Tag Archive: HRP

1. Venue Focus – Banqueting House

   6 April 2018 11:57 Comments Off on Venue Focus – Banqueting House

   Banqueting House: A Brief History

   Designed by revolutionary architect Inigo Jones, Banqueting House has been the backdrop of spectacular feasts and celebrations for almost 400 years. Today the beauty and scale of this stunning venue still inspires its guests with the Main Hall’s soaring neo-classical columns and magnificent painted ceiling making it one of the most breath-taking spaces in London. Below the Main Hall you will find The Undercroft which was originally designed as a drinking den for James I and is now the perfect setting for intimate dinners and drinks receptions as well as away days and meetings.

   

   White Light at Banqueting House

   White Light is proud to be an approved supplier to Banqueting House for 10 years and a cross-palace approved supplier for Historic Royal Palaces since 2015. It has a very close working relationship with Banqueting House and is always thrilled to have the opportunity to enhance the stunning spaces with cutting-edge technology.

   Recently, Banqueting House became available to hire during the daytime on selected Thursdays throughout the year. Access to this impressive space during the day has given clients the opportunity to hire the space for lunches, conferences, private functions, product launches, daytime fashion shows and all-day weddings; with White Light having supplied the technical support on many of these.

   Here are some examples of White Light’s work at Banqueting House which demonstrates the versatility of this magnificent venue:

   Cambridge University Fundraising Event

   The University of Cambridge held a celebration event to engage key stakeholders with its latest campaign. 250 guests enjoyed a drink reception and dinner whilst being immersed within an AV experience. The University had a very specific brief: to make the event as immersive as possible. They wanted to transform the Main Hall at Banqueting House, ensuring an interactive experience for all attendees. White Light presented the concept of replacing the actual windows inside the space with projected versions which drew on custom-made content, allowing guests to be transported to famous Cambridge landmarks. Using the very latest projection technology along with a bespoke soundscape, White Light created a wraparound presentation which ensured that the entire room was brought to life and those in attendance were fully encapsulated in this immersive experience. The White Light team allowed the technology to work holistically with the building’s historic architecture without it being obtrusive. The event received international recognition and was awarded the AV Technology Europe Best Small to Mid-Scale AV Project Award along with the Event Technology Awards’ Best Use of AV Technology.

   ‘Best of British’ Street Party

   Celebrating the Queen as the longest-reigning monarch, more than 150 event professionals gathered for a ‘Six Decades One Evening’ street party. White Light provided the lighting, audio and video support for the event. As the party moved through the decades, the lighting, soundscape and video worked holistically to create an immersive experience for those in attendance. White Light also created the illusion of windows which ‘looked outside’ onto each different era through its use of projection mapping, highlighting the iconic moments of each decade.

   Pearls of Wisdom Workshop

   Earlier this year, Banqueting House welcomed 80 guests to their venue showcase in collaboration with Pearl & Pear, an online event resource designed to inspire and inform those in the industry. As a founding partner of Pearl & Pear, Banqueting House showcased their event spaces as well as hosted a range of informative workshops. The aim was to deliver invaluable event-related skills and business tips that event professionals can apply to their working life. White Light delivered a Pearls of Wisdom Workshop entitled ‘Creating an Impact with AV’. This touched on the use of AV technology within traditional spaces such as the comparison of LED walls against standard projection, the use of bespoke soundscapes and how AR and VR technology can be integrated into an event. The day was a great example of how the versatile spaces of Banqueting House can now be utilised for daytime events such as conferences, lunches and product launches, which often require a number of different set-ups throughout the duration of the event.

   For further information about Banqueting House and how White Light can support your future event there please contact [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 3166 6000.

2. White Light Supplies The Gurkha Welfare Trust at Kensington Palace

   23 November 2017 10:09 Comments Off on White Light Supplies The Gurkha Welfare Trust at Kensington Palace

   On Wednesday 15^th November, a Remembrance Dinner was held at Kensington Palace to celebrate the vital work of The Gurkha Welfare Trust. The dinner was hosted by His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales and took place in the State Apartments. As a cross-palace approved supplier to the Historic Royal Palaces, White Light was called upon to provide the complete technical solutions.

   The event was overseen by WL’s Conference Account Manager Shrenik Singhavi. He comments: “We were contacted by The Gurkha Welfare Trust who informed us that they wanted to host a Dinner at Kensington Palace. Due to both the prestigious location and the guests attending on the evening, we wanted to ensure that we provided the best technical support possible”.

   Shrenik worked closely with Katie Williams, Events Fundraising Manager at The Gurkha Welfare Trust, and the pair made several site visits to Kensington Palace. He comments: “The Gurkha Welfare team wanted to make it a fully immersive experience that utilised a variety of spaces within Kensington Palace. They wanted guests to feel part of the celebrations from the moment they entered the grounds; something we needed to make a reality”.

   The event took place in the State Apartments and utilised five rooms: the Queen’s Room, Privy Room, Cupola Room, King’s Drawing Room and King’s Gallery. WL’s Project Manager Phil Gladman led the on-site team which included two lighting technicians, an audio technician and ten local crew. The company supplied bespoke production support in each of the spaces.

   

   Shrenik explains: “When guests arrived on the evening, they walked through the Privy Room where we supplied atmospheric lighting. The drinks reception took place in the Cupola and Kings Drawing Room prior to the dinner. The Queen’s Room was used to host HRH Prince Harry and selected guests. The main dinner itself took place in the Kings Gallery.

   He adds: “The dinner was the main highlight of the evening and, within the space, we provided the lighting, acoustic sound system, microphone, lectern along with a small staging area. HRH Prince Harry gave a speech to guests who included the charity’s ambassadors, patrons and supporters. With such an important individual speaking, we had to ensure that we provided a fully reliable system”.

   

   Alongside this, WL used a custom-made gobo in order to project The Gurkha Welfare Trust logo onto the side of Kensington Palace for when guests arrived. WL also lit the pathway leading into Kensington Palace to ensure the event was fully immersive.

   Guests in attendance on the evening included GWT Vice Patrons Joanna Lumley OBE, Field Marshal Sir John Chapple GCB CBE DL.

   Katie comments: “This was one of the most important events in The Gurkha Welfare Trust’s calendar and we wanted to create something unforgettable for our guests, whilst at the same time making them aware of our important cause. Working closely with the team at WL, we were able to achieve this”.

   Photos courtesy of Mark Brightwell/The Gurkha Welfare Trust.

    

3. White Light Receives Marching Orders for Fusiliers Gala Dinner

   10 October 2017 16:26 Comments Off on White Light Receives Marching Orders for Fusiliers Gala Dinner

   The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, specifically part of the Queen’s division. They have been involved in every major conflict over the last 400 years and are made up of four English Fusilier regiments. One of these are The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) who recently held a Gala Dinner with Historic Royal Palaces at the Tower of London. As a HRP cross-palace approved supplier, WL was called upon to provide the technical support.

   The event took place on Monday 2^nd October. Guests arrived on the evening to an exclusive look at the crown jewels. This was followed by a drinks reception and dinner in the New Armouries space. The evening also included a silent auction, a series of speeches before concluding with a live auction.

   The event was overseen by WL’s Project Manager Marcus Wadland. He comments: “Whenever you’re working in a venue such as the Tower of London, it’s important to ensure that you embrace your surroundings. On events such as this, it’s about coupling the historic architecture with the latest technology to give the client the best experience possible – regardless of the size of the event”.

   As part of its support, WL drew on a range of the latest audio equipment included EMS 121 Loudspeakers, FFA 6004 Amplifiers, Yamaha QL1 Mixer and Shure microphones. Marcus explains: “The evening was a celebration of the Fusiliers and so contained lots of speeches along with the silent auction. In a space as vast and open as the New Armouries, it was important to ensure there was equal audio coverage and that everyone in attendance felt a part of the evening”.

   Alongside the audio support, WL also supplied a range of on-site video technicians to programme the in-house video equipment. The WL team arrived on site late afternoon, having to ensure everything was in place for the evening.

   The Gala Dinner marked one of several events that WL has recently worked on at the Historic Royal Palaces, with others including a House of Frasier event at the Tower of London, a council dinner at Hampton Court Palace and The DailyDOOH Gala Awards at Banqueting House.

   Marcus adds: “As a company, we are fortunate enough to work on a range of high-profile, big-scale projects. That said, we also work on countless intimate events, on which we apply the same rigour and professionalism which has allowed us to be approved supplier to organisations such as HRP. The Fusilier Gala Dinner is a prime example of this and we were delighted to be involved”.

   Photos courtesy of Colin Baldwin.

4. White Light Provides Technical Solutions for Diana: Her Fashion Story Launch

   1 March 2017 17:25 Comments Off on White Light Provides Technical Solutions for Diana: Her Fashion Story Launch

   2017 marks the 20^th anniversary of the passing of Diana, Princess of Wales. To commemorate this, Historic Royal Palaces have opened a brand-new exhibition at Kensington Palace which celebrates her life along with her image and style. Last night marked the launch of the exhibition as an events space. As a cross-palace approved supplier to HRP, White Light provided the complete technical solutions.

   Diana: Her Fashion Story features an extraordinary collection of garments, including the iconic velvet gown, famously worn at the White House when Diana danced with John Travolta. Last night saw invited guests experience this historic exhibition for a private viewing. Richard Wilson, WL’s Director, comments: “This is a huge exhibition at one of the most prestigious venues in the country. Historic Royal Palaces wanted the launch to be something that not only embodied the themes of the exhibition but offered an unforgettable evening for those in attendance”.

   To achieve this, WL worked closely with the HRP Events team, in particular Events Executive Sophie Keevill, to intricately plan the various stages of the evening. Richard states: “The moment guests arrived, they were greeted by the iconic photo of Diana in a white sequined dress during her visit to Hong Kong being projected onto the side of the Palace. HRP wanted guests to be immersed before they entered the actual building itself and this was able to do exactly that”.

   Once inside, guests walked through the reception area which embodied a 1980s theme – reflective of the decade in which Diana became a member of the Royal Family. The WL audio team created a custom-made soundscape which featured an array of classic eighties hit. To accompany this, WL supplied a series of lights to create strong, vivid colours which further added to this theme.

   After making their way through the reception area, guests then entered the actual exhibition itself where they saw a selection of garments including pieces from numerous royal visits, the blouse worn for the first official royal portrait and the suit worn on Diana’s honeymoon in Balmoral.

   Following this, guests then made their way down to a drinks reception where WL had once again provided the technical support. Alongside projection and lighting, this also included a PA system for a speech given by Alex Donnelly-Palmer, Events and Operations Manager at Kensington Palace.

   The exhibition has now officially opened to the public and will run throughout 2017. Richard adds: “This was a fantastic evening which saw us draw on all the resources we offer. Diana: Her Fashion Story is a truly unique exhibition and the event offered a brilliant opportunity to work closely with a client and ensure we provided exactly what they required”.

   Photos courtesy of Lily Sells Photography.