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Last month's Gulf Bike Expo in Dubai brought together some of the UAE's best-known technology suppliers. Patrick Elligett spoke to production manager Tom Casey about the unforeseen challenges that cropped up during the event.
Without doubt, the Gulf Bike Expo was a tricky event to prepare for. Featuring stunt areas, two live stages, food and beverage stalls, exhibition tents and a skateboarding arena, the event presented numerous logistical challenges to the production companies and equipment suppliers involved.
The scale of the production required collaboration among various companies and freelance service providers, a situation which can often result in conflict among the various interested parties.
In this case however, there was no conflict, clash of ego, or cooperation issues and everyone worked towards a common goal, says Tom Casey, production manager for the Gulf Bike Expo.
"It was surprisingly smooth in that respect," he says. "We'd all been on the same page for a while and decided to just get on with things.
"We had the Deep Purple concert and the piazza stage which hosted a full 2pm to 10pm programme on each day of the event. We also had to manage the motorbike exhibition and the stunt areas, so there was plenty to do.
"Thankfully, the venue provided a large enough space to accomodate the various aspects of the event."
Casey says the highlight of the event in terms of technical production came with the two live stages, which accomodated performances from a number of acts, including Deep Purple.
Casey admits there were also a number of challenges to overcome during the pre-production phase.
He says the expo's Red Bull stunt area required a great deal of planning and preparation, from lining the barriers with hay, to the construction of the jump ramp itself.
"The scale of work required to build the ramp was somewhat surprising. We needed to bring in earthmoving and bulldozing equipment to do it," he says.
"I'd love to tell you that we brought in 50 tonnes of dirt but to be honest I have no idea what volume was required, but it was a lot. All in all, it took two or three days to build the ramp.
"We also brought in a street-sweeper to clean up the excess sand in the stunt area to ensure there was adequate friction in the surface."
It seems each segment of the event presented its own unique challenges. While MECOM Forums, which was in charge of the exhibition aspect of the show, faced certain issues regarding the erection of the exhibition tent, the crews responsible for constructing the stage were busy working to install a roof that had never before been used.
"The roof was brand new - straight out of the box," says Casey.
Transguard - Security.
SLS Production - Technology supplier.
Artes Middle East - Technology supplier.
Apex Scaffolding - Staging and scaffolding.
Red Bull - Coordinating stunt events.
Harley Davidson - Liaising with local bike clubs.
Live Nation - Concert promotion.
Gulf Crewing - Labour supply.
Dubai Festival City - Site hosts and equipment providers.
Total Fabrications - Stage construction (also manufactured the stage roof).
Access All Areas (AAA) - Backline equipment.
MECOM Forums - Exhibition.
Freelancers - Lighting, sound and production.
Delta Sound Dubai - On stage sound.
Concert Event Management (CEM) - Power distribution.
