Game, Set, Match
satis&fy erects LED wall for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at Stuttgart
In the end, it was a German player who came out on top. Julia Görges racked up a sensational 7:6, 6:3 upset victory against Caroline Wozniacki, the number one ranked player in the world, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The women’s tennis tournament took place on April 16 through 23 in Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena. The event also turned out to be quite a success for satis&fy AG Deutschland (satis&fy). It was the second time the production company had provided the lighting and AV equipment for the indoor clay-court tournament.
The spectators had much to enjoy alongside the players’ efforts on Center Court, especially the huge courtside LED screen. Measuring 20 meters across, standing 6.5 meters tall, and equipped with 310 LED modules, this jumbo display certainly caught the eye. Every two to five minutes, it presented ads, live action, and information about the players and their career milestones. It took six hours just to erect the LED wall. Weighing more than two tons, it was flown on a truss. Two technicians and four assistants constructed the 130-square meter display. While last year the organizers had still used a video screen, this year they opted for an LED variant with 317,440 pixels. “LEDs illuminate far more brightly than projections and provide good picture quality with strong contrasts even in daylight," says satis&fy video technician Jochen Störing. The wall, which had just recently been added to the company’s pool of rental equipment, was erected on the company grounds at Karben and tested for weeks prior to deployment to ensure that it would function flawlessly over longer periods. “Just one pixel was faulty. That is outstanding," notes Störing, who operates the wall using an Encore console. Feedback from the management of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament was also very positive. “The LED wall was a real eye-catcher and another hallmark of quality for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix," commented a delighted Vjeko Curic.
The video equipment and German tennis players were not the only top performers on and around the court. The lighting also shined. In recent years there had been complaints about the extremely bright light on Centre Court, so this year a few floodlights of the permanently installed hall lighting were left off. “We radically reduced the LUX numbers on the court, but not because the floodlights’ brightness disturbed the players. The glare bothered the spectators in the bottom rows, so they had to watch the matches wearing billed caps," explains Gunther Hecker. satis&fy had tasked the lighting and stage designer to also manage special FX and show lighting during the tennis event’s opening and closing ceremonies. Hecker also controlled the lighting for the walk on court, trained the spotlight on the event’s jackpot, a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, and illuminated the presentation wall providing the backdrop for players interviews conducted by the TV broadcaster Eurosport. The lighting rig included Robe ColorSpot 2500AT and ColorWash 2500AT floodlights, Vari*Lite VL2500 Spot and VL3000 Q moving heads, as well as 16 GLP Impressions controlled by a Road Hog Full Boar console that had been extended with a Playback Wing.
Background:
The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is one 20 ‘Premier Tournaments’ on the WTA World Tour. It has been conducted in the Stuttgart Porsche Arena since 2006, and on clay courts since 2009. The players of the WTA Tour voted it their favorite tournament worldwide in 2007, 2008, and 2010.
satis&fy AG Deutschland has earned a top spot among European providers of event technology with its ability deliver a one-stop solution. This end-to-end offering encompasses lighting, audio, video, presentation, and stagecraft technology and services. The production company also constructs exhibition stands, and offers set, graphic, and 3D animation design services, as well as furniture rentals. Its equipment and materials pool is one of Europe’s largest. The event service provider’s holistic approach and full-service offering, all from a sole source, are among its greatest strengths. Headquartered in Karben, the enterprise employs more than 260 people. It maintains further branches in the Westphalian town of Werne and, since 2006, in Berlin. A subsidiary company operates in the Netherlands.
For more information, contact:
Katrin Fougeray
marketing & communications
phone: +49 (0)6039/9120-983
e-mail: KatrinFougeray@satis-fy.com
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