Page 220 - Protec PR Book Volume 2

Protec Creates a Sensation in Dubai – ETNow.com
latest news headlines
PROTEC CREATES A SENSATION IN DUBAI
UAE – Celebrated DJs, Acrobats, dancers, pyrotechnics, lasers and fireworks synchronised with music across an unending sea of white. Organisers filled the atmosphere with stunning structures, unique elements and beautiful light shows which illuminated the crowds in a white oasis. The acts united people from all over the world to create a great vibe, while the crowd embraced the “Celebrate Life” theme.
This was Sensation which is not just one of the most popular EDM concepts around the globe but also has a special standing in the Middle East which is known for awe inspiring shows. Sensation is the most travelled electronic music event in the world and has been to all continents, 35 countries and 43 different cities and welcomed well over two-million site visitors worldwide over nearly two decades.
The party implemented an all-white dress code as a tribute to Miles Stutterheim, one of Sensation’s founding members who died in a car accident, and to signify the unity
of the ‘dance music family’. It was this fourth edition of Sensation, held at Dubai’s Meydan Racecourse, for which Protec, the Middle East’s largest and most comprehensive technical and staging solutions company, provided a full production infrastructure.
Many world-famous artists have appeared at Sensation. Tiësto played at the very first event in the year 2000, and almost all DJs now heading the Top 100 DJ lists have played at Sensation somewhere in the world: Armin van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, David Guetta, the former members of the Swedish House Mafia to name only a few. This year’s Dubai event featured Mr. White, Sam Feldt, Danny Avila, Don Diablo, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and Steve Angello.
Protec was well aware of the high production values set by producers, organisers and promoters, Envie Events, with whom it has worked closely on events in the past. Responsible for some of the most spectacular, immersive and innovative dance music events in the Middle East, they put high store in state-of-the-art lighting, pyrotechnics and sound design.
Organisers and producers Envie Events, is the brainchild of two Belgian entrepreneurs who moved to Dubai in 2011 with goals of transforming the electronic dance music industry of the Middle East. Barry Pavic, an ambitious promoter in mind, joined forces with long-time friend and innovative marketeer, Nicolas Vandenabeele, to come up
with a brand that has transformed the nightlife and music scene in Dubai, home to people of over 187 nationalities and a melting pot of diversity.
Having hosted the first world exclusive open-air edition of Sensation in Dubai in 2015, two Mega Night Club operations in Europe and various annual partnerships with globally-renowned concepts such as Sensation, Tomorrowland, WMC Miami, and Summer Clubbing Ibiza, Envie Events is well on track to become the ultimate destination
of choice for events and concerts in Dubai, attracting the entire MENA Region and beyond.
The company’s managing director, Barry Pavic says: “Attracting a global clientele and elevating the overall guest experience completely from entrance to exit is the ultimate goal,” which translates into shows that fans want to keep returning to. “We strive to make sure that everyone has a good time.”
With such a strong reputation to preserve Protec combined their resources to provide industry standard video, audio, lighting, backline, stage and set elements and full rigging services.
Tasked with project managing the event for Protec was Simon Travis, interfacing with Envie Events, Backbone International and the Sensation crew from Holland.
Travis said: “Meydan is very different from the usual kind of dance music venue, particularly because it’s a race track so we had to consider the horses stabled there, in terms of noise levels. We had restricted time slots where we could carry out the work. The noise was very strictly controlled as they didn’t want to freak out the horses, though they did move them off site for the show day.”
The team from Envie Events added: “Meydan is a great venue with more than 8,000 parking spots, exceptional infrastructure facilities and perfect distance from downtown Dubai. Makes it a very attractive venue for a global series like Sensation. Working on Meydan does bring its challenges and having an experienced partner like Protec really makes the difference.”
When asked to detail Protec’s involvement, Travis continued: “The audio was fairly straightforward. We provided 32 flown L-Acoustics K2s on the main hangs, above which were two K1 subs on each of the hangs, all powered by 11 LA-RAKs containing 18 LA8 amps. For the front fills they set four positions of 12 L-Acoustics Kara enclosures, powered by the LA8 amps. Subwoofers comprised 30 SB28s, 15 a side. L-Acoustics amps and speakers were also used for DJ monitors and wedges which comprised three Kara elements per side on top of a pair of SB18 subs.”
The company used a DiGiCo SD10 as their FOH mixing desk with all amplifiers networked so they could be close monitored, with signal transmission via Neutrik fibre optics. Processing comprised Antelope Audio lsochrone OCX Clock, Lab Gruppen Lake LM44 processors, MAC laptops controlling playback and processing (including Smaart),
and DIs for DJ equipment.
Protec fielded 16 Sennheiser G3 receivers and a transmitter as wireless monitoring for the dancers so they could work with the music and receive feeds from their choreographer. A couple of hand held radio mics meanwhile covered DJ requirements.
Ancillary coverage was required in two VIP lounges which were serviced variously by a compact Bose PA system and L-Acoustics Syva, which is equally slick and compact. Comms were taken care of by Clear-Com HelixNet, which was used for their nine wired positions, and Freespeak II for their eight wireless.