Professional Lighting & Production - Winter 2017 | Page 25

video side of the business,” Giffard adds
about the company’s recent develop-
ments, and given that lighting and video
are increasingly intertwined, that deepens
penetration into the lighting market.
While they continue to expand globally,
their Montreal headquarters is key in en-
suring continuity in terms of resources and
staff. And, although Solotech has purchased
various companies over time to deepen
their presence in specific sectors, currently
the focus is on purchasing equipment and
being a part of the R&D process of that gear.
“We’re not just buying gear off the shelf. We
do have our own LED screens, brand new
and made by SACO in Montreal – the S6,
S12, and S28 – but we’re not building them,
we’re part of their development, so that
gives us an edge on that side.”
It’s a culture of shared innovation, which
benefits Solotech and its clients regardless
of the market sector they play in. Again,
Tremblay poses a question: “What about the
gear that we haven’t heard of – what we
believe will be trending in a year, or two, or
more from now? We’re also working on that.”
Providing what their clients have come
to expect is fine, he says, but it’s critical
to look down the pipe to anticipate, see,
and develop the systems, equipment, and
technologies that will be the future game
changers for both their traditional clients
and the growing range of sectors that de-
pend on technologies that, previously, were
the purview of large-scale performances,
events, and facilities. “The question,” Trem-
blay offers, “is how can we create value?”
While a company can survive and even
thrive by staying the course, offering more –
by looking forward and relentlessly innovat-
ing – is a preferable model. Innovation was
key to the products with which Tremblay
worked in the gaming industry, and the
same holds true in this job. Shared innova-
tion is key going forward.
“I would say that most of our clients
are pushing the envelope, so we ha ve to
challenge ourselves,” says the CEO, and that’s
integral to Solotech’s growth in every area. “It’s
not about how much it costs; it’s a question of
perception. Artists want to be different. They
want to push the envelope.”
Doing so with existing products is fine, but
unless you consider what may be – in terms
of products and services that are either be-
coming relevant now, or test the imagination
in terms of VR, AR, and real-time interactions
on multiple platforms – you will not progress.
Solotech is determined to progress.
Solotech has been involved in projects
running the gamut of applications, including
the biggest entertainment brands and artists
in the world.
“As you know, Solotech was doing many
A-list tours for a number of years,” Chouinard
says. “Cirque du Soleil and Celine, obviously,
but we’re now working with Bruno Mars, Paul
McCartney, and The Rolling Stones. We’ve also
upgraded on major corporate events with the
likes of Amazon, Ali Baba, and Walmart.”
Many of the company’s recent purchases
came through its American corporation,
Chouinard adds. “So we’re becoming more
of a global touring company. We’re on tour
now with Lady Gaga. We’re just finishing the
world tour with The Weeknd, and so now we
have a lot more of those major acts all over
the globe.”
The consistent growth and success,
Chouinard says, isn’t just based on resources,
but on the level of creativity and quality
behind any delivered job, which is a product
of Solotech’s talented team. While they’ve
expanded into other markets, the work
done within the company and with close
collaborators – particularly in terms of R&D
– is integral to fulfilling clients’ needs and
allowing those clients to push the boundar-
ies of what’s possible for their own patrons,
clients, and stakeholders.
“We’re just seeking really good, talented
people for our staff. That’s the most import-
ant thing,” Chouinard offers. The company’s
growth in scale and revenue – including
the 100 per cent increase in rental revenue
over a period of five years – has largely been
achieved by “finding good people and bring-
ing them into the team. It’s not all about
gear,” he sums up; “It’s about people.”
Their efforts remain, at every level, client-driv-
en. Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion are glob-
al household names, but in the beginning,
they were known only in Quebec. Similarly,
other clients such as the Just for Laughs
Comedy Festival and Montreal International
Jazz Festival have grown exponentially over
the years. Cyclically, the revenue generated
by these high-profile brands allows Solotech
to continue to support other, lesser-known
artists and projects at the ground level.
Put bluntly, Solotech has thrived as long
as it has not only through the evolution of its
technologies and services, but by establish-
ing and maintaining close relationships – in
many cases, friendships – with their clients,
which says something about the culture of
the company.
“That’s right,” Chouinard says, referencing
Dutch violinist André Rieu, who’s often listed
in Pollstar’s annual top 20 highest-gener-
ating touring artists, as an example. “He’s
going all over the world and we’ve worked
with him for 20 years. There are many clients
who’ve been really close and happy to work
with us and, again, using our experience
and the knowledge of our people, we’re
trying to take this to the next level.”
In short, their efforts involve delivering a
turnkey solution to save their clients money
and time, while reducing the hassles of
dealing with multiple providers.
It’s a focus that continues to inform their
approach as they work to incorporate new
technologies in new applications and mar-
kets. Giffard explains: “A lot of technologies
are being commoditized, so we constantly
have to reinvent ourselves, and reinvest in
and retrain our people. But, for example, on
the video side, there’s been a lot more ap-
plications – digital signage on billboards, in
smart cities, in parking lots and everything
transit-related, high-end AV in hotels, shop-
ping centres, and condominium develop-
ments. Where we used to play much more
in the sports and entertainment venues,
now we’ve really diversified. A whole new
world has opened up for us.”
As the average consumer becomes
more sophisticated and the technology that
was previously only installed in specialized
environments becomes more ubiquitous
and touches every part of our lives, that
new world will become increasingly im-
portant.
“Again, that’s why Solotech’s capabilities
are crucial,” Giffard reinforces – “because we
have the means to invest in our employees,
in research, in areas that are going to be
good prospects for us in the future and
to train our staff accordingly. That’s a key
differentiator for us.”
As far as physical expansion overseas
goes, Tremblay says: “We’re always looking
at this. The thing is that we’re going to find
the right way to do it. Rather than looking
at it from an ego perspective, being global
and everywhere, I’m looking at this from
a market segment perspective, and we’re
trying to nail down market segments we’re
excited about and good at.”
If the past 40 years have been any indi-
cation, it won’t take them long to do it.
Kevin Young is a Toronto-based musician and
freelance writer.
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