2022 TAIT Yearbook

2022

YEAR

BOOK

2022 was about getting live entertainment back. 2023 is about building for the future.

We’re a team whose varied and deep skill sets seamlessly align. Together, we craft unique entertainment experiences for diverse markets in every corner of the globe.

And there’s much more to come.

We are TAIT Unlimit Your Ideas

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2022 YEAR BOOK

James ‘Winky’ Fairorth on 2022 Looking Forward with Adam Davis

JUMP by Limitless Flight Bloomberg Philanthropies: Climate Events 2022 Roger Waters: This Is Not A Drill Tour Coldplay: Music of the Spheres World Tour Bad Bunny: World’s Hottest Tour The Rolling Stones: Sixty Royal Opera House: Flying System Upgrade

Istana Budaya

6.

44.

92.

Hong Kong Cultural Centre: Flying System Upgrade Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience Dave: We’re All Alone in This Together My Chemical Romance: Foundations Tour Riot Games: League of Legends World Championship Lady Gaga: The Chromatica Ball

8.

50.

94.

We are TAIT

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52.

96.

Welcome, Thinkwell

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58.

98.

2022 Projects

64.

104.

The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour

20.

66.

106.

Michael Bublé: The Higher Tour Fernbank WildWoods: AGLOW Nica Burns, Nimax Theatres: @sohoplace

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70.

28.

108.

30.

Founders Entertainment: Sound on Sound Music Festival Snap Inc.: Snap NewFront 2022 Wynn Las Vegas: Awakening London’s West End Shows

MDLBEAST: Soundstorm Music Festival 2022

76.

110.

THG: Galaxy Crystal Lobby

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Outernet London: The Now Building

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114.

Stormzy: Heavy is the Head Tour MSC Cruises: MSC World Europa

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80.

Adele: Weekends with Adele

38.

116.

84.

TIME: TIME100 Summit and Gala 2022

Post Malone: Twelve Carat Tour

40.

118.

MDLBEAST: Balad Beast

86.

Adele: BST Hyde Park

90.

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W I N K Y

C A L L I T A C OM E B A C K

Two years ago, the future of live entertainment was unclear. We have all learned a lot of lessons as we have figured out how to get back to what we know and love to do. 2022 proved, beyond a doubt, that music and live events are core to being human. The rebound for live experiences has been incredible. We believed we would see a comeback, but everyone has been blown away by the response and the demand. Artists and designers couldn’t wait to be in community with their fans again. And the audiences have rushed to be part of these experiences.

“2022 proved, beyond a doubt, that music and live events are core to being human. The rebound for live experiences has been incredible.” Our team has come together to meet the challenge – because that’s what we do. We rallied as a new team with deeper skillsets, in more disciplines, and in more locations than ever before. We’re keyed up to be a turnkey operation that can deliver at any – and all – moments across the life of a live experience. We have just made it through the most challenging years the industry has ever faced – and we’re stronger than we have ever been to be prepared for what comes next. We should all feel proud!

Top Right Image: Roger Waters, This Is Not A Drill Tour. Right Middle Image: Adele, Weekends with Adele. Bottom Middle Image: Rolling Stones, Sixty.

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A D A M D A V I S

“I’ve been excited about the future of TAIT many times before, and every year our team and our customers keep raising the bar and my excitement

L O O K I N G F O R WA R D

A D A M — O N — 2 0 2 3

grows along with it. The future is bright.”

As we look into 2023, we are excited to kick off our 45th year. People around the world crave experiences and human connection, and we’re in the business of creating those experiences. The definition of “experience” has evolved in ways we would never have imagined 45 years ago when TAIT first came onto the scene. In fact, no one had imagined the revolutionary technology Michael Tait brought to Rock ’n’ Roll in 1978. With Thinkwell’s addition to the team, we are perfectly positioned to keep shattering barriers in 2023. We’ve already gotten a glimpse at what is possible when the talents of the MENA, Montreal, Media, and LA Studio teams are combined with the expertise of our teams across the group. We are fully committed to what’s next – and making sure we’re bringing the best of our history with us.

So what’s next? More of everything. More festivals rising in the desert, more intricate structures for the world’s best-performing arts venues – on land and at sea – more tours for music legends and rising stars, more thought-provoking immersive experiences, more reality-bending rides and installations, more one-time only pop-up activations, and most of all – more fun. The TAIT Group is a powerhouse team of creative and technical minds. Together with our customers and partners, we bring the most astounding visions to life. In 2023, we’ll keep learning from the best, pushing ourselves and each other, and continue to bring joy to almost every corner of the globe in the process. I’ve been excited about the future of TAIT many times before, and every year our team and our customers keep raising the bar and my excitement grows along with it. The future is bright.

Top Right Image: Michael Tait Middle Right Image: Soundstorm 2022 Bottom Right Image: Coldplay, Music of the Spheres Tour

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W E A R E T A I T

We are a global team of planners, creative engineers, fabricators, technologists, and producers with over 1400 employees in 20 office locations. We have worked in over 30 countries, all seven continents, and even outer space.

AMSTERDAM

WAKEFIELD

Our clients include Taylor Swift, Cirque Du Soleil, The Metropolitan Opera House, Google, Warner Bros, Nike, The Royal Opera House, NASA, National Geographic, Beyoncé, and the Olympics.

MONTREAL NEW YORK

BOULDER

HAVERHILL

LAS VEGAS

TOKYO

LONDON

DUBAI

HONG KONG

LITITZ

ABU DHABI

OSAKA

LOS ANGELES

ORLANDO

SHENZHEN

RIYADH

MACAU

From concept creation and execution to opening night and beyond, we develop ideas, bring your creative vision to life, and provide long-term service and support. TAIT is your partner.

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W E P A R T N E R W I T H I N C R E D I B L E C L I E N T S

→ Strategy & Master Planning → Creative, Design, Engineering → Custom Manufacturing → Producing & Production Management → IP & Technology → Build, Installation, Delivery → Operational Training & Support

The TAIT Group works with incredible clients to deliver live experiences in spaces and places around the world. From Rock ’n’ Roll tours to Theme Parks, Opera Houses and Cruise Ships, we’re delivering every day, right across the globe.

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Revolutionizing Experiences & Live Events TAIT’s proprietary control systems & technologies (including ITEC’s controls and systems), engineering leadership, and project delivery systems combined with Thinkwell’s experiential design and production capabilities create an unparalleled organization and team. Thinkwell’s expertise further complements productionglue’s experiential marketing, event, and brand activation skillset. “Thinkwell does storytelling, strategy, and production supervision. TAIT makes it happen,” adds Thinkwell CEO Joe Zenas. “Our greatest assets are our teams. That experience and know-how is not a commodity. It’s what sets us apart. And now, with over 20 offices and studios around the world with TAIT, we can work to make projects a reality 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” By combining forces, Thinkwell and TAIT’s new project delivery structure means greater success in achieving bespoke, world-class, never-before seen experiential solutions on a grand scale. It also achieves a massive risk reduction in delivery. The combination of TAIT and Thinkwell means greater worldwide project delivery acumen. Left Image: USA Pavilion at Expo 2020, Dubai, UAE Right Top Image: Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, Cheshire, UK Right Center Image: Fernbank WildWoods: AGLOW, Atlanta, GA Right Bottom Image: Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration, Orlando, FL

Experience Design Experts Thinkwell specializes in the master planning, design, and production of world-class entertainment destinations, major branded and intellectual property attractions, interactive media installations & spectaculars, as well as museums & cultural attractions worldwide. For over 20 years, Thinkwell’s multi-disciplinary teams have created compelling, immersive experiences for a diverse portfolio of clients, including Warner Bros., Google, Universal, Lionsgate, the Smithsonian Institution, and Space Center Houston. With nearly 2000 projects completed in 28 countries worldwide, Thinkwell has earned a global reputation as an expert in creating world-class, award-winning experiences. In March 2022, we were excited to acquire Thinkwell Group, an award winning global strategy, experience design, and production agency. “We wanted to broaden our expertise in the project lifecycle,” says Adam Davis, CEO of The TAIT Group. “Thinkwell is the best in the business in the location-based, corporate branded, and cultural attraction sectors. TAIT can realize what Thinkwell conceives, and together we bring real synergies to one another. As a group, we are now the world’s largest independent guest experience and entertainment project delivery organization.”

W E L C O M E , T H I N K W E L L

“From concept creation, character development, and the throughline of guest experience to the ability to deploy teams around the world more efficiently and quicker than ever, this new experience and entertainment delivery team is literally achieving the impossible every day.”

Adam Davis CEO, the TAIT Group

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We are TAIT

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Whether we were engineering record breaking festivals in the Saudi Arabian desert, creating events to showcase game-changing ideas and people, or building touring stadium shows for iconic rock legends, in 2022 we worked tirelessly; setting the standard for the live entertainment industry. Here are just some of the incredible projects we collaborated on over the past 12 months.

Projects

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The Weeknd After Hours Til Dawn Tour

Hot on the heels of our work on The Weeknd’s Super Bowl LV Pepsi Halftime Show, we were happy to collaborate again to create a vast, three-stage stadium setup for his 19-date After Hours Til Dawn Tour. The show drew on all of our scenic, staging, and automation prowess to create an aesthetic that’s been labeled “sci-fi purgatory.”

Production Manager Rob DeCeglio Production Designer Es Devlin Scenic Design Producer Jason Ardizzone-West

Lighting Designer Jason Baeri Creative Director La Mar Taylor

We provided three themed Mag Deck stages, 17 scenic scale model decaying buildings – several with built-in performer lifts and platforms – two LED-integrated runways, and three performer lifts. We even provided Navigator automation control as well as the catenary line system and a specially designed cart to inflate a 30 ft diameter moon for the entire performance. It was an enormous, challenging project to deliver on the legendary Es Devlin’s dystopian vision, but one that was all the more satisfying for it.

Tour Manager Matt Petroff

3D Visuals Designer Polina Zakharova, Sila Sveta

Screens Director Loren Barton

Location North America

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The Weeknd, After Hours Til Dawn Tour

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We are TAIT

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Michael Bublé The Higher Tour

Building on our decade-long relationship with the Michael Bublé production, we collaborated on a design with STUFISH to create a stage setup for the Canadian singer and his band and chorus ensembles. The six-level tiered Mag Deck system featured LED integration along the outer edges and perfectly created the big band aesthetic desired for the tour. Our tiered system was split down the middle by a Mag Deck video floor ramp to the main stage level. The main stage was surrounded by our fabricated frame that featured LED fascia and a cascade of silver velvet soft goods falling from it. A custom-built acrylic staircase completed with LED lights led to a video thrust that ended in a smaller B stage that brought Bublé closer to his fans and featured sunken pits for the band. We also created an Austrian system that dropped fabric around three sides of the stage as well as two roll drops that acted as IMAG projection screens.

Designer Ric Lipson, STUFISH

Tour Manager Dean Roney

Production Manager Craig ‘Fin’ Finley

Lighting Designer Kurt Wagner

Manager Bruce Allen

Manager Randy Berswick

Location North America, South America, Australia, Europe, UK, Ireland, New Zealand

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Images: STUFISH

Fernbank WildWoods: AGLOW

WildWoods: AGLOW is a nighttime trail experience that combines immersive media and projections with dynamic lighting effects, interactive art installations, and original sound design, all set in the natural ecosystem of the WildWoods forest at Fernbank Museum of Natural History. The curiosity-driven and authentically immersive world of WildWoods: AGLOW will inspire, educate, and entertain guests of all ages. The forest at night reveals a new side of the biodiversity and relationships found within WildWoods, all waiting to be discovered.

Inspired by the real flora and fauna of the surrounding local forest, WildWoods: AGLOW invites guests to discover the hidden interactions of nature and wildlife at night across six immersive zones that blend the real environment with enhanced vignettes. Using seeds, trees, roots, and other natural elements as the canvas, lights, projections and original compositions bring WildWoods to life in an experience unlike anything else in Atlanta. Thinkwell provided creative and technical design & development, sound & lighting design, interactive design, project management, and installation for this project, led by Thinkwell’s studio team in Montreal. This is Thinkwell’s third major project with Fernbank Museum.

Client Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Location Atlanta, GA USA

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Nica Burns, Nimax Theatres @sohoplace

When London’s Crossrail project necessitated the demolition of the Astoria Theatre in 2018, developer Derwent quickly chose a theater partner – Nica Burns of Nimax Theatres. She jumped at the chance to create a unique theater offering different creative possibilities to the traditional proscenium arch theaters. It is the first new theater in the West End for half a century. We brought previous theater-design expertise to @sohoplace, delivering a scheme that transforms the space from in-the-round to thrust configurations using removable balcony modules and overhead lifting equipment. In addition to the reconfigurable infrastructure and associated cranes, we also designed an adaptable flying system with flybars, moveable point-hoists, and traveling bridges. Reconfiguration of the space is aided by the stage lift with a capacity of over 4 tonnes. Every element is engineered to serve multiple functions; the traveling bridges, which support lighting fixtures, also serve as a mounting point for the chain hoists used for balcony rigging and provide a section of track for the gantry crane.

Civil Engineers Arup

Theater Consultants Charcoalblue Architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Auditorium Architect Haworth Tompkins Principal Contractor Laing O'Rourke

The over-stage flying system uses BT2 winches in a densely packed array. Several also facilitate reconfigurable point hoists. The control system uses the custom panel features of iQ to provide a clear overview of the many safety interlocks. When it comes to the shows themselves, the theater’s automation team have all the features of the epiQ console at their fingertips for efficient show-programming, operation, and integration with other technical departments, ensuring that @sohoplace is ready to host shows with the most modern requirements.

Owner Derwent London

End Client / Building Tenant Nica Burns, Nimax Theatres

Location London, UK

Left Image: Fred Howarth/Haworth Tompkins Top Right Image: Philip Vile/Haworth Tompkins

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THG Galaxy Crystal Lobby

The Galaxy Casino Resort in Macau boasts a breathtaking lobby of unsurpassed opulence. Guests are treated to a display of 380,000 pieces of crystal, brought to life in a spectacular automated kinetic architecture show. We provided show designers THG with 3D pre-vis, bespoke engineering and show-control to create the mechatronic marvel which now animates the lobby’s glittering centerpiece, weighing approx. 3 tonnes. The scope included 70 axes of motion, consisting of 56 TAIT BT2 winches, chandelier rotation axes, and a complex bespoke infinite rotating central lotus assembly.

Design was performed in early 2020 by TAIT’s mechanical and controls teams in London, who have the depth of engineering expertise required for machinery that must animate multi-tonne loads continually above a public space safely. Working to a hard opening deadline of the following lunar New Year, the bespoke machinery was manufactured and factory-tested at TAIT’s factory in Haverhill, then delivered and deployed – during the initial phases of the unfolding global pandemic – which, with Macau under lockdown, required remote collaboration between our local team of electrical and mechanical installers and integration counterparts working nocturnally in the UK.

Client THG

Location Macau, China

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Left Image: Adriano Ma, Macau

We are TAIT

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Stormzy Heavy is the Head Tour

We provided scenic, staging, and automation for UK grime and hip hop superstar Stormzy’s 15-date UK & Ireland tour. A combination of innovative staging and flown scenic video and lighting elements created what BBC News called “a lavish, no-corners-cut, stage and light show.” Put together in just three weeks using our extensive library of configurable inventory, the groundbreaking show was in rehearsals for six days at our Production Park facilities in Wakefield, UK. Nothing was left to chance, with our entire UK team available to tweak the show prior to opening night.

Images: Andrew Timms

Production Manager Joel Stanley Tour Manager Trevor Williams at Tour Music Live

Creative Directors Amber Rimell and Bronski at TAWBOX

Architect Ric Lipson at STUFISH

Location UK & Ireland

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MSC Cruises MSC World Europa

MSC Cruises were looking for a unique ‘wow’ element to distinguish their new vessel, “MSC World Europa.” We have a longstanding relationship with MSC and were first in line to bring their Swarovski covered chandeliers concept to life. Manufactured in Haverhill and clad with 20,000 crystals by our scenic team in Wakefield, the chandeliers also form part of the show by facilitating performer flying, powered by BT2 winches. Automation in the ship’s venues, including control of equipment from other vendors, is provided by our epiQ consoles. MSC World Europa commenced public operations on December 20 2022, having served as a hotel ship in Doha for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Collaborators Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in St Nazaire, France

De Jorio Design International

Swarovski crystal

Location France

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TIME TIME100 Summit and Gala 2022

TIME asked us to dial up the drama for its TIME100 Summit with two spectacular events to honor the world’s most influential people at Jazz at Lincoln Center. With luminaries such as Tim Cook, Mary J. Blige and Elleen Gu in attendance, and a special message from Volodymyr Zelensky, this was to be an unforgettable celebration of the ideas and individuals changing the world right now.

Our team worked hand-in-hand with TIME Studios pivoting last minute to accommodate broadcast, airing on ABC with optimal sightlines. Ensuring that this marquee event went off without a hitch, we lent our support to everything from technical direction and project management to key creative and design, including scenic and sponsorship activations. We also tackled talent and show management, alongside permitting and venue coordination. The event drove at-home viewership, reaching 5.1 million households, and accomplishing TIME100’s goal to honor the individuals, and their ideas, who are changing our world through thrilling in-person experiences.

Location New York, USA

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We are TAIT

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JUMP by Limitless Flight

As the world’s first hyperreal wingsuit simulator, visitors to JUMP by Limitless Flight will feel the adrenaline rush of BASE jumping without any practice or risk. JUMP offers the opportunity to ascend the mountain of VR potential and take the leap into a simulation that provides the exhilaration of BASE jumping in a safe and controlled environment thanks to a combination of TAIT technologies and real-time simulation. We have been involved in the JUMP project since its conception. The TAIT-designed rig physically hoists guests off the ground while the gaming engine and motion control system allows users to steer through the mountain tops and treelines on Notch Peak – the second tallest pure vertical drop in the US.

This is an unusual application for TAIT Navigator TM , but one which fits its capabilities well as it captures the rider’s real-time motion and provides accurate live position control in the VR simulation. TAIT’s innovations developed for JUMP have several pending patents that will evolve the future of physically immersive experiences in virtual worlds. The TAIT Navigator™ Automation Platform’s ability to interface in real time using 3D data enables integration with the Unreal Engine for VR and our winch machinery. TAIT Navigator ™

CEO & Founder of JUMP James Jensen

CFO & Co-Founder of JUMP Matthew Hall

Location Utah, USA

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We are TAIT

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We are TAIT

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Bloomberg Philanthropies Climate Events 2022

Bloomberg Philanthropies asked us to produce two spectacular climate events during NYC Climate Week and the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly. First up was the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, followed by the United Nations Climate Action: Race to Zero and Resilience Forum, a day of events at the Plaza Hotel focused on helping to find solutions to the global climate crisis. We needed an innovative solution that would allow us to change over the branded environments for these back-to-back events quickly. Guests arrived in the morning for The Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, including inaugural Finalists and Winners of the Prize, alongside special guests, including Heads of State, business leaders, philanthropists, and non governmental leaders. As the clock struck 12pm, we began transforming the space for the United Nations Climate Action event: Race to Zero and Resilience Forum, which opened its doors precisely 1.5 hours later. With guests including dignitaries, artists, climate experts, and innovative business leaders, this forum shone a light on the need for radical collaboration to ensure the world can deliver on its climate goals, build climate-adaptive and resilient communities, achieve sustainable growth, and reach net zero.

We executed these high-touchpoint, high-profile events for Bloomberg Philanthropies with artistry and precision. It was a full-service endeavor, from developing creative to stellar show management, generating emergency action plans to coordinating with Secret Service, we helped dignitaries shine bright as they highlighted climate change solutions for the world.

Location New York, USA

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Roger Waters This Is Not A Drill Tour

Pink Floyd founder, member, and principal songwriter, Roger Waters, is known for his spectacular live shows, so the brief for his This Is Not A Drill Tour was always going to be a little bit special. With three huge, automated video walls above a multi-level stage with large format lifts in three locations, our TAIT Navigator™ Automation Platform was pressed into action once again, ensuring the host of moving parts were perfectly synchronized and, most importantly, safe throughout the 43-date tour. Our eight crossed hammer Kabuki drops positioned around the auditorium added another dimension to an already lavish show. The tour opened in Pittsburgh on July 6, continuing through the US and Canada, before rounding out the schedule with two dates in Mexico City on October 14 and 15.

TAIT Navigator ™

The scalable platform integrates hardware and software for live entertainment automation and show control. This technology is embedded within consoles, networking and safety devices, and machines, forming a complete distributed system to control all show elements.

Production Manager Chris Kansy

Stage Manager Jesse Thayer Stage Manager Shawn Saucier

Head of Automation Frederic Jacques

Head Carpenter Niles Anderson Tour Accountant Michael Zweck

Location North America

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Left and Bottom Right Image: Brian Lima

Roger Waters, This Is Not A Drill Tour

Image: Brian Lima

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We are TAIT

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Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour

We pulled out all the stops for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, creating a three-stage Mag Deck stadium setup with a runway connecting them. A hemisphere video screen rose up from downstage with camera rings directly behind the band riser and a mirror ball with integrated lasers. It was an exercise in collaboration, flexibility, and can-do attitude from everyone on the creative team. Exactly the sort of challenge we relish here at TAIT.

We are best known for innovation in staging technology, with Mag Deck and automation powered by TAIT Navigator™ frequently deployed to entertain global audiences. Innovation

Production Director Jake Berry Production Designer Misty Buckley

Lighting Designer Sooner Routhier

Location USA, Europe, South America

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Coldplay, Music of the Spheres World Tour

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We are TAIT

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Bad Bunny World’s Hottest Tour

For Bad Bunny’s World’s Hottest Tour, we created a palm tree flying island rig to fit the summer vibe the production team was looking for and to bring the artist closer to his fans. The tour hit stadiums across the US and South America, so the performer flying winches needed to be reconfigured to create a tailored flight envelope to fit the unique setup of each venue. Our team was on the road to make this signature part of the show happen at every stop on the tour. Controlled by the TAIT Navigator TM Automation Platform, each flight ran smoothly and safely for the artist and even flew close enough to touch hands with fans in the stadium seating. In addition to the flying rig, we created an LED integrated sun screen that traveled across the stage on our tracking truss throughout the performance.

Production Designer Travis Shirley Production Manager Roly Garbalos

Location USA & South America

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The Rolling Stones Sixty

We’ve been fortunate enough to work with the Rolling Stones many times over the past 30 years, including creating scenic and staging for their last landmark tour, 50 and Counting. Mick, Keith, and Ronnie hit the road once again for The Rolling Stones’ Sixty tour, celebrating 60 years of their unique blend of rock ’n’ roll, blues, country, and folk. Our US and UK teams created a stunning backdrop comprising 117 custom fascia panels, 58 custom return panels with integrated LED, and 144 custom-fabricated support trusses. The fascia system was a modular configuration to aid tourability, and the graphics were digitally screen printed directly to the substrate to create the appearance of a seamless backdrop. The 14-date tour opened at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, to a rapturous reception before making its way through the UK and Europe, with a final date at Waldbühne in Berlin, Germany.

Creative Director Patrick Woodroffe

Production Designer Ray Winkler, STUFISH

Production Manager Dale Skjerseth

Location UK & Europe

Left Image: STUFISH Top Right Image: Philip Bajo

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Royal Opera House Flying System Upgrade

Home to the world-renowned Royal Ballet, Royal Opera and Royal Opera House Orchestra, the Royal Opera House – in London’s Covent Garden – opened its doors in 1858, before being extensively rebuilt during the 1990s. With the upgrade commencing pre-pandemic, there were two challenges to consider: firstly, the Royal Opera House’s shows and rehearsals run seven days a week with only a two-week summer hiatus to complete essential maintenance. That meant that all work would need to be sympathetic to the theater’s unrelenting schedule and work around other departments’ maintenance. Secondly, since the extensive works would need to be completed over a significant period, new components would need to seamlessly integrate with the existing system until the project had been completed. Following a pilot, we were selected to fulfil the upgrade; work that would touch every part of the flying infrastructure during the daily production cycle.

iQ Multi-Operator

Navigator and iQ enable multiple operators to simultaneously work on the show using epiQ consoles.

In addition to upgrading MCCs, we upgraded 108 flybar winches, transferred 18 lighting battens to Apex operation, overhead equipment on the rear stage, multiple point hoists, and the winches facilitating operation of the iconic house curtain. We also added 70 Kinesys Apex hoists to the grid and integrated almost 1000 load cells, along with new safety features, enabling performer flying to modern safety standards, all of which are operated by an array of epiQ consoles. As part of the project’s commitment to sustainability, parts removed from site – including brakes, cabinets, and redundant cabling – were all recycled by the client.

Collaborators The staff of the Royal Opera House Electrical subcontractor Playfords

Location London, UK

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Royal Opera House

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We are TAIT

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Founders Entertainment Sound on Sound Music Festival

Best known for its iconic music festival The Governors Ball, Founders Entertainment was looking to serve up spectacular seaside entertainment through the creation of a brand-new music festival in Connecticut. Our team began creating a strategy for success, developing a masterplan that would drive demand and ensure festival goers had an unforgettable experience. The event featured 22 A-list artists, including Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, The Lumineers, The Roots, and The National, who performed with local artists across two stages in Bridgeport’s stunning Seaside Park. Around the venue, craft breweries, cocktail bars, and a wine grove paired perfectly with tasty gourmet treats from local eateries. Attendees could try their hand at ping pong and foosball, snap pics at the selfie station, and relax with friends while Giant Jenga and bubble machines added fun to this family friendly music festival.

Best of all, the event gave back to the community, supporting the Adam J. Lewis Academy, Make-A-Wish Connecticut, and Special Olympics Connecticut.

Location Connecticut, USA

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Snap Inc. Snap NewFront 2022

During NewFront season, Snap wanted to create an immersive activation that would allow attendees to dive into their platform, treat them to jaw-dropping design and unexpected moments; all cleverly crafted to drive advertising revenue.

We transformed the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center into a bold yellow brandscape that shone a spotlight on what sets the brand apart. Partnering with famed designer Willo Perron to create show stopping moments, we helped Snap tell its spectacular success story. Bright yellow elevators announced to guests they’d arrived at the experience, and we brought the Snap button to life in the atrium through a circular lounge, bar, and registration areas. On-stage guests were wowed by a gigantic, luminous hand sculpture holding a Snap-branded mobile device, screening content in front of a dynamic curved LED wall. Blazing yellow pedestals housed AR Mirrors for a truly immersive AR experience. Our Snap-worthy brandscape stole the show, creating the perfect platform for Snap to engage with its community, and showcase its offerings, and generate advertising revenue.

Location New York, USA

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Wynn Las Vegas Awakening

After successfully automating the iconic Le Reve show at the Wynn theater for the past 20 years, our proprietary TAIT Navigator TM Automation Platform now provides all motion control and safety supervisory systems for machinery from several different vendors in 2022’s spectacular Awakening show. Navigator’s distributed control architecture is essential in a show with complex behind-the-scenes choreography of performer, puppet, and prop movements, in addition to cues visible to the audience. With action happening on multiple levels, Navigator’s interlock programming ensures system safety, while streaming live 3D axis-position data to the lighting and video departments.

TAIT Navigator™

Navigator provides multi-operator control of the world’s largest spectaculars thanks to its unique distributed architecture. Navigator simplifies the programming of complex machinery for illusions with its many features.

Created by world-renowned producers Baz Halpin, Bernie Yuman, and Michael Curry, Awakening opened at Wynn Las Vegas on November 7, 2022.

Producer and Director Baz Halpin Executive Producer/ Producer Bernie Yuman Producer and Character Designer Michael Curry

Producer Rick Gray

Location Las Vegas, USA

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Left Image: Wynn Las Vegas

We are TAIT

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London’s West End Shows

Our long relationships with productions across London’s West End continued in 2022, with our assets team providing equipment and show support to productions, including the following: We supplied nano winches and Navigator control to both Cabaret and Cock, and Apex hoists and controls to The Trial. Our reconfigurable inventory continued to enable automation on Anything Goes, Tina, Magic Mike, Matilda, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked, Moulin Rouge and The Book of Mormon, where we continued our long-term supply and support of a package of winches and motors, controlled by AU:Tour systems.

Our extensive stock of reusable assets in the UK, US, and Asia, enables us to rapidly deliver more sustainable packages for both tours and one-off events. Reconfigurable Inventory

For the new productions of Mandela at the Young Vic and Marvellous at @sohoplace our equipment was able to integrate with the existing TAIT supplied house automation systems. When Elf returned to London’s West End we again supplied automated deck tracks and flying systems, including the provision of counterweight-assist winches and a Navigator control system. Celebrating the best of musical theater, we were called on to provide automation to the Olivier Awards ceremony, broadcast from the Royal Albert Hall in London with a package of controls and truss-mounted winches.

Location London’s West End, UK

Show: Elf, Photographer credit: Mark Senior Show: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Photographer credit: Matt Crockett Show: Mandela the Musical, Photographer credit: Helen Murray Show: Anything Goes

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MDLBEAST Balad Beast

Nestled on the eastern shore of the Red Sea stands Al-Balad, a 1-mile area of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where culture and commerce have thrived for nearly 1,400 years. Our client, MDLBEAST, asked for our help to create a music and art festival inside a World UNESCO Heritage site where the past and present would converge in perfect harmony. Navigating the narrow pathways of this historic city, we got to work addressing complicated infrastructure and logistical issues to build a breathtaking brandscape that became a canvas for digital artists across two days and five performance venues.

Balad Beast was a multisensory masterpiece where for two days, 81 artists entertained across five stages as motion graphics moved over doors and walls, showering this UNESCO World Heritage site with sensational stories straight out of Saudi culture. Bab Square marked the gateway to hip-hop, deep house defined Roshan Square, while Omda Square became a blissful EDM block party set amidst stunning architectural relics. Over in Mirkaz Square, indie artists performed under the stars, while Souq Square sat in the shadows of an ancient marketplace, offering up House and Techno music along with the latest Saudi streetwear styles.

Location Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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MDLBEAST, Balad Beast, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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Adele BST Hyde Park

Adele played two shows at London’s BST Hyde Park festival in July with an all-female support line-up, her first live dates since 2021’s critically acclaimed album 30. Having worked with Adele on her last tour, Adele Live 2016, we were approached to provide scenic, automation, and Mag Deck™ staging for the Hyde Park shows. We created a system of glistening metallic scenic chains in silver, gold, and copper tones that formed eight curtains suspended from the overhead trusses. Four Kinesys Apex™ hoists per truss automated each chain curtain, allowing them to be raised into the ceiling during the set and lowered back down to stage level when required. The Kinesys Vector console provided automation control for the hoists, and a Kinesys Mentor managed safety requirements.

Production Manager Malcolm Weldon

Creative Director Matt Askem

Show Director Kim Gavin

Set Design STUFISH

In addition to the automation elements, we created a semi-circular Mag Deck™ stage with band risers and an upstage lighting shelf from our rental inventory.

Lighting design Cory Fitzgerald, Silent House

Location Hyde Park, London, UK

Far Left, Left and Top Left Images: STUFISH

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Istana Budaya

Nestling in the heart of Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, Istana Budaya is Malaysia’s premier venue for all forms of theater, playing host to local and international performances, including operetta, opera, classical concerts, and musical theater. The venue had used the same stage machinery and controls for over 20 years, and the ‘Palace of Culture’ was in need of an update. We were approached to design and manage the upgrade process from start to finish. Phase 1 incorporated controls design and machinery upgrades for all under-stage components, including adding EtherCAT fieldbus communication and machine safety functions to achieve SIL3 throughout.

The technologies within our machinery and control systems enable installations to achieve the best-in-class Safety Integrity Level (SIL3). SIL3

Client Kementerian Kebudayaan & Kesenian Malaysia (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture)

With the equipment in place, we provided on-site training to bring the venue’s technical teams up to speed with their new epiQ consoles, running on our proprietary iQ powered by Navigator software. Phase 2 is set to include a complete overhaul of the over-stage machinery and controls equipment to create a unified system running on our powerful Navigator Automation Platform.

Main Contractor MHMT Engineering Sdn Bhd.

Sub Contractor Decmax Sdn Bhd

Location Malaysia

Images: Technical Department, Istana Budaya

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Hong Kong Cultural Centre Flying System Upgrade

Located in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance facility that first opened its doors in 1989. Originally built by the former Urban Council, it has been under the direction of the Hong Kong Government’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department since 2000.

Bespoke winches have been a longstanding area of expertise, primarily used for moving scenery and for another of our specialties: performer flying. Winches

As a result of our long-term relationship with this government client, we were chosen to undertake the phased upgrade of control infrastructure and winches in this impressive venue. Having already completed an MCC upgrade, we handed over the last of three phased upgrades of the winches in 2022, bringing the whole system in line with current machine safety standards. We engineered, manufactured, installed, and commissioned a bespoke winch design based on the BT2-200, installed in a RORO configuration to support the counterweight-assist operation of 26 axes. Our local team completed the work in alignment with the venue’s schedule, despite ongoing global supply chain challenges.

Client Electrical and

Mechanical Services Dept, Government of Hong Kong

Location Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience

Now a multi-location experience and originally launched in the beautiful woodland at Arley Hall & Gardens in Cheshire, UK, Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience takes fans along an interactive light trail inspired by the iconic Forbidden Forest. Featuring creatures and moments from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series, this first-of its-kind Wizarding World attraction features a one-mile woodland trail filled with immersive moments and interactive experiences.

Thinkwell worked closely with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment to bring this experience to life alongside UK partners Unify, and ticketing/ marketing partners Fever. The result was an entirely new approach to the Harry Potter brand; an immersive, interactive walking experience that brings the creatures and characters of the Forbidden Forest to life with one-of-a-kind set pieces, lighting effects, and seamlessly integrated projections. The team behind Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience has its sights set on bringing the magic to forests, arboretums, zoos, and botanical gardens worldwide. In fall 2022, the Forbidden Forest Experience returned to Cheshire, UK, and expanded to additional sites in Leesburg, VA, and Westchester, NY, in the US, as well as Groenenberg in Belgium. Arley Hall and the Cheshire region of the UK were only the beginning.

Partners Unify, Fever, & Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment

Location Multiple worldwide

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Dave We’re All Alone in This Together

Kicking off 2022 in style, our Wakefield, UK, location provided staging, scenic, automation, and LED integration for British hip-hop sensation Dave’s We’re All Alone in This Together UK & Ireland tour. We worked with Tour Manager Trevor Williams, Production Manager Jerry Hough, Creative Director Chris ‘Bronski’ Jablonski and Lighting Designer Louis Oliver to create a striking aesthetic, delivering an unforgettable visual experience for the fans. With a video waterfall that cascaded around the stage, a 10ft band riser with a bleed-through video wall in front of it, and a video floor B stage, each element contributed to building the spectacle and treating Dave’s ardent UK fans to a mind blowing show that’ll live long in the memory.

Tour Manager Trevor Williams, Tour Music Live

Images: Andrew Timms

Production Manager Jerry Hough Creative Directors Amber Rimell and Bronski at TAWBOX

Lighting Designer Louis Oliver & Co

Location UK & Ireland

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DAVE, Reading & Leeds Festivals, UK

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We are TAIT

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My Chemical Romance Foundations Tour

After their stunning one-off LA reunion show in 2019, My Chemical Romance began plotting a full world tour before COVID-19 put those plans on ice. Fast forward to 2022, and the show was back on, with MCR singer Gerard Way, Designer AJ Pen, Tour Director Jon Dunleavy and Production Manager Andrew ‘Juice’ Werlick conceiving a dystopian scenic masterpiece brought to life by our team in Wakefield. The band didn’t want another video-screen laden set of multimedia content; they wanted the stage design to tell the story. Our scenic and fabrication teams created destroyed buildings, scenic polystyrene rubble, and a variety of distressed set pieces alongside a stunning black kabuki drop and custom lighting ladders.

My Chemical Romance Gerard Way

Designer AJ Pen

Far Left Image: Darren Cool Top Middle Image: Janine Van Oostrom

Tour Director Jon Dunleavy Tour Manager Emma Edgar

Production Manager Andrew ‘Juice’ Werlick

The tour kicked off with dates in the UK and Europe, followed by a homecoming trip to North America to round out 2022, with 2023 dates in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Location Europe, North America, New Zealand, Australia, Japan

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Riot Games League of Legends World Championship

Year after year, esports tournaments get bigger and better, and the League of Legends World Championship Finals is one of the largest esports events in the world. For the finals we built on our relationship with Riot Games, providing the main stage for the gamers and deploying the most Nav Hoists we’ve ever used on one project. The 144 hoists lifted a large circular video wall, LED light ring, large oculus lighting pod, multiple projectors, lighting trusses, soft goods, and a performer flying platform for Lil Nas X. With this many hoists moving together, it took a lot of prepping, planning, and coordination from the TAIT Navigator Automation Platform to move everything together and provide a show for the fans that packed the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA.

Left, Top Right and Bottom Right Images: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

Client Riot Games

Production Partner ConCom, Inc.

Location San Francisco, USA

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Lady Gaga The Chromatica Ball

Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball tour was another prime example of transatlantic collaboration across multiple TAIT locations. Our Lititz, PA team took on design and our Wakefield, UK location fabricated around 80% of the assets for the show. The remaining fabrication took place in the US.

Our scenic teams realized the artist’s aesthetic vision, working with a wide range of materials, whilst ensuring that the set was sufficiently durable for the rigours of touring. Scenic

Production Manager Chris Vineyard

Stage Manager Adam Dragosin

The show drew on our scenic and staging experience to create an A stage with an upstage turntable and a B stage with an integrated performer lift alongside numerous scenically-treated ‘distressed concrete’ elements. The spectacular show wowed audiences across Europe, North America and Asia, culminating in a spectacular closing night in Miami in September.

Lighting & Stage Designer LeRoy Bennett

Live Nation (promoter) Tres Thomas

Location Europe, North America, Asia

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MDLBEAST Soundstorm Music Festival 2022

In the desert, 40km outside of Riyadh, Saudi entertainment company MDLBEAST’s high-octane, barrier-breaking, multi-genre music festival was taking shape. Our task was simple: build a small city in the Banban desert, filling the 5.3 sq km festival site with bold designs, immersive entertainment, stunning works of art, and heart-pounding experiences that showcased the very best of Saudi arts and culture.

All eyes were on Big Beast, and not just for its record-breaking size and LED displays. A-list celebrities including Bruno Mars, Post Malone, DJ Khaled, Marshmello, Hamaki, Tiesto, DJ Snake, Rick Ross, Future, and Hardwell also charged up the crowd. Over 1000 synchronized drones danced to the beat in between sets forming stunning works of art in the sky. Cool green spaces basked in the glow of sustainable solar lighting, and guests tested their skills with carnival-style games, tuned into sports action, and found the latest streetwear styles in MDLTOWN. With 200 artists, seven spectacular stages and three days of music, this sold-out sensation delivered big for MDLBEAST. Not only did it generate headlines with coverage in the Daily Mail, Complex, Cosmopolitan Middle East, and Hypebeast, it united people to drive change and shattered global perceptions through music. 111

Location Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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We are TAIT

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Outernet London The Now Building

Part of London’s Outernet concept— an immersive entertainment complex located above Tottenham Court Road Crossrail—The Now Building is home to the largest video display in the world, with over 2000m 2 of 26K and 360° floor-to-ceiling screens. Outside, the giant street-facing video walls, installed during the COVID pandemic, can vanish at the press of a button. Developed at our Production Park facility and the result of collaboration between our Wakefield, Neasden, and Lititz teams, these hulking video screens can deploy and retract into storage and maintenance areas behind the remaining static walls to effectively disappear from view. The TAIT Navigator™ Automation Platform was deployed to provide pinpoint motion control and ensure that the AOTO LED screens—split into 42, 9.6m high, self-propelled columns— accurately align with pixel-perfect precision. Outernet has big plans for this remarkable entertainment space’s future, and with TAIT Navigator at its heart, Outernet can handle complex show control alongside cutting-edge screen automation.

Architect Orms

Main contractors 8build, Skanska

Location London, UK

Top Right Image: Darren Cool

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