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Headline
Deck
Regional Slants
2009
HOMETOWN HERO
AWARDS
MIDWEST REGION
Theatrical Media Services president Tim Kohlmeyer, left,
and co-founder Mark Huber.
Theatrical Media Services
Omaha, Neb.
Theatrical Media Services (TMS)
likes to tell clients that there is no
limit to what they can do. Their extensive
resume, which includes working
in everything from theatres to rodeo
halls, stadiums to fairgrounds, certainly
makes the case. “We just do a
little of everything,” says Tim Kohlmeyer,
president. “Lots of fair and festivals, but
also we’re touring with Bob Dylan and Dave
Matthews. We also do a lot of theatrical events,
including a lot of musical productions.” Since
Omaha is home to several big companies, they
do plenty of corporate events. They recently
handled Mutual of Omaha’s 100th Anniversary
celebration, for example.
Kohlmeyer and Mark Huber founded
TMS in 1983. Like so many others, they
started in a garage and the early work was
primarily for local bands. An early breakthrough
was getting Harry Connick Jr.
when his star was rising. “Every show has
lead to another show,” he says of the company’s
growth. “You make a new contact
and it leads to something else. We always
strive to do the best we can. Our philosophy
is to do 110 percent and no one can
ask for more than that. In turn, that leads
to more work.”
TMS has around 50 people on its payroll
and works out of a 30,000 square-foot
facility. They have a rental department
and a sales department, both of which
have recently done well, Kohlmeyer says.
“And we’re doing more installation work
now. That’s really taken off for us as well.”
Recent highlights include working all the
tents and six of the smaller stages at the
Bonnaroo Festival.
This is a return to the winner circle for
TMS, who has received previous Parnelli
nominations for their work with Dave Matthews
and John Mayer. “If we’re successful,
it’s because of our employees,” Kohlmeyer
says. “This honor is about what they’ve
done, not what me or Mark has done. Otherwise,
the key is simply doing what you
say you’re going to do. Keep your word.”
SOUTHWEST REGION
J. Robert “Bob” Harmon, president/CEO,
Eggshell Lighting Company.
Eggshell Lighting Company, Inc.
Honolulu, Hawaii
You can’t get more southwest than Hawaii!”
laughs J. Robert “Bob” Harmon,
“ “
president/CEO of Eggshell Lighting Company.
For 35 years, Eggshell has been
providing high quality lighting on the
Hawaiian Islands and Guam. Lighting
directors have turned to them for gear,
as have event planners needing their full
range of services from landscape to I-Mag
stage/studio lights. Eggshell also does television,
sales and repair work.
“We do just about everything, including
conventions, exhibits, fashion shows, concerts
and more,” Harmon says. “We have many local,
national and international clients who turn to us
again and again.”
Eggshell began in 1974 when Harmon was
only 16. He was a lighting designer who started
bringing equipment from the mainland to the
island and began renting to others. From the
beginning he turned the state’s disadvantage to
an advantage for him. “Because we’re so remote,
people can’t bring trucks full of their own gear
here, so we grew because we were able to offer
a lot of equipment, which appealed to the top
named artists and clients.” Their list of clients over
the years include: Tina Turner, U2, the Who, Miss
America Pageant, Ray Charles, IBM, Microsoft
and Oracle. Most recently they’ve worked with
Gloria Estefan and Sheryl Crow.
Harmon has had to deal with designers
who speak different languages, which he’s embraced.
“There’s a language barrier sometimes,
so you especially want to be able to provide
the gear that makes them comfortable.” He’s
learned to be culturally sensitive too, citing
the Japanese tradition of the proper way to
exchange business cards as just one example.
“For them, what’s on the business card is who
they are at that point in their life. It makes sense
to present it right side up, study it and properly
acknowledge it.” Consequently, he says that he’s
been able to cultivate Asian and European influences
and has broadened his creative palette
accordingly. “Every major LD has come through
Hawaii at some point, and I’ve gotten to work
with all of the great ones,” he says. “That’s been a
huge learning experience.”
Eggshell typically has around eight employees,
calling in as many as an addition 30 for big
jobs.
“I am humbled to receive this honor,” he
says. “It’s validation of the company and the
good work we do. I’m deeply honored.”
NORTHWEST REGION
Hollywood Lighting Services LD Tony Bove helped
light Microsoft’s big bang for Bing.
Hollywood Lighting Services
Portland, Ore. & Seattle, Wash.
Hollywood Lighting Services is returning to
the winner circle once again.
“We really like the Hometown Hero
award because it feels right to us,” says
Gavin D’Avanther, creative director. “It’s
the kind of reputation we work for. We
want to be that company that if you go
to the Northwest for an event, we’re the
ones you call. We take pride in being
part of the community.”
Founded in 1948, the company has
gone through several owners over the decades.
Today the president is Dwayne Thomas
and the company boasts a 9,200 square-foot
showroom and warehouse. Thomas is a musician
who transitioned to lighting and has been
running the company since 2005. “It comes
down to creative design,” he says. “We believe
great lighting is not just about gear, but the
people behind it. I like say we have a pretty
darn ingenious design staff. Not to say we’re
just about big. If you’re only required to hang
two PARs, hang them right. We take it all seriously.”
They have a long, healthy relationship with
many of the region’s clients, including Boeing,
Macy’s, Nordstrom and Adidas, to name a few.
D’Avanther, who has been with Hollywood
since 1995, says picking the biggest project
in the Seattle office is easy — it’s the one that
could practically be seen from space. Microsoft
wanted to launch its Bing search engine in a
big way, so they mapped out the Bing logo
with some 390 individual LED fixtures. “Literally
the big Bing logo pointed up a beam of
light at a helicopter. It was cool because not
only did it allow us to use the latest LED technology,
but we worked with other technology
as well, including technology from the world
of surveying.”
High on the Portland operation’s fun meter
this year was the movie premiere for Tim
Burton’s Coraline. “We handled the event at
the theatre and also the party that was held at
a different venue,” she says. “It involved a lot of
custom designed gobos of the Coraline logo.”
They continue to handle all the concerts at
the Spirit Mountain Casino and the Rose City
Roller Derby is one of their pet projects as well.
This is in addition to the Portland Trailblazers
and area ballet and operas.
“We are thrilled to get recognized by a Parnelli
nomination for a third time,” Thomas says.
“We thank our fans and great clients for their
support and votes.”
Editor’s Note: PLSN learned shortly before
presstime that Hollywood Lighting Services and
Dwayne Thomas and Gavin D’Avanther have
parted ways. Since the company’s efforts as a
whole have been recognized by PLSN readers, it
will remain on the ballot as the Northwest contender
for the Parnelli Hometown Hero award.
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PLSN OCTOBER 2009