Gateway Productions in Newburyport, Massachusetts has purchased 28 Ayrton Domino Profile fixtures for use on productions and installations and to add to its rental inventory. Domino is an IP65 multi-function luminaire with extraordinary light power and a full feature set that’s designed for intensive outdoor use. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
Gateway Productions services all special events and provides a wide range of AV equipment rentals. The company produces more than 1,000 events annually helping with every step of the process from initial ideas to planning, logistics and execution. The Domino purchase marked the first Ayrton acquisition for Gateway, which immediately installed them for an eight-month run at The Brooklyn Mirage, an open-air music venue at the heart of Avant Gardner.
Avant Gardner is an 80,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor complex spanning an entire city block in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Its venues, The Brooklyn Mirage, The Great Hall and The King’s Hall, serve as individual event spaces and combine to make Avant Gardner the second-largest entertainment site in the borough and the host to world-renowned electronic music artists.
“We needed a large-format, outdoor profile for The Brooklyn Mirage 2023 season, and The Mirage used Dominos last year and were happy with the performance” notes Alex Sommerfeld, President of Gateway Productions, which has supported Avant Gardner for about five years. “Almost every fixture in the complex, other than architectural lighting, is owned by Gateway, we supply hundreds of fixtures to the complex. I enjoy supporting the electronic world they really pride themselves in technical production. Avant Gardner is on the forefront and attracts some of the biggest EDM acts in the world. It’s great to be able to support the venue with Dominos.”
Sommerfeld chose Domino Profiles for their brightness and reliability, immediate availability and the continuity of support that ACT provides to every customer.
“Many factors play a role when we’re selecting fixtures and investing a few 100k” Sommerfeld says. “The manufacturer, their family of products, price, availability and the sales rep’s support – they were every bit as important as the Domino being brighter than most of the competition and their IP65 rating.”
Sommerfeld has been following Ayrton’s product line and likes what the company has been doing. “They had been very successful with a string of effects lights but have expanded with a fuller range of products since 2019 that’s competitive in the marketplace,” he points out. “I try to stay within a family of fixtures, and lighting designers often do that as well. Now, Ayrton has a very powerful fixture family such as the Zonda 9 and Cobra to accompany each other, with the Domino among them.”
He also likes the “belief in the customer value and support” received from ACT over the years “from anything we’ve done with them, including their MA Lighting and MDG brands. Their support is great and everyone on board really lives in this industry and embraces you like one of the family. They recognize the importance of the small business nature in the entertainment field and accepts who you are, and what you can do for the brands in your market.”
At The Brooklyn Mirage 26 of the Dominos are mounted off-stage left and right to highlight the dance floor. Two units are on hand as backups for the venue.
He gives kudos to the Avant Gardner lighting team, staffed by “Some of the best in the country. They make sure every light, every component of the lights function 100 percent at all times. They want the entire rig and all spares to be ready and expect all vendors to be on the pulse for any issues and needs that may happen. The reality is you must be on your game. “
“It’s still early in the season, but the Dominos are performing well with 0 issues onsite so far” Sommerfeld reports. “The Mirage used Dominos last year with minimal failures across the season. Domino’s reputation for low maintenance really alleviates any worries on my part and the Avant Gardner Team.”
Sommerfeld sees himself making more Ayrton purchases in the future. “I expect we’ll buy more Dominos and excited to see the Cobra later in the year” he says. “I’m curious about the future of the industry and the road ahead for Ayrton’s products and the position to scale even further development. I hope to see a large format IP wash fixture soon.”
