Expo AV Boosts Martin Audio Presence with Major WPC System Investment

Singapore: Singapore-based hire company Expo AV has made its biggest investment in Martin Audio to date, placing a large order headed by a 36-box WPC system. The two brands have enjoyed a long trading association, and the new partnership is designed to elevate the British manufacturer’s presence in Southeast Asia. Headed by Gerard Rodrigues, Expo AV is a partner to venues such as the Singapore Expo and D’Marquee @ NTUC Downtown East. Since it was established in 2006, Expo AV’s goal was always to grow into a full production rental staging company focusing on the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) segment. In 2008 the company expanded further with the opening of DK Studios, specialising in design and content production. The company made its first Martin Audio purchase – W8LM and W3 – a year after its launch, followed by an investment in MLA. “We are a strong supporter and believer in the Martin Audio brand and philosophy,” Rodrigues commented. “We have always been attracted to the quality of the sound and the Martin Audio tradition, and throughout its history it has always maintained a belief in great-sounding loudspeakers. We run almost the entire Martin Audio family within our inventory.” Another key driver was the relationship with Dave McKinney, founder of Generation AV, the Asia Pacific representative for Martin Audio. “Dave and I got together a few years ago and were already speaking about our next line-array purchase, after MLA. The trust and relationship were great and so it made the decision much easier.” In addition to the WPC boxes, the Singaporean company’s new stock includes multiple units of SHX218, SX218 and SXH118 (flown) subs, as well as eight XE300 monitors and a strong showing for all the larger FlexPoint models, with FP6, FP8 and FP12 units. “Making the WPC purchase was almost a no-brainer,” Rodrigues noted. “The Wavefront series always delivered best-in-class audio quality and once Dave and his team went through all the details it made our decision to purchase WPC much easier.” According to Rodrigues, the investment has quickly proved its worth: “It’s been out constantly since we took delivery – covering all events which have taken place in the larger venues here in Singapore. During this time, we invited customers and system integrators to take a listen and they have loved it.” The company is also going to focus on actively promoting Martin Audio. “We have a very strong marketing team that manages the various social media platforms,” said Rodrigues. “We arrange a product showcase every fortnight to inform customers and potential customers as well as regional partners of our new products. We’ve also invested in advanced photographic equipment to capture equipment and shows, all of which are shared with Generation AV and Martin Audio through tags.” Lastly, he cited the support from both the manufacturer and Generation AV as exemplary – particularly regarding effective deployment of the DISPLAY prediction software. “Many sound engineers that we work with have only good things to say about the system and we are starting to see an upward trend of new users adopting the brand – not because of heavy marketing, but for the quality it produces. Our customers are happy with the brand and therefore so are we,” concluded Rodrigues.