to monitor the wind direction and use a hell of a lot of smoke!”

And the wind wasn’t the only challenge.

“Getting all the equipment up to the helipad was not an easy task,” he recalled. “In the past, I remember complaining at some arenas because we weren’t able to bring the trucks close enough to the door during load-in. Well, after this, I won’t complain any more!”

That said, the Show Director was full of praise for the Dubai-based suppliers as well as the hotel team. “Everyone we worked with in Dubai was fantastic,” he commented. “They were incredibly accommodating, which made the project extremely enjoyable to work on.”

This latest offering was one of many alternative projects that High Scream has worked on since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – a fact that Pissenem is grateful for. “To go from

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90% live shows in our business to what we have today would have been unthinkable before, but we’ve taken on aspects of streaming, XR and VR, which allows us to continue working throughout this time. It’s basically the same job, but we’re trying to entertain people at home instead of in a crowd,” he stated. “Of course, I hope that we can come back to live shows again soon, but it’s been an interesting journey so far.”

‘A TEAM EFFORT’ As well as being another feather in the High Scream cap, the show was also a significant undertaking for Dubai-based Create Production, adding to its growing list of projects with Dubai Tourism. “We feel proud to have been able to contribute to this incredible project,” Hassan told TPMEA. “The level of professionalism and teamwork that everyone displayed was amazing.

It was a real team effort.”

With Create handling the logistics of the project, there were plenty of challenges for

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Hassan and his team to consider – the most limiting of which was the helipad’s strict weight restriction of just six tonnes.

“Initially, everybody had grand ideas about the whole helipad being covered in LED and hundreds of moving heads and lasers,” he recalled. “However, once we found out about the weight limit, we had to change our approach and make sure that everything we put up there would be giving us the biggest output possible.”

Create worked closely with the project’s primary technical supplier, 3DB, in order to design a setup that would have the required visual effect while remaining within the weight limit. “To have LEDs covering the entire helipad, we would have needed to use 13 tonnes worth of LED alone,” revealed 3DB Senior Project Manager, Matt Dale.

“So, it was all about reaching a happy medium.”

A total of 69 sq m of Absen 4.88mm LED was

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used to form a circle in the centre of the helipad.

“Rave Audio Visual provided the LED floor. It’s a great and extremely hardwearing product, which is topped with Perspex and rated so that you can drive a car over it,” Dale commented.

“We relied a lot on the LED floor,” Hassan added. “David’s team was amazing at putting together some really visually striking content that went onto the screen.”

With the floor in place, the team was left with a limited weight allowance for lighting and lasers, which meant “lightweight but punchy” was very much the order of the day. To that end, the lighting rig comprised: 32 Robe Robin Pointes, 24 Claypaky Axcor Profile 400s, two Claypaky A.leda K10 B-EYEs, 16 Ayrton MAGICBLADE-FXs, and four Vari-Lite VL2600 Profiles. Control came from an MA Lighting grandMA2 full size. “It was a case of finding the right balance and, thankfully,

everyone was very co-operative and willing to work together to achieve the best result,” Dale said of the fixture choices.

Since there was no live audience in attendance, there was no need to take up precious weight allowance with a large PA. “Audio was the smallest aspect of the delivery,” Dale commented, describing the d&b audiotechnik system, which comprised two M4s, one D12 amplifier and four Ci80s. A DiGiCo S21 console was used for control, while Guetta used two Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 mixers and five CDJ-3000 multi-players. A further six Mackie SRM150 monitors were deployed, while microphones comprised four Shure SM58s and Guetta’s own Sennheiser G4 with e945 capsule.

Aside from weight concerns, the other major limitation of the helipad was that only eight crewmembers were allowed on there at once.

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“Some of the overhead shots show the building from a perspective that not even people in Dubai have seen before. It looked almost like a UFO.” Create Production’s, Dia Hassan.

“Organising time slots for each department to go onto the helipad was a project on its own,” Hassan commented, adding that everyone who was on the helipad had to be attached to a harness at all times. “Gecko Middle East came in to oversee the safety side of things,” he said.

“They did a fantastic job.”

As well as highlighting Guetta’s spectacular performance, a key element of the production was to showcase the Burj Al Arab.

“We really wanted to show off the Burj Al Arab in a way that not many people have seen it before,” Hassan commented. “Some of the overhead shots show the building from a perspective that not even people who live in

Dubai have seen before. It looked almost like a UFO at times.”

When it came to cameras, the aim was to have as few people as possible on the helipad, so Create opted for two ARRI ALEXA Mini and two ARRI AMIRA cameras mounted on various remote-controlled Blackcam Systems tracks.

“We wanted to use the latest technology, some of which was not available in Dubai,” Hassan said of the decision to fly in the ARRI team. “The motorised track system was built into a semicircle specifically for the helipad, which allowed us to do most of the filming remotely.”

Of course, there was one thing that nobody on the team could control. “The biggest fear for

everyone was the weather,” Dale stated. “When we arrived on the first morning of load-in, we were met with incredibly foggy conditions that made it impossible to work for the first three hours. We also had extreme humidity on the programming night – the helipad was becoming almost like a paddling pool.”

Thankfully, the team was able to pull the time back and everything was in place for the planned show day, with the following day also in hand as a back-up in case of any issues. “Then we got a message to tell us that high winds were forecast for the day after, so tonight was our only shot at it,” he recalled. “That certainly focused minds!” Of course, the team pulled together and

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the show went off without a hitch. “The drive and determination of Dubai Tourism, Burj Al Arab and Create Production were vital to making this show a success,” Dale reflected. “There was a real collaboration with Romain and the High Scream team throughout the whole design process, and the end result speaks for itself.”

‘NEW PERSPECTIVES’ Lasers always play an important role in any David Guetta production, and the Burj Al Arab show was no exception. LaserFX provided a total of 16 30W lasers, as well as Lasergraph DSP software and 520m of iLDA cables.

Oliver Yates, Head of Laser Department at LaserFX, was on site throughout the build and show night alongside Arran Hopkins and David Luzon. He explained to TPMEA how the job came about. “As soon as we saw the job spec, even without being told who the artist was, we had a pretty good idea that it would be David Guetta,” he revealed, explaining that it was the Lasergraph DSP software that was the giveaway.

Having worked with Pissenem for six months in Ibiza, Yates was pleased to get the chance to link up with him and the High Scream team again.

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“Romain is always a pleasure to work with,” he commented. “It was the perfect job to come back to after a quiet period.”

Yates explained how, much like with the video element of the show, it was unusual to have lasers pointing directly upwards into the sky. “On a normal stadium or stage show, the lasers would be positioned to beam outwards.

However, for this production, the creative wanted them pointing upwards, so we had some custom brackets made to facilitate this,” he commented.

Once all 16 lasers were in position, minor adjustments were made manually, rather than in the software as would happen typically. “This was because we didn’t want to lose any angle through the software,” he added.

After gaining clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority, the show was good to go. “As soon as we saw the drone shot from above, we knew that we had cracked it,” Yates recalled. “Everybody cheered because we could see that vision being played out in front of our eyes. It was a spectacular production.”

Elsewhere in the special effects department, Hassan revealed that a 3D drone show with 300 drones flying in formation above the Burj Al

Arab was considered initially, before the team settled instead on a firework show. “We wanted to create something new that not many people have seen on livestream shows before, so we decided to have the camera drones fly through the fireworks,” he recalled. “It’s all about finding new perspectives.” Pissenem added: “That has to be one of my favourite shots; it looks incredible.”

To get these new filming perspectives, Create once again turned to aerial filming specialist, CHOPPERSHOOT. “We’ve worked with them on many projects, including commercials for Audi and Emirates Airlines,” Hassan revealed. “We love their creativity when it comes to solutions around drones and, of course, they have got one of the most daring drone pilots in the region. He’s got some serious confidence.”

Talking of confidence, according to Hassan, that was the single most important factor when it came to picking their suppliers for the project. “It was vital to make sure that every single team that was involved in this project was someone who we could trust,” he stated. “We didn’t have time to micromanage or constantly oversee everything that was going on because the project was moving at such pace. That meant we probably

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overinvested a little bit in those teams, but it was worth it to make sure that we had the right people in place.”

Reflecting on the project, Hassan was proud of what the team was able to achieve. “So many elements had to come together in such a short period of time to ensure that the show was a success.

It was great to work with such competent and professional technical teams who always kept the creative integrity of the project in place,” he said. “The energy levels I saw from everyone involved in this show were the closest thing I’ve felt to being at a concert or festival since the pandemic. It shows that we can still experience music in a magical way without having the dangers that a big crowd would bring. Even though we can’t come together how we used to at the moment, the industry doesn’t have to stop completely.”

The Burj Al Arab helipad has been the unconventional location for many an eye-catching event over the years – from the Roger Federer versus Andre Agassi tennis match and Anthony Joshua’s Sky Fight, to stunts from the Red Bull Racing F1 team and Red Bull X-Fighter Danny Torres – however, in terms of sheer production value, David Guetta’s United At Home was in a different league. “Our job is to entertain people,” Pissenem concluded. “We will never replace live shows but, for the time being, sadly, people can’t come into venues. So, if they can’t come to us, then we need to go to them.”

Photos: High Scream www.high-scream.com www.createproductiondxb.com www.3db-dxb.com www.laserfx.ae

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ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: 2021 DIRIYAH E-PRIX SAUDI ARABIA HOSTS FORMULA E’S FIRST EVER NIGHT RACES IN THE HISTORIC SURROUNDINGS OF DIRIYAH.

The 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship got underway on 26-27 February, with a doubleheader in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Returning to the UNESCO World Heritage site for the third season in a row, this year saw the first ever Formula E night races, with the latest low-power LED technology being utilised to create a spectacular show while reducing energy consumption by up to 50% compared to most non-LED technology.

Conducting the planning and organisation of the event once again was STAMiNA Productions, while the Ministry of Sports (MOS) appointed Blink Experience to handle the host city scope. Working closely with stakeholders Formula E (FE), MOS, Saudi Arabian Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and the promoter, CBX, the team was able to “achieve the impossible” and hold this world-class international event in the middle of a global pandemic.

Jennifer Gazeas, Head of Venue Design, Track and Overlay for the Diriyah E-Prix at STAMiNA Productions, explained how the team adapted to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation. “We shared a goal of holding the first ever night race for Formula E,” she began. “Holding the majority of meetings on Zoom, we all made it work and showed that with these tools, we can still plan together and show incredible resilience and professionalism.”

She added: “This project needed to be meticulously planned, defined, implemented and executed with

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the objective of delivering the greatest experience for the fans attending and watching on TV. There were over seven months of design work, including extensive civil works consultation with the local authorities for the track resurfacing programme, track lighting and planning a COVID-19 safe event.”

The Saudi-based agency brought onboard a number of trusted suppliers for the project, including ADI, Empro and MediaPro International. “The list of global and local suppliers that worked with us is extensive – each one brings their own individual experience and technical expertise which, when combined, allowed us to bring the impossible to fruition,” stated Gazeas.

“There are always last-minute changes, and it’s then when you need a family of suppliers to call upon who are proactive, fully committed and supportive. At STAMiNA, our suppliers and partners are as important as our personnel and if there is a need for support for any contractor to allow them to do their best, then we will always provide that support.”

As is to be expected on such a high-profile, international event, Formula E and the governing body of motorsport, the FIA, set strict controls to manage the risk of COVID-19. “It was up to us in partnership with the MOS, FE and SAMF to ensure that these controls were managed and exceeded,” Gazeas commented. To that end, the site adopted a ‘bubble’ approach. A number

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of hygiene and health and safety measures were also in place, including temperature check and hand sanitising on entry, compulsory maskwearing and regular PCR testing.

With an ever-evolving COVID-19 situation and certain restrictions changing daily, STAMiNA had to ensure that the lines of communication between them and their ecosystem of delivery partners, contractors and suppliers were kept open. “Knowledge exchange is crucial right now,” Gazeas underlined. “All industries are trying to adapt to ‘the new normal’, so the need for conversation is greater than ever. With the help of our government, which offered fantastic leadership and support, we were able to host an event that applied all the logistical and health measures to the highest global standards.”

Aside from COVID-19 issues, the team also had some difficult weather to contend with, including flash floods and high winds. “There was not a lot we could do apart from ‘weathering the storm’, so to speak,” Gazeas recalled. “It caused some delays. However, we had a clear plan, a detailed build schedule and great suppliers with the ability to adapt safely.”

With all involved pulling together to ensure that the event would be a success, Gazeas was delighted with the team effort. “It was incredible to see Diriyah up in lights for the night race and to top it off with a tremendous fireworks display,” she concluded. “It was fantastic to see the

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positive conclusion of an event we collectively delivered against all odds, all while being able to support contractors and stakeholders enough to showcase the city and the country.”

‘A GREAT BOOST’ MediaPro International delivered a complete turnkey technical solution for the event, including audio, lighting, comms, TV screens, SFX, trussing and rigging. “We have a great relationship with STAMiNA and have delivered quite a few projects for them in the past,” explained MediaPro COO, Shaam Pudaruth. “MediaPro was the go-to company for them as we have the required inhouse equipment and manpower in the region to deliver this massive event.”

MediaPro Senior Project Manager, Sheldon Alphonso, detailed how his team prepared for the project, ahead of the one-month build on-site.

“Around 30% of our kit was dispatched from Dubai, so we set up a prep and zone distribution team in our warehouse in Riyadh before it arrived,” he revealed. “As the kit arrived in Riyadh, it was sorted into the relevant zones and loaded onto trucks to be dropped off in the relevant areas of the site.”

Starting with audio, Alphonso talked TPMEA through the extensive supply. “We provided a complete audio system, including a redundant Dante network for the entire site with more than 13km of fibre cables supported by our in-

house network racks,” he began. The company’s complete range of L-Acoustics products were deployed for the event, including K1s, K2s, KARAs, 112Ps, 5XTs, X8s, X15s, KS28s and SB18s, as well as 20 LA RACK IIs. A total of 11 Yamaha QL1 and two CL5 consoles were used for control, while 15 network racks were deployed around the venue to manage the massive length of fibre cabling.

“We also had 50 power speakers, which were used for various small areas, as well as a Shure Axient digital microphone system and various Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2 players and DJM-900NXS2 mixers.” The MediaPro crew meanwhile kept in contact via a Clear-Com FreeSpeak system.

The lighting inventory included: 66 Pix Arc LED Battens, six Claypaky 1500 Spots, 16 Scenius Profiles, 33 Robe Spiider LED Washes, 18 BMFL Blades, 16 Film Gear 1Ks, 20 2Ks, 21 ETC Source 4 Profiles, two Avolites ART 2000 dimmers, 30 SGM P10s, 14 Q7s, as well as 26 LED parcans and 182 LED rigger floodlights. “Everything was controlled with two MA Lighting grandMA2 light consoles with NPUs, as well as four Avolites Pearl Tiger Touch II desks,” Alphonso noted.

“These fixtures were used to provide solutions for all performance areas, the podium and press conference stages, as well as general lighting of grandstands, pedestrian bridges, entrance gates and branding areas around the track.”

MediaPro’s video supply comprised TV screens throughout the site, as well as control

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and video network signal for the BOSS | EMOTION CLUB premium hospitality area, the media centre and various office spaces and control rooms.

The company deployed a range of Samsung LED TVs, including 68 Samsung 55in, two Samsung 75in and eight 80in. Content ran through a fibre network, with controllers including a Barco E2 Tri-combo Event Master Processor with an array of MacBook Pros.

In terms of trussing and rigging, Alphonso explained that around 550m of Litec 30cm by 30cm and 40cm by 40cm trussing were used, as well as eight CM one-tonne motors. “We provided support structures for our lighting, audio and also cable bridges for the site where crew had to run cables across roads,” he clarified.

Finally, MediaPro also provided SFX for the event, with four MagicFX CO2 Stadium Blasters, four Stadium Shots and 18 Showven Sparkulars adding to the visual appeal.

The project came at a busy time for MediaPro, with the team fresh from delivering the Dakar Rally podium and the Saudi Super Cup finale, as well as working on the Saudi Cup horse race simultaneously. “We have a fully operational team based in Riyadh,” Pudaruth noted. “It was

a great boost to be able to work on this project given the current circumstances worldwide.

Every job that takes place at the moment is a blessing and helps keep our crew busy. We’re extremely proud to have been part of delivering this international event successfully.”

‘A RANGE OF IMPRESSIVE SOLUTIONS’ The visual spectacle was improved even further thanks to some dazzling new LED technology from ADI. Despite the absence of spectators en masse, the small number of VIPs in attendance were treated to a range of creative LED content in several hospitality areas. ADI also deployed curated LED content throughout the circuit to activate commercial brand partners and add to the atmosphere for those watching on television.

Guests to the premium hospitality area, BOSS | EMOTION CLUB, were greeted by three 2.5m by 5.5m LED towers built into the welcome gantry, featuring super-sized Formula E drivers and models wearing HUGO BOSS clothing. As well as three 11.25 sq m 3mm indoor LED screens, the hospitality area boasted a super-wide 33.75 sq m display in 48:9 aspect ratio. With 4K processing and output, ADI’s Editors assisted in creating

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bespoke super-wide content, with the hospitality screen also supporting multiple picture-inpicture formats, including live race feed, social media, timings and brand messaging.

The BOSS | EMOTION CLUB Garden featured a high-resolution LED tunnel displaying an immersive desert landscape, complete with surround sound of swirling winds blowing across the sand, as well as a further three 11.25 sq m 4mm outdoor LED screens. While in the Aquafina Oasis, an outdoor shisha bar, ADI produced content including a continuous digital waterfall in order to bring two dual-sided 4m-high LED-clad towers to life.

In a scaled-up version of the concept that debuted in the Formula E Season 6 finale in Berlin, the podium doubled as a TV studio for the English-language programme throughout race days, with control of the side screen handed over to FE’s English language gallery for pre- and postrace analysis and interviews.

The impressive setup included a cinematic 32:9 backdrop for the podium ceremonies, with the addition of a 9m by 7.5m side screen.

Both screens were fed via separate 4k vision mixing and processing, with ADI managing local

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content and switching between feeds. Another eye-catching LED solution was deployed on the finish line gantry. Using bespoke software, the LED gantry automatically displayed the details of the first, second and third placed drivers as they passed under the gantry on each lap, before displaying the name of the winning driver and team as they took the chequered flag.

“As expected, the global pandemic provided its fair share of challenges in the planning stages, but the 2021 Diriyah E-Prix turned out to be a showcase for innovation across technical event production, creative LED applications and cuttingedge sports pres,” commented Thomas Taylor, ADI Account Manager for Formula E.

“Formula E supported ADI in exploring new concepts that would elevate the experience at the circuit and the engagement with remote audiences via global broadcast, and we have developed a range of impressive solutions that will continue to evolve during Season 7.”

‘WE HAVE TO RAISE THE BAR’ Working on the Diriyah E-Prix for the third year running, Blink Experience was appointed by the MOS to handle all host city aspects of the project,

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from event operations, to traffic management, security, infrastructure and logistics. “Our scope of work for this year was incredibly varied and included everything from security, to power, to hygiene and facilities management,” said Maher Andari, Managing Director, Blink Experience KSA.

Having grown from a small operation that was founded in Dubai back in 2003, Blink Experience currently employs more than 120 full-time staff, with key offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah. In addition to its full-time staff, the company also has access to an extensive network of specialists from all over the world, who are deployed on a freelance basis according to the specific needs of the event. “These are people who we have a long-term relationship with and trust to help deliver our events to the highest standard,” Andari revealed, adding that around 50 team members were engaged on this project.

While originally the event was due to be open to the public, changing COVID-19 protocols meant that it had to switch to being held behind closed doors. “These kinds of last-minute requests were completely understandable given the circumstances,” Andari reflected. “We had to adapt extremely quickly to the changing reality of the

situation to ensure that we were on top of any changes and every eventuality was planned for.”

The list of suppliers Blink Experience called upon to help fulfil the project includes: Al Fares International Tents (temporary event structure, fitout and furniture); Al Laith (scaffolding structure for premium hospitality); MediaPro International (tools and machinery rental for audio, video and lighting); MOTUS | ONE (traffic management); Derea Albelad S.S Est (security and safety services); and Aggreko KSA (primary and secondary power).

“We have developed strong relationships with a number of key suppliers, who we work with regularly to deliver events throughout the region,” Andari commented. “That said, for every project, we go through a thorough procurement process where we challenge suppliers to deliver the best proposal as well as the best commercial structure, which ultimately benefits our clients.”

Blink Experience engaged Aggreko to provide power for the event. “We received a list of areas that needed primary power and the size of equipment needed in each area,” explained John Devine, Aggreko PM on-site, who added that all generators were running on eco-friendly biodiesel.

“Our job was to then install all the units up to the

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main distribution panel, carry out a full inspection and test. We then installed and provided all the secondary power.”

To “get ahead of the game” the Aggreko team arrived on-site in mid-January. “We wanted to install all our products before the main bulk of companies came onto site,” he explained. “As we know from previous years, dropping 60 large units in such a short period of time is a challenge, so we arrived a little earlier to make life easier for ourselves.” Also, the team was aware that parts of the track would be inaccessible once the track surface had been laid, “so, getting our products in place before this was crucial,” he added.

COVID-19 measures notwithstanding, the biggest challenge of the project was the flash flooding during the build. “Some of the generators had to be uplifted and relocated from the areas that the flooding occurred,” he recalled. “This was a challenge as we were restricted on space within this area, but we achieved our goal in the end.”

Devine was especially pleased with the attitude of the team, who dealt admirably with the various COVID-19 restrictions throughout the process. “You never really understand how much of a hindrance it [COVID-19] is, with all the hurdles

we had to jump over to do the simplest things,” he recalled. “This could have frustrated the guys, but they just got on with it and incorporated this into their daily workflow.”

For Blink Experience, the project was one of a number that it has completed recently for the MOS, including the Dakar Rally for the past two years, and the richest horse race in the world, the Saudi Cup. “All these projects show that we are trusted and how our relationship with the MOS has grown over the years,” commented Andari.

“We are chosen because of our people, our knowledge and our experience.”

Andari explained how the extensive experience among the team brings with it increased expectations. “That fact that this is the third time that we have delivered the project means that expectations are extremely high,” he commented. “We need to show evidence of everything from the smooth delivery, to applying learnings from previous years and increasing cost efficiencies. We have to raise the bar even higher than in previous years and over-deliver when it comes to the expectations of the client.”

Unlike many in the industry, Blink Experience has remained relatively busy since the onset of the

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COVID-19 pandemic – something which Andari believes stands the company in good stead for the future. “We have learned a lot from the experience about how to deal with both major and minor events in this ‘new normal’ we now find ourselves in,” he commented.

“We are a flexible company that has always adapted to overcome any obstacles that have been thrown in front of us. We’re very lucky and grateful that we’ve been given the opportunity to work throughout these extremely challenging times for the industry and we intend to take everything that we’ve learned to continue to create successful events for our clients.

“We are proud to have been a part of delivering the historic first-ever night races in Formula E,” Andari concluded. “We’re excited for next season and looking forward to the continued success of the event.”

Photos: STAMiNA Productions / ADI www.adi.tv www.aggreko.com www.blinkexperience.com www.fiaformulae.com www.mediapro-av.com www.stamina.sa

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BRINT JACKSON, GENERAL MANAGER, ETIHAD ARENA THE REGION’S LARGEST MULTIPURPOSE INDOOR EVENTS VENUE, ETIHAD ARENA IS SET TO BECOME THE UAE’S LEADING ENTERTAINMENT LANDMARK. GENERAL MANAGER, BRINT JACKSON TALKS TPMEA THROUGH HOW THE ARENA IS DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC AND SETS OUT HIS AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

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Etihad Arena General Manager, Brint Jackson.

Set on the stunning waterfront of Yas Bay, on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, Etihad Arena is a state-of-the-art indoor entertainment venue, offering world-class facilities and the ability to host everything from intimate gala dinners and cocktail receptions, to top-level international sporting events and electrifying concerts. The brand-new development has all the ingredients to become the UAE’s leading entertainment landmark, enhancing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global entertainment destination.

While this sparkling new facility is primed and ready to go, due to the global pandemic, we are still yet to see it operate to its full potential.

The UFC Fight Island events earlier this year gave us a small taste of what the Etihad Arena has to offer, but according to General Manager, Brint Jackson, there’s plenty more to come. Here, the GM explains how the arena is navigating its way through the pandemic, shares details about the facilities that incoming productions can expect and reveals his ambitious plans for the future.

How has the pandemic affected the opening of Etihad Arena?

Disney on Ice was due to be the first event to take place at Etihad Arena, in April 2020. Of course, that was postponed due to COVID-19, and we

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were finally able to open our doors for the first time in January this year for UFC Fight Island.

There has been a conservative approach to the re-opening of live events, which we agree with wholeheartedly. We consider ourselves lucky to live in a country where there is such a high level of safety, and the health and wellbeing of the residents is always the top priority.

Like the rest of the world, it’s likely to be a little while yet until we’re able to get back to full capacity and hosting major events regularly, which is what the arena was designed and built to do. However, we are very much up and running, and we are constantly updating our procedures in order to ensure that we work within the current guidelines. We’re looking forward to the continued rollout of the vaccine and we’re extremely positive that, in due course, we’ll be able to return to normal.

When did it become clear that UFC Fight Island would be the first event at Etihad Arena?

The UFC events are part of a long-term deal with the Tourism and Culture Authority here in Abu Dhabi. They have done an excellent job on sourcing fantastic global content, but more than that, they did a great job over the pandemic to facilitate huge international events, such as UFC

Fight Island, being held in Abu Dhabi during a time when almost every other global event had been cancelled or postponed.

The first few UFC Fight Island events took place at Flash Forum, then as soon as we were able to welcome spectators, we made Etihad Arena available to host the remaining shows.

What kind of measures were put in place to ensure everyone’s safety?

Health and safety was the top priority throughout all of the UFC Fight Island events. Firstly, we had clear and concise messaging going out to all patrons and staff, so everybody knew exactly what they needed to do prior to, during and even after the event.

Social distancing measures were implemented, mask wearing was compulsory and sanitation points were available throughout the venue. As well as thermal scanning on entry, all attendees were required to produce a 48-hour negative PCR test using the Al Hosn app or a report from an accredited UAE medical centre.

How important do you think technology such as the Al Hosn app will be for you moving forward, in the short term at least?

Things like the Al Hosn app are going to be

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“I’ve worked in many different arenas and venues throughout my 20-odd years in the industry and one thing I can say with confidence is that Etihad Arena is definitely the most multipurpose space that I have ever seen.”

Etihad Arena General Manager, Brint Jackson.

critical to us being able to welcome back higher numbers of spectators in the near future. In short, the app displays a person’s test results from any accredited testing centre, allowing venues to quickly and efficiently check everyone’s status before they’re admitted to any event. Without all the hard work of the government putting these frameworks in place, it simply would not be possible to host events of any kind at the moment.

What kind of feedback have you received?

The feedback we received was that everybody felt extremely safe inside the venue and, in general, there is a real desire for a return to live

events – even if that means having to adhere to extra safety regulations. Here in the UAE, people are generally very accepting, and we didn’t face any difficulties with compliance.

A lot of the changes we made such as contactless payments, mask wearing, negative tests and social distancing are our way of life at the moment anyway, so we found that the guests understood the changes and accepted them.

Looking at it from the glass-half-full perspective, our strategy has always involved going paperless and contactless.

Some other markets around the world have already adopted contactless technology much more than we have in the UAE so far, but the

pandemic has definitely sped up this transition, which will only help in the long term.

Is the arena designed specifically to cater to sporting events such as the UFC, or is it truly multipurpose?

I’ve worked in many different arenas and venues throughout my 20-odd years in the industry and one thing I can say with confidence is that Etihad Arena is definitely the most multipurpose space that I have ever seen.

We can host anything from an intimate 180-person cocktail reception, all the way up to an 18,000-capacity rock ’n’ roll show.

Gala dinners, community events, ice skating,

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swimming… it’s all possible. The way we can do that is through being able to operate in many different configurations. We’ve worked hard to make it incredibly easy for promoters to be able to manipulate the arena space to suit their needs.

We can use curtains, we can block off sections of seats and the PA can be arranged into a range of different configurations quickly and easily.

How important is it to be able to switch configurations quickly?

It is incredibly important. From a purely costeffectiveness standpoint, being able to turn around a space overnight gives us the ability to keep the arena operational for as many days of the year as possible. Every piece of in-house kit we have at the arena has been chosen with this in mind.

For example, we have a rollable stage from StageRight, which is among the first of its kind in the region. It’s one of my favourite things about our setup because it saves so much time on builds. Another thing I was very keen that we get right was event chairs. You tend to find that everybody goes to the same suppliers because of the cost factor, but we needed to make sure that

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what we ended up with was easily moveable yet still industry-leading in terms of comfort. Every purchasing decision we made in the arena fitout was with a view to giving the very best guest experience, while simultaneously reducing the cost of use for promoters.

What in-house technology are we likely to see?

Our in-house PA is from L-Acoustics. Aside from being an amazing sound system, the fact that pretty much the whole industry has L-Acoustics in their rider meant that it was a natural decision for us to purchase it. Of course, you’re going to have the odd one-off show where a different sound system is specified, but in the vast majority of productions, L-Acoustics is the PA of choice.

four-sided scoreboard or as IMAGs for concerts.

However, we want to remain as flexible as possible and give show designers and promoters a blank canvas to create whatever event they like, so we decided against purchasing generic lighting fixtures or control consoles.

Similarly, we don’t handcuff promoters to using a specific production house to supply for shows at the arena. We have our own preferred rigging partner, Unusual Rigging, which takes care of the top rigging, but from those points, we’re happy for promoters to bring in any accredited UAE production company. We understand that promoters have their own favoured partners, and we don’t want to force anyone into working in any specific way.

What about lighting and video?

While I felt it was important to keep the sound consistent throughout the venue, when it came to visual elements such as lighting, LED and SFX, they are so event-specific, we were keen to give incoming productions the option to bring in whatever they needed.

We offer options such as our four 4m by 7m LED screens, which can be configured either as a

How much of a focus has there been on infrastructure around the Etihad Arena?

We’re lucky to be on Yas Island, which has essentially been positioned as one of the top global destinations in entertainment, leisure and business. We’re surrounded by theme parks, hotels, dining and retail options. So, we’re set up as an island to host multiple events at a time, welcoming thousands of guests at once. We’ve

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“It’s so important for us to be a green arena and we were in the very lucky position to be able to design a sustainable building right from the inception.”

Etihad Arena General Manager, Brint Jackson.

got ample parking, easy access to hundreds of nearby dining options for pre- and post-event, which always helps with ingress and egress as it means that people are arriving to our events over a longer period of time.

What about dining options inside the arena?

Of course, we have our own concession areas for food and beverage within the area as well.

We partnered with Imperial Catering, one of the top options in the region when it comes to event experience and large-scale catering. Not only are they entrusted with the event-day operations, but they are also incredible when it comes to gala events and more fine-dining options. They do everything from royal weddings to Oktoberfeststyle events, so they are incredibly diverse.

Etihad Arena won the Sustainable Building Design of the Year at the MENA Green Buildings

Awards 2018. How important was sustainability in the design of the arena?

This was a big one for us. It’s so important for us to be a green arena and we were in the very lucky position to be able to design a sustainable building right from the inception.

There are a range of features that contribute towards the building’s sustainability, from the self-shading illuminated façade, which provides adequate daylight while reducing overall energy consumption, to the various other energy and water-saving systems, which we anticipate will result in a saving of more than 20%.

We’re also working towards being free from single-use plastics. This aspect has been made more difficult during the pandemic, but looking forward, this is certainly one of our long-term goals. It’s something that everyone here – from our engineers, to marketing, to the owners – is really passionate about.

Do you have a preferred promotion partner?

We work across the board with a range of promoters. Obviously, some promoters will naturally do more shows with us than others – Flash Entertainment, for example, has always done many of the major Abu Dhabi shows, so we work extremely closely with them. However, we don’t have ‘preferred’ promoters – we work with everyone, from Live Nation, to Flash, to Done Events, Alchemy Project and a range of international promoters.

How much of an advantage does being indoor give you when it comes to summer events?

It’s absolutely critical. Being able to expand the season here is such a bonus. That’s not to say we’re planning on necessarily doing major shows all year round at the moment because of the expat demographic here. However, while we might not bring a huge family show in the

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middle of summer when many families typically go back to their home countries, we can certainly host events that cater to the demographic that we have in the UAE during these times. Whether that’s comedy, music or sport, we can change our configuration and extend or reduce our capacity to satisfy these needs, whatever they may be.

With the UAE now having two world-class indoor arenas, do you think the country could become part of a Middle East touring route?

There’s no doubt about it. Having world-class facilities will absolutely help the UAE and in fact the Middle East to be part of the conversation when it comes to artists planning their world tours in the future. Now that we have permanent venues with permanent operating teams, multiple-city tours are a much more attractive option. Very soon that could mean jumping from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, to Saudi, to Bahrain. You can add Israel and Qatar in there now, too.

How much of a boost do you think the normalisation with Israel and Qatar will be?

The reaching out that the UAE and Saudi governments have done has opened up so many

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opportunities that have never been available before. I’m interested to see who is going to take the first chance to link all the major cities in the region with a tour. It’s got the potential to be a real game-changer.

Pandemic aside, what are the main challenges you face?

Historically in the region, it used to be a challenge to attract shows consistently. For many artists, the UAE was off the main route, but the country has now gained more traction and is an attractive proposition for big-name artists.

We also benefit from working directly with the Sports Council, which has helped put Abu Dhabi on the map as a leading destination when it comes to top-level sporting events.

We have the Formula One, the ITU World Triathlon and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship golf as regular events. We hosted the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2019, and we have the FINA Swimming World Championships coming at the end of this year. Even during the pandemic with UFC Fight Island, we have proven the blueprint for hosting these world-class sporting events in Abu Dhabi.

What are your future plans for Etihad Arena?

In the short term, our goal is to bring events back safely and reignite the live events industry in a responsible manner. We need to get back to live events, but it’s vital that first and foremost, people are safe. All of our energy now is being put towards working with the government as well as all our stakeholders and suppliers to make sure that we’re in the best position possible to scale up quickly when the opportunity arises.

In the medium term, we talk a lot about guest experience and delivering that seamless experience that creates memories. That starts with knowing our audience and picking the right events for our various demographics, making it as easy as possible for guests and promoters alike to book, promote and enjoy experiences here at Etihad Arena.

In the long term, as the pandemic has shown, nobody can predict the future. However, we feel that we’re in an extremely strong position to be able to adapt to whatever comes our way.

I am incredibly excited about our prospects for the long term. The sky really is the limit.

Photos: Etihad Arena www.etihadarena.ae

20-22 APRIL 2021 | WWW.MONDOSTADIA-AGORA.COM

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COMPANY PROFILE

COMPANY PROFILE: AREA FOUR INDUSTRIES DIRECT MIDDLE EAST AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF TRUSS OPENS A DEDICATED MIDDLE EAST OFFICE, TPMEA CATCHES UP WITH THE MEN TASKED WITH RUNNING THE OPERATION – GENERAL MANAGER, KEVIN BOUJIKIAN AND SALES MANAGER, PAUL HADFIELD.

While many planned company expansions, mergers and acquisitions around the world have been put on hold since the emergence of COVID-19, when it came to Area Four Industries opening a new outpost in the Middle East, not even a global pandemic could get in the way of progress. Having signed on the dotted line at ISE in February 2020, for the past year, Kevin Boujikian, General Manager, Area Four Industries Direct Middle East, has been busy providing clients with direct access to the world’s best-known truss, staging and hoist brands belonging to the group, including LITEC, MILOS, Prolyte, James Thomas Engineering and EXE Technology.

“We are very excited to be part of this dynamic and innovative truss group, as it gives

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us the opportunity to develop our customer relationships, provide better service with faster delivery of products, and expand our technology expertise and innovation across the GCC and Middle East region,” commented Boujikian, who will be familiar to TPMEA readers through his work as General Manager of Provision AVL – a role he will continue to hold alongside his new duties with Area Four Industries.

Based in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the company now has an extensive stock ready to service clients throughout the region.

“JAFZA is the ideal strategic location,” Boujikian commented. “It’s close to the port, so it gives us a logistical advantage. And the fact that it’s in a free zone is also extremely advantageous.” The organisation received a boost recently with the

appointment of Sales Manager, Paul Hadfield.

Bringing a wealth of industry experience, over the past decade, Hadfield has been Distributor Manager for Prolyte, working in the UK, Europe, South Africa and UAE.

“We’ve been working on this for quite a while now, and we felt that this was the right time for Paul to join the company so we can take over the challenge of managing Area Four Industries Middle East together,” Boujikian commented.

“This is my first position in Dubai,” Hadfield added, speaking to TPMEA just a week into his new role. “I’ve worked out here on a supply basis many times over the years and it was always a dream of mine to take on this challenge and move over full time. Kevin and I hit it off immediately and connected on many levels, so

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Facing page: Area Four Industries Direct Middle East’s Kevin Boujikan and Paul Hadfield.

it’s great to be able to work alongside him and the team.”

Clearly full of enthusiasm for his new challenge, Hadfield shared his understanding of the regional market. “There’s no doubt that there is a strong business base in the region,” he began.

“However, it has never really had a dedicated supplier of this type, with the major trussing, staging and hoist brands, all under one roof. With Area Four Industries Direct Middle East, we’re very much a one-stop turnkey solution that will provide value added benefits to our clients.”

Having worked in the industry for the past two decades, the new Sales Manager has an extensive contact book – many of whom are now based in the Middle East. “There are a lot of familiar faces out here, which is useful for me to be able to hit the ground running,” Hadfield remarked, adding that most of the groundwork had already been done for him. “There’s a huge amount of respect for what Kevin and the team have done already. There are undoubtedly strong foundations in place with Provision AVL, and now we’re carrying it on with the new venture.”

‘THE CREAM RISES TO THE TOP’ While live events projects have been few and far between of late for obvious reasons, the installation market is still performing strongly for the business.

“We get involved in a lot of installation work, so we’re not pigeonholed into working only on live events,” Boujikian revealed. “It’s so important for us to be able to spread our skills and our experience across many different sectors, which has kept us going throughout this period.”

COVID-19 has, of course, had an effect.

“From a business point of view, we would have been further down the track and some projects

that are currently being worked on would probably have already been installed by now,” Hadfield conceded. However, the Sales Manager is confident about the overall prognosis for the industry in the Middle East.

“There’s a very bright calendar going forward here – particularly from October onwards and the start of Expo 2020, which is sure to be a massive ground-breaking global event,” he pinpointed.

“There’s a real sense of the size and scale of the event. All the indications are that it will be an incredibly safe and successful event, which will provide a major boost for our industry.”

Hadfield was under no illusions as to his purpose within the organisation. “There needs to be business coming in for me to have a purpose here,” he stated plainly. “While we are not currently at full capacity due to the restraints of the pandemic, we have a steady stream of work coming in and we’re confident that the industry will bounce back bigger and brighter than ever.

The challenge then becomes being agile enough to facilitate that increased demand – something which we feel we’re in a good position to do.”

While the installation market is the primary focus this year, Hadfield was keen to stress that the company is always on the lookout for other ideas and ways in which to help the business grow. “When you look at our business, more often than not, you’d associate it with rock ’n’ roll or theatre. However, there are other aspects of the business such as TV, broadcast, sport, retail, leisure and other opportunities such as esports, which are massive sectors and are growing very quickly,” he commented.

As the official representatives to the GCC and Levant regions, while the headquarters is located in Dubai, there are plenty of projects going on outside the UAE. “Saudi Arabia is a strong market

for us,” Boujikian revealed. “Looking at the growth that is taking place outside of Dubai, there are so many opportunities now that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.”

With such a wide range of trussing options now available, Hadfield conceded that the market has become somewhat diluted. However, he maintains that, in terms of quality and longevity, the equipment Area Four Industries carries is a cut above the rest. “We carry globally recognised brands from the world-leading manufacturer,” he commented. When I first started in the industry 20 years ago, there were limited options for trussing, for example. Nowadays, you’ve only got to type the word ‘truss’ into Google, and you’ll get a million and one options, but we believe strongly that the cream rises to the top and the quality speaks for itself.”

He added: “In this industry, quality and safety is paramount, and we’re proud to be able to offer the very best equipment from the world’s most trusted manufacturers. History has taught us that by investing in the right products, our customers not only get long-lasting equipment, but also receive a high level of dedicated support long after orders have been delivered.”

Hadfield went on to share his vision for the future. “In the short term, my remit is to continue building the profile of the business in the region.

Kevin and the team have already built incredibly strong foundations long before I arrived on the scene, so I’ll look to use that solid base to build from,” he commented. “In the long term, who knows? We both have extremely high aspirations for the company. At the moment we’re a dedicated, customer-focused team and we all want to grow together and thrive.”

Photos: Area Four Industries Direct Middle East www.areafourindustries.me

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INTERVIEW

PETER GREEN, FOUNDER, GME EVENTS KNOWN FOR WORKING WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN COMEDY, PETER GREEN LAUNCHES A NEW COMPANY TO KEEP SMILES ON THE FACES OF DUBAI AUDIENCES.

Launching a new events company isn’t easy at the best of times, but it doesn’t get much tougher than during a global pandemic and in the same year that your first child is born.

However, that is exactly what Peter Green, Founder of GME Events, has done. “The timing has been interesting to say the least,” he laughed, adding that thanks to his recent new arrival, the best time to get hold of him is now in the middle of the night. “I’m usually really responsive around 3am!”

After spending eight years at Done Events, working on productions such as RedFestDXB, Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival and

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DXBLaughs, as well as winning ‘Entertainment Manager of the Year’ at the TPMEA Awards 2020, Green recently took the bold decision to start his own business. “The year we’ve all had in the industry has been unprecedented and it has brought a lot of changes, so it was a good time for me to make a change, move on and seek new opportunities,” he told TPMEA.

Over the years, DXBLaughs saw the likes of Jimmy Carr [TPMEA #26], Michael McIntyre, Kevin Bridges, John Bishop, Eddie Izzard, Dara Ó Briain and many more entertain packed-out crowds at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), and it’s primarily this experience that Green intends to

draw upon in order to make this new venture a success. “Comedy has always been my bread and butter,” he explained. “I’ve built up a great contacts list with a number of top comedians and their agents, many of whom I now consider to be friends.

The inaugural GME Events project saw Jack Whitehall play the DWTC as part of Dubai Shopping Festival. “Dubai Tourism have been incredibly helpful, providing excellent support to help push the show to as many people as possible,” Green reflected. “Jack is an act that I had been keen to work with for some time and since his Netflix shows have done so well

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GME Events Founder, Peter Green.

“If you don’t take a chance and grab the opportunity when it arises, you’ll never know if you can make it work.”

GME Events Founder, Peter Green.

internationally, including the MENA region, his reach is far wider than many other British acts.”

With a total of 5,000 socially distanced fans in attendance across three shows, the Jack Whitehall shows were the biggest production of their kind since the onset of the pandemic.

While social distancing restrictions remain in place as the COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled out in the UAE, Green believes that shows of this type are the perfect solution until events can return to normal. “Regulations are constantly being updated and adapting in response to the progress of the pandemic – these things are out of our control,” he commented. “However, given that most comedy is naturally seated anyway, that makes it much easier to manage people than, for example, rock ’n’ roll shows where there is a general admission fan pit. What is more, the public are much more willing to be a part of it because they feel safe and secure.”

As an independent start-up, GME doesn’t have the same financial clout as some of the

UAE’s larger, more established organisations.

However, according to Green, this means that he’s able to have constructive conversations with these larger organisations in a non-competitive way. “Even if you don’t end up working together, the conversations are incredibly helpful because they allow you to share your plans and gain a better understanding of the direction that the overall market is heading in,” he shared.

“For example, if I tell a promoter looking to bring a British music act to Dubai that we’ve got a 3,000-capacity British comedian coming to DWTC on a certain night, obviously that promoter would look to host their show on a different night, or vice versa, so as not to cannibalise the audience. It’s all about collaboration.”

Looking ahead, Green is hopeful that GME can be used as a platform by some of the skilled events professionals who have been affected by the pandemic. “There are so many extremely talented and creative people here who have been made redundant or have had to take some form

of unpaid leave,” he commented. “The general idea is to let these guys know that I’ve invested in the company, gone through all the paperwork and put in the groundwork to get the company set up. So, if anyone is able to pick up work, but they are not in a position to invest in starting their own company, GME can be used a platform for them to deliver their services to their clients.”

While some may question the wisdom of launching a new events company in the middle of the pandemic, the GME Founder concluded by explaining his motives. “Perhaps the pandemic sped up the process, but I’d always had the idea of starting my own company in the back of my mind,” Green commented.

“It might take us a while to reach the level that we’re ultimately aiming to achieve, but I’m pleased with the progress so far. If you don’t take a chance and grab the opportunity when it arises, you’ll never know if you can make it work.”

Photos: GME Events www.gme-events.com

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

IDOLS SA ROBE AND ASTERA LIGHTING FIXTURES FEATURE EXTENSIVELY ON THE SPECTACULAR 16TH SERIES FINALE. Pretoria State Theatre’s 640-seat Drama Stage hosted the finale of Idols SA, complete with a lighting design by Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier and technical production delivered by Dream Sets for SIC Entertainment.

While the show would normally decamp to the 3,000-capacity Carnival City Big Top Arena in Johannesburg for the finale, this year everything remained at the State Theatre, and while accommodating a strictly limited audience of 250, the visual elements of the production were also expanded, with an additional 120 Robe moving lights added to the rig.

While the Idols Live Show rig features a number of Robe luminaires – including six BMFL Blades, 16 LEDWash 800s, 16 Pointes and 16 ColorWash 2500s – for the final, a further 120 Robe moving lights were added for max impact.

A total of 24 MegaPointes were loaded onto six custom-built dollies, which could be wheeled around the stage and positioned anywhere to instantly create different architecture and structural looks. “The more I use them, the more

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I like them and still find new effects,” Cutts said of the fixture. “It’s an outstanding beam and spotlight source, with the colour mixing adding whole other level.”

Twenty-four ESPRITES were flown above the stage and in the side wings, unleashing another layer of lighting. “I was amazed at the compact size of the ESPRITE for the power and number of features – very impressive,” Cutts declared.

Eight out of a total 24 Tetra2 moving LED bars proved ideal for edging the top and bottom of the upstage 10m by 4m LED screen, with the other 16 placed along the edge of the stage in the footlights position, giving three distinctive lines of piercing Tetra2 beams and some great interactional effects. A further 48 Spikies were rigged on five steel frames also on dollies and used to create columns of light 2.5m high by 1.5m wide in different locations onstage.

Two BaseStations controlled two Robe BMFL WashBeams located at FOH and the third system was connected to four BMFL Blades on one of the back trusses, used for tight and neat rear

spotting on the theatre stage. Cutts worked with his associate Andre Siebrits, who programmed and operated the MA Lighting grandMA2 full size console, which was running with a light as backup and an MA OnPC for visualisation, with a healthy 32 universes of DMX feeding into the system. A Green Hippo Boreal+ media server running via the console dealt with playback content for the LED screens.

The LD also devised a selection of special visual treatments, some of which were based around utilising Astera Titan Tubes, which were deployed on three different shows. Describing the fixtures as “great bang-for-buck”, Cutts explained why he was so keen on the fixture. “They are a bright, vibrant and easy-to-use wireless solution,” he commented. “They look great on camera, the colours are cool, while the AsteraApp on your smartphone works brilliantly for both testing and standalone setups.”

Photos: Duncan Riley www.robe.cz www.astera-led.com

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MISS SOWETO 2020 INSANE SOUND AND LIGHTING PROVIDES A TURNKEY TECHNICAL SOLUTION FOR THE HYBRID BEAUTY PAGEANT. For the fourth consecutive year, Vimal Rawjee of Insane Sound and Lighting was appointed to supply the full technical for Miss Soweto.

Hosted at the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani, Johannesburg, the event took a hybrid format, being recorded for television and with 100 guests in attendance.

Having not worked on a large-scale production since the start of the pandemic, the experience was a mixed bag of adrenalin and nostalgia. “I was scared but excited,” commented Rawjee. “It has been a while! But I have a good team of guys who always step up and make my craziness happen. This really was a milestone.”

The equipment used on the event over the past four years has grown from two 6,000-lumen projectors to now include over 200 LED panels.

“While we are the main technical supplier, we sub hire from Bass Mechanics and ShowQuip, which is my way of spreading the love, and we are also responsible for the set design, content and the running of the show,” Rawjee explained.

Lighting equipment included 12 Robe ESPRITE LEDs, eight LEDBeam 150s and four Martin by Harman MAC Quantum Wash fixtures, and 212 LED screen panels, which were used for a striking backdrop. An MA Lighting grandMA2 was

used for lighting control, while video content ran off a Green Hippo Karst media server.

Having only recently purchased the Robe ESPIRITEs, this was their first outing. “They were not stage shy!” Rawjee said of the fixture. “They did an amazing job and added so much to the production, even cutting through the LED panels.

We didn’t get to use them to their full potential, but lighting designer, Shaniel Lallao was as impressed as I was.”

Another integral piece of kit to the production was the Green Hippo Karst media server. “Thanks to Mfundo Masikane who ran the AV, and Dylan Jones from DWR Distribution, we were able to use the machine to its full potential,” Rawjee said. Jones added: “This was not a simple setup, with all the LED screens, left, centre and right, making a single canvas. Vimal had an interesting approach to making a panoramic background for the event. Each part of the show had a different look. The idea really worked well.”

Working at The Soweto Theatre was very different to previous years, with all safety precautions in place due to the pandemic. “I have to commend Lebugang Mnisi, the theatre’s Technical Manager, who was so helpful and full of vigour with his ‘get it done’ attitude,” said Rawjee.

With some of the theatre’s crew self-isolating, the Soweto Theatre called on the Roodepoort Theatre’s Melony Eksteen and Ntombikayise Tshabalala to assist. “I would have these two at my side at any show – they were so helpful, enthusiastic and made my setup much easier.”

The entire team put in extra effort, pleased to be able to work. “Shaniel was super enthusiastic to be behind a desk again, while the Bass Mechanic supplied an LED screen. Crewsaders Event Crew really pushed hard, and within five hours we were loaded out.” Rawjee also thanked Ramesh Singh and Darlington Kwanda, “who worked extremely hard to make the set and technical come together”, as well as the entire DWR Distribution team.

Reflecting on the event, Rawjee concluded: “Sometimes we have to juggle between clients and budgets, our crews and suppliers. Do what is best for your people and make sure they have enough to live decent lives. While it’s great to put on these shows, my reward is knowing that I helped so many others survive another month and that is what makes me proud to be Insane.”

Photo: Vimal Rawjee / designerphoto.co.za www.insanesound.co.za www.dwrdistribution.co.za

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

SOUNDS OF VICTORY CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL FIXTURES LIGHT LIVESTREAM FROM HARARE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER. Blessing Bero and his team at Events Evolution utilised a number of CHAUVET Professional fixtures, including the Maverick MK2 Spot, Rogue R2 Spot and Rogue R2 Wash for gospel singer Janet Manyowa’s recent pay-perview livestream from Harare International Conference Center.

Drawing on the versatility of these fixtures, Bero balanced the demands of lighting for the event’s pay-per-view livestream audience and the limited number of VIP guests invited to the launch. “Our primary focus was on the livestream viewers, but we also wanted to create a dynamic show for those who were present,” he commented. “This required a degree of flexibility from our relatively small rig.”

Since Bero had only a limited number of fixtures at his disposal, each unit was called upon

to perform multiple functions and cover wide areas. “We needed a consistent, even field of light across the main performance area,” he explained.

“Although we had only four MK2 Spots, they were able to provide us with this coverage perfectly, giving us excellent light levels for the lead singer and the backup vocalists.”

To highlight Manyowa as well as individual band members during solos, Bero relied on four Rogue R2 Spots, while he coloured the stage with 24 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures positioned on four truss totems, as well as above the video wall backdrops and on overhead upstage truss. “The amazing zoom coverage of the Rogue washes gave me big looks,” he recalled.

For Bero and his team, the chance to create big looks in front of a live – albeit very small – audience for a superstar was a welcome relief

after months of a pandemic lockdown.

Photo: CHAUVET Professional www.chauvetprofessional.com www.eventsevo.co.za

STAGE AUDIO WORKS BOLSTERS SALES TEAM INTERNAL RESTRUCTURING AT STAGE AUDIO WORKS CREATES NEW SALES ROLE. Stage Audio Works (SAW) has appointed Lee Thomson to the newly created role of Projects Sales Manager, with Mike Summerfield taking on the post of Distribution Sales Manager. The move follows the decision to restructure the sales operation into two distinct verticals – namely Projects and Distribution – to better serve both markets.

The Projects team will look after markets served directly by SAW, including houses of worship, themed attractions and casinos, sports, and performing arts. The Distribution team will manage corporate AV, education, retail, broadcast, plus rental and staging companies.

“Separate teams will allow us better focus on the specific needs of each vertical, which are quite different,” explained Group CTO, Nathan Ihlenfeldt. “As part of this new organisation, we’re thrilled to welcome Lee Thomson to head up the Projects sales division. Lee brings a vast amount of experience and expertise to the SAW family, especially within the worship market, which has been a key growth area for us over the past decade. The Distribution team is in the capable hands of Mike Summerfield, a valued member of our crew who has been with us since 2012.

“While COVID-19 has presented an incredible challenge to our industry, the diverse

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market positioning of our group of companies has proven resilient,” he continued. “The restructuring provides us with better market focus and the addition of Lee enhances our vast solution knowledge and implementation ability. We are also stating our commitment to our integrator and rental partners by ensuring dedicated internal resources to deal with their needs in a meaningful and relevant way. The future looks incredibly bright.”

Thomson added: “I am excited to join a progressive, forward-thinking company with an immense amount of talent, a vast and comprehensive product offering, and years of world-class project experience. With my 20plus years of experience in the pro AVL space, I can add significant value to the SAW offering, especially in the house of worship market.”

Photo: Stage Audio Works www.stageaudioworks.com

Robe Forte

ARRI S60-C

GULF CREWING COMPANY The Middle East’s premier local crew supplier

Established in 2008 and based in the UAE, GCC Events LLC exists to provide a comprehensive, high quality, English-speaking crew service to the live event and exhibition industries of the U.A.E. and Gulf region.

www.gulfcrewing.com

GCC Events LLC Office 1103 Mezz Floor Al Habtoor Building Al Quoz 1 Sheikh Zayed Road P.O. Box 27349 Dubai UAE Telephone: +971 4 339 5009 Email: office@gulfcrewing.com

GCC Events LLC - Branch of Abu Dhabi Office # 220 Second Floor Global Heritage Property Business Centre Omeir Bin Youssef & Sons Building Hamdan Street (Old UAE Exchange Building) P.O. Box 36198 Abu Dhabi, UAE Telephone: +971 4 339 5009 Email: office@gulfcrewing.com

GCC Middle East LLC Room 111 Ground Floor Um Al Umam Commercial Centre 8714 Salah Ad Din Alayyubi Road Ad Dubbat 12623-4399 Riyadh Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Telephone: +966 11 291 0891 Email: office@gulfcrewing.com