When was Cameo formed and what were its initial goals?
“Cameo was launched by Adam Hall Group in 2011. From the beginning, we wanted to develop products and solutions that are user-oriented and help lighting designers and operators to express their full creativity. Our in-house R&D department plays a central role here: we have always placed great emphasis on creating lighting solutions that reflect our passion for light – whether as a straightforward LED PAR fixture for everyday use in a wide variety of settings, through high-performance moving heads for large stage environments, to specialised theatrical or architectural spotlights. This is what sets Cameo apart as a brand.”
How has feedback shaped the development of the lighting brand?
“The development of Cameo as a brand is the result of constant feedback from our worldwide users. We have always placed great value on sharing ideas with lighting professionals who work with this fascinating medium every day. The fields of use overlap more and more, and we regularly ask ourselves what requirements our customers have and how we can support them even better with our solutions. Whether in theatre, touring, architectural lighting or for mobile lighting of special events – we are pleased that our products are convincing a range of markets.”
What high-end fixtures do Cameo now offer?
“The OPUS moving heads series spot and profile spot moving lights are packed with features including four-blade framing systems, rotating and static gobo wheels, circular and linear prisms or bi-directional animation wheels. Providing a flat and uniform projection without multiple colour shadows, OPUS luminaires sport optical systems with 130mm front lenses – flicker free and virtually silent. All OPUS series luminaires feature flexible control options via a built-in W-DMX transceiver, DMX, RDM, Art-Net or sACN. The ZENIT Series’ W600 and W300 outdoor LED wash lights through to the battery-powered IP65 LED PARs feature with aluminum housings, Cree and Osram LEDs and W-DMX and RDM control capability. Cameo F-Series is a specialist for natural light. Available in three sizes and power classes (F4, F2, F1), each as Daylight, Tungsten or Tunable White/RGBW versions, the Fresnel spotlights can be seamlessly integrated into a wide variety of environments.”
What have been some of the biggest challenges breaking into the professional lighting market?
“It is simply not enough to focus on technical specifications. Of course, the quality of light must be beyond reproach, but it is at least as important to understand the daily requirements, wishes and needs of a lighting designer, operator, consultant or a rental company. In addition, our products must be versatile and have a clear, unmistakable function within our growing portfolio. At the same time, we were able to establish strategically important international partnerships that served as gateways to renowned lighting designers and users, which helped to boost the awareness of Cameo. In recent years, with our Adam Hall North America and Adam Hall Asia divisions and new offices around the world, we have established a solid foundation to ensure the availability of our products and bring our service commitment even closer to our customers.“
How does Cameo’s ‘For Lumen Beings’ mantra manifest itself?
“‘For Lumen Beings’ expresses everything we stand for: passion for light. We want our users to have the best tools to inspire people with the combination of light, creativity and technology. Every Cameo product that comes onto the market must meet this philosophy. Of course, there are always new technologies and developments that we take up with our design and R&D department, continue and try to set by ourselves. The most important thing is to understand what drives these lighting professionals, why they do what they do. This is the foundation for our lighting products: technology paves the way, but the starting point and goal are passion and emotion.”
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic?
“Our response to the pandemic has demonstrated our stance from the beginning; we believe in the live and event industry and the tremendous value it has for society. In addition, we have broadened our business focus to include new application fields, especially in the architectural lighting sector. Of course, we are dependent on the further global COVID-19 development, but we see ourselves well positioned, not least thanks to our above-average stock availability, and will continue to develop solutions to shape the future of our industry.“
How is 2022 shaping up for Cameo?
“This year will be exciting. In the event sector, we currently see great potential in outdoor events and medium-sized event venues and will serve these target groups specifically with new models. Trade shows and other on-the-road formats continue to play an important role for us.
“However, it remains unclear how the pandemic will develop in 2022. We have witnessed new developments in the field of virtual and hybrid events, which we believe are still in their earliest stages, but nevertheless offer a lot of potential to address users and customers more comprehensively in the future. Our Adam Hall Experience Center is and will remain a place of encounter. Here, partners, customers and users can literally experience the core of Cameo and Adam Hall on all levels. We look forward to seeing you in whatever capacity in 2022.”
This article originally appeared in issue #267 of TPi, which you can read here.
