White Light Events were brought in to the project by Flying Tortoise Event Design in Battersea, whose design for the party took the funky colour scheme of Shocking Pink, White and Zesty Green as a starting point. From this they created a series of fun, abstract, stylish environments set over three marquees: reception, dining area and nighclub. Collectively these accommodated around 120 guests, most of whom were aged between 18 and 20. The evening's design was carried through to the catering and lighting elements. "Flying Tortoise had very specific ideas of what they wanted; our job was to turn these into reality," comments White Light Events' Lighting Designer and Project Manager Jason Larcombe, adding that "it was very liberating to be offered huge white canvasses and the potential to project contemporary, abstract patterns upon them!"
Larcombe and the White Light Events team provided slightly different styles of lighting in each of the three marquees, the practical aspects of the project complicated by the fact that the marquees were spread across two sites. "The lower site, the dining and reception areas, were designed with a strong and contemporary style, but in a way that was accessible to all generations," Larcombe explains. "Weight restrictions meant that we were unable to suspend equipment, so instead we created a series of truss platforms incorporated into the theming."
White Light Events then had to provide a lighting bridge to the Nightclub marquee. "We had to light the structures both internally and externally and, because of the distance between the sites, we also had to light hundreds of metres of pathway and woodland so that guests could move from venue to venue safely." Martin MAC2000 units were placed in weatherproof enclosures around the perimeters of the marquees; loaded with custom gobos of the client's initials these lit the structures, the trees and searchlight effects in the sky.
The final, nightclub area had the largest portion of the installation. "Our brief here was to design a sophisticated system that met would meet the expectations of those used to London's top nightclub venues."
Weight restrictions again led to the adoption of a ground-support truss system, here a hexagonal dome which created a central focus in the marquee and supported ChromaBank LED battens, automated fixtures from Martin and High End and the new Martin DC1 liquid light effect. "ChromaBanks and automated lanterns attached to the six uprights of the hexagonal structure created an intensive light show for clubbers on the dancefloor in the middle of the truss," Larcombe explains. "It created the perfect centrepiece for this fabulous birthday party!"
As well as the design, White Light Events provided the crew and carried out the installation for the entire project, contracting generator supplier Energyst-CAT to supply the reliable power supply that such an event requires.
Further information about White Light Events, including a portfolio of recent projects, can be found at the White Light Events website, www.whitelightevents.com.