The term ‘360 supplier’ is one that often gets thrown around the live events space. At its most basic definition, 360 refers to a supplier that can provide the trifecta of audio, lighting and video. But some companies and groups take this definition further, being involved in every aspect of the entertainment sphere, from inception to completion.
Following a conversation with Groupe Novelty Technical Director Nicolas Savigny, it was clear that the group he represents very much falls in the latter, much less crowded camp.As a collective, Groupe Novelty not only boasts one of the largest stocks of entertainment equipment in Europe but also offers a plethora of services to take an event from concept to reality including the R&D, fabrication of stages, backline, special effects and, naturally, all the PA, moving lights and LED needed to entertain audiences of all sizes.
If you’re scratching your head and wondering who Groupe Novelty are, don’t worry – this is the new, rebranded name for Novelty-Magnum-Dushow. The group features several companies involved in numerous aspects of the live events sector.
Dushow is likely to be familiar with TPi readers as the rental house behind many French tours and events, last seen in our magazine leading the charge at Global Citizen’s Paris event in 2021 in front of the Eiffel Tower. More recently the company has handled several large arena and stadium shows, such as singer Mylène Farmer, who recently performed three nights in the Stade de France.
A total of 15 companies fall under the group’s umbrella including Novelty, Magnum, Teamagine, On Stage, BBS Backline, De Préférence, Potar, Dushow, Alabama Média, Best Audio & Lighting, Nomad, C17 and Seven. All companies have their own niche and sector, from Novelty, which focuses on corporate and fashion events, to the group’s research and development division, Teamagine.
All the companies over the years have established a strong reputation within France but, with the group’s rebrand, Groupe Novelty hopes to further expand its presence on the international stage. With a simpler name and brand identity, the goal is to ensure that more of the global community understands the capabilities of the group.
To give an overview of the type of work Groupe Novelty is involved in, the company states that 72% of its turnover comes from events delivery with 9% from AV equipment rental and the remainder coming from a combination of engineering, sales, installation and maintenance of audiovisual equipment.
Although not making up a huge part of Groupe Novelty’s business, the company has completed some impressive install work, including the automated 17-tonne LED cube designed, manufactured and installed by Alabama Média at LDLC Arena, Lyon [see issue 34 of MONDO | STADIA].
The scale in which Groupe Novelty operates is truly incredible, being involved in over 15,000 events each year with an annual turnover of €370 million. Among the companies, there are 20 warehouses scattered throughout France with a further 12 in other territories including London, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Milan, Monaco, Lisbon, Doha, Dubai, Dammam, Riyadh and Marrakech.
CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE GROUP
“My role within Groupe Novelty is to coordinate all the technical parts of the different brands and businesses within the group,” began Savigny, explaining how he acts as a go-between to ensure consistency between all the brands within the group. “I oversee a lot of the investments made by the group at large. Despite being involved in different sectors, we try to ensure that each company invests in a similar type of products.”
He went on to explain how having identical brands and products across all companies and territories has multiple benefits including offering a consistency in service throughout the group. “For example, let’s say a company in the group puts on an event in the Middle East. They should be able to produce a similar standard of delivery as we would be able to in France,” he stated.
This means that any time Savigny is looking at a new investment, representatives from the major players in the Groupe Novelty will also be brought into the decision.
Savigny estimates that the group invests €30 million in new equipment annually. He explained that he has a close working relationship with many higher-ups of the leading manufacturers from the lighting, video and audio worlds, giving special mention to the likes of Robe, Chauvet Professional and L-Acoustics. As well as being a frequent visitor to all the large international tradeshows, Savigny revealed that a lot of his job involves trips to major manufacturing hotspots – such as Asia – to speak to the manufacturers and ensure the product fits the requirements of the entire group. “We always like to be there from the beginning of a product’s life,” stated Savigny who used the L-Acoustics L2 release as an example of Groupe Novelty’s close involvement in product development, being one of the first companies to take stock of the new system.
While it’s key for the group to ensure it has a steady stream of the latest products, it is also vital for the group to have a channel to sell off any older gear to ensure that its warehouse does not fill up with redundant equipment – a task focused on by one of the companies within the family, Nomad.
Product development is a topic very close to Savigny’s heart, having been the founder of Groupe Novelty’s R&D company, Teamagine. “When it comes to this strand of the company, it’s all about ‘making the impossible, possible’,” he stated. The company’s role in the wider group is to support clients to find tailor-made solutions. But on that note, Savigny asserted that there was a line that the group would not cross, and that was that Groupe Novelty are “not designers” but wish to facilitate the visions and ideas of creatives.
He went on to give an example of how the Teamagine team demonstrated this ‘solution-mindset’ with a Nike activation at the Pompidou Centre, Paris, which saw an installation of a 5,000 sq m LED screen on the side of the famed building. “Teamagine is currently involved in numerous projects including the development of new products for the lighting industry,” he stated. “We also have structural and mechanical engineers on hand to find solutions to complex staging and instiallation ideas.” He went on to highlight some of the work for clients needing large LED setups, giving a nod to Alabama, the group’s LED specialist.
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
The sheer number of services that Groupe Novelty offers clearly make it an appealing prospect to an international audience but, according to Savigny, there’s something else that makes the group special: “The French touch,” he chuckled . “As we’ve expanded our reach, especially in the Middle East, one of the first ways into this region has been due to our work in the fashion industry.” Known for being a market with high standards where everything must be 100% correct when it comes to events delivery, Savigny listed many of the clients he and his team have worked with, such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, as a marker of the level the group operates at.
Although fashion runways are not TPi’s usual habitat, it illustrates the point that Savigny and the wider Groupe Novelty are trying to make – that here is another option for events solutions that the wider industry should consider. But with more artists moving away from the ‘stage-end’ show design, opting instead for sets that extend out into the crowd, from Billy Eilish to Drake and Kendrick Lamar, perhaps live touring does have more in common with the fashion runway than you might initially think.
We’re excited to see what work comes from the group in the live events sphere post-rebrand, both with its French homegrown talent and international productions looking for another solution.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Your Wolf Agency, STUFISH and Groupe Novelty.
