Matatena Producciones Invests in Robe

	Matatena Producciones' Gerardo Boue and Manuel Macouzet Hierro

Ensconced amidst the glistening glass, steel, and concrete modernity of Santa Fe, Mexico, a bustling commercial and business hotspot in the west of Mexico City, in their new office and warehousing facility at the Expo Bancomer ... is Matatena Producciones.

The company is a design and rental -- sound, lighting, and video -- specialist fast gaining recognition for the imagination, creative flair, and energy they bring to a variety of events, including product launches, corporates and industrials to weddings, parties, and socials.

The company was started six years ago by Manuel Macouzet Hierro and Gerardo Boue who had initially met a couple of years earlier while working on assorted events for different companies at the time. Matatena is a new and recent investor in Robe products with the purchase of 32 Pointes.

They are also a "preferred" technical production supplier for events at the Expo Bancomer as well as managing rigging services, draping, and soft goods for the busy venue's eight exhibition halls.

Matatena Producciones currently has around 100 moving lights of various types in its stock with the Pointes being the latest purchase.

Their first Robe investment was prompted because they wanted premium quality moving lights, and also, Hierro quips, because Robe's Mexican distributor Vari Internacional's sales team is "excellent" -- expanding, he said that they were very enthusiastic but not too full-on in closing the deal.

He adds that the technical and after sales support from Vari has been equally thorough.

Hierro also says the company thinks the optics of the Pointe are excellent, particularly for their corporate shows, the brightness is very impressive, and they were also a good price.

The light weight was also important as to the company as it makes rigging extremely quick and easy -- and keeps the crews happy.

Before buying their own fixtures, Matatena had cross-rented Pointes on several different occasions, so they knew they were reliable, versatile, and dynamic in effects and functionality. "We soon realised that having Robe on-board would also stimulate a lot of extra business," says Boue.

As well as specifying them on their own shows, they can satisfy an increasing demand for Pointes as dry hire items as the Mexican market is reported to continue to expand for Robe generally.

"The Pointe is becoming increasingly popular in Mexico," comments Boue. "We have noticed that more LDs are asking about them, so we need to be able to offer our clients the best technology and the tools that they are requesting," confirmed Boue.

Recent events utilizing Matatena's Pointes have included the 50th year celebration of Anahuac University (México Norte) in Mexico City, staged on their campus for around 3,000 guests. Lighting designer Cesar Ramirez Ray positioned Pointes around the room on trusses to help with general lighting and throwing colorful and dramatic light-beam effects all around.

The same lighting designer used them again for the grand launch of the Via Santa Fe Centro Comercila shopping Mall in Santa Fe -- the third largest shopping mall in Latin America. This included live entertainment and music from several bands, with Pointes positioned around the stage and the room on a box truss.

They were at the core of lighting rigs for an Expo Moto motorcycle trade show and the centenary celebration for Herdez the brand of choice for authentic Mexican salsas, sauces, and food products which was also at the Expo Bancomer.

Right now, Matatena supplies an average of around 10 events per month with full technical production. It's a growing company with eight full-time employees working together with a regular team of freelancers.