Opened earlier this year, Mainro – the latest addition to Hollywood’s nightlife scene – offers a unique fusion of restaurant and supper club. Each evening the elegant venue shifts its focus from fine dining to high octane partying, using AVL technology to make the transition completely seamless.
Lighting plays a significant part in this, with 20 of ADJ’s extremely popular Vizi Beam RXONE compact moving head beam luminaires used to fill the high-ceilinged venue with energetic aerial effects to complete the transition from sophisticated restaurant to full-on nightclub.
Mainro is the creation of restauranteur Romain Zago, who has extensive experience in the hospitality industry and is best known for his Miami venues Mynt and Myn-Tu. The project was conceived in early 2019 and originally planned to open in 2020, although this was understandably delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Having finally opened on the weekend the Super Bowl was hosted in Los Angeles, the venue has quickly developed a reputation as Hollywood’s hottest nighttime destination. Patrons can enjoy dinner, cabaret entertainment and dancing all in the same place, in a lavish room that combines Hollywood Regency design elements with integrated LED video and lighting technology that create an undeniably futuristic feel.
At the heart of Romain’s vision, which was part inspired by the iconic Moulin Rouge, was creating a theatrical experience for patrons. This is achieved through the regular performances – by singers, musicians, and aerialists – which take place every half hour during dinner service, but also through the video content which is displayed on LED surfaces throughout the space. Integrated seamlessly into the walls, ceiling and stage set of the venue – including sixteen custom-designed triangular chandeliers and the circular arch and sweeping staircases that surround the stage – the LED displays allow the whole venue to be completely transformed through the use of video content.
Lighting also has a significant role to play in creating Mainro’s unique atmosphere, especially when the focus switches to dancing from 11pm onwards. Responsibility for selecting, supplying, and installing the venue’s entertainment lighting fixtures fell to Pawel Roguszczak and his company clubTech, which also provided all the audio and control equipment for the project. Having worked with Romain for many years, designing and supplying the technical systems for his Miami-based venues, Pawel was ideally placed to capture the vision for Mainro and design a versatile lighting system capable of delivering both the theatrical and nightclub effects required.
The starting point for this process was a visit to ADJ’s South Florida Showroom. Both Pawel and Romain met with Dustin Pesnell from Freed Sales (ADJ’s Southeast Sales Rep Firm) to demo a variety of fixtures from both ADJ and sister company Elation Professional. The result of this process was that ADJ’s Vizi Beam RXONE moving head beam fixture was selected as the primary fixture for Mainro’s new lighting system, with Elation’s Fuze SFX spot serving a secondary role.
Both Romain and I were very impressed by the Vizi Beam RXONE when we did the demo. They are compact but very punchy and offer a nice and simple feature set, which is exactly what we were looking for. It has all the key elements: GOBOs, colors, prism, with no unnecessary extras. I prefer to use a greater quantity of the same fixture type for projects like this, rather than having a mixture of different fixture types but in lesser quantities, and the RXONE was the ideal choice, especially considering its price point. Video content is obviously a key element of the Mainro experience; however, you can only do so much when it comes to movement and dynamic effects with video, particularly in a space with such a high ceiling. So, we use lighting – and especially the Vizi Beam RXONE – to create dynamic aerial effects which fill the air with movement and color. Nothing can substitute light beams – especially when it comes to creating a club atmosphere, explains Pawel.
A total of 20 Vizi Beam RXONE fixtures have been installed at Mainro, split across a pair of L-shaped trusses which flank the stage. This concentration of lighting allows for the creation of extremely impactful effects, which can be used both to draw attention to the stage and to fill the whole room with aerial beam effects.
With 10,000s of units sold worldwide, the Vizi Beam RXONE is a market-proven luminaire that offers unbeatable value, performance, and reliability. An extremely compact and quick-moving fixture, it harnesses the power of a potent Osram® Sirius HRI 1R long life (6,000 hrs.) discharge lamp to produce a super sharp 3-degree beam of light capable of traveling a distance of up to 100 meters.
In addition to the lighting and video equipment, the venue also has a couple of additional effects that further enhance the visual experience of its patrons. A hydraulic lift has been integrated into the stage, which allows performers to ascend or descend between the stage floor and mezzanine above (which are also connected by the staircases on either side). A low fog machine has then been integrated into the lift platform, so that a fog waterfall effect can be created as it moves up or down.
Day-to-day operation of the AVL and effects systems at Mainro is the responsibility of Jorge Tellez, who has more than 25 years of industry experience. Having worked his way up the ladder in the Miami nightlife scene to some of the city’s biggest clubs, including Mansion and Space, he was recruited to move to Las Vegas and work for the Hakkasan Group. After five years in Vegas, Jorge felt the time was right for a change of scenery post-pandemic so jumped at the opportunity to become Lighting and Video Director for Mainro.
I’m really enjoying working at Mainro. I kind of started out with a blank canvas and have worked with the performers to create magical shows that people are really enjoying. Mainro is different to any other place in Hollywood, it’s a truly memorable experience. Social media is very important for hospitality businesses today and our venue is so distinctive that people are constantly taking photos to post to their accounts, which is how word of mouth is spreading about us. In fact, guests taking photos is how I take the temperature of the room! If a piece of video content or lighting look doesn’t create that wow factor that people want to film, I’ll either cut it or retool it for the next night. It’s my version of a DJ getting people onto the dancefloor with their music selection, confirms Jorge.
Indeed, Jorge’s role at Mainro could easily be equated to that of a visual DJ, where the DJ curates the audio experience, he, as the Lighting and Video Director, curates the visual experience. This is recognized by the position of his control booth, which is located at the back of the main space, raised up above the main bar, not hidden away in a closet as in many venues. From this vantage point, Jorge is not only visible to patrons but has a commanding view of the room, which is necessary as many of the cabaret performances aren’t restricted to the stage. Singers come out and mingle with the clientele – sitting at their tables to sing a verse before moving on – while aerialists perform above diners’ heads. It is predominantly for illuminating these performances that the Elation Fuze SFX fixtures are utilized, which are mounted at the back of the main room. Meanwhile, while primarily used to generate mid-air beam effects, the Vizi Beam RXONEs are also sometimes employed to light the stage using their internal frost fixture, for moments when a full stage wash is required.
“I think the Vizi Beam RXONEs are pretty amazing, versatile fixtures”, enthuses Jorge. “I hadn’t worked with them before but, as soon as I started to play with them, I found they have a lot to offer. I like their intensity and fast speed as well as their GOBO selection and vibrant colors. In terms of maintenance, they are very easy to clean, which is important as I do my maintenance every week to make sure everything runs perfectly every night and the rig always looks spotless. They are really great fixtures, which are ideal for this space and produce sharp, fast-moving beams which are an essential tool for raising the energy level when the venue becomes a nightclub later in the evening”.
Despite having not worked with Vizi Beam RXONEs before, Jorge has found them extremely easy to use and program. He has utilized them to create a wide variety of effects, ranging from static looks - which complement the cabaret performances, to high energy movement sequences - which help to create the right atmosphere for eating and drinking to lead to dancing and partying! As well as the equipment itself, Jorge has also been impressed by the after sales support offered by ADJ.
I’ve found both the ADJ and Elation fixtures to be very reliable, although the occasional glitch is inevitable, which is why good customer service from suppliers is so important. I’m pleased to be able to report that ADJ’s service support is incredibly good. I did have one problem; a fixture went down on a Tuesday, and I was in a bit of a panic about getting the rig back up and running for the weekend. But I shouldn’t have worried, I called up ADJ customer support, took it in, and had it back working on the same day! That’s the kind of service I really appreciate, he confirms.
In fact, everyone involved with Mainro has been so impressed with the ADJ / Elation fixtures, as well as the supporting customer service, that plans are already being made to extend the lighting rig. This is set to involve 16 further Vizi Beam RXONE fixtures installed above the main floor – to extend the aerial effects out from the stage to immerse the audience, as well as another 2-4 Fuse SFX fixtures – to enhance Jorge’s ability to illuminate performers wherever they are in the space as well as to project break-apart GOBO patterns throughout the venue.
Mainro is a stunning supper club that combines design chic and the latest technology to create something that is truly ‘Instaworthy’. This, combined with its unique concept – fusing restaurant, cabaret show and dance club into a single destination for a whole night’s enjoyment – mean that this new addition to Hollywood’s nighttime economy is sure to be one that endures for a long time to come.
