Backstage
Big and Bold
Published in July 2008 conferences | trade shows | Departments
Sheila Stack, president of Denver-based Impact Productions Inc., directed and produced the Grand Opening Session of the inaugural 2008 Event Solutions and catersource Conference & Tradeshow, held this past February in Las Vegas.
Dominating the ballroom, the massive stage set reflected the momentous occasion of the first-ever combined Event Solutions-catersource super-show, as well as its impact on the event industry at large.
Envisioning a “giant light box” to bring to life the message of the Event Solutions-catersource partnership, Impact Productions designed a sophisticated production featuring innovative technology, in keeping with Event Solutions’ legacy of showing its audience the latest and greatest.
Technical producer Mike Eichner of Denver-based Eichner Production Management coordinated the numerous technical partners necessary to deliver the multifaceted production.
Another element key to the success of the Opening Session was the efficient use of the backstage space, an extremely narrow area that Eichner and his team carefully designed and executed for mobility, utility, safety — and, of course, style.
1 All Staging Unlimited, a division of Orlando, Fla.-based ASI Production Services, installed and operated five 20-foot-high by 35-foot-wide TUBE roller screen systems with OPERA white front projection surface, which provided an overall projection area of 20 feet high by 175 feet wide.
2 The screens were linked together via DMX interface and programmed with three different stop points to allow for multiple scenic and lighting looks, as well as the entrances of executives, featured speaker Colin Cowie, and performers, including Alizma, Earl Turner, Mosaic and The Farrington Dancers (all provided by Farrington Productions out of Las Vegas).
3 The virtual set — which featured ever-changing, high-definition graphics by Impact Productions and picture-in-picture projection by Alford Media Services of Coppell, Texas — provided a dynamic backdrop and tone to the proceedings. Everything down to the über-contemporary set furnishings by Los Angeles-based Lounge22 reinforced the forward-thinking brand message of Event Solutions’ show.
4 Alford Media utilized five Barco ScreenPRO IIs in conjunction with a large Encore controller to interface between multiple high-definition sources and five Barco FLM HD18 projectors. Fiber-optic cable runs fed high-definition DVI signals from the switcher system to the projectors, preventing any loss in resolution.
5 The roller screens were first revealed to the audience during a high-energy opening video that played across the three center screens for a combined 20-foot-high by 105-foot-wide image. The vibrant, events-inspired montage, edited by Kim Petersen of Denver-based KiMotion Graphics, kicked off the meeting with energy and panache.