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Maestra delivers full production for Blend Abu Dhabi

Maestra’s UEA based operation delivered rigging, staging, sound, lighting and video/AV for Blend Abu Dhabi, a special event - attended by event organizers, production companies, suppliers, social influencers, media and other organizations and individuals from across the event spectrum - to relaunch the YAS Marina Formula One circuit meeting space. Maestra’s team on site was led by project manager Aaron Merchant.

They co-ordinated technical production for four different areas, the main conference space, the pit garages, the reception area and entrance and the afterparty staged in the rooftop Luna Lounge. A sculptural set design for the conference session’s stage was conceived by the YAS Event Centre team and augmented by Maestra, who suggested the lighting scheme.

The set comprised 28 geometric structures made from semi translucent white sheer material which was stretched over a series of wooden frames in different shapes and various sizes with the largest around 2 metres wide. All were internally lit with a single LED PAR. The colours and intensities could be changed.

The PARS were all controlled via a ChamSys MQ 60 console which was running the other stage and room lighting which comprised Martin MAC Aura LED Washes and MAC 700 Profiles, all hung on a number of 22 metre long trusses flown from the venue’s structural roof beams. Towards the back of the venue, Maestra built two 4 metre high ground supported systems onto which a total of eight swings were attached.

The YAS Event Centre has three inbuilt Barco seamless edge screens in the main area. Each measuring 8 metres wide by 2 metres tall - and the room itself can be divided into three separate sections if desired using removable walls. Maestra hooked their Analog Way Ascender 32 multi-screen switcher into the screens so they could be utilised for the conference presentations, with material running on a number of MacBook Pros for the inputs.

The main room’s sound system was a QSC line array comprising six top speakers and two subs with a Yamaha LS16 mixer for control. Sennheiser wireless mics were provided together with a full Clearcom talkback. Three breakout rooms related to the main conference space were each kitted out with a 75 inch screen, a choice of wireless mics, single speakers and a small mixing desk.

The event’s technical design features also included a custom ‘digital entranceway’ built at the top of the steps leading into the building. This was built by Aaron Merchant and his crew. The 4 metre wide by 3 metre tall arch was made up of 10 mm LED screen, with a 2.5 metre doorway in the middle through which guests passed as they entered the event.

The screen was rigged to a trussing and scaffolding structure built around the doorway, with the arch being fed with content provided by the client running on a laptop via a scaler. A complete mock-up of the structure was built in Maestra’s warehouse in Dubai to ensure that the concept would work and could be efficiently replaced on site.

The pit garages were kitted out with a selection of lighting and audio chosen by Maestra in keeping with the overall beach theming of the space, complete with hammocks, loungers and pergolas. SGM P-5 LED floods were used extensively to light the space.

The sound system comprised Electrovoice speakers, a Yamaha mixer and a selection of mics, and the buffet and refreshment stations were set up in here. The reception area featured a 5 x 3 metre surface of Maestra’s 3 mm LED surface complete with 10% curve. This was fed with a wide range of content including animations and ambient material. The screen - 10 Kg per panel - was rigged and up-and-running in an hour.

The afterparty area in the Luna Lounge was lit with a selection of MAC Auras, Elation Pro Beam 5R Extremes and MAC 700 profiles, all rigged to four truss totems. There was a Meyer Mica sound system and Maestra also provided a full DJ set up. Aaron Merchant worked with 16 crew for the one day event, twelve Maestra technicians and four locals for the in and the out, with a show crew of himself plus five from Maestra.

(Photos: YMC Photo)

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