Mar 19 2018
Encore Research

We are thrilled to forge our new partnership with Sea World Resort’s Conference Centre and invest in the latest technology for events in this new conference centre on the Gold Coast, and all existing function spaces at Sea World Resort and the Paradise Room at Sea World Theme Park. Sea World Resort Conference Centre recently hosted VIP corporate event planners for their inaugural event, and we look forward to an ongoing commitment to providing unique and outstanding events with our wonderful venue partner. The Event Brief The Staging Connections team were engaged to design, create and deliver the farewell lunch for the Day 3 famil program for Gold Coast Tourism Corporation – setting for 80 VIP guests in the new Conference Centre at Sea World Resort. Caroline Duveau-Clayton, Sales Manager Conference and Events at Sea World Resort, wanted to create the essence of Sea World Resort, basing the theme on ‘Ocean’ elements and also integrating ‘fun’ elements to the lunch to encompass Village Roadshow Theme Parks, the parent company. The Audio Visual Solution VIP guests had a memorable welcome at the entrance by various characters from the Village Roadshow theme parks; magnificent horses and cattle dogs from Australian Outback Spectacular, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Sea World Water Park plus Marilyn, Austin from Warner Bros Movie World with some farm animals from Paradise Country also making an appearance.
A red carpet marked the grand entry, and this newly constructed building was officially opening its doors for their first corporate event! To add a touch of theatrics to this memorable event, the entrance and spacious pre-function area was lined with black and yellow hazard tape, bright orange witches-hats and workmen who hi-jacked the stage during the welcome speech. With this the workman, started a percussive dance utilising various work tools, culminating in a short tap routine which finished with them announcing the centre is now open for business, tearing off the hazard tape and opening the glass doors. Entrance hall set-up with plasma screens The room was filled with subtle blue lighting, based on underwater colours and patterns. The tables featured a blue crisp and white stripe runner and a cylindrical vase filled with coral, beautiful shells and star-fish filled with water and placed on an illuminate light box. ‘Ocean’ themed table centerpeices with blue wash lighting to enhance theme. An underwater ocean scene was projected into all screens and overlayed with the Sea World Resort logo, creating a beautiful ambience whist guests wined and dined. Theme of the night was ‘Ocean’ with abundance of seafood on offer for guests. Entertainment included a History of Music routine by “Those Tap Guys” and an impromptu dance routine by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles filled the room with high-energy, leaving guests laughing, clapping and dancing. Left: Those Tap Guys performing on stage. Right: VIP guests treated to buffet experience prepared by world-class chefs. If you are interested in hosting your next event at Sea World Resort Conference Centre please visit Venue Locator. … Read More

Recent Posts

Top 5 event tips for the year ahead

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Our new Business Development Director, John Edwards shares his top 5 event tips for 2014 including live polling, projection mapping and the art of creating engaging multimedia content. 1. Live Polling Gaining feedback from your audience following an event or a speaker session is not a new concept. There are a multitude of ways that exist post event such as email, the traditional written form right through to SMS. However the ability to get instant and real time feedback is the new reality and we can help integrate live audience response systems into any type of event. For a simple add on to your existing equipment specification we can now get instant feedback and statistics from your audience. We can help you design questions for your audience and incorporate them into your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation. The audience uses their own mobile phone or tablet to either vote or ask questions and the results are shown live to screen in a graph format which is guaranteed to get your audience totally involved in any topic. At the end of the event we can send the organiser all the statistics and percentages from throughout the day allowing insightful and instant feedback. This is pure ROI for a minimum outlay which delivers maximum impact. 2. Projection Mapping for Stage Presentations Whilst the current trend and obvious use for Projection Mapping is to use this technology to light up large city buildings and iconic monuments as seen in many outdoor events such as Vivid Sydney and White Night, at Staging Connections we have been looking at alternative uses for this amazing effect. We have been busy working with this technology for some time and have perfected the use of projection mapping onto commercial objects that fit on a stage you would find at an indoor event of varying scales. To date we have mapped objects such as cars, trucks and even fridges creating a spectacular effect and unexpected experience for guests in attendance. 3. Widescreen Blending Rather than use the traditional method of two screens and two projectors with different content, we are able to create more dynamic effects through widescreen blending. We can show you how you can have multiple images and multi layered visual content over a larger screen surface using just one projector. Check out the AHA VIC State Awards timelapse where you can see widescreen blending in action! 4. Multimedia Content Engaging Multimedia content can transform an event experience and even create a living event space – think more than the traditional video loops on a screen – you can take your attendee on a visual journey using moving imagery, video or photography projected 360 degrees around a room creating the illusion that they are within an experience and not just at an event. Motion graphics and multimedia technology is developing all the time and can be combined with projection for vision or lighting that reacts to touch – letting the attendee drive and direct their experience. 5. Budgets Most people are concerned about budgets and quite rightly so. If you have a limited budget, your choice of AV can make all the difference. Well positioned lighting can set the scene and add drama to any event through programmed lighting stings. Combine lighting with vision or multimedia content and you can make a real impact, without stretching the budget. Written by John Edwards,Business Development Director, Staging Connections. John enjoys meeting people and being able to introduce new ideas and technology to a variety of events. He loves taking a concept all the way through to final production. ... Read More

A Vanity Fair themed gala dinner for Auto & General

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Staging Connections was engaged by Auto & General to create a gala dinner that was a work of art, celebrating and honouring its 1,200 guests. Transporting guests into a fantasy world of crystals and Vanity Fair inspired parties that surprised and delighted them. Utilising the symbol for a 15 year partnership, crystals were selected as the basis of the event creative concept. Venue: Brisbane Exhibition & Convention Centre Event: 15th Anniversary Gala Dinner Guests: 1,200 Client: Auto & General AV: Staging Connections Styling: Staging Connections The grand entrance was created using red carpet flanked by bollards and rope and a custom branded media backdrop for photo opportunities. Once guests entered the main room, they were greeted with a stunning 'Vanity Fair' style Event Backdrop covered entirely in lush greenery and featuring white 3D lettering of ’15 years’. Several custom Event Backdrops were designed for this event to incorporate the insurance brands under the Auto & General umbrella - ComparetheMarket.com and Budget Direct. The provided guests with the perfect opportunity to pose for a photo against these iconic brand personalities. The hero room feature was the giant mirror ball surrounded by 6m long crystal beaded chandeliers, and when lit cast thousands of moving sparkles around the room. As a special treat for the guests, they were treated to a flash mob performance by several Auto & General employees and finished with Captain Risky. Our unique concept included a lovely 12m wide x 6m high beaded ‘crystal’ curtain used as the backdrop for the in house stage. This allowed a grand entrance for the star performer at the end of the night; Guy Sebastian. Event Feed was used to increase engagement throughout the night and give guests the chance to feature on the big screen. All Instagram and Tweets with the hashtag #myAG15 were displayed on screen, sharing their messages and moments with the entire room. It was a great way to spark conversation between guests and provide entertainment all night long. What did the client day? “Every staff member I dealt with was amazing. They handled everything so professionally and allowed me to step back and enjoy the night rather than run around and stress over if things were going to plan or not." Jodie Taylor, People & Culture Consultant, Auto & General Holdings Back to blog More events from QLD Get in touch ... Read More

Bring your own device for Events

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
It’s pretty clear we are all addicted to our smartphones. They are always by our side and we spend a large part of our lives staring into their screens. And why wouldn’t we? Since the release of the iPhone in 2007 we now carry around more computing power in our back pocket than NASA had available to them for the 1969 moon landing. They are indispensable for business and essential for our social lives. So if everyone at your event is carrying around a tiny touchscreen computer, why not use it to your advantage? Be comfortable with your own device The concept of ‘Bring Your Own Device’ is permeating quickly through the corporate and IT world. Employees already own the IT technology necessary to do their jobs and they’ve made a personal choice to invest in a particular device and are familiar and comfortable with it. Savvy businesses have realized the potential of allowing employees to use their own technology which they have spent time becoming comfortable with. Enhance your event with vox populi voices Considering your whole audience is carrying around interactive devices, why not use them to enhance your brand and message? Any opinion, impression, suggestion or question can be collected, collated, displayed and acted on at a moment’s notice. You can gather audience data through snap multi-choice polls, geographical mapping (e.g. ‘What’s your postcode? Answers displayed on a map) and questions from the audience to a speaker or panel. Engage your audience with BYOD Audiences that actively engage with a presentation are more attentive and will retain more information. Presenters that are adequately prepared to deal with crowd-directed structure will deliver content that is more relevant and interesting to their audience. Also you gather invaluable data for your company for either internal improvement or marketing material. How to choose what to use for your event? The key is simplicity. Yes smartphones can measure your heart rate while telling you what song is on the radio but the more complex the task the less your audience will engage with it. All smartphones have an internet browser and SMS capability, the quickest and easiest way of getting your audience interacting is to use those universal gateways. Ask the right question Again, keep it simple. Questions should have one part only. For multiple choice questions each option should be distinct with no ambiguity. Buzzwords, acronyms and any other wording that isn’t universally understood should be avoided totally. Helpful event software At Staging Connections we run a web-based BYOD platform called Event Poll. Delegates open their browsers log into a specific URL, vote on a question or write their own. These results are instantly displayed via a branded template on the event’s screen. Even attendees with a 90’s Nokia can still vote via SMS. Be ready for any answer With multiple-choice questions, you must prepare a response to each possibility. If you are doing a product launch and ask the audience how likely they are to buy this product and the answer comes back ‘not at all’, you have to be ready to do some fast-talking. Bring your audience with you Have you ever experienced the ‘elephant in Denmark’ mental trick? It is a classic example of how to make engagement and interactivity with your audience work towards your purpose. Make use of leading questions to bring someone to understand your point/product. Sales professionals have long used the technique of ‘yes’ questions to close a deal; Do you hate having bad hair? ‘Yes’ Is it hard to fix your hair on the run? ‘Yes’ I’ve got combs here – would you like a red one? ‘Yes’. Solve problems your audience did not know they had BYOD methods allow you to introduce solutions to problems that your audience may not have realized they have. Interactivity helps people internalize the reasons behind changes to processes. On the other hand it can help you gain insight into barriers or objections to adoption your employees have, which you can then address specifically. Extend your event space People that cannot be physically present at your event can still experience and interact via webcast and social media. Twitter is a particularly useful communication tool for your event. It is free and available on all operating systems and devices. You can aggregate your event’s tweets using an appropriate hashtag. This way audience members can comment and ask questions of the presenters. Using Event Tweet Staging connections run a software platform called Event Tweet that integrates all Tweets to a specific account and specific hashtag with the event’ AV system and webcast feeds. A moderator controls the display within the venue and on the webcast feed of all the content, screening out any offensive or off-topic material. It has a branded, customizable framework for the Twitter content so that you can even run sponsorship images and video at specified times, turning your AV from a cost centre to a revenue generator. Use BYOD techniques for entertainment Lively events entail a lot of probing, pushing and polling so it is important to let your audience have a bit of fun too. If you are running a gala dinner, awards night or any other less formal event, there’s a great range of playful uses for real-time polling and live Tweeting. Do you have a red carpet entrance? Poll the audience for best dressed. Are you running a charity auction? Use the app for bidding. Who’s got the best joke about the CEO? Tweet it to our hashtag – but be careful! You can even incorporate the content from your main event into the games – first prize to the person who Tweets the correct answer! The technology is in your hands Even with hundreds of audience members, BYOD interactivity is simple, low in bandwidth and easy to roll out in almost any venue. Tiny packets of data are required to vote on a multiple-choice question, so low network coverage is not a problem and what you gain from your audience is well worth it. Your audience will be more than happy to share information that is usually hard to get from them if you approach the use of BYOD with insight, care and attention to detail. New software and applications are being developed every day catering to this market. Talk to Staging Connections when planning your next event to find out what your audience can bring to you. Want to stay up to date with industry trends? Browse our range of downloadable Event Insights papers ... Read More

IMEX Insider: 4 event tech trends you need to know about

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Every year, event professionals, venues, event agencies, and event service providers and suppliers make the pilgrimage to IMEX - the worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. This year, we sent our Marketing Manager, Adele Symonds, to Las Vegas to get the inside scoop on what's hot in the world of events and what we can expect to hit our shores. Below Adele shares her insights and experience after attending this year's event over two action-packed days in October. Pictured: Attendees queuing to enter the show floor on Day 1 of IMEX 2016. -- IMEX 2016 was big, I mean really big. With over 3,250 exhibitors, 3,200 hosted buyers and 12,000 attendees you could forgive me for frequently getting lost. An event of this size could certainly use a mobile phone app that uses augmented reality to show me where I need to go – think Google Maps for IMEX. Pictured: Staging Connections; marketing manager, Adele Symonds, enjoying a virtual tour of Qualia Resort at IMEX 2016. IMEX claims to be the pulse of the meetings industry, and if the technology on show was anything to go by, our industry is set to embrace event technology like never before. Data will continue to be a critically important tool and future technologies will do more than just basic analysis. They will aggregate all the available data, enabling event organisers to understand where attendees went, what sessions they attended, what social media they used and other behaviour to give genuine return on investment reports and help improve future events. There were four event technology trends that stood out for me: 1. Wearable Technology for events Apple Watch, Google Glass, even virtual reality—they’re all going to become as common a sight at major events as your co-worker’s Fitbit. Smart badges and wristbands will soon replace the name badge and the exchange of printed business cards. Everyone’s wearing them already, so why not make them work for your event? These devices can serve not only to track attendee activity, but to market and promote your event as well, by sending messages and posting on social channels. 2. Beacons Beacon technology is one that I had predicted we’d see more of, but it has been slow to be adopted. Networking in particular can be greatly improved by using beacons to show users locations, stands and sessions in their area. Aimed at facilitating more meaningful connections, using beacons to connect people can create more memorable events. Particularly events as large as IMEX where connecting with the right people can be tricky. Beacons assist by recognising attendees in the venue, and letting them join ongoing conversations with other users at the same session or function, enabling a new level of interaction. Tapping into this engagement, organisers can also run in-app polls in real time and drive survey responses from those same users. Beacons can also be used for to benefit event organisers by tracking how people navigate their way through your event or exhibition. It provide amazing insights about how long on average people spent at exhibitor booths and can provide insight into how to improve your event's layout. Pictured: Over 3200 exhibitor on show at IMEX 2016. 3. Holograms I saw some really cool examples of hologram technology on the show floor, which will enable speakers who are unable to attend, the opportunity to connect with that audience. It will offer limitless opportunities for speaker sessions and entertainment. 4. Gamification Gamification was another key theme at IMEX. I attended a great session ‘Gamification is serious business’, by Charles Beris from Play with a Purpose. The session investigated how brands can blend psychology with technology to create fun, competitive experiences that drive engagement, loyalty and brand/message recall. IMEX America was incredibly interesting, exciting and, above all else, it was completely energising. It showed the strength of the global events industry, the creativity of event professionals, and gave an insight into what the future of events will look like. ... Read More

Festival of Bright ideas hits Tasmania

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
For the first time, Tasmania will play host to a fun festival celebrating all things science and the International Year of Light. The very first Festival of Bright Ideas will present a diverse program of hands-on activities, science entertainment, and celebrity speakers. As part of National Science Week, the festival will take place over two days – 14 and 15 August and be held at Hobart’s picturesque Princess Wharf (PW1). Staging Connections are proud to partner with the University of Tasmania and Luminous Events in providing and managing all the audio visual equipment needed to make this event happen. The festival will showcase the full spectrum of the Tasmanian science sector and aims to offer a program that is accessible and collaborative, engaging all ages and interest levels of science. Some hot topics they’ll be shining a light on will be; What does your future look like? Why is everyone talking about robots taking our jobs? When do I get my hoverboard? Are humans going to live forever? What’s this bitcoin thing that people are talking about? Technology is moving so quickly but what does this mean for you? Speaking at the event will be Dr Angus Hervey and Tane Hunter who’ll be sharing their thoughts on what will happen as converging technologies and scientific breakthroughs ‘crunch’ together. To enhance the ‘Bright Ideas’ event theme, Staging Connections will create several hanging light-bulb installations around the venue, using the rustic ‘Edison’ type light-bulb. Over the course of the two-day festival there will be a host of family-friendly activities and presentations to attend. If you are wanting to get involved as an exhibitor and activity provider free of charge, you can still contact sustainability.learning.centre@education.tas.gov.au by 31st July to be considered. We look forward to seeing you there and becoming brighter! Here's a great video from last year's National Science Week - Tasmania ... Read More

Festive Styling Ideas

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
This week our lovely event stylists are sharing their top tips for a super styled festive season. From table decorations to the hottest colour schemes, get the tricks of the trade and use them in your own home. First up is our Sydney Event Stylist Joshua Mason. As well as his very hectic day job, Joshua is a freelance editorial stylist, nightclub promoter and writer on design, decor, fashion and travel for online publications such as Oyster, ninemsn, Does Not Equal and The Vine Online. Here he offers up his suggestions for Christmas decorations that will see you crowed the seasons most stylish. Into the Woods This trend is all about fossicking about your local florist for all the things they use to jazz up an arrangement. Twigs, branches, moss, berries and pine cones combine with smart laser-cut tree silhouettes you’ll see everywhere in the shops. Go all out DIY and you’ll impress your guests with a unique table or mantelpiece of found, natural items warmed by candlelight. This season, I am just dying to pick up a genuine pine tree for my apartment to compliment the high ceilings and dress it with home-made balsa wood decorations. The overall style takes a little time to get right but looks effortless, charming and uncontrived. Festive Floral My friends, colleagues and clients alike would agree that I’m fairly obsessed with flora. There is just nothing better than an idiosyncratic arrangement in assorted vaseware on a table using rich colours and fragrant varieties. If you’re bereft of vases, get creative and use teapots, teacups, old cut-glass highballs or the base of a old candlestick. Peonies, calla lilies, berries and natives are the eclectic mix this season. No need for a florist, arrange it yourself! Arcadian Antiquity The old-world never, ever goes out of style and there are so many ways to make it work in even the most modern of homes. Look out for the décor with antique motifs, mercury glass, mottled gold and crystal. Dramatic black or white Christmas trees allow these elements to stand out and add a touch of the ostentatious. You will need to invest a little coin, but it’s an investment in a charming Christmas over and over again. Colour Pop & Bauble Brights I never would have thought it, but baubles are back and it’s as simple as a trip to your local department store or Christmas cave. Bright vibrant colours are this year’s direction with this style and you can dress everything from your tree, tabletop or chair. Glossy, matte, glittered and sequin baubles are a load of fun together, match them up in contrast ribbon. I would especially love mixing this up with hand-sprayed pinecones in complimentary colours. Feliz Navidad! Images sourced via Inside Out Magazine, Vogue Living, Belle Magazine, Bright Baazaar and DesignSponge Next to the (Christmas) table is Kelly Williamson our Perth Event Stylist. Kelly is a creative at heart with a keen eye for the next big thing. In the past she has worked as an Interior Designer at Laura Ashley, a Visual Display Consultant for Topshop and as a Researcher for a trend prediction company in the UK. Inspired by her children, history and creative people she adores all things vintage and quirky and describes her own personal style as eclectic. Here she shares her ideas of how to display Christmas cards. Christmas cards are something we all get a lot of, especially if we have children in school as they come home in a steady stream from the end of November. The problem with cards is that there are only so many surfaces we have in our homes that can accommodate them and every time you go running past them they all blow over! Now there’s only so many times you can pick them up without it driving you bonkers. So back to the point...the best way to combat this problem is to make a feature out of them, and what's more as the cards you receive will vary from year to year your feature/display will always look different. It’s an inexpensive way of creating an bespoke piece of Christmas decor in the home, because as we all know Christmas decorations can be pricey! Frame it Existing home decor such as frames and mirrors can be given a new look especially for the festive season by hanging a string or cards across or within the frame. A minimal and simplistic way of displaying your cards is amongst a string of Christmas lights. Simple yet very effective! Colour Coordinate Make traditional displays more interesting and colour coordinate using only cards that fit your particular Christmas colour scheme. You can take this look even further with a single colour concept where all the cards are the same hue (so you will have to be selective which of the cards you use). To make this display extra special, add tree ornaments and decor in the same colour scheme amongst the cards to create a relatively contemporary look which suits the more modern home in particular. Images sourced via Martha Stewart, Hall Ready, Punchbowl, Not on the Highstreet and Maddycakes Muse Next we have our Event Stylist, Alana Berryman from Adelaide with her top picks for Christmas decor. Alana has a background in visual merchandising, interior design and floral art which she uses to deliver events of all kinds whether it’s funky, old school, retro or cutting edge! Mix & Match Fabrics Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns, it’s very “Now” and adds depth to the design. For instance, floral fabric and striped fabric in the same colour palette or style works perfect together. Dinner by Candlelight Use as much natural candle light as possible to create warmth, ambience and a festive mood. When selecting your candles try to find out the burn time so you can get as much life out of them as possible. You can even do a test a few weeks before so you know the best time light them! When placing candles around the home also be careful to make sure they are not in the path of any air conditioners as they will burn much quicker. And finally we have some backyard inspiration from our wonderful Event Stylist Renae Vella. Renae is a perfectionist and is constantly working on her own innovative techniques by incorporating current trends and pushing the boundaries of event design. Here she encourages us to look no further than our backyard for inspiration this Christmas. The Natural Centrepiece Arrange a variety of ruby red berries, seasonal green and rustic pine cones in and amongst a symphony of clear glass vessels and candles, to create a unique table centre with a lovely aroma. Mirror Mirror Give an old mirrored photo frame a new lease of life this Christmas. Add it to the base of any table- scape to add instant elegance to your dining room table. ... Read More

Take your event to the next level with dynamic digital signage

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
Signage has been a show essential since the beginning. There is no doubt that attendees would be lost, confused, and frustrated without it. But these days digital signage is the way of the future. Digital signage is a versatile system that supports multiple media types and rapidly distributes information throughout the venue. Your key message, such as, “Presentation A, This Way” is displayed, along with strategically curated messaging. Signs now have the ability to illustrate much more than directions. Here are five unexpected ways that digital signage will strategically improve your event. Provide Targeted Messaging Attendees don’t just crave personalisation, they expect it. Digital signage in the venue will not only show the basics, like who is speaking, but also a deeper level of messaging that targets the needs of attendees. The software is able to collect data and act on it by showing targeted messaging. You can schedule and edit content dynamically that will reach your audiences as they pass by. Integrate Social Media and Videos Your attendees are already posting and tweeting about your event, so put it up on the big screen! Designed to sync with social media surrounding your event, you can use digital signage to illustrate social trends and top tweets. By showing attendees that you care about what they think and what they have to say, you can create a stronger sense of community. Even your attendees who are not active on social media will see what others are posting when they look at the signs and feed off of this energy. Another way you are sure to engage attendees is through video. Humans have short attention spans and even shorter patience. While they might not take the time to stop and read words on a screen, an incredible video displayed on your digital signage can stop them in their tracks Maximize Visibility for Sponsors Digital signage equals to more sponsorships. Attendees will seek out signage whenever they need something. As a result, they will focus their attention on signage for at least part of their show experience. Strategically placed sponsorships on digital signage will increase visibility for your sponsors. Because it is digital and can be changed, each sign can accommodate more than one sponsor. Additionally, sponsors can choose to display their content in a variety of different mediums. Sponsors will also be able to change what content appears on screen at different points of your event or conference. Branding A great way to use digital signage is to give impact to elevate your brand. A colourful and engaging digital backdrop is a simple yet effective way of enhancing your branding, styling and overall event experience. No event should go unbranded – which is why we’ve developed a unique range of cost effective branding and styling solutions. Event Backdrop is our latest offering, and comes in a variety of standard sizes. You can create impactful branding for corporate events, entrance features, gala dinners, event registration desks and media walls. Photo opportunities You can use digital signage or backdrops to create the perfect photo opportunity. Guests will be snapping photos in front of your signage to remind them of brand, message or creative behind the event. You can use digital signage to engage audiences at sporting events, by giving them the opportunity to grab a selfie in front of their favourite team or sporting personality. Whether it’s a ballroom, meeting room, or small stage, our range of backdrops suit any occasion. Getting the look of an event just right can turn a great event into a stunning experience. Our impactful digital signage, backdrops and stage sets deliver an engaging environment by displaying beautifully designed multimedia, imagery and brand messaging. ... Read More

The Adelaide Crows soar at this year's Annual Club Gala dinner

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
This year's annual gala dinner for the Adelaide Football Club was nothing short of a flying success. As a proud sponsor of the Crows, our Staging Connections Adelaide team pulled out all stops to make this year's event the best yet. On top of our stunning AV design, the night was MC'd by Nova's Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and with two performances by The Superjesus the guests were treated to a truly enthralling evening. *Author's Note: After publishing this blog post, the much-loved and respected Adelaide Crows Coach, Phil Walsh, sadly passed away. As a proud sponsor of Adelaide Football Club, Staging Connections send our thoughts and well-wishes to the family and friends of Phil Walsh, as well as the staff, players and wider Crows family. #WeFlyAsOne A spectacular Gala Dinner to celebrate the 25th Season of the Adelaide Football Club. The Brief The Arena floor of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre was the perfect venue for this event. The sheer size of the venue made it possible to design, create and deliver a stunning Gala Dinner setting for 800 VIPs and guests. One of the challenges we often face is displaying various multimedia content and live camera feeds simultaneously on stage. Staging Connections team were engaged to design, create and deliver a Gala Dinner setting for 800 VIPs and guests on the Arena floor of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. We were required to celebrate their 25th season by using predominantly silver colouring whilst also highlighting the club's colours of red, yellow and blue. Being one of the club's major fundraising events for the year, we were also tasked with delivering a high impact stage look with practical vision systems to display silent auction progress and engage the audience in the evening’s events. The Solution Th high impact stage set using five projection screen surfaces suspended in a staggered array allowed for mapping of projection over the entire set or individual screens. Together with the 3 standard projection screens around the room, this allowed for video playback, sponsor acknowledgement, silent auction real time updates, Event Tweet and live to screen camera images. To incorporate the silver of 25 years, we utilised aluminium trussing around the screens, in the air and around the circular ceiling feature that featured an 8m wide projection of the AFC’s 25 year logo. LED lighting enabled all truss to be lit in a dramatic silver colour and allowed the room to be washed in changing colours depending on the events during the night. Event Tweet was used in both landscape and portrait formats on screens around the room to engage the audience with the evening’s proceedings. An alias twitter account (@AFC_Gala Insider) was created and curated by Staging Connections during the evening. Images of certain auction items were tweeted during the night as well as announcing major auction items as they were auctioned. These tweets together with tweets from attendees were moderated and then displayed on the room screens using Event Tweet. All of this combined for a fitting setting for The Superjesus to kick off the night, the auctioneers to auction the major items, a fun filled panel-type quiz game hosted by popular radio station, Nova FM's, Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and a party band to finish off the night. The 25th year of the Adelaide Football Club was certainly celebrated in style. Love looking at beautiful events? Check out some of our recent work and get your daily dose of event inspiration by following us on Instagram! ... Read More

Our team in Southeast Queensland welcome clients Backstage

Mar 19 2018
Encore Research
We recently invited our loyal clients and valued venue partners to join us Backstage at our Queensland Head office. We recently invited our loyal clients and valued venue partners to join us Backstage at our Queensland Head Office. In our educational sessions our event experts went back to basics and spoke on a range of topics including Audio, Vision and Lighting as well as demonstrating the newest innovations in digital events including Webcasting. Our Event Design Manger Sean also covered the latest trends in the world of styling and design, giving his top predication's for 2014. If you want to get the insider knowledge you can download his presentation here. Don't forget to check out the album below for all the behind the scenes pictures from the day, and, if you would like to register your interest for our next Backstage Event series simply email your details to Susan on shamilton@stagingconnections.com. ... Read More