The rigging element of the production was co-ordinated by Summit's Jon Bray. Using over 1,100m of various Supertruss types and 120 chain hoists, Summit created two large presentation areas in different auditoriums, occupying 9,000sq.m within ExCel. Auditorium One incorporated raked seating for 750 and featured keynote speakers, a quintet of musicians, fashion shows with dance numbers, interviews and audience participation. Auditorium Two was a star-clothed dining room, which accommodated the black tie gala dinner and entertainment.
Summit's team of 10 riggers had a short get-in and pre-rig period for the one-day event. Accurate rigging was a key element because the structures built by Summit were going in first and therefore defined the placement and exact location of the other technical elements - draping, lighting, sound, seating block and video projection - that followed. Summit returned to ExCel with Pci:Live the following week with an even larger rig to undertake a similar project for a British Telecom internal brand-building event.
(Lee Baldock)
