"More than just light and sound" - The contour story in "Event Partner" issue 6/2008
More than just light and sound
Image-campaign at contour: The specialists for event technology from Overath would henceforth like to show their colours increasingly at activities of all kinds as a full service provider – particularly in the event sector.
In an industrial estate in Overath (near Cologne), „contour licht & audio Veranstaltungsservice GmbH“ has their business premises. In the middle of the "Bergisches Land" 1800 square meters of office and warehouse space are spread and provide enough space for 22 employees as well as lots of technical equipment. contour is an apprenticing company, currently five prospective event technicians, a specialized warehouse clerk, an event saleswoman as well as an office management assistant prepare for their occupational future.
History
The company contour emerged from two single ventures in late 1995; active as general manager to this day are Felix Lenz und Frank „Gecko“ Kasper, complemented by Thomas Lutz as a dormant partner. Felix Lenz completed an apprenticeship as a draughtsman in special machinery construction; Frank Kasper was on the road with several stage productions as an allround technician from 1987 to 1995 and amongst others cared for the then very popular comedy company „Die Niegelungen“ during several hundred shows.
Today's contour managers got to know each other during a production at Cologne's "Tanzbrunnen": They were on the same wavelength, and the available equipment matched perfectly, so after a trial period the company contour was created, not least with a thought for possible synergies. The name is composed of the terms „Concert“ and „Tournee“, which perfectly images the former business areas - meanwhile the business activities have considerably broadened, and „We give contour to your event“ has established as a maxim.
Getting started was developing quite frictionless for the young company, as both of the managers had a grown customer base, which of course were served furthermore. „Due to the concentrated Know-how we suddenly could take on bigger jobs though“, Felix Lenz remembers and points out that contacts to new customers mainly result from word of mouth. Tours and concerts still make a large part of the business, though contour is busy in all kinds of sectors of events. The enterprise became known nationwide, even europe-wide, particularly with the development of the "magic polygon" system.
Portfolio
„During the past three years we increasingly regarded the purchase of new equipment from a mercantile point of view and thoroughly analyzed what kinds of productions we priorly care for, and which material is demanded there on a regular basis“, Frank Kasper reports. Rapidly it became obvious that the undoubtedly well sounding and among live engineers rather popular in-house produced P.A. („Lenz Audio“-speaker enclosures) unfortunately isn't usually listed in the riders of bigger productions. Therefore was decided after an intensive evaluation to purchase active speaker systems from the american manufacturer Meyer Sound, whose advantages Kasper points out explicitly under discussion. By now contour owns a complete range, reaching from "MICA" line array via "M’elodie" components and systems from the U-series up to compact "MM-4XP" cube speakers and also including several „Galileo“ speaker management systems as well as the „SIM 3“ audio analyzer. „This really took us as a company a big step forward“, Frank Kasper contentedly sums up the purchases, definitely adjunctive with rather high costs.
Beyond the high-class audio equipment, which includes brands like DiGiCo, Yamaha, Shure and Neumann, contour possesses extensive lighting gear including modern LED lamps. In the A/V field the company has, according to Frank Kasper, „everything the daily business demands“: Beamers with outputs up to 15.000 ANSI-Lumen, FastFold screens in front and rear projection versions as well as a compact video control desk are in stock; for greater productions with exceptionally complex camera equipment specialized partners are consulted.
The fact that contour was able to handle even big productions already years ago is proofed by their works as general contractor for the opera festival in Koblenz (1997 to 2002) or the support for top acts like Pink, Peter Maffay, Tokio Hotel and many more. Someone able to successfully accomplish assignments of this size should be prepared at best for most events in terms of sound and lighting gear. In an event context, contour defines themselves plainly as a technical service provider, though according to Felix Lenz they do act consultatory: „We offer a modular system, which matches many purposes, and provided it is desired, we of course gladly influence the creative process“, the contour CEO explains and refers to the possibility of complex 3D visualisations, which are created in cooperation with a partner.
In the event sector, contour's highlight productions unquestionably include supporting the Dalai Lama at appearances in Germany and Italy as well as a big evening event on the occasion of the recent "photokina" trade fair. Friends of electronic dance music should well know contour: The Overath-based company outfitted the „Nature One“- Tecno Festival in the „Century Circus“ for 8 years, was busy for the „DMA - Dance Music Award“ and cares for the technical demands of the ever-growing „c/o pop“ events from day one. For the multi-service trade union "ver.di" contour also acts on a regular basis, and at the "Wirtschaftstag der Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken", as well as the general assembly of the trade union "NGG" in Berlin, the company fully convinced as a technical service provider for many years. Single crafts are offered to customers and colleagues as support, and trade fair equipment as well as dry hire a clearly growing business areas. Further references can be found on the company's newly designed website (www.contour.tv).
magic polygon
Beyond said offers contour has in store an extraordinary roofing solution for events: „About ten years ago I saw a big parachute-like roof, that was spanned over an event-area“, Felix Lenz reports. „That fascinated me, and I started searching for the provider.“ Lenz found Georg Chatzakos, whose enterprise today is known by the name „Magic Sky Schirmsysteme“.
After talks with Chatzakos, Lenz founded a company („know-how! Event GmbH“) to promote the „Magic Sky“ products. At that time the distinctive chutes were held by a crane, which Lenz didn't consider as ideal in many situations. Hence the apprenticed draughtsman developed an adequate tower construction which besides lesser required space announced economical advantages, exspecially for longer operating durations. The first application of the so-called „magic polygon“ came to pass at a anniversary celebration at the company "Reisswolf" in Cologne – a special ground support rendered the previously needed long anchoring ribbons obsolete. „All system developments apart from the membrane itself originate from Felix Lenz“, says contour CEO Frank Kasper.
The combination of „Magic Sky“ membrane and „magic polygon“ support prooved extremely successful, the package could be experienced in operation at numerous events. During the european soccer championship contour delivered a total of 13 "magic polygon" systems in 15, 18, 21, 24 and 30 meters diameter to Basel, Vienna, Zurich and St. Gallen. contour cooperated for this project with "Medial Werbe GmbH" from Vienna and "Magic Sky Schirmsysteme GmbH" from Esslingen.
During summer 3008 it came to separation from the Magic Sky GmbH: „Right now the „magic polygon“ products still incorporate the „Magic Sky“ membrane“, Frank Kasper explains and in the same breath points out that contour is developing a new roof skin. At the editorial deadline, it wasn't clear when this development will be finished and come to real use - though according to Felix Lenz the process is in a very advanced state, and the new membrane should go through first practical tests.
Media night 2008
Aplenty of potential
Still contour serves numerous customers that trust on the company since it's founding, namely for example the very popular „Internationale Gaukler- und Kleinkunstfestival“ (International impostors- and cabaret festival) in Koblenz, and also the „Fred Kellner Band“ (a german, 15 piece soul band with cult status). In general, lasting business connections seem to be highly valued in Overath: „We always agreed to the fact, that we want to work result-oriented“, says Frank Kasper. „The central question with us is, what a specific event really needs for it's success, as opposed to what is available for hire in our warehouse.“ Felix Lenz, in the same context, uses the metaphor of the "tailor-made suit“.
For the future, the contour team has set comparatively moderate objectives; the outward communication and the perception in the market are to be improved in any case, which is not least underlined by employing marketing specialist Ton Groen as business-developer. „Our constant growth during the past years is something we are particularly proud of indeed“, says Felix Lenz. „our flexibility and our many main pillars have made this continuous evolution possible, and today we can in principle cover the whole event palette on our own to a certain extend.“ Frank Kasper adds: „We as a company want to evolve advisedly and unlike earlier work on making the name contour more popular. Though I quite like the underdog image, we nevertheless f substantial know-how that grew for many years and we have aplenty of potential right here in our premises!“
Felix Lenz, Ton Groen and Frank Kasper
Original german text: Jörg Küster
Photographs: Contour, Jörg Küster (Portrait)
Translation: Jörg Broich
source: Event Partner (homepage in German)