Live Event Technology Solutions ›› Projects ›› Creative Technology Supports Hartmann Studios to Deliver Home Depot SMM 2019

Creative Technology Supports Hartmann Studios to Deliver Home Depot SMM 2019

Overview:
The Home Depot Store Managers Meeting (SMM) event takes place every year and has been held in Las Vegas for the past 15 years. Thanks to the hard work and relentless effort of Hartmann Studios and Creative Technology, the many onsite events are delivered with the highest production standards available.

This on-going event has grown larger in scope and complexity each year. 2019 boasted live entertainment acts, a mock-up of an entire Home Depot store product floor for vendors to show off & demo their new products as well as the Main Stage showcase in the Mandalay Arena for their General Session. The General Session is designed for a maximum impact experience for their attendees using high-resolution LED, intelligent lighting and state of the art concert audio to create a truly stunning effect.

Home Depot and Hartmann Studios have been using Creative Technology in the United States for over ten years. Supporting the annual Store Managers Meeting with cutting-edge audiovisual at the highest level, CT remains a trusted and long-time partner for its high-profile General Session as well as the many important venues that comprise the broader overall event.

Over the years, this show has evolved, from top- level Standard Definition (SD) camera switching and widescreen projection technology to that of using
4K video processing, switching & signal distribution to drive ultra-high definition, large format LED technology. Our approach to live sound reinforcement has continued to refine in quality as speaker design and digital signal processing technology continues to change and improve.

The Main Stage:
The LED Screen layout at the Arena venue was a compilation of various sizes/aspect ratios specifically aligned to the client’s creative design. ROE CB4 was the predominant product used, while CB3 half-tiles were used to achieve the upper Ribbon referred to as the “Ticker Screen.” Although the pixel map (below) may appear flat, the only screen without curvature is the Center 9×18 module (35.43 ft square).

All screens left and right of center had a subtle 1.5 degree concave radius, while the upper elements were a more dramatic convex radius.

10- ROE SX40 4K LED Processors were used to feed ALL CB4 and CB3 screen elements utilizing Opticalcon Fiber from Processor to Tessera XD G10 for signal transmission and distribution. Upstream of the ROE Processors, all high-resolution graphics and video sources were manipulated and switched via 2- Barco E2 systems (2- linked frames). Video Playback was facilitated with our Watchout V12 Pkg using 3- 4K outputs >Aja HA-5 to create 12- discrete HD “slices” of media for synchronous playout to all LED screens so to utilize them as a single video canvas.

On the camera production side, we utilized 6- Grass Valley LDX80 worldCam cameras running @ 1080p 59.94 and switched via our GV 4K Karerra System. 2- FOH camera positions used our Canon 86x sports lens pkgs, while our 2- handheld cameras used 17x Fujinon HD lenses. 2- Canon 14x wide angle lenses were used for both our 50ft Camera Jib and the high/wide shot to capture the entire set.

The nerve center for all video signal processing, screen switching and camera production is Video Village. This build-out is highly complex and can last for at least 2- days on a show of this scale. Pictured below is our Grass Valley 4K Karerra switcher along with Watchout to the right and Encore E2 in the distance. What you don’t see is all the infrastructure of fiber and copper cabling of various signal types connecting all the various components between each system.

Audio for an event of this scale was no small feat. Not only did the CT Audio Team design & implement a PA system to distribute the clarity needed for spoken word intelligibility, but they also had to meet the rigorous demands for live musical entertainment, all within the same system design. This was achieved by utilizing SoundVision to model the arena to systematically locate 48- L-Acoustics K2 speakers for the main PA and 44- L-Acoustics Kara for delays and fills in multiple line arrays. 16- L-Acoustics KS28 Double 18in Sub Woofers were deployed for the corporate meeting, while 24- Subs were needed when Zack Brown Band took the stage on the final night to bring this week long production to its finale.