For production and rental company Soundwise of Denmark, choosing to carry Elation lighting products in a market with more traditional preferences is a strategic move aimed at providing unique offerings. 

“Denmark has traditionally been quite conservative when it comes to entertainment lighting equipment,” shares Lars Thorsager, founder and sales director at Soundwise. He says however that the trend is beginning to turn, albeit slowly. “As the market here begins to realize that there are other innovative products out there that can set them apart, it’s getting a bit easier to specify other gear.”

Lars founded Soundwise in 2001 in Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus, and first invested in Elation lighting in 2014. “Elation offered something unique that other companies didn’t have,” he said, “something that looked different, and that’s still the case with products that make for some very creative designs.”

Soundwise supplies audio, lighting, AV and staging to a diverse range of projects, including corporate events and touring shows (currently for Danish artist Pil, among others), plus a myriad of cultural events such as the Northside and SPOT festivals, as well as local live venues like Voxhall and Train. Large or small, the company specializes in delivering complete, custom solutions using the latest gear. 

Notably, they recently added to their stock of Elation DARTZ 360 fixtures in time for four kick-off events for fast food chain McDonald’s. The events, one large event for McDonald’s Denmark and the Nordic region plus three smaller events for Danish franchises, all held in Copenhagen, featured a conference during the day followed by an awards show in the evening. 

The DARTZ, 24 units mounted over the guest seating area, were used to extend the stage design and create an immersive feel throughout the room. The narrow-beam LED fixtures worked with Elation Smarty Hybrid and Cuepix Blinders, along with ADJ Pixie Strips and other gear. The lighting design, rendered in Capture, was done by Soundwise in collaboration with the client.

“The DARTZ is small enough to fit in the rig but has impressive power and minimal noise so it is perfect for corporate shows,” Lars says. “Its small size packs a punch for beam effects, and the LED source is energy efficient so it’s easy to connect a lot of lamps to a single power source. It’s really versatile and always nice with a product that can be used for both small and large shows.”

Soundwise works closely with Elation distributor LiteNordic and Lars commends Jimmy Thinggaard Sørensen, LiteNordic's Sales Manager for Denmark, for his efforts in promoting Elation products in the country. “Elation may not be widely recognized in Denmark, but Jimmy is doing a good job knocking down some doors and building the brand's presence in the country,” he said. Despite Elation's limited recognition in Denmark, Lars sees significant potential for the brand, especially with products like the Fuze series and the growing demand for IP65-rated fixtures like the Proteus series.

“Elation has some nice products and I think people here are hearing about them more and more,” Lars concludes. “There is an increasing awareness and a lot of potential for Elation in Denmark.”