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Production Resource Group Acquires EML Productions in Europe
Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), a leading supplier of entertainment technology services headquartered in New York, has acquired First Events BVBA through MEL Holding BVBA, a subsidiary of PRG. A major Europe-based entertainment technology company, First Events’ holdings include EML Productions NV in Belgium, EML Productions Holland BV in The Netherlands and Sound and Light Productions S.L. in Spain. PRG Chairman & CEO Jeremiah “Jere” Harris and EML Director Jan Van Malder made the joint announcement of the acquisition through MEL Holding BVBA, a subsidiary of PRG.
This acquisition will extend PRG’s European presence into new territories, including the Netherlands and Spain, as well as significantly reinforce their existing activities in Belgium. “Today, PRG’s local presence in mainland Europe gets even stronger,” noted Harris. “With EML joining PRG, we will continue to provide our services globally with an emphasis on local support.”
Founded in 1979, EML has grown considerably over the past 30+ years providing lighting and sound services for a wide range of markets, including concerts, tours, festivals, fashion and trade shows, corporate, and special events. EML’s outstanding reputation in these markets is thanks to an internationally-recognized team of experts as well as the high quality equipment offered, including a large inventory of automated luminaires (featuring Vari*Lite products) and a wide range of audio solutions.
“I am confident that this acquisition will create a great opportunity for both PRG and EML as well as for all of our customers who will now have access to the wide range of services offered by PRG,” Van Malder stated. “Like PRG, EML has built its reputation on offering the very highest level of customer support combined with the latest cutting edge technology.”
For more information on EML, please visit
www.eml-productions.com
Armonk, NY—January 5, 2011
PRG Provides Technical Equipment for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games
September 7, 2010 - Marina Bay, in the heart of Singapore, was the location for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, which took place from the 14th to the 26th of August. Creative director Ivan Heng, show producer Vernon Teo, and the artistic team that included lighting designer Koert Vermeulen of ACT Lighting Design, presented the ceremonies, which took place on the world’s largest floating platform stage with the Singapore skyline as the backdrop. Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC, said, “It was a combination of pure emotion and technical perfection in a unique setting.”
Production Resource Group (PRG) supplied the lighting and rigging equipment and technical services for the opening and closing ceremonies for this inaugural event . Vermeulen, designing his first Olympic ceremonies, was very pleased that PRG was awarded the project. He said, “This is something I could only do with PRG. They were able to get me the right light to go in the right place. I felt they were the only people I was comfortable to work with on this job. They really help to solve challenges and they have an amazing amount of resources. In only two to three days they can turn around a massive amount of fixtures, which at one moment on this project was so crucial. We were asking ourselves do we even have a show and then PRG came up with the solution. That is the evidence of why they are the biggest company in the world for our industry.”
PRG provided a team of 15 technical specialists who were responsible for the installation of the ceremonies lighting package with over 1,900 individual fixtures, of which 700 were automated luminaires, including the PRG Bad Boy® spot. “It was my first choice for the backlight. It has a great output and an incredible zoom range,” Vermeulen said.
An additional 20 PRG technical specialists travelled to Singapore to take care of the rigging and lighting at the 18 venues, including field of play broadcast, for which PRG also provided the lighting. Lighting Designer Mike Gorman handled the lighting duties for all of the sporting venues.
The artistic and technical teams presented an unforgettable Olympic ceremonies experience for the 27,000 spectators and estimated two billion broadcast viewers. For Vermeulen, PRG was a big part of that effort. “Working with PRG was a very, very good experience,” he said. “It was really thanks to PRG that I was able to be on time and on budget without compromising the design.”
SAP’s Premiere Event Supported By PRG in Frankfurt & Florida
August 31, 2010 - New Windsor, NY—SAPPHIRE NOW, a yearly global business event presented by SAP, the world’s leading provider of business software, was held simultaneously in Frankfurt, Germany and Orlando, Florida. The events highlighting SAP’s innovative business solutions were linked in real-time online and streamed between venues. Production Resource Group (PRG) supplied the lighting systems for both venues.
Utilizing a single provider for both events ensured that continuity could be easily achieved. It also guaranteed that Lighting Designer Paul Palazzo received the highest quality equipment and support for the simultaneous events. Palazzo, the LD for ten previous SAPPHIRE events, supervised the Frankfurt setup while working on-site in Orlando. “I designed the template, the whole concept of the thing and told them how to implement it from 5,000 miles away,” he said. At Messe Frankfurt, Palazzo’s design was implemented by Habegger AG, under the technical management of Eventrix AG. PRG worked closely with Habegger to provide the 170 tons of lighting and rigging technology, including 140 automated fixtures, over 2,000 conventional fixtures, close to 14,000 feet of truss and 550 motors.
The producer for the Orlando event was Joe Venturella, President of i4D Event Services, Inc. “The design approach this year emphasized SAP’s successful transformation into an agile, innovative company,” Venturella explained. Working with Palazzo and Production Designer Dana Christensen, the team created an open environment for 322 interactive demonstration stations and 269 exhibiting partners on the conference floor, as well as a 7,000-seat keynote space, satellite theatres, two TV studios, lounges and session spaces.
For the Orlando event, PRG provided the complete lighting package including 250 automated fixtures and over 3,000 conventional fixtures. PRG also supplied 740 chain hoists and over 15,000 feet of truss to rigging contractor Kish Rigging.
Palazzo noted, “The biggest challenge was just getting the sheer volume of the show accomplished in the timeframe allowed. PRG has always been very flexible; they understand what I need.”
Venturella agreed, “PRG has always been really great. Partnering with a global company such as PRG gave us the tools and resources to execute innovative ideas without compromise due to resource limitations. PRG’s support was exceptional.”
PRG acquires entire rental equipment from Mitronic
July 16, 2010 - PRG, the world’s leading full-service supplier of entertainment technology for live events and television productions, has acquired the entire rental equipment pool from German lighting manufacturer Mitronic, effective immediately. With this step, PRG strengthens its existing range of daylight luminaires, which are generally used for the illumination of trade show stands. The PRG inventory of daylight luminaires in this segment has now increased to more than 6,000 units.
Morten Carlsson, Managing Director PRG GmbH (Germany): “We are pleased to take this step that allows us to offer products to clients who focus on both the aesthetics of a luminaire as well as its performance. In the past years, Mitronic luminaires were used at almost every car show worldwide.”
PRG appointed Technical Supplier for the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo
May 20, 2010 - Production Resource Group (PRG), the world’s leading full-service supplier of entertainment technology for live events and television productions, was awarded a seven-figure contract to be a primary technical supplier, providing Lighting, Video, LED and Rigging equipment and services for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo.
Following five weeks of pre-programming at PRG’s facility in London, 31 trailers (approx. 270 tons) of technical equipment and a team of more than 65 technical specialists from across the PRG group have travelled to Oslo. The three shows are televised to an estimated worldwide audience of 120 million, building to the live final on May 29th.
PRG (formerly PROCON Event Engineering) is proud to continue working with Eurovision having provided technical services for Europe’s favourite TV show in Athens (2006), Belgrade (2008) and Moscow (2009).
