STADIAWORLD | SPORTS VENUES 2018/19

82    |   SPORTS VENUES 2018/19 www.stadiaworld.com STADIAWORLD: Solotech has up to 1,000 employees. How many departments does the company have? Giffard: Solotech is well known for the expertise of its Rental Division (providing rental solutions for Touring, Corporate and Special Events) and its Sales & Integration Division (pro- viding sales, installation and maintenance of audio, lighting and video solutions for Sports Venues, Broadcast, Cultural Ven- ues, Boardrooms and Classrooms), serving a wide variety of domestic and internation- al projects and events. Solotech also has corporate services such as Legal, HR, Marketing and Communica- tions, IT, Business Intelligence, Purchasing and Operations which serve both Divisions. The corporate head office is in Montreal but the 1,000+ employees are spread across our nine offices in North America. STADIAWORLD: How many people are involved in the single projects, how is it split up? Giffard: It definitely depends on the pro- ject, as we serve a broad range of company sizes and levels of complexity. Either of our divisions lead our projects. However, it often happens that both divisions are in- volved in serving a same client, specifically in the sports arenas segment. As our sales and integration division ensures the design and installation of sound, video or lighting systems, our rental division can respond to punctual needs for special events such as pre-game shows or concerts. Every project starts with a dedicated project manager, who then builds his team from our 1,000 employees, based on skillset, expertise and availability. STADIAWORLD: How important is the individuality of the customer’s needs? Giffard: The needs of all our clients are very specific and present various degrees of complexity. We therefore make it a priority to analyze the project thoroughly and adapt our offer accordingly. STADIAWORLD: How are the logistics managed? Giffard: Our project management team is made up of experts. A bureau of projects located at our head office supports most of our complex projects. STADIAWORLD: How do the customers' expectations and needs differentiate? How wide is the range? Giffard: Very wide. We do everything from shipping a single speaker in a box to designing a theatre and acting as a General contractor throughout the building pro- cess. We are really a one-stop shop for all AV needs. “A one-stop shop” Interview with Philip Giffard, President Integration Division at Solotech, one of the top system integrators. LED bars in the ice-level stanchions at Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Picture: Solotech Philip Giffard • Evaluation of needs or respond to a request for proposal by Sales Representatives • On-site visit • Design and preparation of technical drawings • Estimation of equipment and resources needed and overall timing of the project • Review by technical advisors • Presentation to clients • Acceptation • Bureau of project • Ordering of equipment • Testing • Delivery • Installation • Sign-off • Managed services including our Surveillance Center A project from start to finish i