After a two year absence, UVLD returned to the old stomping grounds of Cobo Hall, Detroit for press week at the North American International Auto Show. UVLD’s Gregory Cohen and David Rees collaborated with Nathan Murphy and James Rossi of Martin Brinkerhoff Associates for a press event held by Hyundai Motors.   Greg acted as lighting designer and programmer while Dave lent his hand as the master electrician.  Production Glue’s Tom Bussey and Jack Hilley  led the technical production team.  In keeping with the somewhat muted nature of technical production at the year’s press events, the event incorporated existing booth properties to the greatest extent possible. Display walls, turntables and video walls were supplemented by elements provided by MBA.  The result was a very effective combination that supported Hyundai’s impressive vehicles and branding message . UVLD specified a modest lighting system of Vari*Lites and strobes to supplement PRG’s existing booth system.  UVLD remains committed to value engineering all of our clients’ projects, big and small.

It was great to return to the Detroit show and, to paraphrase Twain, find that reports of its demise are highly exaggerated.  While a few boutique brands chose not to show in Detroit, the show was well populated and impressive.  Displays were a bit more modest than in the past and press events overall were much less extravagant than the heyday of a few years ago.  While walking the floor it was apparent that the economic downturn weighed heavily on the branding message of the manufacturers.  However, it was really encouraging to see how positive everyone felt about the future.  The doom and gloom of the past year was overshadowed by consistent messages about greener pastures ahead, both economically and environmentally.  The prevailing attitude from the workers to the manufacturers and even amongst our colleagues in the technical production business was that their is a light at the end of the tunnel and it just might not be the headlights of an oncoming train.