Audio-visual (AV) itself is a powerful tool, but creative AV is even more powerful. It goes beyond purely communicating a message to creating meaning to the message and its context. In this way, imaginative audio visual solutions can become an event professionals’ strongest weapon in their arsenal, greatly improving the marketability of a product or service. Below, we highlight how creative AV was used successfully in a recent event to sell not a product or service, but even a destination – Australia’s capital, Canberra. See how the iconic National Convention Centre partners with Encore Event Technologies (previously Staging Connections) to showcase the venue as the leading destination for business events in Canberra. From 2 to 4 March 2017, Canberra hosted Top Secret, a leading initiative which attempts to sell Canberra as a popular destination for world-class business events through its vibrant events community. Encore was tasked by the Canberra Convention Bureau (CCB) and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), to create a dazzling and memorable lunch on Friday 3 March at the National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC), in the middle of the event for over 40 special guests. Encore took up the challenge. First, we decided to incorporate things Canberra is renowned for – the Enlighten Hot Air Balloon Festival and the beautiful Autumnal colours of red, orange and yellow. These colours also represent the brand colours of the NCC and the InterContinental Hotels Group, whom shared hosting responsibilities over the 3 day event. Guests of the lunch were greeted by a creative theatrical multimedia display. Deciding to opt for a more novel approach other than traditional event screens and event productions, and inspired by the hot air balloons that have become synonymous with Canberra’s Enlighten Festival, Encore utilised a 3m inflatable sphere to create a mid-air floating screen. Beautiful imagery and multimedia was projection mapped onto the sphere turning the lifeless object into a stunning 3D artwork. Coloured LED wash lights cast beautiful shades of Autumn’s orange, amber and gold around the lunch room, which perfectly complemented the lunch menu. NCC’s Executive Chef’s, Nikhil Jain’s, treated guests to a seasonal inspired menu and classic dish, Duck à l'orange, which was paired with Shaw Vineyard Estate wines to ensure every sense was indulged and payed homage to the local produce. Further captivating guests and adding a unique touch to the dining experience was the high definition projection mapping and multimedia on the table, curved walls, archways and beams, all themed to highlight the light, colour and movement of the Enlighten Festival held annually in Canberra. Tables came alive with colourful animations which changed with each meal, perfecting and highlighting the theme accompanying the menu. Individual dinner plates were also circled with white projection spots highlighting the food while guests’ names were projected onto their seats, offering a unique personal touch and making networking easy. All in all, Encore created a truly enthralling and memorable event for the guests, with the NCC and guests extremely delighted with the outcome. The above successful use of creative AV only serves to prove the point that its use can sell practically anything – from a product or service to even a destination. Its power lies in the ability to (i) accentuate unique features of something or synonymous with something and (b) provide a personalised experience, one that is memorable and takes the audience’s breath away. Partner with the leading AV and event services company for your next event Ensuring our events are a success is at the heart of everything we do. Whether you want to motivate, educate, inspire or reward; Encore has over 35 years experience delivering successful and engaging event experiences. With the largest range of event production services across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji we have the range and reach to deliver seamless events where ever you are. When you partner with Encore you're partnering with an expert team who specialise in audio visual production, event styling and theming, multimedia and content production and event technology like webcasting, online polling, event apps and more. A great event takes careful planning and the right resources, so don't waste another minute - get in touch with us today to see how we can take your event from good to great! SEE EVENT GALLERY ... Read More

What does a “money can’t buy experience” look like in 2017? When this brief hit the desk Encore Event Technologies’ Sydney team went into action to provide a turn-key event solution for Honda Motorcycles India’s Dealer Incentive. -- Earlier this year, Honda Motorcycles India hosted an action-packed Dealer Incentive for over 1000 employees and dealers at the iconic Sydney Showground on February 14. The extravaganza included a cocktail function, business session and concluded with a lavish gala dinner where guests were invited to network and dine on a scrumptious buffet while celebrating their annual dealer awards. Engaged by Encompass to deliver the entire event, Encore (previously Staging Connections) was tasked with delivering an event which upheld Honda’s company values and spoke to the theme of RAW 6.0 (Reach, Acquire & Win). A key component of the Dealer Incentive event was to showcase the new range of Honda motorcycles as capable of transitioning easily from city to outback. The Encore team worked tirelessly in the two weeks from confirmation to show-day and provided all event services from AV and lighting to entertainment and production, to give guests a money can’t buy experience, proving Honda to be a world class company. In order to engage with the theme and the diverse range of guests present from around the Asia-Pacific, the team made sure each phase of the event - from the pre-function to the gala dinner - had clearly defined styles while still adhering to the RAW 6.0 theme. Pictured: Custom built stage set designed in line with RAW6.0 theme. The end look of the event was developed taking a literal approach to the ‘Raw’ theme. The event was centered around a huge 48m x20m ‘V’ shaped stage which split the room into two distinct landscapes – city and outback – two key components of theme. Decorating the stage with bushland and a city skyline provided the perfect setting on which to display the the motorcycles. The stage was framed by a stunning illuminated backdrop spanning 55mx3m, casting a silhouette resembling the Australian outback and city. Pictured: Entire event production delivered by Encore. The impressive stage was further emphasised by five giant screens ranging in sizes which were positioned on different angles to maximise the audience’s engagement and impact throughout the event. The carefully constructed silhouette transitioning from outback Australia to city skyline, along with the road carpeted stage, lighting and props, made the feature of the room a stunning interpretation of Honda’s values. The evening’s entertainment was provided by Japanese drummers Taikoz featuring Nupur Dance Group Junkyard Beats, an innovative and original percussion group combining rhythm with movement, using unique and original instruments. Karaoke was incorporated into the evening’s entertainment to ensure the client and delegates were excited and actively participating in the dealer incentives programs. Pictured: Japanese drummers Taikoz featuring Nupur Dance Group Junkyard Beats What did the client say? This was the first time that Encore was asked to work on this event. The team provided a truly memorable experience and delivered a successful event with only a short lead time. The team handled all aspects, from the cocktail pre-function to the gala buffet dinner and entertainment, creating an exciting, new and diverse atmosphere for all employees and dealers, to get involved in the new products being showcased. “Thank you and your wonderful team for all the help and support at our Honda event. The production was great, the set looked amazing and the welcome arch was my personal favorite. A big shout to all the guys from your team who worked so hard to put up a fantastic show for us and for keeping up with all our last-minute requests. We look forward to collaborating again.”Randeep Singh, Encompass Partner with the leading events company for your next incentive event Encore has delivered countless large destination incentives across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji for over 35 years. We specialise in creating an engaging incentive event environment through the latest AV solutions, event technologies, imaginative styling and theming solutions. Operating both within our venue partners and at various locations around the Asia Pacific, we are the trusted event services provider you can count on to deliver an unforgettable experience for your guests. We pride ourselves on our commitment to exceptional customer service so you can expect a seamless, stress-free experience when you partner with us. If you have an event to plan, we have ideas to share! Get in touchwith us today to see how we can make your event vision a reality. VIEW EVENT GALLERY - ... Read More

Encore Event Technologies (previously Staging Connections) was tasked with working seamlessly in three locations across New Zealand – SKYCITY Convention Centre, SKYCITY Theatre and Crown Plaza – for the country’s largest annual technology conference, Microsoft Ignite. Themed ‘Art of the Impossible’, Encore was briefed to provide advanced AV for the duration of the four day event, which attracts the countries best technology engineers and IT gurus to learn about the latest and greatest software and hardware coming to Microsoft. With this audience of New Zealand’s brightest minds in attendance, it was immensely important that the Encore technicians executed the event flawlessly. Pictured: Encore partners with Microsoft New Zealand to deliver the country's largest technology conference - Microsoft Ignite. Providing a Tailored Audio Visual Solution Encore provided seamless audio visual solutions across all locations over the course of the four day event. Equipment provided by Encore included projection screens, plasma screens, data projectors, monitors, data switches, LCD monitors, laser pointers, timers, lecterns and lapel microphones, cabling, multi-boxes, data interfaces, power-boards, power converters, sound systems and multi-plugs; all of which were installed successfully across several session rooms, the main sponsor hall and the promenade space between session rooms. A custom designed set was developed for the key note sessions, comprising two extra-large 16ft screens on the outside, five small square screens leading to the middle of the room and a single, large, seamless screen in the middle – celebrating the ‘Art of the Impossible’ through different technologies and unusual screen placements. Encore collaborated closely with Make all Media, ETS and Big Picture, to guarantee a high tech digital conference worthy of the country’s best and brightest in technology. Special Touches The team provided a smooth live stream between SKYCITY Convention Centre and SKYCITY Theatre, allowing all delegates an unobstructed view of the important Key Note sessions. To ensure continuous interaction and real-time movement across the two locations, the Encore team provided: Online Audience Polling: the Master of Ceremonies used Encore’s live audience polling software, Event Poll to ensure interaction between the two rooms flowed seamlessly and that guests felt engaged and part of the action. Live Streaming: Encore's Event Stream product enabled the keynote sessions of Microsoft Ignite to reach a wider audience land ensured all delegates – whether in attendance in person or remotely – could participate. Encore produced a seamless and successful four day conference that exceeded the high expectations demanded of it by its technologically-savvy audience. The client was impressed by the Encore team’s professionalism, state-of-the-art equipment, and high level of knowledge and service; faultlessly delivering on all AV aspects of the event, to result in a successful conference. “Having worked with Encore (previously Staging Connections) as our AV suppliers for Microsoft Ignite 2016, I can recommend them as competent providers of configured audio visual equipment... and their availability for rehearsals pre-event across SKYCITY and Crowne Plaza for our 2,500-person event during October 25-28 and in the seven month lead up to the event. We were satisfied with the service and communications we received during our eight-month engagement as well as on-site during the event.” Kylie Williams, Senior Audience Evangelism Manager, Microsoft New Zealand SEE EVENT GALLERY ... Read More

Every year in January, cycling enthusiasts from around Australia and the world make the pilgrimage to the rolling hills of Adelaide for the Santos Tour Down Under. For the 19th consecutive year, Encore Event Technologies (previously Staging Connections) has worked collaboratively with Events South Australia, producing spectacular event services over the nine-day cycling event. Producing a mix of events, from gala dinners to street parties, Encore has helped to create an incredible atmosphere for riders, visitors and locals. The Event Brief Encore's Adelaide team was tasked to provide the prestigious event with audio visual services over the nine-days; with outdoor LED screens and audio systems lining various sections of the routes; vision and audio for all start and finish lines and team presentation stages. Delivering exceptional solutions for events such as the opening night concert – Classic Stage Concert, Tour Village in Victoria Square, media rooms and tour parade cars; Encore dazzled all who attended, ensuring that the events were worthy of the world-class event. Our Tailored Audio Visual Solution Technical audio and vision experts supplied both large and small audio systems to accommodate basic commentary, vision systems for TV commercial playback, sponsor recognition, image reinforcement, broadcast of highlights and live footage of the race, and cameras for interviews and commentators, music reinforcement, outdoor concert production, public address systems and information systems. Birds of Tokyo, and DJ Havana Brown who performed for visitors for free over the first two days, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th, were accompanied by a spectacular light show with complimentary audio and lighting special FX executed across the two music concerts. Pictured: Birds of Tokyo playing at Opening Concert of Santos Tour Down Under 2017. Pictured: Australian DJ Havana Brown setting the tone for the adrenaline-fueled Santos Tour Down Under. For an inclusive visitor experience, and to add to the festival atmosphere, one of the large LED Screens in the Tour Village was used to broadcast all social posts from fans, teams and the organisation. Enhancing the Santos Tour Down Under branding, our multimedia team designed and delivered a variety of animated holding slides and sponsor reels to support the official broadcast, which ensured there was a strong brand presence throughout the event. Special Event Touches Encore supported Wednesday’s Stage 2 race leg from Stirling to Paracombe, as the naming rights sponsor. As a special feature, the Stirling Loop provided opportunities for the assembled crowd to view and cheer-on the riders 5 times before they set off to tackle the next challenge of a hill top climb. Pictured: Cyclist signing the Encore (previously Staging Connections) Stage 2 Board A custom made trophy was designed using recycled bicycle chain into a bowl and covered in custom decals and a naming plaque. It was presented to Stage 2 winner Richie Porte from Team BMC who then went on to win the overall classification for the Santos Tour Down Under! A custom LED screen was mounted to the top of a Subaru XV for the Subaru Tour Parade, revving up the crowd lining the race routes 30 minutes prior to the peloton building excitement playing the Tour Down Under anthem “Feel The Rush.” Pictured: Encore (formerly Staging Connections') custom Subaru parade car with LED "Feel the rush" signage. Pictured: Spectator poses in Staging Connections' Instagram frame promoting the event. We collaborated with Presentation Event Manager, Big Fish Events to mix and broadcast all events to spectators via large LED screens and street lined PA systems, custom television commercials for sponsors, as well as highlights and expert commentary from two dedicated commentators at each finish line; ensuring all fans were up-to-date on the coverage, sponsors and announcements. Pictured: Custom Staging Connections Stage 2 trophy presented to cyclist . Uncover your event's potential with the AV experts Planning an event takes a lot of time, experience, creativity, skill and patience. With over 30 years experience delivering world-class events, Encore has mastered event production. Using our unrivaled range of event services, we turn ordinary events into extraordinary experiences. Our creativity lies in turning your vision into a reality and we do this by working with you every step of the way. Discover how Encore can make your event the best it can be by getting in touch with us today. ... Read More

The clever scientists at Yale University told us deliberately engaging all five senses at events has the ability to grasp attention, increase recall, and inspire conversation thus creating a truly memorable experience. This is particularly important at conferences or meetings where it can be challenging to keep your delegates' attention throughout the entire event. Similarly, at exhibitions, mass product launch events or buying roadshows, you need your product or service to cut through all the noise and stand-out against competitors. Here are ways smart event planners are tapping into sensory experiences to deliver effective events. Sight: Use captivating visual content to stimulate the sense of sight Lighting can transform a plain stage into a dynamic environment. It can control the mood of a room, hype up its energy, add drama to a keynote speaker coming on stage and create an event-atmosphere that’s both striking and unforgettable. Use visual content to stimulate the sense of sight. Start your gala dinner with a stunning multimedia presentation to ensure everyone remembers why they’re in the room and primed for what’s coming. For example, a charity fundraiser presenting videos of people who have really benefitted from donations or an awards night with highlights of sporting achievements from the past year. Themed events can use projection onto walls and surfaces to set the scene and immerse attendees. Set up the perfect environment for taking photos at your event using an event backdrop communicating your brand or message and then encourage them to post on social media and display on screens in the room. Sound: Create a memorable atmosphere with clever music and sound effects We all have songs that take us back to a memory, emotion or time and place. Nothing is more pleasant than having the right kind of sounds or music at an event. You want to create the perfect mood for your attendees – not irritate them, make them yell or struggle to hear. Whether it’s creating an atmosphere, delivering a polished onstage interview, or a professional multimedia presentation, perfectly balanced audio is vital for a successful event. Imagine if the winner of your award couldn’t hear they’d won or if microphone feedback made your keynote speaker inaudible! Taste: Tantalise attendees' taste buds with strategic catering How do we leave a pleasurable taste in the mouth of our attendees (literally and figuratively)? We all remember a really fantastic meal, or a really terrible one. The food you present can be just as much a part of your event theme as all the other elements. Think modern Australian for an international sales incentive; French delicacies for a burlesque theme; ribs and burgers are perfect for a taste of the Wild West and noodles and Asian delights for a Chinese New Year theme. More practically, many attendees have a dietary preference, and making sure they are well taken care of shows you really care. Attendees remember that. Smell: Don't underestimate the power of smell at events Smell is not to be sniffed at, it is an important and often overlooked element. The smell of chlorine reminds you of childhood summers by the pool. A familiar perfume. A new car smell...! Smells at your event venue can be the one thing that makes or breaks it. Imagine if you stepped into a conference where the venue had just been refurbished and you were overcome by the smell or paint or carpet glue. That would be a sensory overload and not a good thing for an attendee to experience. Scientists tell us our brains react to smell before anything else. Good retailers understand this fact. It improves our perception of a product’s quality and encourages customers to linger a little bit longer, thereby increasing interactions with the product. Scent can really enhance and event, think Arabian Nights, the scent of pine and wood for an enchanted forest, delicious spices for Bollywood or the smell of salty sea air for an Underwater theme. Touch: Textures, interactivity, activities at events Of course there are many ways you can introduce a sense of touch, such as tactile styling elements, textured decorative panels, interactive technologies or even physical activities. Think about how the visual aspects of the props, decor, furniture and other physical objects at your event and how they will make it memorable. Touching something creates a real connection. And that’s where touchable technology comes in. First made available in smartphones, the trend for ultra-responsive surfaces has accelerated and can now be incorporated into events. Encore offer services that allow for interaction during your exhibition or event like touch screens and Touch Kiosk technology. You can use these touch screens for presentations or quizzes, encouraging your guests to participate and get actively involved. The sense of touch is particularly important for attendees which are Kinesthetic learners - who actually need to physically do or touch the activity to learn it. From textural styling elements to the latest in interactive technology - there are a myriad of ways to engage your attendees' sense of touch at events. Use an expert AV & event services company Successful events turn attendees to advocates. Studies show engaging all five senses creates a deeper connection and makes the experience memorable. The hardest part is continually coming up with new ways to engage the senses at events, whilst also keeping up with event trends. This is where an experienced AV and event services company comes in. From the latest AV techniques, total event design, theming, content and event technology - Encore is the one provider you can count on to continually deliver impactful events year after year. Our passion and commitment to the events industry motivates our teams to keep pushing creative and technological boundaries to make our events unforgettable. Let's not waste another precious planning minute, speak to an Encore representative today by sending an online enquiry. ... Read More

The Queensland Hotels Association (QHA) Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner and Presentation was held at the Great Hall at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) on Wednesday 28 September, 2016. This is the local events and hospitality industry night of nights, with 1,000 guests flocking to this annual awards event. The purpose of the evening is to recognise the State’s best pubs, hotels and hoteliers. Encore Event Technologies (previously Staging Connections) was engaged as the preferred supplier, once again, to deliver this VIP event and provide production and styling services, in conjunction with the BCEC technical team. The Event Brief To deliver a spectacular awards night with a celebratory atmosphere to recognise the award winners and finalists. The main focus is to create a stunning stage environment, to be brought to life with engaging multimedia content. As with every event we work on consecutively, one of the biggest challenges, yet most exciting part, is developing an event solution that continually raises the bar from previous years. Delivering a complete event services solution Working in conjunction with the BCEC in-house AV team, Encore delivered a total event production solution. From designing the event look, on-screen content creation, set design, production run sheets and everything in between. Pictured: The event setting guests were greeted with upon entering the QHA Awards 2016. Upon arrival, guests were ushered along a red carpet adding a touch of glamour to the awards night. At the end of the red carpet lived a large projection of the QHA logo using a gobo. This was a great branding device and to set the scene for the awards night to follow. One of the room hero features of the awards night was a suspended circular truss in the middle of the room. This set feature was strategically placed to fill the large ceiling void whilst also making the expansive room feel smaller, thus making the guests positioned at the back of the room feel closer to the stage set. Throughout the night, different images were projected onto the canvas providing a spectacular point of interest. An impressive 20m wide curved screen filled the awards stage and was flanked either side by our new textured Fleur Panels. This year's set design was purposely simple, clean and bold to provide the perfect canvas to project the awards night multimedia content onto. The sheer size of the curved screen provided a cinematic experience, perfect for a venue of this size. As part of our multimedia production, our in-house designers created custom screen content to fit the wide screen which included sponsor and award category stings. Pictured: Encore designed the stage set using a 20m wide curved screen, flanked either side with textured fleur panels. A circular truss was rigged to the ceiling and projected onto throughout the evening. This year we decided to create a textural media wall using our new Fleur Panels. The Fleur Panels were rigged from the floor and stood an impressive 2.5m tall. Beautiful coloured lights were projected across the wall when guests and award winners weren't posing for photos, creating a nice point of interest along the venue wall. Pictured: The media wall was created using the fleur panels and truss uplights. Our truss lecterns are simple in design and provided a stylistic, industrial effect to complete and compliment the stage set for the awards night. Pictured: Left: Simple table styling to not distract from the impressive set design elements. Right: Encore's new truss lectern. Guests were treated to a host of live entertainment acts including Phoenix Fire Tribe, roving stilt walkers, and lastly Casey Barnes and the Kick Band. The Event Outcome "Professional. Collaborative and respectful of our ideas and suggestions. The end result is the big test – and we were once again delighted with the event." Keri Crompton, Partnerships & Events Manager, Queensland Hotels Association Partner with the leading event services company for your awards night Encore has been the name behind some of the biggest and impressive awards nights since 1986. Renowned for delivering innovative and engaging awards night, we are the trusted events partner you can count on. With Australia's largest range of event services, we can offer a total event production solution using audio visual, lighting, staging and set design, styling, multimedia production and even webcasting, social media, apps and more. We will work with you every step of the way to ensure your event is exactly how you imagined and so much more. If you are interested in exploring your event's potential please get in touch with us today by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an online event enquiry. ... Read More

From glamorous red carpet photo opportunities to bold and eye-catching backdrops, media walls or photo walls are essential to any major sponsored event. A well designed media wall can become a great marketing tool – it lets you brand your event, enhance your event’s theme, encourage photo opportunities, and importantly promote the sponsors with ease. And it can do all this without detracting from your event and guests. Sounds simple right? Wrong. From too many logos to unflattering lighting and misplaced designs, Encore Event Technologies has been in the game long enough to know what a good and bad media wall looks like. With the potential for so many eyeballs on the finished photos, it’s essential to your event and your sponsors ROI that you get it right. Our team of event experts has put their heads together to devise a list of Do’s & Don’t's for a winning media wall formula. From printing and set-up right through to design and execution on event day, from glamorous red carpet photo opportunities to bold and eye-catching backdrops, media walls or photo walls are essential to any major sponsored event. A well designed media wall can become a great marketing tool it lets you brand your event, enhance your event's theme, encourage photo opportunities, and importantly promote the sponsors with ease. And it can do all this without detracting from your event and guests. Sounds simple right? Wrong. From too many logos to unflattering lighting and misplaced designs, Encore Event Technologies has been in the game long enough to know what a good and bad media wall looks like. With the potential for so many eyeballs on the finished photos, it’s essential to your event and your sponsors ROI that you get it right. The DO’s Stick to the basics and keep your media wall simple Media walls should be designed to create a great first impression, but there’s no need for them to steal the show from your awards night, gala dinner or branded event. The key purpose of any media backdrop or photo wall is to brand your event and provide exposure to your event’s sponsors. Avoid over-complicating your media wall’s design with too many logos or repetitions, and steer clear of busy visuals or distracting graphics. Less is definitely more! At its most basic design, a solid white background with fewer than 4 brand / sponsor logos repeated is usually best for a media wall. Pictured: A simple media wall design with few logos repeated is best. Use media backdrops to put the spotlight on your brand and sponsors When you’re printing brand logos onto your media wall, double-check you’re providing the correct file size and format for your media wall’s dimensions. JPEGs aren’t always the best solution, and the higher file size resolution, the better. Be sure to check that yours and your sponsor’s logos are current too, it only takes an email or phone call. If you’re using this to draw attention to your brands, make sure you get it right. Location, location, location! Be sure to install the media wall either at the entrance or in a spot that receives a lot of foot traffic to ensure you capture everyone as they enter, or have a spare minute. Photo walls or media backdrops work well with a red carpet and bollards to direct your audience where to go. Your media backdrop can also be a great centerpiece to signal the entrance of your gala dinner or awards night. Position your media backdrop carefully If you’re not using an internally lit Event Backdrop, make sure there’s adequate light in addition to the photographer’s flash. Your media wall’s life will extend much longer than the event itself through photography - so make it count! If your media wall is being positioned against a wall, be sure to consider proper backing. It’s important that every feature of your event is installed correctly and has all the safety enhancements and fixture needed. If your media wall is self-standing, such as an Event Backdrop, don’t forget to leave sand bags on the floor for safety and stability. Pictured: A styled media wall created using fleur panels with truss uplights along the bottom with additional soft white light stands. Go the extra mile for your event with a styled media wall for your gala dinner or awards night If you’re looking for a media wall that leaves a lasting impression, enhance your theming with a styled media wall. Consider using textural elements such as fake grass, vertical gardens, corrugated iron for an industrial / outback look or fleur screens. If you're heading down this route be sure to liaise with your audio visual company to devise an alternate solution, such as lighting, to display your brand logos. Pictured: An Event Backdrop fully covered in fake plants to enhance the 'Vanity Fair' theme of the gala dinner. Get prop happy! If it suits the purpose of your event, such as a gala dinner or awards night, try adding some fun props too. This can help camera-shy people get in character and makes for a unique photo op. People will also be more likely to share photos on social media if they are in character, which amplifies your brand’s exposure online. Pictured: A 'Hogwarts' themed media / photo wall area complete with styled props. Make your media backdrop social media friendly If you’re looking to maximise the reach of your event and engagement in the room, try using an event social media wall like Event Feed, which pulls all public social posts using your event hashtag and displays them live on screen after moderation. It’s a great way to get people engaged, start conversation and encourage photo taking and social uploading, extending the longevity of your event and brand messaging. Get the most out of your media wall / photo wall and use a cameraman who has the technology to post straight to Instagram. THE DONT’s Avoid unflattering lighting Event lighting is often just as important as your media wall. Don’t project blue light onto your media wall as it’s very unflattering and can distort faces in photos. We recommend using a soft white light instead – it’s the safe option and clearly captures the talent. It’s also a good idea to avoid using down lights, as they cast unflattering shadows over people’s faces. Consider using truss uplights along the bottom of your media wall, which casts a nice light on your event’s logos making them stand out. For best lighting results, we recommend using Event Backdrop – a digitally printed backdrop available in a range of sizes and can be internally lit, which makes for maximum impact on your branding. Pictured: A themed Event Backdrop with internal lighting making it the perfect solution for a branded media wall. Limit unwanted photobombs with careful design consideration Consider the placement of any printed people, animal or objects onto your photo walls too as these can turn up in unexpected places when looking at the pictures, and often make for embarrassing (or hilarious) photobombs. You wouldn’t want this happening to the company CEO. Don’t leave your media wall until the last minute If it’s being printed, provide your supplier with the multimedia files at least 4 weeks before the event so you can see the mock up, approve a print test, and go through print and delivery with enough time to spare for changes in between. Be prepared for the unexpected Your media wall may also be set up in a different spot to what you planned, so consider possible power points, lighting, styling and anything else you may need for an alternate location. This may mean it needs to be installed at a different time, so ensure the set up is included in your run sheet. Any reputable AV company should be prepared for instances like this, but it's always safe to have the 'what if' conversation to make sure all bases are covered. Pictured: A simple media wall design on pull-up banners with purple velvet draping. Partner with experienced events specialists you can count on Looking for further ideas for your media wall or how to style your next awards night or gala dinner? Encore Event Technologies are audio visual production and events experts. Get in touch with us by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an event enquiry to explore how we can take your event further. ... Read More

It goes without saying that lighting is a crucial element of most events. Whether it’s on a grand scale, like the projections we see at Sydney’s Vivid festival, or a smaller-scale event with lighting illuminations in a foyer, it’s an artful practice – and when done well, can really take your event to the next level. Light can immediately change the space it’s used in. An everyday location can be transformed into an attention-grabbing canvas that helps deliver your message. As a medium, light can be affordable and flexible enough to use for all events. Lighting equipment can be as simple as battery driven, wirelessly controlled fixtures that project the colour of your brand, or as complex as the incredibly powerful computer-controlled projectors that map video onto any conceivable surface, making it look 3D. Lighting design starts with you When we encounter something that surprises us, we’re instantly engaged – and we react. We might react by discussing what we saw with the nearest person, taking pictures to share on social media, and asking questions. Imagine what that can mean for your customers, staff, friends or family? Evoking such a reaction in an audience is a great emotional experience for your event. Colours, shapes, symbols, movement, images and video are all tools that can be used to help you do just that. Effective lighting can be the simplest A technically simple lighting activation can be as straightforward as illuminating a space or building in a single or multiple colours. And it can still make an impact, or tell a story. Our Tasmanian team has been involved in many indoor and outdoor activations of this kind, including lighting the exterior of government buildings yellow for Road Safety Awareness Week (pictured top left), and performance venues in red to reflect the theme and spirit of the Dark Mofo winter arts festival (pictured middle left). To pay our respect in the wake of the Paris Attacks, our Canberra team worked with the Australian Government to illuminate Australia's Parliament House in red, white and blue, to reflect the French flag (pictured bottom left). How do you illuminate buildings? Using the Tasmanian Road Safety Awareness Week as an example of lighting buildings, we used nine high-powered 500watt HUI Cyclonic flood light with a yellow gel cover to illuminate Launceston Town Hall. Physically, they’re long rectangular bars, which sit on the ground and project up. These usually contain many light sources, such as dozens of high-powered LEDs. Did you know...These specialised lighting fixtures for outdoor events or architectural lighting are weatherproofed, and are given an industry standard IP (International Protection) rating that defines the conditions they can safely operate in. An IP rating of IP65 is the most common for safe outdoor use, where the ‘6’ means the fixture is completely protected, and ‘5’ means it’s so well protected from water that water jets can be projected at it with no damage. We can program outdoor building illuminations on an electrical timer to turn on and off as needed, saving costs on technical staff as they don’t need to be there. For ‘one-night-only’ events, a lot of the smaller fixtures we use are battery powered and can be controlled wirelessly, meaning we avoid time consuming and tricky cable runs. If illuminations are set to run over multiple dates, we’ll discuss a number of technical matters with venue and lighting staff – and these include safe access to and provision of adequate power, security for fixtures when there’s no staff present, and safe public access in and around the fixture’s location. Putting your brand in the spotlight: Gobos The next tool in a creative lighting designer’s kit is the Gobo. The name is basically short for ‘Goes Between’ or ‘Goes Before Optics’, and it’s essentially any object that is placed in a lighting fixture between the light source and its optical path to change the output you see in a projection. Gobos are great for communicating your brand or event message in an eye-catching way. Depending on their design they can also be used to help theme an event. What you need to know about Gobos The first Gobos were actually just perforated pieces of metal that technicians would use to create ‘break up’ or dappled light effects. These days, after a century of evolution, Gobos are now mostly made as glass discs. They generally come in lights with a few interesting textures – but importantly, they can be custom made for specific jobs. Personalised Gobos tend to be the most popular, since it can be used to project logos, images, or text. Custom made Gobos are quite affordable, which means an organisation can get great value from having their logo, message or related images etched on them to use at multiple events. We find that the most common way people use a Gobo is to project their logo. There are many ways to do this, whether it’s to stay static on walls or objects, move across a surface in a repeating pattern, or to blow up to a huge proportion on stage. Gobos can be used in a wide range of lighting fixtures, from tiny portable Gobo projectors that can project a static image, right up to extremely powerful moving head fixtures that can be used to animate, change colours and use multiple Gobos on the fly. How to use a gobo for your event: Gobos go big for Adelaide Football Club As the official audio visual partner to the Adelaide Football Club, Staging Connections has helped them create highly impactful match-day experiences utilising cutting-edge AV in a creative way. As the ultimate call-to-arms, we projected the Adelaide Crows’ logo and their tagline ‘We Fly As One’, across iconic Adelaide buildings, the Adelaide Oval and it's surrounding footpath and even trees. We took up several positions in and around Adelaide Oval. The lighting team got to work assembling a combination of extremely bright Clay Paky Mythos, Martin MAC Viper and Martin MAC Quantum Profile LED source moving head fixtures. The iconic facade of the Adelaide Festival Centre was transformed by a giant Adelaide Crows logo, projected from over 400-metres away by the Clay Paky Mythos. We also had permission from the neighbouring InterContinental Hotel to use their building as a projection site. For the 2016 Toyota AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round in May, the Club wanted to celebrate by providing a unique and special pre-game segment using projections of current Indigenous players onto the roof of the Adelaide Oval grandstands. In what was a first for the Adelaide Football Club, the stadium lights were switched off before the game which allowed the player projections to shine whilst a Welcome to Country and other entertainment celebrated the Indigenous Round. Using gobo lighting projection was the simplest and safest way to ensure a great outcome but also working in with the logistics on ground prior to an important AFL match. Each light was protected from the weather in inflatable domes on individual trolleys to ensure a speedy exit prior to kick off. The full-colour images of the players projected onto the Oval’s grandstand roofs were made possible by a newer Gobo manufacturing technique that uses patented ‘thin film’ technology. This means any photographic image can be transferred onto the glass, and any lighting fixture that can take a custom Gobo and produce white light can project a full colour image. Until recently, this sort of full colour effect was only possible with video projectors, which are more costly to deploy and operate. Did you know...Outdoor activations of this scale and brightness require multiple control positions with lighting desks and operators, coordination with property owners, and custom creation of media, as well as the basic issues of security, weatherproofing, power and access. It’s not just a matter of pointing lights in the right direction and hoping for the best - specialist knowledge and consultation is especially important when using high-powered lighting fixtures outside. As an example of the level of detail and planning that went into this project, the Crows activation used a ‘Bat Signal’- like logo projection onto the cityscape and into the air. To do this, we needed approval from CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) to make sure that light wouldn’t affect any flights. Now, that’s a big scale lighting project. Lighting projections as an artform: Projection mapping If you have a creative vision for your event that goes beyond colour and static image, your lighting activation will move into the intricate world of projection mapping. We’re all familiar with it, again thanks to Sydney’s Vivid and other international festivals, as well as countless viral videos and larger budget events. Any kind of video can be created and projected onto any surface. It could be as simple as a screen, or as complex as a moving vehicle. There are no limits to what is possible creatively with projection mapping. The only limits you have are time, budget, and practical considerations like rigging and power access. We can provide full-service projection mapping – from creative consultation, to content creation, right through to delivery. We had the chance to show this off at the Amway Taiwan Leadership Gala Dinner in Sydney’s newest (and largest) event space, The Cutaway at Barangaroo Headland Park. The Cutaway is named for the vast sandstone wall that flanks the enormous underground space, standing over three stories tall. Amway chose the venue specifically because of this feature, and wanted to project video onto as much of it as possible. Using creative lighting for a gala dinner: Amway Taiwan Staging Connections’ in-house multimedia team created all of the content for the projections, matching the visuals to the themes of the live entertainment. Australian Aboriginal art and iconic Australian themes such as desert and beach, the red of the earth, and the white of the surf were all incorporated into spectacular video that covered 53 horizontal and 13 vertical metres of the sandstone. We used ten 26K Barco projectors to cover the wall, coordinated by Dataton’s Watchout software to create one connected image. And 18 more projectors helped cover the opposite concrete wall, with an additional two at each end of the venue, to completely immerse the venue in video. 3D Projection mapping for a product launch The Staging Connections Melbourne team embarked on a path to take members of the audience on a journey from the alien planet to our own, through digital mediums, projection, pyrotechnics, actors and lighting. This event required the collaboration between the client's 3D animation content with our 3D projection design, 3D mapping and reform. The design was precisely plotted in 3D software and 11 projectors were driven by 14 Watchout PCs onto a set space that canvassed a 22m-wide screen, full-size caravan model and floor space surrounding the area. Together with the 3D animated projection map and surround sound, time code generated cues for both stunt actors and pyrotechnics completed a theatrical experience. Event Profile: 3D Projection Mapping from Staging Connections on Vimeo. Lighting that moves: Kinetic lighting Event lighting doesn't always have to be fixed. Our Melbourne team developed a unique moving lighting installation for the 2015 Million Dollar Lunch fundraising event. It is one of the most star-studded charity events in the Australian calendar and each year the Children's Cancer Foundation look to make it bigger and better. To fit in with the overarching theme of kaleidoscope illuminated glowing spheres were flown off several trusses through the Palladium Ballroom and positioned in an arrangement near the entrance that boasted colour, vibrance and lent itself to the ideologies of a kaleidoscope. This piece was used to change the colour scheme and add drama to the event. The glowing Yo-Yo LED balls moved on a vertical axis via motorised controllers programmed via our primary control system from our GrandMA desk to align the internal LED’s with a sequencing colour changing that created a kinetic chandelier piece unlike anything else. The movement of each LED sphere was converted from “Movement in Metres” to DMX values and sent back to the GrandMA which allowed for isolated control of speed and direction and where it was then merged with the colours being triggered from the GrandMA and aligned with the onscreen vision content. Watch the Million Dollar Lunch Event Video below. Use creative lighting for your event Any live event in any venue, indoor or outdoor, can inspire, delight and inform your audience through the well-thought out and creative application of light. Get in touch with us by calling 1800 209 099 or by sending an event enquiry to explore how we can take your event further with spectacular lighting and projection that works with your budget and message. The possibilities are illuminating. ... Read More

Showcasing our new partnership with venue partner Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and in-house hospitality provider Epicure, we delivered a unique event that demonstrated the evolution of the latest audio visual and technical services for events. On 8 July 2016, 150 event managers gathered at the Olympic Room at the MCG, for a fittingly-themed Olympic celebration of technology and its place in events. Encore contrasted the 1956 Olympics, which was staged at the MCG, against the 2016 Rio Olympics using projection, staging and multimedia techniques to delight attendees, showcasing how digital technology has evolved to engage and even interact with guests. Rob Meek, Project Manager – Melbourne, Encore Even Technologies, outlined the range of techniques his team used to achieve the special production. “We used projection mapping and staging techniques to highlight some of the key images and memorable moments from the 1956 games, which were illustrated by black and white images projected onto a kabuki screen and frosted window surfaces. When the kabuki reveal took place and the screen fell to the floor, it dramatically unveiled the colour, liveliness and style of the 2016 Rio Olympics with beautiful city vistas projected onto a large panoramic screen made up of hexagonal screens. This was the first time we had ever used hexagonal screen surfaces on the east coast of Australia. “Our objective was to showcase how far technology has come, and feature the endless opportunities the evolution of audio visual and technology brings to events. In addition, we installed a new rigging system and projected custom designed animations onto the arena windows with a glass adhesive frosted surface that certainly wowed the crowd!” said Mr Meek. Décor and styling supplied by Encore included centrepieces of single silver candlesticks similar to the original 1956 torch contrasted with copper geometric frames featuring colourful florals on hexagonal bases, reflective of the Rio games. Tim Chapman, General Manager – Digital demonstrated how event organisers could use Event Poll and Event Feed (pictured left) to gain audience engagement. Guests were encouraged to use the hashtag #MCGShowcase and via Event Feed their posts were sent live to the MCG scoreboard and multiple screens around the room. Rebecca Harvey, ‎Executive Manager Hospitality at Melbourne Cricket Club was proud to demonstrate the potential for events at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. “It was incredible to see how digital event services can bring an event to life. The colourful projections onto the hexagonal screens were simply stunning and combined with the bright lighting, floral centrepieces and delicious cuisine by Epicure, made for a great night. The MCG is such a versatile venue for a range of events and it is exciting with Encore as our new in-house partner to be able to create stunning events that combine elite technology with a range of other world-class services at the home of sporting history, the MCG,” said Ms Harvey. Discover our Event Services See our recent work Find a Encore office near you If you are interested in finding out what Encore can do for your next event, please get in touch by either calling 1800 209 099 or sending an online enquiry. ... Read More