Hard Rock Inspired Color Palette

Cross the threshold of any Hard Rock Café across the globe and you'll instantly realize that this place is anything but ordinary. Package that brand with the grand style of Universal Studios Hollywood, and it's a whole new world of visual delight.

With the blockbuster tourism period of Labor Day weekend fast approaching, Hard Rock Café International hoped to modernize the interior lighting of its iconic dome ceiling at the corporation's venue on Universal's famed City Walk.

The theme park entrance thoroughfare of "retail-ainment" and dining establishments features oversized props and signage of all sorts, so the impact of this lighting installation had to convey that same full blown Hollywood appeal.

The Client's design vision, however, was somewhat larger in scope than their outdated and obsolete system could provide. Further, the ongoing maintenance costs of their original lighting package left much to be desired.

Hard Rock's facilities management sought out Specialty Lighting Group (SLG) and its Vice President Douglas DeJarnatt for ideas, exploring eco-friendly and economically beneficial LED lighting from Boca Flasher as the answer. Boca Flasher is a US based LED manufacturer dedicated to the development of LED lighting components, systems and finished goods for both standard and custom applications.

Boca Flasher's LED effects bring modern technology to mainstream retail, fading from one color look to the next with brilliant transitions between presets. The ease of operation with a pre-programmed controller provides the Client with a variety of lighting designs for the facility, accessible at the click of a button, even creating special seasonal and event-related looks - changing out colors to suit Christmas, Fourth of July or Valentine's Day, for example.

SLG and Boca Flasher partnered with the capable system sales and installation division of Los Angeles lighting dealer Entertainment Lighting Services (ELS) to deliver a smooth and professional installation that met all of Hard Rock's requirements.

Thirty-six (36) of Boca Flasher's HP-FB-CCS color-changing LED strip fixtures were installed in the venue (a dual-row version of Boca Flasher's popular HP-CCS LED strip series) along with a single Lighting Playback Controller to round out the package for optimum results. Color-changer units were spaced evenly around the upstairs alcove to remain hidden from sight while bathing the domed ceiling with saturated color, painting a striking background of light to the Hard Rock's full-sized, signature Cadillac convertible that rotates slowly above the bar.

Although architectural design and build projects typically advance over a period of six months to three years for specification, engineering and execution, an unusually speedy turnaround was crucial to the success of this upgrade plan - ELS and Boca Flasher managed to pull it off in one short week! - No small feat considering the off-hour requirements of working in a major tourism space.

"At times, the project felt like a fire drill in terms of turnaround and work hours but we certainly achieved vibrant results," says John Mitchell, ELS Director of Sales. "The LEDs and control system from Boca Flasher proved a great match for the Client on many levels, both to enhance and reinforce the corporate aesthetic and for the inherent cost-savings of working with LED technology. In converting energy to light, LEDs consume very little power and are hugely cost-efficient over the long term with little-to-no maintenance required."

As a specialty supplier to architectural and retail markets, ELS recommends the dynamic capabilities of entertainment-industry lighting technology to:

Enhance visual appeal
Increase retail value perception
Elevate a property to landmark status
Tailor lighting to holidays or events
Reduce long-term energy and maintenance costs
Comply with LEED and other dark sky requirements

To this end, ELS maintains close working relationships with top names in lighting technology like Boca Flasher to ensure the most effective products to meet Clients goals, as well as the technical insight to streamline its integration process. ELS makes extensive use of these components as durable, and energy-efficient light sources for rewarding Client investments in reduced costs of operation and ownership, thereby "enhancing the value of light."

"The Dome Lighting Project turned out awesome! Thank you for coming through for us." -- Scott M. Perrin, West Regional Facilities Manager for Hard Rock Cafe International

"I would say you nailed it!!! Indeed a project to be proud of..." -- Dave Urban, Vice President of Sales for Boca Flasher, Inc.

"The entire project is powered using just two (2) 20 amp circuits and the fixtures will last upwards of seven (7) years, thus greatly reducing the toxic waste that conventional lamps would create. Traditional color-changing techniques would have been far more expensive to purchase, power, replace and maintain," Mitchell adds.

About Entertainment Lighting Services, Inc. (ELS)

Established in 1991, ELS is one of the country's leading suppliers of lighting staging products, providing the most technologically advanced lighting equipment for rental & sale, as well as a full range of production services. ELS serves the entertainment industry, corporate customers & commercial developers. ELS prides itself on the craftsmanship of its installations. Director of Sales John Mitchell says, "ELS can provide design services, installation services, equipment sales & service. We are truly a turn-key operation for lighting systems on the West Coast. Our continued expansion into new markets shows the value of the services we provide."

For further information please contact John Mitchell (direct: 818.255.9573) or visit the ELS web site at www.elslights.com.