South of France based broadcast, video and AV rental services specialist Forcast, headed by Stephane Pilloud has acquired Action Monaco from the Avesco Group - in a planned expansion that will see both companies join forces and continue operating in their existing highly successful formats.
The strategic merger sees Forcast become the largest AV rental / broadcast and video facilities service operation in France outside of Paris, and the biggest such independently owned company in the country.
Forcast has steadily built its reputation for supplying the highest quality, state-of-the art video equipment and crew, plus imaginative turnkey solutions to the busy live and corporate events market in the region - which also extends into Spain and Italy - over the last 10 years.
Its work embraces all sectors of their industry including sporting fixtures, special events, festivals of all types – music, arts, culture, etc., together with corporate shows and presentations. It is also involved in AV and broadcast systems design, specification and implementation, with recent high profile venue projects including the new Olympic Nice Stadium and the Grimaldi Forum conference and congress centre in Monaco.
Says Pilloud, "An absolute ideal opportunity presented itself with Action Monaco, and I saw a chance to integrate both businesses into a single streamlined operation, taking advantage of a great synergy that will continue to provide the service and standards that everyone expects".
With Action's main office in Monaco and Forcast's three facilities along the Cote D'Azur, all easily accessible to main intercontinental highways, Forcast and Action Monaco can easily combine both equipment and resources to cost-effectively service projects from Barcelona to Milan as well as further afield in Europe.
The Forcast / Action merger fuses the latest technologies with a wealth of experience, knowledge and dynamic thinking in the fields of modern video production.
All related equipment can be supplied to a diversity of clients and projects, from full HD camera and OB systems to varying PPUs; from a wide selection of LED screens and surfaces to projection systems of all sizes together with multiple screen control and screen management options. Full editing suites and content creation facilities are also available, either for pre-production or on site.
Pilloud will be joined at Action Monaco by Monaco based independent AV producer and industry maverick Andrew Van Hoffelen, who will help co-ordinate the day-to-day running of the company, focusing on large events and business development.
Van Hoffelen comments, "Over the past twenty five years I've worked to improve the service and standards of the TV, video and staging facilities available on the Cote d'Azur. Stephane has always been an enthusiastic partner in this mission and I'm really excited to join the Forcast / Action Monaco team at this juncture.
“Forcast already has an amazing reputation and respect for excellence in its work. Stephane has always instigated ‘international' rather than ‘local' working practices and we are dedicated to providing global clients with exactly the same technical facilities, and service that they would expect ‘at home'. This far exceeds a standard ‘Local rental operation' and it is great to get the opportunity of moving this ethos and the whole operation forward".
The live events market in the south-west of Europe and particularly along the coast, is currently steadily busy, with much of the business initiated in the USA, UK, and other parts of northern Europe.
Factors becoming important in it's servicing include the requirement for more eco-friendly and sustainable technical solutions that don't involve trucking equipment over such long distances. The Forcast / Action Monaco merger puts the companies in an ideal position to fulfil this criteria.
Forcast also works closely with specialist partners in lighting and audio to enable the provision complete, cost-effective full technical production packages.
For more press info. on Forcast or Action Monaco, please contact Louise Stickland on +44 (0)1865 202679/+44 (0)7831 329888 or Email ‘[email protected]'.