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North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) spectacularly returned to play – without live audiences but with massive enthusiasm, determination and impressive TV and online followings – for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoff series which had been suspended in April during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Lighting equipment was supplied by Solotech and included over 200 Robe moving lights – a mix of Pointes, Spiiders and Tarrantulas used by lighting designer Tom Kenny.

The 24-team playoff format (comprising Eastern and Western Conferences) was staged in two Canadian hub cities – Edmonton and Toronto – over two months … running as two complete Covid-secure ‘bubbles’ for production teams, players, coaches and other associated personnel.

Tom was asked to design lighting for the two Arenas – Scotiabank in Toronto and Rogers Place in Edmonton – working closely with production designer Gary Wichansky of Seattle based Hotopp. The two have collaborated in these capacities on several previous NHL projects, and together they crafted a production design to WOW everyone including their clients, the NHL entertainment team of Steve Mayer, Rachel Segal, Bob Chesterman, John Bochiaro and Renee Riva.

With all tours grounded and live events cancelled due to the pandemic … rather than it being the usual bunfight to get specific kit, Tom found himself able to pick and choose pretty much whatever fixtures he needed to make this project rock!

The overall production offered what is currently a rare and much-appreciated opportunity for some of the industry’s highly skilled creatives and technicians to work through the months of July and August.

Tom himself was not just hugely proud to be part of this whole NHL experience which he describes as “brilliantly organized and handled by NHL and Aurora Productions,” but also delighted to be in a position of getting others onboard and working during this very challenging time!

The production featured crews across all disciplines and departments who had been integral to many of the highest-profile tours on the road in March when the industry ground to a halt.

Tom in turn asked four brilliant lighting directors onboard to look after the shows for him once up-and-running. Kurt Wagner and Brent Clark were stationed in Edmonton, and Corey Thom and Eric Belanger in Toronto, chosen – amongst many other skills – for their “ability to think independently, take initiative and make informed decisions for themselves.”

Tom’s aesthetic brief was to make the start, end and between-play moments of the matches an awesome visual experience in an empty arena, creating atmosphere and drama that looked fantastic on the 32 x camera shoot, complete with hi-impact theatrical flourishes so the players could see and feel the lighting there on the ice, while fans were transfixed at home fully engaged in that unmistakable adrenaline buzz of the action … even when watching remotely.

During the matches, the look was a big, open, well-lit white space with all focus totally on the playing action. Immediately if a goal was scored, or the whistle blown, everything around the arena erupted into an ocean of color and movement as lighting and video worked harmoniously to bring a hair-raising vibe to a huge empty space.

Some of the players even commented that it felt a like being ‘inside’ a video game – a show look that definitely worked as a mood enhancer and made an impression!

Gary created a lot of special video content for the project with logos and graphic stings, etc. and more came from NHL, including footage of fans cheering on their teams. Fabric was stretched over some of the seating blocks so large areas could be lit in team colors and illuminated with other effects.

“We went very large and bold for our production moments,” commented Tom, “and that worked on different levels for everyone.”

The design was identical for each venue, but with some variations in the lighting kit lists due to local availability and what could be added from the existing in-house systems. A lot of LED screen made up the set with eight different surfaces wrapping around 500 metres and almost 180 degrees along one of the venue’s long sides, rigged in the seating area to bring it close to the ice.

Tom frequently has Robe at the core of his designs as workhorse fixtures and there’s usually a couple of specific Robe products which are ‘must-have’ every time.

In Edmonton, it was a combination of 32 x Robe Pointes, and 19 x LEDWash 1200s helping to raise the roof and the lumen levels, while in Toronto, 104 x Pointes, 19 x LEDBeam 1200s and 36 x Tarrantulas had the honor.

The fixtures – which also included several hundred others at each venue – were rigged on a network of trussing installed in the roof.

On site, Tom and the production teams worked closely with the venue house crews and technical – Clayton Hubrick and Keith Hough in Edmonton and Mark Weglinski in Toronto. Like everyone, they were elated to see ‘showtime’ unfolding again for real!

This was preceded by some marathon days and nights of Skype’ing and Facetime calls, and substantial pre-vis activities after Tom was first approached about the project in May. Due to the rapidly moving Covid-19 situation, formats, dates, challenges, ideas, and solutions stayed fluid right up until the production and NHL arrived in Canada for the build, so the design also required an inbuilt flexibility.

Copious amounts of administration, logistics and lateral thinking was energized by the NHL to get everyone to Canada on time to start the build.

Tom and Gary were two of 19 key production crew brought from the US on special visas issued by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, apparently a big fan of The Who and Bowie, so Tom’s CV clearly impressed him! Before that, everyone travelling on these visas had to home test ‘negative’ twice.

Once in place and in their respective bubbles – including their hotels and specially designated eating areas connected to the arena by secure walkways with their own entrances and routes – production crews, players and all related personnel were tested daily by a team of 14 medical staff on site dedicated to ensuring all stayed safe.

Masks were mandatory while working, social distancing was rigorous, and everyone washed their hands regularly as “hands, face and space” requirements ruled the working environment.

“It was a truly amazing, uplifting and at times extremely emotional experience for all,” enthused Tom “and one of the most satisfying projects in which I’ve ever been involved! Everyone was so joyful and absolutely delighted to be back working and doing what we are all completely passionate about – showing the world just how much value, imagination dynamism and sheer enjoyment this innovative industry brings to events worldwide.”

The 2020 Stanley Cup final in Edmonton saw Eastern Conference champions Tampa Bay Lightning defeat Western Conference champions, Dallas Stars.

Robe on the Rig for NHL Return to Play

Oct 6, 2020 by DWR Team ·

North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) spectacularly returned to play – without live audiences but with massive enthusiasm, determination and … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

South African Live Events Industry, this is your time to shine!

Sep 21, 2020 by DWR Team ·

The South African Live Events Industry is encouraged to step out, mobilise their teams and motivate their clients to create events. You are permitted up to 500 people for outdoor gatherings and 250 for indoor gatherings in terms of the Covid-19 gatherings act, and hard work and clever thinking will put bread and butter on […]

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Filed Under: General, News ·

Robe at the #LightSARed Campaign

Aug 14, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Story by Louise Stickland The South African entertainment industry unified en mass for their August 5th #LightSARed ‘Code Red’ activation … to shout out the critical state of the live entertainment industry and its support infrastructure, which has had no work, no cashflow – and no meaningful government support – for 5 months since […]

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Filed Under: General, News ·

Upload your Photos and Videos!! Calling on All!

Aug 1, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Calling on ALL #LightSAred would like to encourage the Live Events Industry to submit videos and photos which can be used in our campaign. Some of the content you send to us will be included for a live stream on 5th August, while we hope to share others on our Facebook and social media pages. Let […]

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Filed Under: General, News ·

Survey for Freelancers, Performers, Temporary Workers and Independent Contractors

Jul 31, 2020 by DWR Team ·

South Africa Events Industry, please take note. We Need Reliable Statistics for Government to listen!!! The technical production and live events industry in South Africa has been one of the hardest hit under the current Disaster Management Act, enacted by the government on 15 March 2020. Stakeholders in the industry, such as SACIA, TPSA and […]

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Filed Under: News, General ·

DAER Nightclub wins Mondo Award

Jul 27, 2020 by DWR Team ·

DAER Nightclub in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has won a 2020 Mondo (Americas) Award in the nightclub category for its stylish and innovative lighting design by Stephen Lieberman of SJ Lighting. The venue includes a massive 44,000 square foot indoor / outdoor space located at the famous Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel […]

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FL Group Streams On with Robe

Jun 30, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Lucas Enguerrand and his brother Quentin, who both work at French lighting and visual production and rental company FL Group, based in Morangis 15km south of Paris, wanted to keep morale high and their passion for music and lighting alive in a meaningful way during the Covid-19 lockdown. With the full permission and support of […]

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Filed Under: General, News ·

CFC Johannesburg integrates its AV for an exceptional worship experience

Jun 9, 2020 by Nicole ·

The Christian Family Church (CFC) Johannesburg, situated in Parkhaven, is a flagship worship venue for CFC International, a well-respected Christian fellowship based in South Africa. Founded by senior Pastors Drs. Theo and Beverley Wolmarans in 1979, the organisation has grown from a handful of congregants to a world-wide community of more than 150,000 followers over […]

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Filed Under: General ·

Deloitte Chooses Absen LED for New Innovation Centre

Jun 3, 2020 by DWR Team ·

The world’s largest professional services firm, Deloitte, set up an innovation and entrepreneurship centre in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), which is strategically positioned to be a vibrant world-class city cluster and a globally influential international innovation and technology hub. Covering 1,266sqms, the Deloitte Greater Bay Area Centre boasts various innovation spaces and […]

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Filed Under: General, News ·

Jannie de Jagger on DWR webinars

Jun 2, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Jannie de Jager, head of training at DWR Distribution, was instrumental in orchestrating the DWR Webinars during the Covid-19 lockdown which ranged from MA Lighting courses he personally hosted to Q&A sessions and assisting the sales team with their online courses. The response from the industry has made it all worthwhile. Jannie answered a few […]

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Filed Under: General, News ·

Robe on the Rig for NHL Return to Play

Oct 6, 2020 by DWR Team ·

North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) spectacularly returned to play – without live audiences but with massive enthusiasm, determination and … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

South African Live Events Industry, this is your time to shine!

Sep 21, 2020 by DWR Team ·

The South African Live Events Industry is encouraged to step out, mobilise their teams and motivate their clients to create events. You are permitted … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

Robe at the #LightSARed Campaign

Aug 14, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Story by Louise Stickland The South African entertainment industry unified en mass for their August 5th #LightSARed ‘Code Red’ activation … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

Upload your Photos and Videos!! Calling on All!

Aug 1, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Calling on ALL #LightSAred would like to encourage the Live Events Industry to submit videos and photos which can be used in our campaign. Some of … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

Survey for Freelancers, Performers, Temporary Workers and Independent Contractors

Jul 31, 2020 by DWR Team ·

South Africa Events Industry, please take note. We Need Reliable Statistics for Government to listen!!! The technical production and live events … Read more…

Filed Under: News, General ·

DAER Nightclub wins Mondo Award

Jul 27, 2020 by DWR Team ·

DAER Nightclub in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has won a 2020 Mondo (Americas) Award in the nightclub category for its stylish and innovative … Read more…

FL Group Streams On with Robe

Jun 30, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Lucas Enguerrand and his brother Quentin, who both work at French lighting and visual production and rental company FL Group, based in Morangis 15km … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

CFC Johannesburg integrates its AV for an exceptional worship experience

Jun 9, 2020 by Nicole ·

The Christian Family Church (CFC) Johannesburg, situated in Parkhaven, is a flagship worship venue for CFC International, a well-respected Christian … Read more…

Filed Under: General ·

Deloitte Chooses Absen LED for New Innovation Centre

Jun 3, 2020 by DWR Team ·

The world’s largest professional services firm, Deloitte, set up an innovation and entrepreneurship centre in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

Jannie de Jagger on DWR webinars

Jun 2, 2020 by DWR Team ·

Jannie de Jager, head of training at DWR Distribution, was instrumental in orchestrating the DWR Webinars during the Covid-19 lockdown which ranged … Read more…

Filed Under: General, News ·

Robe on the Rig for NHL Return to Play

Robe on the Rig for NHL Return to Play

South African Live Events Industry, this is your time to shine!

Robe at the #LightSARed Campaign

Upload your Photos and Videos!! Calling on All!

Survey for Freelancers, Performers, Temporary Workers and Independent Contractors

DAER Nightclub wins Mondo Award

FL Group Streams On with Robe

CFC Johannesburg integrates its AV for an exceptional worship experience

Deloitte Chooses Absen LED for New Innovation Centre

Jannie de Jagger on DWR webinars

Robe on the Rig for NHL Return to Play

South African Live Events Industry, this is your time to shine!

Robe at the #LightSARed Campaign

Upload your Photos and Videos!! Calling on All!

Survey for Freelancers, Performers, Temporary Workers and Independent Contractors

DAER Nightclub wins Mondo Award

FL Group Streams On with Robe

CFC Johannesburg integrates its AV for an exceptional worship experience

Deloitte Chooses Absen LED for New Innovation Centre

Jannie de Jagger on DWR webinars

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