Having asked viewers to nominate their favourite health professionals for the show’s Health Awards, ITV’s Good Morning Britain reserved the prestigious Hilton Park Lane for the final awards ceremony. Metro Broadcast was asked by ITV’s producers to stage the live event, hosted by ITV’s Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan and filmed for broadcast on the following morning’s show.
Malika Keswani, Good Morning Britain’s Production Manager said, “We needed an event company with the technical skills to design and install broadcast quality audio, lighting and set. Metro understands how our industry works and is able to provide exactly what we need.”
The staging, lighting, and AV was to be installed by 9am for rehearsals and an 11.45 start. Working with ITV’s production team, Metro’s technicians had an early start at 5am. The main stage was designed to frame a large window overlooking Park Lane. It consisted of a raised platform with a high gloss finish and branded flats. Branding continued beyond the main room and all the way back to the lobby where guests could follow the signage through to the event reception area.
Metro’s Project Manager Grant Mitchell said, “The main challenge was to create the kind of atmosphere in the late morning which you can achieve more easily at an evening event, making it feel extra special for the finalists and nominees.”
Natural daylight was controlled by draping the walls and windows on three sides so lighting could be used to create atmosphere and a sense of occasion. A tinted vinyl was applied to the large window behind the stage to reduce glare so that ITV’s camera team could work in more favourable lighting conditions. To add excitement and pace, moving lights were positioned at the back of the set and on six towers which were camouflaged and positioned around the room.
The ceremony comprised four awards; each nominee’s work was presented in a series of VTs, shown on two 82” screens, before the winners were revealed. Metro provided a feed from the sound desk to ITV’s camera operators who filmed the event for broadcast the following day.
Entertainment was provided by the NHS Choir who opened and closed the main event. Metro installed two choral mics at the front of the stage as well as overhead microphones and a high quality PA system to achieve broadcast quality sound.