Gala Dinner, 2012 Watch and Jewellery Exhibition

During the 2012 Watch and Jewellery Exhibition in Doha, a gala dinner was held at the Sheraton Hotel, where the evening’s entertainment included dramatic performances by aerial artists, dancers and musicians.

Essential to the performance were two concentric rings, 8m and 10m in diameter, designed to look like cogs from a watch. Flown above the stage, the ‘cogs’ appeared to float in mid-air, moving and gyrating in time to the music.

The original equipment was delayed in transit, so production manager Romain Rossel of MCI Geneva contacted Unusual Rigging and Engineering, who provide the precise control required for the performance.
Project manager for Unusual Rigging & Engineering Leon Ingram explains: “The rings were suspended from a 10m high ground support system, the movement being provided by 11 hoists. With only days to come up with the solution, we were thankful that our inventory includes Liftket chain hoists as these were perfect for the job. They offer various speed options and are extremely quiet, which was also a big factor in the presentation.”

Romain Rossel says: “The effect of the flying rings was crucial to the show and it was a challenge for Leon and his team to join the project at the last minute. But they handled it well, adapting the equipment to provide the solution to our needs. They did a great job and our client and guests were very impressed with the result.”