Belgium - Arto Company is a rental and full technical production, based in Wavre, the French-speaking region of Belgium and working across the concert touring, festival, live event, and corporate sectors.
Their first Robe purchase was in 2019, and since then the inventory has expanded dramatically with the latest purchases being 16 x iFortes, 48 x LEDBeam 350s and 18 x Tetra2s, which join over 100 other Robe fixtures in the house, including 24 x Esprites, 48 x LEDBeam 150s, 18 x T1 Profiles and two RoboSpot systems.
“We started observing that Robe was a clear market leader, and the products were increasingly appearing on artist riders,” explained Arto’s lighting team manager Alain Meys, “and so that constant demand for the products made us take notice and realise that we needed to invest in what people were requesting.”
He and the lighting team looked at all the various Robe products and ranges and chose the most flexible options for their client / show / event portfolio, finding that Esprite in particular was a wise choice to service their work, ideal for lighting virtually every production.
Alain noted that they specifically liked the Esprite’s intensity, framing shutters, colour mixing system and the zoom. “All these features are essential for the bulk of our ‘general’ work,” he confirmed.
The iFortes were then purchased for the larger shows and events, when that extra boost of power and punch is needed. They specifically wanted the iForte variant for its IP65 rating which is great for all their exterior work.
Esprites and iFortes are often used on the same projects, typically iFortes would be deployed for the front lighting on a stage or in the ‘advanced’ position for keys and specials, while Esprites will be above the performance area mid-stage or at the rear. “These two fixture types are a great match,” commented Alain.
The latest purchase of 48 x LEDBeam 350s join Arto’s existing 48 x LEDBeam 150s. The decision was made to get a good quantity of them “because this is really useful for many stage and event setups and always looks spectacular,” says Alain, adding that the LEDBeam 350s with their excellent 3.8 – 60-degree zoom are also a great wash light and highly versatile.
RoboSpots were another demand-driven purchase, and as the first company with two RoboSpot systems in Belgium, they also saw an opportunity to elevate Arto’s own operation. When these are not out on their own gigs, they are a valuable and popular cross rental item.
“It’s been great to see Robe grow and develop as a brand over the last five to 10 years,” Alain enthuses, noting that all Robe fixtures in this timeframe have been highly successful and proved themselves as creative tools “and that’s why they are constantly being specified”.
Service and after-sales support was another important factor for any busy rental operation investing in a brand, and for Alain, the tech support and backup from Benelux distributor Controllux is “Fantastic! They are very responsive, knowledgeable, and always there for you”.
