HUNTINGTON, WV – Jennifer Lucas says she loves a challenge. Good thing… because not long ago, she and her team at Star Design Lighting got one, when they were asked to light a gala for Saint Mary’s Medical Center. This was no ordinary fundraiser either, but a highly imaginative event, built around a “Cosmic Odyssey” theme in the 7,500-seat Marshall Health Network Arena.

“I knew this was going to be a fun challenge as soon as we were given the project,” said Lucas. “Putting my team and me in an arena with over a hundred moving lights to do a “space” theme, sounded like a good time! Of course, that fun was after a few meetings and a whole lot of logistics being worked out. I speak for everyone on my team when I say we loved using a wide color palette, pitting bright vibrant colors against a dark cosmic sky, and having sweeping beams of light traverse the room — perhaps from visitors from another galaxy!”

Helping Lucas and her Star Design team meet this challenge was an impressive collection of CHAUVET Professional fixtures, including the Rogue R2X Wash, Maverick Force 2 Profile, Maverick Storm 1 Wash, COLORado Batten 72Xs, EPIX Tour Strip, Ovation E910FC color rendering ellipsoidal, and F2 LED video panels, which were used to display sponsor messages and IMAG content.

Although she wanted to create a fantastical space vibe, Lucas was very mindful that it was also critically important to maintain a cozy, intimate feeling for guests in what, after all, was a fundraising dinner. She explained how she accomplished this:

“I started with the focal point for the evening, which was the stage and flanking video trusses — all dressed in synthetic velour giving the warm feel of a theater setting. Then, as you backed away from the stage area, trusses were left exposed for a more ‘futuristic’ feel. Drop down ladder truss with Rogue R2X washes hung at the ends to add to the cosmic interpretations. I kept the trim on all trusses at 24-feet to give the feel of a lower ceiling. Multiple beams and color washes moving about served not only as part of the theme, but also created a distraction to discourage guests from looking above the trim.”

Lucas relied on her Maverick fixtures, along with the Rogues on her ladder truss structures to texturize the room and create ethereal color splashes that suggested a celestial panorama with their glowing blues, greens and purples outlined against pools of dark space, accented by star-like white spots.

The color-scape served a practical as well as an aesthetic purpose. (There were four groups of seating tables, each with its own identifying color that matched the display on guests’ electronic bracelets.) “I am a huge fan of the Maverick Force 2 Profile,” Lucas said of one of her color rendering fixtures. “It packs a lot of impressive features into a relatively small footprint.”

The immersive visuals of the ballroom extended out into the lobby and entrance area. A wall washed the event’s thematic colors from the rig’s COLORado Batten 72 fixtures greeted visitors as they entered the lobby. At its center were two “galaxy gobos” created with the Ovation E-910FC units.

“We really wanted to set the right tone at the entrance,” said Lucas, who started Star Design in 1990. “Experience has taught us that it’s important to build up excitement as people enter an event space and get them looking forward to what’s about to happen.”

Guests who entered the Saint Mary’s Medical Center main room filled with high expectations were not disappointed. Thanks to some inspired event planning and a beautifully executed lighting design, this “Cosmic Odessey event was truly out of this world.