White Light Joins ELP Broadcast & Events Ltd in Strategic Partnership

White Light (WL) announces a strategic partnership with ELP Broadcast & Events Ltd. (ELP B&E).

ELP B&E will continue the full-service broadcast and events wet hire business it currently operates. This strategic partnership will commence on January 6th, 2020 and reverses the position announced in November 2019 of the cessation of ELP B&E at the end of 2019. It will now be "business as usual" going into 2020.

ELP B&E staff and premises in Manchester will be retained, along with the equipment stock. Additional staff, equipment, and operational resources will be added from within the WL organization, bolstering ELP B&E's strength and ability to meet client needs.

During the early months, fulfilment and despatch will continue from ELP's base at Cardington Studios with a transfer to WL's Wimbledon premises taking place later in 2020. The strategic partnership will pave the way for the acquisition of ELP's lighting rental business by WL during 2020.

ELP Rigging Services will supply specialist rigging equipment and services to the strategic partnership and will continue to operate as the in-house rigging supplier at the Cardington and Millennium Studios.

The coming together of two companies with long and distinguished histories in the lighting industry brings the "best of both" to the new venture, the company says. ELP B&E's wide experience in broadcast and events combined with WL's wealth of knowledge and resource across a wide range of markets and disciplines will result in a powerful combination.

WL's substantial scale as a company, breadth of inventory, and extensive technical capabilities will enhance ELP B&E's offering to its clients. Similarly, ELP B&E will bring knowledge, methodologies, and a specialist stock range into the WL family.

Initially, the strategic partnership will continue to trade as ELP B&E until such time as WL acquires the business activities of ELP B&E. Key personnel involved in the strategic partnership are Darren Fletcher, Matthew Smith, and Robert "Sinbad" Dunne from ELP B&E, along with Andy Hook and Ian Charlampowicz from WL.

"I am hugely delighted that WL has stepped forward to take up the ELP B&E mantle. By joining forces with us, the future for staff, clients, and the business has been secured. So many brilliant people have contributed so much in time, energy and creativity to build ELP B&E. I am very happy to know that the ELP ethos will continue. WL is the perfect partner to re-launch and strengthen the ELP B&E brand. My colleagues John Singer, Tim Williamson, Hadleigh Liddle, and the warehouse team at Cardington will remain involved for several months to implement a gradual handover. I too will play my part to make sure we do not 'drop the ball' or forget what we owe to our clients," says Ronan Willson, ELP B&E founder and director.