The queue outside the Tech-Ed
conferencehe 'Round'
Inside the Tech-Ed conference
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For the fifth year running, Blackout was appointed as drapes and rigging contractors for Microsoft's annual Tech-Ed conference by London based production house PCI:Live.
Simultaneously, Blackout was also commissioned by production company Thomas Hannah Associates (THA) to provide the drapes and rigging for software giant Oracle's AppsWorld Conference in London's ExCell Centre.
Blackout supplied both high profile events with staggering amounts of drape, trussing and rigging - co-ordinated with their trademark precision and detail.
Tackling Tech-Ed
Tech-Ed now in its 10th year is one of the largest conferences in Europe, filling both halls of the enormous Fira de Barcelona 2 exhibition centre - with one hall measuring half a kilometre in length, 100m wide and 15m high! Over 6,000 Microsoft employees and IT professionals from across Europe traveled to Barcelona for the five-day conference. The 6,000 capacity keynote room coupled with the delegates' dining area filled an entire hall; the second housed a further 10 breakout rooms, some seating 2,000.
Blackout Director Chris Brain worked with PCI:Live's Matt Hearnden designing the system of room-dividers using catenary wires, measuring over 5km in length to hang the 53,000 square metres of drapes. Their drapes and rigging crew of 15 worked solidly throughout the 2 week build period, and the equipment was transported in eight 45 ft trailers, three of which were dedicated exclusively to over 1,000 drapes, weighing over 30 tonnes.
The drapes also acted as sound baffles, containing the noise between the session rooms, with the application of Blackout's double-backed system, which creates a metre of air space between the two drapes.
A splash of colour was added to the Tech-Ed Afterparty, with red and blue velour drapes suspended from the truss, framing twinkling walls of star-cloth, transforming the functional keynote area into a magical party scene for the hardworking delegates.
PCI: Live's Production Manager Matt Hearnden commented:
"Yet again Blackout proved invaluable to the co-ordination of this mammoth project. We know we can rely on the team and their can-do approach to meet deadlines and keep a positive attitude throughout."
Organising Oracle
Blackout's MD, Steve Tuck, co-ordinated all the draping and truss for the Oracle Appsworld conference at London's Excell exhibition centre. The project comprised one main Keynote area for 3000 delegates plus six breakout auditoriums, built in the same double skin drape style as Tech Ed. The project was handled by two production companies for Oracle - UK based THA for the Keynote Room, and Dutch production house Gielissen. THA appointed Blackout for the Keynote room, and Giellssen to oversee three of the other breakout areas.
Steve worked closely with THA's Production Manager, Punch Wilson, to supply a gargantuan quantity of black drapes and rigging equipment. Deployed in the Keynote area, the drapes softened the acoustics and eliminated any sound reflections. By enclosing the Keynote area, they also created a more intimate environment for the delegates.
THA's Head of Production, Heather Robinson, explained:
"Blackout's knowledge of the venue was useful in the short timeframe. The team had one day in which to rig all the points and trussing = over 100 motors and more than 730 metres of truss - and the project ran like clockwork."
For further information, please contact:
Katinka Allender
PR Consultant
Phone: +44 (0)1865 409977
Email: katinka@katinka.org.uk
Kevin Monks
Blackout Ltd
Phone: +44 (0)20 8687 8400
Email: kevin.monks@blackout-ltd.com
Chris Brain
Blackout Ltd
Phone: +44 (0)20 8687 8400
Email: chris.brain@blackout-ltd.com
Anna Webb
Litmus Communications
Phone: +44 (0)20 7249 6226
Email: anna@litmuscomms.co.uk
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