Ever since our launch in 2018 we’ve been intent on not only delivering on client’s wants and needs but over-delivering. With each consultation we listen intently to our client’s goals and objectives and then brainstorm internally as to how we can elevate the guest experience via enhanced event technology. We’re delighted to say that we’ve been able to do just that, with client events held throughout the greater Chicagoland area. Here’s a look at some recent activations that have inspired and excited our clients and their guests.
A CATHEDRAL OF LIGHTS FOR A CONGREGATION OF FOODIES
Each year Datassential gathers some of the foremost authorities in the food category. This annual conference hosts guests from all over the world to forecast food trends. We’ve been fortunate enough to forge a strong bond after our team brought their annual event to life in 2018. The following year they decided to go big. Datassential 2019 would be triple the size of the preceding year, and we were intent on going big! The crew at BlackOak Technical Productions leaned in. Way in. We went so far as to source a brand-new venue here in Chicago, and even provided an electrician to rewire the building to ensure we could pull off our bold designs.
We worked together with the event design and décor creatives at Kehoe Designs to produce two stages, and 20 exhibitions throughout the 500,000 ft. venue, located in Chicago’s New River District neighborhood. Also included was a vertical projection screen and an additional 20’ x 40‘ projection screen which covered the entirety of one, massive wall. Custom lighting design changed throughout the day to compliment the specific activation happening at the time. But by far one of the key design elements was a cathedral made purely of lasers. The captivating illusion was made possible by an intelligent lighting system that was able to create a stunning light cathedral in the main stage area. Thus, transporting the congregation of avid foodies to one collective house to worship that which they love most: Food.
WRAP-AROUND AMBIENCE IN DYNAMIC FASHION
On the cusp of their 100-year anniversary, our financial services client Baird came to us at BlackOak Technical Productions to help them realize their vision of a massive, three-day event taking place in four different locations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With Milwaukee being just an hour and a half north of Chicago, this had been a territory we had actively been cultivating, so we were thrilled with the opportunity to flex some creative muscle.
The event featured a main stage with a three-part LED wall and custom-installed lighting. An audio package provided coverage for 200,000 square feet of the main exhibit hall. With four different venues, there were multiple ancillary stages and vignettes. Each stage was equipped with its own lighting and technology packages, complete with intelligent moving lights and atmospheric haze machines. Curved projection screens, custom-made for the event, provided dynamic ambience in wrap-around fashion. In addition to displaying decorative projection mapping, the screens served a functional purpose, displaying directions, way-finding instructions, and inspirational quotes aligned with the company’s mission. A custom trivia game was generated, complete with included individual touchscreen tables for each team. And an interactive photo booth featured eight cameras with instant print functionality. Our crew here at BlackOak also helped design and install a fully immersive, walk-through timeline with sets representing important points in Baird’s history.
IF HUE KNOW, YOU KNOW
Beauty Changes Lives is a non-profit driven to make the beauty profession a first-choice career. We knew we had to really push the envelope when they came to us to help produce a next-level fashion show at The Geraghty, a sophisticated venue located in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
After a deep dive with the client to get a sense of what they were looking to achieve, we got to work on a technical design plan that would intuitively enhance the hair and make-up being showcased at this annual beauty showcase. The show featured a massive, custom built, Y-shaped stage set against a large-scale rear projection screen. The stage was lit with a full complement of intelligent moving lights. Each individual fashion set was introduced with a custom lighting design which changed the color of the stage and catwalk to compliment the aesthetic being featured. In between sets the catwalk reset to a fashion-ready look that highlighted every detail of the off-the-wall, festival-themed occasion. The final result was bold and beautiful.
From food and fashion to finance – our clients cut across all categories of business, and from throughout the greater Chicagoland area and well beyond. Each with their respective goals and objectives. Our job at BlackOak Technical Productions is simple: listen to our clients. We are a human-first, designed-focused technical production company that is kind, bold, and relentless.
To see more of our work, visit https://blackoak.tech/
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Tags: BlackOak Technical Productions, Events, Hybrid Events, live events, Pandemic Pivot, Technical Production