Aquabeam Stars on First Annual Chi-Town Rising NYE EventSHS Global was the star provider (quite literally) of the lighting for the centerpiece of Chicago's recent "Chi-Town Rising" New Year's Eve event. Supplied by Intelligent Lighting Creations -- 18 Aquabeam fixtures were used to illuminate out of the star itself, far into the night sky during its ascension at the stroke of midnight. Chi-Town Rising is a brand new tradition for celebrating New Year's Eve. The live broadcast from downtown Chicago featured celebrity guests, musical performances, and a dazzling countdown featuring the new Chicago Star rising 360' into the night sky, surrounded by an epic fireworks display. Rather than a falling object, such as the ball in New York's Times Square, a star, inspired by the City of Chicago flag, was chosen to ascend, representing the city's rise from the ashes in the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1871. The star dwarfs the NYC ball however, standing at a whopping 70'6" (21.5m) compared to the ball's 12' (3.6m) diameter. The star was built with lighting and video elements and truss-based to travel 360' (100m) up the side of the Hyatt Regency Chicago to ring in the new year. Lighting designer of the star was John P. Marovich of ONE618, Inc. who faced some unique challenges that only winter in Chicago can present. He explained, "Fixture selection included a strict set of criteria including IP rating, weight, power requirements, hanging orientation, and most of all quality of light. The Aquabeam checked every box! No other fixture on the market could have fit the bill." The Aquabeam fixtures, both IP54 rated and ETL approved, proved to be the perfect choice. Marovich added, "The fixtures, installed three weeks in advance of the big night, performed flawlessly in freezing rain, snow, and ice. We gave them every reason to fail and they just kept going. I'm looking forward to using them on many projects in the future." ONE618 was also involved in the lighting for the main stage, which featured the legendary band, Chicago, among others, with lighting design by Chris Wren of ONE618. His technical direction background helped with this ambitious project. John Murray of Arena Partners (owners and organizers of the event) had previously done work with one of the partners at ONE618 and knew they were strong with knowing the best technical solutions for unique projects. Leigh-Anne Aiken, CEO for SHS Global says, "John and his team at ONE618, Inc. did a phenomenal job in their support of this project, beyond just the design. SHS Global is happy to have a partnership with them. Our cooperation together made a challenging situation go very smoothly." For more on Aquabeam and Chi-Town Rising visit the URLs below. 
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