W-DMX Lights World's Largest Christmas Tree

Wireless Solution Sweden AB W-DMX made Bradesco Seguros Christmas Tree a sparkling success in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. This is the 15th edition of the annual tree, which according to the Guinness Book of World Records is the largest floating Christmas tree in the world.

Abel Gomes has been responsible for the Christmas tree decoration since the first edition in 1996. This year presented 15 various cycles of light and color from 65 miles of illuminated rope light (more than double than that of 2009) with 3.3 million mini lamps and 2,100 spotlights. To complete the show and draw the crowds, four Syncrolite 7K units were placed at the base of the tree. The entire show was programmed using W-DMX.

The team needed to program from a long distance to get the right visibility. They installed a grandma console far enough away and were able to get the best audience point of view for programming. Once programmed, all the control equipment was located in the tree base.

The 279'-tall megastructure was installed beginning on September 19 at SAOA (undersecretary assistant for air operations) on the banks of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. Around 1,200 people are involved in the process of installing, building, lighting and dismantling the structure. The tree was inaugurated at a main event on December 4, complete with a fireworks display. Lighting the tree was held every night until Christmas, with its final lighting planned for Epiphany on January 6.

Lighting designer Valmor Neves, the tree programmer Marcos Campos, together with Cesar de Ramirez, the open night show grandMA programmer, said about W-DMX, "It worked flawlessly every night. With the logistics of the water and distances involved, I don't know how this tree could be lit any other way. It's a fantastically reliable solution."

The lighting rig was supplied by Companhia da Luz. Lighting Bits, the Wireless Solution distributor for Brazil based in Sao Paulo, supplied all W-DMX equipment.

Gomes explained the theme, "We wanted each and every spectator to remember all the emotions and memories that highlighted the previous editions."