New focus on the esports entertainment industry and digitalization

Montreal, Canada, June 1, 2021 – Martin Tremblay, President and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Solotech Inc., is pleased to announce that Solotech has acquired Waveform Entertainment, a highly regarded Canadian esports entertainment company specializing in full services esports solutions, including creative and design, technologies, event execution, brand solutions, digital marketing, talent management, sponsorships, and virtual and live production services. The company is well known in the gaming industry for its contribution to numerous high-profile programs, namely on Twitch, Rainbow6 Canada Nationals Year 2, Complexity’s WOW Race to World First, Get On My Level, EGLX Digital, Rising Stars. Thanks to Solotech’s international reach, this strategic partnership will enable Waveform to become a global esports entertainment company and connect with a bigger and ever-growing gaming audience.

Waveform is also a turnkey agency that provides comprehensive creation, production, and digital marketing services. With its proprietary event platform and production software, the company can produce impressive virtual events and reach an online audience of varied clients from the video game and entertainment industries and the corporate and government markets.

According to Martin Tremblay, “Customer demand for cutting-edge digital services continues to grow and the gaming industry is blooming more than ever. This acquisition enables us to roll out numerous live events, esports and virtual production broadcasts, including augmented and virtual reality. Gaming alone is a strong and growing 160 billion market. I see this acquisition as a perfect fit with our new Media and Entertainment Technologies Division and our diversification strategy, namely with online tournaments, fans engagement and sponsorships. Our goal remains to be recognized as the audiovisual partner and leader of choice for top content creators, including film, television, advertising and games. Waveform has worked with major industry players like Ubisoft, Dreamhack, Cineplex and major esports events, as well as teaming up with well-known brands and partners including NXNE, AMD and CSL.”

Simon Tremblay, Vice-President, Operations, Media and Entertainment Technologies Division at Solotech, adds: “This company is composed of genuine, exceptional people who are dedicated to the gaming and esports industry. Waveform’s business model is scalable and can fully adapt to the realities and demands of the industry, particularly with its outstanding virtual event platform and streaming solutions and services. The company’s spirit is based on ambition, innovation, passion and problem solving, which is totally in line with Solotech’s image! Together, we will become a strong industry benchmark.”

“This is a great fit for our two organizations since we already collaborate on several major virtual productions. It will allow Waveform to reach even more fans from the gaming world! We’ve developed a unique set of esports event services and earned credibility in the gaming industry as a result. We pride ourselves on our strong reputation and proven experience in esports and broadcasting on local and international stages. We will continue to grow into a company with a solid global impact and presence within the next few years by leveraging Solotech’s presence and resources in the USA and UK. We are embarking on a gratifying experience with Solotech,” says Tamir Kastiel, President of Waveform.

This acquisition will act as a trigger for global expansion that will benefit both Solotech’s clients and the teams of experts that have come together to support this broad, high-end service offering.

About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 16 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education, and is fully supported by three major shareholders: Claridge, Desjardins Capital and Investissement Québec. Solotech employs 1,550 professionals in its offices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Saguenay. Find out more at old.solotech.com.

Find out more

Contact

Héloïse Meunier

Advisor, Corporate Communications

media@old.solotech.com

About Waveform

Waveform is a full-service agency established with the vision of providing clients with guidance and access to the gaming and esports industry. We aim to bring a torrent of creativity, interactivity and engagement to the projects we work on. From competitive tournaments to music festivals, we are committed to the rising tide of gaming and esports in mainstream culture. Established in 2018, Waveform has formed several strategic partnerships focused on enhancing service quality, from ideation to execution and products offered to new and existing clients. We have been on the leading edge of esports event production and broadcast for several years, servicing some of the world’s most prestigious esports tournaments and events, including Dreamhack, Cineplex Entertainment, and Enthusiast owned EGLX.

Find out more at https://waveform.gg/

A strong IT expertise that propels Solotech’s service offering

Montreal, Quebec, May 17, 2021 – As part of its growth strategy, Solotech is pleased to announce today the acquisition of CBCI Telecom Canada Inc. (CBCI). The company headquartered in Montreal has been established for over 30 years across Canada. CBCI is a Canadian leader in providing the most comprehensive audiovisual and video conferencing solutions. Cisco, Microsoft Teams and Logitech solutions are part of its service offering, including personalized cloud services and video conferencing interconnection. CBCI has advanced expertise in audiovisual and unified communications services and solutions for companies in various business sectors, health and education sectors, and provincial and federal government agencies. This strategic acquisition is an important addition for Solotech, particularly in terms of expertise and geographic footprint, as it will expand its presence in Quebec and Ontario and a new presence in Western Canada and shortly in the Maritimes.

“Solotech is very proud to join forces with this company renowned for the quality of its technological solutions and services. This transaction aligns perfectly with our growth strategy and confirms our position as the number one Canadian leader in sales and integration of audiovisual systems. CBCI’s portfolio of services and cutting-edge IT expertise enhance, among other things, our collaboration technology offering, including cloud computing, particularly in the corporate, government and educational segments in which we operate. We are delighted that Solotech’s seasoned team is growing”, explains Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Solotech.

“CBCI’s reputation is well established: it’s led by a strong team of experts who serve an impressive client base. This is a staple synergy due to the complementarity of the services of our companies. Unified communications and collaboration technology is a sector of great needs, and we are better equipped than ever to continue to meet them. In addition, CBCI’s information technology expertise complements Solotech’s service offering very well in the corporate market. That way, we mutually gain proximity and specialization and improve our agility in an industry where the demand is strong. I am pleased to welcome Denis Dumouchel, a prominent industry leader, and his entire team to Solotech”, adds Philip Giffard, President Global, Sales and Systems Integration, Solotech.

“The culture of Solotech and CBCI is based on a philosophy where collaboration and innovation play a central role and are reflected in service quality. It felt just right to join our two organizations to enrich the services and solutions offering for our clients and provide greater opportunities for all CBCI employees who benefit from Solotech’s positioning as a Canadian leader. I look forward to working closely with Philip Giffard and his team”, mentions Denis Dumouchel, President of CBCI.

This acquisition, which highlights a successful model based on a diversified, dynamic and accessible technological offering, is deployed with the full support of Solotech shareholders: Claridge, Desjardins Capital and Investissement Québec. “Once again, we are pleased to help propel Solotech’s expansion. Alongside our partners of the financial ecosystem, we fully play our role, which is to support a leading player in the entertainment and AV/IT systems integration industry by providing flexibility and the tools to become a key player, locally and beyond borders”, adds Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Québec.

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About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 15 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech employs 1,550 professionals in its offices in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Saguenay. Find out more at old.solotech.com.
Find out more at old.solotech.com

Contact

Héloïse Meunier
Advisor, Corporate Communications
media@old.solotech.com

About CBCI

For more than 30 years, the Montreal-based company has been at the forefront of videoconferencing implementation across the country. As an industry leader in Canada, CBCI has developed expertise in providing visual communication equipment and services to corporate, health, legal, education and federal/provincial government sectors. CBCI provides solutions in collaboration with over 40 technology partners.
Find out more at www.cbcitelecom.com

Premier production and systems integration companies owned by industry icon Dale Morris to be acquired by Solotech, the global leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology.

Nashville, Tennessee, February 23, 2021 – Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Solotech, is pleased to announce that Solotech is expected to acquire Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound. This strategic initiative will strengthen Solotech’s live productions and systems integration divisions in the US, expand its already extensive inventory and add to its talented team of respected industry professionals. This synergy will maximize Morris Light & Sound customers’ access to a larger pool of expertise and state-of-the-art technology around the globe.

Morris Light & Sound was formed nearly 30 years ago by industry icon Dale Morris to outfit tours for the country music supergroup Alabama.’ With this step, Morris changed the landscape of touring by creating a unique business model that not only represented and managed artists but also provided full production services all under one roof. “The audiences that Alabama drew were unprecedented in Country Music at that time,” Morris stated. “We needed a sound system that would project their music over the sounds of the crowd, so I turned to an audio company in L.A. who configured sound systems for rock groups which was what we needed to start in production.”

The InteRise systems integration division, a more recent addition, also thrives under the Morris Light & Sound umbrella. This group was formed out of a recognition that so many houses of worship and corporate campuses were enhancing their audiovisual experiences.

“The Morris Light & Sound and InteRise brands will be strong additions to the Solotech family, perfectly complementing our corporate goals and expanding our capabilities as well as our footprint in the United States. With this acquisition, the increased reach of Solotech as a leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology will reinforce our positioning as an industry innovator” says Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Solotech.

Solotech has collaborated with top artists such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and prestigious venues like The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, The Park Theater and Bridgestone Arena, to name a few. Both companies are renowned for their excellence, know-how and passionate specialists, where clients will benefit from this key alliance providing a wider range of professional AV services and capabilities.

“The Morris name has a strong reputation throughout the music industry, and we respect the brand and quality of services that Dale has built,” says, Mickey Curbishley, President, Live Productions, USA and UK, Solotech. “Solotech will be proud to join our two companies with the common philosophy of delivering outstanding services and solutions to our clients.”

Zack Morris, COO of Morris Enterprises states, “We are excited to have the Morris brands acquired by Solotech, a highly respected company in the industry. Our company cultures and values such as collaboration and performance complement each other, and we’re confident our clients will continue to receive an elevated experience.”

About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 15 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and in the United Kingdom. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech employs 1,550 professionals in its offices located in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Saguenay. Find out more at old.solotech.com.

Find out more at old.solotech.com

Contact

Héloïse Meunier

Advisor, Corporate Communications

media@old.solotech.com

About Morris Light & Sound

Morris’ approach is simple: every application is different, so the most effective lighting and sound solutions need to be customized to be truly impactful. From light and sound experiences for multi-stage festivals, conferences, sold-out stadiums, houses of worship and businesses, the Morris teams take the time to consult, strategize and thoroughly design audio-visual environments tailored to each client’s goals. With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry outfitting tours for world-renowned artists like Alabama, Kenny Chesney, and Old Dominion, as well as integration work in preeminent houses of worship and corporate campuses and healthcare facilities, Morris is a premier audio and lighting provider working with clients across the globe. For more information, visit www.experiencemorris.com.

Contact

Matt Zahn

Director of Marketing

mzahn@experiencemorris.com

Montreal, October 15, 2020 – Philip Giffard, President, Sales and Systems Integration Division of Groupe Solotech Inc. (Solotech) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Miami StageCraft, a lighting sales and integration company located in Miami, Florida. After acquiring Pro Sound & Video, SEAL and Show Systems in January 2020, and now well established in Florida, Solotech is once again expanding its service offering and inventory to better support local clients and ensure growth.

Under the leadership of Solotech’s Rod Sintow, Vice-President, Systems Integration USA–who also oversees all Florida brands–and Philip Giffard, President, Sales and Systems Integration, this acquisition shows that despite the COVID-19 situation, the AV Sales and Integration market is full of opportunities and still active in various sectors outside of the entertainment world: Education, Corporate, Worship, Government and so on. “Solotech was able to manage the crisis and focus on opportunities for consolidation, with the goal of not only surpassing a difficult period but also becoming stronger and well positioned for when the business gets back and peaks again”, says Giffard.

“Solotech and its U.S. Divisions (Pro Sound & Video, SEAL, Show Systems and now Miami StageCraft) have a strong reputation in the North American marketplace”, says Rod Sintow. Operating under the newly unified branding “A Solotech Company”, all Florida-based brands will now showcase the companies’ common philosophy of delivering outstanding service and solutions to clients.

Joining the location of Pro Sound/SEAL Miami, Andrew Martin and Steve Welsh will pursue their respective roles as Senior Vice-President (SEAL and Miami StageCraft) and Executive Vice-President (SEAL and Miami StageCraft), while supporting national growth in lighting services. “By combining of our two service-oriented companies, Solotech is responding to clients’ desires to have a single source solution with knowledgeable experts across market sectors.”

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About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 15 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and in the United Kingdom. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech employs 1,550 professionals in its offices located in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Saguenay.

Find out more at old.solotech.com

Contact

Christine Latour

Vice-president, Marketing, Communications and E-Commerce

media@old.solotech.com

+1 514-370-5225

Montreal, July 24, 2020 – Solotech is proud to announce that it has added another string to its bow as a trusted partner of Yoop eSpace, a virtual and multifunctional production environment that enables content providers to create and stream high-quality events in an immersive and interactive way. Benoît Fredette, businessman and Yoop founder, recently launched the new two-way Yoop platform, which offers a real-time visual and audio interaction between artists and spectators.

This partnership with Yoop was ideal: the two companies are immersed in the entertainment industry and always aim higher by proposing modern technologies to meet customer needs. It represents an opportunity to innovate and to go beyond the barriers of distance by bringing content providers and their audiences closer together.

Solotech supports Yoop by providing its production expertise, its equipment and technical teams to ensure the audio, video capture and broadcasting of events. She is also offering studios where the events can be held. Recognized for its state-of-the-art equipment and well-established global footprint, Solotech will support Yoop in its desire to serve customers around the world. The Yoop eSpace is already planning to open locations in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville and the UK, adding to its first site in Montreal.

The combination of expertise will greatly benefit clients by offering a new interactive, simple and secure way to attend virtual events. Keeping our culture alive and its related industries while promoting it around the world. It is the beginning of a new era where real exchanges between fans and artists (or even between companies and their employees!) are at the forefront thanks to a direct superior connection, a possibility of two-way interaction and a production quality worthy of television studios.

Martin Chouinard, President of the Live Productions Division at Solotech, is enthusiastic about this partnership: “Yoop and Solotech have the same objective, to allow spectators to reconnect with their favorite artists through real contact where the energy can be felt on both sides. We are excited to bridge two worlds that have been distant for so long, it will help infuse a lot of passion into the great cultural community. Thanks to cutting-edge technologies, we can build a future beyond physical constraints, without sacrificing the quality of production and offer an ultimate experience. We see real potential for corporate events, musical performances, product launches, training sessions, to name a few.”

In parallel, Solotech has broadened its service offering by adding webcasting expertise, the inauguration of studios and new equipment targeted for artists and workers in times of pandemic. Find out more here.

About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 15 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and in the United Kingdom. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech’s offices are located in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Saguenay.

Find out more at old.solotech.com.

About Yoop

Yoop is an entertainment company, specialized in creating, developing and operating products and services to help creators distribute their content directly to their fans and improve their experience. The Yoop platform offers in-person and virtual events and is available to download via the Yoop app, on the App Store and Google Play, or Yoop website at yoop.app.

Contact

Christine Latour

Vice-President, Marketing and Communications

media@old.solotech.com

514-370-5225

Solotech significantly expands its systems integration services in the U.S.

Montreal, March 4, 2020 – Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Groupe Solotech Inc. (Solotech) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Pro Sound, Inc., a highly regarded audio, video, lighting and broadcast integration company, headquartered in Miami, Florida with offices and warehouses in Orlando, Pensacola and Los Angeles. Solotech also acquires Pro Sound, Inc.’s Stage Equipment and Lighting (SEAL) brand as well as affiliates Pro Sound CA, Inc., and Show Systems, Inc. This acquisition significantly increases Solotech’s systems integration and live productions presence in the US market.

“Pro Sound Inc. and its divisions have an incredibly strong reputation in the North American marketplace. Under the leadership of Rod Sintow, CEO, who has built a well-respected management and operational team, the company has been trusted to work in some of the most renowned venues throughout the United States,” states Tremblay. “Rod and his team share our unwavering dedication to quality work, innovative solutions and best industry operational practices. The Pro Sound & Video, SEAL and Show Systems brands will be strong additions to the Solotech family, perfectly complementing our corporate goals and propelling our Systems Integration capabilities as well as our footprint in the United States.” With this acquisition, the increased reach of Solotech as a systems integrator will reinforce its positioning as an industry-leading player.

Pro Sound & Video, Stage Equipment and Lighting and Show Systems will each continue to operate under their current names, with the upcoming unified branding of “A Solotech Company”. This will showcase the companies’ common philosophy of delivering outstanding service and solutions to clients.

From left to right: Kelly Prince, Philip Giffard, David Shoemaker, Rod Sintow, Martin Tremblay, Frank Snipes.

Joining the senior management of Solotech, Rod Sintow continues his role as CEO of Pro Sound, Inc. and will work closely with Philip Giffard, President of the Sales and Systems Integration Division at Solotech and Mickey Curbishley, President, Live Productions, USA and UK. They will bring together their teams, best practices and service offerings to the markets, including theme parks, broadcast facilities, Houses of Worship, theaters and performing arts centers, corporate events as well as large-scale music and performing arts productions.

Sintow states, “Solotech has an undeniable global leadership position in systems integration and live productions in the marketplace, and this acquisition gives our customers access to fully integrated solutions while allowing us to expand our service and support for our clients. We are delighted to join forces with them. We like to start with the client’s vision and have our team develop that vision into reality. The combination of our companies and our expert teams will answer all the needs of our clients and help us to really exceed their expectations.”

“Pro Sound’s reputation speaks for itself as does its impressive list of clients in theme parks, broadcast facilities and sporting venues,” notes Giffard. “By acquiring Pro Sound, we will be able to offer more North American customers access to our Sales & Systems Integration solutions, customized to their needs. Solotech and Pro Sound have similar philosophies of comprehensive service and support to clients from the initial design all the way through systems commissioning and even after the project is up and running. With the combining of our two service-oriented companies, Solotech is responding to clients’ desires to have a single source solution with knowledgeable experts across market sectors.”

About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 15 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and in the United Kingdom. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech employs 1,550 professionals in its offices located in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Saguenay.

Find out more at old.solotech.com

Contact

Christine Latour

Vice-president, Marketing and Communications

media@old.solotech.com

+1 514-370-5225

Nashville, October 28, 2019 – Peter Frampton burst onto pop music’s stage over a half century ago with seminal British blues-rock bands The Herd and Humble Pie, and his 1976 LP, Frampton Comes Alive!, remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. So what was billed as Peter Frampton Finale – The Farewell Tour had to be as perfect as possible, and it was, thanks in large part to an amazing sound system.

Tour sound reinforcement provider Solotech put together the perfect rig for the various venues on the tour, which began on June 18 in Tulsa and ended on October 12 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The left-right hangs consisted of 18 K2 loudspeakers each, backed by eight KS28 subs per side, and flanked by outfill arrays of 18 Kara. Additional sound reinforcement came from eight X8 short throw speakers used as frontfills, and eight ARCS II used as sidefills, either flown or stacked, depending upon each venue’s requirements. Two dozen LA12X amplified controllers housed in eight LA-RAK II units powered and processed the primary PA elements, while six LA8 in two LA-RAK handled the supplementary X8 and ARCS II enclosures.

Read the full article here.

Photo credit: ©Paige Parsons.

About Solotech

Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 12 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and Europe. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions & services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech employs 1,200 professionals in its offices located in Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saguenay, Toronto, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Birmingham, London and Manchester.

Find out more at old.solotech.com

About L-Acoustics

Founded in 1984 near Paris, France, L-Acoustics is the market leader in professional sound reinforcement technologies. With over 400 team members worldwide and offices in Paris, London, Los Angeles, and New York, L-Acoustics is present in over 80 countries via our network of Certified Providers. Focused on solutions that elevate the audience experience, more than 20% of L-Acoustics’ talent is devoted to R&D in the areas of acoustics, applications, mechanics, electronics, signal processing, and software development.

Contact

Emilie Gentes

Manager, Corporate Communications

514-526-7721

media@old.solotech.com