#### Contents - [[#Introduction|Introduction]] - [[#The Live Event Planning Ecosystem|The Live Event Planning Ecosystem]] - [[#The Live Event Planning Ecosystem#Spatial & Structural Planning|Spatial & Structural Planning]] - [[#The Live Event Planning Ecosystem#Lighting Visualization|Lighting Visualization]] - [[#The Live Event Planning Ecosystem#Audio System Design|Audio System Design]] - [[#The Live Event Planning Ecosystem#AV Integration & Media Servers|AV Integration & Media Servers]] - [[#The Live Event Planning Ecosystem#Previsualisation in Walkthroughs|Previsualisation in Walkthroughs]] - [[#Remarkable Innovations in AV|Remarkable Innovations in AV]] - [[#Interoperability Challenges|Interoperability Challenges]] - [[#Conclusion|Conclusion]] - [[#Conclusion#Key Findings|Key Findings]] --- ## Introduction Live events encompass everything from pop concerts and corporate launches, to immersive installations and theatre spectaculars. Overall we see a unique intersection of performance, technology, for the experience of an audience in the space. Meticulous planning is required to manage unpredictable variables, and synchronise complex tech elements flawlessly - to communicate key ideas. This field can frequently by high-budget and high-stakes. Previsualisation, amongst other digital planning- is becoming beneficial, in particular for client liaison[^1]. The tools that are used, reflect the specific challenges of this sector, particularly the need to integrate diverse technical disciplines in real-time. While live events can have long lead times, the execution stage (kit prep, transport, 'get-in', the event itself) is short and sharp in comparison. The more complex, the more moving parts, the more preparation is necessary.  *Live events, like concerts and conferences, increasingly rely on digital platforms, like Vectorworks and Disguise d3.* ## The Live Event Planning Ecosystem Successfully planning a complex live event requires coordinating numerous layers of design and tech. ### Spatial & Structural Planning Foundational planning frequently starts with CAD software (like Vectorworks or AutoCAD). This allows for precise drafting of venue layouts, stage designs, seating plans, and rigging plots, ensuring physical elements fit and are safely supported, to be signed off by all parties. ### Lighting Visualization Dedicated lighting previs software (such as Vectorworks Spotlight or WYSIWYG) can be employed to develop looks, simulate fixture behaviour, or pre-program complex sequences ahead of time. ### Audio System Design Skilled engineers calibrate and tune microphones and loudspeakers to the venue- the the hardware itself usually being state-of-the-art, and 'tried-and-true', its capabilities known intimately by sound engineers. Specialized tools and systems, like newer Spatial Audio platforms, exist for designing and predicting the performance of complex sound systems within specific venue acoustics, ensuring even coverage and clarity. ### AV Integration & Media Servers Events are increasingly reliant on video, projection, and synchronized media playback across multiple surfaces. Specialise AV techs manage complex video routing, mapping, and playback control. Media server hardware can range from dedicated laptops running Qlab and PowerPoint, to real-time AR integration. In the case of more advanced platforms like Disguise or Pixera, full 1:1 AV previsualisation is possible ahead of time. ### Previsualisation in Walkthroughs Increasingly, real-time game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity are being explored for creating comprehensive 3D simulations of the entire event space ahead of time, allowing stakeholders to experience the environment virtually for signoff[^2] ## Remarkable Innovations in AV Platforms like **disguise** (formerly d3) have achieved significant prominence for their capabilities in previsualising all aspects of AV integration. Video playback, projection mapping, real-time effects, and lighting control are created and deployed within a 3D spatial and timeline-based interface.[^3] This allows designers and technicians to: * Visualize precisely how media content will appear on complex stages, bespoke screens, or mapped onto architecture. * Synchronize playback flawlessly across numerous, often unconventional, display outputs. * Manage and sequence control data for lighting and other elements alongside media. * Integrate camera tracking and real-time rendering for sophisticated extended reality (XR) productions - this extends to live broadcast applications e.g. sports or news. This powerful focus on **Audio-Visual (AV) integration** and real-time control has made disguise an industry standard for many high-profile tours and events. Its strength lies in managing final visual output, and ensuring pixel-perfect alignment and playback across complex display canvases, acting as a central hub for the visual elements of the show - an AV **digital twin**. Disguise operates best on bespoke hardware and requires a software subscription, and these come at a high cost. ## Interoperability Challenges While specialized tools excel in their respective domains, the major challenge in live event planning often lies in **integrating** them effectively. CAD drawings are imported directly into lighting visualisers or projection mappings, often isolated from each other. Audio cues, onstage coordination, and more exist within their own ecosystems operated by respective specialists, working under pressure.[^4] Achieving a unified digital twin of a live event remains a distant vision, for planning or execution. Specialisations, the cutting edge of excellence in sound, vision or simulation, are confined to major vendors. **Interoperability** standards are steadily improving today- for instance, major vendors Vectorworks, MA Lighting and ROBE recently collaborated to create the unified file standards of GDTF and MVR, to define 3D, functional lighting fixtures and lighting rigs. The quote below gives a contextual reading. > "... this unifying open-source format is impacting the entertainment industry. >  > In a somewhat fragmented and labyrinthine industry, in which the design of a production is often shrouded in mystery and so far removed from the knowledge of an average audience member" > > - Jacob Waite, TP Magazine, 2023 [^5] ## Conclusion Planning for live events demands tools that can handle real-time synchronization, complex integrations, and high-stakes execution. These specialisations are often confined to vendors, with 'vendor lock' and standardisation being seen as challenges. AV-centric platforms like Disguise hold a prominent position, showing a certain 'leapfrogging' of systems integration ahead of the status quo. Broader planning and execution relies on teams of specialists and ecosystems to achieve quality. ### Key Findings * Planning must ensure flawless synchronization of multiple live elements (audio, video, lighting, effects, performers) in an unpredictable environment. * Tools specializing in integrated Audio-Visual control, playback, and mapping are a key recent development, and central to many large-scale events. Previsualisation capability leans heavily on simulating AV and lighting within different ecosystems. * Effective planning involves a combination of tools: CAD for spatial layout, specialized lighting platforms for programming, AV platforms for media, and potentially game engines for simulation in client liaison. * Seamlessly integrating diverse specialised tools into a cohesive planning and control workflow does not exist as it does in other industries. ## Concluding Summary [>](6.%20Concluding%20Summary%20on%20Industries.md) Continue on to the [Concluding Summary](6.%20Concluding%20Summary%20on%20Industries.md) of our industry comparison, or detour via a brief catch up on the latest technology: [The Tech Industry - What is New](The%20Tech%20Industry%20-%20What%20is%20New.md) --- ### References: [^1]: ["Revolutionize Your Event with Previsualization at AV Vegas"](https://www.avvegas.com/blog/2024/10/revolutionize-your-event-with-previsualization-at-av-vegas/) - A typical small event planner's website, showing AV previsualization's role in enhancing planning and client communication for live events. [^2]: ["Previs-Real: Interactive virtual previsualization system for news shooting rehearsal and evaluation"](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096579624000652) - Discusses the use of Unreal Engine in previsualization, with principles applicable to live event simulations. [^3]: ["Live Entertainment | Disguise"](https://www.disguise.one/en/solutions/live-entertainment) - Details disguise's capabilities in AV integration, projection mapping, and real-time control for live events. [^4]: ["Top 15 Challenges Facing Event Planners (& Solutions!)"](https://www.socialtables.com/blog/event-planning/biggest-event-planning-challenges/) - Identifies workflow integration challenges and solutions in event planning, relevant to tool convergence. [^5]: Article https://www.tpimagazine.com/gdtf-and-mvr-unlocking-the-potential-of-data-driven-design/