NEWPORT, RI – For a recent corporate event, JDI Productions accented the architecture of historically significant Fort Adams here. Mark Kuepker, JDI Productions’ project manager for the event, noted how Chauvet Professional’s WELL 2.0 fixtures met the strategic needs of the project. Even though the historic fort had ample power supplies, Kuepker noted that the battery-powered fixtures were easy to set up and eliminated the possibility that guests might trip on power cords.
More details from Chauvet (www.chauvetprofessional.com)
As far as event venues go, there aren’t many that cast the evocative spell of Fort Adams. Steeped in history (it began life as a military installation in 1799), and sitting on a bluff where the North Atlantic meets Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, the cavernous stone structure, with its long haunting archways, imposing bastions and network of casements, captivates the imagination. JDI Productions accented the alluring aspects of this endless fascinating structure at a private corporate function by strategically uplighting areas of the building with a collection of WELL 2.0 fixtures from CHAUVET Professional.
“This is a great place to work at because of its location, its history and its looks,” said Mark Kuepker, JDI Productions’ project manager for the event. “When you look at the building, you know it was meant for uplighting. The Chauvet WELLs were ideally suited for the job.”
Battery-powered LED uplights with built in W-DMX receivers for wireless DMX control, the WELL Series fixtures provide an easy and convenient way to wash walls, displays and other areas with richly colored light, from bold hues to soft pastels, even when power draw is an issue. However, Fort Adams, which is also the home of the famous Newport Jazz Festival, had ample power connections. Nevertheless, Kuepker used the WELL 2.0 fixtures anyway to eliminate the risk of guests tripping over cords and wiring – and because of the quality of their light.
“We’re able to get some incredible colors out of the WELL fixtures, especially the ambers,” said Kuepker. “The color we used was medium amber throughout the event, because it fit the historic architecture of the facility, plus corporate event clients always seem to love amber; it sets a nice relaxingly elegant tone. Everything seems to look better in amber light.”
The corporate event at Fort Adams lasted six hours and with warm-up time the WELL fixtures ran for eight hours straight, according to Kuepker. “The fixtures run for something like 12 hours on a charge, so we had no issues with power,” he said. “We charged the Chauvet WELLs in their cases before going out to the event.”
Kuepker positioned a variety of 30 different WELL fixtures throughout the historic venue. “We lined the entrance way with six WELLs leading into the fort, which set a very elegant tone for the event,” he said. “Then we placed seven WELLs on the outside of the casemates and the other 17 fixtures were set inside the casements. The net result was that our uplighting communicated to everyone in attendance that this was a very special event, which made us all feel good about the lighting design.”
