Whenever there’s a big, high profile and technically demanding event you can bet on one thing - Staging Connections is behind it. One of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar is the launch of the Spring Racing Carnival, which coincides with the Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards. This year the two-fold event was hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and was attended by the racing industry’s elite. Staging Connections were engaged by Racing Victoria, a valued client for over 10 years, to deliver the event from brief to execution including all audio, vision, lighting, stage set and styling. As the event was to be broadcast the following evening on Channel 78 and streamed via Racing.com, it was imperative the event environment was technically flawless and tailored for this purpose. The Launch of the Spring Racing Carnival is a media event that highlights the start of the Carnival and the upcoming feature races – Caulfield Cup, The Cox Plate, The Melbourne Cup, The Oaks and Stakes Day along with the regional cups. This year the Launch took place on the MCG arena with racing legends being the feature – horses, jockeys and trainers paraded in front of the assembled guests and a huge contingent of media. Renowned Australian sports broadcaster, Hamish McLachlan, MC’d the Launch parade and interviewed the racing legends. After the official launch concluded in the MCG Arena, guests were moved from the Grandstand into the Members Dining Room for the presentations for the 2015 BMW Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards. The Staging Connections styling and design teams collaborated with the AV technicians to create an elegant room look that supported the presentation purpose. The awards stage was centred at the front of the room, and housed an impressive 3 x 6m Event Backdrop (pictured above), flanked with large 16:9 screens that projected the award ceremony to the 200 guests. The Event Backdrop was custom designed by Racing Victoria with a collage of images that reflected the invitation to the event and the marketing campaign for the 2015 Carnival. Across the room we installed 2 projector screens and a high-quality audio system to compliment the many fixed televisions to ensure all guests had perfect line of sight of the presentations and could clearly hear the announcements. Guests were sat round banquet style with sophisticated centrepieces comprised of a large martini glass with mirror balls that were up lit using an internal light box. The end result was a first-class launch event, fitting for the prestigious occasion. What did the client say? Nicole Coughlan, Racing Victoria Marketing Manager An amazing team effort pulling off last night's SRC launch and AROY awards. Thank you so much for your time and effort. Everyone contributed to something that was very special and you should be very proud of what was achieved. Bernard Saundry, Racing Victoria CEO We are very lucky to have a team that has passion, creativity and commitment to deliver an outstanding event for Australian Racing. A big thank you - no better way to launch the spring racing carnival - the greatest show on turf. View more recent work Contact us to discuss your event Back to our Blog ... Read More

Staging Connections recently produced the launch event for the newest Chinese auto company to enter the Australian market at the Carousel Albert Park in Melbourne. The launch event saw Haval Auto introduce three new models, the H2, H8 and H9. Haval’s brief was to impress its dealers with a new way of presenting the cars. The standard launches for the auto industry have been car under cloth reveals, with run music and pretty girls to pull the cloth from the car. Haval wanted to break this mould and show the world that this was no ordinary car launch. Because each of the three models launched had very individual personalities there was a great opportunity to produce a different atmosphere and theme for each reveal to give each car a chance to shine. Haval wanted to open up the room to allow the audience to be part of the theme and experience each car’s personality. As well as the car launch, there was also a unique ribbon cutting ceremony by company VIPs to introduce the Haval brand to Australia. To achieve the three individual themes, the Carousel was split into three areas: Welcome and elegance – delivering a classic feel, with red up-lit walls, the Haval logo projected and a stylish chandelier, with styling elements in-keeping with traditional Chinese influence. Guests were photographed alongside a huge media wall and encouraged to sign their name on it and encourage engagement. A dramatic performance of Chinese dancing drummers then commenced. Presentations by the Haval CEO and team and ribbon cutting ceremony followed, to reveal the new H8 driven by three Bachelorettes (2 pictured above) from the latest season of Bachelorette Australia. Champagne and oysters were then served while guests viewed the new car. Outback Australia – providing an adventure feel and rugged looking visuals. As the music stopped the soundtrack of adventure grew as a curtain pulled back to reveal he H9 car. The car was spot-lit by floor to ceiling LED walls with a backdrop of mudflats, mountainous peaks, snow clad glaciers and sand dunes. This reveal included food and drink changes an outback feel with roasted meats, salads, beer and wine. During these reveals, the other side of the room is still dark and covered... Funky urban jungle – An electrical noise sparks the attention of the crowd. Pixpads blast light through the drape and urban beats starts and the curtain is pulled back revealing a plasma wall showing graffiti multimedia. LED lit furniture is placed around two H2 cars with a Gin and Whiskey bar theme. On either side are city scapes and modern art as a backdrop to the cars. To further engage with guests Event Feed was used so that they could display their tweets, photos and social media posts on large screens throughout the event. (Pictured above next to female performer). Guests, car dealers and media were enthralled by proceedings. A truly new-age car launch was born, raising the bar for all local car launches. View more recent work Contact us to discuss your event Back to our Blog ... Read More

Staging Connections were delighted to work with Hairhouse Warehouse in delivering their annual conference for another year at RACV Royal Pines Resort. The conference ran over 4 days, comprising seminars on the latest hair products and trends as well as workshops and of course, various social networking functions in the evening. Staging Connections were on-hand to support the entire conference with all stops being pulled for grand finale - a 'Glitz & Glamour' themed gala dinner held at the Royal Pines Ballroom. Client: Hairhouse Warehouse Event: Hairhouse Warehouse Gala Dinner Venue: RACV Royal Pines Resort - Ballroom Date: 10/09/2015 Pax: 300 Event Brief Staging Connections were asked by leading PCO Baldwin Consulting to design a glorious gala evening, representative of the style, glamour and beauty brand, Hairhouse Warehouse. The evening was the grand finale of a 5 day national conference for franchisees, and their last opportunity to network and experience industry information and trends. Mandatory to the success of the elegant theme were distinctive key elements, including: Glitz and glamour Impressive centrepieces and feature pieces A show-stopping main feature Not just a gala, the evening was to consist of a gourmet dinner, formalities including an awards presentation, and a high-fashion runway show. Audio Visual & Event Production Solution For the second year running, the gala dinner was held at the Royal Pines Resort in their large ballroom – a venue the Staging Connections team were already familiar with, having successfully delivered the event the year before. After receiving the brief, the Staging Connections South East Queensland team quickly realised that intelligent lighting, flawless AV and production management was required to underpin the extravagant styling and design. Leading up to the final gala dinner, Staging Connections were also tasked with delivering creative concepts for the mid-week social events – including a relaxed market style dinner out on the golf course and a crazy 90’s inspired night held on the tennis courts. With the styling for the social events setting the benchmark, our stylists pulled out all stops to make the final gala dinner a spectacular evening that stayed true to the glamour of the Hairhouse Warehouse brand. Pairing dark table linens with sleek black lycra chair covers and inky soft furnishings created an decadent room canvas. LED lighting cast an alluring and elegant backdrop to the crystal beaded accessories which made the darkened room “pop”. In a move designed to embrace and celebrate opulence, one metre tall asymmetrical spiral crystal bead centrepieces decorated the tables under a spectacular seven metre crystal beaded chandelier, suspended from the ceiling. The room look oozed glitz and glamour. With the styling covered, the production crew made the grand ballroom functional to accommodate the formalities, the fashion show and the key brand messages to be communicated to the audience. An audio visual structure comprising of cameras, data projection and screens enabled everything to be seen and heard by the 300-strong crowd, and staging structures including a custom catwalk were brought to life with haze, moving lights and dual projection screens with elite IMAG technology. Style and substance worked harmoniously to ensure every moment of the guest experience was practical and functional without detracting from the ultra-luxe surrounds. Even from the pre-dinner drinks in the foyer guests were wowed by the LED flood lights that changed colours and lit up the large glass walls and chrome wire dividing the foyer and main ballroom. The fashion parade used clever lighting throughout the proceedings as a subtle cue to direct and unite the evening’s program. The large ceiling chandelier slowly changed colour with the tempo of the room and intelligent lighting drew the crowd’s focus to the catwalk for a truly glamorous and unique array of fashion. Smart use of world-class lighting equipment and techniques and strong theming produced the glitz and glamour that the client requested, without the expense usually associated with luxury. The end result was a stylish, seamless gala dinner delivered on brief, on brand and on budget. Related Articles LED yo-yo ceiling installation wow's at this year's The Million Dollar Lunch 6 Conference trends you need to know Event Styling Trends for 2015 For more styling ideas visit Event Styling and Theming or view examples of our Recent Work. ... Read More

It's been a huge year for Event Professionals in 2015. We've seen the industry totally revolutionised thanks to advancements and new entrants into the event technology arena. Our friends at Event Manager Blog recently released their '10 Event Trends for 2016' guide, which will help prepare you for the year to come. We've highlighted the top ... Read More

Event planners and stylists are always looking for the next best thing to make their event an unforgettable experience. This month it’s all about styling with king tables and creating stunning tablescapes. These aren’t new concepts however as with many other event trends that start out at weddings and VIP styled events, they’re emerging onto ...

Staging Connections unveiled their newest product offerings at an exclusive function for 100 top event professionals and major clients, at the Hilton Sydney. The inaugural Event Masterclass – an evolution of Staging Connections’ popular Backstage events – provided an in-depth demonstration of the latest products, services and event trends. Unveiled for the first time was the newest addition to the Staging Connections digital portfolio – an interactive touch-screen presentation platform due to go to market in 2016. Lucy Kratz, Sales Manager for NSW and ACT said it was exciting to show clients new technologies that will propel their events to the next level. “Whilst Inteli-Touch is yet to officially be released to market, it was exciting to see where event technology is heading and show our clients some of what they can expect to see from Staging Connections in 2016 and beyond. “Our team scour the globe for the most impressive, boundary-pushing technologies, and touch screen displays are just one of the many new solutions we will be adding to our product suite this year,” said Ms Kratz. Set within the Hilton Sydney Ballroom the team showcased the latest screen products available in Australia including a gigantic 27m x 5m curved screen, six modular digital banners (pictured below), and a suspended Event Backdrop. Paul Hutton, Vice President Operations, Hilton Worldwide was impressed with the technologies on display. “From the moment we entered the ballroom the effect of the curved screen was overwhelming, it provided the perfect backdrop for the Event Masterclass, and combined with all screens in the room really brought our event to life,” said Mr Hutton. The Event Masterclass demonstrated the latest capabilities of Staging Connections popular event technology, Event Poll and Event Feed, and the latest in webcasting, 3D projection mapping, multimedia and motion graphics, digital screens and projection. The team’s latest work was presented including examples of stage design using state-of-the-art projection mapping for wide and curved screens as well as 3D objects. One of the most talked about products of the evening was the Event Backdrop which featured two custom printed canvases, one suspended above the other, to create a 3D entrance to a wine cellar (pictured below). The Event Masterclass coincided with the Hilton Food and Beverage Masterclass – an internal competition for Hilton worldwide to showcase and reward their talent. It gave Staging Connections an opportunity to use their latest products in a real, world-class event environment. Staging Connections Sydney Events Team Our Sydney team is proudly led by Nicole Russell and comprises some of the most talented design and styling professionals in the industry, offering event excellence across 18 key venues. If you're looking to host your next corporate event in Sydney, than we're the experienced events team you can rely on. We proudly offer Australia's largest range of event services across audio, lighting, staging, vision and extending to styling, multimedia and digital event solutions like webcasting, live polling and event social media. Get in touch with us today or call 1800 209 099 to speak with one of our event experts. ... Read More

It’s all hands on deck when you’re delivering one of the biggest events in the Australian corporate events calendar. On 27 March, the our team delighted 1,150 Amway Taiwan VIPs with a breathtaking, Australian-themed gala dinner as the pinnacle event of the 5 day major Asian incentive. The incentive gave Encore Event Technologies (formerly Staging ...

In April of 2016, Perth played host to the world’s largest global liquefied national gas conference, LNG18. Held over four days at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in Western Australia, the conference saw over 6,000 LNG industry professionals register to attend the conference and exhibition. Amongst those in attendance were CEOs from Chevron, Shell and Woodside and even attracted Australian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other Heads of State. Watch Video Staging Connections were proud to be appointed as the official audio visual provider for the conference, delivering all audio, vision, set design and staging, lighting and multimedia content for all events over the 4 days. This included the main Opening and Closing Plenary Sessions, the daily plenary sessions in the main theatre and accompanying breakout rooms as well as AV for several ancillary keynote events that ran alongside. Contemporary set design using the latest in projection mapping A hero feature of the conference was the spectacular stage set designed by Staging Connections’ team of in-house designers and technicians. Inspired by a contemporary, industrial look and isometric shapes, the hexagonal shaped set spanned the entire length of the main theatre stage, standing 7.5m high by 20m wide. A scaled-back version was also created was the breakout room, standing 3.5m high by 15m wide. The hexagonal shapes created a perfect canvas for projection mapping stunning scenery of Australia’s landscape and integrating vision of current and future LNG projects. This was projection mapped onto the hexagonal shapes and surrounding stage screens using 12K Panasonics in the breakout theatres and 18K Christies in the main plenary theatre. Watchout software was used to manage the vision playback whilst a Spyder was used as the vision switch control. The stage set was designed with this in mind and the combination of the shapes, scenic content and on-stage performances made way for a very impactful stage experience. LNG18 also gave Staging Connections the opportunity to showcase our multimedia production expertise, having produced all on-screen content for the plenary and breakout sessions as well as captivating videos for the opening and closing ceremonies and sponsor loops. Inteli-Touch - bridging the gap for exhibitors Making it’s debut at the conference was Staging Connections latest digital offering – Inteli-Touch. Inteli-Touch is our answer to “what comes next after PowerPoint and Keynote?” - an interactive touch-screen presentation software that unlocks many opportunities for a seamless presentation experience. Inteli-Touch was utilised by Exhibitions & Trade Fairs (ETF) who delivered the huge scale exhibition at the event. ETF needed a solution that enabled them to display floor plans with the added capability of securing bookings for the 27th World Gas Conference in Washington. It was important that their stand stood out from the other grand scale exhibitions and our touch screen technology, Inteli-Touch enabled them to do just that. The interactive technology enabled visitors to filter floor plans based on their needs, for example stand size and view the available positions in detail. They could then either send an enquiry, or book directly from the ETF exhibition stand. Rodney Cox, Event Director at ETF, says, "[Inteli-Touch] was really beneficial to be able to show prospective exhibitors of the next LNG exhibition including the available stand positions in real time. The technology also enabled exhibitors to secure a booking immediately, right from the stand. We loved the interactivity of the Inteli-Touch system. Exhibitors were clearly impressed by the state of the art touch screen. So I’m sure it positioned us at the forefront of technology.” Delivering LNG18 from Staging Connections on Vimeo. Partner with Staging Connections for your next conference Staging Connections has been the name behind some of the biggest national and international conferences for over 30 years. We're the preferred event services provider for corporate events due to our proven-track record for first-class events as well as our unrivaled breadth of event services and in-house venue partnerships. Speak to a Staging Connections representative today to start planning your next corporate event by calling 1800 209 099 or sending an enquiry. ... Read More

Amway is a world-leading company in beauty, lifestyle and homecare. Every year, they reward their top distributors with immersive events around the world. This year Amway Taiwan chose Sydney as their destination and flew over 1150 guests for week of learning, networking and of course celebrating. They came to us with a proposal – they wanted a big, extravagant event. Exactly the sort of job that excites us. Whilst these big event briefs are exciting to work on, they’re also laden with logistical challenges to overcome. As an experienced AV company, we wanted to share some tips for delivering large, high profile events of this kind, in the hope it will aid event planners facing similar challenges. Watch the video See below our top tips for delivering an Australiana-themed event for 1000+ VIPs. 1. Choose an iconic Australian location Amway Taiwan chose Sydney for a specific reason – they wanted to surprise and delight their guests with a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience and where better than Sydney. For an event of such size and spectacle, we needed the right venue. It needed to be large enough to accommodate the guests with enough access points for crew and audio visual installations but also offer an exclusive feeling, fitting for such a prestigious event. That’s why the client loved the Cutaway at The Barangaroo Reserve Headland Park. Located on the shores of Sydney’s harbour, the Cutaway is one of Sydney’s most anticipated venues, only opening in August last year. Flanked entirely on one side with a sheer, 18-metre high sandstone wall, this unique layout rendered the venue the perfect candidate for projection mapping. Our multimedia team created content that captivated the audience, branded the space, and supported the live performances. 2. Entertain the crowd with a host of recognisable Australian acts and performances. From the moment guests arrived, they were met with performers – stilt walkers dressed as iconic Australian buildings, bouncing kangaroos and caricatures of Aussie lifesavers, plus Australian animal petting areas. Guests were then surprised by five flag-bearing water skis passing the cove, and watched a spectacular aerial acrobatics show by Strange Fruit. Soul Mystique also mesmerised crowds with their innovative dance and magical costume transformation routine. As the entertainment continued through the night, guests were witness to a 40-strong cast from Decendance and the NSW Aboriginal Dance Company, a custom choreographed aerial show and an incredible performance by New Zealand (which is close to Australia!) opera singer Hayley Westenra. 3. Use projection mapping to turn a large venue into a themed experience Projection mapping is a clever way to turn an inanimate backdrop into a dynamic visual journey. The magnificent sandstone wall lining the Cutaway made the perfect, albeit rugged, canvas for us to project onto. Our in-house design team produced a stunning multimedia sequence showcasing iconic Australian buildings, animals and landscapes. We projection mapped this onto the rock wall, turning it into a talking point of the night. It is a clever way to keep guests entertained, theme a relatively bare venue and provide a beautiful backdrop for the on-stage performances and presentations. 4. Use simple, yet clever table styling that captures the Aussie spirit While the dazzling performances were crucial, we couldn’t forget that our guests would be sitting down to gala dinner. Our event stylists were tasked with the challenge of creating stunning centrepieces and tablescapes, and then replicating it for the 100+ tables. No mere feat. Each table featured incredible native Australian floral table arrangements with tiny LED lights that made them glow, casting a warm light around the venue. In true extravagant style, we even had custom-made embroidered Amway napkins and rings designed for this special occasion. 5. Surprise and delight with big, extravagant acts When you need to keep over 1000 guests entertained over a long period of time, you’ll want to consider using big, flashy acts interspersed throughout the event. They’re fantastic for getting the crowd excited, which is great for a fresh injection of energy. They’re also handy at creating a diversion, for when you need to draw your guests’ attention away so your events team can bump-in or out any changes to the event. For our Australiana themed event, our Event Directors covered all bases – flashy cars, water acts and a mesmerising fireworks display. Amway Taiwan asked for a grand entrance for their awards winners. We used seven vintage 1969 Mustang convertibles to give the Amway winners’ procession a red carpet arrival, driving them right onto the stage. During the day, we hosted all the guests on the water’s edge, entertaining them with a water-skiing stunt show. After such an action-packed day, we needed to end the night with a bang. We organised a magnificent fireworks display over Sydney’s harbour, with the entire show running 5 minutes longer than Sydney’s coveted New Year’s Eve fireworks! Staged from two barges on the water, and six positions around Nawi Cove, the shards of coloured lights lit up the harbour, casting a beautiful glow over the venue and a dazzling end to the event. 6. Partner with an experienced Audio Visual company With big, extravagant events come higher stakes. As all of your most important stakeholders are in the room and with so many individual elements, you’ll need an experienced AV and event company you can rely on. Staging Connections has been the name behind some of the largest and most technically demanding live events to hit Australian soil. Having been in the events business for over 30 years, our experienced team of technicians and event directors understand what it takes to deliver to this scale and profile. We only use brands we trust; we take a tailored approach to every brief using everything from the latest in AV, lighting and staging through to event styling and engaging digital media; and we work with you every step of the way so there’s no surprises. If you’re interesting in finding out what Staging Connections can do for your event, get in touch with us today by calling 1800 209 099 or by completing our event quote form. See all the action of Amway Taiwan 2016 Amway Taiwan Incentive Event 2016 from Staging Connections on Vimeo. Business Events Sydney on the Chinese Incentive Market from Staging Connections on Vimeo. ... Read More