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Captivating a Young Audience

When 35,000 young people ranging from high-school age to early 20s gathered at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, earlier this summer, we knew we were about to blow their minds. And we did.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 2018 Youth Gathering  had a unique set of objectives. Chief among them was consistently and continuously engaging an audience of tens of thousands of easily-distracted young people. Also a priority was the ability to accommodate a multitude of moving parts, including efficiently and effectively moving dozens of bands, musicians, choirs, presenters and other performers on and off stage without disrupting the program.  And while it was a raucous affair at times, the theological components of the program were equally important to a successful outcome for the event.

It all started with the design of the stage backdrop. It had to be both attractive and functional. The essential element of the set, understandably, was an over-sized cross. Roughly 90-feet high and made of 12-foot truss and LED tube lighting strips. Complementing the cross was a mosaic of custom-made projection surfaces of various sizes and shapes, some with sharp angles, bringing to mind a giant stained-glass window.

In addition to three projection screens, the projection surfaces were made of fabric stretched over frames. We were looking for a fabric that was easy to work with while also allowing our moving animations, video and other visuals to look stunning via front projection. The good people at Sew What came through for us with great solutions. Here’s what they had to say about the experience.

For everyone involved, ELCA’s 2018 Youth Gathering was a unique, next-level experience.

The initial plan was to paint the set with lighting. As the creative process with ELCA evolved, the ideas became bigger and more activity was planned. Ultimately, two dramatic moving animations – including a magnificent sequence of a space shuttle blasting off to open the gathering – and a dozen static looks that were produced by our Creative Services team and used throughout the sessions, ranging from blue sky and puffy white clouds to an urban scene with graffiti accents.

Another feature of the set was a Baptismal fountain, complete with running water. It was about 4-inches deep and looked deeper from a distance. While no Baptisms were performed, the water was used by speakers to form the sign of the cross and one speaker presented while standing in the fountain.

Further, the set had to be designed and fabricated in a way that efficiently and effectively accommodated a near-constant rotation of bands, choirs, DJs and other performers, which also required management of backline equipment and other technical needs. Our designers and fabricators forged the perfect solution. The praise band was positioned stage left for the duration. Stage right was more active. A sliding wall, designed and lit to mimic the stage left performance area, was used to hide set up and then reveal performers on cue. The transitions were efficient, seamless and dramatic.

An audience of this age needs to be engaged, active and involved. With bands, DJs, performers and non-stop dancing in the audience, the 90-minute walk-ins felt more like EDC than ECLA. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in the event via ELCA’s “Mass Cast” program. With a new cast every day, hundreds of attendees were taught simple routines with simple props such as flags or glow sticks to be performed each day. Speakers were equally engaging and a mirror image of those in the audience. All presentations were 8 – 12 minutes and delivered from memory. No teleprompters were used. An audience of peers – especially this age group — appreciates presentations delivered to them and for them, not at them. In addition to the Houston audience, all of the sessions were streamed around the globe via our webcasting and content delivery network.

For everyone involved, ELCA’s 2018 Youth Gathering was a next-level experience. One of the main reasons it was able to happen is a shared commitment to a thorough, collaborative process that allowed everyone to contribute their best ideas and take calculated risks with their work. We met face-to-face with the ELCA team on four occasions to discuss current plans and next steps, in addition to site visits at the venue.

We were impressed with the efforts ELCA made to connect with its audience. We are grateful for the opportunity to support those efforts with the type of Texas-sized visual and technical sizzle we were able to bring to the event. We hope to work with them again in Minneapolis in 2021.

We welcome the opportunity to bring our collaborative approach and proven expertise to your next event, big or small.

World-Class Solutions for a World-Wide Event

The 2017 Church of the Nazarene Global General Assembly brought together more than 20,000 attendees from around the world, making it a massive, multi-cultural and multi-lingual event presenting a unique array of opportunities to connect attendees with each other and the mission of the church.

For the event, we provided content management and production, set design, event branding and graphic design plus lighting, sound and projection for three stages, with the largest stage spanning more than 200-feet wide to accommodate an audience of 20,000, and a changing rotation of speakers and musical performances, including a 200 member choir and a 25 piece orchestra.

Additionally, we created opportunities for attendees to connect on a more personal level with theme-based interactive spaces such as multi-lingual photo stations and a video booth, where close to 100 people from across the globe sat in front of the camera to share their feelings and insights on the theme, One Body, One Spirit, One Hope, One Lord, One Faith.

Overview: A Global Gathering with Lasting Impact

Every five years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church convenes its General Conference Session—a global gathering that brings together clergy and delegates from around the world to shape the future direction of the church.

In June 2025, thousands gathered in St. Louis at The Dome at America’s Center for a multi-week event that combined governance, worship, and community at an extraordinary scale. Bartha was proud to support this milestone event, continuing a partnership that began in 2022 and has grown through multiple large-scale conferences.

The Relationship: Built on Trust, Experience, and Continuity

Bartha’s partnership with the Seventh-day Adventist Church began in the early 2000s, evolving from single-session support into a multi-decade collaboration. For over 25 years, Bartha has served as a steady logistical engine behind many of their global gatherings.

This deep institutional knowledge proved vital when the pandemic delayed the 2020 world event. Because of our long-standing history, we were able to seamlessly pivot and preserve years of planning, finally bringing the massive project to life in 2022. Today, that relationship continues to expand, spanning international General Conference sessions and large-scale ancillary events, anchored by a trust that can only be built over a quarter-century of execution.

The Challenge: Scale, Complexity, and Alignment

The 2025 General Conference Session presented unique challenges:

• An international audience representing the global church
• A football stadium–scale venue, requiring extensive preplanning
• A multi-week schedule spanning meetings by day and worship services by night
• Large planning committees with many stakeholders and decision-makers
• Distinct technical needs for governance sessions versus worship services
• Sabbath observance requiring advanced planning and adjusted workflows

In addition, the length of the event demanded two separate production crews and crew chiefs, ensuring consistency and quality across long days and varied programming.

Bartha’s Role: Designing for Scale and Purpose

Bartha supported the event from early planning through execution, providing strategic guidance and technical leadership across the venue.
Key responsibilities included:

• Designing and deploying 40-foot (5) and 100-foot (1) LED walls to ensure visibility and engagement across the stadium
• Managing complex audio environments, adapting sound design for both spoken governance sessions and large-scale worship services featuring choirs and music
• Coordinating extensive rigging and infrastructure planning suited to a stadium venue
• Preparing for special services, including Sabbath worship, which required thoughtful planning and compliance with observance needs

Bartha’s experience in large religious gatherings and major venues allowed the team to anticipate challenges early and guide decisions toward clarity and cohesion.

Navigating Evolution: Adaptability in Real Time

During the production process, the scope naturally expanded to include integrated content from additional partners. Bartha acted as the central hub, synchronizing timelines and multi-party approvals to integrate new creative elements seamlessly into the live experience.

Bartha acted as the central hub between the planning committee and the creative teams to:

• Align screen assignments with evolving content formats
• Synchronize production timelines and multi-party approvals
• Integrate new creative elements seamlessly into the live experience

This proactive collaboration—driven by steady communication—ensured that every new variable enhanced the final production, keeping the focus exactly where it belonged: on a flawless attendee experience.

Collaboration as a Force Multiplier

The event also required close collaboration with the North American Division’s internal production team, which provided cameras and select equipment. Bartha made it a goal to work seamlessly alongside this internal team, aligning workflows and responsibilities to deliver a unified experience.

That collaboration not only strengthened execution on this event—it directly contributed to future opportunities, including Bartha’s continued involvement in additional Seventh-day Adventist gatherings.

The Outcome: A Cohesive, Purpose-Driven Experience

Beyond the technical scope, the success of the General Conference Session came down to alignment.

Bartha helped bring together:

• complex schedules
• diverse stakeholders
• multiple production teams
• distinct program formats

into one cohesive experience that supported the purpose of the gathering.

The result was an event that honored tradition, enabled meaningful decision-making, and supported worship at scale—while meeting the operational demands of a global audience.

Looking Ahead: Partnership That Grows Over Time

Long-term partnerships allow Bartha to do more than execute events—they allow the team to anticipate needs, guide decisions, and continuously refine the experience.

With each event, Bartha deepens its understanding of the client’s goals, structure, and values—creating a foundation for even stronger collaboration in the future.