Montreal, Québec – July 17, 2023 – Solotech, a global leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven Pechie as Vice President, Global Managed Services of the Sales and Systems Integration Division.

This strategic leadership role will contribute to the company’s continued growth and success in the managed services sector.

Solotech’s managed services offer comprehensive and ongoing support for any type of installation or project. As a member of the Sales and Systems Integration Division’s leadership team, Steven will oversee the strategy and deployment for global managed services.

The role’s key functions include evaluating growth opportunities and market strategies to enhance client services worldwide and developing a comprehensive roadmap to drive the continuous evolution of managed services offerings and solutions. Steven will work in tandem with the Vice President of Technologies to ensure that Solotech remains at the forefront of technology platforms, solutions, and products.

“We are excited to welcome Steven to the Solotech team,” says Philip Giffard, Global President, Sales and Systems Integration. “His positive and engaging approach, combined with his dedication to exceeding customer expectations, aligns perfectly with our vision. Steven’s expertise in cultivating strong client relationships will be instrumental in driving our managed services division to new heights.”

Steven’s creative leadership, in-depth knowledge of emerging trends and technologies, and client engagement skills make him a valuable asset to Solotech. With over a decade of experience in leadership roles encompassing operations, managed services, and sales management, he brings a wealth of expertise to his new position. His track record includes successfully developing new markets and establishing strong business partnerships with key clients while nurturing existing relationships.

“I am extremely excited to join the Solotech team and bring a positive, engaging approach to create memorable moments that surpass the highest expectations of our valued customers,” Steven explains. “We will continue to deliver high-quality managed services and foster meaningful partnerships to solidify Solotech’s position as a leader in the industry.”

Solotech looks forward to Steven Pechie’s contributions in shaping the future of the Sales and Systems Integration Division. Steven’s strong leadership will be crucial in achieving the division’s objectives.

Contact

media@old.solotech.com 

Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Solotech, shed light on the company’s growth and strategic vision.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID and widespread venue closures, Solotech’s revenues have soared from $100 million in 2017 to an impressive $650 million in 2023. Solotech has successfully capitalized on the digital revolution, showcasing its adaptability and resilience in the face of a global pandemic.

During the pandemic-induced slowdown, Solotech made strategic acquisitions, positioning itself as a consolidator in the global audiovisual entertainment and stage logistics sector. The company’s digital transformation, led by innovative inventory management and logistics systems inspired by artificial intelligence, has allowed for enhanced equipment utilization and efficient resale and replacement.

Tremblay emphasized Solotech’s focus on providing equipment and logistics for major international tours, delivering audiovisual production services to entertainment clients, as well as installing systems in transport, arenas and many other sectors. Moreover, Tremblay expressed his enthusiasm for returning to his roots in the gaming industry, as Solotech strives to produce comprehensive solutions for e-sports events.

To read the full article and explore Martin Tremblay’s insights, click here (French only).

Source: Le Devoir (May 12, 2023), Solotech : tournées mondiales, vidéoclips et…papier électronique

Contact

media@old.solotech.com  

Solotech pilots revolutionary L Series system; deploys the technology for the first time on Helene Fischer’s tour.

In an article detailing the launch of the L-Acoustics L Series line source array, TPI Magazine highlighted the crucial role Solotech played in the technology’s deployment. As an important L-Acoustics partner, Solotech piloted the L Series, using it for the first time ever at Helene Fischer’s “Live 2023” kickoff show at Barclays Arena Hamburg on April 11th.

The concert sound system met the needs of Helene Fischer’s team due to its power, control, and consistency in a format that is almost half the size and weight of an equivalent traditional line source array.

“L-Acoustics is a long-term partner, and we are quite proud to be the first company to pilot L Series on tour with Helene Fischer, for whom we are providing audio, lighting, lighting, and video,” said John Probyn, Head of Business Development, Live Productions Division, Europe, Solotech.

For more details, read the full article here.

Source: TPI Magazine (April 18, 2023), L-Acoustics Launches L Series

Contact:

media@old.solotech.com

Montreal, Quebec, April 19, 2023 –

Solotech, a global leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, is thrilled to have received the 2022 Parnelli award for Video Production Company of the Year.

Solotech won for its work on The Weeknd – After Hours Til Dawn Tour. The stadium production requiring unprecedented amounts of technology became one of the largest tours Solotech had ever put on the road. It was thanks to Solotech’s world-class team that the project was executed to such an industry-leading standard.

“I feel honoured for Solotech to have won this award,” said Rob Kennedy, Solotech Account Executive. “The After Hours Til Dawn project was the culmination of rigorous planning, collaboration, and execution. Everyone on the team contributed to getting a tour of that magnitude up and running, and I know they will feel proud to have their hard work recognized.”

The Parnelli awards are among the live event industry’s highest honours. The awards recognize pioneering, influential companies and professionals. Their contributions are recognized annually at the gala production, where more than 25 awards are handed out.

Solotech, as well as its clients and partners, received a high number of nominations this year. Solotech was nominated for the Lighting Company of the Year Award, and many clients and partners were also recognized for their exceptional work. Solotech projects drew nominations for productions of Harry Styles (Media Content Creator of the Year, Production Manager of the Year), The Weeknd (Production Manager of the Year, Production Designer of the Year, Lighting Designer of the Year), Jason Aldean (Media Content Creator of the Year) and Elton John (Media Content Creator of the Year).

You can learn more about the Parnelli awards here.

Contact

media@old.solotech.com

Let Solotech take your marching group to the big leagues at the DCI Pro Audio Clinic in Little Rock, AR

Las Vegas, NV, USA, May 16, 2023 – Solotech, a global leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, will be present at the Drum Corps International’s Pro Audio Clinic in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The 2023 DCI Summer Tour stops at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Saturday, July 15^th. Presented by Solotech, the event features an audio solutions clinic and Q&A session, followed by performances on the field.

Solotech’s Aaron Beck, Business Development Manager and Senior Engineer, will be sharing his expertise during the workshop, along with his partners from Allen & Heath, Shure, Pageantry Innovations, and RCF. Whether you’re a band director or a decision-maker of DCI, Drum Corps Associates, a high school, or any other marching group, don’t miss this opportunity to get advice from industry leaders.

“Our experience and expertise with marching bands across the US make us the perfect partner for any and all audio solutions,” says Aaron Beck. “Solotech’s projects range from small business solutions to world-class stadiums. No matter the size or scope of your marching group, our team will have them sounding like professionals.”

Bluecoats’ CEO Mike Scott is aware of the technological challenges that drum corps poses and relies on Solotech to deliver for his group.

“The unique audio demands of a drum corps production require creative technical solutions,” explains Mike Scott. “Aaron Beck’s expertise as an audio systems designer and consultant is integral to the production quality and artistic vision that we have become known for at Bluecoats. We can always trust Aaron and Solotech to find solutions that meet our needs.”

Tickets for the DCI Little Rock Pro Audio Clinic are limited. Click the link below to view the full schedule and apply for tickets.

About Solotech

Founded over 45 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, with 18 strategic locations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. 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 and 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 over 2,200 professionals in its offices located in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saguenay, Halifax, Macau, and Hong Kong.

Find out more about Solotech at old.solotech.com

Find out more about DCI at www.dci.org

Contact: media@old.solotech.com

Las Vegas, United States, May 25, 2023 – Solotech, a global leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of Marc Nutter as Business Development Representative, Sales & Systems Integration Division.

Marc Nutter’s responsibilities in his new role include expanding consultant, electrical contractor, general contractor, and direct client relationships in the Southern California market. He embraces the challenge of further developing Solotech’s presence in the region.

“It’s a thrill to be joining an industry leader that also has so much room to grow,” explained Marc. “I’ve spent over 35 years working in AV tech – I know that I have a lot to offer Solotech. I’m looking forward to getting started and seeing what we can achieve.”

Marc brings a wealth of experience in the live entertainment and systems integration industry to Solotech. Notably, Marc co-owned and operated an audio retail company, worked in numerous sales and account executive roles, and in marketing for growing companies. His background will be extremely valuable to Solotech’s goal of accelerated growth.

“I’m happy to have Marc joining our team,” says Aaron Beck, Business Development Manager and Senior Engineer at Solotech. “We are pleased with our recent expansion in the California market, with continued business development and acquisitions like XR Studios in Los Angeles. Marc’s appointment will further drive growth in a very important market for us.”

Contact

media@old.solotech.com

Frankfurt, Germany, April 17, 2023 – Known for her spectacularly acrobatic shows, German superstar Helene Fischer kicked off her 71-date ‘Live 2023’ tour on April 11th at Barclays Arena Hamburg for a 15-city run through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and the Netherlands. Although Solotech has long provided technological solutions globally, this is among the first times Solotech’s Live Productions Division, Europe, provides a complete 360-degree solution in Germany.

Produced by Live Nation and created by Cirque du Soleil, the tour comprises multi-night mini-residencies, with audio, lighting and video production needs provided by Solotech’s Live Productions Division, Europe, including L-Acoustics’ new compact and powerful L Series line source array. Additionally, Solotech provided Avid S6L and Yamaha consoles, wireless in-ear/microphone packages, Roe Visual Vanish 8T LED panels, robotic cameras, a full-blown lighting rig, and other related infrastructure.

Significantly, Solotech and Fischer are also the first to use the L Series Progressive, Ultra-Dense Line Source by L-Acoustics on tour. This concert sound system meets the needs of Helene Fischer’s team due to its power, control, and consistency in a format that is almost half the size and weight of an equivalent traditional line source array.

“On a show like this, technical aspects dictate what you deploy and how it’s deployed,” says Holger Schader – Senior Consultant, Touring and Special Events, Solotech in Germany. “Here, we had problematic weight limits in every venue, so we were looking for options to reduce weight and speed up load in and load out times.” L Series also leaves plenty of real estate for other system elements and limits the type of visual distractions a larger system often results in, he adds.

In addition to being smaller, lighter and easier to deploy, the L-Acoustics L2 and L2D elements provide substantial audio benefits. They offer significantly enhanced power density, consistency over the audience area, and improved rejection everywhere else. They are powered by the new L-Acoustics LA-RAK III platform, which provides 48 channels of amplification and DSP in a 9U touring rack package, enabling high resolution control and power to each L2 and L2D speaker.

All of these elements were critical for Fischer’s tour. “There’s so much other infrastructure, so many lighting and video elements, that a high-density, low-weight system, with the full benefit of L-Acoustics’ proven technology behind it, plays a big role in a show like this,” Schader notes.

Solotech’s partnership with L-Acoustics and long-term association with Cirque du Soleil, as well as the company’s willingness to adapt and innovate relentlessly in service to its clients, was a significant benefit for this project. The creative process was enhanced by enabling a more fluent dialogue than would ever be possible if using multiple equipment providers. Solotech was involved early in the creative process in May-June 2022 so that Live Nation and Cirque du Soleil could refine their needs for lighting, video, and audio fluently and seamlessly, with Solotech providing real-world solutions, no matter how complex or ambitious the design concept.

“As a client, you’ve got to look for a company that can adapt to all your needs, especially on a show where so many changes are made during the creative process. Not every company can do that,” says John Probyn, Head of Business Development, Live Productions Division, Europe, Solotech. “But because we are used to doing 360-degree shows of this size, if one option doesn’t work, we can easily provide multiple options to adapt to any artistic or creative changes down the line. Whereas other companies might struggle to enable designers to fulfill their vision.” 

Solotech’s provision of a full 360-degree live production solution speaks volumes in terms of the company’s willingness to go the extra mile and leverage its relationships with manufacturers to get ahead of new technologies and get the job done.

Contact

media@old.solotech.com

Photo Credits

Joern Pollex

Montreal, Canada, April 24, 2023 –

Solotech, a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology, is pleased to announce its continued regional expansion in the United States for its Sales and Systems Integration Division.

Solotech is furthering its growth in the promising markets of New York and New Jersey and providing additional local support for its existing and new clients.

Many New Yorkers and New Jerseyans may have already enjoyed a Solotech experience – the company has been in the US market since 2007 and steadily grown in the Northeast. From tours stopping at Madison Square Garden, to New Jersey’s Grubhub Feeding Frenzy 2.0 in 2021, to the New York Seaglass Carousel, Solotech has thrived in the northeast.

Solotech will increase its regional presence thanks to the appointment of Peter Heller as Business Representative for the Sales & Systems Integration Division in the New York and New Jersey markets.

“Pete has a wealth of skills and is a seasoned industry veteran, bringing a different perspective and presence to our team,” explains David Shoemaker, President of Sales and Systems Integration, United States. “His relationships with the manufacturers and vendors have brought us many new interactions. We are very grateful to have him on our team.”

Heller has spent nearly his entire career in the audiovisual industry before joining a world-renowned team in Solotech. He is a supply chain leader, providing decades of experience in vendor relations, purchasing strategy, and global procurement.

“I feel privileged to be able to contribute with all of my experience on a team as great as Solotech’s,” Heller says. “I’ve built solid relationships in the industry throughout my career. Between bringing those to the table for Solotech and getting to know our existing customers and their needs, it’s an exciting time.”

Heller’s previous experience includes working as a radio announcer, managing TV broadcasts, and leading technical teams at venues like Yankee Stadium, Prudential Center and CIBC Towers Toronto. The New York and New Jersey markets will be very well served thanks to Pete’s expertise in system integration projects.

Whether your project is big or small, Solotech can help bring it to life. Contact one of our experts today!

Contact

media@old.solotech.com

Solotech introduces the talent behind its unparalleled and world-renowned expertise.  

Get to know Athan Antoniadis, newly appointed Lighting Project Manager for Solotech in Las Vegas.

Q: Congratulations on your new position, Athan! You’ve been with the company since 2009 – what does a typical workday look like for you these days?

Athan Antoniadis: We have an incredible team here, and it’s my responsibility to manage the projects that come through our shop. From entering the orders into our system, to booking the crew and equipment necessary to get the show up and running, prepping and loading gear; these productions wouldn’t happen without attention to detail and precise execution.

Q: What does your road to Solotech look like?

AA: My first gig was as a technician at my high school theatre back in 2000. I got my first job in the industry when I turned 16, working for a local lighting company in the San Francisco Bay area. At 17 I started working in a club on weekends, mixing sound and running lights. After finishing high school, I spent a few years working for a good friend at his newly founded company, growing it into a major regional rental house. I also spent time working as a stagehand at IATSE Local 16. I moved to Las Vegas in 2008, found Solotech a year later, and haven’t looked back since!

Q: What was your dream job growing up?

AA: Confession time: Top Gun was my favorite movie growing up, so I wanted to be a fighter pilot…turns out I’m no Tom Cruise.

Q: What is the best part of your job?

AA: I get to interact with awesome people every day; from our incredible clients to our technicians in the shop and in the field – we wouldn’t be able to pull off such fantastic shows and events without a group of amazing people.

Q: What’s been your favorite project since starting with Solotech?

AA: My favorite project would have to be the Justin Timberlake 2020 Experience World Tour. It was an amazing experience with equally amazing people onstage and behind the scenes. It opened many doors for me in my career, and I forged a lot of lasting friendships thanks to that show. Honourable mention to Robert Plant; he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and a true pleasure to work with.

Q: What would you say sets Solotech apart?

AA: I think it’s the people, and how we’re all able to work so well together to achieve the end result. I vividly remember a production manager on a tour I worked on who regularly complimented us on how well we worked together and how we would help each other out, regardless of what department we were in. Turns out teamwork really does make the dream work!

Q: What excites you most about the evolving tech in your division?

AA: I’m passionate about tech and how we’re able to constantly keep up to date on the latest gear and apply it to its full potential. Staying informed on the latest technology, keeping our productions cutting edge, and applying the gear to its maximum potential is what excites me about coming into work every day.

Q: What do you see in Solotech’s future?

AA: I see a lot of growth on the horizon, especially here in Las Vegas. We’re in a great location geographically to serve our existing clients and expand our client base, not only in Las Vegas but all along the west coast.

Q: What’s something not everyone knows about Solotech that we should be talking about more?

AA: We’re all really nice people – come on in and say hi!

Q: Where is your favorite place to travel?

AA: I love visiting Montreal both for work and as a tourist. I think my favorite places I’ve been working on a tour would have to be Rio de Janeiro, Prague, Russia, and Australia.