One of the most coveted charity events on the Perth events calendar is the annual Men In Black Ball hosted by Momentum Forum Events. For the third consecutive year, Encore Event Technologies were proud to support the prestigious black tie event which raises awareness and funds in support of men’s mental health and the fight against depression through the Momentum For Australia charity.
Hosted on Saturday 3rd June at Pan Pacific Perth, the event attracted 400 Perthanalities, socialites, sports men and women, and business owners who arrived in their finest attire to support this worthy cause. MC’d by sports presenter and AFL star, Adrian Barich, this glamorous event included a 3-course gourmet dinner, live band and entertainment, award presentations, testimonial speaker, and charity raffle and auction.
In celebration of the event’s 10th anniversary, the Encore Perth team were tasked with delivering a ‘Diamond’ themed gala dinner. As the in-house event services provider at Pan Pacific Perth, the brief was answered with a complete event staging solution including all audio, vision, lighting, staging, styling, multimedia and digital engagement.
To give the Diamond theme a really sophisticated look, the stylists designed an elegant black and silver colour palette, with minimal styling elements. The hero of the night was the stunning stage backdrop created using Encore’ new 3D Scenic Panels in the centre flanked either side with large screens for the live camera feed of the presenters. We opted for Scenic Panels in the 3D Harlequin design as the jagged edges mimicked a Diamond appearance. The Diamond look was further enhanced by lighting the Panels in an iridescent colour scheme. Throughout the evening, the Scenic Panel backdrop was turned into a stunning 3D canvas for multimedia content projection to support the speeches, awards, entertainment and silent auction. This included a video of diamonds falling on the Panels as well as a constant “twinkle” surrounding the Men In Black logo which we designed in-house.
With all of Perth’s glitterati in attendance it was an evening made for sensational selfies. Encore helped encourage sharing the social conversation via Event Feed, a social media platform designed for capturing an event’s social conversation. Throughout the evening, all Instagram uploads, tweets with the hashtag #MenInBlackBall2017 and posts to the Momentum’s Facebook page were displayed live on screens around the room for all to see. Incorporating Event Feed into your event requires minimal input, but the output can be priceless.
The evening’s entertainment kicked-off with a high-energy performance from Are You Ok? ambassador Barry Conrad. Guests were also treated to a live performance by the popular Perth band, Proof, who played in their full 10-piece ensemble – a rare occurrence for events hosted within venues.
For the first time in the event’s history, the recipient of the Momentum Most Inspiring Man of the Year 2017 award also performed for the 350 guests. Leon Ruri, founder of Haka For Life, performed a spectacular haka alongside 30 others on the ballroom dance floor. Haka For Life became a viral sensation after their awe-inspiring haka performance during the Anzac Day Service in April this year.
Encore’ Technical Director for the event highlighted the innovative stage look delivered using the new Scenic Panels as the backdrop.
“For the Men in Black Ball we utilised 6 Pro Shop ROX Strips directly underneath the panels laying each one out one next to the other leaving no gaps in between. The intricate 3D shapes of the panels allowed light to bounce off all the various angles, giving the backdrop an interesting dynamic of both shadow and light effect.”
The GrandMA Wing Command was a key piece of equipment for the event, enabling the technicians control over the light, colour, brightness and other theatrical effects used on the Scenic Panels. It was crucial the lighting effects didn’t wash out or interfere with he clarity of the content projection.
Momentum Forum founder, Barbara McNaught, says “sadly depression is prevalent throughout the community and awareness must continue to be raised,”
“Men don’t talk, boys don’t cry. The stigma attached to this topic needs to be removed. I believe that since the inception of the Men in Black Ball in 2008, more men know that they are not alone and are more open about the topic”.
With another highly successful gala all wrapped up, the Encore Perth team are already putting their heads together for next year’s creative brief!
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