Open Text is the world's largest independent provider of enterprise content management. LLUP is its annual customer event where 1200 users meet to network and share valuable real-world knowledge with peers in their industry. This is Open Text's signature event of the year with all its top users in attendance and, for the fourth year and counting, Open Text has trusted AVW-TELAV to help put together an innovative show to captivate its audience.
This past year, the event took place at the Marriott Desert Ridge, Scottsdale, AZ. AVW-TELAV had a couple months of prep time to work with the customer and translate the customer's visions into physical adaptations.
"Our role was to ensure that the event ran successfully from a technical stand point. Our challenge was to exceed our customer's expectations and help to build upon their vision," said Stewart Drake, Technical Sales Manager, Toronto branch. AVW-TELAV provided audio visual support for the main session room, the 24 breakout rooms and also the exhibit area where there was a demo theater running various presentations throughout. Sixty-one inch plasma screens were used for Digital Signage. "The screens were strategically located throughout the venue displaying real time session information and updates," detailed Drake.
Open Text spruced up the main session room with a creative set design, which can give any conference individuality and can take an everyday business meeting to extraordinary visual heights. Working with Open Text, we created a signature set that would echo its identity and be visually pleasing for its general sessions. "We changed the lighting look dramatically for the gala evening to give the room and the set a glitzy appearance and offer a contrast to the general sessions," explained Drake.
The theme of the LLUP was 'Your Road to Innovation'. The center focal point on the stage was a larger-than-life speedometer that was displayed to signify 'acceleration'. In the center of the speedometer we display a 12'x16'screen. AVW-TELAV used dual Barco R6+ projectors to fill the screen inside of the speedometer with different images chosen by the customer. This gave Open Text the option of using multiple scenery images at different times to change the feel of the meeting for different scenarios. The rest of the set was built around the screen to compliment the images and to stay true to the central theme of the meeting. We also used a mixture of traditional light fixtures and moving lights to achieve the various looks required.
"When we look at putting together a custom design for a customer, we always try to optimize the size of the stage set within the parameters of the meeting room, while tying in the conference theme," said Steve Molokach, Director of Staging/Events for AVW-TELAV's Set Shop. "We achieved this by utilizing both stock and custom hard wall components," he explained. By breaking up the stage set into components, the overall impact is a set that fits well into the room while providing functionality and a comfortable platform for the presenters to work from.
The two-screen elevation measured 19' high by 104' wide. Each 12'x16' rear projection screen fit into stand-alone, custom painted sections which were located on either side of the main stage. An upstage center wall provided a unique entrance for the presenters. The main stage, which was 28' deep by 32' wide, had a semi-circular design with wraparound stairs. "It was put together from half of our stock and half of the venue risers, and then all topped with plush black carpet," detailed Molokach.
A variety of media was used to create the theme graphics, including large format laminated print, CNC cut out text and cut vinyl lettering, as well as custom graphic painting that reproduced the conference theme on the wall. "Fabrication and paint took only about seven days, but the design was reworked a number of times over a period of a couple months by our in-house CAD and Graphics team, and then approved by the client before final construction plans were prepared for the fabrication shop," said Molokach.
Although the conference was a complete success, no event worth mentioning comes without its challenges. LLUP involved a variety of software demos from a multitude of computer sources and media. From a visual standpoint, we had to make sure the screen size and quality worked within the restrictions of the room, while providing exceptional images for the audience. To achieve this, AVW-TELAV provided two15'x20' main screens accompanied by Barco R9 projectors. There was also a delay screen which relayed image magnification and main show content. A Folsom 1604 Matrix switcher was used to manage source routing.
As the event wrapped up, the customer mentioned that this had been the most successful LLUP ever. "We don't know how to top the stage concept for the years to come," commented Manuela Mosser, Event Manager, Open Text. "This will be a challenge for us and AVW-TELAV."
Mosser was fully impressed with the audio visual solutions we provided for this event as well and added: "The highly professional work delivered by AVW-TELAV and the excellent consulting we received concerning innovations in the AV market were the major drivers of success for the outstanding event we provided to our customers."