The College of Holy Cross kicked off Become More: Campaign for the Future of Holy Cross with a celebratory dinner for donors produced by Educe, a leading agency specializing in creative event strategy and production for higher education.
Led by Executive Producer Jennifer Kraska and Technical Director Erik Hendricks, Educe engaged UVLD to provide lighting design for both the inside dinner venues as well as an ancillary tent used for cocktails and dessert. Lighting Designer Jeff Nellis, with the aid of superstar electrician Sal Restuccia, recalled the work ethic of their own college careers and pulled a few all nighters to transform the dining facility into an elegant venue for this milestone evening.
There was no one in attendance who wasn't familiar with the iconic campus, and indeed Kimball Dining Room, but "we were able to create a space rich with color and ambiance that showed how a special place could be made extraordinary on this night," noted Nellis. By carrying the college's purple hue throughout the room the environment felt unified and rich.
The evening's programming included Balinese drummers, bag pipes, Shakespeare, and a retrospective on the 170+ year history of the college. The performers themselves were students.
In the tent, market strings of lights and gels saturated in campaign colors warmed up a neutral space and created a sparkling environment for guests to mingle in both before and after dinner.
Lighting equipment was provided by High Output.