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Since its premiere in 2000, the international medical education congress has established itself as Europe’s most important platform for the exchange of scientific and clinical information. Held annually in different European cities, this year’s prestigious and demanding educational program took place in Vienna. Over 13,000 delegates from more than 130 countries attended from June 12 to 15. The technical execution of the high-end medical forum was handled by the Krailling-based event service provider JMarquardt Audiovisual GmbH, with support from Rogge & Derks. The event specialist based in Kempen provided ETC Halcyon fixtures from its rental department, which proved to be ideal for this congress series.
The Halcyon lights took on the most challenging task: ensuring uniform lighting in the main hall so that all speakers appeared natural and focused, both to the live audience and in recordings. Approximately 3,600 people attended lectures and discussions in the large hall of Messe Wien, while many more followed the symposium online or through the congress’s own television channel. "The entire event was designed as a hybrid, and so was the lighting concept," says Max Willmes, Technical Director at JMarquardt. "The live lighting had to look good on cameras, as everything was being recorded." This aspect, according to Willmes, had often been problematic in the past. However, not this year. Controlled by an Eos Apex console, 12 Halcyon Platinum HF, 6 Halcyon Titanium HF, and 8 Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr fixtures met the high standards.
The decision on the equipment used was preceded by an extensive shoot-out: a four-hour comparison with spotlights from several premium manufacturers, alongside three different camera types. The decisive criterion: the TM30 value. "This has to be correct for the camera, and at the same time, the color of the live image should not differ from what the camera captures," explains Willmes. The TM30 value, a color rendering index system representing 99 reference colors, allowed them to compare subjective perception with objective measurements. The result: "Everyone agreed that the Halcyons were completely convincing and performed by far the best. The measurements confirmed this. The image engineer had to make hardly any corrections, which was a massive time and quality advantage." During previous events, this process, says Willmes, could take "forever."
Photos ©JMarquardt Audiovisual GmbH
The thorough comparison tests, according to Jens Wienekamp, Project Manager and Authorized Signatory at JMarquardt, "paid off fully," as he explains: "We achieved a significant improvement, as our previous LED spotlights could barely meet the high demands of TV lighting. Now, all partners benefit from this. Especially when TV crews handle live broadcasts and set very high standards for white balance between live light and camera. A standard was established earlier this year—a good decision," says Wienekamp, "so the desired reproducibility for other, sometimes even larger congresses, is ensured. And with Rogge & Derks, we’ve found an absolutely reliable rental partner."
The quality standard is also supported by the compatibility of the different Halcyon fixture types. "You can’t tell the slightest difference in color between the Titanium and the Platinum," notes Willmes. "This allows us to choose the right type depending on the distance to the stage or the space available in the rigging, but the result on stage is always absolutely identical." This was seen on the main stage in Vienna: Halcyon Titanium and Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr were hung in the front truss, while the more powerful (and larger) Halcyon Platinum were used in the second, more distant truss.
The Halcyons’ outstanding performance also extended to the opening event and the awards ceremony, where – unusually – show lighting was required. The Halcyons, with their extensive effects package, handled this without any problems.
The massive project scope of JMarquardt Audiovisual GmbH included not only the main stage but also the setup of 16 conference rooms, accommodating between 50 and 1,000 participants. This massive task was accomplished by a team of approximately 100 people, under the project management of Lukas Beutin, with material transported in 16 trucks and executed in a short period.
Photos ©JMarquardt Audiovisual GmbH
