STAGECO NEWS Spring 2022

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

THE BIG BEAST

Stageco Builds A Record Breaker

plus 30 X 15: STAGECO’S LATEST STAGING SOLUTION The Rolling Stones • Summerslam • The BRIT Awards • Guns N’Roses UEFA European Football Championship • Werchter Parklife • Hellfest Heineken Dutch Grand Prix • Crown Jewel in Saudi • Open Air in Bavaria Sommernachtskonzert Wien • EU Research & Innovation Days • Snollebollekes Electric Daisy Carnival • and much more!

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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SURVIVE AND PROSPER

A SAD GOODBYE TO OUR DEAR FRIENDS

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THE BIG BEAST: Saudi’s Record Breaking Giant!

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MAKING LOVE IN PARIS: Alber Elbaz Tribute Ends Fashion Week

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PASSION 2022

10 30 X 15: A STAGE IS BORN 12 WWE 2021 CROWN JEWEL 14 ARENA5: Stageco Builds A Summer Venue 16 RENEWED ACQUAINTANCE: Out With The Stones, GN’R & Summerslam 18 MUSIK FOR THE MASSES 20 HELLFEST FROM HOME 22 BAVARIA PLAYS! 24 VIENNA’S SOMMERNACHTSKONZERT 26 GLOBAL CITIZEN LIVE IN PARIS 28 THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 32 NETWORK MISSION 33 WERCHTER PARKLIFE 34 SNOLLEBOLLEKES: At The Gelredome 36 EURO 2020: Cover photograph © Stufish Entertainment Architects

I N T R O by Hedwig De Meyer

Building For Broadcast 38 EU RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT DAYS 40 PUY-EN-VELAY’S GARDEN PARTY 42 DO YOU WANNA DANCE?: Electric Daisy Carnival – From Vegas to Orlando

When I last spoke to you through these pages a little over a year ago, I was quietly confident that diversity was the solution to Stageco being able to move forward with business, at a time when the COVID pandemic was still preventing live events from operating freely. Sure enough, projects outside of entertainment have kept the company and its crews busy, but we are seeing some genuine light at the end of what has been a frustratingly long tunnel.

Most of us truly believed that recovery would be slow and gradual, and I can say with my hand on my heart that things will be better, and that is certainly true of the business undertaken by our Stageco US office, whose last 12 months have been surprisingly fertile. The work we have been undertaking in the Middle East over the last year also contributed to a healthier state of play than we might otherwise have expected.

What we have in front of us are two distinct challenges. Firstly, we must find ways to circumnavigate the consequences of Brexit, which has had serious implications on the ease, fluidity and cost of doing business.

Also, with regard to the forthcoming summer, I am not entirely sure that the available pool of crew throughout the industry as a whole will be large enough to fulfil demand, as so many professionals have found alternative work since the pandemic struck. I am most proud that Stageco has not laid off any staff because we recognise how much they are needed.

On to other matters… at last, we can announce our latest stage.

Originally intended to go out into the market two years ago, our new 30 x 15 model falls in between the larger and smaller stages, giving event producers a wider, more flexible range from which to choose.

Yes, things will be better and in many areas they already are, so have faith in the future!

Hedwig De Meyer, Stageco President

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INSIDE THE BRITS Here’s a snapshot of how The O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula in south-east London looked a couple of days before the 42nd BRIT Awards went live on TV on February 8th, to recognise the best in British and international music.

Overall project manager Dirk De Decker once again liaised with Papilo Productions ahead of Stageco’s delivery of staging equipment and construction services.

Four black steel trucks and a further six for scaffolding arrived from Belgium via Saan Trucking, and with Sebastiaan Kotsch and Thomas Boulogne taking turns to lead teams of 14 supervisors on four separate day and night shifts, Stageco built a 10-tower ground support system and a Layher stage floor, assisted by local crew from Showstars.

Beginning immediately after the show, the load out Photography courtesy of Thomas Boulogne

carried on through the night and was completed after one long day shift.

Hosted by British comedian Mo Gilligan, this was the first BRIT Awards that dispensed with gendered categories.

Winners included Adele, Sam Fender, Wolf Alice, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Becky Hill, Little Simz and Ed Sheeran. brits.co.uk STAGECO INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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A SAD GOODBYE TO OUR DEAR FRIENDS It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of our two dear colleagues and friends ANTONIO DUARTE DA CRUZ, a truly wonderful character who was an essential member of the Stageco team for 34 years, and GIL BEULLENS, a young, shining star whose life and blossoming career has been tragically cut short.

ANTONIO was loved by everyone who came into contact with him. He worked on so many of our biggest projects and tours, all over the world, and his presence was unmistakable. With his endless crazy stories, he was responsible for so many laughs and smiles, leaving an indelible impression wherever he went.

Antonio’s commitment to Stageco and our clients’ needs was peerless. Even though he was entitled to retire last year, he was still excited by his work and could not bear the prospect of letting down his colleagues.

He genuinely lived for the road and fought like a warrior until the end, hoping that his health would improve and allow him to join his crew one more time. To see him leave us in these circumstances was tragic.

We are all heartbroken by the news and we offer our deepest condolences to his beloved wife Bie and sons Gil and Christof, and to everyone whose lives were touched by our great friend.

Antonio, thank you for all those years we shared. Take care wherever you are and, as you would say, “Doet maar zo!”

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GIL BEULLENS had been a valued young member of Stageco’s crew since 2017. Due to the impact of Antonio Duarte Da Cruz

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the COVID pandemic, however, he took on some temporary work for a crane company. On February

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4th, while helping to dismantle a tower crane, Gil

Despite the nickname ‘Kleine’ (little one) lovingly

fell from a height of 28 metres and passed away

sticking to him, it quickly became clear to everyone

later that day due to his injuries. He was a mere 23

he was made of the real stuff and destined for

years old.

bigger things. This spring, his dream of going out on to the road was finally about to come true with his

Possessing a perfect but rare combination of

scheduled permanent return to Stageco as part of

youthful energy and serious attitude to business,

the steel team for the forthcoming Rammstein tour.

Gil joined our team in Tildonk fresh from school

Just as things were picking up and our industry was

although he soon shook off the ‘rookie’ label. With

coming back to life, the news of his loss has hit us

fierce dedication and a maturity that far exceeded

very hard.

his years, he learned his craft quickly and worked towards his goals on-site with laser-sharp focus,

Stageco has lost one of its finest, most promising

while living life to the full away from the job.

youngsters, but above all our team will miss a great friend, a wonderful colleague and a genuinely

When COVID brought the events industry to a halt

brilliant person who showed us how to enjoy life

and slowed Stageco down, it did not hold Gil back.

each and every day.

While he patiently awaited the return of live events, his passion for working at height led him into the

Our hearts go out to Gil’s parents Katia and Klaus,

field of crane construction – a job that gave him the

his sister Sam, and his many, many friends. Both Gil

flexibility to take time off whenever we needed his

and Antonio will forever be missed, but will always

skills.

remain a treasured part of the Stageco family.

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Stageco helps The Big Beast break prestigious Guinness World Record

S ZE MATTERS! It’s official! Stageco has earned the rare distinction

covering a myriad of dance genres, from mainstream

of building the world’s tallest temporary stage, as

to underground electronic programming, but it was The

recognised by Guinness World Records... not once, but

Big Beast that attracted the most attention.

twice!

Still coming down to Earth after what he described as Measuring 41.268m (135ft 5in) in height, the main

“one of the biggest projects I’ve ever done”, Stageco

stage – known as The Big Beast – at the MDLBEAST

crew chief Hendrik Verdeyen talked about his time in

SOUNDSTORM 2021 EDM festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh. “All the equipment came to us in something like

on December 19th broke its own world record for the

84 sea containers – 75 were for our black steel, while the

classification after setting it at the event’s début outing

rest carried scaffolding and decking materials,” he said.

at the end of 2019.

“We spent about three weeks building the whole Already one of the largest music festivals in the world,

structure and compensating for terrain that had a 3.5m

with over 700,000 attendees reportedly attending across

height difference between the ends of stage right and

four days, SOUNDSTORM hosted eight distinct stages

stage left. The stage itself was about 230 metres wide,

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so we are talking BIG. A lot of the XXL

another good month, but they were

gear was used for the centre part

out within 10 days and we followed

which included a tandem lift with 300

a week later. All in all, it was a great

tonne cranes.”

experience.”

As well as delivering expert support

The success of entertainment

from head of R&D Gert Hulsmans,

production company MDLBEAST, and

Stageco fielded three teams on-site.

its celebrated events, mark a positive development for Saudi Arabia’s Vision

“Since every other crew boss was

2030 program, which includes several

busy at the time, I did most of the site

wide-ranging goals broadly aimed at

preparation with [project manager]

social reforms that will open up the

Dirk De Decker,” commented

country to the rest of the world.

Verdeyen. “After we completed the build, production loaded in for

mdlbeast.com

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MAKING LOVE IN PARIS

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Stageco played a stylish role in October when, at the end of Paris Fashion Week’s Spring-Summer 2022 season, it worked on a special tribute to renowned Israeli designer Alber Elbaz, who tragically died at the age of 59 from COVID-19 last April, just four months after launching his AZ Factory brand.

Working day and night under Stageco crew chiefs John Claessens and Seb Kotsch, two teams each consisting of 20 individuals were present at the Carreau du Temple to conduct the 24-hour construction of a stage set formed of black scaffolding stage, as well as the audience grandstands.

Themed Love Brings Love, the show brought Paris Fashion Week to a poignant close on October 5th, as 45 couture houses and Elbaz’s design team at AZ Factory came together in celebration of the life, talent, personality and sartorial legacy of the revered designer, whose esteemed career spanned three decades.

Stageco was also delighted to build a variety of structures for other clients during September’s fashion season. They included About You (Berlin), Moncler (Milan), Givenchy (Paris) and Hermes (Paris).

Tom Bilsen was Stageco’s project manager on all of these events. parisfashionweek.fhcm.paris SPRING 2022

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PASSION 2022 Founded by evangelical pastor Louie Giglio in 1997,

challenge was to again build up to 70% of the structures

Passion Conferences is a Christian organisation best

within 27 hours of arrival, enabling production to begin

known for its annual gatherings designed to unite young

their load in. The crazy thing was that we started building

adults for a “spiritual awakening in this generation”.

Since Passion was launched, in Austin, Texas, the

S

Stageco US providing the staging infrastructure.

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with its latest edition filling Atlanta’s MercedesBenz Stadium over two days this January, with

New Year. By lunch time on the 1st, after 32 hours,

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event has gone global and grown exponentially,

on December 31st at 5.00am and worked into the we were completely ready for the client.”

In order to load in 16 trailers of materials, Stageco US was forced to hire two crews (led by James Ramacus and Farley Gross) after one had

Stageco project manager Tom Frederickx reported

to be dismissed due to COVID infection. Load out was

that he and his team devised a similar structure to that

completed within one day on January 4th.

employed in 2020. He said: “This year, the conference was held on January 2nd and 3rd 2022, and our

passion2022.com

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A STAGE IS BORN Another Stageco-engineered solution is ready to face audiences...

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Designed specifically for mid-size festivals or outdoor events with audiences of around 20.000 people, Stageco’s new 30 x 15 stage satisfies a demand from event promoters and organisers seeking greater flexibility from the market.

Blessed with a large rigging capacity, the stage’s 15m x 15m central area can be varied in width to suit, as indeed can the covered technical areas situated under the same roof.

The 30 x 15 has been developed as a result of 15 years of experience with Stageco’s smaller 25 x 10 and 16 x 8 models, both of which have proven to be highly successful, with four of each in constant use every year throughout the European festival circuit.

Find out more about the wide range of world-leading staging solutions currently available from Stageco.

Visit: stageco.com/products/concert-stages stageco.com/products/temporary-structures

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12 A grand showcase for wrestlers from leading WWE brands such as Raw and SmackDown, the third Crown Jewel professional wrestling event produced

by WWE, the 2021 Crown Jewel, took place with Stageco’s assistance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 21st.

WWE’s first international pay-per-view television broadcast since the start of the pandemic, the event was also the first Crown Jewel to air on Peacock in the United States, as well as being available to stream elsewhere through the WWE Network.

Sixteen Stageco containers were despatched to the event venue, the Mohammed Abdu Arena, where 17 supervisors led by Stefaan Vandenbosch and Thomas Boulogne spent a full week constructing the stage’s central roof and entry deck, and a further three days on the tear down. Tom Bilsen managed the project for Stageco.

Ten matches were contested at the event, including one during the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to retain the WWE Universal Championship. wwe.com

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FEARLESS UNDER A STAGECO ROOF STAGECO INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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5 GOES LIVE SPRING 2022

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Stageco Belgium builds a new summer venue Arena5 is the name given to a stunning open-air

Liaising with production manager Bart De Coensel,

arena that has given the Belgian public and tourists

Stageco’s Wim Maes and Lies Rombouts led the

alike a chance to once again immerse themselves

project from Tildonk, appointing Stefaan Vanden-

in summer-long live entertainment.

bosch and Bart Dewolf crew chiefs for the building operation that used a pair of cranes (160 and 60

With breathtaking views of the iconic Atomium,

tons), four forklifts, two electric pallet shifters, four

Arena5 is situated at the Place de Belgique, among

regular pallet shifters, and a cherry picker.

the stately exhibition halls of Brussels Expo. After a long wait of almost 18 months, 50,000 music fans

With the Atomium reigning supreme as arguably

were able to satisfy their appetite with a diverse

the biggest star of the summer series, the stage

range of acts, from July 22nd until September 12th.

décor was altered from show to show for each artist – there were moments of intimacy with Caetano

Stageco Belgium was honoured to be handed the

Veloso, Asaf Avidan, Ibrahim Maalouf and Hoover-

opportunity to construct the temporary open-air

phonic, and uninhibited dancing with big names

venue, adhering to the strictest COVID-19 regula-

such as Loïc Nottet, SCH, Amelie Lens, Charlotte De

tions. This meant providing the means for 2,500 peo-

Witte, Tale Of Us, Peggy Gou and 2manydjs and

ple to attend at a distance of 1.5m between each

much more.

other, as well as seating 5,000 attendees normally.

Brussels Expo, promoter Greenhouse Talent and Standing in front of Hall 5 of the Brussels Expo with

organiser Festival Les Ardentes looked back on the

the Atomium to its rear, the 2,500m² arena was built

experience of this successful opening season expe-

in scaffolding and decks, covering the area taken

rience, and all agreed that this new event location

up by the resident pond. Stageco’s responsibilities

at the Heysel Plateau is a major cultural hit. This

included not only the construction of its (new) 25

coming season will feature headliners Nile Rodgers

x 10 stage – with its loading dock, ramps, storage

& Chic, Herbie Hancock and Dutronc & Dutronc

and front of house riser – but also stairs at each side,

among the line-up. Tickets are now on sale.

600m² VIP decks, and two public entrance structures.

arena5.be

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RENEWED ACQUAINTANCE Stageco US heads back out on the entertainment highway with the Stones, G N’R and WWE’s SummerSlam On August 24th 2021, Charlie Watts, the legend

Utilising 21 trailers in total, Stageco US fielded two steel

known by some as ‘The Wembley Whammer’, sadly

systems, each catering for six cities on the itinerary.

passed away at the age of 80, after 58 years as

A US crew, led by Ryan Barry, and a European team

The Rolling Stones’ celebrated drummer. Before his

headed by Patrick Martens, were responsible for the

death, Watts insisted to his bandmates that the band

construction of each system, with Tom Frederickx

continue their No Filter tour in his absence and gave

occupying the project management role (as he did

his blessing to long-time associate Steve Jordan as

on the two projects that follow).

his stand-in.

To the casual eye, the No Filter set – designed by When the Stones returned to the road a month later

Stufish’s Ray Winkler – has remained identical from

to honour 15 sold-out dates across America, each

day one, however, the 2021 version contained

show began with a touching multimedia tribute to

two minor upgrades. As well as accommodating a

Watts that graced the set that Stageco has been

‘family and friends’ viewing platform inside two of

building for the band since No Filter kicked off in

the offstage towers, Stageco met a brief to finish the

September 2017.

band roof’s aluminium profiles in “devilish red”.

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17 From a crew perspective, it was all very different this time around. “It was like living in a bubble,” said Tom Frederickx, referring to the strict regime imposed on the Stones’ entourage due to the pandemic.

“Each individual had to be tested for the COVID virus every three days. Thankfully, there were extremely few positive results.”

For more details on The Rolling Stones’ No Filter production, check out our original Autumn 2017 feature at: https://www.stageco.com/ newsletters/stageco-news-autumn-2017/10

AXL’S BACK IN TOWN After just two shows, Guns N’Roses’ 2020 Tour hit a brick wall for the same reasons that affected the concert industry worldwide. But by the end of July 2021, the controversial rockers were “F’N Back!”, performing a long run of American stadium and arena shows (above) through to last October, with Stageco US reprising its regular vendor role in Missoula, Las Vegas, Indianapolis and East Rutherford.

Touring one system, Stageco supplied and built a standard 4-Tower structure with crew chief Jesse Winn taking the labour lead.

SLAMMIN’ VEGAS Stageco US renewed its long-time acquaintance with WWE’s SummerSlam last summer, when it was unleashed at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on August 21st, marking the first time the annual event had been held at an NFL stadium.

Streamed live exclusively on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else, SummerSlam (right) saw Stageco crew chief Jim Ramacus supervise a 13-trailer load-in as his workforce set about constructing a SuperRoof in the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. rollingstones.com gunsnroses.com wwe.com/shows/summerslam STAGECO INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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AND Photography © Zeynel Dönmez

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19 The COVID pandemic taught us to reevaluate countless aspects of our lives, not least that real, physical presence of an audience is inseparable the thrilling enjoyment of live performance. When it was possible for cultural institutions such as the Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera) to finally welcome back the public in complete safety, it was cause for huge celebration.

For the first time in history, the opening of the Bayerische Staatsoper was hosted outside of Munich in Ansbach, on September 17th, with a special concert in Karlsplatz titled Oper Für Alle (Opera For All) featuring leading tenor Piotr Beczala performing live accompanied by the Bayerisches Staatsorchester.

Oper Für Alle’s Alle’s production team hired the trusted services of Stageco Deutschland to provide and construct a range of temporary structures under the project management of Manfred Porschnitzer. The package included a Micro Arch stage containing five arches, a front of house tower, support structures for LED displays and scaffolding towers for PA delays.

Attracting 2,900 visitors, Oper Für Alle heralded the opening of a vibrant season that offered a wide range of events in a variety of venues.

BERLIN BOUND Four hundred and eighty-six kilometres north-east of Ansbach, the following two days saw Stageco playing a major role in Berlin’s Bebelplatz as extraordinary performances launched the city’s MusikFest (see insets opposite).

On the occasion of Martha Argerich’s 80th birthday, she and fellow legendary Argentinian pianist Daniel Barenboim performed works by the great Robert Schumann, whose piano concerto has long been a pièce de résistance in Argerich’s repertoire. Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin presented the piece along with the German composer’s First and Second Symphonies.

Famous for its memorial to book burning, Bebelplatz hosted a team from Stageco who erected a Micro Arch stage with transparent sides and a white roof skin, as well as towers for the main PA system and delays, and several scaffolding structures.

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CLISSON’S ALTERNATIVE FOR 2021

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Not even a full-scale pandemic could prevent one of Europe’s biggest heavy metal festivals from strutting its leather-clad stuff. When a second ‘quiet year’ threatened to silence Hellfest in 2021, Arte TV – and Stageco France – came to the rescue.

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The story behind the cancellation of Hellfest’s 2020 edition mirrored similar issues that have affected so many summer events since COVID-19 took hold. Despite taking out insurance to cover pandemic-related cancellations, the broker refused to compensate the festival organisers. Out of pocket, the Hellfest team was forced to reschedule the event for the summer of 2021. However, last February, it was announced that the award-winning event would once again fail to materialise, due to “uncertainties about the health situation and the latest government regulations”. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the way forward for one of Europe’s biggest metal festivals was television.

For three days in June, French TV channel Arte took over multiple stages on the classic festival site in Clisson, in Loire-Atlantique, to deliver Hellfest From Home – a virtual event filmed for broadcast, free of charge, to its faithful metal fans’ television screens.

Well versed in Hellfest’s traditions, through several years of association as a main vendor, Stageco France was on-site in Clisson for a full nine days to supply and build structures as Kevin De Meyer led a team of five supervisors.

The main stage roof, said project manager Thierry Nataf, was a transparent model that was specified to maintain full vision of the surroundings for the purposes of the Arte TV shoot.

Said Nataf: “For Hellfest to be absent for two years was an incredible shock for everyone, particularly as its popularity had been increasing with every edition, so the TV broadcast – transmitted over three parts, a week after filming – was a worthy Plan B for everyone.

“The event is now being prepared for a big comeback in 2022, with an extended 15th anniversary edition from June 17th-26th... keep the faith!” hellfest.fr STAGECO INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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Photography © Stageco Deutschland; Matthias Balk / Bayern Innovativ GmbH / Bayerische Staatsoper

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BAVARIA PLAYS!

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Munich celebrates art and culture in the open air...

A colourful array of cultural highlights greeted audiences in the open air at Munich’s Königsplatz from June 29th to July 5th, as art and culture returned to the region with the opening week of Bayern Spielt (Bavaria Plays) – a calendar of more than 2,000 events initiated and funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and Art in co-operation with bayernkreativ.

Stageco Deutschland project manager Michael Herbst presided over the company’s provision of a staging infrastructure in Königsplatz that accommodated the extraordinary pairing of the Munich Symphony Orchestra with Bavarian band Dreiviertelblut, a reunion of Fatoni & Edgar Wasser, and streetwise hiphop from the sensational Crux Pistols.

POPULAR Eight truckloads of Stageco equipment arrived on-site, enabling the construction of the ever-popular Micro Arch, accompanied by video portals, a PA tower, a front of house structure and a catwalk.

The opening week of Bayern Spielt – which continued until mid-September – was organised by Eulenspiegel Concerts in co-operation with the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Münchner Symphoniker & Dreiviertelblut, the Residenztheater Munich, Target Concerts, the Muffatwerk and the Munich Volkstheater, with the support of the Cultural Department of the City of Munich.

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AND hotography © Julia Wesely; Stageco Deutschland

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BUNDESTAG ELECTION >>> SPRING 2022

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SUMMER NIGHTS Palatial splendour surrounds orchestral excellence

Recorded and filmed for television broadcast and subsequent domestic release, Austria’s Sommernachtskonzert 2021 on June 18th saw the return of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual summer night concert with Stageco Deutschland supporting the event as pianist Igor Levit performed under the direction of guest conductor Daniel Harding.

The open-air concert has traditionally taken place annually in the beautiful setting of the Palace of Schönbrunn as one of the great highlights of the Philharmonic year. Surrounded by extraordinary scenery, the orchestra podium and the audience area are usually located in the middle of the baroque park, which has been declared a World Heritage Site

by UNESCO.

The 3,000-strong audience included specially invited guests from the front-line medical profession and teachers from local elementary schools. Together, they enjoyed performances of classics by Verdi, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein, Debussy, Holst and Strauss.

Sommernachtskonzert 2021 is available on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray from Sony Classical.

RESTRICTIONS Manfred Porschnitzer co-ordinated Stageco’s work as a seven-arch Micro Arch stage, single towers and additional towers formed of scaffolding were built in an environment governed by pandemic restrictions.

When federal elections were held in Germany on September 26th to elect the members of the 20th Bundestag, Stageco Deutschland was proud to be commissioned to build an accessible cable bridge in Berlin for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the broadcasting channel ZDF to transmit live electoral news. Sebastian Krass headed the project on behalf of Stageco.

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ONE EVENT, WORLDWIDE Photography © Stufish Entertainment Architects; GlobalCitizenLive.org

As Paris made its Global Citizen début, Stageco played a key role in one of the planet’s most significant live events since Live Aid...

For the first time since its parent festival

Stageco was delighted to be onboard

was founded in 2012, the multi-national

for the Paris début – located close to the

Global Citizen Live concert saw Paris join

Eiffel Tower in the long and narrow green

with Lagos, London, Los Angeles, New

space of the Champ-de-Mars – and Tom

York, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Bombay,

Bilsen managed the staging portion of

Sydney and other major cities across six

the project from Tildonk.

continents in a massive, 24-hour fight against climate change and worldwide

Under crew chief Patrik Vonckx, a total

poverty on September 25th.

of 11 supervisors tipped 15 trailers of equipment on September 14th and

Benefitting from its experience of working

began the show build, eventually

on previous editions of the event,

loading out within two days of the

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event. Vonckx and Bilsen liaised with site manager and

globalcitizen.org website. The lucky winners enjoyed

technical director Stéphane Nicolas of ULTD Evenements

stellar performances from Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John,

throughout the entire project. (Across the Atlantic,

Black Eyed Peas, Christine and the Queens, Doja

Stageco US supplied the New York stage; other cities

Cat, Måneskin, and special guest performances by

were organised on a smaller scale.)

Angélique Kidjo, Charlie Puth, and Fatma Said, while TV viewers numbered millions.

The Paris stage replicated the event’s prominent red ‘doughnut’ branding as scenic design partner Stufish

Claimed by many as the most significant international

echoed Global Citizen’s mission by working only with

live music event since Live Aid, Global Citizen Live 2021

materials that were either recyclable, made from

raised $US1.1bn in commitments and pledges to fight

recycled materials or would have a second life.

extreme poverty. Through the event, notable donations included the planting of 157m trees, over 60m COVID

In line with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the live

vaccines for developing countries, and €140m in food

audience was capped at 15,000, all of whom were

security, as pledged by the European Commission’s

awarded their free places via a ticket lottery on the

president Ursula von der Leyen.

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Photography © Jorrit van der Kolk; Max Verstappen portrait © Red Bull Racing

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THE FLYING DUTCHMAN Verstappen conquers Zandvoort F1 circuit to grab a first for his country After an absence of 36 years, Formula One fever returned to Circuit Zandvoort on the first weekend of September 2021 as the Heineken Dutch Grand Prix became one of the country’s biggest events in sporting history… and Stageco was proud to be among the key production vendors.

The success of Red Bull’s Formula One champion Max Verstappen – the first Dutch driver to win at home – has turned many people in The Netherlands into big fans of motor racing, and thousands of the live audience were able to catch close-up views of his victory in the ‘stadium’ area at Zandvoort, thanks to Stageco’s custom video tower which was constructed using an adaptor connection made by Steel Logistics.

Besides the video tower, Stageco Nederland’s crew – led by Maarten Geverink – was responsible for all the Layher constructions of the LED video displays around the circuit, along with several stairs and other structures.

With only one access road to Zandvoort and one rail station near the circuit, the WINTER 2022

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logistics of working on the Grand Prix site appeared to pose a major problem. This issue was minimised when Stageco’s crew built two bridges outside the circuit – the bridge sections were lifted during the night to relieve traffic as much as possible and aid the flow of pedestrians.

Henk-Jan Luesink managed the project for Stageco. While load-in began in the second week of August, all of the constructions were broken down and removed from the site within a week of Verstappen’s win.

Stageco Nederland now looks forward to the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix which, it has been confirmed, will take place on September 4th.

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N E T W O R K

M I S S I O N

Stageco’s summer 2021 activity in-

coms operators: Proximus, Telenet and

cluded the erection of a 35m high

Orange Belgium.

temporary mobile phone mast in Meer, a village in the Belgian municipality of

Once again, Stageco has been able

Hoogstraten, close to the Dutch border.

to demonstrate its creative versatility in being able to deploy its equipment

Installed by the company in a single

and crew in a wide range of industrial

day (on August 2nd), the mast is em-

applications outside of entertainment

ployed by all three of Belgium’s tele-

during the ongoing pandemic.

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WERCHTER PARKLIFE After a successful month against all the odds, Werchter Parklife, the series of concerts held as a 2,500-capacity, COVID-secure alternative to Rock Werchter, TW Classic and Werchter Boutique, concluded at the beginning of August with Stageco among the key vendors.

Announced last May, after re-

Evidence of Stageco’s involve-

bined workforce dismantled all

strictions on mass gatherings in

ment was seen across the site.

structures and loaded out of the

Belgium led to the cancellation of

Along with the stage itself, multi-

site by the end of the first week of

Rock Werchter, Parklife required

ple crew chiefs and teams were

August.

the construction of a temporary,

assigned by Stageco’s project

socially-distanced, semi-circu-

manager Tom Bilsen to build the

Featuring diverse acts from

lar, open-air arena in Werchter’s

grandstands and structures for the

Belgium and the Netherlands,

Festivalpark, with the audience

entrance and publicity functions.

the festival series ran four days a

restricted to 625 four-person

week, from July 1st to August 1st,

‘bubbles’ consisting of a parquet

Starting on June 22nd, the build

welcoming 63,000 people to 28

square and a stand.

lasted nine days, using 14 trailer

shows with each day dedicated

loads of equipment. The com-

to a different musical genre.

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Snollebollekes packs the Gelredome four nights running...

120,000 PARTY PEOPLE CAN’T BE WRONG STA G

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Photography © Jorrit van der Kolk

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Managed by Michel Wiefferink, the project saw Jorrit van der Kolk and Geert Saarloos head a crew that tipped 10 trailer loads of Layher

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Commissioned by The Matrixx, Stageco Nederland helped to create four major soldout shows by Dutch party act Snollebollekes at Arnhem’s Gelredome Stadium in 2021.

scaffolding in the stadium where, adjacent to the stage in which a lift platform was built, Stageco constructed two large dance decks.

The main challenge, said Wiefferink, was the short load-in and load-out time available to the production as the stadium is normally in use by football club Vitesse Arnhem. “After Vitesse

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played Feyenoord in the Dutch league, there was a UEFA Conference League game against Tottenham Hotspur, so we had to work day and night shifts to get the set built. As soon as the field was halfway through the stadium after the football game, our first trailer drove in. The schedule was very tight, but we got the job done just as we planned.”

GRAND RETURN Snollebollekes was established in 2013 by comedian Rob Kemps and DJs Jurjen Gofers and Maurice Huismans. Attended by a total audience of 120,000 over four shows, these were the first major indoor live events staged in the Netherlands since the pandemic struck. The act will return to the Gelredome this spring.

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BUILDING FOR BROADCAST Highlights from a sporty summer...

STA G

A year late, but it was worth the wait… after its postponement due

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to COVID, the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship (or UEFA EURO 2020) finally took place between June 11th and July 11th 2021, and to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition, 11 cities in 11 UEFA countries each provided the venues.

Commissioned by Sightline b.v. and Dutch television channel NOS Studio Sport, Stageco Nederland built a number of custom structures for use during the busy sporting summer including a TV studio in which the EURO tournament was closely analysed by a host panel. The studio was designed in collaboration with Sightline and its entire steel construction was welded and painted black at Stageco NL’s premises in Lochem. Stageco also built the studio roof and used a standard Layher construction for the floor.

This project was a good example of the type of customisation that Stageco can deliver to suit the client. Deployed regularly during the month-long EURO tournament – which climaxed with Italy’s victory in the Final at Wembley Stadium, beating England on penalties – the studio was also in use for the two weeks of the Paralympic Games in August, and showcased.

Stageco Nederland was also busy with the building of a bespoke floor for NOS Studio Tokyo at the beach in Scheveningen, where more than a fortnight was dedicated to coverage of the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Stageco goes back to the future!

48 HOURS OF INNOVATION Last June, Stageco returned to the European Com-

marked the start of Horizon Europe, the most ambitious

mission’s Research & Innovation building in Brussels to

EU research and innovation programme ever.

build substantial elements of the infrastructure for the organisation’s annual flagship Research & Innovation

At the beginning of the week prior to the event, under

Days, which traditionally bring together policymakers,

Tom Bilsen’s project management, Stageco began

researchers, entrepreneurs and the public to debate

the installation of a platform over the R&I building’s

and shape the future of research and innovation in

entire courtyard, as well as four 12m x 8m pavilion

Europe and beyond.

stages that were deployed as closed broadcast studios. Using materials delivered in nine trailers, 14 crew

In 2021, the event’s third edition was streamed on-

handled the construction work under Patrik Vonckx’s

line on June 23rd and 24th, and attracted more

leadership. Bart Dewolf led the 10-person crew for the

than 21,000 participants from over 100 nations. It also

three-day tear down and load-out.

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VELAY’S GARDEN PARTY

Stageco France was in the thick of the action as a beloved festival returned to wow the crowds Although the now-standard sanitary precautions did not allow the festival to go ahead in 2020, Les

central France) has been beating to the rhythm

S TA EC

last summer with the aid of Stageco France

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Puy-en-Velay’s city centre (situated in the Haute-Loire

N

Since 2015, the heart of the Jardin Henri Vinay in

O FRA

when, after careful consideration, it returned over the three days of July 16th-18th 2021.

of some exceptional concerts.

G

Nuits de Saint Jacques delighted music fans

district of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region in south-

Under normal circumstances, this festival is set up annually opposite the popular Musée Crozatier tourist attraction, ready to host a high

quality bill of live acts for audiences of up to 15,000 each year.

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For 2021, the organisers went all out to book some of the nation’s best artists in the business. They included Soprano, Jeff Toto Blues (right), 47TER, Claudio Capéo, Jean-Louis Albert and Tryo, all of whom took their turn to perform under Stageco’s 25 x 10 roof.

Hailed as a major success, the job used three trailers full of materials that loaded in on July 9th with Kevin De Meyer taking charge of four Stageco supervisors, as Thierry Nataf directed the project from the Stageco France office in L’Isle-sur-laSorgue.

“The audiences were completely won over by the wonderful programme of entertainment they enjoyed over the three days,” reported Nataf. “We hope to follow this great achievement next year!” nuitsdesaintjacques.com STAGECO INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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AG

EC O U

S

DO YOU WANNA DANCE?

ST

This spread: Examples of Stageco US’s work on the 2021 EDC Las Vegas festival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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From Vegas to Orlando, Stageco US was committed to delivering the highest quality infrastructures for fun-seekers at two Electric Daisy Carnival locations

Last autumn, the team at Stageco’s US office had

as myself on-site, and crew chiefs Farley Gross, Jochen

another great opportunity to demonstrate its acclaimed

Ryckeboer, James Ramacus, Martin Beckers.

skill base, not least its logistical know-how, when it furnished two major Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)

“We had 108 trailers descend on the speedway track,

festivals while accommodating another pair of highly

with which we built five stages in different areas as

popular events into the bargain.

well as a wide range of auxiliary structures. Of those constructions, two sported brand new designs for Stage

For project manager Tom Frederickx, it all began in

1 and Stage 3, while our other three [Stages 2, 5 and

October with the 2021 EDC Las Vegas festival (EDCLV)

6] were reproductions of what we built for the 2019

at the glittering city’s Motor Speedway track, keeping in

festival.”

mind that portions of the equipment would be moving to other venues soon after.

Load out in Las Vegas was the point at which the crew split the equipment according to multiple locations.

Said Frederickx: “For EDCLV, we had a crew of 45

Firstly, 53 trailers were required for the creation of two

people – 26 from Europe and 19 from the US – as well

stages at the 2021 EDC Orlando (EDCORL) event at

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44 The scene in Orlando.

Tinker Field, held from November 12th to the 14th. The

November 12th-14th, while trailers headed to California

building of these structures began after Las Vegas Motor

for Rolling Loud, which opened at Los Angeles’ National

Speedway was cleared.

Orange Show Events Center on December 10th for an “epic weekend of fire tracks, dope beats and sick

Frederickx explained: “We provided Stage 1 and Stage 2

rhymes”. The balance of the EDCLV materials returned

at EDCORL with a total of 24 crew [13 EU and 11 US]. The

to the storage yard at Stageco US’s base in Colorado

load out was compressed so we bumped up the crew

Springs.

total, adding another 16 from our European pool.”

Immediately after EDCLV, five of the 108 trailers remained

electricdaisycarnival.com

in the city to supply another event, Day N Vegas,

daynvegas2021.com

presented by Goldenvoice at the Festival Grounds on

rollingloud.com

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Stageco Belgium N.V., Kapelleweg 6, 3150 Tildonk Tel: +32 16 60 84 71 Fax: +32 16 60 10 61 info@stageco.com Stageco Nederland b.v., Aalsvoort 14, 7241 MA Lochem Tel: +31 573 25 63 02 Fax: +31 573 25 60 62 info.nederland@stageco.com Stageco Deutschland GmbH, Schäfflerstrasse 13, 86343 Königsbrunn Tel: +49 821 440 22 0 Fax: +49 821 440 22 22 info.deutschland@stageco.com

INTERNATIONAL OFFICES

Stageco Deutschland GmbH, Herzbergstrasse 120, 10365 Berlin Tel: +49 30 54 98 72 40 Fax: +49 30 54 98 72 44 info.berlin@stageco.com Stageco France sarl, 158, Le Petit Palais, 84800 L’Isle sur Sorgue Tel: +33 4 90 20 90 90 Fax: +33 4 90 20 90 31 info.france@stageco.com Stageco U.S. Inc., 8755 Vollmer Road, Colorado Springs CO 80908 Tel: +1 719 495 9497 Fax: +1 719 495 9098 info.us@stageco.com

www.stageco.com

Stageco U.S. Inc Manheim, 181 E. Stiegel St., Manheim, PA 17545 Tel: +1 866 782 4326 info.us@stageco.com

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RESILIENT. LIKE OUR STEEL.

IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, WE CAN BUILD IT.

Concert stages in all sizes.

Temporary structures for every event.

info@stageco.com www.stageco.com