IN PROFILE
SHOWSTAK: MAKING AUTOMATION SIMPLE Meet the Polish family business striving to make the process of booking automation for live events as easy as booking lighting, audio and video by fostering a culture of inclusion and crafting products with flexibility and sustainability in mind. TPi’s Jacob Waite reports…
While lighting, audio and video are often the headline-grabbers at technologically advanced spectacles, away from the visible screens, nuts and bolts of live touring infrastructure, there is sometimes an equally impressive orchestration being held in the rafters – electric motors, hydraulics and pneumatics designed to move kit around seamlessly in a measured yet symphonic manner. Although this type of work often goes unnoticed by the average concertgoer for all the right reasons, the automation market has flourished over the past decade despite remaining somewhat of an enigma. Hoping to turn the tide and make the process of booking automation as simple as booking lighting, audio and video for a live event is Polish outfit, Showstak Automation.
Founded by namesakes, Kosma and Andrzej Szostak, the aptly titled Showstak company was born from the brothers’ expertise and passion for providing simple and sustainable automation for music festivals, concert touring, circuses, television productions, motor shows, corporate events, brand activation and product launches. Having both earned their stripes working at one of the largest staging companies in Poland – providing stages for the likes of Live Nation and a series of high-profile concert touring projects – the siblings decided to embark on a process which many would shy away from amid a global pandemic – launching a start-up. Backed by European Union funds, having applied for a start-up grant from the Polish government to launch the operation during 46
