To achieve their goal they utilized two of ExCeL’s vast halls - N1, for exhibitions and workshops and N2 as a 1,200 seat auditorium - and asked integrated technology providers MCL to create a flexible production infrastructure. A division of Creative Technology (CT), MCL London equipped the main theatre and five breakout rooms with projection, lighting and sound, with a rapid turnaround to accommodate a gala dinner at the end of the first day.
The main backdrop consisted of a 20m wide cyclorama, backlit top and bottom using Vari*Lite VL2416 washlights with overlaid imagery projected by the new VL1000 Arcs. Three 16 x 8 front-projection screens were flown downstage of the cyc with the 03 lightbox reinforcing the ‘3G’ theme of the event.
The projection screens were driven by three Christie Roadster X6 three-chip DLP projectors, fed with component video and data from a Folsom Screen Pro Plus - a three-screen matrix vision mixer - enabling the material to be mixed and routed from any source to any of the three screen destinations. This was provided from three Sony D30 cameras, Sony Beta playback and a Minicam demonstrating the new handsets on the lectern - facilitated by onstage ISDN provision, to show demonstrations at close quarters. MCL London also provided all the Powerpoint graphics through Windows XP. The opening video was integrated seamlessly with the lighting design, conceived by MCL London’s head of lighting, Nick Whitehead.
He used no fewer than 90 Vari-Lite fixtures to create a dynamic automated display. In addition to the VL1000 Arc and VL 2416 washlight, 40 VL6C spots provided texture on the gauzes, flown from the front of house truss for the gala dinner. The set featured edge-lit screen surrounds and lightboxes, all lit using LED lighting technology from MCL London. The main show rig was controlled from a Wholehog II console, with an Avolites Pearl running the VL6Cs for the dinner. The rig also included a number of ETC generic fixtures and Martin MAC moving heads from MCL London’s hire inventory.
State-of-the-art sound reinforcement was provided by sister company Dimension Audio, in the form of d&b audiotechnik E9 speakers, on four progressive delay taps, for speech reinforcement and L’Acoustics ARCS line array system for music playback. The sound - including the lectern and tie-clip radio mics, worn by the presenters - was mixed by Dimension’s James Eade on a 32-channel Allen & Heath desk. The event’s production received nothing but compliments - from both Symbian staff and external delegates, who in particular were drawn to the quality of the stage set, and the fast turn-around to the dinner in the evening.
"MCL created the ideal platform for Symbian and its partners to address the wireless community, a seamless production throughout the keynotes and workshops, and a spectacular transformation for the evening gala dinner," said Joanna Butler, head of events at Symbian.
(Lee Baldock)
