IBM decided to put on a Gala Day for their employees and their families. We were asked to provide sound and lighting for the three main marquees. Each tent was over 1000 capacity, with the largest of the three holding 1700.

There was a different musical line up in each tent. The biggest tent had an Abba tribute and seventies style band, so we used mirrorballs and oil lamps to reinforce the theme. Tent 2 had a standard rock & roll lighting setup, covering a Beatles tribute and a reggae band. Tent 3 was the ceilidh tent, with a simpler stage setup and more emphasis on the audience.

Whilst the event had been planned for a long time, our site access was reasonably limited so the setting up process had to be very well organised, to enable steady progress in each of the three venues. Torrential rain meant that getting vehicles to the tents proved quite tricky.

The event itself was a resounding success. The atmosphere built as guests arrived, and the party got into full swing as the bands took to the stage.