For many years, Christmas light switch on events have been central to local communities. These events have grown in popularity, with local figures and celebrities now participating and attracting bigger audiences.
'Big Screens' can provide a vital service and assist such large events in entertaining, informing, and raising additional funds.
Case Study
Ad:Vantage Digital recently provided 'Bromyard Christmas Lights Association' with an 18sqm mobile LED screen and video package.
Every year, the annual Bromyard Christmas lights event draws thousands of visitors. The event's significant success has presented some challenges for the organisers, and they saw using a mobile LED screen as a potential solution.
Bromyard is a picturesque market town located in the Herefordshire countryside with a traditional long sweeping High Street, with relatively narrow roads and 3-story buildings hosting a range of shops. At the top of the High Street is the town square, and although built to host markets, it is confined and restricted in space for large events.
Because of the event's popularity, the square with the main stage and performances becomes crowded. People fill the high street, causing congestion as they que away from the square and main stage. This results in many people being unable to see the stage and performances, posing a potential crowd management safety concern.
The solution the organisers came up with was to locate a 'Big Screen' just off the High Street further down the road (approximately 200m away), providing a 2nd viewing point for people to enjoy the entertainment whiles still being able to see the Christmas lights turn on and soak up the event atmosphere.
The 2nd viewing location reduces pressure on the square and helped remove overcrowding on the High Street.
The brief given to Ad:Vantage Digital was simple; however, the technical aspects were a challenge due to the long distance between the square (stage) and proposed screen location, along with the geography of the town and surrounding buildings and tight deadlines with road closures.
To achieve this, Ad:Vantage Digital provided a complete solution including:
Mobile LED Screen Hire (with speakers)
Video (Broadcast) Camera(s)
Wireless video link between the stage and mobile screen
Wireless audio solution to link the stage performances to the PA located by the screen
Technical crew to run the screen content and cameras
Ad-V's mobile video screen was used to keep setup time to a minimum, allowing the screen to be in position and broadcasting within 45 minutes of the road closure taking place.
A low-latency wireless link was created between the two locations using a secure, high-quality HD video transmitter and receiver. With no line of sight between the locations due to the 3-story high buildings and the sweeping hill of the High Street, this was no easy feat and took detailed planning and a pre-site visit before the event.
Once the link was established, both video and audio could be transmitted from the stage area to the mobile screen with less than 15ms latency, ensuring the big countdown was in sync for those watching from the screen location.
The screen featured the live video feed throughout the day along with pre-recorded content, advertising, and sponsorship content, which helped the organisers to fund the hire of the equipment required.
This unique setup and solution was created to overcome the event logistics and crowd management challenges.
Although the screen in this scenario was situated away from the main stage, screens can also be a valued asset when positioned next to or behind the stage, providing improved audience viewership and important event information.
If you are looking to introduce a 'Big Screen' to your Christmas event, why not get in touch and find out about our range of video production services.
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