More to see
Samples of our work
We have provided services for events from the Presidential Inauguration to the local high school dance. The events outlined below were choosen to high light some of the range of program requirements we routinely support.
Links to photos of some of these events follow the event name. Each photo will open in a new window..
• USO 4th of July Salute to the Troops ( the White House, Washington DC )
The USO in conjunction with the White House created a 4th of July celebration on the south lawn with a cookout for 3000 service members and their families. Performances by the Marine Band, the Foo Fighters, Michelle Branch and Jimmy Fallon. Challenges facing the production team included ensuring that the White House grounds did not suffer from the impact of rock and roll production. Set up and sound checks had to fit into the schedule of the business of the government and the staging set up had to fit the toe of the event, more picnic that concert event. All of these goals were met and exceeded
• First Americans Festival ( The Mall in Washington DC )
The Festival included the opening ceremonies of the national Museum of the American Indian. The weeklong concert performances ran the gamut from traditional chanting and drumming to full rock and roll with Indigenous and Buffy Sainte-Marie. Audience sizes ranged from 60,000 on opening day to a few thousand during the later part of the week. The Vertec line array was zoned vertically to allow muting of the upper longthrow elements that would have interfered with performances 800 feet or more away on the other stages. The new Yamaha PM5D console was used at FOH to permit rapid changes from act to act.
• US Army Band - 1812 Overture ( Washington Monument )
An annual event with the band that always draws a large 10- 20,000 audience due in part to the accompaniment of the Army salute gun battery with real howitzers. The use of the JBL Vertec 4888 Line Array speaker systems allowed for a very natural reenforcement of the full concert band to well beyond the wide spread picnicing audience area. The new Vertec Line Array system also makes possible very rapid installation permitting a crew of four people to install sound in four hours on powered lifts that previously required a full scaffolding crew plus a sound crew for an all day set.
• NAACP National Meetings ( Baltimore Convention Center )
Ballroom and meeting rooms, 3000 audience. This convention included daytime sessions with speeches from major presidential candidates, general sessions, major press feed distribution and gospel choir performances. Evening dinner events featured performances by Yolanda Adams and the O'Jays. Long , complex daytime sessions and changeovers to elaborate musical performances required separate crews for the general session and entertainment programs.
• White House News Photographers Gala ( National Building Museum )
Center & East courts, 1500 audience. The awards dinner included video playback during the awards program and a performance by the Marine Band. The unique acoustic environment of the "Pension Building" required distribution of sound from almost two dozen small speaker systems to bring the sound as close as possible to the listeners Very careful attention to detail in both level setting for even sound coverage and cable distribution for the safety of the audience is also needs special attention at this venue.
• Easter Church services (Showplace Arena, Upper Marlboro MD)
Arena floor, bleacher seating and overflow rooms, 7000 audience. This service is accompanied by a sixteen piece band, two hundred voice choir and various featured vocalists. Audio for video recording is mixed to digital multi track tape by the Big Mo remote truck. The arena ceiling is not rated for flying sound equipment and full 360 degree sight lines are required by the client. Speaker systems are flown from steel towers festival style at trim heights sufficient to allow an unobstructed view of the stage.
• National Fallen Firefighters Memorial ( Emmitsburg MD )
An annual event with small memorial services in the chapel linked to the overflow audience in the campus auditorium by a wireless system and the main memorial service at the monument site with 7000 audience outdoors. The 2001 event included a presidential address added three days before the date. Coordination with WHCA pursued very quickly to ensure a smooth program.
• Hispanic Caucus Dinner ( Hilton Washington Ballroom )
Hilton Washington Hotel Ballroom, 2200 audience. This program included speeches from the main stage podium, video playback and a performance by Tito Puente on a second stage facing the main stage. Morning events in the ballroom required an overnight installation of ceiling hung speakers and rapid set-up of the remaining equipment to permit afternoon rehearsals.
• Race for the Cure ( Washington Monument )
Washington Monument Grounds for the main stage and start and finish line systems on Constitution & Pennsylvania Aves., total attendance about 70,000. The main stage supported musical groups and speeches from various celebrities and the Vice President. The race systems were distributed along the roadways and supported announcements at the start line and announcements with music playback at the finish. Radio links were used with speakers systems. amplifiers & generators installed atop mobile lifts to allow quick positioning on the morning of the race for areas that were not closed until the last minute.
• Taste of DC Festival ( Washington DC )
Two stages on Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington DC , 25,000 at these stages. The main sound system supported major national Jazz performer Tito Puente and a variety of other national & local performers. The festival ran two days with set up the evening prior to the first day. Primary and back up power generators were on hand with a quick change capability for maximum reliability.
• Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend ( Washington Convention Center )
Washington Convention Center Hall D, 4000 audience. The sound design for these events supported both the Prayer breakfast and the main dinner event with international music performers, speeches from the podium and a presidential address. Provisions for press coverage included coordination with WACA and independent press mult distribution for speeches and musical program.
• Servistar Hardware National Meetings ( Baltimore Convention Center )
Baltimore Convention Center - Ballroom and meeting rooms, 5000 audience. This convention required seven independent sound systems and coordination with the IATSE stage hands union at the convention center to install sound systems and ensure that the IATSE operators were familiar with all aspects of the systems. The ballroom was recombined after the meeting functions ended on the last day and the sound systems were reconfigured, augmented and ready in three hours to support a full production entertainment event.
• Putamayo World Fest ( Sylvan Theater )
Sylvan Theater Washington Monument Grounds - 10,000 audience. The music festival featured a wide variety of world music performers from large rock bands to traditional musicians and in various combinations. Stage instructions in several languages and a fast paced festival type schedule required a very alert crew.
• Best Buddies Ball
Potomac MD - 160 x 140 ft tent, 1200 audience. The Ball is a seated dinner featuring presentations from the podium, circus performers and national musical performers. Concert speaker systems to support the high energy musical acts are flown from tent poles to keep sight lines to the stage open and prevent excessive volume at tables near the stage. The extensive stage monitor mix position adjacent to the stage is included in the stage decoration plans from the beginning to maintain a clean party presentation.
• Kidney Foundation Ball ( Hilton Washington Hotel )
Hilton Washington Hotel Ballroom, 2200 audience. The program for this years show included speeches from the main and auxiliary podiums, video playback and a performance by Wynonna Judd. Tight scheduling of the ballroom required a prehang of the loudspeaker clusters overnight to permit maximum time for rehearsals with the presenters and performers.
• Washington Irish Festival ( Glen Echo National Park )
Five stages throughout the Glen Echo Park, 20,000 total attendance. The sound requirements for this event included small to medium size sound systems at each stage for traditional music groups, Irish dancers and story presentations. An important consideration was designing each sound system set up to minimize interference with nearby stages.
• Blues Foundation Hall of Fame Awards ( Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University )
Awards show in an 1800 seat theatre with presentations from podium and wireless mics, video playback and performances by traditional and modern blues & blues influenced musicians from the US, Europe & Africa.
• Marine Corp Marathon (Arlington National Cemetery)
• National Cathederal Dedication ( Washington National Cathedral )
• Girl Scouts National Jamboree ( Washington Monument )
• Microsoft DCI ( Washington Convention Center )
• International Dance Exercise Association
• United Way National Convention ( Baltimore Convention Center )
• Capitol City Jazz Festival ( Bull Run Park )
• US Presidential Inuagural Balls ( Washington DC Armory )
• Takoma Park Folk Festival ( Takoma Park MD )
• White House Easter show ( The Ellipse Washington DC ) see a picture
• Kennedy Center Open House ( JF Kennedy Center Washington DC )
• Discovery Channel Annual Preview ( Grand Hyatt Washington Ballroom )