10 questions for: Alexander Pietschmann

According to the famous author Max Frisch, it takes 100 questions to sketch a person’s character. We’ll make do with the 10 questions that event technology trade magazine Event Rookie put to our CEO Alexander Pietschmann – and use them as an opportunity to tell you a little more about the mission statement and values of our management and the Adam Hall Group.

Alexander Pietschmann has been the CEO of the Adam Hall Group since 2013 and heads up a ten-strong management team. After joining the marketing department, Alex became part of the management team in 2010 and took over the Adam Hall Group, together with Markus Jahnel (COO), in 2013 as part of a management buyout. However, Alex’s original path into the event industry took a different route.

How did you get into the events industry and why?
Alexander Pietschmann: I started out as an event organiser and DJ at the age of 15, while I was still at school, and later continued with my own event agency and a nightclub during my studies. I’ve always loved bringing people together.

Bringing people together at events – this motivation was put to a tough, multi-year-long test during the coronavirus pandemic. But even the widespread emergence of online and hybrid events could not change Alex’s conviction. The Adam Hall Group’s mission is to be an amplifier of emotions through event technology, so that people can share their passion and precious moments together every day, wherever they come together. The motto “We Believe In Live” has carried our company through the last few years and continues to characterise our approach to many things. We believe that live events make an important contribution to social interaction – this spirit can only be experienced in real life.

What is special about the event industry?
Alexander Pietschmann: For me, our industry is not just about business, but about the unique opportunity to use creativity to make unforgettable moments and connect people in a profound way.

Creativity, music, art and culture can be so much more than pure entertainment. Paired with the fundamental values of the Adam Hall Group – openness, transparency, dynamism and confidence in a sustainable future – they generate a firm belief in the effectiveness of the event industry, produced by the close cooperation of all trades and participants.

Lighting, audio or video technology? Which is better?
Alexander Pietschmann: I believe that the creative symbiosis of all three trades has the best chance of leaving a lasting impression.

In the Adam Hall Group, the individual brands – from LD Systems and Cameo through Gravity and Palmer to DEFENDER and the Adam Hall Brands – do not work in their own, self-contained world. With the construction of the Experience Center the management has given this interdisciplinary exchange a creative centre that is not only the company’s architectural calling card but also shows on the inside how we imagine the future of event technology.

If you could be a piece of event technology equipment, what would you be and why?
Alexander Pietschmann: A flight case – I like travelling.

Pietschmann is not only referring to the numerous business trips that the Adam Hall Group team takes to over 40 trade fairs and events worldwide every year. Before joining the Adam Hall Group, he spent a long time travelling through Tibet – and was impressed by the importance of inner balance and consideration for oneself and one’s own environment. Since then, topics such as sustainability and sustainable leadership have played a major role in Alex’s private and professional life.

If you could go to any concert (regardless of whether the artist/band is still active, alive or whatever), which one would it be and why?
Alexander Pietschmann: I’m torn between two acts. Firstly, the Beatles’ last performance on the roof of the Apple building in London in 1969 and secondly, the spectacular Daft Punk concert at Coachella 2006, where they debuted their highly innovative pyramid stage.

Almost 40 years separate these two extraordinary concerts. And the Adam Hall Group has been around a little longer still. Founded in 1975 by Adam Hall in Southend-on-Sea (near London) as a manufacturer of high-quality, robust flight case fittings, the company has developed into a global manufacturer and distributor of comprehensive solutions for the entire event technology industry. Two completely different concerts from two completely different times. And yet both events have something in common: they were each innovative in their own way, and the people who attended will never forget the experience.

Where in the world or in the universe would you like to attend a concert and why?
Alexander Pietschmann: I don’t have particularly high expectations in this regard – a guitar concert around a campfire in the countryside is enough for me. I would also be happy to give the Sphere in Las Vegas a try sometime, although there the artist really just provides the soundtrack for the location. I prefer things to be a little more personal.

Nothing beats personal contact. Interpersonal relationships form the basis of a successful company – both internally (among employees) and externally (in contact with customers and partners). The music and event technology industry has its own specific requirements and needs. Our industry is different and thrives on passion and creative ideas. Promoting and exemplifying this is an express role of every single member of the Adam Hall Group management.

What device has changed the event industry the most?
Alexander Pietschmann: That’s a very difficult question. I don’t think you can pin it down to a single device. But I would have to mention digital mixers, various wireless technologies, moving lights and the possibilities of LED and video technology as a whole.

What kind of event technology device would you like to invent and why?
Alexander Pietschmann: Actually, we’re already there, from modern flight case and cable bridge solutions to ever smarter audio solutions and more sustainable lighting solutions. The craziest thing we’ve ever discussed in the team is neural synchronisation, a technology that records the audience’s brainwaves in real time. The show then responds dynamically to the audience’s collective feeling and attention, so that the lighting, music and performance constantly adapt to ensure maximum engagement. Bio-reactive elements such as people’s heartbeat are currently more within reach.

Two questions and answers that make one thing clear: every innovation begins with an initial idea. Our industry is full of ideas and innovations and is far from being on its last legs – quite the contrary. The Adam Hall Group has a vibrant culture of innovation. Of course, we also make the most of the benefits of artificial intelligence. However, we rely more on the collective intelligence of our team.

Will AI have a major impact on event technology or not?
Alexander Pietschmann: If you put aside the data protection and copyright issues, then yes. AI will have a major impact on event technology not only by automating unpleasant processes but also by improving the efficiency and quality of events. AI will act as a creative assistant or co-pilot, for example by making suggestions for lighting designs, sound mixes or special effects based on previous successful shows or current trends. I’d give a timescale of five to ten years.

What are the biggest challenges for the event industry in the future and why?
Alexander Pietschmann: In addition to the cross-industry issue of a shortage of skilled labour due to demographic change, we must certainly continue to focus on global health crises, safety at events and, above all, the urgent need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. We are in the midst of a digital revolution in which AI and AR applications have the potential to improve the event experience. On the other hand, AI produces content that will ultimately be almost indistinguishable from real content in the digital world, which raises the question of what the truth is. A live event guarantees authenticity in a way that a screen never can and serves as an important authenticator. I am therefore firmly convinced that the live industry will take on a much more important role in the future.

Wherever the journey takes you, you can only get there one step at a time. With eyes firmly open and ears to the ground, the Adam Hall Group is playing its part in this future. We believe we are well positioned for this at all levels – from management to our numerous trainees. In order to further strengthen the importance of the live industry, we need both: company leaders with experience and foresight, and young, creative minds who break fresh new ground and drive forward the company’s innovative spirit.

We live a culture of innovation that is characterised by interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge sharing and joint work on solutions. The combination of long-standing employees and younger colleagues creates a dynamic environment in which we work on user-oriented solutions with special features that fulfil our customers’ requirements.

Authenticity, reliability, the pursuit of innovation and a comprehensive service concept – these core values reflect how, in the Adam Hall Group, we see the event industry both internally and externally: as a diverse community of creative people who share a great, common passion for music, art, culture and event technology.

#AdamHallGroup #EventTechnology #CEO #Q&A #Innovation #Events #ExperienceCenter #Creativity

---

Further information:
eventrookie.de
adamhall.com