TCF Deploys Automated Followspot Tracking for Presenters and Vehicles
- Jun 22
- 4 min read
A 60-metre catwalk stretching between two grandstands, 3,000 guests, and a lighting design that demanded precision across the entire venue: for this ambitious corporate event, Designer David Smeets (TCF) turned to zactrack SMART. The result was what he calls “one of the most challenging zactrack installation that we have delivered to date.”
TCF, the technical event and project management agency behind several successful zactrack productions, was entrusted with the lighting design for a large-scale private corporate event held in May 2026. The production combined a variety of presentation formats, including CEO keynote speeches, product and brand reveals, executive panel discussions, and vehicle demonstrations.
At the centre of the venue was a 60-metre catwalk positioned between two audience grandstands. Suspended directly above it was a 50-metre-long double-sided LED wall measuring 4.5 metres in height. This striking scenic element created a highly distinctive venue layout while introducing several significant challenges for tracking, lighting, and rigging. With the audience seated on both sides of the performance area, presenters were constantly surrounded by spectators, creating an immersive arena-style environment that demanded precise and reliable performer tracking throughout the 90-minute show.
12 presenters and four vehicles moved continuously across the performance area. At any given moment, up to four presenters could be active simultaneously, spread across the entire 60-metre catwalk.
Choosing zactrack from Day One
“One of the aspects that made this project particularly challenging was the combination of a 60-meter performance area, a 50-meter double-sided LED wall and simultaneous tracking of both presenters and moving vehicles.” So says David Smeets, who was responsible for set and technical design as well as production and onsite management.
Together with lighting operator Sam Van Dingenen (TCF) and zactrack operator Kevin Timmermans (TCF), Smeets deployed a zactrack SMART system covering a tracking area of approximately 60 x 12 metres.
David adds: "It was the most challenging zactrack installation that we have delivered to date."
A Unique Venue Layout with Unique Challenges
One of the key production requirements was high-quality television recording and live image capture. With 16 cameras positioned throughout the venue, the TCF team needed to ensure consistent lighting levels and presenter visibility regardless of where speakers were located on the 60-metre performance area.
Combined with the unique venue layout, the scale of the stage and the presence of the massive central LED wall, it quickly became clear that an automated tracking solution would provide the most reliable and flexible approach.
As a result, the decision to incorporate zactrack was made at a very early stage of the project, shortly after TCF received the show script. “Maintaining accurate followspot coverage using traditional methods would have required a large number of operators and would still have been difficult to execute consistently across such a large performance area.”
In addition, conventional followspot positions were severely limited by the venue layout and the sightline restrictions created by the 50-metre double-sided LED structure, making traditional tracking methods impractical for the production.
Automated Followspot Tracking for Corporate Events – the industry standard
David deployed a zactrack SMART system using 8 Anchors. Each presenter and vehicle was equipped with two Trackers, providing stable positional data regardless of body orientation or movement. No tag changes or reconfiguration were required throughout the event, enabling a seamless workflow from the opening keynote to the final presentation.
The lighting system combined 16 automated followspot fixtures, with Ayrton Perseo Profile fixtures providing general catwalk illumination and Ayrton Veloce Profile fixtures dedicated to automated tracking. All systems were fully integrated within a grandMA3 environment.
This level of integration allowed zactrack to become an integral part of the production concept rather than simply a technical add-on.
Engineering Beyond the Tracking System
One of the most significant challenges extended beyond performer tracking. The 50-metre LED wall weighed approximately 12 tonnes, and the venue offered no direct rigging capacity above the centre of the catwalk. To overcome this, TCF engineered a custom bridging solution using auxiliary truss structures.
With the lighting, audio, rigging, and video systems added, the total suspended load reached approximately 16 tonnes above the 60-metre performance area. This approach enabled the creative vision to be realised despite the venue's structural limitations.
The final zactrack system setup enabled:
Tracking for 12 presenters
Tracking for 4 moving vehicles
Up to 4 simultaneous active presenters
Full coverage across a 60 m × 6 m catwalk
Seamless integration with grandMA3
Reliable, fully automated follow spotting throughout a 90-minute live production
The result was a highly immersive audience experience, allowing presenters to move freely throughout the venue while remaining perfectly illuminated at all times.
Credits:
Set & Technical Design: David Smeets – TCF
Production & On-Site Management: David Smeets – TCF
Lighting Operation: Sam Van Dingenen – TCF
Zactrack Operation: Kevin Timmermans – TCF
Photo 2-3: © David Smeets
