As Australia’s major design awards, the Think Bricks Awards bring together architects and the building design industry to celebrate their achievements in style.
Taking inspiration from the architectural design submissions, the brief to Encore was to create the ultimate glamorous galactic experience. The end concept, a galaxy inspired theme, was designed in collaboration by the Encore and Think Brick teams. Encore entwined the theme throughout every element of the event, from the AV and lighting through to set design and styling.
Being an awards night with all eyes on the stage, Encore designed an impressive stage set that was both in theme, and purposely built to ensure every guest had the same experience. The result was an impressive treble LED screen installation comprising of 12 LEDs in a four-armed configuration, resembling a spaceship-like design.
This served as the main screen showcasing the outstanding work of the award nominees and its clever design ensured every one had perfect view of the awards stage. Throughout the evening, guests were continually immersed in the galactic theme thanks to the custom on-screen content designed and produced by Encore which was all based off the Think Brick Awards 2019 graphics developed by Think Brick.
In addition to the three-armed stage set, Encore custom built an amazing a ceiling installation over the bar in the adjoining room for the after party. The light installation featured large numbers of baton lights to resemble lightsabers and illuminated with colours matching the client’s logo.
The styling created a luxurious atmosphere with every detail adding to the theme from metallic tablecloths to dark drapery around the room.
After the last award, a video played on the big screens to wrap-up the formalities of the event as confetti cannons exploded to celebrate the successful night which was 11 months in the making by the Encore team.
To mark the end of the formalities, Encore used a kabuki drop to reveal a full band playing on the main stage in the adjoining room along with the custom lightsaber-lit bar for the after party.
Elizabeth McIntyre, Group CEO, Think Brink was delighted with the event,
“Our brief to the Encore team was to create an event with WOW-factor. We particularly wanted a super-sized screen to showcase the amazing work of the architects attending. Our guests loved the after party light-up bar with the ceiling installation above. It really brought the theme to life and delivered on need to impress our guests.”
Two companies unite to jointly serve a global customer base
PSAV announced today that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Encore Event Technologies. PSAV and Encore, both global leaders in event experiences and production services, combine their deep expertise and shared commitment to be an invaluable global partner for the meeting industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The combination of Encore and PSAV is monumental for the industry and all who rely on us for their event experience needs. It provides us with the ability to expand our capabilities and footprint in order to better serve our collective meeting planner customers and valued venue partners,” said Mike McIlwain, CEO of PSAV.
“The Encore team is very much aligned to our purpose, mission and values, and I am confident our expanded team will exceed our own expectations when it comes to helping our customers achieve their meeting and event goals.”
Bob Priest-Heck, Chief Executive Officer of The Freeman Company, said,
“This divestiture is an important milestone and will allow Freeman to invest deeper in our broad competencies in brand and event strategy, world-class creative, event technology, digital and logistics. The combination of Encore and PSAV creates tremendous opportunities for Encore to accelerate its growth and provide enhanced value to its clients, partners and world-class team. We wish our Encore colleagues continued success as part of PSAV moving forward.”
Encore has a long and distinguished history dedicated to helping create high-impact meetings and live events for the hospitality industry. Encore operates as an in-house partner to some of the world’s leading resorts, hotels and casinos, as well as a creative production company for clients around the world.
PSAV has an equally impressive history that includes more than 80 years as a global leader in event experiences. Its extensive footprint and menu of capabilities have effectively served its customers across the globe.
Guests were transported to a whimsical, fantasy land at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort for this year’s National Dental Care gala dinner. Every corner of the MacArthur’s Ballroom was transformed into an ‘Enchanted Garden’, enhanced by interactive elements creating a truly immersive experience. The creative challenge to Encore was to deliver something extra special that stood apart from the previous six events and made guests feel part of an exciting story from the moment they arrived.
Guests arrived at what used to be the Fountain Terrace, but which now was a magical garden decorated with fairy lights scattered in trees, giant orbs floating on cascading fountains, foliage-printed balloons with vine strings floating around the space all hinting to the evening that lay ahead. Stilt-walkers dressed as woodland creatures greeted guests and led them down a magnificent winding path to the ballroom entrance, elegantly lined with twisted willow trees lining the staircase and cascading foliage and florals draping down the balustrades.
The hero design feature in the room was the 4.5m tall artificial tree placed in the centre of the ballroom with branches covered in soft green leaves reaching over the tables with special gobo lights casting tree-like shadows around the room. The teal hue lighting continued the enchanted garden atmosphere and also a clever nod to National Dental Care’s brand colour.
The entertainment was a huge part of this unique event, from fairies pouring champagne to woodland creatures roaming the room. There was even a fortune teller whispering good fortune amongst the three-metre tall trees in a special feature area of the room. Lush green AstroTurf covered the floor creating a designated game space with giant Jenga, chess pieces and mini golf. A giant floral wall sat on one side the room providing the perfect backdrop for guests to take pictures.
Katie Jackson, Head of Marketing, National Dental Care said they really wanted to transport the guests to another world, and then Encore delivered on that.
“It was an incredible event, our attendees were blown away. The event certainly transported our guests to an enchanted kingdom and everywhere you looked there was a new wonder to be seen.” said Ms Jackson.
Tony Chamberlain, Managing Director, Encore, congratulated the team in South East Queensland for delivering a spectacular event themed to perfection.
“This event hit the nail on the head with not only the physical appearance of the event but the atmosphere that was created with the high level of attention to detail. We were asked to deliver an immersive party atmosphere and the team certainly delivered on that we did,” said Mr Chamberlain.
Guests were dazzled by of one of the largest table projection experiences in Australia, when Encore designed and delivered a never-before-seen showcase event on behalf of Crown Towers for Virtuoso, a luxury tourism company.
Each year Virtuoso selects a destination to host their symposium and to sample the very best tourism opportunities in that city; in 2019 the chosen city was Melbourne. Crown also took this as an opportunity to launch their newest property Crown Sydney which will open in 2021.
Themed ‘Welcome to the Emerald City’, a play on Sydney’s nick name, every table had stunning, bespoke projections alternating throughout the evening. This was one of the largest table projection mapping projects in Australia ever completed, with a total of 55 individual table projections and an absolute stand-out of the event that had the guests enthralled.
The entire event was meticulously designed to ensure the guests were taken on a full sensory journey using clever event production, from the dancers in genuine ‘Wicked – The Musical’ costumes, to the Palladium Ballroom being drenched in emerald drapery, green and gold lights highlighting the extravagant details, such as iconic ruby red slippers hanging from chandeliers and the projected yellow-brick road that led to the main stage.
Feature entertainment included renowned Australian Soprano, Kerrie Anne Greenland, dressed in an authentic Glinda – the Good Witch outfit, who sung Australia’s entry into Eurovision 2019, ‘Zero Gravity’.
In the centre of the room four giant LED screens 4.8m x 2.4m, dubbed the ‘Crown Tower’, featured custom animations throughout the evening.
As each course unfolded, the food changed theme and the city skylines of Melbourne, Perth and then Sydney, were featured on the Crown Tower LED screen, lights were adjusted to create the ambiance of the city in focus and all 55 tables simultaneously came to life with individualised table projections. The projections contained animated clockwork, infinite emerald jewel clusters, art deco inspired designs – all spinning on each person’s plate.
Catrina Bennell, General Manager for Encore Victoria, believes this event is a defining moment for Encore highlighting the capability, expertise and full creative production the team can offer.
“This event was perfectly over the top and left everyone in awe with the full sensory experience it offered. Guests were amazed, constantly taking photos and videos of the night with sheer joy on their faces. It is definitely a night to remember and will travel back home with each of the guests,” says Ms Bennell.
ENCORE EVENT TECHNOLOGIES PARTNERS WITH THE CHILDREN’S CANCER FOUNDATION TO PRESENT ‘WHERE EXCEPTIONAL OUTCOMES BLOOM’ FOR THE MILLION DOLLAR LUNCH 2019
This year’s The Million Dollar Lunch set new benchmarks for event design, raising over $2.1 million for The Children’s Cancer Foundation at Crown Melbourne. The fundraising event was a visual splendour with Encore’s in-house team transforming The Palladium under the playful theme In Full Bloom. The exclusive VIP guest list are veterans on the event circuit, so every year it’s crucial the team continue to raise the bar and deliver a new experience.
Encore delivered a fully immersive experience by treating every surface in the room with a mixed media approach, seamlessly blending large paper flowers with projection mapping, with scale and colour at its core.
Guests were welcomed into a beautiful but strategically simple pre-function area to ensure the full impact of the main room was achieved. The floor was covered with green carpet representing grass, succulents and foliage positioned around the room – all a subtle hint of what was to come. There was a 3x6m illuminated Event Backdrop as the media wall where guests were photographed on arrival.
When the guests entered The Palladium, they stopped in awe at the grand scale of the room elegantly decorated to reflect a garden. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the central stage with four 4.5m high daisy shaped LED screens, angled to tower over the guests.
Over 140 custom made paper flowers with a diameter of up to 2m, built on-site, were clustered around the screens in each corner of the room and around the centre stage.
Table projections were used to create dramatic impact and carry the floral theme with custom animations including blooming flowers, creeping vines, rippling water and fluttering butterflies to tie in with the giant paper flowers. This element was creatively used to enhance the auction, with each of the 11 auction items being projected and moving around the table so each guest could see what was on offer.
Projectors were a major visual element of the event, with 70 being used in total. Ten were used for the wall projections made up of two different loops, blooming flowers and cascading flowers displayed during meals.
With every corner of the room styled boldly guests were wowed by visual bursts of colour, unique design and the creative use of AV technology to bring the theme together.
Catrina Bennell, General Manager Encore Victoria, believes this event is a defining moment for Encore highlighting the capability to bring unique custom designs to every event.
“We were absolutely delighted to work on this inspiring event with such a beautiful cause at its core. The team delivered on a massive scale with big flowers, big effects, bold colour and big fun uniquely delivering the unexpected,” says Ms Bennell.
NEW VIDEO CONFERENCING PLATFORM THAT MAKES STAYING CONNECTED CONVENIENT, COST EFFECTIVE AND STRESS-FREE
Encore Event Technologies today launches Encore Connect, a professional video conferencing platform that makes staying connected for meetings and live events more convenient and cost effective.
Encore Connect enables meeting and event planners to link remote presenters or meeting attendees, no matter where they are around the world, instantly in HD quality.
This latest digital solution comes with a number of service enhancements to make the process seamless for clients, and further cements their position as leaders in event technology with a broad range of products and services.
The events industry is embracing technologies that allow greater access to the world’s best speakers by overcoming the barriers of geography, including time and cost. Using Encore’s new video conferencing service, international speakers and presenters can easily and seamlessly present, as though they were in the room.
Unlike other video conferencing solutions, with Encore Connect every conference or meeting, regardless of size, is fully supported by a technical assistant, providing peace of mind that everything will run faultlessly.
Encore has listened to market feedback which said, whilst many can see the potential benefits of using video conferencing for events and meetings, planners feel the risk of technical failures with lack of troubleshooting support outweighs the benefits.
The support provided by the Encore technician covers testing of audio and visuals prior to the commencement of the conference, setting up a meeting room early and allowing presenters to become familiar with the technology. The technician can assist at large conferences connecting a remote speakers, ensuring they appear perfectly on the big screen and audio levels are correct.
Andrew MacColl, Director of Innovation at Encore, says the advantage with Encore Connect, is there is a team member with the customer every step of the way.
“Meetings can be pressured environments and people just want to get on with their business. Even planners and MCs have enough to think about without having to work out the technical aspects, particularly if they don’t use it frequently or the remote speaker is having difficulties from their location.
“That’s why with our new service, clients can simply get on with their meeting while we deliver the best video conference experience every time.”
“Although video conferencing may not be new, we are doing it differently, our high level service is designed to ensure total satisfaction and seamless connections with every event delivered,” said MacColl.
Encore Connect is available in every venue where Encore is the in house AV supplier at over 90 locations offering unique technical support, HD video and audio features, as well as, screen sharing. The rehearsal feature aims to simplify video conferencing allowing one-on-one support to test the connection, audio and visuals.
For nearly a decade, Encore have had the pleasure of working with Tourism Accommodation Australia (VIC) to deliver their annual awards night. As with every year, the brief is to deliver a totally new and immersive experience, and this year’s theme gave Encore the permission to deliver just that.
The TAA (VIC) Awards for Excellence recognises Victoria’s finest accommodation hotels and venue staff and celebrates dedication and achievement in the hospitality industry. Nearly 500 esteemed guests, nominees and representatives from Victoria’s finest accommodation hotels attended the awards night at Grand Hyatt Melbourne in late June. Driven by the night’s entertainment Encore were engaged to design an evening to emulate the experience of attending the theatre.
Guests were treated with an array of beverages upon arrival. As they entered the room they were transported into a 1920’s theatre. Gold draping and all the elements of the front and “back of house” in a functioning theatre were strategically placed around the Savoy Ballroom by the Encore Design team. Key elements for the evening was the digital banner and the interactive stage set. The intention behind the digital banner was to create maximum impact on entry by incorporating 3 6mW x 1.2m H projection surfaces that emulated the exterior of the theatre with in-house multimedia loop that featured a ‘NOW SHOWING’ animated banner with the name of the event. Taking a fresh approach to a ‘theatre’ themed stage set, Encore chose to incorporate both the back and front of house of a theatre as a homage to those in the room. Looking not only at the glitz and glamour, but all the hard working people behind the scenes.
The ‘front of house’ half of the stage was beautifully draped in gold with a sparkling chandelier the “Stage” also housed surprise tab track reveal for opera singers, mid way through the event. Whilst the remaining ‘back of house’ section took on a darker, more industrial look dressed with truss, lighting bars, ropes and hessian bags to mimic the workings of backstage. The black pressed metal bar acted not only as a make up station for the actors, but the lectern itself.
A light haze filled the room with sophisticated lighting design and thoughtfully positioned pin spotting to accentuate the lush, green herbaceous edible centrepieces created by both Executive head chef Dane Clouston and Encore.
The creation of animated presentations for all award nominees and winners followed the theatre theme throughout the evening. Guests marvelled in the creative flair displayed by the Encore Multimedia team.
All multimedia for the event was thematically considered and painstakingly developed to enhance the theatre experience and celebrate those in the room – both finalists and winners. Our multimedia team was responsible for the delivery of all on screen content for the evening.
- Walk in animated feature on the projection marquee
- 16:9 Animated Holding slide
- Sponsors loop
- Opening package featuring their hotels and nominated accommodation staff
- All finalists packages
- All winners packages
Working in conjunction with Grand Hyatt Melbourne’s leading chef, we seamlessly incorporated a level theatre glamour onto the tables, with our Smokey Mirror cubes giving sparkle amongst a table bursting with potted herbs, which set the scene for the fresh and local menu for the evening.
A refined menu of share plates was presented to the tables for both entree and mains, allowing for interaction between guests and conversation about how good the dining experience actually was!
After the formal proceedings had concluded and many a glass of chardonnay consumed, guests made their way back to the PFA where they were treated with a creative array of desserts. Post sweet sensations, anyone who was up for cutting some shapes, or to socialise and network, made their way to the Grand Hyatt Residence space where Encore provided some stylish event lighting to accompany the DJ who was playing all the latest hits!
All in all guests experienced a truly enjoyable and encompassing night of sleek production, food, wine and entertainment.
From the client,
“I want to extend a big thank you to Encore for all your help and dedication on our TAA (Vic) Awards.
Your flexibility with last minute changes, and an ever changing event brief, all the video content – I know it was a lot to ask, and you really made the whole process so easy and flawless come the event night.
Thank you. We look forward to next year!”
Every year the Crows host a fundraising event in support of the Adelaide Crows Children’s Foundation. The event is one of the Club’s largest events of the year.
This year was a visual extravaganza with a croquet theme, a fun play-on-word on the Club’s name, the Adelaide Crows. As the club’s official audio visual partner, Encore was thrilled to be delivering the event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre for another year.
The brief was to design an elegant gala event with a croquet club, garden party theme for 1,000 guests. Here is what we delivered.
Crow-quet Garden Party theme for this yea’rs Adelaide Football Club Gala
The size and height of the venue made it possible to design and create an amazing ceiling installation which was created via two giant circular truss hung from the roof. An 8m circle of 50 Scenic Panels framed the installation and encased an inner 6m circle of beautiful foliage. Below this hung beautiful crystal balls which twinkled in the lights. The ceiling feature extended throughout the room with 600m of festoon lighting and 400m of bunting.
The stage comprised of three 16ft tall portrait style screens interspersed with 8 x 7m totem formation of up-lit Scenic Panels matching the ceiling installation and flanked by two giant screens at either side. The stage continued the croquet theme with white picket fencing, green grass carpeting and a lectern complete with croquet hammers and foliage.
Custom stage set designed using Scenic Panels and three, 16ft high screens.
The team delivered a complete event production solution, encompassing all audio, vision, lighting, staging, multimedia creation, styling and production management.
The event theme was brought to life as soon as guests arrived at the venue. An entrance feature and photo opportunity was created comprising light up letters spelling AFC. The area was encased with picket fencing and decorated with on-theme props including a grass carpet, croquet hammers and plants.
MC for the evening was Ryan Fitzgerald (Fitzy), players and past coaches accompanied him on stage and were supported by Nathan Casserly and Alex Ouwens from OC Real Estate as the Auctioneers. Entertainment for the night was provided by Brian Ruiz plus band.
MC for the evening was Ryan Fitzgerald (Fitzy).
Around the room were silent auction areas framed with additional festoon lighting and count-down screens. A Toyota RAV 4 was the lucky door price for the evening and finalists were invited to come on stage for a croquet challenge, with the winner of the car generously donating the prize back to the charity.
The annual Crows Gala Auction is a hotly anticipated event for the Encore Adelaide team. The event gives us the opportunity to create truly immersive experiences and we love jumping through hoops to deliver something completely different each year and look forward to next year’s creative brief!
Client Testimonial
The Events team here at the Adelaide Football Club look forward to this Annual Event as much as Encore. We have an extremely strong working relationship with Encore which allows us to deliver events such as this. When we met with Encore the theme was decided and we discussed all elements of the event from styling, multimedia requirements and production.
With so many elements involved including a vehicle on stage, MC, a multitude of performers including a five piece band and two Auctioneers, it was smooth sailing from bump in to bump out. Encore handled last minutes run sheet changes during the event without a hitch.
The feedback from our guests and Executive has been overwhelming in relation to the entrance and the room. We believe this set the scene for the night and contributed to our overall result.
Seven waves of guests treated to an event spectacular in far North Queensland
Amway China returned to Australia for the sixth time with more than 6,000 guests for their annual 2019 Leadership Seminar, this time held in Cairns. Seven waves of guests attended the 4-day seminar and incentive program between 21 March – 15 April. Designed and organised by Encore Event Technologies, the business sessions and concluding Gala Program treated guests to a spectacular experience including a special blended reality sequence created using layered multimedia, holographics and choreographed robotics show with a live performer.
The ‘Rainforest to Reef’ themed Gala Program was a highlight for the destination incentive, allowing Encore to design four totally bespoke immersive experiences – Rainforest, Beach, Reef and River – using creative technical production. Each environment was themed using a gigantic 270-degree screen that wrapped around the inside of the venue, table-styling which incorporated lighting design, customised soundscapes and roaming performers. Within each of the four environments was a key performance sequence that brought it to life.
The opening ‘Rainforest‘ environment concluded with a spectacular thunder and lightning performance by the edgy Million Volt Man – one of the most extreme live performances that involves stunts using a high-voltage Tesla coil.
This then transitioned beautifully into the second environment ‘Beach‘ which included an artistic Fabric Ballet performance featuring 18 DMX controlled fans with beautifully choreographed dancing and costuming designed by the talented Katie Kermond. The third sequence ‘Reef‘ featured an entertaining game simulation of an underwater treasure hunt made possible using a range of AV techniques, collectively referred to as blended reality. The journey saw a live performer participate in the underwater adventure using layered multimedia with a holographic mesh screen, LEDs, and choreographed robotics show.
A major highlight of the Gala was the performance in the ‘River‘ sequence – the final environment for the evening’s journey. The ‘Fish Medley’ act included a singing and dancing animated multimedia fish on computer controlled Robotic LED screens that moved with the music. Custom designed tropical reef inspired centrepieces decorated each table, each individually lit with both intelligent pin-spotting and wireless DMX battery powered lighting for every table.
In addition, at the completion of the four performance segments, delegates were treated to an amazing high energy performance by The Voice China star Uni Yeh performing with a live band and a team of local dancers. Encore also supplied delegates with fun, luminous head dresses so they could feel part of the theming for the event.
“The guests were blown away by the 270-degree multimedia projection, holographic projection and synchronized robotics. The creative event design was matched with cutting-edge use of technology to create an amazing experience for guests,” said Encore’s Show Producer, Andrew MacColl.
Amway chose to enhance the attendee experience by selecting a new and unusual venue for the event and the newly constructed wing of the Australian Artillery and Armoury Museum (AAAM) was perfect for both the Gala Dinner and Business Sessions. The venue is the largest military vehicle museum on the southern hemisphere. The delegates were treated to a specially created Tank Show in the parklands behind the museum featuring some of the best of these rare and historical vehicles, including dramatic gun blasts and explosions created with pyrotechnics.
However, this unique venue presented major challenges as an event venue; it came without rated rigging points, three-phase power, guest Wi-Fi facilities nor air-conditioning.
“Working in such a unique venue had its challenges, but also many benefits in that it allowed our team the opportunity to maximise their creativity to bring to life a blank canvas. Special Event Director, John Schryver designed a truly unique and immersive experience which will undoubtedly be remembered long after the event. The team bought his design to life and delivered the series of events flawlessly,” said Mr MacColl.
Tony Chamberlain, Managing Director, Encore, said it was an honour to work with Amway China again especially in such an iconic and unique Australian location.
“The team have been engaged in meticulous planning for months after winning the bid to manage this event. On-site we managed 20 days of install and rehearsals. Then the team delivered both Business Sessions and the Gala Dinner for each of the seven waves.
“Our goal was to create an event that showcased the beauty of Far North Queensland while also demonstrating what is possible for a creative business event. Our talented team achieved all this and more, in a challenging venue. This event will go down in Encore history as one of the best,” said Mr Chamberlain.
Encore Event Technologies (Encore) served up an incredible holographic-like experience for some of Australia’s leading event industry professionals, at the “Love and Desire” themed Top Secret 2019 Dinner on Friday 22 March.
Hosted by the National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC), as part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), this dinner was part of a 3-day program run by the Canberra Convention Bureau (CCB).
The program consists of a series of individualised experiences for an exclusive group of national meeting planners. Showcasing business event product and services, the program allows Canberra’s events community to demonstrate the calibre of events in our nation’s capital.
The hero of the night was Encore’s expert use of a holographic mesh screen, highlighting the venue as a premium event space and showcasing the technology available when holding an event at the NCCC in conjunction with Encore.
Using the holographic mesh screen, Encore created animated content such as a hot air balloon that appear as though it was floating through the air.
Known for their innovation, Encore really broke the mould for the Top Secret 2019 Dinner bringing Stephen Wood, General Manager of the National Convention Centre Canberra into the room through a hologram. Guests were able to watch Mr Wood standing onstage, interviewing himself as if there were actually two of him.
The use of holographic mesh screens is usually only seen at big budget events such as Eurovision and the Grammys, or on television. However, Encore were able to demonstrate to event managers how this technology is possible at their events with the right team and the right venue.
Mr Wood commented, “We love working with Encore, they always manage to outdo themselves with their innovation and creativity, and this event was no exception.”
The theme for the 3 day familiarisation was “Love and Desire”, based on the current exhibition on display at the National Gallery of Australia.
On each table were large 2D Scenic Panels on custom frames, designed to look like garden lattices in the shape of hearts as a nod to pre-Raphaelite theme of the “Love and Desire” exhibition.
Directly above the tables were 20 LED Kinetic Lights, programmed to move with the music and change colour throughout the night, creating a truly spectacular lighting display.
Also taking inspiration from the “Love and Desire” theme was the night’s entertainment. During the event, two actors from the Shakespeare by the Lake performance rose up after being hidden as guests and began to perform some of the Bard’s most famous sonnets.
Continuing the surprises, instead of using one main screen, Encore set up four 60in televisions across one truss structure on the main stage. They displayed the animated logos of Encore, NCCC, CCB and IHG in front of scrolling panoramic shots of Canberra spread across the 4 screens as a single wide screen image, showcasing the beauty of the city.
“This was a truly sophisticated and memorable event. The National Convention Centre Canberra and guests were delighted with the outcome, and we can’t thank Encore enough,” said Mr Wood.