OSA SURPASSES EXPECTATIONS WITH MARTIN AUDIO MLA AT NU SKIN EVENT

The premier anti-aging company Nu Skin has grown from its humble beginnings in Provo, UT in 1984. The company now distributes its products in 54 markets worldwide through a network of close to 1.2 million independent distributors. Every two years, the NYSE-listed company holds a four-day event with a dynamic mix of philanthropy, business sessions, recognition and entertainment.

For the past decade, Nu Skin has turned to Atlanta-based Executive Visions Inc. (EVI) and its large team of producers and creative thinkers to create an exciting and memorable event. For 2017, EVI President & CEO Michael Marto had something very special in mind. “Nu Skin is an especially rewarding company to work with,” says Marto, “as the culture of empowerment, opportunity and being a Force for Good influences everything they do. We wanted to weave an experience unlike any other that broke new ground for a customized corporate event and told the whole Nu Skin story.”

Of particular importance was addressing the difficult audience of Millennials. Marto expands, “We wanted to use a massive social program to attract young people to the company as part of a strategy for growth for Nu Skin. We didn’t have Maroon 5 and Hans Zimmer just because they are colossal global talents, but also because they speak especially clearly to a millennial audience through the international languages of music and movies.”

In keeping with their high standards, EVI contracted OSA International of Chicago, Nashville and Las Vegas to provide audio for the Nu Skin LIVE! event held at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, UT. In turn, OSA opted for a comprehensive Martin Audio MLA speaker system to provide smooth, even coverage and pristine sound quality throughout a challenging 270-degree listening environment.

"To get the proximity effect and punch everyone was looking for in that type of setup really set MLA apart and allowed us to surpass the audio standards required by the event on every level.”

According to OSA’s Audio Designer and Entertainment Engineer Carmen Educate, “the venue posed the usual design challenges present in an arena including hard reflective surfaces and a large cavernous ceiling. We also needed to avoid blocking a complex lighting rig and a large automated LED video wall that sat behind the stage, which meant running the system with the speakers about 40 ft. above the deck, much higher than a typical concert setup. Additionally, we had to avoid spilling audio onto the stage which had a large thrust that extended into the audience.

“The sound had to be perfect since we not only had high level executives speaking through the PA but we were also providing audio support for various entertainment sessions including talent show and awards shows, a special concert by Maroon 5 and a finale headlined by composer Hans Zimmer and his bands with members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony. The setup had to be designed to flow from one segment to the next: corporate speaking into high level performances and immersive experiences, and back into speaking.”

To accomplish this given all of the challenges, OSA designed and set up a system consisting of 15 MLA and one MLD per side as the main hangs; 11 MLA and one MLD a side for near outfills; 12 MLA Compact a side for far outfills; two hangs of seven MLA a side for delays, and a sub complement that included six flown MLX subs a side with three stacks of two MLX left and right in front of the stage and under the stage thrust.

“With a large seated audience of over 15,000 separated by the runway to the stage,” Carmen adds, “we had to make sure there was even coverage front to back and side to side without excessive reflections or slapback.

“Martin Audio’s MLA system is outrageously efficient which made designing for that type of large-scale venue easier. It allowed us to get into a finer resolution of how we wanted to tune the PA based on how it reacts and how the computer says it will react, while helping us deal effectively with on-site anomalies like banners, screens and other surfaces that block audio and inhibit the sound.

“The system performed beautifully,” Carmen concludes. “All of the engineers were ecstatic about how excellent MLA sounded in the higher configuration. To get the proximity effect and punch everyone was looking for in that type of setup really set MLA apart and allowed us to surpass the audio standards required by the event on every level.”

Photo credit: Suzanne Teresa for EVI