William Brieva, Business Development Cameo America, talks about the challenges and strategic goals of Cameo on the American market.
How long have you been working at Adam Hall? Tell us a little about your start and your first projects as Business Development Manager.
I started working at Adam Hall in 2018. I started as the Sales Director and was tasked to develop the Cameo brand in the USA. Starting from ground zero was very challenging, however, I must say the years of experience and the network I had built in the past really helped. That together with a great team and great product really paved the way for where we are with Cameo today in the United States.
My first project as Business Development Manager I would say has been the most challenging. I stepped into this role during the pandemic as Adam Hall is restructuring here in the USA. With so many uncertainties, and such a dismal future ahead for the production world, I was able to find a group that really believed in what Cameo is and what we stand for and who put their full trust in me. The rest is history as our US distributor was able to continue to grow our business here in the US during, what I think, will be the most challenging times we will every face.
How is the Cameo US team set up? How do you work with the other teams?
The Cameo US team is currently me here in the US with the support of our AHG team in Germany and a distributor based out of Miami. Collaborating with both sides can be tough due to many factors. I must understand both business cultures, ours, and those of our distributor, and be the link to ensure we continue to grow. Additionally, the pandemic has disrupted what would be the norm of the way we use to do business. Pricing is constantly changing, and product availability are greater challenges now, so working much closer with the team in Germany is very important. I feel we have a strong team, and we will continue to grow.
What were the biggest challenges for Cameo in entering the professional US lighting market?
Brand recognition is very important in the United States, and obviously we were the new kids on the block at that moment. The product was solid and we had a strong team, we just needed to get the word out that Cameo was a great product.
How does the US event technology market differ from the European market or other regions?
The US event technology market is considered the global leader. Most design trends are created in the US, and everything is more commercialized and accessible so designers can hand pick what they want without there being any concern of availability. I must say with US based companies expanding into other global markets things are changing, but the US remains the number one region where everything is basically available. This I think is one of the key differences and makes the competition here much fiercer.
Every time I see Cameo on any project I get excited, whether I was involved or not, just the fact that we continue to grow and are involved in more and more projects brings an emotion of excitement.
If I had to pick one that I was involved in, it would be E11even in Miami that was realized by not only a customer, but a friend Michael Meacham from Idesign based out of Miami. The project took about a year to finalize, so it was long and rewarding for all of us. It also came at a time at which there was a lot of uncertainty in our industry, which was right before the Covid shutdown officially began. It really gave me a sense of assurance that we were going to make it through because we had such strong partners. And then when it won best Nightlife Design in 2021 in the MondoDr Awards, that was just the cherry on top.
Which Cameo products have made a particular impression on the US market? Which future highlights do you want to catch up with here?
I believe the first product to make a big impression in the US market was the ZENIT® W600. The W600 paved the way for other products such as the OPUS and the F series. Expanding our ZENIT W600 series now into a full installation piece, with the W600i and great live production units like the W600SMD show how well the market has accepted the product. My phone hasn’t stop ringing about the W600SMD.
Another big step for us is the OTOS H5 IP fixture. It’s our first IP mover, which I am sure will pave the way for future IP movers in our portfolio.
What do you expect for 2022? How will COVID-19 affect the American market in the near future?
William Brieva | Business Development Manager Cameo Light, USA