On Friday March 3oth, the first ever TEDx Wall Street took place at the New York Stock Exchange. Pioneering thought leaders, including Jim Cramer, spoke to an audience of 300 as well as a global audience via webcast revolving around the topic of “Redefining Success” within the Wall Street community and beyond. For those not familiar with TEDx, it is a program created by TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) in which local and self-organized events bring people together, usually honing in on one subject, and are shared throughout the TED network.

We collaborated with Levy Lighting in order to create a dynamic stage set design. Flanking the main presentation screen on both sides were two 8′ wide by 12′ high towers of Wave Form that were projection mapped with video content relating to Wall Street and other issues touched upon throughout the conference. LEDs were also used to internally illuminate Pinkometry products such as Pillars, Trigons, Monoliths, and Quadrigons adding extra intrigue to the stage. Take a look at some photos below and you can click here for some videos from the conference!

It may be warming up outside, but that didn’t stop us from going to the skating rink a few weeks ago for the Skating Club of Boston’s annual Ice Chips festival which showcases sine if the best-known names in figure skating from around the globe! This year marked the 100th anniversary of Ice Chips and the Skating Club of Boston wanted to make this edition very special.  A dazzling display of colors and lights joined the skaters on the ice as well as the fabric decor that we provided on one end of the rink which served as entryway as well as projection surfaces.

A 90′ stretch of  rental products, including Crescents, Continental Divides, Wave Walls, and a 12′ Moon in the center, were on the rink – all dressed in stark white fabric. The combination of lights and reflections off of the ice, made for quite the spectacle; see for yourself:

For the past 2 years we have been involved with the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) Conventions; all taking place in the Broadway Ballroom in New York’s Marriott Marquis. The most recent event just took place from March 25th-28th. For this event, which was themed ‘Shifting Sands . . . Understanding the New Consumer,’ we worked with S & A Event Services to provide a tension fabric rental stage set that was video projection mapped with desert imagery that was constantly transforming. This stage set consisted of two Large Divides, a Wave Wall Tall, Wave Wall Small, and Tidal Wave in order to provide a surface for the projections. In another location, we also provided some rippling walls for the registration areas that were made from stacked Ribbonesque strands.

Last year’s convention, which marked the 75th anniversary of ARF, relied heavily on a printed 9′ Moon, which served as a centerpiece. Behind this Moon was a 30′w x 14′ h Circle Surround incorporating the conventions logo and colors. A smaller scale Ribbonesque wall also incorporated 2′ Moons with the same theme out in the registration area. We also provided a separate stage set using the same 9′ Moon flanked by Large Crescents and Moons of other sizes that was used for live music performances as well as talks.

Take a look at some of the work we’ve done with ARF over the past few years below:

On March 17th & 18th the innaugural BUKU Music and Art Project took place at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. This newcomer to the music festival scene boasted two days filled with some of the top names in hip-hop and electronic music between 2 main stages and a late night tent. The site allowed spectators to take in views of the Mississippi River while being able to catch some of their favorite artists such as Skrillex, Avicii, SBTRKT, Wiz Khalifa, Diplo and plenty more.

Winter Circle Productions contacted us to see if we would be able to help provide decor to the festival in several different areas. We were happy to comply and ended up using a combination of framed structures and stretch shapes throughout the site. Internally illuminated Pinkometry was scattered throughout the site and could be found in the media room where interviews and photo sessions took place as well as the late night stage set in the outdoor tent. Massive 40′ x 40′ Comets could be found overhead in that tent as well adding intrigue to the large space.

Big thanks to Max Rasche for reaching out to us and helping document this festival, you can find more of his photos from the festival at the BUKU Facebook Page! Thanks also to all those who helped with the installations!

Event Solutions Idea Factory: I have been a part of this show for years. It is now part of a larger show, CaterSource. Right now, it has the feeling of being buried inside of a catering show. But it continues to change. For better or worse, it is what it is and here I will tell you of the highlights of the Event Solutions Idea Factory!

I diligently walked the show floor with Mark Musters and his banter about his new site My Sustainable Style. We talked sustainability with many and tasted and experienced all kinds of foods and events products. From smoked salmon to cupcake cozy’s there were many products geared towards reuse and innovation.

Pink Powered by Moss brought in Ribbonesque to highlight the CaterSource Lounge with AFR event furniture. Additionally AFR brought their prize winning booth from TSE, Backdrops Beautiful showed large with several of their backdrops and Champagne Creative jumped up a notch with their Champagne Skirted women, wearing edible chocolate fashions!

The highlight for me was experiencing Projection Mapping, through the Spotlight Awards Ceremony (short, sweet to the point – an excellent presentation) and through a workshop. I was happy to meet Bart Kresa from BartKresaDesign – a projection artist and Ray Thompson from Images by Lighting.

ELI – Event Leadership Institute was there in force – Howard Givner and his team continue to educate through live sessions at the show and most importantly through innovative online education.

David Tutera and Preston Bailey did (once again) great presentations and they really draw a big social events crowd.

I continue to go to meet new event professionals but also to connect with the best in the biz. Frank and Lyn from Concept Bait were there, David Merrell and his team presented, Hillary Harris from Warner Bros events and the MGM events group all were at Event Solutions!

The Diva Design Challenge with Cheryl Fish “against” Sasha Souza was fun and funny. It is AFR’s second year with the live battle of the event designers! Great concept right on the show floor!

While there, Dazian announced they had just purchased Dreamworld Backdrops, one of the original backdrop companies in the Special Event market. Expect to see rental backdrops coming out of the Dazian catalog. Congrats Bev and the Dazian team!

An #Eventprofs tweetup brought together some of the best in the biz! Liese Gardner @liesegardner, Jeff Hurt @jeffhurt , Midori Connoly @avgirlmidori and Jessica Levin @jessicalevin, to name a few. I of course was there @pinkdeb, just in case you didn’t know!

What I do love about Event Solutions is their ability to learn and try different things. They are building on their own innovations, which allows things like: a free to all, 1.5 hour awards show built through amazing projection and mapping technology. Heck, the awards show even ended early! And it led to a small private party at Cosmopolitan (my new FAVORITE hotel in Las Vegas) So, getting shaken up can lead to great ideas and innovation and that is what has me watching Event Solutions carefully and coming back for more!

Pink Powered by Moss fabric décor design is widely available to the event industry.  Our Tension Fabric Structures are available for rent or for purchase. Some Fabric Structures are only tensioned out.  Other forms are created from metal frame and fabric. These aluminum tube skeletons are then covered with a fabric skin.

All Pink’s Tension Fabric Structures break down small and play LARGE! Our creative fabric solutions include stock product and custom designs.

The Fabric Décor elements featured in this post are primarily full room décor, where an entryway, stage set and perimeter areas featured tension fabric structures.  Many of these shapes come from our rental line and it are available in many shapes and sizes, most often in white because everyone loves the love affair that light and fabric have.

Many industries have discovered the beauty and ease that Tension Fabric Structures are. Fabric Architecture offers infinite design possibilities, the ability to create any shape you can imagine. The lightweight materials ship and store easily. Easy to work with, fabric forms create unusual temporary and permanent environments. This has brought event designers and producers, production companies and lighting designers, visual merchandising, in-store display, and museum design, the exhibit and tradeshow markets to explore the magic of fabric!

Enjoy the photos and jump over to our tension fabric product menu to discover where fabric meets imagination!

- Browse our extensive list of rental fabric structures – just updated for the 2012 Season!

- We have several different products that can be used to create dynamic entryways and tunnels

- Works great with all different kinds of lighting

- Simple to build, transport, instructions and assistance available

- Lightweight structures  provide ability to easily change look of stage with same products

- 3D models and design services also available

- Browse through the images below featuring all different kinds of tunnels made from rental products such as our Flexi Tunnel, Mod Tunnel, Arches, Wave Tunnel, Circle Surrounds, and Ribbonesque

- Browse our extensive list of rental fabric structures – just updated for the 2012 Season!

- Achieve a customized look in a cost-effective manner

- Works great with all different kinds of lighting

- Simple to build, transport, instructions and assistance available

- Lightweight structures  provide ability to easily change look of stage with same products

- 3D models and design services also available

LDI – Lighting Design International – I have been absent from this show for 2 years and I have returned! My observations are the show, although still great for lighting, AV, tech and designers in the theatrical marketplace it lacked a real whose who in the show world (at least on the trade show floor)!

At the Parnelli Awards….

Lifetime Achievement Award: Ed Wannebo

Audio Innovator Award: Kenton Forsythe

Parnelli Visionary Award: Jim Fackert

Click for the full list of 2011 Parnelli Awards winners.

I was not invited to any of the large-scale parties that used to happen.  I believe that they just were not happening as opposed to ME not being invited!

The Trends I saw on the floor included:

• Software – the manipulation and doubling and quadrupling of things, if you get what I mean!

• Wireless

• Control – controllable LED – Lighting designers and tech need to control the WHOLE room – not just the stage

• DMX vs. Ethernet Protocol

• Standard Theatrical Lights being replaced by LED fixtures – LED better and brighter

• Moving lights working in tight synergy

• LED Screens – different quality – and price points – modular, flexible, etc

• Lighted costumes (control is a trend)

• Curved Truss and Truss used in creative ways

New product off the LDI 2011 Orlando floor:

• Wirefree LED – batter op / remote control / dmx

• Pipe and base 2.0

• New developments in software – enabling Ethernet protocol (who?)

• New Developments in Lasers, Fog and Water effects

• Falling water as a projection surface (controllable and brandable)

• Fabric as a lighting and projection surface

• LED – screens all types and price points

• Screen goo

• “Green” energy supply advances (battery powered / solar charged)

• Truss

All and all a great show, although I was surprised that there was not a lot of projection and mapping.  InfoComm – another Tech and Lighting show is in June and from what I hear it IS where the projections and mappers are!  I hope to see you there!

This fall at the Pink Powered by Moss booth at the LDI Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando we took a different approach.  We approached the show as a tool for market research. Under that umbrella, we present the Wave Forms. These 4’ x 4’ units stack to create a textural backdrop, wall, ceiling treatments and towers.  Arrange the Wave Forms in different configurations to create dynamic textures.  Take a look and let us know what YOU think!