News Blog

So many ‘wow moments’ during the celebrations on November 9th in Berlin!

More than 100,000 spectators were drawn to the Brandenburg Gate, where the highlight of the festival week marking the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall took place. PRG was a part of this amazing event with a crew of 180, providing the 360° full event technology services, including rigging, lighting, video, audio as well as broadcast and communication technology. A total of 140 tons of event technology were installed around the Brandenburg Gate. A varied program could be enjoyed on the two stages.  The concept was developed by ‘Kulturprojekte Berlin’ and the agency ‘Phase 7’

In the middle was a gigantic projection sphere, which was planned as a 3D model by PRG, so that the projection on the sphere could also be perceived spatially by the audience on site as well as the TV viewers. This sphere symbolized the globe and, with a diameter of 19m, formed the central element of the setting. The projections on the sphere showed the stage events, impressive shots from all over the world, partly with a contemporary background, as well as generated live content (social media commentary from enthusiastic viewers). The projection was handled by six Panasonic PT-RZ31K laser projectors installed on two towers. The LED screens consisted of approximately 500 ROE MC-7H V3 LED modules. PRG also had two LED trucks in use - each with 50m² LED surface - consisting of MC-7HB modules, which also presented the stage events and the content to the more distant audience.

 
During the first three construction days, the team completed the rigging work and installed the lighting. From November 4th till 10th, the art installation ‘Vision in Motion - Your vision in the sky above Berlin’ took place in front of the Brandenburg Gate. PRG also supplied the lighting technology for this installation. People could write their wishes and messages on ribbons that floated as a waving flag above the famous street ‘Straße des 17. Juni’. Due to this art project, the construction work during this period could only be carried out at night. A challenge that the team mastered thanks to a perfectly tuned crew logistic. Also the very strict safety precautions, which were prescribed due to the number of celebrities attending  (16 foreign ministers were on site), had to be considered in the planning – since for example, no empty cases were allowed to remain near the stages.

The two lighting designers Flo Erdmann and Sven Sören Beyer composed an impressive lighting event for the show. A total of more than 600 lamps were used, which had to be fit for an outdoor event and therefore very resistant. In addition to the Elation Proteus Hybrid and the Elation Paladin Panel, the PRG Icon Edge and the PRG Icon Beam were also part of the lighting kit. In addition, 90 GLP lamps were installed - such as the GLP Impression X4L. The lighting technology was controlled, amongst other, by four GrandMA 2 full-size consoles.

The audio signals were provided by a powerful Meyer Sound system, which covered the entire area in front of the Brandenburg Gate as well as adequately supplying the street ‘Straße des 17. Juni’ over a distance of around 500m with various delay lines. Our crew installed 28x Meyer Sound Lyon M, 12x Meyer Sound Lyon W and 24x Meyer Sound 1100-LFC amongst others. Whether it was for a musical contribution and classical sounds of Beethoven's 5th Symphony or for more beat with Westbam's fat techno - the sound was very convincing and the audience was enthusiastic.

Despite the bad weather conditions and heavy rain during the preparations, this globally acclaimed event was a complete success. PRG would like to thank everyone involved and is happy to have been part of this impressive event for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall! … and of course a big thank you to PRG’s marvelous crew!

From October 4th till 13th 2019, everything revolved around the topic of gymnastics in Stuttgart. The Hanns-Martin-Schleyer hall, offering 8,500 seats, hosted this year's world championship in apparatus gymnastics and around 600 athletes from 93 delegations battled for the world championship title.

PRG was present with a 40-man crew and responsible for rigging, video, lighting and audio technology. In order to allow the client to visualize the design and the technical implementation during the planning phase already, the PRG Creative Team designed a spatial concept and various visualizations. A considerable advantage, since the team involved could imagine the chosen event location including the technology, the stage and the spatial dimensions.

Comparison Rendering / Photo:

The competitions being broadcasted on TV and Internet, it was important to optimize the lighting kit and therefore the illumination of the gymnastics fields for the camera images. It’s all about finding the right balance and not dazzling the athletes with the lighting fixtures, which represented 1,200 lux on the field. MAC Viper Wash DX luminaires and GLP Impression X4 L were installed.

The PRG Special Constructions team customized a 25m wide x 9m high LED wall, with ROE MC-7H modules, for the stage on which the award ceremonies and athletes entrances took place. Special aspect of that wall being it being curved for the public to have the perfect view from all angles. PRG was also responsible for the installation of the advertising banners, for which Absen LED T5 modules were used. For the customer it was important to give these gymnastics championships a more modern touch. The flags of the winning countries this year were displayed on three suspended LED screens.

For this type of top-class sporting event, high-quality audio technology is highly important in addition to lighting and video technology in order to provide the public with the latest information in the best possible way. Meyer Sound MINA loudspeakers were in action for the sound in the audience ranks. The gymnasiums themselves were equipped with Meyer Sound UPA-1P.

In just six days, the crew installed the 162 tons of event technology. Around 180 hoists and 8t of cables set-up in the hall for the lighting installation. For Alexander Fleige, Project Manager of the Gymnastics World Championships, an event of this size can only be realised with a great deal of know-how and teamwork:

"With PRG, we hoped to find a competent partner in the areas of production and technology - and we were absolutely satisfied! really enjoyed the cooperation in a very collegial way. You can really call this teamwork! Luckily PRG was there from the very first minute and thus accompanied the whole installation in the hall and took care of the complete technical equipment from the very beginning. It really helped us to shape the iùage of this World Cup".

On October 11, 2019, the latest expedition cruise ship from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises "Hanseatic Inspiration", was christened in the Port of Hamburg with an impressive video mapping on the ship's facade and a perfectly adapted light show. Guests could watch it all from dinghies and Zodiac inflatable boats. The naming ceremony was intended to give a foretaste of the planned expeditions of the five-star cruise ship. 

PRG was commissioned for the complete audio technology, projection technology, lighting technology and was responsible for the wireless transmission of all signals.
 

Eleven Panasonic PT-RZ 31k laser projectors were used to implement this top quality video mapping. These high-performance projectors each have a brightness of 31k ANSI lumens. In total, the projection was 140m wide x 22m high and showed a 12-minute video depicting scenes from Arctic regions and the Amazon.

The high-performance Meyer Sound systems provided the perfect sound for the guests. Two floating pontoons were equipped with P.A. towers. Twelve Meyer Sound LEO-M line arrays and twelve Meyer Sound 1100 LFC bass speakers were installed. The lighting technology also underlined this impressive show. A total of 276 lamps were in action, including CP Mythos, GLP X4 and GLP KNV Cubes. Directional radio links and W-DMX equipment were used to transmit data across the Elbe River to program the event technology and control the systems on the pontoons. 

A total of 80 tons of technology were installed for the naming ceremony, which was delivered by 3 trailers straight from the PRG Hamburg warehouse. The planning period was extremely short and only of twelve days. With 52 technicians, the installation was completed in just 24h in a shift system. The biggest challenge during this project was not only the tide, but also the extremely bad weather. It rained and stormed during set-up and on the evening of the event unfortunately, but our crew mastered it perfectly! 
PRG Senior Account Manager Michael Casper particularly pleased with the smooth process of the event, despite the wind, weather and waves: "Thanks to our high-quality technology, the implementation ran smoothly. The whole team worked together seamlessly, including the other trades like the tugboats, who battled together with us for this event to be a success.”

On October 14th the ship left full speed ahead for its’ first. PRG wishes a fantastic trip!

• Idea, Concept & Producer: Event Service RS GmbH, CC Cruise Company GmbH
• Project Lead: Jan Struve
• Creative- & Show Director: Roland Schwaizer
• 3D Video Mapping: United Motion Labs
• Head of Video & Projection Mapping: Martin Seiter
• Light Design: Arkin Atacan

 

It is when, after sunset, striking landmarks and well-known buildings in the capital are illuminated by artistic projections, and enthusiastic visitors move from one work of art to another through the streets of Berlin, that you know that the impressive "Festival of Lights" is taking place again. This year, about 100 locations were highlighted. For the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the motto was "Lights of Freedom". The event was held from the 11th till 20th of October, for the 15th time,  and it was once again a great success! Around three million people came to Berlin to marvel at the spectacular open-air gallery. 

PRG was one of the technology partners and was commissioned to install media and projection technology at eight different locations, including the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin TV Tower. Over 40 projectors from PRG were in action. Panasonic DPL laser projectors PT-RZ31 K were installed at the Brandenburg Gate. These high-performance projectors have a brightness of 30k ANSI lumens. Marin Petkov, Visual Effects Supervisor of the Festival of Lights, is enthusiastic about the image quality: "Thanks to these high-quality beamers, the show at the Brandenburg Gate is spectacular. These powerful projectors are also in use at the Berlin TV Tower - and the visuals are simply awesome!

 

For the Berlin TV Tower, the projection was realized by means of projectors used in “Portrait mode” to realize the video-mapping for such a height. The buildings and institutions were equipped with projections daily from 7pm till midnight. It took one week to set it all up with a crew of eight people. Due to the darkness required, the video mapping was set up and programmed in the evening and at night. In addition to the Berlin TV Tower and the Brandenburg Gate, the PRG team installed video technology at the James-Simon-Gallery, the Ministry of Finance, the Museum of Natural History, the Humboldt Forum, the Shopping-Center Jahndorf and the Marstall building. PRG also partly installed the audio technology.

PRG Account Manager Gerd Helinski and his team had already provided the customer with detailed advice and a technical detailed planning in advance. 
Birgit Zander, initiator of the "Festival of Lights", is very satisfied with the smooth cooperation: "In the projections and shows, it was important to note that every building, every facade, every stone, every angle is different. And having a competent partner with whom you can plan things, who can advise you and make suggestions is extremely important for us - and Gerd Helinski's and his team really gave us excellent advice in this regard.” 

On September 11th and 12th the DMEXCO took place in Cologne. DMEXCO is a mixture of conference,trade fair and which includes booth for Digital Marketing, Expo and Conference. Around 41,000 visitors attended the fair, where about 1 000 exhibitors presented themselves. Following this years motto of DMEXCO being "Trust in you", the PRG team also went to work with self-confidence and convinced with its performance! PRG Account Manager Eike Vollmer explains: "PRG was responsible for the entire lighting and sound design. We worked closely with the client, gained a lot of trust and tried to implement his wishes and ideas in the best possible way. We were also given a lot of freedom to adapt the technology and to the set design. One of the biggest challenges was to implement the customers and the speakers wishes in, and on time.”

The technology had to be installed in a time frame of just five days. The customer commissioned the event service provider to equip the four large stages with rigging, video, lighting and audio technology. In addition, the crew built a small TV studio for the trade fair, which was used by the speakers for individual conferences. With a size of 235 square metres, the Congress Stage was the largest stage at DMEXCO. More than 900 modules were installed for the LED walls. Two LED screens were installed on the left and on right of the stage to transmit the camera images. In the middle was a LED of 70sqm in total showed the presentations.

 

At the Debate Stage PRG's new LED wall Absen Aries 1.5 was used for the first time. This wall is characterized by a very small pixel pitch, its color purity and clarity in the representation. On the Debate Stage, speakers sitting in the middle of the stage opposite each other, held dynamic discussions on various topics. The challenge was to integrate the event technology into the set design in a way that supported the stage concept and focused on the speakers. 

This year, the latest technologies were presented at the Experience Stage. Viewers were given insights into the digital world of tomorrow. In order to support the presentations and create a suitable atmosphere, PRG used fog machines on this stage, which is rather unusual for a congress situation.

In just five days, a team of 50 technicians mastered the set-up. In total, the crew installed around 120 tons of event technology in the exhibition halls. Andrés Cabral, technical planner of the Koelnmesse, worked closely with the PRG team. He praised the short reaction times and the fact that there was a dedicated contact person for each trade: "After the tender, we were happy to be able to commission PRG, one of the major players, which was able to react flexibly to the size of the project, and could actually equip almost everything from its own stock, so that this was always solved satisfactorily for us.“

From September 8th to 15th, passers-by could admire an art installation consisting of a black cube with an LED screen on Hamburg's town hall market on which you could see an abandoned landscape with a waving flag of black smoke! This stunning work of art by John Gerrard is called "Western Flag". It depicts the town of Spindletop in Texas, in which the first major oil boom took place in 1901.

PRG has been working with the renowned artist Gerrard for several years and has supported him in various international projects in recent years. From February to April 2019, the artwork was shown in Palm Springs during ten weeks, California, and in 2017 in front of Somerset House in London, where PRG also provided technical support. John Gerrard worked with the event service provider for the first time in 2014.

On behalf of the artist, PRG installed a large LED wall in front of New York's Lincoln Center on which his works were shown. Gerrard was thus able to benefit from PRG's know-how and event technology in all projects and convey his message as a huge work of art to the very interested audience.

 

The art installation was also welcomed with great interest in Hamburg, where it was invited and curated by Dirck Möllmann for his public art program HAMBURG MASCHINE, 2018–20, for the pilot project Stadtkuratorin Hamburg supported by the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media as part of the program Kunst im öffentlichen Raum. The flag, visualized in smoke, is intended to draw attention to the environmental impact of global carbon dioxide emissions. For eight days, this digital picture could be seen day and night on the 80 square meter LED screen in Hamburg. PRG was commissioned with the design and construction. The design was carried out in the Hamburg and Vienna offices, as well as PRG Hamburg's in-house carpenter's workshop, in collaboration with the Special Constructions team, which then realized this project together.

Sander van der Hoeven (Project Manager PRG): "This construction not only consists of an LED wall, but also had to be very meticulous to ensure that it was not going to be too high from the (lower) edge, to avoid for people to see that it was suspended on a scaffolding.

The LED screen consisted of ROE Visual MC-07-H modules. With a total height of the LED wall of 9.60 meters and a width of 8.40 meters, the construction was covered with fabric-on the sides to create a seamless black cube.

The artist John Gerrard is thrilled about the international cooperation with PRG: "I have already worked with PRG on several projects ... that was very good and everything worked really well!”

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John Gerrards art project Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas), 2017, at Rathausmarkt Hamburg, Germany in 2019 was curated by Dirck Möllmann for HAMBURG MASCHINE / pilot project Stadtkuratorin.

The program HAMBURG MASCHINE / pilot project Stadtkuratorin Hamburg is supported by the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and Media as part of the program Kunst im öffentlichen Raum.

 

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Unfortunately, we were informed about the sad news concerning Dirck Möllmann, city curator of HAMBURG MASCHINE, who passed away after a serious illness. He was the driving force behind the art project "Western Flag" by John Gerrard in Hamburg. We would like to express our deep sympathy and sincere condolences to his family.

On August 24th, around around 35,000 spectators were able to get a taste of opera air at nine locations in Schleswig-Holstein – Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece AIDA was broadcasted live on large, mobile LED screens at the premiere of the Kiel Summer Opera. Under the motto "Culture for everyone – free of charge and outdoors", the event was a complete success again this year! A varied special programme including an open-air cinema and live music was held in many different locations in addition to the AIDA production.

In order to make this open-air broadcast possible in Kiel and the other cities in Schlewswig-Holstein simultaneously, nine mobile LED screens were set up by PRG. Seven of them of a size of 15m² and two of 27m². The containers with the LED screens were partially separated from the truck and placed on the ground – the advantage: the walls can be placed almost anywhere and can also be adjusted in height and rotated. This means the best view of the playing surfaces for the audience and, of course, perfect image quality due to the high-resolution screens.

 

 
PRG has an extensive fleet of LED trucks with screens in different sizes between 15 and 80 square meters. Whether a sports event, concert, city festival or even an open-air opera premiere, the systems can be implemented for a wide variety of events. The LED trucks and trailers are self-sufficient and are therefore fast to set up, flexible and save a lot of space. Due to the short set-up and dismantling times, they also represent a cost-effective alternative to permanently installed equipment. PRG also offers modular systems that can be assembled as required. Our PRG experts are happy to advise customers and show them the most diverse variants for their planned event, no matter how demanding or unusual the customer's wishes may be. Jan Sören Eckert, Fleet Manager Mobile LED Screens, remembers an extraordinary order with a smile: "We once had to set up an LED screen on a floating pontoon, for which a crane was needed. That worked, too. We just need to know in advance, then we can order a crane."

We would like to thank Opus for the pleasant cooperation!

Visit our LED Trucks microsite for more information on our mobile LED solutions: www.led-trucks.prg.com

Every year for the past thirty years, on the first weekend in August, metal fans from all over the world gather in the small community of Wacken, Northern Germany. With around 75,000 visitors, the Wacken Open Air is now one of the largest metal festivals in the world. PRG has been part of the festival for 17 years now, taking care of the entire lighting and LED technology, as well as the rigging. Holger Hübner (Founder and Organizer, Wacken Open Air) is thrilled about the trustful cooperation: "The main thing is that we have fun, create a cool event and for everyone to get something out of it. PRG, us and all staff - and above all, our fans.".

 
If it were up to lighting designer Jerry Appelt, the collaboration would be continued for at least 13 more years, so that WOA, Jerry Appelt Lighting Design and PRG can celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their fantastic collaboration in 2032. It won't fail because of the festival's success; tickets for WOA 2020 were already sold out within 21 hours.

In June 2019, the time had come again: 3,000 participants from all over Europe gathered in Berlin for Tableau Conference Europe, organized by US software company Tableau. The conference offered training with Tableau's latest software products. PRG provided a comprehensive service package: In addition to lighting, sound and video technology as well as rigging, PRG also took care of the stage design, construction drawings and seating plans for the event, which extended over various rooms. We equipped the keynote hall with a total of 224sqm of 3mm LED screens, which ensured crystal clear presentation of the lecture content.

 

“In the end, it was a 360-degree solution we delivered to our client.” Simon Rist (Senior Account Manager PRG) concluded. Nick Barton (Director Global Accounts PRG) described the coordination of the various vendors within a tight timeframe as the greatest challenge in equipping this complex event – the largest conference ever organized by Tableau – ” The largest challenge would have been coordinating with all the vendors to ensure that everybody stayed on schedule which we ended up doing.” For years, Barton has been responsible for the organization of Tableau events around the world.

The client turned out to be happy with the result as well: “Having a technical partner like PRG all over the world makes doing our conferences very easy.” said Beau Beckner (Senior Event Infrastructure Manager, Tableau Software).

We would like to thank Tableau for the trust in our work over the years and look forward to continuing our cooperation.


List of installed equipment:

• 224sqm - 3mm led screen in the keynote hall
• 5x cameras (1x wireless) incl. broadcast direction
• Recording of all cameras and 7 breakout rooms
• Intercom system incl. wireless connection and digital radios to cover the entire event area
• 30x 55" monitors on tripod
• 12x Panasonic wide-angle lens
• More than 60 audio radio links for microphones, in-ear monitoring and wireless speakers
• More than 400 lamps for stage and room lighting
• Set construction (stage) incl. branded lectern

 

For the ProSieben show "Superhero Germany" candidates need fighting spirit, endurance, but above all a lot of muscle strength. Each episode features eight candidates competing against each other in a direct duel. If you lose, you're out!

The challenges to be mastered are not for weaklings! And one of them was planned and constructed by PRG: - 'The Cube'! This cuboid, which hangs at a height of eight meters during the show, has a climbing surface on each of its sides, which is divided into nine segments. In order to win, the candidates must claim as many fields as possible for themselves by reaching and pressing a buzzer.

 

Kuby Concept had sent a request to PRG a few weeks earlier. A concept was to be developed with the following specs: the cube was to be climbable, movable scenically and the lighting of the individual fields was to change colour when activated by a buzzer – and all this in compliance with the safety regulation DGUV 17.

After functional and construction-related details had been worked out in direct consultation between Kuby Concept and the PRG Special Construction Department team, in order to implement exactly the idea that the creative team around Kuby Concept and RedSeven Entertainment GmbH had developed, the construction drawings were discussed with the statics service provider Expo Engineering verifying all the necessary material data and safety parameters.

The resulting building plans for the cube with an edge length of approx. 3.50 metres, consisting of 6 sides holding the 54 square metre individual fields, could now go into production.

The first step was to build a steel construction that was lozenge-shaped in the centre of the cuboid to support the light boxes. These consist of 10mm Makrolon® panels, a high-strength, transparent plexiglass material coated with a diffuser layer. 25 Schnick-Schnack C50 LED modules were mounted in each of the 54 light boxes, resulting in homogeneous illumination as soon as a candidate activates a buzzer. The diffuser layer provides an even more efficient light scattering. In addition, the necessary Schnick-Schnack system power supplies have been installed inside the cube to avoid massive cable runs from the hall roof.

In order to safeguard this construction, the team built a steel cage, braced by steel brackets as well as pull and push rods that is attached to two suspension points in the hall ceiling, so that the cube can be moved scenically during the show. The light boxes and the Makrolon® panels are fixed to the steel frame. The total weight of the cube is about 3.7 tons.

In the new assembly hall on the Studio Hamburg site, the cube was set up for extensive testing. For Max Schmelzer, PRG Project Manager Special Constructions, this test setup was indispensable: "We wanted to be safe when we came into the studio and be sure that nothing was left to chance when the cube was set up, that we had already done everything once, that every screw was in place and that we knew that everything was right".

The "PRG Superheroes" also mastered this challenge with fighting spirit, muscle power and skill. Jobst Benthues, Managing Director of RedSeven Entertainment GmbH, is very satisfied with the result:

"We wanted to find a tool that was visually and functionally new and that had never been seen before. PRG presented itself because we were looking for a 360° service provider where everything comes from one single source. We needed a steel construction, we needed game technology, we needed LED, i.e. light, and the whole thing also had to withstand the physical requirements – and PRG was the ideal partner for us!".

Technical information:

• 216 Boulder handles
• 54m² Makrolon® Panels
• 54 light boxes
• 54 Game Buttons (punch and kick)
• 1.350 Schnick-Schnack C50 modules
• 34 Schnick-Schnack LED Controller
• 3.7t Total weight
• 1.6t steel S355
• Scenic Movable according to DGUV17

An inspiring event designed to bring together all our regions from around the world in one location, to share and develop our unique global offering.

PRG Unite has been devised with the specific intention of gathering all of our international teams together, to discuss our global offering for the future. PRG globally is the leading technical solution provider for the event industry and is constantly looking at how to best assist our clients across the world, helping them grow and develop exciting activations. The PRG Unite event enables us to discuss future challenges and strategies while combining our resources and expertise as one team.

The event will enable each of our regions (United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, China, UAE and United States) to showcase their very best corporate projects, detailing to our clients the processes from strategic planning to event delivery, allowing our clients the unique opportunity to share our knowledge and best practice which enable us to hold such a world-renowned standing within the industry.

This insider view is sure to be a unique and inspiring insight into the future of how PRG will work with its clients on a global scale. Speaking about the upcoming PRG Unite event Richard Williams - PRG UK Chief Executive Officer commented:
“We felt this would be a fantastic opportunity for our UK customers to meet and talk directly to all our global PRG colleagues in one place. Allowing them to understand how PRG can help support and work together to provide global solutions.”

End of press release.

 

About Production Resource Group:
Production Resource Group UK Ltd.
(PRG) is 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, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

52 000 visitors - 12 000 more than last year! - 400 exhibitors and 300 speakers! That was the Online Marketing Rockstars (OMR) Festival 2019 and that rocked again!
But not only the number of marketing enthusiasts has increased, also the technical volume has increased considerably! A total of 613 tons of material were installed, and that in just 4 days!

PRG provided a 360-degree service this year, in addition to rigging, lighting and video technology, the team also installed the complete audio technology, the scenic elements and deco. 62 truckloads of equipment, packed in over 3,000 cases, were delivered to the Hamburg exhibition venue, unloaded and then installed in six exhibition halls. A stringent logistics system developed over the years led to a smooth process.

 

But before the first lamp could be installed and the first video screen was set up, a whole of 328,000 meters of cable had to be laid. More than 1,000 motors were used to install the trusses, lamps, loudspeakers and screens in the hall roofs.
A total of 6,621 lighting fixtures were installed for the various areas of the festival. These not only illuminated the exhibitor stands and conference stages, but also created a party atmosphere - in addition to the many lectures and masterclasses, the after-party was also exuberant! Scooter, Casper & Marteria, Trettmann, Dendemann and Oli P. brilliantly entertained the visitors.

And the whole of the PRG team was on the starting blocks, because this year's OMR Festival was the biggest so far. A total of 581 square meters of LED walls were installed and around 1,200 square meters of projection were set up. In addition to that, whether you believe it or not, 649 loudspeakers were part of this great event.

 
PRG audio-expert André Aspelmeier explains among other things which challenges had to be mastered at the OMR Festival 2019.

One can say that the OMR Festival 2019 was once again an event of superlatives! The biggest challenge for the PRG team this year was the extremely tight schedule for the installation and that amount of technology that needed for a flawless implementation.

But how can an event service provider master such a mammoth project, with such an enormous amount of technology and in such a short time frame?
Christian Unger, PRG Account Manager, has a clear opinion on this: "The OMR Festival is a very special project for us because of its enormous size. This results in big challenges: one is the delivery and implementation of the whole amount of equipment, perfectly coordinated logistics and in addition the necessary manpower. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our whole team, who made the whole thing possible and thus realized a perfect OMR Festival 2019!"

Facts:

 

• 71 Trailers
• Total weight 613 Tonnen
• 3.245 Flightcases
• 196.480 articles
• Value of delivered equipment approx. 34.5 Mio €


• Mandays on site 2.250
• Mandays warehouse 400
• Total hours 26.500

With a 40 hours working week and 25 days vacation per year, one single person would need about 14.5 years to implement this project.

• Cable length total 328.000m
• Trussing & Pipes 14.875m
• Hoists 1.098
• LED total 581m²
• Projection total 1.190m²
• Lighting Fixtures 6.621
• Speakers 649

 

Post Malone, who has captured the zeitgeist through his unique genre-blending musical style and introspective songwriting, is on a global tour. PRG is supporting the superstar worldwide by providing 360 concert touring services, including sound, video, lighting and rigging.

 

One PRG team

The initial contact and contract in the USA was taken care of by VER, which recently joined the PRG family. Their expertise with big productions in the USA has been indispensable for this tour. Thanks to its unique global presence and network, PRG is able to provide worldwide 360° touring services and apply the same high standards in all countries, across continents.

The crew comes from both the US and Europe and can count on local support and gear in any of the countries on the tour’s agenda.

Production Manager for Post Malone, Dennis Danneels, put it this way: “The PRG team, between Los Angeles, Vegas, Germany and the UK, were basically just taking the project and handing it off like an assembly line all the way down. We were taking advantage of all these different time zones to be able to complete this project in time. People were working right until the last minute of load-in.”

Global reach, local support

For the European part of the tour, our UK and German teams joined forces, working closely together, with UK providing video and light and Germany being responsible for the sound. Thanks to their ample experience in cross-national productions and great communication, this resulted in a seamless and smooth collaboration in which the client benefits from both the scale of PRG Group and the local presence and understanding of the market in each country the tour passes.

Stephan Paridaen, President and COO of PRG says: ‘from day one, this project has been about a collaboration to define the best, most fully integrated technical production solution that realizes the artist’s creative vision. We take that even further and service the tour globally on the ground with local, highly experienced crew and state of the art gear. It’s a service and a 360-degree solution.’

Video Crew Chief ‘Topher’ (Christopher Davidson) was delighted about the seamless support in the various countries. “One advantage of having a worldwide support system, like you have with PRG, is that I am confident that I can go anywhere on the globe and have the same caliber of people, gear, and the same support virtually 24/7 that is required in this industry.”

A new standard in large-scale concert touring

This cutting-edge approach to servicing large-scale concert tours on a global level is made possible by PRG’s unique ability to combine high standards of gear with specialists who work seamlessly together.

“There is incredible skill level with the PRG crew. The gear has been consistent day in and day out. We’ve had very, very few failures, and this is all the stuff that we ran for almost 24 hours a day for three weeks,” Danneels adds. “I’m really pleased with it from a financial stand point, it made a lot of sense, and it saved a lot of money.”

PRG wants to thank our client PostyCo and PM Dennis Danneels. We would like to extend our appreciation for our own Burton Tenenbein, responsible for the overall AE and lighting kit, Brent Dannen, who took care of the tour’s sound, and Mike Drew, supporting the tour’s video package. Also, a big thank you to the whole

This year it is in Tel Aviv that the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 will choose its’ winner. And – as in many previous years– PRG will be part of it again, delivering customized show solutions for rigging and video that will ensure an efficient roll-out of the show and offer the audience an unforgettable show. 

 

"Florian Wieder, the set designer, created some unique elements for this year’s show", explains Ingo Rehnert (Head of Sales & Account Management Sport & Special Events PRG). On one hand there are the triangles in the ceiling of the main stage. On the other hand, we have the LED strips in the ceiling of the Green Room. The customized triangle structures, which were developed by our special construction department, integrate the VER Blades.
According to John van Look, Head Rigger Production PRG Germany, the weight distribution and static calculation, in function of the suspension capacities of the venue, was the biggest challenge, considering the amount of automation technology that needed to be integrated in the ceiling.

The main elements at the back of the stage are the rotating LED panels, which are composed of ROE CB5 and mounted on turntables with customized metal frames in which the LED panels are integrated.

Another great element for the show is the LED floor on the main stage, which consists of Black Marble 4 modules, which were integrated in the Domino developed by PRG for fast and time saving assembly.

Ola Melzig, Head of Production ESC 2019, resumes: "Our job is to highlight 41 songs and for them to be unique. There are not that many companies in the world that can deliver that amount of high-end products – and that is delivered by PRG!"

We would like to thank:
KAN – KAN Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
Meytal Cohen (TV Producer)
Shay Bonder (Head of Video & Technologies)
Avishay Giladie (Technical Director Show)
Tarmo Krimm (Senior Technical Director)
Johannes Schau – (Head Rigger EBU)

M&M Production Management AB
Ola Melzig (Head of Production)
Tobias Aberg (Head of Production)

Florian Wieder – Wieder Design (Set Designer)

We would also like to thank all the parties and people involved whom we had the opportunity to work with on this great production and our PRG Alliance partner Sincopa.

PRG Tech Facts

Video:

• 450m2 ROE CB5
• 100m2 ROE Black Marble 4 with PRG Projects Domino LED Frames (LED Floor)
• 16 x Panasonic PT DZ-21 Projectors
• 2.200 VER Blades - 90cm
• 4 x Disguise d3 VX4 Media Server
• 4 x GrandMa2

Special Construction:

• triangle aluminum frames (250x250x250cm) for VER Blades in the main stage ceiling
• triangle Pod for VER Blades for main stage kinetic section ceiling

Rigging:

• 3.800 m truss
• 650 hoists BGV D8 / D8+
• 300 m horizontal live line system

340 tons of material in total
Production period: 21st March – 03rd June (almost 11 weeks)
Crew: 35 Riggers + 18 Technicians
Number of Trailers: 32 x 40" Containers