A Kinesys automation system with K2 control has been supplied to the Very Good Company (VGC) based in Warsaw, Poland – the first Kinesys system to be available in the country.
VGC is one of Poland’s leading rental and staging companies, and is always keen to be at the forefront of new technologies. They decided to explore Kinesys after initially seeing a system in action during the Depeche Mode “Tour of the Universe” world tour and were impressed.
Sales director Grzegorz Niemczyk and chief production manager Piotr Lukasik were accompanied by lighting designer Artur Szyman on their visit to Kinesys in the UK to further investigate the motion control system. Following this visit, they decided to purchase a system and chose the powerful K2 software control solution over the more basic Vector control, with future system expansion in mind.
In addition to K2, the initial order comprised eight Kinesys-converted Liftket 20m/min 500kg chain hoists plus eight Elevation 1+ variable speed motor controllers, an Array PD-ES to distribute power, emergency stop and data communications as well as other associated accessories.
The first gig was a high profile corporate event to celebrate the completion of the LOTOS group of oil processing and fuel producing companies’ “10 Plus” investment programme. This was staged at the Polska Filharmonia Baltucka in Gdansk, attended by a glittering array of business people, dignitaries and VIPs including prime minister Donald Tusk. Singer Basia Trzetrzelewska headlined the post conference presentation entertainment.
Kinesys’ business development manager Mark de Gruyter and technical support manager Andy Hicks went out ahead of the show to undertake a comprehensive on-site training programme to ensure that the VGC technicians were familiar with the system and its capabilities.
Classroom training was organised at a local hotel conference suite adjacent to the Polska Filharmonia Baltucka venue, while the hands-on in situ application of what they had to learn very rapidly was completed in the venue in the days leading up to the show.
De Gruyter and Hicks remained in Gdansk for the gig, but all the kit was controlled by its newly trained operator, Jarek Gluch. The whole exercise “proved a great testament to both the user-friendliness of the system and the competence, professional dedication and technical aptitude of VGC staff” said de Gruyter.
For the LOTOS show, the system was controlling the main set piece, comprising a series of 2 x 8 metre diameter semi-circular trusses connected together via vertical strips of LED to form a curved screen that was raised and lowered as an artist and band reveal.
VGC are looking forward to many more increasingly complex shows and gaining experience with the Kinesys system, which they are already talking about expanding.
