This case study outlines the strategy behind Lumacoustics, an event services supplier which won the award in the category of best technical services/production company at the UK Event Awards 2011.
Executive SummaryLumacoustics was founded in 2009 by Tim Williams and Tom Hogan, both were newcomers to the event industry but had a shared passion for adding something special to live events.The company became known in the UK event industry for its ground breaking digital graffiti wall product, YrWall. YrWall enables users to easily create art on a large digital screen using a modified spray paint can. Its innovative tracking and display technology enables guests to create art on a large scale and without mess, with the added benefit that all images created on the YrWall can be saved and immediately printed onto t-shirts or uploaded to Facebook. The YrWall technology is continuously evolving and has been a resounding success with all manner of clients including MTV, BBC, Nissan, Vodafone, Google and Sony, with events spanning global product launches to intimate bar mitzvahs.Hot on the heels of the tremendous success of YrWall, Lumacoustics began to develop other innovative and exciting services to offer to clients, including bespoke stage projection systems and a brand new product that allows guests to record their own real-time augmented reality music video. The company has ambitious growth plans and a simple aim – to become the ‘go to’ provider of real-time interactive technology for live events including concerts, festivals and experiential campaigns.2011 has been an extremely busy year for the company, which now has an office/studio combo in Bermondsey, London. This year has also seen the company receive immense recognition for the innovation, passion and diversity that they bring to the UK event industry. They were awarded Gold for Creative Supplier of the Year at the Eventia Awards, and Best Technical Services/Production Company at the UK Event Awards 2011.
Lumacoustics DifferentiationAt Lumacoustics we design and produce almost all software and hardware used at events we are involved in. This allows us to offer often unique and brand new interactive technology to clients within tight budgets. Almost all of our software and solutions work in real-time real-time which means, for example, users can interact with content or large scale projected graphics change with the beat of the music.
Innovation and New ProductsLumacoustics product offering is unique and we never re-sell other products from other suppliers, all of our solutions are developed in house. Innovative products introduced include:
- 2009 – World’s first interactive digital graffiti wall developed and offered to event market
- 2009 – combined building projection mapping and digital graffiti allowing guests to virtually paint a large building all from a super accurate digital spray can
- August 2010 – released modular Square Screen System – an interactive rear-projected video wall capable of playing thousands of separate video sources simultaneously
- December 2010 – released pen based interactive table for event use one key use is allowing guests to sign in at events and create their own customised name badge
- April 2011 – Motion Mirror wall allowing guests to star in their own music video just by standing in front of a screen, using the latest depth camera technology
Client EventsDuring the 2009/ 2010 period we provided visual installations to 139 events. The most common event we deliver services for are product launches, press days, parties and exhibitions. Mainly working through agencies and event production companies we also work directly with end clients. Clients acquired in 2009/2010 include: Freemantle Media, YouTube/ Brand Fuel and MTV Networks.
Service ImprovementsAs a new company we had to learn fast to provide a high-end service to complement our technical abilities, we opened an office in London in July 2009 to better serve our growing client base. In September 2011 we moved into a new studio in Bermondsey, London to enable us to offer clients product demonstrations. We have introduced new client relationship management software (Salesforce) and always place the client at the heart of what we do.
Case StudiesBelow are two examples demonstrating our breadth of product offering and highlighting the innovation and creativity Lumacoustics bring to events in the UK and overseas.
Wrigley at Coachella CaliforniaClient: Revolution, LLC
Brief Wrigley is a leading sponsor of Coachella Festival, a US outdoor music festival in California. As a sponsor, Wrigley has the use of a large tent to entertain guests at the festival. Revolution Marketing was tasked with producing the content and bringing the space to life.
ObjectiveLumacoustics was approached at the end of 2010 to devise a totally unique digital environment for the tent. The target 18-24 year old age group needed to be immersed in very subtle brand messaging but also have a genuinely fun time while in the Wrigley tent.
Solution We devised a complex projection mapping solution that covered the whole roof of the tent and displayed generative content, seamlessly blended to create a huge canvas. We also designed, built and installed a totally unique new product that allowed guests to star in their own augmented reality music video and upload the finished video to Facebook.
Results There were queues of guests wanting to play on the system and watch the roof projections over the entire weekend. We had to overcome numerous issues on site including 100 mph winds and super bright sunlight, the Lumacoustics team worked tirelessly to open the tent on time and to an extremely high standard of finish, something the client noted.Aaron Fisher, Managing Director of Revolution Marketing said “Lumacoustics delivered an installation that was talked about long after the event. Wrigley, our client, was so impressed they are looking at touring the technology across North America.”
Smirnoff Nightlife ExchangeClient: RPM Limited
Brief Lumacoustics was approached by marketing agency RPM to devise a range of live visual elements for this large key event, the culmination of a six-month advertising campaign and a promotional tour. The premise of the event was that London and Miami had swapped shipping containers containing all the elements needed for an incredible themed party.
Objective The visual elements for the event needed to complement the range of artists performing on the night including Tinie Tempah and Zane Lowe. A key part of the night was the large shipping container that formed part of the stage and the DJ area, both of these areas needed to be brought to life in innovative, entertaining and exciting ways.
Solution Lumacoustics designed a real-time projection mapped surface for the shipping container so both front facing sides and the roof of the crate could be projected from just one projector – a technically difficult installation we had to create special software just for this purpose. We also designed a custom rear-projected screen solution that ran behind the flown DJ booth. This created the illusion of hundreds of mini-LCD TVs joined together. RPM’s client, Diageo, had multiple content sign-off levels in the UK and US, so Lumacoustics devised a method of virtually displaying the entire stage set up online. This innovation sped up the process and also ensured all stakeholders were totally happy before the real event.
Results Using a combination of rendered branded content and real-time audio reactive visual content we created an incredible performance for the event. In addition, by reusing the visual elements developed for the first event, but changing a few simple items, we were able to take the whole visual experience to four further venues and at very little extra cost to the client.Rory Sloan, Head of Production for RPM commented: “Lumacoustics exceeded the brief and delivered a visually stunning performance that formed the centre piece of the main event in November and throughout the UK tour. Within a tight budget Lumacoustics worked collaboratively with the RPM creative team on visual content. I’m looking forward to working again with Lumacoustics on future projects”
Lumacoustics won the award for Best Technical Services / Production Company at the UK Event Awards 2011
