The Future of Ford, Uncovered
By Nancy Csutoros|
When experiential agency and event organiser We Are Phoenix needed a venue capable of hosting a world-class vehicle launch for Ford Australia, MCEC ticked all the boxes.
We had the flexible footprint, planning expertise and production capabilities to bring their ambitious ideas to life for Ford Uncovered.
Plus, we have more than three decades of experience transforming blank spaces into bold, creative event environments that attract forward-thinkers and drive industry collaboration.
Breaking Down the Event
Event: Ford Uncovered Australia
Organisers: We Are Phoenix
Client: Ford Australia
Scope: 4 days | 7 shows | 1,500+ guests | 3 major vehicle reveals
Event Space: MCEC Exhibition Bays 17 and 18
The Vision: Stepping into the Future
More than a product launch, Ford Uncovered brought together more than 1,500 guests across four days and seven high-energy shows, with three reveals of Ford’s next-generation vehicles – the Bronco Basecamp, Transit City and Mustang Dark Horse T8 Spec Pack.
Attendees spanned media, dealer principals, sponsorship partners, employees and C-suite, requiring an environment that felt chic, exclusive and newsworthy.
“Ford was stepping into the future, and they wanted to make that step big,” explains AV Planner Boris Markarian.
“The agency came to us with audacious, experiential creative ideas, and our role was to bring those concepts into reality, build the framework and execute the event at the highest level.”
The Space: Transforming Blank Exhibition Bays
We Are Phoenix wasn’t looking for a standard product launch presentation for Ford Uncovered. They wanted a space with wow-factor, one that could be tailored and transformed to their vision.
Rather than fragmenting the event across multiple spaces – which risked losing audience momentum and compromising strict security and confidentiality – the team consolidated the entire experience within two Exhibition Bays.
MCEC’s Exhibition Bays provide a vast, pillarless canvas with direct ground-floor loading dock access and rigging infrastructure, allowing a custom layout to be engineered from scratch.
For Ford Uncovered, the bays underwent an atmospheric transformation into distinct zones that mapped Ford’s future trajectory while spotlighting each new vehicle class. Highlights included:
Sensory Tunnel Entry
Guests arrived through a dark, immersive tunnel constructed from heavy black drapery, raw floor terrain, directional lighting and ambient soundscapes, before emerging into the main presentation area. They then flowed through to distinct zones or “worlds” representing the new vehicles. This floorplan highlights the use of draping in the Exhibition Bays to create an entry tunnel, a theatre area and an activation area, with multiple zones plus catering.
Complete Spatial Transformation
To evoke an exclusive feel, the perimeter was transformed with 450-metre wide and 10-metre-high draping, completely masking venue architecture and controlling light. Drapery is perfect for zoning off areas and creating intimacy in large spaces.
High-impact Vehicle Unveilings
Executed flawlessly across seven individual show sessions, each drape-lift unveiled the new models under precision spotlighting to generate theatre, immediate audience impact and standout moments.
A Flexible Space
“Based on what our client wanted to achieve, it would have only worked with a blank canvas,” explains MCEC’s Event Planner, Rhiannon Anthonis.
“Using the Exhibitions Bays’ pillarless space gave us the opportunity to accomplish all of their reveal expectations, like lifting the drapes off the vehicles, dramatic lighting and smoke, with zero structural compromises.”
That flexibility allowed the production to balance theatrical moments with high-end atmosphere.
“Captivating lighting, good sound systems, a lot of rigging. It was about launching the cars, but it also made the guests feel like they were in this very exclusive, Insta-worthy space.”
The Production: World-class Audiovisual
Transforming two Exhibition Bays into a world-class product launch for Ford Australia required every speaker, cable and light, as well as infrastructure like stages, seating and food carts, to be brought in.
MCEC’s AV team orchestrated an ambitious audiovisual setup tailored to the client’s creative brief, with:
Immersive Audio
A 360-degree cinema-style surround-sound setup, with acoustics filling the space and throwing crystal-clear sound, from engine roars and music to speeches, in every direction.
Striking Lighting
Custom-designed lighting plots from overhead rigging points created a dynamic display. Sharp directional beams and synchronised colour transitions built anticipation and illuminated key vehicle features from every angle.
Cinematic Environment
A high-impact 16-metre by 8-metre high-definition LED screen was rigged overhead, acting as a high-impact backdrop and delivering crisp visual content synced seamlessly to lighting and audio.
Expert AV Planning
MCEC's AV Planners are the go-to for all things technical, helping guide our clients through the details to elevate an event. In this case, “the event was planned and managed internally by MCEC in collaboration with We Are Phoenix, but we still had to source and manage multiple external providers to make it happen at the scale required,” highlights Boris.
Working with third-party contractors, he says, required “communication and collaboration, which was so important to bring the event together under such a tight setup window.”
Rhiannon adds: “Ford Uncovered was a success because our AV team went above and beyond. They did a lot of external sourcing on behalf of the client to exceed expectations.”
The Outcome: Uncovering a World-class Event Space
Ford Uncovered proved what’s possible when creativity, venue flexibility and technical expertise align.
Across four days, seven shows, three major vehicle reveals and countless moving parts behind the scenes, the event was carried out seamlessly by a dedicated, cross-departmental team spanning sales, planning, operations, audiovisual services, security, catering and event services. Three months of meticulous planning culminated in a record 24-hour turnaround from initial bump-in to final delivery.
The result was an unqualified success with Ford Australia describing the showcase as one of their most successful events of this scale to date.
“Ford Uncovered was a really great experience to work on because it was so different and fun,” reflects Rhiannon. “That’s why I love working in events – I help to showcase something truly memorable and exciting.”
Host Your Event in MCEC’s Exhibition Bays
Thinking about hosting a product launch or custom showcase? MCEC offers the space, experts and collaborative spirit to make it happen.
“The options are almost limitless,” Rhiannon adds. “Just like Ford Uncovered, we can deliver something really creative and build a totally unique setup tailored to your vision.”
With our full-service technology and audiovisual solutions, complete with next-gen innovations and skilled experts, we'd love to turn your event into an experience that pushes the boundaries. Explore the possibilities .
