WASHINGTON, DC — Not all Christmas lighting ceremonies are matters of national security, or need to be attended by the Secret Service. For the National Christmas Tree lighting event staged earlier this month, however, LD Stefan DeWilde made sure Atmosphere Inc. provided a grandMA console, and a second one as a backup. “I really need to count on the console for this show,” DeWilde said. “There are no other lights in the venue other than those controlled from the console. If, for some reason, the lights went out it would be nightmare for the Secret Service, and would compromise the President's safety. So it’s extremely important to have a reliable console.”
The televised ceremony, held for the 85th year, lit a Colorado blue spruce with strings of golden lights and a star. It will remain lit through Jan. 1. The ceremony included musical performers, a military band and a message from the President Bush. Members of Congress and hundreds of visitors and residents of the capital attended the ceremony as well.
“I light the White House facade and grounds and the musical production staged around the tree lighting,” DeWilde said. “This year we had Grammy winner Jon Secada, country music star, Rissi Palmer, The United States Army Band, and even Santa came out to do a little number. The President delivered his speech then everyone sang Christmas carols.”
On the grandMA, DeWilde spoke favorably of the operating system, layouts, user interface and options including networking, multitasking and syntax. Along with the ceremony, other seasonal activities continuing on the White House Ellipse include a Yule log, large-scale model train and Santa’s Workshop display. A nightly music program also showcases choirs and dancers to entertain holiday crowds.
“While the White House venue is special, Stefan is a very talented designer who we have worked with him in other prestigious venues. He dips deep into the feature set, and his exceptional work is further enhanced by his understanding of the grandMa system,” said , Bob Gordon, A.C.T Lighting president and CEO. A.C.T Lighting is the exclusive distributor of the grandMA in North America.
For more information, please visit www.actlighting.com.
