The Waterford Crystal Times Square Ball Presented at the ICF - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Waterford Crystal Times Square Ball

Presented at the ICF Conference Istanbul, October 2008 Colin McGookin

Times Square New Year’s Eve 2007

Background

• Since 1904 Times Square, New York has been at

the centre of New Year’s Eve Celebrations.

• The centrepiece of the celebrations is a specially

designed ‘Ball’, which slowly descends a flagpole

• n top of the One Times Square Building.
• This gentle descent is timed to coundown the final

60 seconds of the old year.

• Waterford Crystal first became involved in 1999,

when a new Ball was designed for the New Millennium Celebrations.

Key Facts

• New Year’s Eve in Times Square is one of

the most recognized and televised global entertainment events:

– Estimated 1 million revellers attend on site. – Over 100 million U.S. television viewers. – A worldwide T.V. audience of over 1 billion viewers. – Over 275 broadcasters covering the event worldwide.

History

• December 31st, 1907: New Year’s Eve Ball made its

maiden descent down the flagpole atop One Times Square.

• The Ball has been lowered every year since 1907, with

exceptions of 1942 and 1943 – suspended due to wartime ‘dimout’.

• Ball replaced, upgraded several times; 1920, 1955,

1981, 1995.

• ‘Time Balls’: First ‘time ball’ was installed atop

England’s Royal Observatory at Greenwich in 1833.

• This Ball would drop at one o’clock every afternoon,

allowing captains of nearby ships to percisely set chronometers.

The Times Square Ball

• The Ball has evolved as a concept and been

re-designed on 3 occasions since the Waterford involvement began in 1999.

• 1999

: Millennium

• 2007

: 100th Anniversary

• 2008

: A new permanent 24/7, 365 day-a-year display.

The Design

• The concept was to design a Ball that would

mark The Millennium New Year’s Eve and provide a strong visual spectacle for T.V. viewers and the Times Square audience.

• This was to be achieved with the constraints
• f:

– Weight (600 k.g. max.) – Climatic conditions (wind, rain, frost, ambient temperature).

The Design Concept

• A 6 foot diameter geodesic sphere

– Pentagons and hexagons – Lightweight aluminium tubing skeleton – Clad with polycarbonate panels – Decorated with crystal triangles, independently fixed.

• An array of internal and external lighting effects

– Clear, Red, Blue, Yellow and Green lights – Lightning Strike Stobes.

• Theatrical Lightining controls to provide a

spectacular light show. The Illusion of a ‘Living Crystal Ball’

Millennium Ball Assembly

Design / Testing

• The Ball design was assessed by mathematical

modelling techniques to predict key variables and validate design parameters.

• The key components were physically tested to

ensure safe operation within preset criteria.

• A weather station was mounted on the building

and historic weather conditions traced to establish

• perating limits.
• A strain guage was attached to the flagpole to

assess stress.

• The design was validated at up to:

– 120 m.p.h. wind – Temperature range –15ºF to 106ºF

Ball Evolution: 2007

• To mark the 100th Anniversary, the Ball was re-

designed and upgraded:

– Overall structure retained – New crystal panels, decorated front and back – Solid state lighting: 9,576 LED’s (red, green, blue, white) replace old bulbs. – LED’s and advanced lighting controls create a vast colour palate. – Variety of internal design modifications to accentuate the brilliance of the crystal. ‘Appears Larger Than Life …..Brings The Crystal to Life’

2007 Times Square Ball Assembly

Ball Evolution 2008

• Construction of a permanent 150 foot display,

with the Ball operational 24/7, 365 days a year.

• A new 12 foot Ball.
• New challenges, based on permanency of display,

scale and maintenance practicalities. Cont/d.

• Broadly developed existing concept, but adapted

to accommodate:

– Scaled-up aluminium frame, with revised geometry – Differing requirements for climatic conditions – New crystal triangles – Modified polycarbonate cladding – Up-spec lighting systems / controls – Revised key design parameters and criteria.

• Scheduled for launch last week October
• Final sitework installation is currently being

completed.

• Final assembly Ball in progress.

The Ball and Waterford

• A highly successful event for Waterford.
• Life-size replica Ball on display in the Waterford Crystal

Visitor Centre, which attracts 330,000+ visitors per annum.

• Promotional activity with Macy’s Herald Square, a key account

in the run-up to the vital Holiday season sales. Considered to be one of their most successful-ever in-store events.

• Each year panels are replaced and decorated with a new

‘themed story’ e.g. 2007 ‘Let There Be Light’. – Significant spin-off product sales at $3-4 million p.a.

• Huge Media Coverage – very positive PR:

– In attendance 1 million Times Square. – T.V. US 100 million. – Worldwide 1 billion.

Millennium New Year’s Eve