World premiere in the City of Lights
The venue for the international press launch was quintessentially Parisian. The stately 18th-century hotel left an unforgettable impression on the visitors. But for the event’s technical support team, the building had a number of challenging surprises in store. With so many stairs and just one small passenger lift, getting all the audiovisual equipment to the venue was a major logistical feat. Nevertheless, the D-Dream team managed to deliver and install everything in a single day.
Exclusive press preview
The guests at this press event were tech journalists and influencers from all over the world. Every detail of this exclusive event had to go according to plan. Guests were welcomed on a red carpet, flanked by an impressive wall featuring a lifelike simulation of the Northern Lights. The projection of the fluttering butterfly onto the building’s façade also immediately caught visitors’ attention. The butterfly and the Northern Lights were not chosen at random: they feature prominently in the Huawei P20 advert.
A shower of golden flakes
The Huawei P20 Pro is a smartphone that lets you take superb photos in almost any conditions. During the press launch, attendees were able to test the device extensively, and there was something to experience in six different rooms. In the hotel’s main hall, the audience listened to the speakers from Huawei. In each room, D-Dream provided the necessary lighting and sound amplification.
The icing on the cake? Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot. She is a Huawei ambassador and took to the main stage to present the P20 advert – a short film in which she stars. Behind her on stage stood an impressive LED wall: designed by D-Dream. The shower of thousands of golden confetti is also etched in the memory: that was the perfect moment to test the device’s photographic prowess.
A demanding client
The client for this event was particularly demanding. And D-Dream production manager Pieter Voet felt that more than ever.
Pieter: “Huawei is a company that cherishes traditional Chinese values. A drive for perfection and respect for hierarchy are part of their corporate culture. The local Huawei team did everything they could to satisfy the central management in China, which resulted in a lot of last-minute decisions and changes.” For example, two days before the event was set to begin, we were suddenly asked if we could provide a teleprompter for the speakers on the main stage. We had it sorted out in no time.”
“Suddenly, doubts also arose about the butterfly animation we were projecting onto the hotel’s facade. Without hesitation, we sent the designer of those images to Paris to iron out all the details in person. The result of our efforts? A satisfied client and a satisfied audience. That’s what we do it for. Our 22-member team headed home feeling good about the job.”
