NEW YORK – When the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly kicked off a round of international events and meetings at the headquarters of the world body, Scharff Weisberg supported three key events: the South Sudan Multilateral Meeting (SSMM) produced by The White House and the back-to-back Every Woman, Every Child event (EWEC) and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance meeting (ALMA), both produced by J. Marshall Events Inc. Scharff Weisberg supplied a lighting package for the SSMM specifically to light President Barrack Obama. Natasha Jameson-Randolph was lighting designer for the gathering convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and addressing a region often tragically in the headlines the last few years.
The EWEC and ALMA events were held in the UN's new ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) Chamber where Scharff Weisberg provided Vari*Lite VL2500 and VL3500 spots plus custom VL gobos; Source Four ellipsoidal spots; ColorKinetics eW Cove Powercores; ColorKinetics ColorBlast LEDs and a High End Whole Hog IPC console for lighting control.
"I've been told that these were the best-looking events of the whole summit," said Julie-Ann Marshall, head of J. Marshall Events Inc., adding that "people were really amazed how they stood out from more than 100 events."
"The ECOSOC Chamber was a new room with electrics and lighting that were unknown to all of us," Marshall continued. "It was the first time that the General Assembly was done in that room, and I wanted to make sure that our events didn't come off as second-rate. So I worked with Scharff Weisberg and LD Barrett Hall to let them know the signature colors and logos for the two events, and they developed gobos that could be switched to give the perspective of two different rooms for those watching on television."
Although the turnaround time was tight, Marshall noted that "Scharff Weisberg always had my back. They always knew what I wanted and were great collaborators. They were a joy, and the UN loves working with them, too."
LD Barrett Hall said "it was very exciting being part of the first team to implement a design at such a prestigious venue. I've had many past collaborations with Scharff Weisberg and never hesitate to name them as my go-to company for lighting because they consistently provide top-notch gear and knowledgeable support staff through every step of the production process."
In addition to lighting equipment for EWEC and ALMA, Scharff Weisberg also supplied podiums, wireless mics and wireless and wired headsets for the events.
For more information, please visit www.scharffweisberg.com.
