TPMEA #027 - December / January

DECEMBER / JANUARY • ISSUE 027

BREAKOUT DXB

DUBAI COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO GET EVENTS BACK UP AND RUNNING

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PORSCHE TAYCAN LAUNCH • SAUDI LADIES INTERNATIONAL • GULF CREWING: A NEW CHAPTER • SOLID STUDIOS

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Community spirit If the global pandemic has taught us anything about the live events industry, it’s that community spirit and togetherness are present in abundance. Our cover story for this issue, Breakout Dxb (page 22) is testament to that; an example of what can be achieved when you combine a bit of innovative vision with a tight-knit community that rallies round to get an event over the line. The result was a feel-good weekend of music, arts and culture that not only provided much-needed work for artists and crew, but also raised the spirits of a Dubai population itching to get back to live events.

Another company with no shortage of innovative vision is Done Events. Having produced numerous pioneering productions throughout the year, the entertainment company has been at it again – this time producing an impressive multi-location production for the launch of the new all-electric Porsche Taycan, complete with a Burj Khalifa projection and a 200m drone show. Read our full write-up on page 30.

Also in this issue, we check in with the new Managing Director of Gulf Crewing, Karen Beaton (page 18). Those of you who know Karen will no doubt be aware of what a difficult year it has been for her both personally and professionally, following the death of her husband, Gulf Crewing Founder, Nigel Beaton. Yet, despite the tragic circumstances, Karen has taken on the Gulf Crewing mantle – and with a string of new partnerships, new hires and even regional expansion on the cards, she seems set to take the company to new heights.

As 2020 draws to a close, I’m sure there aren’t too many people who will look back fondly on the year that brought so much turmoil and tragedy. However, as we enter 2021, with more and more events beginning to crop up on the calendar, there’s a sense that the Middle East might well be returning to being the land of opportunity that it once was.

Our First Look columnist for this issue (page 6), DLC Events’ Mark Breakspear, sums it up nicely: “Despite how hard survival during the COVID-19 pandemic has been, there is a future and it looks bright; we just need to reach out and grab it with both hands.”

Enjoy the issue.

Peter Iantorno Editor

www.tpmeamagazine.com | www.tpimagazine.com | www.tpmeaawards.com

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 – FIRST LOOK: MARK BREAKSPEAR How DLC Events is dealing with the pandemic.

09 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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The latest news from the Middle East, including a new studio for Al Arabiya, a quirky Dubai seaside installation, and another ‘first’ for Saudi Arabia.

18 – GULF CREWING: A NEW CHAPTER The company’s new Managing Director sets her sights on expansion following a turbulent year.

22 – BREAKOUT DXB

A grass-roots music, culture and arts event breathes life back into Dubai’s events industry.

30 – PORSCHE TAYCAN LAUNCH

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An electrifying car launch event, complete with a Burj Khalifa projection and stunning drone show.

39 – INTERVIEW: SHENIN HAMID

Inspire Group’s Founder and CEO shares how her company is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

40 – GOING DIGITAL

3Monkeys and N&M share their virtual solutions.

44 – COMPANY PROFILE: CUE2CUE TPMEA checks in with the cue2cue team.

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AFRICA 48 – REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest from Africa, including Solid Studios and a new partnership for DWR Distribution.

EDITOR Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 e-mail: p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

CONTRIBUTING ASSISTANT EDITOR Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8352 Mobile:+44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk

COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT James Robertson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Capper: m.capper@mondiale.co.uk

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Breakout Dxb by Hyku Photography

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

MARK BREAKSPEAR, SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER, DLC EVENTS THE SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER SHARES HOW DLC EVENTS IS DEALING WITH THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

The UAE events sector has been hit hard by the colossal loss in revenue caused by the pandemic. Originally, we thought the timing could have been worse; although we lost the end of what was a successful events season for most, we were not so far away from the quiet summer months where all of us budget for little to no turnover for two or three months anyway. Things will be back to normal

by September, we thought… However, the bleak reality is that COVID-19 has taken and continues to take a large bite out of the 20/21 season, as we end the year with a greatly reduced calendar.

Thankfully, some events are getting underway – albeit at a much slower rate than hoped – and we are heading in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of the UAE government and the dedication of the industry, but we are still a long way away from how our diaries looked in 2019 and pure survival is at the forefront of our new business model. Many have not made it this far and unfortunately there will be more casualties in the coming months, but at DLC Events, we have strived to keep our heads above water and feel that, as a team, we are stronger than ever.

Staff morale has always been at the core of our business, as we feel our team’s attitude on site as well as in the office can be greatly affected by job satisfaction, empowerment, and a true sense of belonging. We have focused more on health and wellbeing during the quiet summer, converting part of our warehouse into a gym where we meet each morning before work to train, which has improved teamwork and mutual respect as well as the obvious health benefits. Positivity in general is important to us at DLC, and we always try to ensure that staff keep smiling and enjoying their time at work. We have regular company lunches and try to create a fun working environment – we even welcomed a few cats into the office recently, saving them from life on the streets and helping to provide some stress-relief for the team.

We understand that when our schedule is overflowing, every one of the team pulls out all the stops to make our events happen flawlessly, often working long hours, evenings, and weekends without recognition from the attendees who benefit from our skills and experience. We have focused even more on ensuring they know that we will look after them when times are tough, like they look after us when times are good!

We have the benefit of a manageable payroll to contend with, having always kept a core number of in-house staff and relying on freelance specialists when required. Everyone has voluntarily accepted a reduced salary temporarily because we understand that when the business benefits, we all do. As such, when the business needs our support, we make sacrifices. Employees were also given the option of extended unpaid leave, which some took to spend more time with their families in their home countries.

I’m sure many of our industry colleagues with larger workforces did not have the same luxury but,

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

regardless of situation, we have always been keen to put our employees first, as they have done with DLC over so many hectic years.

With the halt of events over the summer, we needed to approach things with a different mindset to survive. Our normal corporate clientele had no requirements, so we began looking in areas not previously considered.

Pitching towards the public, we found a few areas of our business that would benefit people with smaller celebrations and entertainment requirements, which kept our team engaged and motivated. From home cinema experiences to haunted house spectaculars, we have done some of our most unique projects this summer – and a lot of it was thanks to the team working together to investigate new ways of generating revenue.

As the industry begins to get up from its knees, we’ve seen an abundance of people taking advantage of the current situation to negotiate rock bottom prices. While we are used to offering reduced rates during off-peak periods, we always avoid damaging the value of the industry by competing on price to an extent that it will set a precedent for the future. Being flexible on budgets does not mean taking advantage of those trying to make a living and survive in the most difficult time in our recent history.

Blaming the pandemic for unpaid invoices is

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unacceptable. Companies did the work, and they should be paid; the end client is not their client.

The UAE events industry needs to be supported from the top down, and the first way is for clients to pay their invoices on time, and in full, and for this money to be filtered down the network of sub suppliers to ensure that everyone can use their cash forecasts to plan effectively for the future – something that is impossible to do with huge delays in payments.

With credit control, striking a balance between being firm and professional and achieving results, to being too forgiving and risking the business through lack of cashflow is an art, and we like to think that our office management has been integral in the company surviving by finding this crucial balance each day.

Like many events this summer, the focus has shifted strongly towards virtual platforms for clients to facilitate their events safely. Despite a drastic change in the profit margins this creates, with most of the revenue being filtered away to the platform developers, it has been a necessity to progress down this route to maintain the relationships and continuity with existing clients, rather than just turning down the work.

Thankfully, as a leading conference systems provider in the Middle East, DLC has had the opportunity to partner with remote

interpretation solutions platform, Interprefy, and has integrated with many event platform providers to offer the same quality of language services we deliver on site, to this new virtual world of events. We have also had the opportunity to collaborate with 3Monkeys Creative Consulting, by installing an interpretation system within their virtual event studio, increasing the scope of services they can offer to their clients.

Finally, with more time in the office than ever before, we’ve had more time to dig up old contacts, to get reacquainted with old friends and clients and remind them of our current scope of services, whilst building new relationships in preparation for what we all hope will be the comeback of a lifetime.

There has never been a better time to refresh the website, to meet new as well as old clients, update the client lists and look forward with optimism. Despite how hard survival during the COVID-19 pandemic has been, there is a future, and it looks bright; we just need to reach out and grab it with both hands together as an industry and we will come back with a newfound appreciation of work, colleagues, and the industry as a whole.

Photos: DLC Events www.dlcevents.com

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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Martin Professional Middle East’s Nabil Assidi; GSL Professional names Ruby Habib as Managing Director; Masstech’s Will Pitt; Qvest Media’s Philipp Glänzel and Peter Nöthen; AVIXA announces the results of its 2021 Board of Directors and LSC elections.

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS THE LATEST MOVERS AND SHAKERS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. AVIXA has announced the results of its 2021 Board of Directors and Leaders Search Committee (LSC) elections. Martin Saul, CEO of ICAP Global, has been elected as Secretary Treasurer of the Board. Also elected are Jatan Shah, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating and Technology Officer, QSC, and Brad Sousa, CTO, AVI Systems.

The LSC also appointed Tobias Lang, CEO of LANG AG, and Alexandra Rosen, Director of Venture Forward for GoDaddy, to AVIXA’s Board of Directors and reappointed Cathryn Lai, Senior VP and General Manager of the US, Scientific Games, Digital.

“AVIXA’s Board of Directors bring their diverse talent and perspectives from around the world to shape the vision of the association and pro AV industry at large,” commented David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, Chief Executive Officer of AVIXA.

GSL Professional has named Ruby Habib as its new Managing Director. The appointment

comes after the sad and unexpected death of former Managing Director, Adrian Curtis. Having worked for the Dubai-based distributor for the past three years, Habib brings extensive sales experience to the role.

GSL Professional President, Faegh Fowzi, hailed Curtis as “extraordinary at what he did during his tenure at GSL” and sent his thoughts and prayers to Curtis’ family. Fowzi also expressed his confidence that Habib will be able to step up to the role and continue Curtis’ legacy.

Martin Professional Middle East has appointed Nabil Assidi to the role of Maintenance Engineer. “I share my excitement to be part of Martin Pro-ME and I hope the coming days will show my enthusiasm and thrill to contribute to the success of this group of companies,” Assidi said. Assidi brings nearly 15 years of experience in electrical engineering to his new role.

Masstech has appointed Will Pitt as Head of Sales for EMEA. “In sales, you have a unique

opportunity, and a responsibility, to open new doors and influence and deliver new outcomes – this is what excites me,” commented Pitt. “We work in one of the most exciting and progressive industries in the world and I feel privileged to be a part of it.”

Qvest Media has appointed Philipp Glänzel as General Manager and CTO for its Dubai office.

Glänzel joins the team alongside General Manager and CSO, Ahmad Al Kayal, who will continue to lead the company’s sales activities as a longstanding manager.

“With our constantly growing key role as a technology specialist, we are in demand to strengthen our management team at all levels,” commented Peter Nöthen, CEO of the Qvest Media Group. “With Philipp Glänzel’s know-how, we are opening up new potentials and further expanding the degree of innovation and local expertise in the MENA region.” www.tpmeamagazine.com

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AL ARABIYA INVESTS IN BRAND NEW STUDIO NEW STUDIO FEATURES 140 SQ M OF BARCO LED TILES, AS WELL AS A RANGE OF ETC LIGHTING SOLUTIONS.

Al Arabiya Network has unveiled its sleek new broadcast studio and newsroom. Launched in March as the world was going into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state-ofthe-art studio incorporates three separate curved video walls made up of some 140 sq m of Barco LED panels.

“In our new studio, it is all about the graphics,” commented Fadi Radi, Director of Creative at Al Arabiya. “You can see a video wall in practically any studio shot with a presenter.

Certainly, in times when people have become used to hyper-realistic imagery, the video wall

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image quality will make or break the show. That’s why we only wanted the best of the best.”

The Director of Creative went on to describe the process of bringing perfect on-screen image quality to such a unique space, which is equipped with 13 robotic cameras that travel dynamically between two concave and convex video walls.

“We wanted consistent, high-contrast and saturated colours for our graphics across the entire studio design, and we needed them to be presented in the best possible resolution,” Radi recalled. “An additional challenge was the fact that our studio allows daylight to come in, so we

needed colours that were equally stunning at night as during the day. Barco certainly has made this possible.”

The technology is driven by Barco’s Infinipix image processing platform, which is well integrated with Vizrt’s video playout platform.

In addition, with Barco’s E2 screen management tool, the Al Arabiya production team can develop an almost unlimited number of content templates to cater for the network’s 24/7 programming schedule.

“Barco technology offers us so many creative options,” Radi commented. “One technique that

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we like to use, for example, is the virtual window – a moving camera with graphics that move in the same direction of the camera, based on optical tracking. Thanks to Barco’s image processing, this can all be done in perfect resolution, and with no sign of jittering or glitching.”

As always, Barco’s local partner, Intertech was the preferred partner for design, installation, testing and commissioning. In their combined history, Barco and Intertech have completed more than 20 studio installations. “The excellent service and fast support we have experienced in these years have strengthened us in our belief that the Intertech/Barco partnership is our best guarantee to keep our video walls up and running 24/7, without interruption,” commented Safwan Harcouss, Lighting Manager at Al Arabiya.

The new studio also benefitted from a range of ETC lighting solutions, including a Sensor3 Power Control system, a Gio @5 Eos-family control console, Response Mk2 DMX Gateways and DataTrack Backbone system – which were supplied by ETC dealer, Oasis Enterprises. “Having worked successfully with ETC products in the past, we are confident that the new additions will perform well,” Harcouss commented.

Lighting Systems Manager at Oasis Enterprises, Karim Abdel Massih, added: “We have worked closely with Al Arabiya for many years and they already have experience of the high quality that ETC products bring. We know that these new additions to their latest TV studios will work well, and we look forward to seeing new ETC product releases.”

Photos: Al Arabiya Network www.alarabiya.net www.barco.com www.etcconnect.com

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

EATS & BEATS AT THE BEACH 3DB DEPLOYS A GIANT BOOMBOX AND HUGE PAIR OF HEADPHONES TO KICK-START THE ATMOSPHERE AS THE BEACH OPPOSITE JBR WELCOMES BACK GUESTS AFTER A LONG, HOT SUMMER.

As the Dubai weather cooled and the city began to emerge from the restrictions imposed due to the global pandemic, The Beach Opposite JBR was looking for a way to kick-start the vibe at the beachfront destination.

Enter, 3DB; the event services company worked with The Beach to create Eats & Beats At The Beach – a bespoke temporary installation that not only caught the eye, but also boosted the atmosphere as Dubai residents began to venture out again after a period of lockdown.

In place from 16-31 October, the activation saw live DJs play every weekend, while the development’s retail and dining outlets ran special promotions and gave away more than

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AED50,000 in prizes. “The brief from The Beach was to come up with something that would complement their ‘kids eat free’ offer and prize giveaways, and create a bit of a buzz,” began Adam Griffiths, Director of Marketing & Events at 3DB. “They showed us some mood boards, gave us some parameters and then we worked with them to finalise the concept.”

With the idea in place, the 3DB team used 3DS Max to create renders of the giant boombox and headphones that would be installed on the beach. “The client loved it straight away,” Griffiths commented. “The end result was remarkably close to what we had rendered. We posted a rendering-to-reality video on our social

media and the likeness is excellent.” As well as designing and manufacturing the boombox and headphones installations, 3DB supplied a d&b audiotechnik Q1, Q7, B2, B12 line array.

“Everything was built by us in house,” Griffiths confirmed. “The aim of the project was more about helping to generate a vibe and an ambiance down at The Beach, rather than something that you would expect to see at a typical music festival.”

Griffiths explained that being COVID-19 compliant was of the utmost importance, with numerous health and safety measures being put into practice. “Everything was sanitised regularly, the hosts were given rigorous briefing on how

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

they should interact with the public and we had extra security around the boombox and the DJ booth at weekends to ensure that large crowds didn’t gather,” he recalled. “Thankfully, everyone has been very receptive to the regulations and we haven’t had any incidents.”

In terms of talent, 3DB engaged Energie Entertainment to provide the artists. “We offered

a wide selection of DJs, including eight-year-old DJ Michelle, as a star attraction, which the client loved,” commented Tyler Davis-Smith, Energie Entertainment’s Founder and CEO. “Michelle was a big hit both in person and on social media.”

Looking back on the project, Griffiths was pleased to report that the feedback has been “incredibly positive”. He concluded: “The retailers

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especially were really happy. The main aim of this event was to create a vibe for the area, get people down to The Beach and help the retailers thrive. This was a simple and safe way to do it.”

Photos: 3DB www.3db.com www.thebeach.ae www.weareenergie.com

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

MAI DUBAI CITY HALF MARATHON CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY MIDDLE EAST PROVIDES COMMUNICATIONS TO SUPPORT EVENT ORGANISERS ACROSS THE 21KM SITE. Creative Technology (CT) was this year’s official communications partner for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon, which took place on 23 October at Dubai International Financial District (DIFC).

The event, which saw more than 400 runners from over 40 countries take part, was the first mass-running event to take place in the UAE since the start of the pandemic in March.

With a range of innovative measures in place to ensure the safety of all participants, this year’s marathon was able to have three different race categories: 5km, 10km and 21km.

Adding to the event’s safety protocols, CT provided site-wide communication to support the event organisers across the 21km site. “As physical events start back up, we are seeing an

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increase in demand for communication systems.

What once was an afterthought on an event is now at the forefront of everyone’s mind as people become more conscious to carefully manage people’s movements,” commented CT Middle East’s Integrated Networks Technical Manager, Rob Turner.

“Our communication systems are helping clients provide a safe solution for event crew and delegates to communicate while adhering to social distancing guidelines.”

Shaun Ollier, PSM event organiser, added: “Promoseven sports marketing (PSM) extends an acknowledgement of our appreciation for the professional support given by Creative Technology in providing communication services

at the highest level in compliance with the social distancing parameters in place to stage the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon.”

“As the UAE government makes tentative steps to legally allow live events to take place in a safe and controlled environment, it is essential now more than ever to set an example and show the world that live events can be safe,” Turner concluded. “The Mai Dubai City Half Marathon organisers have done precisely that; with support from Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Police and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), they have organised and produced a successful, safe live sporting event.”

Photo: CT Middle East www.ct-group.com

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NMK ADDS XTEN-AV TO ITS PORTFOLIO DUBAI-BASED COMPANY BECOMES XTEN-AV’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR. NMK Electronics has taken GCC distribution of AV design project platform XTEN-AV.

“We were simply blown away by XTEN-AV’s technical advancement, design, application and ease of use right from the day they officially launched back in 2018,” commented Dino Drimakis, Business Development Manager at NMK Electronics. “As a company, they have really heard what the market needs and have reacted to build a spot-on solution steering towards the future of AV design.”

The award-winning product is a cloud-based software platform with artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop a complete AV system design based on AVIXA published standards and design guidelines.

“We are glad to have partnered with NMK Electronics for the GCC Region,” said Vibhav Singh and Sahil Dhingra, Co-Founders of XTEN-AV. “In collaboration with NMK Electronics, we hope to deepen our relationship with our GCC customers

and prospects. NMK Electronics’ wide reach and relationships in the region along with their experience of distributing some of the best AV brands will bring a lot of exposure to XTEN-AV. This is our first appointment of an international distributor and we could not have partnered with a better organisation. We are really looking forward to this.”

With a promise to enable AV integrators to move away from the legacy methods of project design, this platform recommends the best products, assists in comparisons, creates automated diagrams, bills of materials and endcustomer proposals within minutes, thereby increasing productivity tenfold. The built-in CRM and analytical dashboard help integrators to be on top of their projects and accounts.

“It is interesting how XTEN-AV has taken a traditional way of design and solution and made it much more cost effective for clients, enabling them to save time and energy – not to forgetting

bringing efficiency to our industry as a whole from a design perspective,” added Drimakis.

Photo: NMK Electronics www.nmkelectronics.com www.xtenav.com

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ARAMCO SAUDI LADIES INTERNATIONAL 2020 ARENA MIDDLE EAST PROVIDES EXTENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FIRST EVER WOMEN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA.

Saudi Arabia celebrated another ‘first’, as the country welcomed top players from women’s golf to compete in the Kingdom for the very first time. Presented by Public Investment Fund and held at the Royal Green Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, North of Jeddah, the Aramco Saudi Ladies International 2020 took place from 12-15 November.

Tasked with providing infrastructure for the event was Arena Middle East. The extensive supply included the main hospitality structure on the 18th hole, the viewing platform on the 16th hole, some 623 sq m of on-course tents, various COVID-19 facilities, as well as hoarding walls, media support screens and camera towers.

For the 18th hole hospitality structure, Arena supplied the entrance façade, interior and

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exterior fitouts, furniture, cooling units, toilet facilities and catering areas. A separate entrance and dedicated Royal Majlis area bubble were also created for VIPs.

“Overall, we are extremely pleased with the exceptional standard of finish that we’ve delivered for the main hospitality structure on the 18th hole,” commented Richard Lucking, Senior Project Manager and Health & Safety Officer. “Particularly given the challenging working environment that our team has had to deal with.”

Lucking was also “particularly pleased” with the viewing platform on the 16th hole. For this aspect of the project, Arena deployed wooden decking, barasti handrails and furniture to create a spectacular viewing platform looking out over

the Red Sea. “The stunning view has to be seen to be believed!”

Unsurprisingly, the main challenges of the project were related to COVID-19. “Ensuring that all Arena staff, sub-contractors and suppliers remained in compliance with Arena’s strict COVID-19 working policy and Health and Safety measures added an extra layer of complexity to the project,” Lucking explained. “However, I’m pleased to report that everyone involved came together and we handed over on schedule, and without incident.”

Lucking also described how the Arena team dealt with the geographic challenges of moving people and kit from their Middle East base in Dubai to Saudi Arabia, during a period of lockdown and travel restrictions. “Delivering an

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“Our focus for 2021 will be on the Saudi Arabian event market… With this focus, we’re also looking at our business as whole in the Kingdom and are exploring our options for a permanent presence there.”

James Burgess, Director of Operations, Arena Middle East

event of this scale in Saudi Arabia presented us with a unique set of challenges,” he conceded.

“However, with careful operational planning, we were able to identify and mitigate any potential issues before they arose.”

The project came as a boost to the Arena team which, like the rest of the industry, has felt the effects of the global pandemic. “Like everyone in the events industry, the pandemic has been extremely challenging for Arena,” stated James Burgess, Director of Operations. “We have been lucky in that we have been able to deliver

a whole range of COVID-19 relief structures throughout the business globally. However, clearly the loss of practically all event-based revenue has been a massive blow.”

It’s not all doom and gloom, though as, according to Burgess, Arena is already seeing some signs of life in the industry – “particularly in the Middle East, which has been a major boost,” he reported. “We’re cautiously hopeful for what the next few months will bring.”

He added: “While we’re not expecting a ‘return to normal’ for quite some time yet, we

are hopeful that we will start to see the events business start to pick up slowly through the first half of next year. Our focus for 2021 will be on the Saudi Arabian event market, along with several major non-event semi-permanent projects that we’re currently working on. With this focus, we’re also looking at our business as whole in the Kingdom and are exploring our options for a permanent presence there… Watch this space!”

Photos: Arena Middle East www.arenamea.com www.golfsaudi.com

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COMPANY PROFILE

GULF CREWING: A NEW CHAPTER GULF CREWING MANAGING DIRECTOR, KAREN BEATON OPENS UP TO TPMEA ABOUT A TURBULENT YEAR, AND SHARES HER VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY.

While companies and individuals across the globe were feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the untimely passing of Gulf Crewing Founder, Nigel Beaton, sent shockwaves throughout the industry and beyond. A hugely popular and influential character, Nigel left behind not only a well-established company in Gulf Crewing (GCC), but also a loving family.

Keen that her husband’s outstanding legacy should be continued – and with a long and successful career in the industry in her own right to draw experience from – Karen Beaton is confident that she is the woman to take the company forward.

“Nigel left such a huge dent in the industry; it’s important that we recognise the successes that we’re now building from,” Beaton began.

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“Things are going to be slightly different from now on, but while the look and feel of the company will change slightly, the ethos remains the same. We are committed to continuing Nigel’s legacy – he will always be the founding father of the company and at the heart of everything we do, but now I want to push forward with Gulf Crewing under my leadership. We’re still Gulf Crewing, but with a new twist.”

After such a traumatic year, Beaton could have been excused for taking some time out.

However, as she explained to TPMEA, she is not taking over the running of the company through some sense of obligation – she has a genuine passion for the industry and a desire to succeed.

“I’m not doing this just because I feel like I should,” she said. “I am doing it because I want to,

and I believe that we can take it to the next level.”

So, with a steely determination, Beaton, alongside Gulf Crewing’s long-time Operations Manager, Alelie de Castro, set about creating a plan to take the company forward. “Alelie has been the rock throughout all of this,” the Managing Director reflected. “She has been with us since Nigel started the company in 2008, and she has just picked it up and ran with it. She is my right-hand woman, and I’m so lucky to have her.”

First on the agenda was navigating GCC through the difficult lockdown period. “There was no work at all for the boys, so we focused a lot on training during this time,” Beaton, revealed, adding that the team completed the Events Safety Alliance training with Jim Digby, as well as the WHO COVID-19 training certificate. “We were

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Gulf Crewing’s Karen Beaton and Alelie de Castro.

also among the first in the region to produce a COVID-19 mitigation policy for clients,” she continued. “It was really just about steadying the ship and preparing the team as much as possible so we’re ready for when events kick in again.”

Going against the general direction of the industry, which has seen many companies downsize or consolidate their current business, Gulf Crewing has expanded during this time, making several key appointments during the lockdown period to promote regional growth.

“Just before the pandemic, we hired Stuart Kennedy to become our operations man to support Gulf Crewing in Saudi Arabia,” the Managing Director commented.

The company has also hired Business Consultant, Brad Manser. “He is a good friend who we have known for years,” she commented. “He has done a lot of work with SAGIA [Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority] and we brought him in to help push the operation in Saudi.”

Manser’s remit will also extend to the formation of a new GCC branch in Qatar. “He will help

with things like setting up the trade licence and arranging the labour. He’ll be doing a lot of the work on the ground, which frees me up to look at the big picture, keep up communication with clients, work on marketing and the continued expansion of the company.”

The company has also hired a new HR and PRO for the Saudi operation, Anfal Al Awad. “She will come to Dubai for a while to get her used to how we work and what we do, then she will support Brad and Stuart over in Saudi,” Beaton confirmed. According to the Managing Director, the change in structure is not only necessary, but also has the potential to unlock huge growth within the Kingdom. “I’ve got two small children, so, with the best will in the world, my ability to just drop everything, jump on a plane and head to Saudi for a few weeks has been curtailed,” she shared. “So, having a devoted team based there is a huge bonus both for what we’re doing at the moment, but also how we can expand.”

The current GCC Saudi Arabia operation is based out of Riyadh but, according to Beaton,

it’s only a matter of time before the company establishes multiple branches in strategic locations throughout the country. “Saudi Arabia is geographically massive, so it’s not easy to service jobs in Jeddah or Dammam from a base in Riyadh,” she commented. “Once we have set up offices in key locations, we will be better able to support the biggest and best events in the country. This will not only help us become more economical, but we will be able to pass on the benefits to our clients.”

To go with the planned Saudi expansion, GCC has also formed two new partnerships – with trackway, event flooring and pontoon supplier, TerraTech; as well as draping specialists, Pitchblack. “These are absolute no-brainer decisions,” Beaton stated. “Both partners will come under the GCC Middle East banner in Saudi Arabia and will be able to utilise all of our facilities to deliver in the country. It’s a symbiotic relationship, because while it breaks down the barriers to entry for them, it means that we’ve enhanced our delivery profile for Gulf Crewing.”

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“It’s been a horrible year, but we’ve come together as a company and dealt with everything that has been thrown at us. That’s why I am so proud of the team and everything they have accomplished.”

Karen Beaton, Managing Director, Gulf Crewing

As well as these two partnerships, Gallous Entertainment will become incorporated into the GCC ME division. “This further enhances the diversity and offerings we can provide in KSA,” the Managing Director stated. “So, in addition to Pitchblack and TerraTech, we will continue to manage the event furniture rental division as part of our service provision.”

Having worked alongside GCC for over 10 years, TerraTech’s Managing Director, Andrew McLeod, is delighted with the partnership. “With year-on-year growth and substantial investment into new equipment throughout 2020, it was a natural progression to bring the companies closer together and utilise the GCC crew to deliver and service TerraTech’s expanding customer base,” he commented. “With our large stock levels, we are now in a position where we can base our fleet of trackway and pontoons in multiple locations. This will lower transport costs for customers and allow

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us to react quickly to demands. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Mark Hammond from Pitchblack agrees.

“There is no doubt that 2020 has been an incredibly tough year, but we are determined to ensure that we emerge from this situation focused, refreshed, bigger and better,” he stated.

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with GCC in KSA. We will continue to offer the same high-quality products that our clients are used to in the UAE, whilst benefiting from GCC’s fantastic local knowledge and impeccable standards. We look forward to working with new and existing clients in the KSA region alongside GCC, and we are committed to delivering safe, cost-effective draping and fabric solutions.”

‘WE LOVE OUR BOYS’ Like every company in the events industry, GCC has taken a big financial hit because of the

COVID-19 pandemic and, ultimately, the period of inactivity has also meant a period without pay for the GCC workforce – a fact that Beaton is not shying away from.

“We’re not going to pretend it’s been easy,” she stated. “However, while there was no work for the boys, we took on all their expenses, such as accommodation, food and utilities. So, yes, unfortunately they couldn’t send money home during this period, but at least everyone was kept safe, secure, warm and able to keep in touch with their families.”

Describing her workforce as “priority number one”, Beaton praised her crew. She commented: “We love our boys. Without them, we wouldn’t have a business at all. They are key to everything that we do. They know that we have been trying desperately hard to get them out working and keep the money coming in, and thankfully we are now starting to see work pick up again.”

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With a new era underway at GCC, the company is also undergoing a rebrand, complete with a new logo and relaunched website. “The previous branding was very heavy, using a lot of black and gold,” Beaton explained. “We are introducing more white, along with the black and gold. We just wanted to freshen things up.”

The rebrand will aim to signal the transition in leadership of the company. “Nigel’s legacy is there, and it is solid, but this is now the next chapter and clients need to see the handover from Nigel to me,” she commented. “I am lucky to be known in the industry from all my previous work, so the transition has not been so difficult for clients so far,” she added.

Highlighting the “fantastic” level of support she has received from clients and friends throughout the industry, the Managing Director praised the Middle East events community. “A lot of our clients know Nigel and I as a couple, but also individually in our own right,” she said.

“Our clients have supported us all the way through both personally and professionally. It has reinforced how much Nigel was loved, how sustainable the company is and what a fantastic community we have.”

Beaton reserved the highest praise for her “dream team” at GCC. “It’s been a horrible year, but we’ve come together as a company and dealt with everything that has been thrown at us,” she explained. “That’s why I am so proud of the team and everything they have accomplished. They have been loyal, supportive and a dream to work with throughout.” She concluded: “It’s a new chapter, but Nigel is very much still part of the book.”

Photos: Gulf Crewing www.gulfcrewing.com

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BREAKOUT DXB A GRASS-ROOTS MUSIC, CULTURE AND ARTS EVENT BREATHES LIFE BACK INTO DUBAI’S EVENTS INDUSTRY AND SUPPORTS THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN THE PROCESS.

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Ever since the global pandemic slammed the breaks on the UAE’s previously thriving events industry, professionals throughout the sector have been racking their brains to come up with a way of getting live events back up and running in a safe and secure manner. One such industry authority who has been relentless in his pursuit of a safe return to events is Dan Bolton, Owner and Director of Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency.

As TPMEA reported back in August [issue 25], as soon as the pandemic hit, Bolton began working with Gallowglass Health and Safety to produce a comprehensive set of guidelines on how live events could recommence safely.

This November, those guidelines were put into practice as Bolton, along with internationally renowned DJ, Lobito Brigante, put on the first ever Breakout Dxb – a music, culture and arts event that took place at Dubai’s Rove Downtown Hotel on the weekend of 6-7 November.

“During lockdown, Lobito and I put our heads together and tried to come up with something

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that would allow us all to get back to doing what we need to do,” Bolton explained to TPMEA, discussing the origins of the festival.

Having put pen to paper and designed what they thought was a feasible concept, the challenge for Bolton and Brigante was convincing everyone else that the idea would work in a realworld scenario. “The question that kept coming up was ‘how do we actually put these ideas into practice?’” Bolton posed. “How do we show people that it is possible to put on an event in these conditions?”

The answer, it seems, was through a lot of hard work and sheer perseverance. “We shared the idea and had extensive discussions with DTCM [Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing], as well as the potential venue, artists and sponsors,” Bolton revealed.

After countless meetings, slowly but surely, the various stakeholders were convinced that the project could work. “There were multiple iterations of site plans, floor plans, operational plans – every kind of plan you could ever need

to prove that this event was going to go ahead without putting the attendees, performers or crew under any risk,” he added. “It was a rigorous process, but one that was necessary to be able to deliver the event.”

The event itself was a multifaceted affair, with two days of entertainment including retro and indie video gaming, live art installations, a marketplace for independent sellers, various F&B options, a range of engaging panel discussions from the Emirates Music Summit and, of course, a full line-up of the best homegrown musical talent in the region. “This was a real grass-roots collaboration,” Bolton stated. “It was amazing to see how everyone came together to make this event special.”

With such a variety of activities and entertainment on offer, the various attractions were spread throughout the hotel, both indoors and out – something which, according to Bolton, was done by design. “The whole concept was that we would try to disperse people as much as possible throughout the entire space,” he

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“It really was vital that 3DB came onboard to provide something that would live up to expectations – and what they came up with was outstanding.”

Dan Bolton, Owner and Director of Dan Bolton Creative Management Agency

confirmed. “We wanted to make sure that the event had something for everyone. We wanted it to be inclusive enough so that anyone could contribute and get something from it.”

According to Bolton, the Rove Downtown was a natural choice when it came to deciding on the venue. “We knew that we needed to partner with a venue that had the capability of managing public spaces,” he explained. “Rove Hotels have been open pretty much throughout lockdown and they are used to all the procedures and policies that had to be incorporated into the

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event, such as sanitisation and social distancing.

The vibe there is different from most other Emaar properties in that it positions itself as a home for creatives. It’s a place for early adopters, those who are first out of the blocks – and that is exactly what we’re doing, so it was a perfect fit.”

‘A FULL-ON WEEKEND-LONG CELEBRATION’ The technical supplier for the event was 3DB, which provided a complete package including audio, lighting, video and staging. “3DB was vital in making sure that everything looked and

sounded on point,” Bolton stated. Set up in the car park of the hotel, the main stage was custom built by 3DB, measuring just under 10m by 5m. A d&b audiotechnik PA was used, comprising 12 Q1s, six B2 subs, two Q7s and seven D12 amplifiers.

The monitor package included eight Mackie 550s, an SRM150 as well as a Sennheiser four-way IEM kit, while control came in the form of a DiGiCo S21 with MADI rack. A selection of Shure microphones were used, including SM57, SM58 and SM81.

The primary visual element on the main stage was a 6m by 3.5m 4.8mm LED outdoor video wall,

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which ran content from an Intel Core i7 laptop through a Roland V40HD video switcher. This was complemented by a simple yet effective lighting rig, which comprised four Vari-Lite VL2600 Profile moving heads, eight LED blinders, eight 300W LED moving head washes, eight 230W moving head beams and 88 QPAR LED RGBWAP units, with atmospheric effects being provided by two Viper 2.6 smoke machines.

As well as the main stage, 3DB also supplied custom-built stages, audio and lighting for the Lobby Lounge and the secondary TGI Fridays stage, as well as lighting for the entrance and washrooms, and a range of sanitisation equipment, including a ULV disinfection sprayer,

five litres of Bioguard sanitiser fluid and a sanitisation PPE kit. “The calibre of the artists we were working with are quite high-profile in the region and they expect a certain standard of technical setup,” Bolton commented, explaining the importance of 3DB’s role in the project. “It was vital that 3DB came onboard to provide something that would live up to expectations – and what they came up with was outstanding.”

The artists in question included the likes of Emirati singer-songwriter, Hamdan Al Abri; Dubaibased R&B star, Layla Kardan; South African DJ, Charl Chaka; Saudi hip-hop artist, Big Hass; Emirati soul singer, Arqam Al Abri; Afro-pop star, MKO; and many more. “Every artist who was selected

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has made a significant contribution to the fabric of the UAE music scene,” Bolton explained, adding that it was thanks to Brigante’s connections that they were able to attract such a variety of topclass local acts. “Lobito has got the relationships with many of the artists, so all the curation was done through him.”

While many of the performers are already well established on the local and, in some cases, international music scene, the event also welcomed a several up-and-coming artists. “We really wanted to support all the artists and give them a platform to be able to perform,” Bolton explained. “Some of the artists have barely done anything for the past eight months so, for them,

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“It was fantastic to see an event such as this go ahead in what has been such a challenging period for the whole industry. It was a superb weekend, and the organisers, suppliers and artists deserve a great deal of credit for that.”

Steve Kearney, Managing Partner, Gallowglass Health and Safety

it was an important step to show that they’re still here, they’re still relevant and they want to get back to doing what they do best.”

When it was first announced, Breakout Dxb was set to be a one-day event. However, as Bolton explained, “the more people who heard about it, the more who wanted to get involved”.

He commented: “We started as a one-day event because we didn’t know what the reaction would be, so we wanted to avoid overstretching ourselves. However, once we got a few partners and some sponsors onboard, we found that more and more people were coming to us saying that they wanted to be a part of the event.”

And, of course, holding the event over two days instead of the originally planned one worked

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out better for several reasons. “We invested in infrastructure, which is obviously more costeffective if we can keep it in place for a whole weekend rather than just one day,” Bolton said.

“It was fantastic to be able to turn the event into a full-on weekend long celebration.”

‘A NICE FIRST STEP’ While health and safety is always an integral part of any event, due to the current climate, it was more important than ever to ensure that absolutely no stone was left unturned in creating a safe and secure environment for attendees, performers and crew. The event was operated on a framework that was devised in collaboration with experts in the field, Gallowglass Health

and Safety. “Gallowglass was absolutely vital to the success of this event,” Bolton stated. “Their team supported us throughout. As well as the guidelines that we had been working on with Gallowglass during lockdown, we also had some extra measures from DTCM – and they were instrumental in helping us apply those as well.”

With Gallowglass on-site to offer support throughout the event, as well as during the install and de-rig, the team aided the planning, considering everything from technical and live issues, to attaining government permissions and special COVID-19 measures.

Steve Kearney, Managing Partner at Gallowglass, was delighted to support the event.

“It was fantastic to see an event such as this

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go ahead in what has been such a challenging period for the whole industry,” he told TPMEA. “It was a superb weekend, and the organisers, suppliers and artists deserve a great deal of credit for that. We hope this is just the start of the industry getting back to where it needs to be.”

Bolton added: “It was great to have the level of expert support that Gallowglass provided.

Their team was so helpful, offering an extra pair of hands and helping to make sure that everything was being done safely. That backup and reassurance that pretty much every possible scenario had been thought about and planned for was invaluable.”

While Bolton described the feedback as “generally very positive” he admitted that the event came with its fair share of challenges. “Of course, there are always things that we can learn.

Social distancing, mask wearing – things like this are all challenging to what we would normally associate with a festival and they can lead to the

environment feeling a bit stale and clinical at first, because we’re not used to having to do these things,” he conceded. “But we tried to minimise that feeling as much as possible and, if you ask me ‘was there a good vibe?’ Then the answer is definitely a ‘yes’.”

He added: “Sometimes people forget that we are putting on an event right in the middle of a global pandemic and it’s not the easiest time to do that! There are so many restrictions and so many things that people are used to seeing or doing at events that are different now or simply can no longer happen. This was definitely a nice first step. I feel that we pushed the boundaries and I hope that we have helped in some way to get things going again.”

Other challenges Bolton highlighted were common in events, regardless of the pandemic.

“Balancing budget and availability is always an interesting challenge,” he commented. “We all went into this knowing that we weren’t going to

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make profit from it. As long as we could pay the artist fees and the suppliers, then we were happy.

Hopefully this will be the driving force that opens the door for other people to do more. If we can get the wheels moving, then that will be when we make our money – not on this single project.

It’s all about the long term.”

Bolton went on to praise the many people who invested their time and resources for free – something which he is “eternally grateful” for.

He commented: “The team gave lots of time and energy for free. But this event was about much more than being a commercial venture. The intent was to set a marker and make a statement that we can do events; we can do them safely, we can come back together, and performers can get back on stage where they belong.”

Photos: Hyku Photography / Breakout Dxb www.3db-dxb.com www.danbolton.me www.gallowglasshs.com

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PORSCHE TAYCAN DUBAI LAUNCH DONE EVENTS ASSEMBLES A TRUSTED TEAM OF CREATIVES TO DELIVER AN ELECTRIFYING CAR LAUNCH EVENT, THE LIKES OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. TPMEA FINDS OUT MORE...

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In normal circumstances, the launch of a new car isn’t something that would necessarily get our pulse racing. However, when a car launch comes in the form of a stunning 33,000 sq m light show on the façade of the Burj Khalifa, combined with a unique drive-in concept featuring a huge LED screen and a 200m drone show… Well, it’s safe to say that our interest is well and truly piqued.

“The brief was simply to make some noise about the launch of Porsche’s first fully electric model – the Taycan,“ Sonu Balchandani, Production Director at Done Events, explained to TPMEA. With almost free rein over the project, the Done Events team set about creating a concept that would “take the launch to the next level”. After coming up with an initial idea of having a drive-in event hosted at Dubai Design District (d3), the concept soon grew to something that comprised multiple elements being deployed over two different venues.

“We introduced a drone show, which reflected the story that was being told by the film on the big screen at d3,” Balchandani commented. “We also added the Burj Khalifa

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projection,” he recalled. Taking place two nights prior to the drive-in show, the Burj Khalifa part of the project saw an original launch film projected onto the world’s tallest building. “Everything was filmed, and some amazing promotional material was created for social media, which increased the exposure of the launch even more.”

With so many elements to plan and execute, Done Events called upon a trusted team of suppliers, including AO Drones, GTV Film Production and MediaPro International. Keenereyed regular readers may recall that all these companies collaborated recently to produce one of Dubai’s most impressive activations since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the #StrongerTogether campaign [TPMEA 25] and, according to Balchandani, it was great to get the band back together.

“It was really important that we were able to get the majority of the same contractors who worked on the #StrongerTogether project,” he revealed. “Firstly, because they are all excellent at what they do, but just as importantly, because we all work together so well as one team.

Everybody really brought their A-game to the

project.” Girish Bhat, Managing Director, Done Events, added: “When Al Nabooda Automobiles approached us to launch their first all-electric sports car, we wanted to bring together the Porsche soul to the launch of this car with a powerful message,” he continued. “As a team, we looked at all possible scenarios to have as many people as possible witness this launch at the same time. And what better way to do that than by recognising the notable Porsche brand proudly on the tallest building in the world?”

Bhat praised Balchandani for his tireless work on the event. “Sonu and the team worked for more than four months to create the perfect recipe for this launch,” he commented. “With the help of all relevant government entities, we were able to successfully execute the event in just the way we envisioned it – or maybe even better!”

‘WE ONLY HAD ONE SHOT’ GTV Film Production played an important role in the project, not only creating the content that was projected onto the Burj Khalifa, but also filming the projection and creating another video from that, which was played on the big

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screen at d3. Not only that, but GTV also filmed the d3 event and created a promotional video, which was shared widely across social media by Porsche. “Of course, filming was an important part of the project and it was exciting because of the unusual nature of the event,” commented Tewe Pannier, Principle Partner at GTV. “However, for us, the biggest and certainly the most timeconsuming part of the project was the creation of the content that was played on the Burj Khalifa.”

Discussing the Burj Khalifa content further, Pannier explained that while they worked to a brief to fit in with Porsche’s global campaign, which focused on the “soul of all Porsche models, leading to the new all-electric Taycan”, the amount of stock footage that GTV utilised was extremely limited. “The rest was created by our artists and designers,” he revealed. “This was a very demanding process – especially for a big global brand such as Porsche. Understandably, they are very particular about what is associated with their brand, but the team worked extremely well together and, after 10 days and 10 nights of work, the end result was successful, under their guidance and with the help of Done Events.”

The content in question is a three-minute video, which charts the history of Porsche

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models, from the original hybrid Lohner-Porsche in 1899, to the 1948 Porsche 356, the Porsche 911 in 1963, the 2013 918 Spyder, 2014 919 Hybrid, and finally the brand-new all-electric Taycan.

Stock footage is used to refer to each model, while a variety of electric shock and lighting bolt-type effects are used throughout to fit in with the theme of electricity. The content comes to an end with the logos for Porsche, as well as Al Nabooda Automobiles, which represents Porsche in the UAE, to reinforce the branding.

GTV’s Senior Project Manager, Jana Schumacher, explained how the content was created. “All design, animation, compositing and rendering for the film was carried out using Adobe After Effects,” she began. “We used Maxon Cinema 4D for the key visual animation, 3D textures and reflections on Burj Khalifa, while the real footage was pre-edited in Adobe Premiere Pro, with additional vector work done in Adobe Illustrator.” The content was virtually projected onto the Burj Khalifa LED façade via a disguise media server.

Schumacher explained how ‘keystoning’ was used in order to ensure that the various text elements and logos appeared as intended on the curved façade of the Burj Khalifa. “As the

content included a number of text elements in corporate CI, it was necessary to optically precompensate and distort the content to ensure that the text appeared perfectly straight, taking into consideration the shape and structure of the building’s façade,” she recalled. Pannier added: “Porsche’s intention was to deliver a strong message, so we had to get this aspect right.”

With the content created, calibrated and ready for projection onto the Burj Khalifa, the next task for GTV was the filming of the event – and Pannier wasn’t taking any chances. “We have filmed events at the Burj Khalifa many, many times over the years, so we were very confident,” he began. “However, with the scale of this show, if there had been any kind of mistake with any camera, then it would have been a disaster.” So, for the first time ever, Pannier decided to take the extra precaution of backing up every camera position with an extra camera. “We only had one shot at this, and we really had to make sure that everything was captured properly.”

Reflecting on the project, Pannier pinpointed the “tight” timeframe as a challenging aspect.

“There were lots of long nights, but that is normal – it comes with the territory,” he said, philosophically. “It was a tight turnaround, but

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everyone came together, and we were able to deliver a project to be proud of.”

In fact, after working with Done Events on the #StrongerTogether project earlier in the year, Pannier found this to be comparatively easy – operationally at least. “The #StrongerTogether project was a real crunch job, because it was so massive,” he recalled. “Crunch time is when you really get to know people. I told Sonu after we finished that event that I’ve rarely seen a person stay so cool in such a potentially stressful situation, working on such a complex project.

Seeing the way that he and the Done team handled that, I knew that this would be well within their capabilities.”

He added: “This project was a credit to Done Events – they are highly professional, very mature in their operations and they did an amazing job in creating one event out of the various elements that combined to make up the project. It was

an amazing event and we were very happy and proud to be a part of it.”

The project comes at an opportune moment for GTV, as the company has just formed a new division – Paradox Studios – which is based in Riyadh and specialises in animation and 3D shows. “We’ve already secured some great clients who I can’t mention by name yet,” Pannier commented. “We’ve been in this space with GTV for a number of years, so it’s great to finally have a focused company set up and devoted especially to the discipline.”

‘THE BEAUTY OF DRONES’ With the Burj Khalifa projection completed and filmed successfully, the next phase of the launch was the drive-in event at d3. A total of 120 cars were admitted to the event, with three people allowed in each car. “Each car was pre-registered and welcomed into the venue to park in its pre-

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allocated position,” Balchandani explained.

Bhat gave more details on the extra measures.

“All the usual COVID-19 precautions were in place, such as temperature checks, masks, extensive signage and isolation rooms. The entire team took PCR tests prior to the event and worked hard to make sure that the venue and guests adhered to health and safety norms.” Balchandani added: “We’ve been working in these conditions for a while now, so we know how to put on an event while keeping everyone safe.”

Once all the cars had been guided into their allocated parking spots – “there was 7m between each car; more than double what is normally required, to make sure we were extra-safe” – an eight-minute video was played on the big screen.

Beginning with a welcoming speech from Al Nabooda Automobiles’ CEO, K Rajaram, the video showed footage from the Burj Khalifa projection, combined with stock footage of previous Porsche

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models, graphics created by GTV and finally the new Taycan.

At this point, most productions would have been more than happy with the setup. However, never resting on its laurels, Done Events brought in AO Drones to provide a spectacular drone show, which ran above the big screen, adding an additional visual element to the already eyecatching show.

“The brief for this project was a bit different to how we worked on #StrongerTogether,” explained AO Drones’ Marco Niedermeier. “This time, because there was already a large screen that was playing the main show, the drone show had to complement what they had on the screen, rather than overpower it. We had to be mindful of the other content.”

In all, 120 drones were used to form 10 different formations. “We also had 10 spare drones on the set in case of any faults,” Niedermeier revealed, adding that, thankfully, the spares didn’t need to be called upon. The Producer described how every time the various Porsche models were mentioned in the video, the drones formed the outline of that particular model in the sky. “We also displayed the Al Nabooda and Porsche logos, as well as various

other relevant formations,” he said. “We delivered the show by timecode.”

AO Drones has upgraded its fleet since the #StrongerTogether project, switching over to 5G and also giving the lights a huge boost in power to 900 lumens. “They are around four times as bright as the previous model,” Niedermeier confirmed. “We are happy to say that this makes them among the brightest drones in the world.”

This extra brightness was invaluable, given the challenging task of making the drones stand out while flying close to the bright LED screen and with the illuminated city skyline as a backdrop. “It had a massive impact,” Niedermeier said of the upgrade. “With all the other elements in the show, the drones had to be extremely bright to be effective.”

The AO Drones team had two rehearsal days to ensure that everything was in place and ready for show day. “We did an initial site visit to check the GPS signal, then the day before the show we were back on site to do a full test flight of the show, checking the drones, cameras and that everything was running as we would expect,” Niedermeier explained. On this occasion, the team made some minor alterations to the timecode after the first test run in order to get

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the timing with the video absolutely right. “That’s the beauty of drones,” he added. “You can test and recalibrate numerous times without any extra cost. You can’t do something like this with pyro, for example.”

As with the #StrongerTogether project, Niedermeier’s son, Kevin, operated the drones.

He explained what the biggest challenge of the event was for him. “The safety distance around the drones was a major consideration,” he revealed, explaining that, for a 200m drone show, they had to implement a 400m secure area. “We had to consider the screen, the VIP area, the surrounding buildings, parking lots and roads – with such a large area, we had to work closely with security to ensure everything was clear before launching.”

Apart from maintaining the large secure perimeter, Marco explained that everything else about the project was fairly straightforward – a fact he put down in no small part to the comfortable co-operation with Done Events.

“That is why we didn’t have many challenges,” he said of the collaboration. “We have worked on many projects together over the years and we know each other well. They know what we need, we know what they need

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and, most importantly, I trust them. It was great teamwork.” Balchandani echoed these sentiments, adding: “My relationship with Marco goes back 18 years; I trust him with everything.”

As a proud German, Niedermeier was delighted to work with one of his native country’s most famous marques. “Porsche is a great German company,” he commented. “This was a really nice project to work on. There aren’t that many events during COVID-19 times, and this was certainly one of the most impressive.”

‘A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT’ Another company that was brought back into the fold following a successful delivery on the #StrongerTogether project was MediaPro International. Tasked with supplying the d3 site, MediaPro provided a full audio, video and lighting package. “We were very happy with the overall outcome of the show,” commented Shaam Pudaruth, COO, MediaPro International. “All the technical aspects came together beautifully to create an amazing experience for the guests and the client. The venue is a spectacular one, the car is beautiful, and our technical elements just added to the aesthetics.”

The audio supply comprised a mixture of Martin Audio, Meyer Sound and L-Acoustics solutions, with 16 Martin Audio MLA plus eight subs, eight Meyer Sound MINA loudspeakers, as well as two each of L-Acoustics’ X15 stage monitors and SB15M subwoofers supplied. A

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Yamaha QL1 was the console of choice. “We also supplied the FM transmitter with the required licence, so guests could tune into the event audio from the comfort of their cars,” Pudaruth noted.

The main visual element was the large central 15m by 8.5m screen, which was made up of 240 panels of Absen PL4.8 XL. Lighting came in the form of 40 SGM Lighting P10s, 24 Q-7s, eight CKC Lighting V8 Aurora Profiles and 48 EK Lights Q48E LED washes, all controlled by an MA Lighting grandMA2 light console.

Reflecting on what he described as “a smooth setup and event”, Pudaruth shared his experience of working with familiar partners.

“Working with Done Events is always a pleasure,” he commented. “Their brief is clear, and they know exactly what they want from the show.

This, in turn, makes it easier for us to design and execute the job. Special thanks must go to our Project Manager, Fahad Khan, who managed the event, and my whole team. And, of course, thanks to Done Events for always trusting us.”

The main challenge as far as Balchandani was concerned was “meeting expectations, timeframes and budgets”, all while having numerous stakeholders to impress.

“The moment you go into that virtual and digital zone, the possibilities are endless,” he commented. “Everybody has got their own ideas, and creative process, so it’s important to manage those expectations and only promise what you can deliver.” While he reported “plenty

of sleepless nights” and “insane pressure”, the Production Director was delighted with the end result. “This was the first time that Porsche has ever done anything like this in Dubai, so it was a big statement for them,” he commented. “The client was extremely impressed.”

And this view was confirmed by Markus Peter, Marketing Director at Porsche Middle East and Africa, who praised the show. “It was a very special moment watching more than one million LED lights turning the façade into one big screen to celebrate the start of the Taycan introduction in our region,” he said.

Speaking broadly about the short-term prognosis for an events industry that has been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Balchandani was keen to stress that, with the right mindset, anything is possible. “If event agencies and creatives come up with innovative solutions, even given the present scenario, things can work. The government support is there – all it takes is a little bit of perseverance,” he stated.

“Everything we have put in place for this event is available. It’s not like you have to pay billions to do something like this; it just takes the right team of people, the right creativity and work ethic, and thankfully we had all of those on this project.”

Photos: Done Events www.ao-technology.com www.doneevents.com www.gtv.ae www.mediapro-av.com

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SHENIN HAMID, FOUNDER AND CEO, INSPIRE GROUP INSPIRE GROUP’S SHENIN HAMID REFLECTS ON THE EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND EXPLAINS HOW HER COMPANY IS ADAPTING.

After launching her company while the world was still recovering from the last global recession, Shenin Hamid is no stranger to triumph in the face of adversity. Now, as the global events industry faces its greatest ever challenge, Inspire Group’s Founder and CEO is confident that we’re going to see a raft of small business emerge from the rubble left behind by the COVID-19 crisis.

“So many amazing women I knew that had corporate jobs and got laid off have started their own businesses – it’s extremely inspiring,” she told TPMEA. “I’m almost certain this difficult time will result in hundreds of small businesses springing up by passionate people that were affected directly or indirectly by the pandemic.”

In fact, while the current situation is undoubtedly unprecedented, Hamid sees certain parallels that remind her of when she was just starting out. “My story was actually quite similar in some ways,” she revealed. “While in university

in 2011, when the market was just recovering from the worldwide recession and businesses were still struggling, I decided to freelance in events to create a small mode of income to help me pay for my education. I learned quickly, worked hard and built a solid foundation and great contacts in the market that resulted in me starting an agency.”

With no capital, no investment and no prior work experience at an organisation other than her own, it was a steep learning curve. “You could say I totally winged it!”

Hamid exclaimed. “I learned everything from my mistakes, which often costs you a lot more. However, they are my mistakes and no university in the world could prepare me for what I have learned through them.”

While the pandemic has forced many companies to adapt to a so-called ‘new normal’, according to Hamid, innovation has always been at the core of her business. “In 2016, we started to really focus on technology – a combination of hardware and software – and we were absolutely amazed by how impactful it was to our events and activations,” she recalled. “It added so much value by increasing engagement with our campaigns instantly and extremely effectively.”

Hamid believes that Inspire’s technology-led approach has helped the company innovate and adapt quickly to the changes brought about by COVID-19. “We are working with our existing technologies to create no-touch solutions, by activating sensor control, voice and facial recognitions that allow people to interact without touch, all while keeping a 1.5m social distance,” she revealed.

Some of the services Inspire offers include hologram displays, virtual reality portals, sensor-based vending machines, large 3D outdoor displays, augmented reality climbing walls, multitouch screens, LED POSM solutions in-store for FMCG products, interactive stands and displays.

“We have adapted all of these solutions with added safety measures, including hologram display hand sanitiser, which projects a hologram message to the user while sanitising, digital sanitising kiosks, sanitising tunnels and more,” the Founder and CEO confirmed.

Looking forward, Hamid is confident in the events industry’s ability to bounce back. “Events is a very creative industry that is run by terrific people who have the ability to create beautiful things,” she stated. “I believe strongly that it’s the people who make an industry what it is; people in events are constantly innovating, and innovation is key to bring this industry back. Events are not going anywhere – we have already started to see them come back, slowly but surely.”

Photo: Inspire Group www.inspiregroupme.com

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INTERVIEW

GOING DIGITAL WITH VIRTUAL EVENTS NOW A VITAL PART OF THE INDUSTRY, TPMEA CHECKS IN WITH TWO COMPANIES THAT ARE EMBRACING THE CHANGE AND ADAPTING TO THIS BOLD, NEW ONLINE WORLD.

3MONKEYS CO-FOUNDER, RUDI BUCHNER SHARES THE LATEST GOINGS ON FROM INSIDE THE IMPRESSIVE 3MONKEYS VIRTUAL EVENTS SPACE. Making the best of what has been a horrendous time for most of the industry, 3Monkeys has used the enforced downtime from live events to scale up its virtual events offering dramatically. “We have been producing exclusively online events for around six months now,” began Co-Founder, Rudi Buchner. “We’ve now ran more than 100 rehearsal and show days.

It’s an exciting time.”

From humble beginnings with two flight cases set up in its workshop, 3Monkeys’ virtual events offering has grown into a proper broadcast-style control room in the company’s facility in Silicon Oasis. “We recently added three sub controls, giving us the possibility to broadcast events in parallel or combine all the control rooms into one big infrastructure, giving us a total of 35 remote channels for video conferencing clients and up to four dedicated feeds for external studios,” Buchner revealed. “A fourth production rack has also been integrated into the virtual event studio of a partner agency in San Francisco, extending our footprint and allowing us to interlink productions from North America and the EMEA region.”

According to Buchner, the rapid evolution of the world of virtual events has meant that it was vital to invest in the appropriate infrastructure. “Like with physical events, each virtual event is a living creature of its own and has different requirements. Clients have shown an immense learning curve, resulting in new, exciting virtual event concepts, designs, and approaches – each approach possibly asking for a bigger, better, more sophisticated or radically new solution,” he commented. Buchner recalled one example where

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3Monkeys Co-Founder, Rudi Buchner.

INTERVIEW

a client needed 144 remote feeds, which had to go live in pre-defined groups within a 20-minute segment of the event. “Our first thought: impossible!” he laughed.

“We also had a client ask for simultaneous translation into eight languages; and even one who asked about linking green screen studios in different parts of the US with one central location and bi-directional lines between all of them, including a handover between studios to cover Asia out of Dubai, resulting in an almost 24-hour conference broadcast.”

While all these queries provided a challenge, Buchner was pleased to report that they were all solved in the end. “We came up with solutions partly out of our own resources, but also partly with the support of local AV suppliers,” he stated.

“Let’s face it, despite many people believing they can run virtual events from one laptop, a professionally organised and executed event needs a lot of gear, expertise and manpower.”

Buchner reserved special praise for DLC Events and eclipse – both companies that have become integral to the 3Monkeys virtual events operation. “We have been relying heavily on our

partners out of the AV rental industry in UAE when it comes to manpower, hardware and, last but not least, their expertise to get things right in areas where we lacked experience,” he shared. “Having DLC as partner for simultaneous translation as well as remote simultaneous translation enabled us to have multilingual broadcasts and they added voice recording and live VOG capabilities to our facility. On the other hand, eclipse is an integral part of our green screen studio and is pretty much running it.”

One of the most satisfying aspects of the work for Buchner is how it proves the value of Dubai’s events sector. “The expertise and knowledge in the local market to produce and manage virtual events on the highest level exists – there’s no need to go abroad,” he commented. “We are proud that our solution is now used in the US, giving our hashtag, #FomDubaiToTheWorld an entirely new layer.”

Dubbed by Buchner as “the most underestimated topic in our region”, IT is something that he believes is vital to the success of a virtual event. “Big agencies and organisations have a health and safety officer on board for

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their productions. In the same way, we believe it’s necessary to establish the presence of a well-versed IT infrastructure, compliance, and security officer,” he stated. “If you are planning a virtual event, force the supplier of your choice to up their game and provide you with a detailed documentation of their IT proceedings. If you are a service provider, listen to the IT experts as there is a whole new universe and, once you start exploring it, it will work in your favour.”

Speculating on the future, Buchner believes that virtual events will continue to develop rapidly. “Not everything is entirely developed yet, and new challenges will arise from time to time, but in general a handful of ME-based players within the industry have adopted to the new event ecosystem very quickly and are capable of delivering virtual events that are on par with and beyond what is being delivered in this segment globally,” he commented. “It will be very interesting to see the further developments and to see the development of hybrid solutions as the next step.”

Photos: 3Monkeys www.3monkeys.net

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INTERVIEW

N&M DUBAI NEUMANN&MÜLLER EVENT TECHNOLOGY’S SVEN SCHUSTER PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE COMPANY’S ONLINE EVENTS OFFERINGS.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has seen demand for in-person live events drop off to almost zero, the demand for online events has surged.

“Virtual events is an area that we have really seen come to the fore,” commented Sven Schuster, Senior Project Manager at N&M Dubai.

“We have always offered these services, but they were never our primary focus. The good thing for us is that the structure was already in place, because we have already offered online and hybrid events for years. They were used mainly as an add-on to our standard live events, so we just had to scale it up to cater to the increasing demand.”

Describing the increase in demand for virtual events as “massive”, Schuster commented: “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we did mainly hybrid and standard live events; now, we see a

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shift of almost 90% to online events. We had to scale up the operation tremendously.”

A key component of N&M Dubai’s virtual events offering is the company’s ‘come2interact’ solution. “This is a tool that was developed by our colleagues in Germany,” Schuster explained.

“It gives guests the ability to take part in Q&As or other interactive experiences through their own devices while at an event.” With this solution already in place, the N&M team simply had to work out how it could be utilised in an online world rather than at in-person events.

Prior to rolling out its enhanced online events offering, N&M conducted training across teams in both the UAE and Germany. “We did this so our teams could bring themselves up to date on the technical requirements,” Schuster commented. And while this was great for the

team to brush up on the theory, according to Schuster, the only way to really test if a team is ready for the real thing is to give them some “proper hands-on experience”.

“We needed the team to be ready quickly right from the start, so we organised our own online events where they were the technicians, and I was the client,” he explained. “I came up with all kinds of strange requests and ideas to test them out, so they were ready for anything by the time the real events got started.”

After a flood of enquiries around the time that the pandemic struck, Schuster explained that, while the number of requests has now levelled out, the fact that most clients have now gathered some experience of online events has meant that nowadays requests are much more realistic, which makes the pitching and

INTERVIEW

quoting process much smoother. “Everyone is more experienced in online events now, and that includes our clients,” Schuster outlined. “Initially, a lot of requests aimed to simply do the exact same show they were going to do in a normal live event and transfer that into a virtual setting, which just doesn’t work. So, we had to do a lot of consultation in the beginning.”

So far, most online events have been operated from pop-up studios. “We try to set these up anywhere the client wants, as long as it is feasible and safe,” Schuster confirmed. However, the Senior Project Manager hinted that this might soon be about to change… “We have some interesting news coming in the next few weeks, so watch this space!”

Looking forward, Schuster believes that the effects of the pandemic will be felt for a long time to come. “Many people have realised that it’s not worth sitting on a plane for eight hours to attend a meeting or event for a day,” he posed. “Whether we like it or not, hybrid events are here to stay.”

However, for Schuster, nothing will beat the feeling of live, in-person events. “An online event is great to transmit information and it can even be entertaining for the audience,” he concluded. “But it will never give the audience goosebumps like when the bass guitar kicks in, a whole lighting rig illuminates a stage or a 50m LED screen flashes amazing content. You will never be able to transmit that feeling online.”

Photos: N&M Dubai www.neumannmueller.com

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N&M Dubai Senior Project Manager, Sven Schuster.

SATELLITE MODULAR LASER SYSTEM

(r)evolution

SATELLITE MODULAR LASER SYSTEM

Every once in a while, something comes along that tears up the rulebook and revolutionises an industry. This is one of those moments: the Satellite Modular Laser System from the Visionaries of the display industry – Digital Projection.

1996

3,000 lumens 60 kg

2003

16,000 lumens 113 kg

2016

27,000 lumens 132 kg

2020

> 40,000 lumens < 40 kg

The Visionaries’ Choice www.digitalprojection.com TPI Magazine March 2020.indd 1

04/03/2020 11:18

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COMPANY PROFILE

COMPANY PROFILE: CUE2CUE WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PUTTING A HALT TO THE COMPANY’S REGULAR WORK, CUE2CUE’S GARETH HULANCE SPEAKS TO TPMEA ABOUT CHANGING TACK INTO THE WORLD OF VIRTUAL EVENTS AND THE LESSONS HE AND THE TEAM HAVE LEARNED IN 2020.

A familiar name in the global entertainment market, cue2cue’s body of work is wide reaching, having provided stage managers and show callers on a huge range of events, from conferences to Olympic ceremonies, working regularly with some of the world’s top agencies including Film Master, Five Currents, Jack Morton Worldwide, BWS, People and Black Skull Creative. In the Middle East, the company has worked on the Dubai World Cup, Saudi National Day and The Special Olympics World Games 2019, to name but a few.

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“The goal of cue2cue is to provide clients with some of the most experienced stage managers and show callers from across the world, capable of working on a huge variety of projects,” stated Founder, Gareth Hulance.

With over 20 years of personal experience working in theatre, ceremonies and live events as a show caller, production stage manager and show director, Hulance created cue2cue at the start of 2012 and has since grown the team.

However, like many in the field, cue2cue had to adapt quickly, with most of its clients having

to resort to virtual events in 2020. “It’s something that up until this year, we did not have a great deal of experience in,” admitted Hulance, while reminiscing on the strange year that 2020 has been. “Before this year, during a normal event, we would check in with the streaming team who might be working alongside us but, to be honest, this often just meant cueing them in for certain moments – not much more than that.”

With streaming and virtual platforms being the only option now at clients’ disposal, the cue2cue team collectively decided to turn their

COMPANY PROFILE

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Opposite; WSJ Council - Event Concept.

efforts to providing a solution to help companies navigate this burgeoning new events space.

“One thing that we learned during several projects is that you still need a team of people to deliver a successful event,” stated Hulance.

“Many businesses have now realised that this style of event is much more than a Zoom call with PowerPoint and, to put together a successful event, you need to have a full team in the same way you would for a physical event.”

Hulance went on to recount some of the experiences that he and some of the team had witnessed while working in this field. “We have found our stage managers have had to become well versed in the technology, so they can answer any technical questions the speaker may have before going live,” he recalled. “Stage managers are therefore working more closely with the technical teams than they were previously, as we rely on them as our support during this process.”

The cue2cue Founder explained that although most clients have become more than used to video conferencing platforms throughout 2020, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they

were ready for a broadcast-style performance.

“We found in many instances that some speakers were more nervous than they would be stepping out on a stage in front of a live audience,” he commented. “Speaking to a crowd you can’t see is a strange experience.”

This led cue2cue to change its approach to this style of project, surrounding one goal – “to make speakers feel as comfortable as possible”.

Hulance explained: “It becomes a balancing act of giving them information in their in ears but at the same time, not overloading them, as this can put off those that might not be used to it.

“We have also worked with the technical teams to suggest ways that the speaker’s return screen can be set up with comfort monitors and clocks, and having a visual feed to the stage manager while prepping them to go live puts them at ease and proves much more personal than just a voice, for example.”

Hulance noted a closer relationship with presenters and speakers in virtual events than there would normally be in a physical event.

“These virtual shows definitely feel more like

a television show,” he commented. In normal circumstances, as a show caller, the stage manager would be the one on stage talking to presenters and producers, leaving the caller to talk with the tech crew, but now the stage manager roll is involved primarily with the speaker on boarding.

“This comprises checking they are logged into the platforms correctly, they are seeing all the correct feeds and that their environment including lighting and location is sufficient,” outlined Hulance.

“Once this is done, the stage manager can then do their more typical show brief before they get sent to the virtual stage platform. Once there and in rehearsals, most of the communication is often set up to be just by the show caller, as multiple faceless voices would be confusing for even the most seasoned of presenters.”

The type of audience for these events has also changed the approach of Hulance and his team. “One of the big lessons we have learned is that you can’t get away with anything,” he laughed. “With a physical show, if there is a

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COMPANY PROFILE

cue2cue’s Founder, Gareth Hulance; Huawei Press Event - INCA Productions, photo provided by Daniel Sims; The cue2cue teams on site in Asia.

technical issue, we have several contingencies, so the audience doesn’t notice. The MC might have to speak a bit longer or you play some music and then catch up later.”

However, with an audience glued to their computer monitor or phone, the smoke and mirrors that any show caller or director usually has in their back pocket diminishes significantly.

“If there is an issue, it becomes very noticeable very quickly, so it’s even more important to have a clear plan of action for every minute of each virtual event.”

The studio setups the cue2cue team has worked in comprise of both physical sets and green screens, but Hulance explained that fully virtual shows are becoming increasingly common.

“These are often busier and more complex as clients are seeing what can be done to make the event more dynamic,” he commented.

“As an example of this progression, one of our first shows this summer had, at the most, four separate Zoom feeds coming into the platform to be transmitted as a four-panel setup on screen,”

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Hulance recalled. “The show we are currently in pre-production for has over 30.”

The cue2cue Founder expressed to TPMEA how “fantastic” it was to be back on site during these hybrid shows. “There are still challenges to keep COVID-19 safe, but you really appreciate the – albeit distanced – face-to-face time with the rest of the crew,” he said.

The cue2cue team has also turned its hand to several other COVID-19 safe events, including a drive-through physical press event for Huawei with long-term clients, INCA Productions.

“We put on 11 shows in one day, with the guests driven through Printworks in London, stopping at various stages for live actor-led demos, presentations and the opportunity to try out the new phones with a background of fantastic light and sound displays,” Hulance commented, describing the project.

Looking ahead, Hulance sees the UAE as one of the most likely destinations for a return to physical events. While at present a travel corridor is in place allowing travel between the UK and

the UAE without the need to quarantine, even if that were to change, it wouldn’t put him off the prospect of taking the job. “At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I stated that if travel for a job meant a few weeks quarantine in a hotel room, I will still take the job – I’m somewhat of a workaholic,” he laughed, commenting on the adjustment from an average of over 60 flights per year to just five in 2020.

However, until live events return, the digital events space remains an exciting one for Hulance.

“As a company, we have been really fortunate to be working over the past few months. It was certainly not the year we had planned, but we would like to say thank you to our clients we are currently working with, including Anna Valley, Beings Digital, Event Concept, INCA Productions, Momentum Worldwide, Private Drama, and Wise Productions,” he concluded. “We are so thankful to them for their continuing trust in cue2cue teams to deliver their shows.”

Photos: cue2cue www.cue2cue.uk

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

HEIL SOUND NAMES QDT AS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA

C’ean Dix-Peek, Andre Kruger, Guy Harris and Lucky Lande.

THE APPOINTMENT COMES AS PART OF AN EXPANSION EFFORT IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED SALES AND PRODUCT AWARENESS OUTSIDE OF THE USA. Heil Sound has named Quantum Dynamic Technologies (QDT) as its exclusive distributor for South Africa. QDT will distribute Heil Sound’s Pro Series microphones and HDK drum mic kits as well as its ProSet headphones.

Located in Johannesburg, Quantum Dynamic Technologies – a subsidiary of Quantum World Technologies – imports and distributes a wide variety of professional sound reinforcement products as well as professional AV video products, including multimedia and stage lighting systems and solutions to the pro audio industry throughout the country.

Guy Harris is Managing Director for QDT and gave considerable thought to finding the

ideal mic company to work with. “We have been searching for some time for the right microphone line to represent and partner within South Africa,” he commented.

“Heil Sound products have an exceptional reputation here and are used by some professionals, but until now the brand has not been formally represented here as it should be.”

He added: “Our goal is to use our distribution expertise to promote Heil Sound microphones in all relevant markets. All of us at QDT are very excited with the distribution partnership between Heil Sound and QDT and we are looking forward to a fantastic and successful future with Heil Sound microphones in South Africa.” Ash Levitt,

Head of Research and Business Development for Heil Sound, stated: “We’re excited to welcome Quantum Dynamic Technologies as our South African distributor.

“We have had loyal customers in South Africa for some time, but we have not had the opportunity to properly expand there until now.

QDT can fill those needs and represent quality Heil Sound products to all corners of the South African market. We look forward to a great relationship with them in servicing the pro audio market in South Africa.”

Photo: Heil Sound www.heilsound.com www.quantumdyntech.co.za

DWR APPOINTED SHARP NEC DISPLAY SOLUTIONS DISTRIBUTOR THE DISTRIBUTOR IS SET TO SUPPLY PROJECTORS RANGING FROM 7,000K TO 35,000K ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA. Sharp NEC Display Solutions has appointed DWR Distribution as a South African distributor for its well-established professional projectors.

While NEC has a vast product range, including multimedia projectors with the ability to operate in large and small spaces, as well as digital cinema projectors, DWR’s specialty will be the supply of NEC projectors ranging between 7,000K and 35,000K, to rental companies, houses of worship, theatres and auditoriums. “We’ve just sold our first 8K and 20K laser projectors to churches, and that’s exactly where we are aiming at,” confirmed Robert Izzett, Director and Head of Sales at DWR.

Jason Rall, Southern Africa Country Manager for Sharp NEC Display Solutions, believes that the South African market presents a good opportunity for professional projection. “We were intent on finding a suitable partner with which to

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promote our world-class projection technology and, after meeting Rob and the DWR team, it was clear they are a group of keenly skilled people and an organisation with the necessary infrastructure and focus to help us develop our professional projector portfolio in South Africa,” he commented.

“I am grateful to have met Rob and the DWR team through a mutual friend and colleague and am very excited and confident about the synergy created by our two businesses.”

Izzett concluded: “It’s always about relationships, and we are very glad that our paths have crossed with Jason. We are excited to run with this new product range.”

Photo: DWR Distribution www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.sharpnecdisplays.eu DWR’s Robert Izzett and Sharp NEC Display Solutions’ Jason Rall.

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

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KILOWATT AV DELIVERS AT UBER’S TECH FOR SAFETY SUMMIT 120 DESCEND ON THE TECH FOR SAFETY SUMMIT WITH 2,000 OTHER ATTENDEES JOINING VIA LIVESTREAM. South African-based Kilowatt AV produced a hybrid event solution, including design, manufacture and full technical support, for the recent Uber Tech for Safety Summit, hosted at Levelthree Premium Venue in Kramerville, Johannesburg, on 22 October.

Attended by 120 people, with some 2,000 others joining via livestream, the annual event tackled Africa’s most pressing safety-related concerns, which are now further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the participation of various leaders, innovators and talent across the spectrum, and journalist and former radio presenter Redi Tlhabi stepping in as the master of ceremonies, the event incorporated numerous speakers and panels, both at the venue with others interacting

via the livestream. While social distancing measures were in place, Kilowatt AV created the all-important visual element using an Absen 2.9mm 4.5m by 2.5m D2V LED screen. “The setup for the LED was pretty straightforward, with a 16:9 format,” explained Neil Zaayman, Chief Operating Officer at Kilowatt AV. “We’ve always been very happy with Absen, it’s a solid product.”

While Kilowatt AV has worked numerous virtual and hybrid events since the pandemic, this was the company’s seventh event so far with a live audience.

“Everyone in our industry knows exactly what we are going through, but we are tenacious people and the Kilowatt AV team have kept a positive outlook right from the start,” commented Zaayman. “It’s important to keep the momentum

going, so we have focussed our energy towards offering various services for our clients.”

In Cape Town, Kilowatt AV has created a new purpose-built venue at the Avenue Studio, Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront, which has played host to various corporate events and awards. During the South African lockdown, the company also started manufacturing contemporary flat-pack furniture, which has turned out to be an exciting journey into a completely new industry.

Zaayman concluded: “As an industry, we’ve been presented a golden opportunity to change our behaviour and re-assess how we engage with clients, suppliers, staff and freelancers.”

Photos: Kilowatt AV www.kilowatt.co.za

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REGIONAL ROUND-UP

NEW PARTNERSHIPS FORGED AT SOLID STUDIOS THE TEMPORARY RECORDING SPACE SERVES AS A HUB FOR HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTIONS DURING TOUGH TIMES FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN EVENTS INDUSTRY. When the South African lockdown was first implemented, Alex Van Dyk, owner of technical supply company Solid Group, and Lighting Designer, Alan Muller, started chatting over the phone, initially about PPE, hoping to generate an alternative income. The conversation soon turned to how many people were now streaming, and it dawned on them that there was a gap in the market for a broadcast-quality solution that would stand out from the crowd.

As well as having the space to facilitate a studio, Van Dyk also owned the necessary quality gear, including a Green Hippo Amba+ media server. Muller meanwhile would be able to bring his 30 years’ worth of experience working on a range of EDM festivals, as well as his expert knowledge and skill for both TV lighting and set design, having cut his teeth in the TV market.

“Alex and I met in person for the very first time over the COVID-19 period,” Muller began.

“We looked at the Solid Group warehouse and decided to design a 10m by 10m studio. As a television studio, we didn’t need a stage.”

Based on the studio’s LED design, the Hippotizer was critical in how they expanded the set. With content playing a major role, they were also able to create abstract shapes

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and designs. AV Technician, James Rogers ran and programmed the Hippotizer, while Muller controlled the content. “I love the Hippotizer and it can do everything I need and more,” Muller commented. “Even when we had clients who were unsure of what they wanted; we could remap without issues.”

While various directors stepped in to assist at the studio, like Henré Pretorius and Di Rosen, the crew were “superstars”. Muller explained: “With very little television experience, previously working at corporates, they really came to the party! They were eager to learn and blossomed.

I would also like pay tribute to Dylan James Edwards, who played an essential role in the live streaming component.”

With an emphasis on producing quality, the shows at Solid Studios ranged from DVD recordings, where artists launched their new albums and music videos, to corporate events.

The studio hosted, amongst many others, the Shiraz 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards, The Leapfrog Property Group Awards, Heinz Winckler’s new music video Our Nation, and the new music video Fall by Matthew Mole and Francois van Coke. A highlight for the team was creating content for the Ladles of Love’s Africa in

Action documentary, which was created for the DSTV Channel and based on a charity campaign that provides 300,000 meals to people in need every week living in Cape Town, Hermanus and Port Elizabeth.

Solid Studios was also the Cape Town studio for the #LightSAred live broadcast. “We decided to put in an actual set and make a proper show out of the events happening on the day,” said Muller. “We didn’t have the money, but we had the skill and the time. For me, it’s all about the people and with the amazing people who came on board, like Dino Moran, it felt like old times.”

While the changing economic situation has meant that Solid Studios has now closed, Muller was grateful for the opportunity to work on a project that helped everyone to put bread on the table, form new relationships and allow work and creative juices to ease their minds.

“I’m sure we will be seeing more hybrid events, and I hope as an industry, we will continue to move forward with safety in mind,” he concluded. “I’m so glad we had this opportunity. It was fun, to say the least, and what a team. Thank you!”

Photo: Solid Group www.solidgroup.co.za