Discret Fachjournal der Unterhaltungsgastronomie February 2007

3.4 billion people watching the live broadcast or sitting in the sold out Khalifa Stadium are holding their breaths: a magnificent 14-metre tower of shimmering metal rises from a mysterious cloud of mist at the centre of the stadium, a small boy perching on its very tip. As he raises his hands, he is instantly surrounded by thousands of bright, gleaming laser beams. Just seconds later, laser effects shoot out of the platform he is standing on in every direction. Then the stadium seems to transform into a pool of glistening water.
This gigantic dream sequence, implemented by the laser specialists LOBO from Aalen, was the start of the opening ceremony of the 15th Asian Games on December 1st in Doha, the capital of the Arab Emirate of Qatar. The Asian Games are organized by the International Olympic Committee as a sister event of the Olympic games with exclusive participation of Asian athletes.
For the world's second-biggest sports event with more than 10,000 athletes from 45 participating nations, huge sports venues were constructed in the desert. In keeping with the well-known Middle Eastern philosophy of thinking big, the entire city had been remodeled to fit the vision of the games. Naturally, the opening ceremony was designed to reflect the ambition of hosting the best games in the world.
None other than the Australian producer and director David Atkins, who had also been responsible for the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, designed this spectacular event at Doha on a scale that certainly eclipsed the memory of all other events of its kind.
For the breathtaking laser sequence, David Atkins cooperated with LOBO, the international market leader in laser shows. LOBO's President Lothar Bopp commented: “Having completed a number of government projects in the Middle East, we felt particularly honoured to be part of the Asian Games, especially since the Doha games placed more emphasis on the potential of the latest laser technology than any other event in Olympic history. It is without a doubt one of the most interesting show laser projects of the past years.”
Indeed, the amount of backstage technology involved was enormous: The 3-minute sequence involved 6 laser projectors connected via special high-performance glass fibers to a multi-colour laser system under the arena that needed 300,000 watts of electricity and 200 litres of coolant per minute to produce a total light output of about 100 watts. It took seven months of top-secret preparations. Following the first two on-site meetings, a team of five designers and engineers came to Doha three weeks before the opening ceremony to install, program, and test the technology.
Nothing was left to chance. Parts of the installation were safeguarded by a four-tier security system. From lasers to projectors, only the best components were used, and everything had been thoroughly tested beforehand. Special projectors were developed for the event, to be integrated almost invisibly into the tower. Installing and protecting the highly sensitive glass fibres inside the slim, hydraulic tower was a scientific feat.