Ayrton goes Into the Wilderness with Camp LiteNordic
Nobody can deny that the last eighteen months have been difficult and challenging, especially for our people-orientated industry. Limitations on work, movement and contacts have been hard on everyone. But as restrictions started to ease and the industry begins to open up, LiteNordic, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, came up with an ingenious way to reconnect with their customers and lighting designers in a safe, fun way after a near 2-year hiatus.
They hired a camper van, threw in a bunch of IP65 rated lighting fixtures, including Ayrton’s Perseo Profile and Perseo Beam, and took them out on a camping road trip. They set up camp in forests outside Norway’s three main cities: Stavanger, Oslo and Bergen where they invited lighting designers, rental companies, sales companies and other of their colleagues and clients to join them for a barbecue and, if they wished, a night under the stars, sleeping in hammocks beneath tarpaulins.
Organised by Lite Nordic’s Aleksander Kjær-Wilhelmsen and Petter Nilssen, Camp LiteNordic: Into the Wilderness was, as Kjær-Wilhelmsen is keen to point out, “more about people than product. It gave us the opportunity to take people out of their comfort zone and routine a little, and relax for a nice evening that focused on fun rather than fixtures. It gave us all a chance to meet and catch up after a long period of isolation when we have all suffered hardships. However, after a few beers and sausages, curiosity overcame our guests and when they asked about the IP65 rated fixtures we were very happy to show them through the features before returning to our camp fire. No matter how much you escape to the woods, people are always interested in looking at the lights!”
“It was the perfect scenario in which to see the IP65 fixtures in their best environment,” adds Nilssen. “They were designed for outside use and it is impossible to show the variety of effects in a studio or theatre. But the depth and texture of the forest lent a totally different range of looks to the gobo projections and animations on the trees and in midair which you just wouldn’t see indoors. We were very excited to see how many of our guests took the time to come along, despite schedules becoming busier as Norway starts to open up.”
The hammocks and tarpaulins were branded with LiteNordic and Ayrton logos and the hammocks emblazoned with the slogan “Master of the Elements” (the declaration from Domino, Ayrton’s long-throw IP65 spot fixture) and the words ‘keeps you dry’ – a fact which proved correct at Bergen where it rained heavily! All those who camped out were allowed to take the hammocks and tarpaulins home with them. “Everyone loved the hammocks and tarps and can’t wait to put them to use again,” says Kjær-Wilhelmsen. “With Norway’s music and festival scene slowly reopening, they are proving just the thing for technicians and crew to take with them.”
“We would like to thank LiteNordic for all their hard work in putting this wonderful event together – what a fun and inventive way to have fun with lights and friends!” says Ayrton’s Linnea Ljungmark. “Going into nature brings people closer together and Camp LiteNordic gave us a great opportunity to spent time with our customers and get to know them better. It was also a good chance to experience the Norwegian culture of outdoor life, and very relaxing to be surrounded by the natural world.
“Having said that, the weather conditions were extremely damp with thick fog by morning, so it was a great opportunity to trial and test the fixtures in damp conditions. The Perseo fixtures stayed out in that moist air for 24 hours with no problems at all, proving they are superb all-weather fixtures.”
Text: Julie Harper
Photos: Courtesy of LiteNordic and Ayrton
