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2012 Host City Announcement a Success for Stage Electrics
Stage Electrics supplied and built the staging, lighting, audio, video, power and provided full technical infrastructure for the Trafalgar Square announcement event of London’s successful 2012 Olympic bid.
The announcement was beamed live from the IOC meeting in Singapore to Trafalgar Square, where the event was hosted by Margherita Taylor and Katy Hill.
The event’s format was ‘open ended’ to a certain extent, reports Stage Electrics’ project manager John Radford, with a number of scenarios possible depending on the result. The excitement was electric as the moment approached for the IOC to pronounce … with the momentous result followed by worldwide images on screen and jubilation on stage and the thousands who packed the square.
Stage Electrics were asked to work on the event by GDF Diversivents who were the 2012 announcement event producers for London 2012.
Their crew arrived on site on the Monday lunchtime, 48 hours ahead of the announcement, and worked round the clock to help GDF Diversivents transform the totally empty space into the high profile reception area.
The uncovered 165 square metre stage was constructed from Maltbury Metrodeck, above which Stage Electrics designed and built a customised trussing ground support structure. “GDF Diversivents came to us with an aesthetic they wanted to achieve,” explains Radford. They left it to us to deliver the solution. It was a case of getting the right pieces of metalwork in the right places at the right time.” The six mast system was built from Slick MaxiBeam and GS Truss structure.
Stage Electric supplied an EAW KF730 line array system, with a Midas Heritage 3000 console for monitors and a Soundcraft Series 5 at FOH. The even was mixed by Chris Vass at FOH and Paul Turner on monitors.
Performers included Rachel Stevens, Mel C and Heather Small and the system was used for all the announcements and satellite relay feeds. “We needed a system that sounded equally good for spoken word, TV feeds and singing,” says Radford. “With this in mind we decided that EAW was our best option”.
There were live satellite feeds from Singapore and from the G8 summit at Gleneagles, where Tony Blair congratulated London 2012 and all those who’d worked tirelessly to turn London’s bid around in the face of stiff competition.
Stage Electrics also supplied L-Acoustics wedges for monitors a selection of microphones including Neumanns, Shure and Sennheiser radio mics and a Shure IEM system.
Lighting was designed by Stage Electrics’ Simon Baker, who also operated the show, and consisted of Martin MAC600s and MAC300 moving lights, James Thomas ‘Birdie’ battens, floor mounted PAR 64s, and Jem ZR22 smoke machines with DMX fans. The latter were used to create an atmospheric layer of mist and texturing around the stage and to enhance the visual dynamics on an otherwise grey day. All lighting and DMX fixtures were controlled via a Martin Maxxyz console.
Stage Electrics co-ordinated the supply of all live video elements including two 36-panel Barco S-Lite LED screens each measuring 5.4 by 4 metres, flown either side of the structure. They also supplied a 3-camera live PPU and OB truck, and cameras included a Jimmy Jib, a roving hand-held camera onstage, plus a fixed unit in front of the stage.
A 320 KVA twin pack was supplied to site to deal with the temporary power requirements and to run all the technical departments. The whole site was designed to be specifically expedient on power and energy efficient said Radford. Stage Electrics also installed a series of media platforms for the amassed press to see the stage, etc., plus wheelchair viewing platforms.
Once the event was over and the euphoria had calmed down, Stage Electrics’ crew of 36, including assistant project manager John Burgess, began the get out – and had the site clear by 10 p.m. that evening, just eight hours after the show.
8th July 2005
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