When PinPointe Social opened its doors in Calgary, Alberta, it set out to create something far beyond a traditional darts venue. Combining next-generation interactive gaming, elevated dining, handcrafted cocktails, and a vibrant nightlife experience, the venue offers guests an immersive social destination where technology and entertainment converge. Central to that experience is an extensive ADJ lighting system, designed and installed by Digital Media Integrations, which not only helps establish the venue's energetic atmosphere but also integrates directly with gameplay and transforms the space into a nightclub destination on weekends.
Created by serial entrepreneur Barry Ehlert, PinPointe Social was designed to bring something truly unique to Calgary’s nightlife scene. Inspired by entertainment venues in Las Vegas, Barry developed PinPointe Social to reimagine the social competitiveness of darts using the latest technology and place it within the context of an upscale lounge bar that transforms into a full-on nightclub on Friday and Saturday nights. Bringing together high-quality audio, video and lighting systems that integrate seamlessly was essential to this vision. The task of designing, supplying, and installing this advanced AVL system fell to Calgary-based Digital Media Integrations, led by Dustin Milne.
"The electrical and general contractor knew of our work and brought us in because they understood out of the gate that there was a need for a very technical, extensive layout of AVL equipment, and that's our speciality," explains Dustin. "We provided and installed all the audio, video and lighting equipment as well as the network infrastructure. It's a full sACN network, with five four-port Obsidian nodes and a dedicated DMX universe for each darts suite. We then collaborated with the guys from venue who developed their own games system which we integrated with the show control system to allow the games to trigger lighting, video and audio cues."
PinPointe Social features twelve private darts suites equipped with real dart boards and camera-tracked scoring technology, offering guests an engaging and accessible gaming experience through eight different game modes. Lighting plays a key role in enhancing the action, with every suite fitted with a pair of ADJ Focus Spot 5Z moving head fixtures that respond dynamically to gameplay events.
"I chose the Focus Spot 5Z because it's really punchy but also pretty small," explains Dustin. "We didn't have tons of ceiling height in this place but still wanted to keep everything as high up as we could. The 5Z is a tiny little fixture, but it's still got lots of output. It also has two color wheels, a separate GOBO wheel, two prisms and two frost filters, so we can do a lot with just two lights in that suite for lighting cues based on the gameplay."
Powered by a potent 200-Watt cool white LED engine, the Focus Spot 5Z delivers impressive output from a compact housing. With motorized zoom and focus, dual color wheels, six replaceable rotating GOBOs, two rotating prisms (6-facet circular and 5-facet linear) and two frost filters (light and heavy), the fixture provides the versatility needed to create everything from celebratory gameplay moments to immersive atmospheric effects.
Beyond the individual darts suites, Digital Media Integrations also designed a comprehensive lighting system for the venue's central social space. During the daytime and early evening, the fixtures provide subtle ambient illumination that complements the venue's upscale aesthetic. Later in the evening, however, the space transforms completely.
Under the banner of ‘NightShift by PinPointe Social’, the venue hosts live DJs every Friday and Saturday night from 10PM until 2AM, turning the central area into a high-energy nightlife destination. To mark the transition, Dustin and his team programmed a four-minute time-coded introductory show sequence featuring synchronized lighting effects and atmospheric haze generated by a pair of ADJ Entourage haze machines.
“I have visited many high-end lounges in Vegas over the years and wanted to bring an experience like that to Calgary where we have one concept by day and a whole other by night,” explains Barry. “The ADJ fixtures – together with the design Digital Media came up with – delivered that. We have daytime operating presets and then we can trigger the ‘NightShift’, a button DMI programmed that gives us a 6-minute lighting show that’s all synchronized to the video walls and audio track and transforms PinPointe to a whole different experience at night with vibrant colors and GOBO patterns. One of the challenges we had was the ceiling height of the location was not overly high, so the compact size of the fixtures helped us keep them out of reach of customers.”
For the main room spots, Dustin selected ADJ's Focus Spot 6Z moving head fixtures. As the larger sibling to the Focus Spot 5Z, the Focus Spot 6Z combines a powerful 300-Watt cool white LED source with precision optics, delivering exceptionally punchy beams, crisp GOBO projections, and dynamic aerial effects that help create a true nightclub atmosphere.
"For lighting the main area, which becomes the dancefloor late at night, we took a step up to the Focus Spot 6Z," comments Dustin. "It's that bit brighter and adds an extra GOBO wheel. Those fixtures really allow us to create energy on the dancefloor with piercing beams and sharp pattern projections."
The main rig also incorporates ADJ Focus Flex L7 moving head wash-beam fixtures, whose versatility allows them to serve multiple roles throughout the venue's operating day. Featuring seven independently controllable 40-Watt RGBL LEDs and motorized zoom, the Focus Flex L7 offers exceptional creative flexibility. Its integrated lime LED technology delivers enhanced brightness and color mixing, while pixel-mapping capabilities enable eye-catching effects that help elevate the NightShift experience.
"The Focus Flex L7 is another tiny light that puts out an incredible output,” states Dustin. “It's also a versatile fixture, and we make use of it in different ways throughout the venue's operating day. During the daytime, we have them set on a nice warm white and zoomed in tight to serve as downlighters that add to the atmosphere of the space. At night we make use of their pixel-mapping capabilities to inject further energy that enhances the DJ sets."
Each type of fixture served a specific purpose while also complementing one another to create a coherent system capable of meeting the venue’s varied requirements. Working alongside Dustin as Lighting Designer and Programmer, Joseph Wolff was responsible for creating a both the daytime scenes and NightShift transformation time-coded lightshow.
“This project challenged me to create a space that could seamlessly shift throughout the day and night,” comments Joseph. “The venue is designed to host everything from corporate events to birthday parties and group outings, before transitioning into a high-energy club environment later in the evening. Built on an ONYX NX2 console with DYLOS integration, the system gave me the flexibility to quickly develop layered looks and themes that adapt to the room’s changing energy. The compact size of the Focus Spot 5Z and Focus Spo 6Z fixtures, combined with their fast pan and tilt, made them an ideal choice for the space, allowing for dynamic movement and impactful looks without overwhelming the room. The Focus Flex L7 washes added strong color rendering and smooth coverage, helping to tie everything together visually. One of the most rewarding parts of the project was programming the ‘NightShift’ transition, a full sequence that transforms the space into a club environment and completely shifts the energy of the room. We’re also continuing to build on that experience with additional custom-programmed lighting for bottle service, adding another layer of energy and elevation to the nightlife side of the venue. The end result is a cohesive, immersive experience that feels consistent, intentional, and unlike anything else in Calgary’s day/nightlife scene.”
By combining immersive gameplay technology with sophisticated lighting design, PinPointe Social has created a unique entertainment destination where lighting serves both practical and experiential purposes. Whether celebrating a winning throw in one of the interactive darts suites or energizing the dancefloor during NightShift, ADJ fixtures play a crucial role in delivering the venue's vision of a modern, high-energy social experience.
Venue
PinPointe Social
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
www.pinpointesocial.com
Audiovisual Supplier
Digital Media Integrations
www.dmintegrations.ca
Project Manager
Dustin Milne
Lighting Designer & Programmer
Joseph Wolff
Gear List
24 x ADJ Focus Spot 5Z
12 x ADJ Focus Spot 6Z
10 x ADJ Focus Flex L7
2 x ADJ Entour Venue
5 x Obsidian Control Systems Netron EN4
1 x Obsidian Control Systems NX2
