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Lighting extravaganza at Xerocon London 2019

by Olivia Powell

Xerocon London 2019, the ‘world’s most beautiful and innovative conference for cloud accounting leaders’ recently closed their London show.

The event, which took place 13-14 November 2019 brought together over 3,500 delegates including accountants, ecosystem partners, industry leaders and bookkeepers, who were all able to find out the latest news and updates from cloud-based accounting software company Xero.

The full technical design and production for the two-day event was provided by creative technical production expert Hawthorn, chosen by agency Taylor Bennett Partners.

Led by Hawthorn’s head of creative technical, Pete Harding, the company was responsible for bringing Taylor Bennett’s vision to life by delivering full technical production for the main conference plenary, exhibition space, break-out sessions and evening party. The design featured an LED screen, a lightbox installation and a village green complete with a cricket pitch and projection-mapped pond.

The Xerocon main stage played host to two days of sessions from business leaders, industry experts, thought makers and even astronaut Major Tim Peake. Made from 413 panels of ROE CB5 LED, the three-section screen was 44 metres wide and 368m2. Custom-made circular LED discs, each featuring 255 individual RGB pixels per fixture, were used between the sections.

Russell Grubiak designed the lighting, and audio in the Keynote Theatre was delivered using a d&b audiotechnik V Series line array. The ArrayProcessing system ensured audio was delivered evenly across the space.

Hawthorn worked closely with the team at Taylor Bennett to create the lightbox installation. Hawthorn used eight 14 metre x 1 metre lightboxes along with custom-made lightshades that diffused colour changing light.

The exhibition space also featured a village green, complete with the Xero Arms, a cricket pitch and a projection-mapped pond. The set-up was completed with a 38 metre x 10 metre projection on the back wall.

The Xerocon party closed the first day of the conference, providing delegates with food, music and activities. The evening included entertainment from Skimmington Ride on a Glastonbury-inspired acoustic stage and Mad Hen on the main stage.

Russell Bennett, partner at Taylor Bennett Partners, said: “With Xerocon often referred to as the Glastonbury for accountants, the pressure is on to make sure we deliver an amazing brand experience that creates powerful memories for delegates. By getting technical experts such as Hawthorn on board, we’re able to utilise the latest technologies to create those wow moments that forge emotional connections with audiences. I always know that the team at Hawthorn will rise to the challenge and find innovative solutions that bring my creative visions to life.”

Head of Creative Technical at Hawthorn, Pete Harding, added: “The award-winning team at Taylor Bennett Partners are renowned for delivering incredible brand experiences and Xerocon London 2019 is another amazing example of that. People may have pre-conceptions about an accountancy conference but as soon as you step into the Keynote Theatre or the exhibition space at Xerocon, they’re forgotten! The event really breaks the mould and is a true disruptor in its sector. Russell always has a fantastic vision and we love getting creative with the latest production technologies to bring his exceptional visions into reality.”

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