Case Study: Designing an Immersive “Grand Hall” Experience for OneStaff Medical

Partner: 402 Events

End Client: OneStaff Medical

Production & Immersive AV: Stratum Productions

Theme: School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Overview

When 402 Events reached out to Stratum Productions in June, the ask was bold:

Help create an immersive “School of Witchcraft & Wizardry” experience that felt cinematic, grand, and real — not themed, but transformed.

This was not a standard corporate event. The goal wasn’t simply to provide audio, lighting, and effects. The goal was to help build a world — and to do it in a way that felt intentional, premium, and believable for guests.

Working alongside 402, we led multiple rounds of creative ideation, technical planning, and solution mapping to determine the best way to bring the concept to life — while balancing aesthetic vision, guest experience, and production realities.

The Challenge: Designing an Experience, Not a Setup

The biggest challenge wasn’t technical — it was strategic.

The room needed to feel like a Grand Hall: rustic, dramatic, warm, and immersive.

In most event environments, “best practices” might push you toward hiding production elements and maximizing pure performance above all else. But for this experience, the environment mattered just as much as the technical output.

That meant our job was to find a solution that delivered:

• Strong audio coverage without breaking the visual story

• Lighting that felt cinematic, not corporate

• Special effects that added magic without overwhelming the room

• Visual storytelling that elevated the space into something unforgettable

And all of it had to work together seamlessly.

The Stratum Approach: Collaborate, Explore Options, Then Commit

This project came together through multiple ideation meetings where we explored a variety of solutions — including layout options, environmental design choices, and visual storytelling concepts.

We worked closely with 402 Events to evaluate:

• What the guest “arrival moment” should feel like

• How the room could become immersive without feeling like a stage show

• Where production elements could be placed without ruining the Grand Hall illusion

• How projection and custom content could bring the theme to life

In the end, what we landed on was not the only option — it was the best solution for the story we wanted guests to experience.

The Solution: Immersive AV Designed Around the Story

Audio Coverage Designed for Atmosphere

Instead of prioritizing a “hidden sound” approach or ideal placement based purely on acoustics, the audio system was designed around a core creative principle:

The room needed to feel like a Grand Hall first — and sound great second.

That meant speaker placement and visual presence had to support the environment. In some areas, the system was intentionally installed lower than we would typically prefer — because higher placement would have compromised the rustic, grand aesthetic and visual continuity of the room.

This was a purposeful design tradeoff: great sound that supports the story beats “perfect sound” that breaks immersion.

And the end result delivered what mattered most: clarity, impact, and a seamless guest experience without feeling like an AV installation.

Lighting that Transformed the Room

Lighting became the emotional backbone of the environment. We created a layered lighting approach that made the room feel dramatic, warm, and cinematic — like stepping into a world rather than entering an event venue.

The lighting design supported:

• Grand Hall ambience

• Themed mood shifts

• Highlighting scenic elements and décor

• Depth, texture, and atmosphere throughout the space

Instead of “lighting a room,” we used lighting to tell the story of the space.

Special Effects that Made It Feel Like Magic

To amplify the immersive feeling, we integrated atmospheric effects such as low-lying fog and dry ice moments — adding movement and mystery to the environment while staying elegant and controlled.

These effects gave guests the feeling that something magical was happening — not through gimmicks, but through tastefully executed moments.

The Defining Element: Projection Mapping + Custom Content

The most monumental part of the experience came from visual storytelling.

We supported 402 Events in defining how projection mapping could be used to create an unforgettable transformation — and helped guide the conversation around what visuals would best support the theme.

Projection wasn’t treated as “cool tech.”It was treated as environmental storytelling.

From identifying projection opportunities to supporting the development of custom content, this became the element that elevated the experience from themed to cinematic.

The Result: A Corporate Event That Felt Like a World

The end product was not just an event — it was a transformation.

Guests stepped into an atmosphere that felt grand, rustic, magical, and intentional. Every production decision supported the story: from audio placement to lighting texture to atmospheric effects and visuals.

This project reinforced a truth we live by:

Great production isn’t measured by what you brought — it’s measured by what guests felt.

Why This Case Study Matters

This event is a perfect example of what Stratum Productions does differently:

✅ We don’t just execute. We collaborate.

✅ We don’t just bring equipment. We design solutions.

✅ We don’t just optimize for performance. We optimize for experience.

And when you combine that approach with a strong planning and design partner like 402 Events, you get something rare:

A corporate experience that feels like cinema.

Planning an Immersive Experience?

If you’re building a themed corporate environment, gala, or high-impact guest experience and want it to feel premium, intentional, and unforgettable, we’d love to help.

Let’s design something people remember. Schedule a call here