REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Create Media Group opens Cairo Office; Venuetech partners with Panasonic; NMK agrees distribution agreement with ARHT Media; Rock-It Cargo partners with Sela; INFiLED Business Development Manager Saudi Arabia, Hasan Najim.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

THE LATEST MOVERS AND SHAKERS ACROSS THE REGION.

Create Media Group has opened an office in Cairo to house a 30-person team in response to growing demand over the past 12 months. “We’re committed to building diverse, multicultural teams across the region that enable us to create positive commercial and social impact for our clients,” commented Managing Partner, Tom Otton. “The incredible talent that Egypt has to offer, and the vibrant digital economy has made this an easy decision, even in uncertain times.”

Hasan Najim has joined INFiLED as Business Development Manager for Saudi Arabia. The new appointment comes as the company expands its presence in the Middle East by opening a new office and showroom in Dubai. “Hasan’s expertise, skillset and broad network in the industry will be extremely valuable to increase our install base and build long-term customer relationships within Saudi Arabia,” said Marco Bruines, Sr. Vice President of INFiLED EMEA.

NMK Group has been named the exclusive distributor of ARHT Media’s technology and services in the UAE and Qatar. As part of this agreement, NMK will install ARHT’s capture and display technology at both existing and planned customer experience centres in Dubai and Doha. “Our current clients, as well as new prospects, have expressed great interest in exploring the implementation of ARHT’s tech stack for both permanent installations and events,” stated NMK Business Director, Constantinos Drimakis.

Rock-It Cargo and Sela Sport Company have formed a global partnership, with Rock-it acting as Sela’s global freight forwarding and logistics provider in all countries outside of Saudi Arabia, and Sela acting as the logistics provider to Rock-it within the Kingdom.

“Rock-it now has a partner that is unrivalled in its live event experience across Saudi Arabia and Sela now has a global partner with an extended network across five continents,” said Paul Martins, CEO and President, Rock-it. “Sela is going to raise the bar once more in the event management sector in Saudi with our partnership with Rock-it,” added Loai Kamakhi, General Manager of Business Solutions, Sela.

Venuetech has partnered with Panasonic to distribute its professional AV and broadcast solutions in Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. “We are pleased to partner with Venuetech and believe that this partnership will support Panasonic in expanding its reach in the region,” commented Hidetoshi Kaneko, Director of System Solutions and Communication Division, Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa FZE. “With Venuetech’s service excellence and industry experience, we are sure customers will receive the highest quality solutions.”

“This partnership will take both Panasonic and Venuetech to new heights in the AV market in this region,” commented Abdul Assafiri, Director of Operations at Venuetech. “With the team we have now and the support from Panasonic, we are very confident we will set new industry standards in the Middle East as a whole.” www.tpmeamagazine.com

N&M BOLSTERS MIDDLE EAST TEAM

THE COMPANY EXPANDS ITS MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM AS PART OF MAJOR EXPANSION.

Neumann&Muller (N&M) Middle East has appointed Michael Walker as Head of Marketing & Business Development. “We are excited to welcome Mike to the N&M family and are confident that he will be an integral part of our company and vision,” a company spokesperson commented. “His extensive experience in the industry will be instrumental in our expansion efforts and all of us are looking forward to his leadership and collaborations in accomplishment of overall results.”

Walker added: “I am tremendously excited to join N&M in this time of growth and expansion to work with their talented team driving the company’s ambitious vision. I look forward to leveraging my experience as a business developer and marketer to establish planned new business units, reach new markets and grow the N&M brand and customer base across the Middle East.”

The company has also appointed James Righton as Key Account Manager for the Middle East, as well as Orkhan Salamov as Marketing Manager. “To join a company with the ambition of N&M is an unbelievable opportunity for me and one I’m very excited about,” said Righton. “With the platform the company is creating with its involvement at Expo, I can’t wait to play my part in realising the company’s long-term goals.”

Salamov added: “I am delighted to have joined N&M at this exciting point in the development of the company and look forward to working with the team on innovative, open and creative marketing ideas that will help drive our future growth ambitions.” In addition to these key hires, the company is actively recruiting for numerous permanent positions in project management and support roles, as well as a large number of six-month contract roles for freelance technicians for both live entertainment and installation projects at Expo 2020. Photo: Neumann&Muller www.neumannmueller.ae

Orkhan Salamov, Michael Walker and James Righton.

ADI SUPPORTS EXTREME E DESERT X PRIX

THE COMPANY PROVIDES A SEAMLESS BROADCAST SOLUTION IN THE EXTREME CONDITIONS OF ALULA DESERT.

With a focus on the environment and highlighting the climate crisis by visiting the globe’s most remote landscapes, Extreme E’s pioneering electric off-road series kicked off on 3-4 April, with the Desert X Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The ground-breaking race marked a world first in motorsport, with both male and female drivers competing with each other.

ADI supported Extreme E in creating the Command Centre, which was at the heart of the live race broadcast beamed around the world to more than 40 different channels, including BBC, ITV, ESPN, FOX Sports and Eurosport.

The Command Centre’s stylish technical design was achieved through fine pitch LED screens and lighting fixtures, set around an arcshaped desk hosting team representatives such as Nico Rosberg and Chip Ganassi.

In the planning stages of the project, ADI created a 3D visual design of the Command Centre in disguise, allowing the team to test and further develop the layout through VR. “This allowed us to plan the layout of all technical kit and AV hardware with precision, which was vital given the fairly compact space available,” commented ADI’s Head of Technical Solutions, Dave Crowther.

“We planned the positions and layout to the nearest millimetre, so there were no unforeseen issues when we arrived on site. The 3D visualisation was also helpful in allowing us to test content from any angle on the 2mm modular LED that sat in front of the arc-shaped desk and ensure a seamless solution for broadcast.”

A dedicated ADI team was on-hand to manage and cue all audio, 4K video and lighting playout inside the Command Centre, utilising a single software platform to run the show. ADI’s platform brought flexibility to the playback, capable of supporting multiple layers of digital media across the fine pitch LED screens, and allowed changes to the studio AV and sports press to be triggered by live action that happened during the race.

Having worked in outdoor locations all over the world, Crowther is used to extreme conditions – “but pitching up in the middle of the AlUla desert was something quite different!” he exclaimed. “It brought challenges, but these were mostly accounted for in our forward planning; for example, flight cases and sand don’t go well together, so we coordinated forklifts and plant equipment to be on-site for build and derig. The desert environment also meant we had to build the Command Centre structure on a deck platform, so we could guarantee all cameras, lighting desks and LED screens were level.”

Crowther was pleased with the efforts of his team. “We aligned ADI’s expertise with Extreme E’s vision, then planned and executed the project within a month, which was a great achievement given the time sensitivities around transportation of technical equipment to Saudi Arabia, and also the challenges COVID-19 brings to any international travel and live event delivery,” he concluded. “It’s fantastic to be part of this pioneering new race series that’s pushing the boundaries of motorsport, and we look forward to supporting Extreme E across the diverse X Prix that are coming up. Photo: Extreme E www.ADI.tv

Encore Group Director Middle East, Simon Ransom.

ECLIPSE REBRANDS TO ENCORE

SIMON RANSOM, GROUP DIRECTOR MIDDLE EAST, DISCUSSES THE REASONING BEHIND THE REBRAND, GIVES AN UPDATE ON THE COMPANY’S PROGRESS, AND EXPLAINS WHY HE PREDICTS A STRONG END TO THE YEAR.

Back in March 2020, PSAV announced that it would be rebranding, along with its family of companies, as Encore – the name of the business it acquired in early 2019. By January 2021, the majority of the PSAV family had done exactly that, with the likes of Hawthorn, AVC Live, KFP and PSAV itself uniting under the Encore brand. However, for fellow PSAV company, eclipse, the quirks of the UAE’s legal and regulatory system meant that the company has continued to operate under its original name… until now. “We are delighted to announce that from 6 June, eclipse has rebranded to Encore,” confirmed Simon Ransom, Group Director Middle East, Encore.

The rebranding of eclipse means that the entire global network is now unified under the Encore brand. “We were always part of one large family, but the fact that we are now all united under the same brand means that the messaging can be consistent across the board,” Ransom said.

“We wanted to help our customers understand that wherever they are in the world, with Encore, they can get that same level of service, professionalism and expertise that they have become accustomed to.” While the rebrand won’t have any material effect on the way that the company operates, Ransom believes that the new name and company positioning is a much stronger representation of what the global business now provides. “PSAV was known primarily as a venues business and that is simply not the case anymore,” he commented.

“The expansion plans of PSAV were always to expand internationally and grow the live events and production business, and with the acquisitions of Encore Event Technologies and eclipse in 2019, the company added a much broader scope. So, the rebranding decision was made with the aim of homogenising that picture across the world and is expressed by the new tagline: ‘Encore. Events that Transform’.”

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a constant challenge to the entire industry. However, Ransom is confident that the work done, and significant investment made over the past yearand-a-half, stands the company in good stead whatever happens with the pandemic. “We have the capability and creativity to help customers who need to take their events from the live space and put them into the virtual or hybrid space,” he highlighted. “The benefit of the virtual and hybrid environment is that you don’t all need to be in the same room any more to hold a successful event, which makes our global network more useful than ever.”

While COVID-19 has, of course, been a blow to business, the company has worked on several socially distant live events throughout the pandemic and, according to Ransom, bookings for Q3 and Q4 are already starting to come in. “We’re seeing a lot of clients from all over the world looking to work in the Middle East and having maintained a significant level of our staffing in the UAE, we’re well placed to cater to their needs.”

Looking ahead, Ransom is positive about the future of the company under the Encore brand. “The aims remain the same as when we joined what was then PSAV and is now Encore,” he stated. “We want to continue to grow the business, consolidate our position in the UAE, expand our operation in Saudi Arabia and potentially look to other markets, too.

“When the industry comes back, it’s going to come back fast,” he concluded. “We plan on being agile enough to be able to employ the right people at the right time so the company can grow quickly with the demand.” Photo: Encore www.encore-emea.com

ARABIAN GULF CUP FINAL

NO1 EVENTS PROVIDES A VISUAL FEAST, INCLUDING A 30M-HIGH WATER FOUNTAIN SHOW, FOR THE SHOWPIECE FIXTURE AT SHARJAH STADIUM.

Creative lighting, piercing lasers and spectacular fireworks are all par for the course when it comes to showpiece football matches in the UAE. However, for this year’s Arabian Gulf Cup Final between Shabab Al Ahli and Al Nasr, technical provider No1 Events upped the ante, providing a 250,000-litre pool from which a stunning water fountain show with peak jets of over 30m was launched.

Of course, the water fountain show was just part of the showcase, with a full audio, video, lighting, and special effects package deployed for the event. “The main challenge of this event came down to time,” revealed No1 Events’ Technical Director, Mirco Resta. “We first entered the stadium early in the morning on 4 April and we had to have everything installed and ready for dress rehearsals on 7 April, with the match taking place on 9 April.” No1 Events worked with a local composer and musician to create an audio track for the event, which was attended by around 200 VIPs. An L-Acoustics system comprising 12 KUDOs and six SB28s ensured that the socially distant crowd could hear the show loud and clear. Audio Engineer, Martin Chiervo used a Midas M32 with a DL32 stage box for control, while four Shure SLD-D mics and four Audio-Technica M3 IEM systems with ATH-40 earpieces were also utilised.

As well as creating an audio track, No1 Events content team of Sulaimon Olasunkanmi, Mohammed Rasin Thalathodika and Jaganath Singh also produced 10 minutes of highresolution video content, which was played on a central 7,800-pixel by 1,664-pixel LED screen as well as a 24,192-pixel by 96-pixel LED perimeter.

In total, 252 sq m of Lightlink 4.8mm outdoor LED was supplied, which was divided into seven 4.5m by 8m vertical screens, in addition to 235 sq m of 10mm outdoor LED for the perimeter. Four Christie HD20K projectors were used, while processing came in the form of 20 NovaStar MCTRL 660 LED processors and content was managed using four Dataton WATCHOUT servers. “During the match, we displayed the supporters on the big screen, connected through Zoom from their homes,” Resta explained.

Lighting Designer, Lucas Rey selected a lighting package including 80 Claypaky Sharpy Beams, 12 Alpha Spot 1500s and 32 Martin by Harman MAC Aura Washes, with control coming from an MA Lighting grandMA2 full size console with MA NPU.

The most eye-catching aspect of the delivery was the innovative water fountain show. The temporary pool for the show was made of Litec QD40 truss and 95m by 5m of 80cm-high PVC material. “We filled up the pool with more than 250,000 litres of water in just one day, and we drained and removed it the same night after the event,” Resta recalled. The fountain show was

programmed by Fountain International’s Pavel Pashkovskiy, with 28 high-pressure water pumps generating jets of up to 30m high.

The laser show, also programmed by Pashkovskiy, used eight Kvant 10W Spectrum lasers, with control from two Syncronorm V:Servers, an Alcorn McBride Inv V4 Pro and a Pangolin laser controller. A total of 900 shots of fireworks were operated by FLASH ART’s Gideon Chiam Kok Kheng, using a PyroSure Controller V2, 24 firing wireless modules and four confetti shooters.

While this year’s match was actually the 13th edition of the annual tournament, it was dubbed ‘The 50th Cup’ to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE. On the pitch, with the two sides unable to break the deadlock, Shabab Al Ahli ultimately triumphed 5-4 on penalties, celebrating their victory on a 30m-wide stage that was set up in just 10 minutes, using more than 200 crew and 10 co-ordinators.

The rest of the No1 Events crew for the event comprised: Show Director, Hassan Abu Hamid; Creative Content Director, Ahmed Elkady; Finance Director, Ahmed Abdelgawad Meabed; WATCHOUT Operator, Edgar Pulido; Crew Coordinator, Mohammed Navas; and Production Coordinator, Analyn Peralta Matin-ao (Arrah).

Resta was pleased to report that the event was fully free of COVID-19 cases. “We had multiple tests during the days of setup and the show, and no cases were detected,” he commented. “Thanks to Jakub Michalik of FLASH ART for the great support and to the client, UAE Pro League, for trusting us with this opportunity.” Photos: FLASH ART, No1 Events www.no1events.net www.flashart.com

WHAT’S ON DUBAI AWARDS 2021

SOLAS PROVIDES AUDIO, VIDEO AND LIGHTING SOLUTION FOR A SOCIALLY DISTANCED AWARD CEREMONY AT DUBAI’S WESTIN MINA SEYAHI.

With a wealth of restaurants catering to just about any cuisine you could imagine, Dubai has garnered a well-earned reputation in recent years as one of the world’s top foodie destinations. While the emirate’s burgeoning restaurant sector has gone through a challenging year for obvious reasons, the What’s On Dubai Awards 2021 went ahead regardless in recognition of some of the city’s best and brightest hospitality heroes.

Having worked on a number of other What’s On Awards events over the past three years – including the What’s on Dubai Nightlife Awards and What’s on Awards Abu Dhabi – SOLAS was once again tasked with providing a full audio, video and lighting supply for the event, with All Events Services (AES) handling staging.

This year’s ceremony switched from its usual location at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre to the nearby Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina. “It was absolutely key to success of the project that we did not disrupt any of the day-today running of the hotel,” commented SOLAS’ Eoin Sheridan. “The staff at the hotel were very good to work with and open to making sure that our event had ample time to set up and not disrupt their residents.”

Load-in began around midday on the day before the event and the SOLAS team worked right up until dark, tweaking the designs and putting together the finishing touches. “On the day of the event, the team were heavily focused on providing power to sponsors and also fitting in rehearsals with the MC and running through the awards show,” Sheridan noted.

From an audio perspective, SOLAS provided an Adamson S10 and S119 line array system in a ground stacked format, with delays for some tables which were outside the main coverage area. “The system is perfect for these events,” Sheridan commented.

“It gave really amazing coverage for every guest and delivered crisp audio throughout the night. This is important for an awards ceremony which has a lot of speech and music playback

“We are delighted to have live events back in the region – it’s a testament to Dubai, and the UAE as a whole, how they managed to progress so quickly.”

SOLAS Operations Manager, Eoin Sheridan.

and, of course, you need to be able to hear the winners announced.”

The video setup comprised multiple Lightlink screens placed throughout the venue, including a main 8m by 4m 3.9mm outdoor LED, as well as three 4m by 2.5m 3.9mm LEDs used for IMAG. The control system was run through a Barco S3 system, along with Dataton WATCHOUT for the main video playback. “The awards were based on over 240 slides, via Keynote, so there were lots of moving graphics and heavy video content to work with,” Sheridan noted.

“The lighting design required some thought, as it was a tricky space,” Sheridan revealed. “Due to COVID-19 restrictions and related safety measures, the tables were quite spread out and the surrounding area was dotted with lots of trees and hedging, so we had to be creative to come up with a design that would cover the large area but work in the space.”

To that end, a rig including over 90 moving head fixtures comprising SGM Q7, DTS Core, DTS Nick 1401, Robe 100 LED Beams and Beam 100s was specified. “We had multiple trussing structures around the space; a mixture of goal post structures and standalone totems,” Sheridan noted. “Control was done via an Avolites Tiger Touch 2, with some pre-viz work done in the office before reaching the site.” AES provided its Bandroof Stage, which offers “an elegant and creative solution for a wide range of event applications”. The compact roof structure has been designed to provide overhead protection from the elements, reducing any sight-line obstacles between artist and audience while still offering maximum aesthetic impact. “The guys at AES are very easy to work with and provide a very efficient and professional service,” Sheridan stated. “Communication was great between both parties.”

A number of health and safety measures were implemented to ensure that the event adhered to the latest COVID-19 guidance. “To make sure the What’s On Awards 2021 were as safe as possible, at the entrance, all guests needed to present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours before the event or show proof of full vaccination,” stated Stuart Norbury, Events Manager, Motivate Media Group. “Meanwhile, all trophies were sanitised before being handed to winners; table numbers were reduced to adhere to the current Dubai F&B guidelines; and all guests had to wear masks when coming to collect trophies on stage, or when walking around the venue. This was continually enforced by our MC throughout the evening.”

With 320 people in attendance, Norbury was pleased with the turnout during what he described as “an exceptionally tough time for the events industry”. He added: “It is slowly getting better month by month, but it’s going to take time for the events industry as a whole to return to its former glory. In the meantime, we’re working hard to adapt to the new environment by creating niche, community-focused physical events, and upping our webinar content.”

Meanwhile for Sheridan and the SOLAS team, the event was a source of great pride and hopefully a sign of things to come in the near future. “The most satisfying part of the project is when you look around at the venue just before the guests arrive and you see a space which has been transformed from an open grassy area just over 24 hours before into a glamorous awards gala dinner. We take great pride as a team in the delivery of a top-quality event and getting feedback from happy clients is also always satisfying,” he concluded. “We are delighted to have live events back in the region – it’s a testament to Dubai, and the UAE as a whole, how they managed to progress so quickly in 2021 in particular to enable groups of people to gather safely again.” Photos: SOLAS AV www.solas.ae www.whatson.ae www.aes.ae