Production
A limited build window, a culturally historic building and a programme that had to switch from seminar to club. The production was planned zone by zone to hold quality, safety and time together.
24–25 September
From empty hall to finished house
The build window was short and the building listed. Everything was planned zone by zone so that every team knew when and where.
- 24.09, 08 – 20Build day
Most of the technology was rigged: sound, lighting and LED. Photo walls and the photo booth were set up, furniture was delivered to Stallgatan 6 and the florists began preparing the flowers.
- 25.09, until 11.00Final details
All chairs were set out, tables laid, and décor, signage and flowers put in place.
- 11.00Soundcheck
Sound, video and running order checked with the stage.
- 13.30Everything in place
All staff at their positions. Publicis employees were let in first to get the atmosphere going.
- 17.15 – 18.30The changeover
The Winter Garden was rebuilt from seminar hall to club while guests ate in Royals and Bolinderska. About 60 people carried out 550 chairs and refurnished the hall in an hour.
- 00.00 – 03.00Strike
Everything was dismantled and taken out the same night.
Technology
One base rig, two modes
Grand Hôtel and the hotel’s technical partner provided the base packages. Kehitys designed the whole, added a sound system and lighting, and was responsible for video, presentations and visuals. Lucas led technology and stage with three specialist teams and synchronised speakers and DJs.
The seminar
Sound and video for three speakers, four presenters and AI voices. Headset and clicker for everyone on stage.
Screens and presentations
One large LED screen in the centre. A presentation template for the speakers and calm graphics between talks.
VJ and projection mapping
The visuals followed the music and made the room’s architecture part of the club. During the talks a glitter projection lay across the ceiling, and at 22.00 the laser took over the room.
From day to night
The base rig stayed in place all day. Before the evening it was supplemented with a DJ booth, laser and VJ, and lighting and sound were reset for the dance floor.
One technical position
All technology was controlled from one position in the room, draped to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Operations
Our own systems for guest flow and operations
Kehitys replaced parts of Grand’s own solutions where it gave guests a better experience, and supplemented the hotel’s staff with its own team.
The bar.
The bar system was rebuilt together with Grand so that all six bars ran through the guest platform. During the evening there were 1,333 orders and 1,952 drinks in the system. In total, 5,582 drinks were served during the day: 700 at the pre-reception, 1,880 during the walking dinner, 1,952 through the bars in the platform and 150 bottles of wine, about 1,050 glasses, served outside the system. Coffee and soft drinks come on top of that.
The evening’s peak.
Pressure was highest between 19.00 and 20.00, with 305 orders in one hour. Bar 6 was set up at 19.57 to meet demand and served 162 orders and 251 drinks for the rest of the evening. An express bar shortened the queues.
The host team.
During the evening a dedicated Kehitys host team supplemented the hotel’s staff. The hosts guided guests, were someone to turn to with questions and kept the flow moving between rooms.
Contingency
Everything that could go wrong had a plan
An event with 549 guests, a culturally historic building and a one-hour changeover leaves no room for improvisation. Every risk was mapped in advance and given an owner and a routine.
Insurance and liability. Liability insurance and organiser responsibility were checked before the event. Grand was responsible for the building, Kehitys for the production. Damage, lost property and hired equipment were signed off at the handover to Grand at 03.00, so that nothing appeared on the final invoice afterwards.
Security on site. Leon ran the entrance with his own team, with Grand’s twelve guards in the background and dedicated guards at the private entrance to Soho House. Escape routes were checked once more after the changeover, before 18.30, when 550 chairs had been moved and furniture brought in. Grand provided first aid, and every key role had a named backup.
If the app went down. Printed guest lists were at the entrance, updated the night before. Only Adde or Aron could decide to switch to manual mode, and the guards would then admit guests directly from the name list. No switch was needed, but the platform was fixed while in use: when two iPads logged in to the same bar it was resolved on the spot, and when pressure increased Bar 6 was opened without interrupting service.
Weather and transport. Guests might have to queue on Blasieholmen on an evening in late September, so a tent at the entrance was prepared with Grand in case of rain. Taxis were pre-booked for 23.45, so that 300 people would not order at once and get stuck on the way to Soho House.
The people. Those who worked around the clock, from rigging in the morning to 02.00, had meals and breaks scheduled. It is around 21.00 that tired teams start making bad decisions.