Anheuser-Busch National Wholesaler Convention

Beer giant Anheuser-Busch is the world´s largest brewer, operating 14 breweries and offering around 30 different brands of beer, among them Budweiser, the largest-selling beer in the world.

Each year the company’s wholesalers and Anheuser-Busch employees gather for a few days of valuable inspiration. This year’s convention was held March 8-10 at the new North/South Hall of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando where approximately 5800 attendees assembled. Three days of general sessions featured speeches by top executives with occasional live entertainment to close the day.

Production Company The Spark Agency produced the show, an undertaking that is certainly one of the biggest corporate shows in the US. As far as lighting, a huge 275-foot wide stage set and 90-foot wide stage required color and pattern projection with key speakers requiring spotlighting and individual lighting looks. The set-up also featured a large 60 x 20 foot video screen with lots of video modules and speaker support. The visual look was video heavy - high quality, high definition - with automated lighting used as support. 

Warwick Price
Warwick Price has been lighting designer for the event for 9 years running and used a large kit of Martin gear, including the Martin Maxxyz, on this year’s show. “All speakers have certain backgrounds as far as support,” stated Warwick. “Since the screen is so big you can’t afford to have a color clash so I get the basic backgrounds for the speakers, whether it be red or blue or orange, and typically I match the look so it makes sense.”

Warwick designed 12-15 different speaker looks with each speaker having up to three different looks – one when the speaker first comes on stage, a speaker look, and sometimes a video look. “I get into pretty saturated looks which are fixed and settled. We play the speakers on with lots of chases and then settle down into the look. Some speakers talk for half an hour so the biggest challenge is putting something up there that looks good for extended periods of time. Some speakers require video looks to be written so in that case we take the whole level down and then come back.”

Some special moments required a different look, for example, a sports marketing segment when Dale Earnhardt Jr. came on stage to sign a sponsorship contract. “Once the speaker is on, the look can’t be distractive so we can’t use rotating gobos,” Warwick comments. “The only time we changed a color during a talk is when, for example, the head of marketing talked about the various brands – Budweiser, Bud Light and all the other brands. For Budweiser we used a red and white look for brand reinforcement; for Bud Light we dissolved into a blue and silver look. Typically though, the color doesn’t change.”

Opening and closing modules (video) required special looks, explains Warwick. “Sometimes they wanted the video to do everything, at times they wanted the video module enhanced, and at certain points there were lighting changes, strobes. We also used the M-Box as video support running on low res LCD screens. It’s a very large canvass on which to come up with looks.”

Warwick used an abundance of Martin gear to achieve the lighting environments he wanted: 70 MAC 2000 Wash, 28 MAC 2000 Profile, 22 MAC 2000 Performance, 44 Atomic 3000 strobes, 36 5k to light the audience, and 12 ETC Source 4 Lekos for podium light. PRG of Orlando supplied all Martin lighting gear including the Maxxyz console.

Most of the lighting gear was flown from the 900 feet of trussing but some fixtures were located on towers and some floor-positioned. A front truss traversed the entire set, with two cable trusses from upstage to FOH and a truss halfway down the audience to light the audience for special introductions and Q+A sessions.

MAC 2000 Performance animation
Warwick was pleased to have used the MAC 2000 Performance on the show. “The animation effects blew everyone away including the producers who had never seen them before.”

The set included four huge towers 25 feet high and 9 feet wide with two Performances on each tower to provide break up patterns. The remaining Performances were on set flats, hard flats painted grayish silver and spread out across the whole set, an ideal surface to throw a pattern on.

“Pretty much all the 22 Performances did was light the flats on the set and I couldn’t believe what I got out of them to tell you the truth. After playing around with them and doing a few shutter cut and focuses and gobo images I was really quite amazed what I could get using the animation wheel. Even with five gobos, depending on what you do with the animation wheel and where it is in focus, you can get so many different looks. I had one custom gobo, which was a cityscape gobo, and it was phenomenal with the animation wheel over it. With that capability I think it gives you so many more options. I was able to create all kinds of motion across the set, big moves from center outwards, diagonal motion, mirage effects. There were a few people who thought the flats looked digitized. It did not look like they were lit with moving lights and gobo patterns. Technical Director Joe Farell and the producer were overwhelmed with the look I got out of them. It was a great experience.”

And with sets as big as those used for the Anheuser-Busch event there was ample opportunity to use the Atomic strobes, remarks Warwick. The strobes were used as not only audience wake up but all over to highlight the set.

Maxxyz control
Warwick controlled the lighting system using a Maxxyz console. He became interested in the Maxxyz via Dennis Connors, Lead Programmer of Lightswitch, who put him in touch with Matthias Hinrichs, Control Products Specialist at Martin’s LA office. “I spent a couple of days in LA doing training there and became interested instantly,” Warwick comments. “In the past I have used another console and I thought it was time for me to go forward, to learn another console and this came up at the right time. Matthias helped me out immensely.”

Warwick used the Maxxyz on a small awards show in LA and on a couple of small shows for Primerica business meetings, sort of warm up shows for him. As those went well, he decided to set himself a goal of being ready to use it on the Anheuser Busch event. “I wanted to make sure that nothing suffered because I was using a new console, because on a big show like this there is no room for error. Everything worked out fine on this show, there were no issues and I really enjoyed it. I’ve now slipped into that way of thinking as far as programming goes.

 “I like the whole layout of the console as far as programming. I like the ease of use. I did a lot of stuff with the effects engine on this show whereas in the past I would have written a lot of chases. It really was a great time saver. There’s been a learning curve there for me but I learned the value of it because it’s easy to write a quick pan/tilt or dimmer effect for example, just store it and off you go. I’ve never been a fan of effects engines in the past. On this show I did a lot without writing chases and that was an eye opener for me.

“I like the play back of it as well, and the ease of execution. Another good thing I’m getting used to is the Programmer. I’ve discovered that being able to work in the Programmer window is quite helpful sometimes.” 

Warwick used eight Universes on the show, all right out of the back of the console, another feature he found convenient. He also used a handheld Maxxyz tablet PC, which he found greatly beneficial, freeing him up and making it easier to focus lights, adjust color, etc.

Support
“I think support is one of the most important things; the support is fantastic,” Warwick adds. “People at The Spark Agency were very appreciative that Martin was willing to send Matthias and have him there for the shows. He’s been great ever since I’ve been dealing with the console. He fills you with confidence.

“I like the fact that Martin aren’t just trying to get all these features on board and get it out there without testing it; they’re doing it step by step. They are fully aware, and are not trying to conceal anything. I’ve also been in Vegas with Tim Brennan (Martin Las Vegas office head) who has been really helpful. He let me go in and play with console whenever I wanted which was very nice.

“All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I’m really glad I decided months ago to use the console on this show.”

Warwick is a Lighting Designer, Director, Programmer & Operator in all aspects of conventional & automated lighting, including TV, Video, Corporate and Concert. Warwick’s previous lighting credits include the Yanni Tribute project from the Taj Mahal and Forbidden City; tours for Luther Vandross, Journey, Diana Ross and many others; and has been involved in many other lighting projects over the years.

Lighting Designer: Warwick Price
Technical Director: Joe Farell
Sound Engineer: Chas Gerber
Video Director: Bill Buzan
Production Company: The Spark Agency