Most companies are busy enough exhibiting at LDI; that wasn't enough for the staff of Orlando-based Techni-Lux who managed a busy stand at the show and also handled a live, all-day special event, which took place across the street.
The event was Centerfest, a kind of block party on International Drive held on November 22 to inaugurate the new North/South Building at the Orange County Convention Center, the facility that has housed LDI in its Orlando engagements since 1990.
Part of the celebration involved an all-day concert with two stages located outside the new facility. On one stage was the classic rock group Styx. The second stage housed a variety of local acts; for the latter, Techni-Lux supplied a range of new SGM lighting gear, including six Giotto Spot 400s, four Giotto Wash 400s, two Giotto Wash 1200s, with one Giotto Spot 1200 unit backlighting the drum unit. Control was provided by the new Regia Live console, which debuted at the SIB show in Rimini, Italy, a year and a half ago, and is now on the market; The Regia comes in three versions — Regia Live, Regia Opera, and Regia Pro.
(Interestingly, the lineup of gear listed above constitutes Techni-Lux's new SGM demo package; Techni-Lux staff is currently visiting church facilities, installing the gear on a temporary, one-off basis for a small fee and letting potential customers test-drive the equipment, to see how it would work in their facilities).
At Centerfest, the Regia console was programmed by Techni-Lux Road staffer Michael Sager; because of time restrictions, he had no contact with the various bands that performed, so operating in what Techni-Lux system sales/training manager and lead LD Tony Hansen calls “a true festival format,” Sager “had a series of playbacks ready and he just winged it.” Other Techni-Lux staff, including Scott Reynolds, Scott Butler, Korlene Rohde, Lisa Hansen, and Thomas Tweit, also helped with the installation and setup, and most of them had a chance to work the Regia console.
The event ran from 11am-11pm, alternating between a Styx set and a set featuring a local band; the schedule kept the Techni-Lux staff on their toes, moving from the trade show floor to the concert and back again. However, Hansen says they took advantage of the fact that the Regia now comes with the WYSIWYG previsualization program. “We had a second Regia set up in the booth with WYSIWYG,” he says, adding that customers could check out the lighting design on WYSIWYG at the Techni-Lux booth, then visit the stage across the street and even try out the console in real time.
Trussing, conventional units, and dimmers for the event were supplied by Fourth Phase Orlando. The Stageline SLD 250 staging unit was supplied by ASI Production Services. “It was really nice,” says Hansen. “When the truck unfolded, we just set it up.” Although he admits that keeping up with both LDI and the concert was challenging, Hansen thinks it provided an excellent working debut for the Regia. “It has some really neat features,” he says, “including a flash card that constantly backs up the show so, even if your console is smashed to pieces, you can rescue your show. It has a great learning curve, too.”