The IBM PC was introduced to the world 30 years ago at an event Stage America produced. We had no idea why the high security at the Hilton Inverrary near the large IBM facility in Boca Raton, FL. We created a set piece that allowed a custom Buhl XENON overhead projector to sit on stage, project tru a 24" square hole in the set to a 8'x8' front surface mirror to a 12'x12' rear projection screen in the set piece. The reason for this kluge? IBM did not allow any slides of the presentation. Only overhead transparencies (called foils back then) would be created from hard copy on a Xerox machine. That way there was no third party eyes on the presentaions.

Meeting rooms each side of our venue and all the hotel rooms on the floor above were rented and secured during move in and show. The crew was invited to leave once the set up was completed. An audience of 100 sales and marketing staff was in the audience. It was weeks from the event until we knew what the event subject was.

Similar experiences thru our history became our DNA.

We were called to a meeting in NYC to Polygram Record HQ. At the time Polygram owned Polydor Records, Arista, Mercury, RSO, MGM Records, Verve, Casablanca, Pickwick, and Decca. The event would take place at the exclusive La Coquille Club in Manalapan, FL (near Palm Beach). Each of the presidents were asked to introduce their new talent. Clive Davis introduced Whitney Houston recently signed to Arista.

The challenge would be to create an audition studio in a meeting room for 100 presidents and executives from the record companies. Phillips engineers were very concerned we use the best studio equipment while creating an environment for a meeting.