The Dutch rental company AVL Concept was the first customer in the world to buy the new Clay Paky Alpha 700. This young company based in Leek, the Netherlands, is specialized in the design, supply and installation of audiovisual and lighting equipment.
Benyamin Rosema, AVL Concept’s managing director, was first introduced to Clay Paky equipment by Wilco Korthout of Wytec Trade, the Clay Paky dealer in the Netherlands. “We were shown the latest fixtures from the Italian manufacturer and were pleasantly surprised by their features. We therefore decided to visit Clay Paky in Italy, where we appreciated the company’s professional attitude and ability to cope with their customers’ demands.”
Emilio Cornelli, Clay Paky’s regional sales manager, played host to Benyamin Rosema and Jesper Schelling of AVL Concept and Wilco Korthout of Wytec Trade, and showed them the full Clay Paky range. In particular he demonstrated the Alpha 700 line, which had been launched for the first time a few weeks earlier at ProLight+Sound 2009 in Frankfurt.
“It was love at first sight,” said Benyamin. “Not only are the Alpha 700’s brighter than competing products of the same size, but they are also much lighter and smaller. This makes them hugely advantageous for a rental company in terms of handling and installation, with remarkable cost savings, not to mention the additional set design solutions these products offer, since we may install larger numbers of fixtures on rigs.”
AVL Concept have therefore decided to purchase 24 Alpha Spot HPE 700s and 16 Alpha Beam 700s. “Once we were certain of their outstanding features, we didn’t waste time,” said Benyamin. “We wanted to be the first company in the world to secure the purchase of these lights, which we believe to be the future in professional show lighting.”
In the Netherlands, like in many countries in central and northern Europe, the summer season brings with it a number of concerts, festivals and outdoor live events. “We are facing a difficult challenge that will put us and the equipment we have put together to the test, but we are confident that handling and installation will be much easier than in the past thanks to our Alpha 700s.”
Watch the video on You Tube:
The Clay Paky Alpha 700s with AVL Concept at the Outdoor event “Flinke Pink 2009”