PRG XL Video Supports The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Gala Anniversary Event

With 2016 marking the Diamond Anniversary of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the Charity is undertaking a variety of special fundraising events and initiatives during the year.

The Charity, which transforms the lives of young people through volunteering, physical, expedition, skill and residential challenges, held a unique Gala event in early June at the beautiful Stoke Park venue in Buckinghamshire.

Celebrating the 60th anniversary, the ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ Gala was held in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex, and included a dinner and entertainment including a performance from Sir Tom Jones.

The event was produced by Jeremy Hartley of Entertainment Industries, with production design by acclaimed creative Nicoline L. Refsing of Rockart Design, who has previously delivered iconic stage designs for major events such as The BRIT Awards, League of Legends Worlds 2015 and creative direction for Eurovision.

PRG XL Video’s Special Events specialist, Steve Greetham, was contacted by Hartley and Refsing to supply video and lighting technology for the event. Greetham has previously delivered event technology for other high profile events including the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert, and the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Wembley.

The event design was created by Refsing and themed as a sophisticated, spectacular event that James Bond himself would attend. There were several surprising elements, guests were greeted by a selection of 007’s famous vehicles outside the entrance and a row of sculptures of Bond girl dresses arranged on glitter plinths. These were lit using an array of LED fixtures from PRG XL.

Inside the venue, six large arched windows were covered with vinyl and transformed into shaped projection canvasses. Using six pairs of Panasonic 21k high brightness projectors and with content fed from a Catalyst media server, the shaped windows displayed a precisely mapped projection of graphics and logos from supporters of the event.

The main and central stages and rigging for the lighting and video were supplied by Blackout Ltd and PRG XL Video worked closely with them to ensure a seamless production.

©The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Across the main room and above the stage, an array of PRG XL Video’s Varilite moving light spots and washes, and additional LED fixtures were used to light the space according to the lighting design by Svend Pedersen, and switched to an active design for the live performances. Philips Colorblast LED uplighters lined the walls around the hall, creating decorative effects on the golden drapes.

Lighting for the event was managed by PRG XL Account Manager, Mat Ilott, with Tony Fagan acting as lighting Crew Chief on site.

Upstage PRG XL Video supplied a large 11mm resolution LED screen which formed the backdrop for the live performances. Downstage, a roller projection screen from Blackout dropped down to show playback content including information films, and house right a further wall projection screen from Blackfriars Scenery mirrored the content.

To capture the live performances PRG XL supplied a four-camera Panasonic portable production unit paired with Sony HD cameras. A recording of the event was also captured for later use by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards organisation. The video set up of LED, camera system and projection was specified by PRG XL Video Senior Account Manager, Paul Wood.

Refsing created a unique look and experience beyond other event designs to distinctively brand the event, delivering a transformation that also retains some of the unique venue characteristics. By cleverly working with the venue’s architecture and weight limitations of the roof, Refsing created and supplied the integrated window and screen content, the gold and diamond colour palette and a unique, centralised gold drape design radiating from a central stage that would allow an inclusive, 360 degree vantage point for the audience.

“We were delighted to be asked to supply technology for this Gala event,” commented Steve Greetham. “Whilst events of this nature always present some specific challenges, working closely alongside experienced companies like Blackout, make the production run more smoothly. With Jeremy overseeing the event production and with Nicoline’s beautiful design, it’s no surprise the evening was a success.

“PRG XL Video would like to congratulate The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award on this milestone anniversary!”

Nicoline Refsing, Founder and creative force behind Rockart Design added “It’s a huge privilege to be working on this incredible event with Jeremy and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award team. I started with the essence of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award brand to come up with the event design, so that all the elements integrate to give an exciting 360 degree total theatre experience. It’s always fantastic for Rockart Design to work with PRG XL, the best in the business, it has been a great partnership which has seen us work together to deliver a true visual spectacle. I have collaborated with Paul Wood from PRG XL for years across many huge events, the company has always delivered outstanding results whether it has been LED or projection solutions.

About Production Resource Group — PRG XL Video is the UK brand of Production Resource Group, L.L.C., (PRG) - the world’s leading supplier of entertainment and event technology to a wide range of markets, including corporate and automotive events, concerts, special events, theatre, television and film, trade shows, and installations, such as theme parks, museums, retail stores and performing arts centres. PRG provides integrated services and equipment, including audio, video, lighting, rigging, staging, and scenery and automation systems, for these markets from more than 40 offices in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
 
About Rockart Design:
 
Rockart Design, Nicoline Refsing’s production design & creative direction company has become a global leader in its field, staging shows for One Direction, The National Television Awards, The BRITs, The Eurovision Song Contest and X Factor. Nicoline was Creative Director/Content Producer for the entire Eurovision Song Contest in 2014, and this year was Creative Director for Italy and Australia. Nicoline’s foundation with the legendary Mark Fisher and Stufish saw her as part of the team working on The Rolling Stones tours, U2, Robbie Williams, MTV Awards and Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas. Nicoline has designed performances on award shows for artists ranging from the late Amy Winehouse to Rihanna, Coldplay, Mark Ronson, Little Mix & Take That.