Namibian Production Company Invests in Robe Mikel-Jes Productions is one of the top three rental companies in Namibia -- well known for its breath-taking arid desert scenery, beautiful coastline, enormous skies, wildlife, and vibrant sense of community -- which has recently invested in Robe's latest technology, including Pointes, LEDWash 300s, and LEDBeam 100s. The company, based in the capital Windhoek and run by Michael Verrmulen and Johann Swart, has been operating since 2006 and has built up a great reputation for providing complete technical solutions including design and lighting, sound, video, staging, and rigging equipment. The business is experiencing steady growth and currently servicing between eight and ten large events per year plus numerous smaller ones. All involved in Mikel-Jes Productions are dedicated to their work. It's not so much a job, it's a complete passion for Verrmulen, Swart, and their regular freelance crew and engineers. The company is active across all sectors, from music festivals to B2B events, presentations and experiential, however the last three years has seen a particular upturn in corporate business, prompting the need to expand the equipment stock. The fixtures were purchased via Robe's South African distributor DWR Distribution, together with a Prolyte roof system at the same time. The company says the decision to go with the latest Robes -- all from the Robin series -- was based on previous good experiences with the brand. About a year ago, they purchased their first LEDWash 300s and LEDBeam 100s together with some Robin 300E Spots, which have all worked constantly and reliably facilitating great creative results ... so they have been extremely happy. "We didn't even consider buying another brand when we knew we needed more kit," says Verrmulen, "It was 'OK, time for more Robe!'" This now brings their total LEDBeam count up to 18, their LEDWash 300s to 12 and now they have 10 Pointes added to the inventory. Regarding to the Pointes and why he chose these, Verrmulen explains that he was originally looking for a searchlight, and then when he saw The Pointes at the 2013 Mediatech trade expo in Johannesburg he was super impressed. "It's exceptionally bright, has a fabulous beam, and is great for both indoor and outdoor work," he says. The first show the latest new Robes were used on was to light a rugby TV show Toks & Tjops for Kyknet recorded at the SKW Hall in Windhoek. Shortly after, the Pointes and LEDBeam 100s were in action for a UEFA Champions League match screening, staged at the Showgrounds in Windhoek. "We're delighted with them -- they are small, neat, versatile, the movement is mega quick and there's a great quality of light coming from the fixture," says Verrmulen, adding that the LEDBeam 100s are faster than the scanners they have. The LEDWash 300s are used constantly for corporate functions the company says, where just a few fixtures can illuminate an entire hall. Verrmulen thinks all the Robe units are "awesome," and well up to dealing with the heat, dust, sand, and other challenging environmental factors involved in working -- particularly outdoors -- in Namibia. The company noted the excellent service and support from DWR was also a major reason to choose Robe initially. Verrmulen recalls that when they first started the company eight years ago, they made the fatal mistake of buying cheap lights from Asia, all of which ceased working within a few months. After that experience, he says they decided to wait, save up and make a longer term investment in quality equipment that was well engineered and durable. The move has paid off many times over. Upcoming shows on their current project list include "Hart Van Windhoek" (The Heart of Windhoek), a huge music festival at the Doc Jubber sports fields featuring local and South African artists for which Mikel-Jes Productions has supplied design, technical production, and crew for the main stage and hospitality tent for the last four years. 
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