Also in attendance was QLD Premier, Peter Beattie, as well as the Chairman of Virgin Blue, Sir Richard Branson and CEO and Virgin Blue co-founder, Brett Godfrey. Staging Connections in Brisbane won the contract to produce, manage and stage the show earlier this year.  The key proposal centred on a “construction” concept as the underlying support for the broader Virgin Blue ‘red and silver’ theme. Staging Connections’ talented team including account director and business development manager Simon Relph, event producer, Stacey Buckley, production director for technical services, Ian Tucker, and creative director for show design and executive, Todd Hurley, created some spectacular elements for the event including Australia’s largest kabuki drop (98m x 14m). The opening sequence of the show was set to U2’s Elevation and included dancers and aerial acrobats with a lighting and laser display.  Staging Connections set up the new maintenance hangar with a central stage with four catwalks and seating in-the-round. The venue featured three large screens with the main central screen measuring over 20 metres wide and controlled by Staging Connections’ WatchOut projection system – the only one of its type in Queensland, which delivers amazing picture quality from the stage area to more than 40 feet. Virgin Blue’s public and media relations manager, Amanda Bolger said the team at Staging Connections was professional, enthusiastic “and shared our passion for putting on an event with true flair and style. Their commitment and attention to detail helped ensure a successful and spectacular evening.”

Facts and figures
• Featured the largest kabuki drop produced in Australia measuring 98m x 14m.
• Elements of the show were delivered using Staging Connections’ WatchOut software and projected onto a screen more than 20 metres wide which ensured that stage entertainment was visible up to 40 metres away.
• Staging Connections installed more than 20 tons of lighting, sound and vision equipment in the ceiling of the hangar
• The show took a full week working 24/7 to bump in all the equipment
• Around 80 experienced technicians were involved in the set up
• The electricity used for the show would be enough to power 240 homes for eight hours
• Using the extensive resources of Staging Connections and their partnership approach to staging high level creative events means that the production was entirely seamless and clients had a centralised resource for all their event requirements.

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