A themed party for 500 in an empty marquee: the TransPerfect case
From empty marquee to space hangar for 500 guests: the production pieces and how you'd do it today with Murphy OS.
Cosmos Party · Poble Espanyol A real event used as a production example. Here is how you would run an event like this with Murphy OS today.
At TransPerfect’s Cosmos Party, an empty marquee at the Poble Espanyol in Barcelona became, from scratch, a space hangar for 500 guests: set dressing, immersive lighting, visual effects, live performance, costumed actors, a themed menu and endless photo opportunities. Producing in an empty marquee is producing without a safety net: everything you see, you brought in. Here are the moving parts and how you would build it today with Murphy OS.
What the event called for
According to the public write-up, the goal was a themed corporate event where atmosphere, technology and interaction created an unforgettable experience.
| Element | What it had |
|---|---|
| Guests | 500 |
| Venue | Poble Espanyol marquee, Barcelona |
| Starting point | An empty marquee |
| Concept | A space hangar, full cosmos atmosphere |
| Set dressing | Futuristic decor, immersive lighting, visual effects |
| Show | Live performance, costumed actors, cinematic staging |
| Food | Themed menu |
| Interaction | Photo opportunities with sets and interactive elements |
The write-up sums it up: an empty marquee to fill and a client experience to top.
The production pieces behind an event like this
The whole space is designed
An empty marquee has no stage, no bars, no zones. You draw the event on the plan: where performers play, where people eat, where the photo spots go and how 500 people move without bottlenecks.
Equipment and load-in from zero
Furniture, structures, sets, lighting, sound and effects arrive by truck. Each supplier needs a load-in slot and a zone, and the rental company needs a locked equipment list.
A show with actors
Performers and costumed actors with their cues, routes through the space and big moments. If they are not on the run of show, they appear whenever they feel like it.
Catering for 500
A themed menu for 500 needs a dietary and allergy count and service zones planned on the floor plan.
The marquee and the sky
A marquee is not a room. Wind and rain affect load-in and the event, and you want to know days ahead.
How you would run it today with Murphy OS
This is what we would do with a similar brief. Examples are illustrative.
1. Scenes: draw the hangar to scale
In Scenes you upload the marquee plan (PDF, image or DXF), calibrate it with one known measurement and place stage, LED screens, bars, buffet, lounge and photo spots at real size. With 500 guests you see straight away whether walkways breathe or a bar blocks the flow. Export the equipment spreadsheet for the rental company and, to show the client the hangar, send the scene to Render and the AI creates an image of the dressed space from the plan.
2. Planner: budgeting a marquee you have to fill
In Planner you split global costs (marquee, sets, lighting and effects, performers, actors) from per-guest costs (themed menu, drinks). Before negotiating, duplicate the version: for example, one with every effect and one trimmed. In Setup and agenda you plan day -1, show day and load-out with times, owners and suppliers; if the venue emails its load-in times, paste them and the AI turns them into lines.
3. Forms: 500 guests, no queue at the door
With the gala template in Forms you build the invitation in the cosmos look. Useful questions:
- Name and company or department.
- Attendance confirmed and plus-one, if relevant.
- Dietary needs and allergies for the themed menu.
- Coach, if there is a transfer.
- Privacy and image consent, key with so many photo spots.
On the day: QR check-in with several entry lines from different phones on the same list. Export the dietary and allergen list for catering.
4. Run of show (Escaleta): performers on their mark and on time
In the run of show you set load-in, show day and load-out as tabs. Show day chained: doors (pinned), welcome, performer entrances, service, show moments, close. Colour-coded teams: AV, catering, actors, hosts, stage management. The crew ticks each cue from their phones and you see if service is running late before it clashes with the show.
5. Meteo: the marquee looks at the sky too
In Meteo you enter the venue and the load-in and event slots, with the marquee format on the traffic light. Far out, 20 years of history for that week; closer in, the model consensus. Gusts during load-in? Bring the ballast forward. Rain? Umbrellas at the entrance and covered walkways.
Lessons worth keeping
- An empty marquee is designed on the plan before it is loaded on the truck.
- With 500 guests, flow matters as much as decor.
- Performers belong on the run of show, with their cues and their spot.
- Lots of photo spots need image consent set up properly at registration.
- In a marquee, weather is part of the budget, not a surprise.
Quick template for a marquee event
- Marquee plan calibrated and zones drawn.
- Equipment spreadsheet locked and sent to the rental company.
- Budget in two versions: full and trimmed.
- Registration with dietary needs, image consent and QR check-in.
- Run of show with doors pinned and performers tagged.
- Weather traffic light checked for the load-in slot.
Frequently asked questions
What was TransPerfect's Cosmos Party?
A corporate event for 500 guests in the Poble Espanyol marquee in Barcelona, turned from scratch into a space hangar with set dressing, lighting, performances, costumed actors, a themed menu and photo opportunities.
What do you need to plan for an event in an empty marquee?
Everything an equipped venue already has: layout, AV, lighting, furniture, catering zones and guest flow. And the weather, because a marquee is more sensitive to wind and rain than a room.
How do you lay out a marquee for 500 people?
On a plan to scale: stage, bars, photo spots, catering and walkways, each at real size. You see whether it fits before you order the equipment.
How do you handle entry for 500 guests?
QR check-in with several entry lines open at once from different phones, on the same list, so nobody gets in twice and the queue does not eat the start.