Despite the trials and tribulations of the past year, encouraging signs about the future of the automotive industry were to be found at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit's Cobo Center where Unlimited Visibility Lighting Design (UVLD) participated in a Hyundai Motor America press event, January 11-12.
UVLD lighting designer and programmer Gregory Cohen and master electrician David Rees teamed with Nathan Murphy and James Rossi of Martin Brinkerhoff Associates on the event that marked the US debut of the Hyundai Blue-Will concept car. The revolutionary four-seat sedan serves as a test bed of new ideas that range from roof-mounted solar cells to drive-by-wire steering, lithium polymer batteries, and touchscreen controls and foreshadows future-focused hybrid production vehicles from Hyundai.
"Displays were a bit more modest than in the past, and press events overall were much less extravagant than in the heyday of the auto show a few years ago," notes Rees. "Nevertheless, the show was well attended and impressive. It was really encouraging to see how positive everyone felt about the future."
In keeping with the somewhat understated nature of this year's technical productions, the Hyundai event incorporated existing booth properties to the greatest extent possible. Display walls, turntables and videowalls were supplemented by elements provided by Martin Brinkerhoff Associates. UVLD specified a modest lighting system featuring a complement of VARI*LITES and strobes. Production Glue's Tom Bussey and Jack Hilley led the technical production team.
"It was great to return to NAIAS," Rees reports. "UVLD remains committed to value engineering all of our clients' projects, both big and small."
About UVLD
Unlimited Visibility Lighting Design (UVLD) creates lighting designs for corporate theater, live entertainment, themed environments, trade shows and special events. UVLD is a partnership of 10 designers working in all aspects of lighting design; their work has been seen on stages and screens nationwide and around the world. Clients include IBM, Mitsubishi, Honda, Kia, Mercedes, Volvo, Volkswagen, John Deere, Microsoft, Cartier, Victoria's Secret, FedEx, Avon and Audi.