Radisson Blu Hotel
IVTM provided technical services and stage managed the launch event for the new 5 star Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton, Johannesburg.
INHOUSE Venue Technical Management (IVTM) is part of the Gearhouse South Africa Group. Staging, lighting, sound and AV equipment for the reception was supplied from Gearhouse’s Johannesburg head office. The project was co-ordinated for by John Khambule and for Gearhouse South Africa by Lee Reynolds who worked in close collaboration.
Cutting the ribbon: Dr Rajab Lasswad, Owner of Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton (left); Mr. Kurt Ritter, President & C.E.O of Rezidor Hotel Group (middle); Mr. Paul Mashatile, Premier of South African province Gauteng (right).
The glittering event was attended by industry leaders, government officials, media, celebrities and VIPs including Tokyo Sexwale, Zenani Mandela (Nelson Mandela’s daughter), David Tlale (one of South Africa’s biggest fashion designers), Gauteng Premier Paul Mashatile (who cut the ribbon), Kurt Ritter (President and C.E.O. of the Rezidor Hotel Group), Maarten van den Niewwenhuijsen (GM and District Director of the Rezidor Hotel Group), Wikus Breytenbach (Deputy GM), and Cathie Bester, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Radisson Blu Hotel, Sandton.
Khambule and Reynolds took an initial brief from their client and added their own input and ideas to help make the evening special and memorable. “Our aim was to show off the hotel’s features whilst being as unobtrusive as possible with our technology,” explains Khambule.
The event took place in several locations around the hotel. Once guests arrived, they were escorted initially up to the hotel’s Conference Centre and adjacent balcony on Level 12. The latter was covered by a giant Bedouin tent and offered breathtaking views across the whole of eastern Johannesburg.
The pool deck
Once the party was underway, guests also had access to the bar and reception areas on Level 13, and could walk through to various other facilities including 3 floors of the Planet Fitness Platinum Gym, the One Wellness Spa and the pool deck, which also offered commanding views out over the west of Sandton.
In the bar, a Christie 8K projector was rigged on a header above, projecting footage (cameras supplied by Event Cam, also of the GHSA Group) of the ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches onto a 12 x 9 ft screen opposite, intercut with corporate video footage. Below the screen was a small stage complete with a DJ booth and L’Acoustics HiQ sound system set up for DJ René, who rocked the house later in the evening, accompanied by a live sax player woven into his mixes. Martin 2000 moving lights were installed in the passageways overlooking the bar to add an intimate club ambience.
In the main Conference Room, IVTM built another stage 7ft deep by 24ft wide, used for the opening speeches and a live performance by African Afro-Soul artist, Unathi Nkayi, all filmed and relayed back to the bar screen. The audio system here was a Nexo PS10 console and lighting consisted of a combination of generic and Studio Spot fixtures.
Unathi Nkayi
The main challenge for the Gearhouse team was the get in – which was via a small service lift – and the larger pieces of kit had to be manoeuvred up several flights of stairs.
The launch of the new Johannesburg property follows the Gearhouse’s Cape Town branch’s successful supply of technical services and equipment as in-house technical supplier for the Radisson SAS Waterfront Hotel, where they have been contracted since December 2006. The INHOUSE VTM service operates in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, offering a detail oriented, corporate technical service for small to medium sized events.
The Radisson BLU Sandton also offers guests prime location. Situated on the corner of Rivonia Road and Daisy Street, it is within walking distance of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and renowned multinational corporations. It is also close to the Sandton Convention Centre, Gautrain station and various upmarket shopping malls. Guests can look forward to the best in contemporary cuisine, as well as a vibey bar. All guests receive a complimentary invite to the state-of-the-art 5.500m² Platinum Planet Fitness Centre, and for those who need tranquillity and relaxation, the ONEWellness Spa offers an idyllic retreat.
