The artwork panels were state of the art metallic ‘tapestries’ stretched on steel frames.  Sizes ranged up to 10’x15’ and weighed as much as 1500lbs.  Multiple panels were rigged side-by-side from a 35’x42’ self-climbing goal post ballasted with 49,000lbs of water.  The location of the project, a plaza in front of the Department of Education in Washington, DC, required the structure footprint to fit among existing trees and planters.  The artwork had to be positioned spatially in the same space that the eventual memorial will sit.

Event Tech’s FBT ballast system provided the perfect solution, permitting the structure to go around existing obstructions and allowing the artwork to be suspended for an extended period of time.  Having the ballast system as an integral part of the structure itself allowed a certified wind rating of 90mph and did not require any ground penetrations or external anchors.

Washington, DC, July, 2011

The Verizon Center event was the inaugural voyage of Event Tech’s new Crown VRack amplification system, which powered four main array hangs of 44 JBL VerTec VT4888 midsize line array elements.  Additionally, 20 JBL VRX932LAP powered line array elements were deployed for delay arena coverage.  The entire system was controlled and monitored with Harman’s HiQnet System Architect software.

Beyond the audio system, Event Tech provided a video level lighting package for the 76’x40’ main stage, two 12’x21’ projection screens with double-stacked Barco 10k DLP projectors, and carpeting for the arena’s floor.

Over the course of the conference, Event Tech lit the Sand Mandala tapestry onstage using Chauvet ColorDash Accent LED fixtures.  The lighting requirement was to light the Sand Mandala workspace, a canopy covered area made of wood, with even white light that produced no heat and was able to be left on for five consecutive days.  The Sand Mandala, a Tibetan Buddhist tradition, is the creation and destruction of mandalas made from colored sand.  The Sand Mandala at the Dalai Lama World Peace Conference took four monks five days to create.

The West Lawn featured an EAW KF750 virtual-array audio system powered by Crown MacroTech amplification with a 40×20 performance stage, video level stage lighting, and three 7’x13’ LED walls fed by a 2-camera switching package.

Both events ran smoothly and at the close of the events, the Dalai Lama personally complimented Jeremy Meyers, the account executive and project manager/system designer for the events, and thanked him for putting the systems together.

Long time production manager at the legendary Nightclub 930 in Washington, DC, Co-host of Weapon Masters on Discovery’s Military Channel, and jack of all trades, Chad Houseknecht has seen just about everything when it comes to event production, armaments, and fabrication.  “Chad has been around the block a few times,” notes Mike Aug, Event Tech’s VP of Sales & Marketing.  With his daughter recently starting school, Chad was looking for a home and Event Tech was looking for a Warehouse Operations Manager.  A marriage was quickly formed.  “Chad’s experience and depth of knowledge is unprecedented,” says Matt Totaro, Event Tech’s VP of Operations.  “We’re excited to work with Chad and really turn the warehouse into a finely tuned machine.”

From rigging in some of the most unique venues to designing audio, lighting, and temporary power systems for hundreds of events, John James has been involved with the technical side of special event production for over 20 years.  Recently joining Event Tech as Production Manager, John oversees equipment logistics for the Production department.  “John will have his hands full supervising and coordinating all productions, whether in the office or onsite,” Aug says.  Event Tech President Eric Maynard remarked, “As a company, we’ve known John for over 15 years and we know he is up for the challenge of this demanding position.”

“Chad and John are two of the best in the industry in what they do, and we’re lucky to have the opportunity to welcome them to the family”, Maynard concludes.

Clients, vendors, and friends may reach Chad or John via email or phone:
Chad Houseknecht, chad@, 410-360-5006, ext. 28
John James, jjames@, 410-360-5006, ext. 15

Power Shift 2011

Event Tech was pleased to offer a green lighting solution for this alternative energy conference in Washington, DC with our Colorado LED Battens.  We provided full production support including audio, video, and lighting.  This conference focuses on alternative energy sources.  As a company, we have been committed to greener initiatives across the board, whether it be recycling in the office or the large amount of LED fixtures in our lighting inventory.

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

This was the debut event for our Tempest Wireless Intercom system which performed flawlessly and met the needs of the technicians and the clients.  We again provided full production services including a roving camera system for their daytime conference and the evening reception following.

MD Governor’s Inauguration

We were proud to provide staging, audio, and lighting for Governor O’Malley’s Inauguration at the State House in Annapolis, MD.  Afterward, the lighting package we provided for the Inaugural Gala helped transform the room and create the right ambience for the celebration.

Stagemaker Motors

We’ve increased our inventory of Stagemaker motors, adding more SM10 1-ton (or 2-ton) chain models and SM5 ½ Ton models.  The Stagemaker motors set the standard for chain hoists throughout the US and Europe.  With a slip clutch limit system you get maximum trim height without leaving a single link unused.  Running at 16 feet per minute and fully integrated into our existing motor control systems, the Stagemaker motors are a simple answer to your rigging needs.  And as the Mid-Atlantic Master Distributor for Stagemaker products, if you decide to buy instead of renting, we can also offer you a great product at a competitive price.

Motion Labs Motor Controllers and Power Distros

Setting the standard on power distribution and motor control, Motion Labs had been the leader of the pack for many years.  And Event Tech is proud to be a Master Distributor for Motion Labs products.  Along with that, we’ve added more 4-way and 8-way motor controllers to our rental inventory, along with the highly popular 24way Edison/19pin power distro.

Mojo Barriers

Last month we were proud to announce we are a stocking partner with Mojo to service the Mid-Atlantic area. With solid A-frame welded aluminum construction, these barriers have many features making them the right choice for your crowd control needs.  The aluminum makes them lightweight yet still sturdy.  The top rail is rounded - eliminating hard edges – and the connections between barriers are seamless which avoids pinch points.  The backside features a “police step” which assists in easy removal during an emergency situation.

Tempest Wireless

The Clear-Com Tempest 2400 Wireless Intercom System has been a hot item in the production department.  The system is sturdy and highly reliable.  According to Clear-Com, “the systems maintain the high quality voice audio with the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology and can function in very high ambient noise environments.”

Matt joined Event Tech in 1999 as an Audio Engineer and quickly rose to Chief Systems Engineer.  In 2004 he became the company’s Operations Manager and transitioned from running shows to running the shop.  Totaro most recently lead the fabrication of Event Tech’s Folding Ballast Truss – a self-contained water ballast system designed for the company’s truss towers that allows for extended height and high capacity structures to be built with a minimal footprint.

In his new role, Totaro will focus on Event Tech’s efficiency and internal processes which will help the company deliver the highest quality products and service in an even more systematic manner.  “Event Tech’s willingness to continually look for a better solution to every challenge allows the company to evolve and grow in a way that is responsive to our customers’ needs,” Totaro said.

Event Tech Founder and President Eric Maynard remarked, “As someone who has held several positions within the company, Matt is uniquely qualified to understand both where we have come from and the direction we are taking the company; he truly grasps the inner workings of our organization from the ground up.  Matt’s commitment to continual improvement in operations, along with his deep knowledge and expertise helps position Event Tech to continue its expansion and growth.”  Maynard concluded, “We are all very excited for Matt and we look forward to what the future holds for him in this new position.”

Clients and vendors may contact Matt Totaro at 410-360-5006 ext. 16 or via email at matttotaro@eventtech.com.

It has been many months and a lot of hard work in the making.  We hope you find it contains not only the same great detail of information on gear and services as the former site had, but also a lot of new content.  Here you’ll find a full web portfolio gallery, more detailed information on some of the projects we’ve worked on, and pages dedicated specifically to each type of service we provide.

The home page is where you will find our blog, which will include case studies of the interesting projects we’ve had the please to work on, and keep you up to date on the latest and greatest technologies. We will be featuring in-depth articles on the events where we’ve encountered interesting or new challenges, and the creative solutions we used to solve them.  We encourage you to explore our site and please contact us with any ideas or comments.

The event was a huge undertaking that took over two years to plan. Event Tech provided photo-realistic renderings of the final structures to showcase how the nearly football field sized structure would look once constructed.  The task was to create a main stage for musical performances by Honor Society and Switchfoot, while allowing for seating of 300 boy scouts in the background and seamless set changes via passageways throughout the structure .

The main performance stage was 100ft wide with an 80’ tall center tower that housed a custom head-block system to lift a 60’ tall LED wall, weighing over 12,000 lbs. Additionally, the center structure had a rappelling launch pad at 75’ used by a boy scout to descend to the stage as part of the show, and stadium-style seating flanking the center LED wall for choirs, an orchestra, and participant seating.

The full structure was about 395 ft wide

Two 55’ tall side towers supported 18’x35’ LED screens to magnify the onstage talent for the audience and two additional 65’ tall structures served as audio fly towers. Each tower had decking on top for pyro and flame cauldrons which helped create one of the largest fireworks display on a military installation anywhere in the world. All of the elements were connected by a 20’ high cable bridge system, to allow for cable management and vehicle traffic below, making the structure 395’ wide.

With such a large audience and structure, it could have proven to be a lighting challenge to say the least; Event Tech’s new Lighting Truss Towers

offered the perfect positions to light the massive structure while not blocking audience sightlines. Utilizing the new modular ballast system, the towers provided a low profile, high height, and high load capacity lighting position. At over 48’ tall with a 20,000 pound capacity per system, the Lighting Truss Tower System will prove to be one of the most versatile products in Event Tech’s inventory.

In the end, over 17,000 structural components had to be assembled over the course of 7 days to create the main stage and associated structures.  Event Tech sent a total of 18 tractor trailers to the site for the staging and structures.