Features
‘A Perfect Match’: TAIT Acquires UK’s Brilliant Stages
Sarah WomackSarah Womack – Take That live in Manchester, England
The stage was designed, engineered and operated by Brilliant
U.S. event solution specialists TAIT today announced that it has acquired U.K. staging technology veterans Brilliant Stages for an undisclosed sum.
“The acquisition brings together over four decades of complementary live event expertise to create an even more competitive platform capable of deploying a truly global suite of live event technology and solutions,” the announcement states.
Since 1978, TAIT has been a worldwide provider of advanced creative, engineering, and automation services to the live entertainment industry.
TAIT’s group of clients and markets include Princess Cruises, Fortnite World Cup, Disney, Dubai Expo 2020 and the Olympics. At the core of its services is TAIT Navigator, a proprietary automation and show control platform that maximizes the client’s creative vision.
TAIT – Metallica on “WorldWired” tour
Stage design and technology by TAIT
Pollstar spoke with TAIT’s chief creative officer Adam Davis a while ago when the company provided its technology for Metallica’s “WorldWired” tour.
Brilliant, founded in 1983, has also worked with a diverse group of clients including the Hugh Jackman ‘The Show’, Coldplay, Virgin F1 Racing, the Dubai Mall, and artists like U2, Beyoncé & JAY-Z, The Rolling Stones, and more.
“Together, we will leverage our collective expertise to continue to strengthen and grow the global TAIT platform, always delivering exceptional customer service,” a TAIT statement reads.
TAIT believes that sharing its technology with Brilliant will increase the range of customers it can serve.
The next six months will be dedicated to integrating TAIT and Brilliant both on the front end and operationally. The companies’ respective customers will be kept up-to-date via email, blogs and social media.
The plan is to build one worldwide brand, concrete branding decisions will be made in the coming months.
– Have joined forces
Adam Davis, chief creative officer TAIT, and Ben Brooks, managing director Brilliant
Brilliant MD Ben Brooks commented: “We have built the brand brick-by-brick with an equal focus on spectacle, design, employees, and customers. That is what makes being part of TAIT a perfect match, culturally we are 100% aligned.”
Davis agrees: “This really is a perfect cultural match. We are excited to share with Brilliant our technology, assets, and lessons learned over our 40 years in the live event business. We found a true partner in Brilliant and share a deep belief in delivering excellence to our customers and their fans.”
TAIT received investment from Providence Equity Partners earlier this year, which was meant to take the company through the next phase of growth. Apart from this latest expansion in Europe, TAIT expanded in Asia by opening an office in Hong Kong earlier this month.
Update: This article first stated that the Hong Kong office was TAIT’s first office in Asia, which is incorrect. The mistake was amended on Nov. 6, 10 a.m. GMT.