Wrap Up of the Apollo Big City Bash – Washington D.C.

Editors Note: I would like to welcome John Hathcock to iSquint as a guest writer. From time to time, you will see write ups from John starting today with his write up on the Apollo Design Big City Bash Washington, D.C. Thanks John and welcome!

Yesterday was The Apollo Design Big City Bash that hit Washington, DC. Hosted in the aptly picked Chesapeake Room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the BCB was a hit.  Guests were greeted at the door by Rita LeFavour from Apollo and a stack of sandwiches that would make Jered from Subway jealous and taken on a tour of the Apollo product line.

Starting at the entrance was a plasma screen running Apollo’s sister company, Blue Pony’s demo DVD.  Blue Pony offers users custom video clips, footage for digital signage, promo clips, etc.  Basically Blue Pony is the digital side of the gobo wheel and your DL-3’s best friend!  Moving on from there was Apollo’s gel display featuring their exclusive perf-gel (prepunched for hand tearing) and gel wraps (fluorescent tube wraps that can be installed without removing the bulbs). The gel wraps are a personal favorite, big improvement!

Next up was Apollo’s bread and butter: custom and stock gobos.  Let me tell you right now, we can put the debate on quality to rest.  Lasers are the highest quality manufacturing process you can get and Apollo just proved it.  On the display table was an M sized B&W SuperResolution Glass gobo that looked like a line breakup, oh if only! Rich Dale hands me a jeweler’s magnifier and said take a look.  OK, why not.  It was a multi-page article printed from Wikipedia.  It was fully legible and I was blown away!  Lets see and etched gobo do that!

After I recovered from my awe, I moved on to the first of the new offerings from Apollo: The Multiform LED’s.  Apollo is the exclusive US distributor for the Multiform Multispot 1009 and the Multibeam 1018.  Both units are available in a brushed silver finish with a free-standing yoke, on-board effects, 3-pin DMX, and Master/Slave functionality.  The Multispot features 9, 1w RGB Edixeon emitters with a blended output at a standard 30 degree field.  The fixture is compact and virtually silent even with a small cooling fan.  I am also betting its intentionally designed to fit inside 12in box truss with the shape of the fixture.  The Multibeam 1018 is the big brother with 18, 1w RGB Edixeon emitters and a more box like frame.  Both units have an excellent output for their price range and are set to compete against the offerings of Chauvet and Elation with the reputation of Apollo backing them up!

The next table featured Apollo’s Color Scroller and gate effects lines.  In recent years Apollo has closed the gap in the scroller market and (at least in my opinion) come out ahead of its competition.  Leading the pack is the MXR color mixing scroller with dual CYM strings.  Its newest cousin and recent upgrade is the Smart Color Pro series.  The SC Pro’s replace the standard versions as an industry leading design and feature set that places them squarely in the competition’s path. The best feature, you can change the scroll’s from the front window without any dis assembly!  Both the MXR’s and the SC Pro’s feature 4-pin DMX/power connections and LED addressing screens (NO MORE DIP SWITCHES!!!).  The MXR’s feature a 7.5in rear aperture and the SC Pro’s are available in 5.25in, 7.25in and 10in aperture sizes to cover all the fixtures in the market.

The final table featured the last of the new lines for Apollo, the Spotlight series of fixtures.  Designed primarily for architectural uses, the Spotlight series fills in an excellent niche that will help your clientele find that perfect look for their space.  Starting the line is the miniFresnel with a 7.5 to 53 degree beam, available in halogen or arc lamp. The miniFresnel features an excellent light field in a nice, compact design.  Next up were the miniProfile Spot and miniProfile Zoom.  Both available in halogen or arc lamp, they feature excellent, clean gobo projection in an attractive, small package.  Rich even mentioned that a gobo rotator will be available soon for the zoom fixture.

Moving on there was probably the most unique piece, the miniPAR.  At first I was like, its a pin spot…but it is so much more than that.  If the Chinese import pin spots are the BJ’s wholesale of the lighting world, these fixtures are the Nordstroms! This is the pin spot you want to hang in the Ritz Carlton, walk away and not worry about them calling you for replacements. Best part:  It’s got a dimmable transformer!

Rounding out the lot were two entries that were a little surprising: the D1000 cyc light and the miniLED.  The D1000’s are a totally new approach the the conventional cyc.  Using the industry standard lamps, the D1000 takes the cyc light and makes it user friendly again.  After a rather interesting look from Rich, I placed my hand on the back of the fixture while turned on. First thing that popped in my head was “I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer. I will face my fear…” But it wasn’t necessary. The fixture was just slightly warm, but not a threat.  Focus was a breeze, there is a knob on the back you pull out and the fixture slides up and down.

Last but not least, the miniLED.  These are truly impressive little lights.  Featuring a matrix of 5 x 3w RGB leds, they have a nice even output and a fully blended color mix.  Designed for use by either DMX (5-pin) or a nice sized hand held remote, these fixtures would be just as at home in a museum as over your local pub counter.  They are the perfect closing piece to the new line.

Apollo’s done it again.  They have taken a niche market and expanded and revitalized it.  I can’t wait to see what will come out of the “horse’s mouth” next!  Oh, and did I mention there’s cinnamon gum now?

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Apollo Design’s Big City Bash Coming to DC!

That’s right DC, Apollo Design is throwing a Big City Bash right here in our hometown!  On Thursday, June 3rd, Apollo Design will be taking over the Chesapeake Room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Silver Spring Maryland.  Apollo will have almost their entire 2010 product lineup on display for a hands-on demonstration and review.

Some of their products on display will be their new Spotlight Architectural Fixtures, Multiform LEDs and the Smart Color Pro. It wouldn’t be a party without Apollo’s color filters, laser cut gobo’s and other lighting control and effects accessories.

To top it off, Apollo will be providing finger foods and beverages during the bash along with beer and wine for those of us of age after 4pm. Open up your calendar and mark June 3rd as a day not to miss the Apollo Big City Bash, Washington, DC. Please be sure to RSVP for the Big City Bash DC by visiting Apollo’s web site, www.apollodesign.net.

More Details:

When: Thursday, June 3rd from 11am – 7pm

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Chesapeake Room

Apollo Design Big City Bash in the Big Apple

Apollo Design continues their Big City Bash events with another Bash announced for next month in the Big Apple, New York City.  If you have not seen any of the latest products from Apollo Design and you live or work any where near the city, you might want to stop by and say hi.

O Thursday, February 11, 2010, Apollo will be at the DoubleTree in Times Square demonstrating some of their products.  More from Apollo Design:

Please join us for hands-on demonstrations of Apollo’s complete lineup of entertainment lighting products, including the exciting new Spotlight Architectural Fixtures, Multiform LEDs, and Smart Color PRO scroller. Combined with our color filters, clean laser produced gobos, and numerous other lighting effect accessories, Apollo now offers even more solutions for your 2010 lighting projects.

When: Thursday, February 11, 2010 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Finger Food/Beverages, including beer & wine after 4 p.m., will be provided.

Where: DoubleTree @ Times Square

Corner of 47th Street & 7th Avenue

New York, NY10036

Room: The Hudson Room, 6th Floor

RSVP for the Apollo Design Big City Bash New York.

Apollo Design Big City Bash – Hotlanta

I LOVE attending events where the latest gear is on display and I get a closer hands on view of it. Apollo Design has just announced their next upcoming event, the Big City Bash Atlanta. Apollo Design will be taking over the Overlook #1 room at the Courtyard Atlanta Vinings, on the northeast side of Atlanta to show of and let us get a hands-on feel for some of their latest products.

More from the Press Release:

Please join us for hands-on demonstrations of Apollo’s complete lineup of entertainment lighting products, including the exciting new Spotlight Architectural Fixtures, Multiform LEDs, and Smart Color PRO scroller. Combined with our color filters, clean laser produced gobos, and numerous other lighting effect accessories, Apollo now offers even more solutions for your 2010 lighting projects. Come check them all out!

If you haven’t heard, Apollo Design is the North American Distributor for Spotlight and Multiform and will have their latest products on hand to play with. if you didn’t get a chance to see these new fixtures at LDI, the Bigh City Bash is a perfect time and place to see not only the new stuff, but all of Apollo Design’s other great products.

When:

Thursday, January 14th, 2010
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Where:

Courtyard Atlanta Vinings
2857 Paces Ferry Road SE
Atlanta, GA 30339
Room: Overlook #1

If you can make it to the Big City Bash Atlanta, please be sure to let Apollo Design know by RSVP.  If you do attend the show, please be sure to say hi to KC for me.  If you ever have any questions about Apollo gear, KC knows it all!