Blank Canvas
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
It ended up taking a week, and a few minor miracles, but we were able to get our new summer road show vehicle to the fabricator. I must hand it to both Utilimaster and Whitney over at Polaris who helped pull this off! A few more photos of the delivery after the jump
It was a rainy day in New Berlin, WI but the flatbed finally made the 200 mile journey from Wakarusa, IN. The truck is now in the fabrication bay and we are taking measurements and developing a template for the custom build as well as graphics. Look for more photos as the build progresses!
2013 The Special Event Chicago, IL
BACKSTAGE, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS, TRADE SHOW
Do you remember that feeling when you were a kid and your parents let you walk through the toy section of a store? The pure joy and excitment of the latest and greatest thing? That is exactly how it felt to walk through The Special Event in Chicago a few weeks ago.
The Special Event is one of the largest trade shows and conferences for event professionals. Vendors bring their A-Game to show the industry what they are capable of. Thousands from around the country and world come together to see the best of the best in our industry.
The trade show floor had a little bit of everything. Different types of lighting to cater to any event, linens of every fabric, software for anything from layouts to registration, and much more in between.
We found quite a few potential vendors within the trade show and look forward to working with them in the future. Here are a few pictures from the tradeshow floor.
The conference portion was both interesting and informative. We learned a lot about the trends and issues in the event industry and are excited to bring the knowledge back to our clients.
We were also able to attend one of the extra events during the show. The ballroom was setup by some of the best vendors in the industry to resemble an upscale reception. Some of the best aspects included the ice DJ Booth by Nadeau s Ice Sculptures, the live music from the Becca Kaufman Orchestra, and modern furniture from Cort Event Furnishings and AFR Event Furnishings.
The Special Event was a great experience that every event professional should have at some point in their career. We learned a ton and met a lot of great people. Cannot wait until 2014 when the conference will be held in Nashville, TN at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center.
Political Debate Production
BACKSTAGE, COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
Recently, we were invited to assist a campaign with advance work for the CNBC debate in Michigan. We spend a lovely week in Detroit advancing the debate at Oakland University, as well as various smaller events throughout the week. We love debate production and what goes on behind the scenes. This one was particularly well produced and we have some great shots of setup. The first few are of the hall itself, as well as backstage. The final shot is from the filing center and spin alley.
Stage Set- Andr Ch nier
EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
This is a bit out of the norm for a dB Blog post, but thought it was worth sharing. I don t know many details, but this is a stunning stage set and production on Lake Constance in Austria. Love the creativity and talent shown here. Thanks to Gizmodo (by way of WSJ) for finding the photo.
We have included some additional information from their site: http://www.bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/node/1686
Andr Ch nier
Opera in four acts by Umberto Giordano
Opera in four acts, sung in Italian.
Music by Umberto Giordano. Libretto by Luigi Illica.
Premiere on 20 July 2011 9.15 p.m., Seeb hne
Duration: 2 hours without break
France in the year 1789. The aristocracy revels, the people groan. And between two stools stands the poet Andr Ch nier. Cherished by the rich for his moving verses, in his heart he remains a revolutionary.
Andr Ch nier, the most famous work by the Italian composer Umberto Giordano, is a brilliantly vivid historical drama and a human tragedy of shattering intensity. Set against the background of the French Revolution, the opera has strong appeal both as a passionate love story and as a historical thriller. Andr Ch nier is based on the life of a real historical character, a French poet who got caught up in the turmoil of the French Revolution, frst as an ardent supporter and then as a victim, mercilessly persecuted and ultimately sent to the guillotine.
Giordano s music is charged with a furious enthusiasm and stirring emotions. Historical dances and marches from the time before the French Revolution can be heard in the opera as well as classic Revolutionera songs including a ira and the Marseillaise.
The composer incorporated historical dances and marches from the time before the French Revolution in the operatic score, along with classic revolutionary songs like a ira and the Marseillaise. Together with rousing arias and thrilling duets they lend a unique flavour to the opera.
It seems as though Andr Ch nier was composed especially for the Bregenz Seeb hne. The opera presents a perfect mix of ingredients for the venue: a thrilling story and four strong characters, caught between the excesses of the Ancien R gime and the terror of the French Revolution. There is Andr Ch nier, an idealistic poet, and his adversary Carlo G rard, once a servant and now a revolutionary ringleader. And there is the young noblewoman Maddalena, who is feeing from the rebels, aided by her maidservant, who sacrifces herself as a prostitute in order to support her mistress fnancially. Giordano s music is verismo of the very highest calibre and drives the highvoltage plot forward with breathtaking speed. Artistic director David Pountney
Further performances
July 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30 and 31 9.15 P.M.
August 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 9.00 P.M.
The Italian composer Umberto Giordano and his librettist Luigi Illica translated the name of the French revolutionary and eponymous hero of the opera, Andr Marie Ch nier, into Italian. The French male first name Andr became the Italian male first name Andrea which is why the opera is entitled Andrea Ch nier in the original. The Bregenz production uses the historical figure s correct name for the title Andr Ch nier (the second name, Marie, is omitted). The revolutionary and poet was born in 1762 near Constantinople, today Istanbul, and was executed by guillotine in Paris in 1794.
Glass Packaging Institute 2012 Annual Meeting
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
In November we travelled to Naples, not just for the perfect weather, but for the 2012 Glass Packaging Institute s Annual Meeting. This was our first year planning this event for GPI and it was a successful event as well as a successful meeting for the members.
According to the Glass Packaging Institute, it is
The trade association representing the North American glass container industry. Through GPI, glass container manufacturers speak with one voice to advocate industry standards, promote sound environmental policies and educate packaging professionals. GPI member companies manufacture glass containers for food, beverage, cosmetic and many other products. GPI also has associate members that represent a broad range of suppliers and closure manufacturers.
Members went on a golf outing at the beautiful Naples Grande Golf Course and their accommodations were provided by the Waldorf- Astoria Naples. Members attended meetings regarding the upcoming trends and topics within the glass industry, cocktail receptions by the pools, and dinners all hosted by the outstanding banquet staff at the resort.
We produced the event from start to finish. We developed, maintained and monitored custom online registrations for the members. Decibel also designed graphics and gifts given to attendees, including custom USB drives for the members. We coordinated all of the banquet needs for the meeting, and facilitated all guest accommodations.
Next November we will be travelling to Sonoma, California for the 2013 GPI Annual Meeting.
Sesame Street Event
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
Just finished a great event for CL Productions and Sesame Street in Washington DC. Follow the link for some fun photos. We were thrilled to help out Chris and the entire CL Production team onsite for the load in and show. Decibel was onsite to help facilitate the computer and iPad demos, as well as call the show. Thanks to Abby Cadabby and Gordon for the photos!
National Small Business Week 2011- Registration
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, LIVE EVENTS
Registration for the 2011 National Small Business Week is up and running. You can register for the event by visiting the NSBW registration page here. More info after the jump.
If you are in DC the week of May 16-20, this is a great opportunity to network with other small businesses, learn about SBA programs from the source and hear from some fantastic speakers. Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes this special impact made by outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners. In 2011, National Small Business Week will honor the estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America. Small businesses are major contributors to the strength of the American economy. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business. They also create 60-80 percent of new jobs in the country. Small businesses drive innovation, create 21st century jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness.
Nomadic Display Instand Pop Up
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, TIPS & TRICKS, TRADE SHOW
We just heard some great news from Nomadic Display and wanted to pass it along. They are reducing the price of some of their most popular Instand Pop up display units for Q1.If you are in the market for a new Instand, Pop up, or table top display, this is a great time to pick one up.
It looks like the prices will hold until April 30, 2013. We love the 8 Fabrimurals, and many of our clients use them for small events, press conferences and fund raisers. There are actually three of these fabric ones included- the 8 , 5 and a table top version. Take a look at the models and pricing below and drop us a line if you are interested.
Decibel Online Event Registration
COMPANY NEWS, EVENT INDUSTRY, EVERYTHING ELSE, LIVE EVENTS, TIPS & TRICKS
Over the past few months, we have been hard at work on our new custom online registration system, and wanted to share a quick behind the scenes photo of our IA process flow. For the past few years, we have been using our current online registration system for a number of clients and it has absolutely served us well on some very unique and intense registration scenarios. As we began to build a new site for one of our clients, we decided it was time to also build a more functional and user friendly system. We decided for the new version it was time to start from the ground up. This involved intensive planning with our design and development team, as well as heavy IA work and prototyping.
IA (Information Architecture) has been a major focus for the new registration system. Our goal is to make a very intricate and complex system as user friendly and simple as possible. The more time we spend planning and developing the IA, the easier it will be to navigate an intensely complex registration function. We have also included a very unique and inventive process for buying a companion ticket to the process. This may just be the best feature that we are including.
Once we complete the development and testing and it is ready for launch, we will post additional information with more in-depth details. We are looking forward to using this for our upcoming events in 2012. Stay tuned for more info!
Dialogue On Diversity In The PR Industry
LIVE EVENTS
We just wrapped up production on Part 1 of the Dialogue on Diversity at Fleishman-Hillard in DC. The event and the discussions were a success!
We loaded in this morning at 6:30 am, the event was from 3:00 5:00 and we were out on the dock again by 7pm. Quite a whirlwind, and we are looking forward to the next part in the series!
