Being part of the event technology industry can create an ever-aware eye for identifying AV gear wherever you may go. Recognizing the design and tech elements used, discerning the difference between LED and projection, or lighting vs. holographic illusions are all common for the event professional.
Watching the latest awards shows, going to live concerts, and being involved in corporate conferences can all stir the imagination and transform into ideas that are scaled up or down depending on the client’s particular event needs.
Alford recently showcased some of our creative LED ideas at our Innovation Experience Open House this past summer. Our scaled arch and curved entrance wall were such a hit that we decided to create a list of ideas from some of our top video technicians. LED is becoming more popular and more cost-effective than ever before, creating greater opportunities for innovative creations.
Here are some of the latest designs we’ve worked on and how you can use these ideas to inspire your next event.
Creating an element to frame your keynote speaker or main entertainment is a great way to utilize LED for a custom design. We created an arch entirely of LED that was used as an entrance to our Innovation Experience, displaying our brand colors, welcome signage, and a logo that floated and bounced around the walls’ three-dimensional design. Our arch was 8 feet tall but could be easily scaled up to a greater size for something like your venue’s main entrance. The possibilities for how big the arch and its supporting walls can be scaled to are endless.
A curved wall that directs guests to their seats, makes way for a speaker or creates a room within a room are just a few ways to employ LED for a conference or corporate event. When thinking outside of the box, we could even imagine the curved LED being used as a maze or type of tunnel that leads attendees to their breakout rooms.
Often, the rooms and venues we use are blank slates, allowing us to create whatever structures our clients need. In one such case, we installed truss beams that were spread out on each side of the audience. We then lined the truss with LED panels and used the design to make announcements, flash their logo or event themed content with company colors, and ultimately to display the details played on the main stage’s LED wall.
We recently had a client who wanted to bring the room to life and create an immersive experience for the attendees. So, we designed an LED wall that was lifted and hung on the ceiling above the audience. The design was used to create an initial excitement, forcing attendees to look up to the sky, mesmerized by the ceilings colorful display of LED. Once their attention was fixed, the video rolled from the ceiling and spread down to the stage where we had 3 separate LED walls set up. The flow created a viewing experience that was engaging and kept the audience’s attention as they waited to see what came down next.
At one of the events we supported was one of the largest LED designs built and it was created to span the entire auditorium from wall to wall. At 120 feet long and 28 feet tall, this wall weighed 24k pounds built and 60k pounds when fully rigged. The wall was so massive, that we needed to be resourceful with how we brought our speakers onto the stage. Ultimately, it was decided to create a tunnel within the middle of the wall, utilizing the LED’s modular abilities. The tunnel was an extension of the wall that interacted with the same video or picture on the rest of the wall and even created a unique experience for our presenters walking out.
