Contracted by Clarion Events, PSL's Birmingham team, based at the NEC itself, provided all of the technical production for three main stages, from creating the specification for the stage areas and building them, to designing and providing all lighting, sound, and projection.
In the Bollywood Cinema area, which was run by BAFTA, some of Bollywood's leading stars were appearing, and PSL set up a 20ft x 15ft screen, using twin projection producing 24,000 lumens of brightness. In the vast space of the NEC's Hall 3a, capable of housing crowds of 5,000, PSL also flew a Martin Audio line array sound system.
For the Fashion Show stage, PSL worked with the producers, Media Storm, and built an elegant white catwalk, complemented by clever lighting design and a 4kW sound rig. On the Opportunity Stage, where many well-known Asian personalities gathered to talk about careers in film and television, PSL had provided another stage and PA system.
Says Fraser McCaig of PSL Birmingham: "This is a very lively event with a high level of background noise within the NEC halls. It's as much a cultural festival as it is an exhibition. The Bollywood Cinema had a packed running order for three days with major stars on stage every day which made this area the most challenging."
The Mela project was managed by PSL Birmingham, an office maintained by PSL at the National Exhibition Centre, aimed at providing customers with near-instant access to PSL services, presentation equipment, and technical support.
(Lee Baldock)
