ASPEN, CO — Rental and production house Alchemy Concert Systems, based here, recently purchased Elation Professional EPV9 IP LED panels and put them to work on two events at Aspen Mountain ski resort -the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s 2013 Audi Ajax Cup in late December and a corporate event in early February. The panels are IP65-rated for outdoor use.
More details from Elation Professional (www.elationlighting.com):
John Czechowicz of Alchemy Concert Systems explains the reasons behind the decision to add the Elation panels to their inventory.
“We have been sub-renting modular LED display panels for over a year and have been weary to enter the market due to high cost and rapid obsolescence of products due to exponential growth in LED technology. The EPV9 IP was the first product that we felt had the price and performance to allow us to be competitive in the large outdoor modular display market.”
Czechowicz noted that the fact that the panels were sold and supported by a known name brand was an important factor in the decision, as was the price point and the panels’ IP65 rating. The 9mm pixel pitch and 5,500 Nits of brightness were also key factors.
Audi Ajax Cup
For the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club’s 2013 Audi Ajax Cup in late December, a 3 x 5 panel EPV9 IP screen mounted off a 15’ truss arch showed pre-race day advertising and program information for Aspen Mtn. gondola traffic while race day content consisted of live race footage, athlete bios and advertising. Media was delivered and scaled using Elation Arkaos Media Master Pro software on a custom-built media server.
“With the screen suspended 15’ in the air, the adjustable blow-though design of the panels gave us added peace of mind,” Czechowicz stated. “The screen was overwhelmingly bright even in direct noon-day sunlight. The client, who was concerned that it wouldn’t be visible during the day, was very happy with it. The screen was even visible from the other side of town.”
Corporate Event
A corporate event held in early February to celebrate the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics included former US Olympians, a 100-skier torch light parade down Aspen Mountain and a large pyrotechnic display. A pair of 2 x 4 panel EPV9 IP screens suspended from 10’ truss arches that were buried in the snow flanked the ski area’s Little Nell ski run. Olympic-themed graphics, corporate branding/logos and live TV coverage was run on the panels.
“The light weight and ease of connection of the panels was invaluable as we had to setup in the dark the night before the event because the ski run could not be obstructed while the mountain was in operation during the day,” Czechowicz said. “We even had to dial down the brightness because the screens were overpowering the fireworks! We ran an overnight test pattern at 1% brightness to keep the screens warm and even that lit up the entire base of the mountain.”
