Page 296 - Protec PR Book Volume 2

Protec Provides Technical Services to MENA Special Olympics Games
April 3, 2018 Joe Kleiman Attractions, Europe & Middle East, Events, News, Technology & Media, World markets 0
Protec helped deliver the glittering, inspirational, opening ceremony of the Special Olympics IX MENA Games 2018.
The games opened in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, March 17. After taking a tour of the city, hitting some famous landmarks along the way, the Olympic torch finally arrived at ADNEC to the applause of the waiting 2000 spectators. Once the ‘Flame of Hope’ cauldron was lit, the show began. A video entitled ‘Welcome to my City’ was played and more than 1,000 Special Olympics athletes from 32 different countries entered the arena in a colorful parade.
Celebrating people of determination’s sporting abilities and talents, this is not only a significant event in the MENA region, but it also is an important test event for the 2019 World Games. With that, Protec’s client and show producers – HQ Worldwide wanted to deliver an opening ceremony that set the scene for the week ahead and paid due respect to the talented athletes from the UAE and visiting countries.
This is the second time Abu Dhabi hosted the MENA regional games, the last time being ten years ago in 2008 and it has grown in size since then. From 23 countries and 12 sports to 32 countries and 16 sports, it shows how people’s perceptions are changing by welcoming diversity, becoming more inclusive, and celebrating the abilities of people of determination.
Protec provided lighting, audio and video as well as some rigging for the show in ADNEC. HQ Worldwide provided their own lighting design and the video content.
Project Manager, Simon Travis, gave us a rundown of some of the set up for lighting: “Due to the openness of the venue, scaffold towers were erected around the grandstand area. For the three big ones on the open side near the road we used our total fabrications EHD truss to span across so we could hang our lights. Underneath the grandstand five more little scaffold towers were placed so we could use our smaller truss and hang fixtures around the area.