Production design and solution specialist Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) provided
full technical production – lighting, sound and video – to Bright Productions for a
major global sales conference event hosted by Education First’s corporate solutions
division. The organisation specialises in the development of language training,
educational travel, academic degree programmes and cultural exchange.

The event encompassed a two day conference with two evenings of themed
entertainment and was staged in the beautiful and majestic environs of Ashridge
House in Hertfordshire, UK.

CPL’s John Radford project managed the conference elements of the event working
closely with Andy Oswan from Bright, while CPL’s Simon Haydon co-ordinated the
evening action together with Bright’s Alistair Paul.

This took place in Ashridge House’s main conference room, where the set –
designed and supplied by CPL – became the main focal point of the room. It
comprised twin screens with graphic-wrapped panels and was inspired by a
previous successful set design by Bright which was adapted and developed
especially for the new event and location.

The set and the room were attractively up-lit using a series of Miltech LED battens
and Martin MAC Aura moving LED wash lights.

For the projection used in the presentations, CPL provided two Panasonic 10Ks which
were flown from the existing house metal roof superstructure, which also provided
positions of the general stage lighting provided by ETC Source Four Juniors and
Selecon Acclaim fresnels.

A d&b sound system featured left and right stacks of E12s with a QSUB array run
through a Yamaha QL1 console.

On the first night, the first level landing area of the staircase was utilised for the DJ
booth and as a band stage – both used their own portable PA systems, while on the
second night, it served as the platform for an Awards presentation.

An important part of the lighting brief was to highlight key architectural features of
the room and simultaneously ensure that the equipment blended into the
background.

Simon explains that they constructed a series of vertical trussing towers on MPT
bases at gallery level which were rigged with lights, which from that vantage point
were ideally positioned to shoot down into the room / dancefloor below as well as
up into the ceiling and around the walls.

The selected lighting fixtures were a mix of Clay Paky Mythos multi-functional
moving lights, MAC Auras and MAC 350 Entours.

Around 40 SmartBatt LED uplighters were used to graze up the walls in the
reception and feeder areas leading in to the Main Hall, helping get everyone in the
mood.

On the first night, the jaw-dropping symmetry of the Ashridge’s famous Italian
Gardens was accented in red, white and blue light – following the “Best of British’
theme – using high quality CORE ColourPoint Mark 2 LED uplighters.

On the second night in front of the library, a different part of the extensive gardens,
based on Humphry Repton designs in 1813, were lit as delegates enjoyed a
fireworks finale.

For the Awards presentation, Clay Paky A.leda. K20 LED wash moving lights fitted
with B-Eye lenses were added to the Main Hall lighting scheme, together with CP
Sharpies and ARRI L5 wash lights. Sixty-five inch LED screens on stands were
dotted around the room so everyone could clearly see the nomination and winner
information.

All stage and room lighting was run off an Avolites Quartz console.