RI needed an AV partner to develop creative and technical components that could be delivered in a time efficient and cost effective manner. To be a smash hit, the 2007 RI convention required the resources and solution offerings of a completely multifaceted organization.
That's where AVW-TELAV came in."This perfect event in Salt Lake City for over 16,500 attendees from around the world was the result of an incredible team effort, with involvement from RI's internal production team, as well as our Business Development Group (BDG), our National Operations Center (NOC), and our Creative Services," said Scott Sura, Producer/Director, AVW-TELAV U.S. division. There was no need to have a middleman involved because we produced the entire event 'from the page to the stage' and used all of our own equipment.
The theme for the convention was Lead the Way, based on RI President William B. Boyd's statement and "belief in the power of Rotarians to change the world, one positive act at a time." Our BDG and Creative Services helped Lead the Way for our production team by developing exciting concepts that would include representation from nations throughout the world, but also be uniquely Utah-esque.
"Since the RI conference is in a different city around the world every year, we thought it was important that the entertainment was primarily from Utah to give the state an opportunity to showcase its diverse talents and allow the attendees to experience its distinct culture," said Dustin Sparks, Creative Director, AVW-TELAV U.S. division. For the main entertainment, we booked Utah's own Donny Osmond and his band. There was also a team of rhythmic gymnasts that performed at the opening sessions, which we repeated twice, each time to an audience of more than 8,000 people. One of the most captivating performances was by an international choir of 100 children who sang like a group of angels to the attendees. Each child was dressed in a different ethnic costume representing cultures from around the world. We also directed several children in a grand flag ceremony, which included 175 different flags from around the world and required quite a bit of rehearsal. All of the acts performed under the center 15'x45' Watchout screen above the stage.
Nevertheless, none of this amazing entertainment would have been done justice without our technicians that set the entire scene and ensured everything ran smoothly behind the scenes. Kenny Hunt, Production Designer, AVW-TELAV U.S. division, carried the creativity throughout the design with a stage featuring a 40' by 40' opera wagon. He also designed the choir steps, a beautiful kabuki drop and an extensive backstage for the full cast of over 300. The load-in schedule was a challenge, so Hunt enlisted the help of Gavan Marroquin, Production Manager, AVW-TELAV U.S. division, to assist with the round the clock load-in, rehearsals, and stage management. There were many other AVW-TELAV team members that rallied together to make this event completely remarkable. "Our Dallas Scenic Shop fabricated all the set pieces and also went to Salt Lake City to install and operate the many moving elements," detailed Sura.
Our lighting team managed 250 conventional lights and 80 moving lights. The visual effects that were created were astounding, and the set came alive with color, mirroring the rendering we presented in our initial proposal to RI.
Our whole NOC audio department was also on site operating the JBL Vertec Line Array system. Their goal was to provide perfect sound for over 10,000 people, keeping in mind that each session had an entertainment component. They, as well as the audience, knew their goal was clearly achieved at the grand finale which featured Dame Malvina Major, an opera star from New Zealand, accompanied by a 40-piece orchestra. The sound was incredible and resonated beautifully throughout the packed venue.
We also provided Simultaneous Interpretation for the convention Plenary Hall, which we have done since 1997. There was interpretation into five languages, including Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, plus English for Hearing Assist. The system provided was FM Broadcast. We also provided additional systems for two pre-convention workshops and two convention workshops. RI's four-day convention was spectacular, and AVW-TELAV would not have been able to deliver without the hard work and dedication of a great number of notable staff members. Exclaimed Sura: "The team effort was incredible, and I truly believe now, as a team, we can achieve anything."