PRG Europe helps Holiday Inn relaunch

Hotel chain Holiday Inn unveiled its new corporate look to staff, hoteliers and franchise holders with help from brand experience agency Pimento and lighting from PRG Europe.

"The project was huge in a number of different ways," explained technical director for the event, Nigel O'Hagan.

"We used the new venue at Farnborough - known as FIVE - plus three temporary structures linking in to the venue, creating more than 8,225 sq m of show space.

in these areas we then created a cinema experience, a theatre/auditorium with raked seating, staging for two awards ceremonies, silver service dining for lunches and dinners, two fashion shows, three conferences and an exhibition for all of InterContinental Hotels Group's suppliers.

"Audience sizes varied between 450 and 900".

Hundreds of delegates from over 53 countries were flown and bussed to Farnborough over the course of a week from their hotels across Europe.

Each hotel is being expected to upgrade their signage, service standards and branding, so the event was an opportunity for the company to reveal its new look, as well as for staff to ask questions about the changes that are taking place.

They also got to see a unique Holiday Inn Experience - a film which charted the history of the Holiday Inn brand from its inception in Tennessee in the 1950s to present day.

PRG Europe, led by project manager Loz Wilcox, supplied over 200 ETC Source Fours and some 150 moving lights for the exhibition venue and external spaces, including Martin Mac 2000, Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1200 and Vari-Lite VL2000 luminaires, controlled by four Wholehog II control desks.

The company also supplied 90 emergency lights and emergency exit signs.

The Farnborough event is part of IHG's (InterContinental Hotel Group) global rebranding of Holiday Inn, the first major upgrade in a number of years.

The bulk of the cost of the relaunch will be shouldered by the hotel owners and franchisees, who will be delivering upgrading bedding and bathroom facilities, new receptions, enhanced customer service standards and new lighting and welcome packages.

InterContinental operates 3,125 hotels under the Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express names and all are being required to implement the rebrand.

O'Hagan continued: "We came to PRG Europe because they offered the best technical support and back up, value for money, and solid project management.

"I'm really pleased with the way things went, and the lighting designer, Paul Cook, did a great job.

"Because of the sheer size of the job, we had two crew chiefs: Martin Scott and Simon Needle, as well as two programmers - Pryderi Baskerville and Ben Pitts.

"This is the first time I have worked with Loz, and have been really impressed with him and his team at PRG Europe for their excellent service and attention to detail.".

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