Brief
Ahead of the 2023 event, we were invited to join the tender process when the event moved from Liverpool to Manchester. The team were in search of a production partner that delivered on technical expertise, knowledge of the intricacies of public sector events and events of this scale and that they could trust to deliver on the proposals.
After a successful bidding process, we were delighted to be selected as the supplier for the event in 2023 and worked closely with the NHS England and ConfedExpo team to establish the focus and priorities of the event and fine tune quotations. The delivery of the 2023 event was a great success and we were thrilled to return to support again in 2024.
This year, the outline of the brief remained the same: to deliver a high-quality AV solution for two parallel plenaries, 4-6 workshop and breakout areas and 6 learning theatres within the exhibition floor, but this year, they wanted to push the boundaries of the creative possibilities for the plenaries to make an impact and make it an event to remember, to compete with similar events across the continent.
Solution
Two of the main focus areas of the conference side of the event, are Exchange Auditorium and Exchange Hall, which act as parallel plenaries, with the Auditorium often hosting renowned keynote speakers whilst Exchange Hall saw panel session series encouraging conversation around key industry topics. We had to ensure that the design of each space reflected their intended usage.
As the event is co-managed by NHS England and ConfedExpo, it was important to ensure branding for both would be equally visible for the in-person audience as well as in camera shots for the virtual attendees. We resolved this by installing two set walls under the main content walls which equally featured the two brands prominently on stage. In the centre, we setup a recessed wall panel with a 3D logo piece attached, which acted as stage wings to allow for a more dynamic presenter entrance to the stage.
A custom wrapped 16:9 screen surface was used for key slide content, whilst a unique circular projection surface was rigged over the lectern position, which showed live camera relay and was overlaid with AI captioning for accessibility. All of this was controlled by a Barco E2 Gen2 vision mixer.
In 2023, the goal was for Exchange Hall and the Auditorium to look aligned in terms of stage design and setup, but for 2024, we leaned in to the fact that the stages had different use purposes, and moved away from traditional screen content and pushed the creative boundaries. Working alongside the client team, we created 3D visuals to help pitch in a more visually impactful stage design referencing the curves and circles in the ConfedExpo branding and designed an impressive central LED video wall, flanked by curved branded set panels with sponsor and client branding at the forefront. Custom masking set pieces created the half-moon LED screen look as the main stage feature piece.
Whilst the space was primarily used as a parallel keynote stage, on the evening of day 1, we were tasked with a speedy turnaround to transform the space into an evening drinks reception space, with a difference. We quickly brought in the room trusses and speedily attached over 100 1m dmx controllable LED tube lights to create a wow-factor ceiling of lights as delegates returned from their afternoon sessions in the rest of the event space.
Working with Sterling Event Group on NHS ConfedExpo continues to be one of the highlights of my job, as they are the partner that always goes above and beyond, pushes us to be more creative and always deliver an exceptional experience from start to finish. The value Sterling provides is multi-layered, with collaboration, teamwork, extraordinary production quality, creativity, flexibility and incredibly competitive pricing all combining to always exceed my expectations. They are an extension of our team and the colleagues we all want in our corner. They are responsive, flexible and above all, genuinely invested in the success of the show. Now in the third year of our partnership, we continue to work with Sterling to innovate and keep the conference feeling fresh, differentiating our show from other traditional events. Sterling is the perfect partner to help us achieve our ambitious goals. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other event organisers looking for reliability, expertise and exceptional service.
Nick Westerman Head of Strategic Partner Events
Tech Spec
- Custom created seamless edged screens
- Panasonic laser projectors for IMAG and content screen projections in Auditorium
- LED screen with custom masking to create circles and curved screens to align with branding, using Absen 3.9mm pixel pitch
- Over 100 LCD display screens
- D&b audiotechnik PA systems with Yamaha and Allen & Heath control desks
- 100 Chauvet Well STX to create a ceiling of light
- Sceptron panels to extend eye candy looks around main plenary stage sets
- LED tape and extrusion for lit stage edging and screen outlining in branded colours
- DDA compliant ramps for staging in all space with custom finishes in line with brand guidelines
- 10x custom set wrap prints included curved panel solutions
- Over 100 channels of RF across the site, fully co-ordinated and programmed
- Creative lighting solutions for podcast studios
- 30+ LED poster boards for environmentally friendly digital signage and sponsor branding