Summit's team of six riggers headed by Jon Bray started two days before the dinner. It was just one of a series of events, conferences, seminars, workshops and presentations taking place all around the city. They installed over 300 metres of trussing and 60 conventional motors, plus seven Kinesys-modified hoists, two powered beam trolleys and a Kinesys' K2 control system to fly and move a nine-metre diameter truss. This was used for lighting effects and as a large circular projection screen.
The trussing was used to form three 50 metre long front-of-house trusses, utilised for lighting above the tables - of which there were over 100, seating the 1000 plus delegates. Lighting was designed by Pete Edwards, with kit supplied by Essential.
In addition, Summit rigged a main FOH lighting truss traversing the arena, and some long side trusses to support banners and projection screens. The overall plan was to make the space less like a huge arena and more like an intimate dining hall.
In the central area over the stage, Summit built a trussing grid to support the tracking and automation system used for the circular truss and for four aerial performers. The circle required very accurate and smooth movement so that it returned exactly to the line-up position for the projectors when hanging vertically. The move from horizontal to vertical involved tracking the front hoists upstage during the move so the circle hung vertically at the back of the stage rather than the front. The K2 software was, operated by Erlend "Spider" Webb.
The performer flying was partially controlled by hoists on the K2 system and partially on manual paging lines in the theatre tradition. "It was a large but relatively straightforward job that needed doing precisely and efficiently" says Bray.
Summit was again working for UK-based Production Company Jigzaw, following highly events in Prague (2005) and Athens (2006). Nicola Scotchmer produced the event for Jigzaw, and production manger was Mike Scoble. The sound designer was Will Glancy, with equipment supplied by Dobson Sound, Video was designed by Oliver Phipps, from The Projection Partnership and Scenic designs were created by Andrew Gordon from Upstage.
(Chris Henry)
