Natura Rigs The 2.5 Ton Projection Ring At IAFS 2015

by  Rakhi Jerly Industry Watch | November 27, 2015 | Feature

Encompass Events Modern Stage Services

The India Africa Forum Summit 2015, recently held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi, largely owes its successful conclusion to Encompass Events and ICE India, who were involved in the flawless planning and execution of this mega state event. With 42 heads of state and 54 countries participating, never has India hosted an event of such magnitude as the IAFS. Owing to the magnitude of the event, there were several logistical challenges before the event managment team. Natura Rigging Safety Consultants were partnered as rigging safety consultants for the pre-fabricated ring suspended from the roof of the venue.

Encompass had appointed Modern Stage to take care of the technical aspects including lighting, projection, sound and trussing. One of the more challenging requirement was the suspension of the large pre-fabricated ring suspended from the roof. This 18-foot high ring would feature projections during the various ceremonies and entertainment sessions. Having worked with them before, Modern Stage appointed Natura to get the 2.5 ton ring installed. A team of four riggers and one site manager worked on the project, in consultation with the PWD engineer and Encompass representatives.

The ceiling of the venue being 112 ft above the ground, the first challenge was to get to the roof. Working in pairs, the riggers scaled the wall until they reached the catwalk, which was still about 30 ft below the ceiling. They continued upwards and walked along the roof beams to reach the centre of the roof and mapped out the anchoring points from which the eight motors were to be hung to lift the ring.

This had to be done with precision as the riggers would drop down ropes to be attached to the motors and then haul them up. Shifting the anchoring points later would not be easy. As a backup plan, 32 additional points were marked on the ring’s circumference and hooked directly to the roof. In case the motors failed, this would ensure that the entire structure would still remain suspended.

The ring was installed and ready for a tech check after a week of climbing, tying, lifting and safety checks. As the event was placed under high-security, the rigging team was not allowed to be on-site during the event. This made it important for the riggers to make sure that the all possibilities had been thought of and planned for in advance. One such possibility appeared in the form of a minor earthquake. However, though the structure swayed during the short quake, its safety wasn’t compromised. 

Though the team did not see their work in action, the videos of the opening ceremony stands as proof for the excellent execution of the project. The projection ring, 58 ft in diameter, was indeed a highlight of the event and the stage.