White Light Wins Production, Rental and Staging Business of the Year at AV Awards 2020

Now in its 22nd year, the AV Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals, companies, projects and technology across the AV, events and production sector. This year’s ceremony was held virtually and, following a challenging year, the organisers felt it was vital to still recognise the outstanding achievements of this creative, talented and innovative industry. Having been crowned National Integrator of the Year at last year’s ceremony, this year White Light won the prestigious Production, Rental and Staging Business of the Year Award; making it the first company ever to receive both accolades. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Production, Rental and Staging Business of the Year Award is given to an organisation that delivers the exact AV solutions customers need. The company must provide assistance in the initial planning stages, concept and theme development, staging requirements, AV equipment requirements, pre-production planning, production, procurement, contract management, scripting and logistics; along with anything else that allows customers to ensure their message hits the mark. Following an incredibly busy twelve months since the previous AV Awards, WL has continued to prove itself as an organisation that offers just this; pushing the boundaries of both the technical solutions and level of service which it offers clients. 

 

 

 

 

 

WL’s Managing Director Bryan Raven comments: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded Production, Rental and Staging Business of the Year. This is a recognition of the brilliant contribution from all of our staff, from the warehouse team to those working in Innovation, as they all strive tirelessly to deliver our clients’ diverse range of projects. As a company, we are constantly looking for ways in which to offer the very best service possible, as seen with our strategic partnerships with both ELP and  SFL which has expanded our existing offering. This continued desire to be the best in what we do has allowed us to become technical leaders in several sectors, whether its theatre, corporate events, broadcast or education. Similarly, our constant innovation work, particularly with our award-winning SmartStage technology, shows how we are forever pushing the boundaries in regards to the technical solutions we provide”. 

 

 

 

 

 

With the past year being a particularly challenging one following the outbreak of Covid-19, an important aspect of this year’s AV Awards judging was how organisations had responded to the pandemic and continued to offer their clients an exceptional level of service.  WL’s Technical Solutions Director Andy Hook explains: “Like many similar organisations, back in March, we suddenly found most of our upcoming projects cancelled overnight. As difficult as this was, along with the subsequent decisions we had to make, as technical innovators, we relished the opportunity to continue supporting our customers by helping them embrace digital solutions. We have been pioneering remote presentation and collaboration solutions for several years with a focus on xR and being able to rapidly educate our clients on these technologies has allowed them to move through this period of uncertainty as effectively as possible”.

 

 

 

 

 

Realising that many clients still needed an accessible and safe way to deliver their projects, WL immediately built two brand-new SmartStage studios within its Wimbledon base; embodying the company’s mantra of ‘the show must go on’. These SmartStages have helped deliver a range of exciting projects, including the Leaders in Sport Leaders Week, Vistage’s London Executive Summit, Fusion Comm’s BDO RETHINK Festival as well as several live international sporting broadcasts. Many of these would simply have been cancelled without the use of SmartStage, meaning WL helped deliver solutions that overcame several barriers yet did so in the safest way possible. As the company looks ahead to the next few months, it will continue to use this technology in order to push the boundaries of digital events and begin to transition into the exciting new world of hybrid events. Hybrid events in particular are growing increasingly popular as clients are able to use WL’s innovative xR technology to have both in-person attendance as well as remote delegates and speakers; with this format allowing even more exciting opportunities for innovation.

 

 

 

 

 

Alongside the technical service that is offered to its customers, the judges also took into consideration what the company provides to its staff, from its training regimes to its apprenticeship scheme. It also looked at WL’s diversity and equality stats, as well as its workplace culture and the role it plays within the wider industry.  

 

 

 

 

 

The AV Awards took place virtually on Friday 20th November and a full list of the winners can be viewed here.  

 

 

 

 

 

Bryan concludes: “When the company was founded back in 1971, it was done so on the core values of us being knowledgeable, dependable, friendly, adaptable, customer-focused and honourable. Whilst these have always sat at the heart of our work, they have taken on greater resonance this year. I believe that a time of crisis truly shows who you are as an organisation and, while the past few months have been extremely challenging, I am proud to say that we’ve continued to embody these values; ones which have allowed us to be there not only for our clients but our staff too. The AV Award is a recognition of this and we are delighted to have received such an accolade”. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post White Light Wins Production, Rental and Staging Business of the Year at AV Awards 2020 appeared first on White Light.

 

 

Source: