Encore stages huge Amway event with ANZPAC audio first

Encore Event Technologies is the first company in the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands region to have used L-Acoustics new L2D speakers outside of the global pilot programme.

More than 10,000 employees of multi-national company Amway were flown from China to New Zealand in 12 waves over two months for the 2023 Amway China Leadership Seminar, produced by Encore Event Technologies APAC.

The Amway Diamond top performers were treated to an extensive programme of events and excursions, with the finale a gala dinner that hosted 600 people per night at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland and Queenstown Ice Arena.

The galas featured 155 square metres of LED screens, 15 20K projectors, 80 table projectors, eight curved-screen projectors and four floor projectors, as well as an ice rink. More than 600 hours of custom motion design content was created across the two locations.

Daniel Lourenco, Encore’s director of innovation and technology, says: “These aren’t your everyday speakers – they’re arguably one of the finest on the market. We flew them in from France, which was no easy feat. But it was worth it to produce something incredible.

“These speakers reduce the amount of set-up time and give greater horizontal dispersion at the front of the stage, resulting in a sound quality that, frankly, gives you goosebumps.”

Encore deployed a wide range of technologies to showcase New Zealand’s natural wonders, played across a giant, mountain-shaped central LED. The immersive content changed as the events progressed.

“This [the central LED] was flanked by additional curved projection screens and 3D-mapping on the stage floor,” says Encore’s technical event director Daniel Carver-Shadbolt. “We also used snow machines, special effects and multi-sensory interactive displays of earth, water, fire and air to enthral guests.”

During meal service, the mountain-shaped LED display capped with imitation snow underwent a dramatic transformation, with lava projections oozing over the stage. “This created an impressive backdrop for performers, Strings of Fire, which combined pyrotechnics and acrobatic stunts to music setting the stage literally ‘ablaze’,” says Carver-Shadbolt.

Delegates in Queenstown were also treated to a display on ice, complete with a 3D mapped ‘ice mountain’. The skaters wore 3D tracking beacons driven by Disguise software.

Andrew Priddle, Encore’s national head of production, says: “We used real-time-generated tracking content using the Notch and Zactrack automated follow-system for the video and lighting tracking of five skaters simultaneously. You’d see skaters followed by a visual trail of butterflies or fish, which was stunning.”

Scott Nodsle, Encore’s managing director for APAC, says Amway’s mission has always been to “follow a customer’s journey and create events that transform and experiences that go beyond the ordinary”.