Scenic Design & Technical Production for Invest International at the Van Nelle Fabriek
For the Invest International project, event manager HGNLST handled the overarching organization, while they brought in The Bridge AV Group to fully own the technical production and scenic design.
The challenge?
Engineering a high-end corporate show inside the iconic Van Nelle Fabriek,
while respecting the venue architecture and working around a tight set of constraints.
1. Custom 3D Stage and Venue Design
We do not just coordinate cables; we design the entire environment.
We started by mapping out the entire venue in 3D CAD to engineer the optimal stage layouts, screen positions, and sightlines long before any truck arrived.
Because this was a high-level corporate event, everything had to be camera ready.
We integrated a clean, architectural lighting plot with a high-resolution video backdrop,
ensuring that keynote speakers and panel discussions looked sharp both live in the room
and on camera registration.
2. Using Architecture Instead of Trusses
For this production, we made a deliberate choice to use zero standard trussing.
Instead of blocking the view with massive aluminum grids, we wanted the raw, industrial character of the Van Nelle Fabriek to stand out completely.
However, the venue brought two major challenges: it lacked symmetry, and we had to build our entire production around an existing setup that was already present in the room.
To solve this, we engineered and built custom pillars on site.
This allowed us to restore the symmetry of the room, create clean sightlines,
and seamlessly integrate our lighting and video tech around the existing structure,
without clashing with the historic architecture of the venue.
3. Smart, local sourcing and local crew
We don’t ship containers of gear across the country or fly in crews from abroad.
That way of working is slow, expensive and hard on the planet.
Instead, we use our network to source high-end equipment close to the venue, and we bring in trusted local crew for the load-in and load-out. Leaner logistics, a smaller footprint, and not a euro wasted on transport that adds nothing to the show.
4. One dedicated core team
The gear and the setup crew can change per city.
Your core team does not.
You work with the same producers, technical directors, designers and operators every time, people who know your standards inside out.
No briefing a stranger who has never seen your brand.
For Invest International, that core team took full control on the floor.
We managed the load-in, coordinated the suppliers, and ran the show from front of house. Because we owned the tech completely, HGNLST could focus entirely on the client, the speakers and the hospitality.
One dedicated team, zero downtime.
5. Independent sourcing and an open-book budget
This project is a perfect example of why we choose to own no hardware.
No warehouse full of flight cases to rent out means no hidden agenda.
Our only job is to find the exact right kit for your room.
We translated our 3D designs into a detailed technical spec sheet and ran competitive dry-hire tenders with top-tier suppliers like PRG and CT.
We compare the options, hand you the raw numbers, and pass the industry discounts straight into the budget. We charge one clear handling fee for managing the process and carrying the technical responsibility.
And thanks to the savings those tenders bring, that fee often pays for itself.
No hidden markups. Just maximum quality for the best price
Our Deliverables Highlights
on invest INternational
200 meters led strip
break-out rooms
In short:
We rigged 200 metres of LED strip and 100 fixtures, dressed the space with 800 metres of curtain, built 6 custom pillars and ran 6 break-out rooms. All of it without a single truss.
The goal was never to fill the room with technology.
It was balance, between the venue and the equipment.
The Van Nelle leads. The tech follows.
Got a venue everyone calls impossible?
Good. That is exactly where we do our best work.
Our job is to bridge the gap between a creative vision and the technical reality, without the baggage of a rental company pushing its own stock. When you separate event management from technical engineering, your budget goes straight into the quality of the show.
Planning a corporate event, summit or international conference?
Contact us and tell about your space and we’ll show you what’s possible in it.