Highlite Experience Day 2019

HIGHLITE EXPERIENCE DAY 2019

The Dutch-based distributor welcomes customers to its state-of-the-art headquarters. Emma Davidson reports…

Highlite International recently opened the doors of its Kerkrade, the Netherlands headquarters for a unique Experience Day 2019, transforming, once again, into a real entertainment knowledge and experience centre for a wealth of industry professionals. The day included various product demonstrations, workshops and training sessions that displayed new Highlite products and allowed attendees to engage in the company’s growth. Throughout the day, product specialists from brands including Showtec and Wentex International showcased their products, discussing and informing press and potential customers about what they could offer. Outside in the area surrounding the company’s base, the complete Odin audio system from DAP audio was on show, pumping out everything from discreet vocal performances to intense EDM, causing the air to vibrate with

its sheer power. Meanwhile in the main show room, Highlite constructed a theatrical lighting show that took viewers on an immersive journey. Illustrated by the many moving heads in the room that filled the space with firey red tones and deep blues, they became the perfect accompaniment to the flying jellyfish that fell from the ceiling and transported those watching to the set of Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water. “The main reason we organise the Experience Day is to have a meet and greet with our customers,” explained President and founder of Highlite International, Hub de la Haije. “We also get the chance to learn from each other and build on our relationships. That, to me, is the most important thing about the Experience Day.” Highlite recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and it’s clear to see how far it has come in that time. Even the café in the headquarters is kitted

out in vintage gear that the company has continued to pioneer. The workshop tours, led by both Hub and Patrick Herveille, Vice Pr esident of Highlite International, also explored the company’s history and allowed groups to venture into every corner of the place they call home, looking at everywhere from the workspaces where products are made and developed, to the offices where the marketing team resides. As w ell as the press and Highlite’s customers, students from a nearby college attended the event and were encouraged to join experts Angleo van der Weerden and Harald Wolf to learn more about the newest lighting control desk, with in-house designed Chimp software that caters for a range of applications including touring, rental, theatres and houses of worship. The moving light controllers enable the user to program their best show in a matter of minutes. Another workshop was led by Dutch Media Tools (DMT) product specialists Tom Quicken and Eric Piefer, who discussed the technical aspects of all that DMT can offer. The company provides solutions for visual entertainment needs including quality indoor and outdoor LED pixel screens, LED processors and even media server software. The workshop looked in detail at how LED screens work and what makes DMT delivers. “A lot of people who attended told me that they could see how far Highlite has come and the growth it is constantly experiencing. The quality of our products and the facilities we have to offer made the day extremely rewarding and we look forward to sharing this with more people in the future,” concluded Hub. TPi Photos: TPi & Highlite International www.highlite.com