DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE: Last week saw Highlite International open the doors of its headquarter facilities in Kerkrade, The Netherlands for a unique Experience Day, 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 discreet vocal performances to intense EDM, causing the air to vibrate with its sheer power.
In the main show room, Highlite constructed a theatrical lighting show that took viewers on an immersive picturesque 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 Days is to have a meet and greet with our customers,” explained Huub de la Haije, President and founder of Highlite. “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 Days.”
Highlite has just recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and it’s clear to see how far it has come since then. 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 Huub and Patrick Herveille, Vice President at Highlite, also explored the history and allowed groups to venture into every corner of the place they call home, looking at the workspaces where products are made and developed to the offices where the marketing team reside.
As well as press and Highlite’s customers, students from a nearby college attended the event and were encouraged to join experts Angelo van der Weerden and Harald Wolf in learning 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 Tom Quicken and Eric Piefer, Dutch Media Tools (DMT) product specialists, where they discussed the technical aspects of all that DMT can offer. The company provide solutions for visual entertainment needs including quality in and outdoor LED pixel screens, LED processors and even media server software. The workshop looked in-depth at how LED screens work and what makes DMT deliver.
“A lot of people who attended told me that they could see how far Highlite have 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 Huub.
