IBGSA 2020: an international event in Marrakech

The IBGSA – One Team, One Dream, More Free 2020 event brought together participants from several countries. The end client, IBGSA, had chosen Palais Soleiman for its iconic setting and traditional architecture. The guests, used to international events, expected a memorable evening.

Luxotours Spain, an agency specialising in high-end travel and events, led the project. Secret Studio Prod acted as the audiovisual technical provider, working directly with the agency.

Our mission came down to three commitments:

display the event’s content and identity on an LED screen;
enhance the palace’s architecture with light;
keep the installation discreet, with no visible cables.

This kind of gala dinner planning in Morocco relies on close coordination between the agency, the venue and the technical provider. Everyone knows their role, and the set-up schedule is approved well in advance.

LED screen showing the IBGSA event identity during the gala dinner at Palais Soleiman

A dressed LED screen, built into the architecture

For this dinner, we installed a dressed LED screen to display the visual content and identity of the event. A bare screen would have clashed with the zellige tiles, carved columns and painted ceilings of the palace.

The black dressing framed the screen and hid its structure. Seen from the tables, the screen became part of the decor rather than technical equipment placed in a historic patio. Guests saw an image, never a cable or a truss leg.

The position was chosen with care: visible from every table, without blocking the palace’s perspectives. The content used the event visuals and images of Marrakech, to anchor the evening in its setting.

Set-up was done within a limited time, with systematic protection of floors and decorative features. In a heritage venue, every move counts. A full screen test was carried out before the catering teams arrived.

Installing the LED screen dressing in the patio of Palais Soleiman in Marrakech

Beams, columns and cabling: the real challenge

The main technical challenge came from the layout of the venue. The palace has many beams and columns, which severely limited the options for electrical cabling. Running cables everywhere would have spoiled the look of the reception spaces.

We therefore opted for battery-powered lighting. These self-contained fixtures need no power cable and, depending on the model, can be controlled remotely. They enhance the venue while keeping the installation discreet.

This choice also simplified set-up and made walkways safer: fewer cables on the floor means fewer risks for guests and service staff. Only the screen and the control desk stayed on cable power, with carefully protected runs.

It is a simple solution, but one that requires good battery planning. We explain it in detail in our article on battery-powered event lighting.

Testing the LED screen on its structure before the gala dinner at Palais Soleiman

Light that brings out the beauty of the palace

Once the constraints were solved, the lighting could play its part. The columns and arches were lit in blue, a colour that brought out the carvings and traditional decor. The tables, dressed in red and white, stood out in this hushed atmosphere.

This ambient lighting transformed the palace as night fell. Guests discovered the venue in a new light, without noticing any technical equipment. Our settings aimed for three effects:

highlight the volumes of the architecture;
create a warm atmosphere around the tables;
keep lighting comfortable for photos and videos.

The lighting also followed the flow of the evening: welcome, dinner, speeches, then a more festive moment. Each mood was prepared in advance and triggered from the control desk.

The result: a palace lit like a stage, but with no visible fixtures.

Gala dinner room with blue-lit columns and an LED screen at Palais Soleiman

Our method for prestigious venues

This project shows how we work in the palaces, riads and historic venues of Marrakech. Technology adapts to the architecture, never the other way round. Each venue has its own history and rules, which we respect from the site visit to dismantling.

precise survey of the constraints: beams, columns, available sockets;
self-contained equipment wherever cabling becomes impossible or visible;
systematic protection of floors and decor;
full tests before the guests arrive.

This method protects the venue, reassures the owner and leaves all the space to the guest experience. We support event agencies, travel organisers and high-end tourism professionals in this way. Our LED screen rental and live video control service adapts to every venue.

Discover all the photos of this gala dinner in Marrakech. Planning a gala dinner at Palais Soleiman or another exceptional venue? Let’s talk.

Guests gathered under the chandeliers at the IBGSA gala dinner at Palais Soleiman

Gala Dinner at Palais Soleiman: IBGSA 2020

IBGSA 2020: an international event in Marrakech

A dressed LED screen, built into the architecture

Beams, columns and cabling: the real challenge

Light that brings out the beauty of the palace

Our method for prestigious venues