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The #FlightDecks event was live-streamed via the plane’s wifi to an audience of thousands online as the flight took an audience of competition winners and VIPs from London to Atlanta. It was designed to celebrate the new 787 aircraft, which has been dubbed ‘Birthday Girl’ as a celebration of the brand’s 30th birthday.
Rudimental performed renditions of their hits in the newly-designed Upper Class bar and up and down the aisles of the 787. They then joined Gorgon City for a DJ collaboration as the plane flew across the Atlantic.
DJ Locksmith took to the on-board PA system to get everyone dancing in their seats. As a finale, both bands walked the length of the plane accompanied by trumpet players and live vocalists as guests sang along.
Kelly Grindle, associate board director at Cake, told Event there were several challenges in staging an event in an aircraft. "The wifi onboard is the first of its kind as it uses satellite rather than terrestrial link-ups," he said. "There are certain blackspots over the Atlantic so we had to schedule the live-streaming to avoid those.
"We also had to set up our own wireless network onboard and make sure the music speakers worked through the plane. All the tech we brought had to go through rigorous testing for security reasons too."
Meigan Terry, director of communcations at Virgin Atlantic, added: "By adding the 787 to our fleet, we are taking a big step forward in innovation and an even bigger step forward in continuing our commitment to delight our customers. We decided to christen our new 787, Birthday Girl, in true Virgin Atlantic style and were thrilled to have both Rudimental and Gorgon City onboard with us"
"Both Rudimental and Gorgon City gave once-in-a-lifetime performances at #FlightDecks and we’re not only delighted that we could make this happen but also that we could share it with music fans all over the world thanks to the innovative technology of the 787."
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