John Garberson and Creative BackStage Celebrate Phoenix Fan Fusion with CHAUVET Professional

	Maverick MK2 Spots from CHAUVET Professional played a big role in helping the Creative BackStage team conjure up a wide variety of looks for the imaginative mix of out-of-the-ordinary productions that enlivened this very special event.

Let it never be said that the organizers of Phoenix Fan Fusion don't have a sense of humor! How could it be otherwise, given the nature of this wild, wonderful, and wacky pop culture celebration? For proof, look no further than the public service postings on the big screens at the three-day event's "Hall of Heroes," where one such missive read, "Do you know who the real heroes are? The ones who keep the aisles free of clutter!"

Sound advice, given that the popular event drew a record-setting crowd of over 130,000 fans who filled the Phoenix Convention Center to the rafters. But those organizers could also have expanded their list of heroes to include John Garberson and his 30-person team at Creative BackStage, who set up the lighting, sound, and video for two general session rooms and 30 breakout rooms.

"Set up took three days, but we were able to strike the event in five hours, thanks to our awesome team, which included Matthew Breg, L1/ board op; Tyler Coan L2; Michael Morse L2; and Maxine Kichler rigging," says Garberson. "There was a lot of coordination involved in doing this quickly and efficiently."

In keeping with this mission, Garberson took steps to save time throughout the set-up process. For example, he decided it was cheaper and faster to bring in a self-climbing roof system, rather than fly the production for the big rooms. He explains that the roof added depth to the stage and created "that black box stage feel."

Enhancing the mood on the general session rooms stages and throughout the breakout rooms was a collection of CHAUVET Professional fixtures from Creative BackStage's own inventory. Garberson used his versatile fixtures differently at different times throughout the event.

"We had 20 Rogue R2 Washes in the main general session room," he details, "Half of these fixtures were in the front by the stage, eight were in the back of the room and the other two on the sides. We washed the walls in mood-setting colors, mostly shades of red, with the Rogues during the day. The color rendering capabilities of these fixtures were invaluable for us. At night we used them for more dynamic looks to animate parties, drag shows, and various contests."

Maverick MK2 Spots from CHAUVET Professional also played a big role in helping the Creative BackStage team conjure up a wide variety of looks for the imaginative mix of out-of-the-ordinary productions that enlivened this very special event.

During the day the bright, highly versatile 440W moving fixture with a wide zoom range was used for gobo breakups on the walls and ceiling. When night came, the MK2 Spots cut loose, animating the stage for the wide array of looks. "They fit this project perfectly," said Garberson. "We got a nice balance from them that included gobo projections IMAG lighting and lighting the characters on stage."