Taking sports beyond the game: CMS’ work with Melbourne United

16 March 2018

 

People attending a sports event want to feel the rush of on-court action just as palpably from their seats. Executing a flawless event is about setting and sustaining a fever of excitement. Succeed, and you create an experience that stays with attendees long after the final siren.

Clever use of light and sound communicates emotion and their use is indispensable to the modern sporting experience. Think about it – when was the last time you attended a professional sports event that didn’t include music, pyrotechnics or dazzling lights?

This mantra is core to the expert CMS Australasia team, as can be seen from our half decade supporting the game-day experience of the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Melbourne United.

The rise of SportsBiz

The lines between sports and showbiz are increasingly blurring – people don’t just want to see two teams competing for victory, they want an immersive show of colour and motion. The Olympics’ opening ceremony is famous for breathtaking shows of sound and light, with the last edition in Rio de Janeiro costing a relatively modest $25 million AUD according to Reuters.

The modern sports franchise can harness the powers of professional event production services to associate their brand with excitement and a comprehensive game-day experience.

Our work with Melbourne United basketball

Melbourne United are Victoria’s sole representative in the NBL, and as such have the support of a whole state. Victorian-owned and operated, the CMS Australasia team is the franchise’s proud production partner. We have worked with the team for five seasons, delivering game-day experiences and fan engagement projects. Some of the services we provide include:

  • Production set up and execution
  • Providing full video team and kit
  • Special effects lighting
  • Pyrotechnics
  • Professionally produced music and video content

But our support goes outside of just event production; we also compile team footage videos, manage the annual player walk-up videos and produce each season launch.

Case Study: Delivering on excitement with 3D court projection

Scenario:
Our partnership reached an energetic high in 2015. Following a revamp, Melbourne United wanted to do something different to mark their place as entertainment innovators in the Australian NBL.

Challenge:
We offered a unique special effects and lighting production package that included 3D mapping and light projection. This had never been used before in Australian basketball, so expectation and delivery were unknown quantities.

Success:
We designed and executed a show that not only grabbed the attention of the 10,000 fans in attendance but became a benchmark game opener for NBL management. Now a staple of United’s match day experience, we have gone on to deliver numerous other projects for the NBL league.

Rolling out the carpet for the MVP awards

To this day, we haven’t slowed in our commitment to delivering unique events. This year, CMS Australasia had the honour of managing the annual NBL MVP gala awards ceremony.

More than 1,200 guests made their way to the Crown Palladium hotel in central Melbourne at the end of February to attend the largest event on the NBL calendar. From setting up the spectacular staging to managing onscreen content, we left the CMS mark for excitement across the entire event. We incorporated our full suite of services, including event production, audio-visual management and live streaming to deliver a night to remember.

CMS Australasia managed the entire gala event from production planning through to packing up the stage.CMS Australasia managed the entire gala event from production planning through to packing up the stage.

Why CMS Australasia?

We are an Australian-owned and operated team of event industry experts who have managed and produced events nationwide since 1992.

A one-stop shop for event production, we offer numerous services under one roof to guide your event from pre-production through to packing up after all the fans have gone home. We can customise our services to suit your event expectations, meaning no two experiences will ever be the same.

For more information on our experience in event production or to discover more about our service offerings, contact the team today.