Christie Lites UK was chosen to deliver a full lighting solution, including fixtures and crew for Cisco Live EMEA tech conference in Barcelona, Spain. Covering both the keynote space and the CAE area, which took place in the striking Gran Via Convention Centre in Barcelona – one of the largest and most modern venues in Europe.
GPJ’s Technical Director, Mark Bannister, oversaw the realisation of the project, along with GPJ Production Managers John Carrs for the Keynote area, and Emma Reynolds for the CAE area.
“This was a huge project involving the specification, delivery and operation of more than 800 lighting fixtures spread over the two areas,” says Christie Lites’ UK Account Rep, Andy Strachan. “It’s the second year that Christie Lites UK has delivered this project and we’re thrilled to have another opportunity to work with Mark Bannister and his talented and professional GPJ technical team.
“Christie Lites provides measurably higher value through consistent focus and committed relationships, and this is what sets us apart: reliability and trust. The client simply knows it will be taken care of. Plus, of course, we supply the latest models of quality, branded fixtures.”
The majority of the supplied lights were the latest models from Martin Professional and GLP.
Strachan remained the single Christie Lites point of contact throughout the event: “This is something we pride ourselves on, one person that the client can speak with at all times to ensure everything runs like clockwork, on time, on a budget, and on brief.”
Mark Bannister commented: “Building on the excellent relationship that our US colleagues have enjoyed with Christie North America in the past, it was great to continue this with Andy and the UK team. The crew that they put together to support our Keynote Lighting Designer, Paul Cook, was top class. The equipment was well prepped and the install went seamlessly – buying us additional time to focus and programme a demanding show for 6,000 delegates seated in the round. I look forward to working with Christie on this project again next year.”
Designer Paul Cook delivered flawless lighting for the Keynote area, with Francis Clegg drafted in by Emma Reynolds to design the lighting for the CAE area.
Emma Reynolds commented: “Having recently worked with Christie Lites on other large projects I knew they’d be the perfect lighting supplier to help bring the Cisco CAE production values to the next level in 2019. It’s always a very enjoyable experience working with Andy Strachan, his account handling skills are first class and his team worked seamlessly with our direct CAE lighting team – designer and lighting crew chief – and the other tech suppliers to deliver a really impressive show.
“The scale and scope of this project are vast – it is a very complex build and a demanding show. Having suppliers and a team you trust implicitly is essential to the successful delivery of this event. I hope to have many more projects in the pipeline where we can collaborate to deliver more really impressive shows.”
The Keynote area saw speeches from David Goeckeler, Executive Vice President at Cisco, and Tech Innovator Larry Brilliant. Later, more than 700 technical sessions took place, offering a glimpse of our digital future, together.
“We pride ourselves in providing the best in lighting and crew,” Strachan continues. “Big thanks go to Christie Lites’ Gerry Mott and Barry Dennison who delivered outstanding results with their handpicked teams.”
The week of events culminated in an end-of-show party within the CAE area, where more Christie Lites fixtures helped work up a fitting finale.