Showline SL BEAM 300 FX Luminaires Help Take ARIA to "Wonderland"

	ARIA on New Year's Eve and the Showline SL BEAM 300 FX. Photo: Jeffrey Yukelson

The ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas features a technologically advanced convention and event operation that each year hosts an extravagant New Year's Eve celebration. Ringing in 2016 for VIP and invited guests, event producers wanted to take the night to "Wonderland" winding down the proverbial rabbit hole so they reached out to PRG and Vickie Claiborne, lighting and digital media product specialist, for the lighting design. During the planning stages, she was asked to accentuate the interaction between the audience and the performers, so she chose the small, creative Showline SL 300 BEAM FX LED luminaire from Philips Entertainment for the task.

"I've worked with ARIA on lighting designs for a wide variety of special events since its opening in 2009," began Claiborne. "I've always done ARIA's New Year's Eve celebrations which is typically their largest event and this year the executive director and producers decided they wanted to create an evening in Alice in Wonderland simply called 'Wonderland.' Once the theme was in place, I began working on the lighting plan that best fit how the room should look and feel and to help do that I chose to use Showline SL BEAM 300 FX luminaires."

The Showline SL BEAM 300FX is a high performance moving head luminaire that delivers a powerful output, with fast and quiet movement. The 19 RGBW LEDs deliver exceptional output, and the versatile and effective precision optical design allows the SL BEAM 300FX to function both as beam and as a wash luminaire.

"Wanting to create an environment of interaction, everyone at the production meetings really brought their best ideas to the table," continued Claiborne. "After we decided on a 'spider-leg' truss design for the event, I turned my attention to the lighting fixtures to complete the 'Wonderland' transformation. Needing small, profile-type fixtures due to the trim height in the room and the two elevated stage levels, I also wanted to use LED lamps for their color, size, and power consumption advantages. When I saw the Showline SL BEAM 300 FX in action at LDI, I was immediately intrigued due to its output and the built-in patterns that made it perfect for what I was envisioning."

The SL BEAM 300FX delivers a crisp, tightly collimated beam at the narrow zoom angles and the dual-rotating front lens and effect wheel creates a unique myriad of bright compositions. The wider zoom delivers a powerful blended wash of color, and entrancing, fluid lighting effects can be created with the lens and effects wheel. Plus, individual pixel control and carefully designed optics deliver full flexibility with a large selection of unique preset effects and remove the need for inconvenient third party beam control accessories.

"Hanging over the dance floor on the four spider leg truss arches, the SL BEAM 300 FX fixtures worked very well," added Claiborne. "With all the creative elements they have inside, I was able to use them as a profile to highlight performers on the center stage, but then I was also able to wash the dance floor and take advantage of their built-in patterns. Serving this dual purpose throughout the evening, they gave me the output and color needed, and the patterns they create makes them a very versatile fixture."

After the champagne was uncorked and it was time for party-goers to return from "Wonderland," Claiborne looked back on her latest New Year's Eve lighting design with both a sense of accomplishment and pride. Looking back on the performance of the SL BEAM 300 FX, several design characteristics really stand out to her and leave her optimistic about future use of the Philips Entertainment LED luminaire.

"Having the internal effects is definitely an attribute that sets the Showline SL BEAM 300 FX apart from others on the market," concluded Claiborne. "It can do a nice wash as well as an interesting kaleidoscopic beam effect which isn't limited to the face of the fixture; it is unique because it allows the beam effects to project on the surface where the fixture is aimed. It's a very retro-type fixture and as a designer I really like that. I think there are a lot of potential ways to utilize the Showline SL BEAM 300 FX that you simply couldn't do with other LED fixtures whose effects are blended in the beam field, and I will be quick to use them again."