Beginning in 1988, Diner en Blanc is a global event spanning over 85 cities worldwide. Diners dressed in white convene in an iconic urban location with Sydney’s event held in Hyde Park to share an elegant outdoor dinner, have fun, and enjoy the festivities.
Diner en Blanc approached Giant Inflatables with the challenge of creating the world’s largest disco ball. The current record was just over 10m. The event organizers and the team at Giant Inflatables decided that the disco ball would be 12m in diameter for Diner en Blanc 2022. The disco ball was to be the feature of the 2022 event and needed to be lifted above the crowd to provide a unique and memorable experience while remaining safe throughout the activation.
The disco ball contained over 2700 adhesive reflective panels to perform the reflective visual function of a disco ball, and it weighed 470kg.
The ball was initially inflated off-site in the lead-up to the event so that the panels could be applied to the ball’s skin by the team at BluePrint Pty. The ball was then stored until the event, where it could be inflated on-site and touched up to look its best.
During the event, the ball was held aloft by a crane and rotated to fill Hyde park with beams of reflected light while the DJ played live music.
The engineering team at Giant Inflatables constantly adjusted the design of the ball over a few months until the most suitable iteration was selected.
In collaboration with The Blueprint, we trialled various panel sizes and materials before selecting 405mm adhesive panels as the safest option for the public.
We tested multiple inflation methods, initially trialling high-volume pumps and compressors attached to standard valves before using an industrial ventilation fan through a specifically designed soft-body valve developed by the Giant Inflatables team. This inflation method decreased the overall inflation time from 5 hours to 1 hour.
Event organizers and guests alike received the ball exceptionally well, and all agreed that the ball was a spectacle on a level never before seen.
The record-breaking disco ball immediately brought attention to the event and garnered many interactions on social media following the event.
Giant Inflatables has been producing inflatable brand activation products, sports inflatables and jumping castles since 1997.
27 Woodlands Drive,
Braeside, Melbourne
Victoria 3195
Australia
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