Eventech showed off its brand-new L-Acoustics systems as well as the technical services they offer by hosting an Open Day from 10-12 September 2018.
An outdoor stage with lighting, screens and trussing was set up at its premises, but the star of the show was its L-Acoustics new Kara modular line source system, purchased from DWR Distribution.
In 40 minutes the sound system was in the air. “The days of farming with angles, cabling, racks and battling with networking are over,” said Wynand Veldsman from Eventech. “As long as you do your homework beforehand, you get to site and it’s plug and play. It is so easy because of the software. And the boxes sound amazing.” PCO’s and rental companies who attended the day, especially those who had never heard L-Acoustics before, were equally impressed. “The Kara just sells itself,” he said.
With the current exchange rate in South Africa, it’s very expensive for companies to invest in Rands, so Henry Jenkins, owner of Eventech, did not take the purchase decision lightly. “It’s a big investment, but what we have done over the past eighteen months is sell most of our old equipment, from screens to roofs, staging and mixers,” Henry explained. “We have bought new equipment, so as a company, we should be okay for the next five to eight years.
“Back up played a vital role. And on a purchase like this, we also had to know who else in the country owned the product,” said Henry. “In the end, it made sense to go this route. I was initially a bit nervous, but at DWR’s L-Acoustics Open Day recently, I liked what I heard. Then, when Richard Smith switched on the Karaat our Open Day, I was happy and knew we’d done the right thing.”
What triggered the L-Acoustics purchase was a shift in the type of events Eventech are tackling on a daily basis. Where the company previously worked on many outdoor events, using the medium to large format boxes, they have increased their market share to supply technical solutions to many corporate events.
“The demand for smaller boxes came in,” explained Wynand. “The Kara covered all of the aspects needed for any production from corporates to rock and roll and hip-hop it just accommodates everything perfectly. In addition, it has the compatibility with other rental houses who already own the brand, making the rental pool more accessible.”
Duncan Riley of DWR says the brand has grown in South Africa with good people. “And I think that’s the key,” he said. “It’s a niche product with a strong network of end-users.”
For Wynand it’s hard to believe that such big sound can come from the small brown boxes. “This is a dynamic shift from what we are used to,” said Wynand. “It’s worlds apart with ease of use, graphic interfaces and where everything just runs. It’s so simple.”
Audio technician, Hendri Louw from Eventech, also enjoyed his first experience with the brand. “To set-up was quick and easy. I was very pleased with the quality and all I want to do now is mix a band!”
Eventech have been going strong for ten years, but the past 3 years, in particular, have seen many changes in how the company services events.
“We have a team who are passionate about what they do and we aim to give a 1000%, flawlessly,” said Wynand. “We like doing shows, we like designing and putting our products on productions and making the shows look good so that our clients look good. We are proud of our long-term client base that just keeps going and growing. Every day is about service delivery and being consistent. We are a small company but we are family.”
