LCD
projectors light up convention center ballroom
Super-bright
images just the ticket at Milwaukee's Midwest Express Center
 Walk
into the cavernous ballroom at Milwaukee’s Midwest Express Center,
and you find yourself looking up in amazement at the sheer size of the
room. One of the nation’s largest ballrooms, the room measures
over 37,500 square feet. Despite its size, this ballroom can be elegantly
decked out for a formal dinner or dressed down for a casual luncheon—while
it comfortably seats over 3,100 diners. By now you might be wondering
how the poor soul sitting at the back table could see or hear anything
that’s going on up front. Whatever the event, it’s United
Visual’s job to make sure everyone has the best seat in the house.
When the Midwest
Express Center opened its doors in July of 1998, United Visual was chosen
as the on-site audio-visual provider. That means United staff provide
media support for the ballroom, convention center, and 28 meeting rooms,
along with the adjoining Milwaukee Arena and Auditorium.
Built with technology in
mind, the facility is billed as one of the nation’s most "technologically
elite" convention centers. "This building is so well designed,
it can produce anything the client needs," says Richard Geyer,
the center’s Executive Director. "Because it’s a brand
new facility, potential clients are looking to see what you can do.
You have to set your standards very high, and then live up to them."
The ballroom is where United staff have the biggest challenge meeting
those standards. Their largest clients’ largest meetings depend
on the equipment they set up there. That’s why they use Epson PowerLites
for almost all ballroom presentations.
"People always comment
on how small this projector is," says Mike Hahn, United’s
Director of A/V Services in Milwaukee. "They sometimes wonder if
it can do the job." Yet the PowerLite is one of the brightest in
the business and, at less than 14 pounds, it’s easy to move around
the block-long halls of the facility. It’s also light enough to
pole-mount—an important consideration when United technicians need
to suspend a screen from the ceiling for better visibility. Even with
a 10 x 14’ screen, says Hahn, the picture is as crisp as a monitor,
and it’s easy to work with in multi-screen setups or double-stacked
for use with larger screens.
Hahn says the projector’s
versatility, combined with an outstanding in-house sound system have
proven to be the right combination, not just in the ballroom, but all
over the building. Sometimes good things do come in small packages.
If you're planning
an event in Milwaukee, please phone 414/ 908-6175
For detailed information
about the Midwest Express Center, visit www.wcd.org
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