27 minute read
REGIONAL ROUND-UP
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
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 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
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
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 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
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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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
PIXEL ARTWORKS OPENS IN DUBAI
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 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
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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