An active car mechanics workshop at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire was transformed into a high-tech auditorium and presentational space for the three-week event. The environment created also included break-out learning centres, and a series of lit walk-throughs with industrial sculptures made from Jaguar engine parts. The primary objective was to highlight Jaguar's new diesel and aluminium technology, perceived as being central to the future of the brand.
Approximately 700 delegates were accommodated from the 110 Jaguar UK dealerships, explains MMM managing director, Charles Moyle. They'd already seen the cars and so spent the day intensively learning and test-driving new vehicles with professional F1 and rally drivers, both on track and on road. The idea was that they left with enough practical knowledge and first-hand experience to make informative comparisons with competitor products. "We took Jaguar's confidence in their product and used it as the event's underlining philosophy," says Moyle.
Finding the right venue was a challenge. Bruntingthorpe was ideal - an old World War II US Air Force base, complete with miles of track for some rigorous test driving. It was also in budget for the 3 week hire period says Simon Allison, mmm's Production services director, who transformed an oily workshop into a sleek presentation gallery.
The room was blacked out with wool serge drapes and carpeted in grey: the set - clean white curved panels inset with a 12ft wide central video screen - was then installed and completed with a lighting design. The panels were designed to take coloured washes and textured lighting scenes from a mixture of YPOC 250 and 300 moving head fixtures, including customized Jaguar gobos. The bottom rim of the set was illuminated with Lumos 120mm LED strips - chosen to provide an even wash up the walls. More colour-changing LED strips were placed on the seats of two cars flanking the main set panel, creating an iridescent internal glow. Up above, a white 'sail' ceiling was stretched between Minibeam trussing which in itself was attached to a trussing motor grid hung off the building's RSJs.
Other lighting effects included the installation of MR16 down-lighters in the entrance walkway and Uno down-lighters in the classrooms and seminar areas. Sanyo XF45 projectors were used on the main 16:9 screen, which were being fed by an Analog Way graphic switcher 2. Inputs included Betacam SP, DVD and four laptops.
The event was highly successful, says Peter Leake: "MMM had once again fully understood the needs of the training and come up with a package that allowed us to really get the diesel message across to our dealers; the set was superb, the organization of the event was exemplary and the quality of their team was second to none - a truly professional organization."
(Lee Baldock)