2020 year in review-a year we were all excited for

Photo by Kevin

Our company was looking forward to 2020. We had a momentum going, our company was excited, our calendars was getting full, and opportunities were coming. It was supposed to be the best year we ever had. Little did we know, it didn't turned out to what we had hoped for. 
​
January & February 2020 was a strong start for us. We had a total of 31 events for those 2 months. We had Weddings, Birthday parties, year end company events and school dances. We even had a monumental event of providing our cold spark services for the "Magic The Gathering" championships which was being held at Hawaii Convention Center. A venue that never allows cold spark machines to operate in. We also participated in the Kualoa Ranch Wedding Faire and also flew up to Las Vegas for the Photobooth Expo. 

We invested a lot to our future in 2020. We purchased additional photobooths along with a 360 booth. Both which we never had a chance to use yet even after having them for almost a year. We were planning to have 2 wedding showcases after the success of our first showcase at Alohilani the past November. We had a lot planned for 2020. Sadly, none were able to come to fruition. 

Late February to early March we were getting a lot of concerned clients. We were also getting concerned because news started to get a little more serious. We had done Leilehua's Senior Prom on March 7 and was planning to have Kapolei's Junior prom on March 14. On March 13, We had all of our equipment loaded up in the van and ready to go for the prom. ​The morning of March 14, I get a call and was notified that the prom was cancelled. Such heartbreaking news. 

We were also getting emails from wedding clients saying they have to postpone and some of them cancelling. April and May, we had been wiped out with no events. 2020 was supposed to be our biggest prom season. It was heartbreaking that so many seniors will never get to experience prom and experience the final moments of what being a senior is like.

We wanted to do something special for these seniors. We couldn't think of anything better than to dedicate a 2020 lighting structure to the graduating class. So we decided to contact several schools to see if they were interested. Thankfully, they were all for it. 

We were all excited because it gave us something to do during this pandemic. Even if none of us were getting paid, we were doing something special. Something that gave back to these seniors which a lot has been taken away from. 

At the start of the year, we talked about doing more for the community and to give back to the community. We talked about participating more in fundraising events and be more involved in community events. We didn't think giving back would be in these circumstances. So we did what we could do. We utilized our lighting and projection equipment to pay tribute to all those working hard during this pandemic. We also lit up Haleiwa Rainbow bridge during the Christmas season to bring some joy as people drove through. 

As time goes by, things weren't looking any better at the end of summer. So we decided to focus on something that others were doing. We provide unique lighting services but our core root is music. We decided to create a live-streaming studio. We wanted to bring music and that party vibe atmosphere to everyone's homes since clubs, parties, and events weren't allowed. Music helps us all and we hope that brought some joy in peoples lives while being in isolation. 

We would normally stream on Fridays which we now call "Aloha Fridays". We would also have guest DJs come to our studio and stream on their channel. Constantly improving our stream and set up throughout the next several months, we decided to offer this as a service. 

Almost 7 months had passed since it all started. October was supposed to be a very busy month for us. Halloween was upon us. Thankfully, we were able to book a Halloween Drive-Thru event which was being held on Kaneohe Marine Base. It was the perfect event for us.  Using a large amount of projectors, speakers, uplights, and tv screens, this was our biggest event yet. 

In December, we had our first live-streaming booking. It was for a Christmas zoom event that was held at 53 By The Sea. Kids would join a zoom room and participate in decorating their cookies and cupcakes. 53 By The Sea provided a decorating kit to these kids to pick up and bring home to follow along on zoom. We had a host along with a chef that taught them how to decorate their cakes. We provided 2 cameras, mics for host and chef, and a zoom monitor so that the host and chef can interact with the kids. It was nice to see the kids enjoying themselves. Thankfully through our own live-streaming events, it helped us prepare for this event. We hope that more opportunities like this come through as we include this service. 

A year ago we were welcoming 2020 with our biggest event of 2019. We provided 20 cold spark machines where 8 were placed on the edge of their infinity pool. We projection mapped on both buildings surrounding the pool deck area and also provided stage wash and uplighting. This was at the newly renovated Alohilani Hotel. Never would we have thought what 2020 would bring us. 

2021 is finally here. A new year and in a way, it signifies a new start. A year ago, we were excited.  Today, we are trying our best to survive. What will 2021 bring us? All we can do is hope that it'll be better than 2020.