Multi-Media celebrated 25 years of expertise in the industry last year with an exciting birthday bash – on the set of The Voice in Johannesburg. They are a technical partner to the African formats of the show, and although they had small beginnings, their principles of respect and integrity towards staff, suppliers and clients have held them together. In addition to offering event solutions such as the concept and design of stage, sound and lighting, the organisation also has a set-building company in their stable which has been making a name for itself in the exhibition stand building arena.
Recent innovations
In addition to their Midrand office in Johannesburg, Multi-Media have also maintained a Cape Town satellite office, which will soon offer full, stand-alone services to Western Cape clients.
According to Chris De Lancey, equipment has been high on the agenda this year, ensuring the company keeps up with the latest technologies in sound, lighting and AV. “In 2015, we invested in and led the market with what was the highest resolution LED screen in the country at that time, a 3,6mm pitch screen. This screen is ideal for venues where either space or light is problem, and it is ideal for conferencing where detail is required in the information being presented.”
What do they do, exactly?
Multi-Media have a number of high-level clients across a range of industries. They’ve handled quite a selection of jobs, too, from conferences, road shows and launches, to gala dinners and boardroom meetings.
An example of the workload they take on is a recent Pick n Pay Franchise Conference at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia. “We provided all technical, structures, decking, power, carpeting, artist requirements as well as assisted with content creation for this event. A total of 188 tonnes of event infrastructure was transported to Livingstone – technical alone comprised of 90 tonnes of technology. We had a team of 32 technical staff from SA together with 24 local staff over the 10 days to install and take down all the equipment and the structures,” says Chris.
For their work with the television show The Voice, technical consisted of up to 200 panels of 12mm LED screen, approximately 160 moving lights, 170 static lighting fixtures, 96 channels of audio, 60 channels of radio Mics, 2km of LED strip lights on 80 controllers and possibly 5km of cabling.
Trends in the new year
Chris says popularity in LED screens is set to continue as the technology improves in resolution and applications. He adds that apps are also starting to make their mark on the events industry. “While South Africa lags a little behind the rest of the world, Apps are being used for delegate registration, disseminating programme information, and even to connect people for networking purposes.”
A word of advice
Planners often forget that audio visuals are such an integral part of a successful event, and Chris gives some great advice for avoiding mishaps: “Don’t get us involved at the end. Talk to us early in your planning. We have knowledge and experience that will help. We know which venues will accommodate your big dreams. Talk to us about your budget upfront. After 25 years in the business, you can trust us to give you the correct advice, we’d rather be your partner than your supplier.