3-D projection mapping

Boyle's show opened with a scene inspired by the English countryside, complete with rolling hills, horse-drawn carts, and farmyard animals like sheep and cows. Animals for Advertising brought live goats to Henri Bendel in New York for Fashion's Night Out in 2010; companies like Walking With Lions and Birds N' Beasts also offer exotic creatures for events.

One segment of the opening ceremony had children bouncing on illuminated hospital beds, furnishings that were, at one point, arranged to spell out "NHS" (for Britain's National Health Service) and "GOSH" (the Great Ormond Street Hospital). Many rental houses offer glowing pieces embedded with LEDs, including So Cool Events, which debuted its new outdoor collection earlier this year.

As a tribute to Tim Berners-Lee, widely recognized as the inventor of the World Wide Web, Boyle's Olympic ceremony included a love story set in the digital age. To set the scene, the stage included a three-dimensional, house-shaped structure that was mapped with digital projections. Companies like Obscura Digital, Ninjaneer Studios, and Media Stage have created such visual displays on existing buildings, like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi (pictured), as well as blank white fabricated set pieces.

The digital-love-story segment also included a gymnast inside an inflatable globe being passed around a crowd of spectators. Zen Arts offers a similar act, where performers move inside "bubble spheres" that can float on water.

The final performance of the night was by Paul McCartney, who led a sing-along of "Hey Jude." Chicago-based Beatles sound-alike act American English can bring the music (and costumes) of the Fab Four to events.

Boyle's show ended with a vibrant display of fireworks and pyrotechnics. Fireworks by Grucci, Bay Fireworks, and Pyrotecnico have all produced lavish effects for events. Last June, Switch: Liberate Your Brand created a flashy spectacle for the Primericas Services National Convention in Atlanta, with 27 video displays synced with multiple pyrotechnic cues.