From the starting point in Serbia and Montenegro in 2008, LSD now also oversees NEXO sales and support in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Albania. For those who need a bit of help with their geography, this principally covers the territory we used to know as Yugoslavia!
LSD’s general manager Milan Scepanovic takes up the story. “Our first projects with NEXO were in 2008, installations in Belgrade’s most famous clubs, H2O and Magacin, using Alpha and Geo S12. Shortly after that, we expanded our business to the rental scene, and so far, seven local rental companies have become regular NEXO customers.”
From the start, LSD had their biggest success with GEO S12 compact line arrays, paired with CD subs and NXAMPS, and also with Alpha point-source systems.
“Our greatest challenge was working in a post civil war era, coinciding with a global economic crisis, in an environment where the majority of clients and decision-makers had never even heard of top-notch brands like NEXO, and where low budgets inhibited investments into high-class equipment,” says Scepanovic, a master of understatement!
“The Adriatic markets are very slow and on a relatively low economic level, so it takes a lot of effort and demonstration to explain the advantages of investment into high-quality equipment, both economically and acoustically, not to mention the valuable PR they get from working with the best gear and from happy clients.”
In LSD’s experience, almost all international acts coming into the region bring production equipment with them, believing that they won’t be able to find the rider friendly’ brands. By contrast, popular local artists that tour will hire their equipment locally in order to avoid transport and customs expenses.
LSD is working on a solution to this problem – an Adriatic network of rental companies who can supply NEXO products, so that touring acts can specify and source a world-class system all around ex-Yugoslavia, complete with local support.
“We have already collaborated very successfully with our NEXO distribution colleagues in Romania, and all the clients who have already bought NEXO from us are keen to be involved. Our vision is of a Balkan network of users/distributors of NEXO in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, who can share resources for training courses/demos, raise the profile of NEXO and bid together on tour contracts, as well as cross-rent equipment to enlarge the regional pool of NEXO equipment.
“If our project proves to be a success, we hope to invite companies from Slovenia, Turkey, Hungary and Greece to join the co-operative network.”
As well as such enterprise, LSD also brings an excellent level of technical knowledge to the region, 24/7 service and expert advice which always has the best interest of the client in mind. “We don’t try to sell them things they don’t need, but we do insist on those that are necessary such as original rigging and processing,” says Scepanovic. And by being proactive with product demonstrations and encouraging cross-rental opportunities, LSD has built very strong relationships with a huge variety of clients, from bands and musicians, PA rental companies and TV studios, to government venues and municipalities.
With their new distribution remit, it is all go at LSD this spring. “We are setting up a network of dealers right now, and waiting for demo kits to arrive so they can start showing them off to their customers.”
Milan ScepanovicLight and Sound Design D.O.O.
Belgrade
Serbia
tel: +381 63 [email protected]
