Robe iFORTES for Telstra Leadership Conference Australian technical and event production specialist Harry the Hirer Productions used all 80 of their new Robe iFORTE moving lights on a major leadership conference for Telstra -- Australia's largest telecommunications and technology company -- staged in the Grand Pavilion of the Melbourne Showgrounds. The scope of a highly dynamic and flexible production lighting design included illuminating a large plenary area accommodating approximately 3000 people, which transformed into a cocktail party space with live music for the evening session, plus a lounge, mingling and networking area in the other half of the space, together with some outdoor areas. The iFORTES were deployed on 11 main trusses inside the Grand Pavilion and were used to light both of the main areas as part of a lighting scheme created by Oliver Pool. The fixtures are part of a recent investment by Harry the Hirer Productions, and will travel between their extensive Melbourne HQ, and two other busy branches in Sydney and Brisbane, depending on where they are needed. For this Telstra event, the iFORTES were dotted along the main trusses in both spaces and used for general lighting as well as for key lighting presenters in the day and performers in the evening, for gobo work on the roof skins and to build mood and evoke atmosphere in the lounge areas, proving their value and flexibility. Brad Johnson was Harry the Hirer's production and site manager, responsible for co-ordinating over 100 crew and overseeing all the technical departments -- lighting, video, audio and rigging / staging. He ensured that everything ran smoothly and to schedule in a short timeframe, and that some superlative teamwork delivered a great looking show, event and environment to everyone's high expectations. Lighting designer Pool -- also senior lighting technician on this event -- was excited to use iFORTES for the first time on one of his designs. "The fixtures are so adaptable and powerful, they can be used to light almost anything -- so perfect for this scenario! Plus, they match and work well with much of our existing stock, both with lights from Robe and from other brands." These were exactly the reasons that Harry the Hirer Productions also chose to invest in Robe's innovative workhorse luminaire, the company says. Pool specifically needed the intensity of the iFORTES for this event, to cover the distances and also because, being close to mid-summer, it was effectively a daylight show, and being streamed, so everything needed to look super-cool on camera. iFORTE gave him a wide range, from full stage coverage to faces to additional light to bounce around the venue, as the event was about creating a full experience for delegates, not just focusing on what was happening onstage. When Pool started working on the lighting scheme two months ahead of the show, he knew that the iFORTES would be joining the inventory and that he would be able to use them, so he used them as the backbone of his design. He was impressed with the zoom, and how the iFORTE beams sliced through the daylight and haze to project gobos and texturing onto the tented roof enveloping the whole event space. He has long been a fan of Robe products, initially working on classic Robe fixtures like the ColorSpot and ColorWash 1200 series during his early career, which helped establish Robe as a global player. When he started working at Harry the Hirer Productions four and a half years ago, he got the chance to learn the Robe ranges even better. "They are reliable and consistent fixtures, and you always know what you're getting, which is a great advantage," he notes. The Telstra event required a truly hybrid approach to lighting the different areas. Pool also maximized the effects and speed of 40 Robe MegaPointes rigged on the main room trusses and used in conjunction with the iFORTES and commented that they worked together very harmoniously. He especially enjoyed lighting "Phonehenge," a series of large scenic monoliths built in a circle that was central to the lounge and meeting area. Using the zoom and shutters of the iFORTE, he was able to light the set pieces neatly and accurately from fixtures on room perimeter trusses, some of which required throws of 5m and others of 40m. "Being able to even out, match and complement the lighting on all different sides from one set of fixtures was fantastic!" he reports. Lighting was operated by regular freelancer Adam Leelasorn, also using iFORTES for the first time. He appreciated the power and punch, even when dropping in colors and two layers of gobos. He used them for spots onstage and also for break-up effects onstage during the plenary and for fluid and eye-catching ceiling projections in Telstra's corporate colors when the event morphed into party mode. He echoed Pool's comments on how well the iFORTES work alongside MegaPointes, "They are fast as well, with nice smooth transitions between gobos and colors," he concludes. Like Pool, Leelasorn has also worked with Robe products for a while, going back to the 2500 E AT ranges, which were all the rage when his professional lighting career was kicking off. MegaPointes again rank among his all-time favorites, and he especially likes the linear prism. Leelasorn does a lot of festival lighting and programming and frequently still works with BMFLs. He concludes, "I'm always happy to work with Robe, the lights are rock solid and reliable, and you have plenty of creative reach." From an overall project perspective, Johnson mentions that iFORTES worked well for multiple lighting tasks at this event: "They are light, versatile, great all-round workhorse fixtures and ideal for so much of our work lighting conventions, expos and events...as well as touring artists and concerts." 
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