Upstage Video Brings the People's Pope to the People

	Upstage Video was tasked with video signage and displays for the Pope's visit.

All around the Philadelphia area, organizations prepared for the largest and most historic event of the decade, The World Meeting of Families. One person, Pope Francis, took the stage in front of one million people to talk about faith, hope, and prayer. Attendees gathered along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and surrounding areas that extended from City Hall to The Philadelphia Art Museum.

It was the responsibility of Upstage Video to extend the weekend's activities to the overflowing crowds that stretched along the parkway. The company, known for their expertise in designing and delivering video systems to the world's most demanding live events, was up for the challenge of displaying the most important moments. From the Pope's arrival at Philadelphia International Airport, to musical performances featuring Aretha Franklin and Andrea Bocelli, to a gigantic open air mass on Sunday, the LED screens played an important role in delivering an intimate experience from blocks away.

Pope Francis' visit was without a doubt the largest single-site, multiple-screen event in history. In addition to the 31 LED screens at the main event in Philadelphia, Upstage Video also provided screens for Papal events that took place in Washington, D.C., and New York City. "We assemble the most experienced team in the world to tackle these mega events," says Doug Murray, president of Upstage Video. "In addition to our own in-house tech leads, Geza Divenyi, Christian Mathews, and Greg Brown, we called upon Pieter Lambert of the Belgian firm, Photonics. Pieter is a world-renowned live events, video systems designer. When we put together our technical footprint his insight was invaluable."

Upstage Video utilized a combination of Liantronics and ROE LED products for the event. Over 160sqm of brand new ROE MC-7 (7mm indoor/outdoor LED) panels were used along the parkway while Liantronics RK-6 (6mm indoor/outdoor LED) panels flanked the stage. "We delivered a flawless show to an audience of over one million people on an urban site that stretched over three miles and 30 city blocks, a tall order by anyone's standards. To say we are proud of our crew would be an understatement," said Murray.