Last year, the United Centre production team took a hard look at their ageing lighting gear and decided it was time to upgrade. Brady Tieman, technical production manager at the United Centre, reports, "Eight of the fixtures were a pan and tilt model that was prone to frequent failures; they spent too much time in the shop which resulted in countless hours of programming to come up with workarounds for defective fixtures.
"The other eight moving mirror fixtures were over 12 years old and had become too expensive to maintain. Unlike a touring act, we don't have full time light techs on staff to quickly repair moving lights." The tech team brought their challenge to production company Upstaging in Sycamore, Illinois, who recommended the MAC III Profiles. "
Tieman continues, "Generally speaking, as the fan pays more and more for their event ticket, anything you can do to increase their entertainment experience is a plus. A robust moving light system allows you the power and flexibility to create atmospheres ranging from the dramatic to the frenetic.
"Lighting in a sports venue is certainly not the main event, but as a component of the overall entertainment it does contribute positively to the fan experience. Nobody buys a ticket for the light show but I'd like to think they try to get here on time so they don't miss it."
The United Centre bought and installed eight MAC III Profiles last year and because of their satisfaction, another eight units joined them this summer. The 16 fixtures are split up between the bottom of the centre-hung scoreboard and the outer perimeter of the catwalks.
(Jim Evans)
