For the fourth year running, creative technical production expert Hawthorn has delivered full technical production for the annual D&AD Awards. Held at Battersea Evolution on 19th May 2016, the prestigious award ceremony celebrates and nurtures outstanding work in the design and advertising industry. Being awarded a D&AD pencil is recognised the world over as a shining symbol of the very best creative achievement.

Briefed to put the iconic D&AD Pencil back at the heart of the awards design as part of a competitive pitch process, James Hunter, senior project manager at Hawthorn, crafted a creative response featuring an ‘in-the-round’ approach to the event design, taking factors such as guest experience, use of space, entertainment, furniture and set design into consideration. Demonstrating not just their technical expertise but also their ability to deliver a creative response to the brief, Hawthorn saw off the competition and was awarded the job.

To achieve the focus upon the D&AD Pencil, Hawthorn created an innovative yellow and black hexagonal central stage and awards table, incorporating the classic pencil shape throughout. Pixel mapped LED tape was inset into the stage top and an overhead camera above the stage was used to provide unique live camera footage.

Making sure that the work being celebrated remained at the heart of the event at all times, Christie HD14k projectors were used to display films of the judging process, the winners and their work, on to four 30ft x 10ft screens. Accompanying these, a Barco Encore 2 presentation system supporting native 4K input and output was used, providing superior image quality.

Audio for the evening had to use a discreet but powerful system that minimised the impact on sightlines, something which would have been a problem with large arrays hanging above the central stage. For this, Hawthorn used eight short drops of d&b 'T' line array which were rigged from a central X shape above the main stage. Clay Paky fixtures provided the majority of lighting for the awards with Sharpys chosen for their perfectly parallel, laser-like beams and Alpha Spot QWO 800s producing an intense sparkling light, fit for the glamorous occasion.

Following the ceremony, with Pencils in hand, revellers danced to electronic pop duo Klyne who kicked off the After Party. DJ sets from Metronomy and Anna Prior continued the celebrations well into the night.

James Hunter said: “The D&AD Awards is a prominent occasion in the digital design and advertising industry and we enjoy the challenge that this presents, allowing us to come up with unique and innovative solutions to wow a design savvy audience. We pride ourselves on our ability to get creative with technology to deliver eye-catching, on brand designs for our clients and I’d like to say a massive thank you to the D&AD events team and Tim Lindsay for yet again choosing Hawthorn to work on such a prestigious event.”

Michelle Fischer, senior event manager at D&AD, said: “It’s always a pleasure to work with the creative and talented team at Hawthorn. The idea of the hexagonal in the round stage not only provided us with a distinctive set up for the ceremony but also gave it a great visual identity. Our aim this year was to put the D&AD pencil back into the heart of the award ceremony and with the help of Hawthorn, we really achieved this.”