events by sourceme: case studies: Aiming high
Aiming high
Prisme International was charged with managing the opening ceremony of the Burj Khalifa – a tall order in event management that involved the largest ever light projection, the highest ever fireworks display, and a precision-choreographed sound, light and water show
FACT FILE
Name of the event: Burj Khalifa inauguration ceremony
Client: Emaar Properties
Agency: Prisme International
Number of delegates: Members of the Royal family, VVIPs, thousands of spectators and a global media audience
Venue: Emaar Island
Date: January 4, 2010
Budget: undisclosed
OBJECTIVES
The event was to officially introduce the world’s tallest man-made structure, the Burj Khalifa, to the world. The launch reached headlines the world over. However, putting together such an event was no easy task.
“The actual details of the event had to be kept a secret until the very end as we didn’t want to reveal anything about the opening ceremony before the show,” says Pierre Marcout, creative and artistic director of Prisme International.
Prisme International created an event focused on the Burj Khalifa. “The opening ceremony was not about any celebrities, as the celebrity was the Burj Khalifa tower. The aim was to magnify the 828 metres of the tower for all that it is - not just to show off, but to generate emotions and express feelings around the tower,” Marcout explains.
PROGRAMME
The 11-minute scenario consisted of a pre-show and three acts; the Hymenocalis flower, heart beat and the firework display finale.
The pre-show began with HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and prime minister and vice president of the UAE, signalling the launch to illuminate the tower with a 72,000-watt light projector – the largest ever used in the world. This was followed by the first act on the Hymenocalis desert flower, which was the architect’s inspiration for the design of the tower. After projecting the birth of the flower on a large 1,000-square-metre screen, water fountains accelerated the rhythm of the show before the act ended with a simultaneous water and fireworks display.
Next the construction phase of the tower was highlighted with the effect of a beating heart replicated by a strong lighting presentation from behind the tower while another set of lighting effects similar to a Tetris game illustrated the building of the tower. The act ended with 320 space canon projectors creating a shadow effect emphasising on the outline of the tower. The finale saw a show of 10,000 fireworks on and from the tower, estimated to be the highest ever in the world reaching 850 metres in height and lasting three minutes. The display was carefully designed by famous pyrotechnic Christophe Berthonneau of Groupe F Company, who also produced the 1998 World Cup opening ceremony at Stade de France and the New Year’s Eve 2000 celebrations by the Eiffel Tower. The music for the event was composed by renowned French movie soundtrack producer Mike Lanaro and recorded by the philharmonic orchestra Opera de Paris.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
The height proved to be the biggest challenge the Prisme team had faced to date, as they worked around the clock to pull the cables to the full height of the Burj Khalifa and wire the tower to install each shot of each firework. In addition to this they had to use the stairs to get to the top of the tower and that took more than one hour.
Arranging the 320 canon projectors with light beams reaching 10 kilometres into the sky proved to be a tough challenge too.
“We also had a major problem with our time code device just 20 minutes before the show, which created lots of stress. However, we finally managed to solve the problem just two minutes before the show commenced,” Marcout says. Another challenge was when the team found out that the VIPs were arriving from inside the Burj Khalifa itself to the seating platform as this meant some of the cabling had to be dismantled for health and safety purposes, and then rewired just minutes before the show started. According to Marcout, the Burj Khalifa opening ceremony was one of the most challenging and most exciting events he has worked on as synchronising all the elements could not be practiced and rather went out live to the public unrehearsed.
VERDICT
“The feeling you have when you finally achieve it cannot be described but it is very exciting. Definitely one of the most challenging shows of my life,” says Marcout.
