San Jose Convention Center Sets New Standard In Lighting.

In an effort to provide a new and more interactive experience for their clients, Team SanJose took a giant step forward in front of the competition in their new renovation of theSan Jose Convention Center. Built in 1986, the McEnery building where the renovation took place was still using their old and outdated sodium lighting system, and with their goal of always looking toward the future and being a pioneer within the industry, TeamSan Jose knew they needed to move ahead of the curve in order to give their clients and customers a venue above the rest.

With a goal of not only putting in an updated lighting system, Team San Jose wanted to put control of the lighting into the hands of their clients, providing a multi-use system that would allow for each individual light and hall room to be tailored for each specific event or exhibit. Looking at all the options and manufactures that were available, Team San Josefound that the ETC Arc System would meet all of their needs for the new lighting renovation.

The project consisted of demoing the 30ft. high t-bar ceiling in the 144 thousand square foot building, and then demo of all the fire sprinkler systems and soft ductwork. After the original system and ceilings were removed, the Stronghold team then sprayed two inches of k13 acoustic spray on the top of the 65 ft. dome, put in a new fire sprinkler system, new maintenance lighting and then installed the new ETC Arc Lighting System at the 30 ft. level. In order to complete this large project by the deadline, Stronghold ran two separate crews on 12 hour shifts at 7 days a week for 61 days.

With the advanced technology and absolute control of the lighting system, the San JoseConvention Center can cater to each specific individual exhibitor by not only giving them a more sophisticated lighting system for their needs but a platform that allows their client’s own producers and engineers to take control of the lighting. This in turn opens up new possibilities in the design and flow plan of the rooms and exhibits, providing a platform for unique and creative layouts that were not previously possible.

“My colleagues tell me that we are so far out in front of the curve that other venues are looking at what we are doing as a template for where technology is going.”

– Tim Foster / Director of Production, Team San Jose.