While it’s only been in existence for five years, Canada-based Onedot has already made a name for itself as a multifaceted business working in the industry. As well as being able to create impressive stage designs, the company’s vast production experience also ensures each project is feasible, offering a turnkey solution to event producers in multiple sectors.
Started by industry stalwarts Jean-Sébastien Guilmette and Mathieu Couture, currently 90% of Onedot’s work takes place within the Canadian borders, with the company also exploring more international options.
This year’s highlights have included numerous festivals coving a range of genres, such as Latin music festival Fuego Fuego, Escapade Festival, Unity Electro Fest, Artikfest and Pentapic.
The company also looks after several international touring acts including Jonathan Roy, Clay & Friends, and Sultan + Shepard. With Couture holding a project management role in a well-renowned equipment rental company and Guilmette specialising in production design and lighting operation for major design studios, the duo joined forces with the goal of offering a high-quality, turnkey service and to manage large-scale projects.
They settled on the name Onedot to symbolise their desire to bring diverse talents together around a common goal. “We believe in the power of mutual support and collaboration, setting aside the egos that often exist in the creative sector,” said Guilmette. “At Onedot, every member is part of a united team, where competition gives way to a collective challenge: delivering the best projects together.”
Since the early days, Onedot wished to go after more ambitious projects providing turnkey solutions to event producers. One of the primary motivations for the founders was to offer its collaborators job and life stability in an often-precarious sector. “We firmly believe that it is possible to make a living from one’s passion while maintaining a balanced life,” stated Couture. “Onedot aims to establish a true structure in an extremely demanding field, including benefits such as insurance and a healthy work environment.”
One of the earliest successes for the company in 2019 was its work on the Metro Metro Festival, Canada’s largest outdoor urban music event, which led to several other collaborations. At this time the company just had had five full-time employees and 15 freelancers. COVID inevitably slowed things up for the business, but from 2021 onwards it continued to expand its turnkey projects.
Following a move to a new office space in 2023, the following year saw the merging with Patrick Fortaich who brings 14 years of experience as the Production Operations Director of Canada’s largest independent producer, along with his expertise from his company, L1VE Events, adding a production dimension to the offering. Additionally, Onedot also expanded its services by becoming representatives for EPS, the supplier of crowd control equipment and flooring. Today, Onedot now provides a service range that includes production, technical direction, and visual design, supported by 16 employees and around 30 recurring freelancers with over 75% of its projects delivered in a turnkey format.
Looking at the list of events, it’s clear that Onedot does not want to focus on one type of project. “Having a diverse range of events to manage allows us to better allocate our resources throughout the year,” commented Guilmette. “Each sector has its peak periods, which helps us diversify our revenue sources year-round. In the summer, we focus on festivals and sporting events. Then in winter, we concentrate on designing tours and corporate events. Also, throughout the year, we operate venues like New City Gas.”
The company is also a proponent of the full in-house solution as it simplifies the process for its clients. “It reduces the number of external stakeholders, which speeds up the project while minimising costs,” said Guilmette. “Having this range of expertise allows us to produce designs that we know are feasible both technically and in terms of production.”
The team went on to use the Bet99 stage for Escapade as a good example of this. For the stage, the team deployed a massive video wall measuring 124ft wide by 10ft high, arranged in an accordion style, which required a high level of engineering. The Onedot team managed tight deadlines while integrating suitable technical solutions, such as choosing powerful fixtures that could make a significant impact alongside the video, addressing the specific challenges of the design.
Looking to the future, Onedot’s ambitions for 2025 include strengthening its foundations, particularly by improving its responsiveness and customer support. “We aim to attract larger projects while maintaining a high level of client satisfaction,” concluded Couture. “Our goal is to deliver more projects while upholding the quality standards that define us.”
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Onedot
