BlachReport Issue 20, 2007

History experienced up close
At many marketing events, laser and multimedia technology plays an important role. One of the most consistent suppliers on the market is LOBO electronic from Aalen. Recently, the company celebrated its 25th anniversary.
LOBO equipped ships such as Queen Mary 2 with lasers, installed systems in amusement parks and planetariums around the globe and is present in theaters such as the French revue theater Royal Palace or the Staatstheater Weimar. LOBO is also in demand as a specialist for international mega events such as the Olympic Games. Still, a lot of the clients come from the marketing and PR departments of major companies, including Daimler-Chrysler, BMW, EADS, Bayer, Microsoft, Thyssen- Krupp, Hewlett-Packard or Allianz, for which LOBO has produced product presentations, opening ceremonies or exhibition events. For its clients, LOBO has invested into a large multimedia studio in Aalen with globally unique facilities and dimensions. Here, LOBO’s design team can develop and present even the most demanding shows under realistic conditions in cooperation with their clients.
The success proves LOBO right: There is hardly any award LOBO’s show designers haven’t yet won for their creative achievements. First and foremost the ILDA Award of the International Laser Display Association, the global umbrella association of the laser show industry: to date, LOBO has received a total of 97 of these ‘Laser Oscars’ – an all-time record.

We have spoken with Grad. Eng. (FH) Lothar Bopp, founder and managing director of LOBO, about the past, present and future of his company.

BlachReport: Twenty-five years ago, would you have dreamt that your company LOBO would one day be a market leader in the laser and multimedia sector, Mr. Bopp?

Lothar Bopp: No, certainly not. When you start from nothing, as I did, you obviously have other things on your mind at first. However, I always had clear goals and visions. I always strove to offer LOBO’s clients the best products available on the market. Uncompromisingly, LOBO stuck to this line from the very beginning and it has paid out in the end.

BlachReport: What is your recipe for success?

Lothar Bopp: In our market, I saw many companies fail that became big after riding an initial wave of success, but then either overreached themselves or strayed from their path. On the other hand, LOBO’s success is the result of many small steps that were taken with conviction, resulting in a healthy and steady growth. Of course, a large part of this success is due to the personal dedication and skill of our employees. Last but not least, luck and good intuition to bring the right products onto the market at the right time also played an important role.

BlachReport: Which projects were your highlights during the past quarter century?

Lothar Bopp: We were lucky enough to realize many exciting and also demanding projects all over the world. Each project has its own appeal and its own special challenges. Of course, adrenaline gets pumping when you are aware that 3.4 billion viewers see the results of your work live on TV, as was the case with the opening of the Asian Games in Doha last December. Product presentations, such as the presentation of the GL class during Mr. Zetsche’s first public appearance as CEO of Daimler-Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz, are also thrilling due to their particular demands.
However, one event has moved me like no other: When a large LOBO laser system was installed in the Palace of the Republic on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the GDR, used for the first time at a classical concert for Mikhail Gorbachev, the masses outside chanted “We are the people”. After the show, Gorbachev said the famous words “Those who are late will be punished by life itself.” History up close, a unique experience!

BlachReport: How has the market changed in the last 25 years in your opinion?

Lothar Bopp: While it was enough to simply be present with a convincing offer in the beginning in order to be successful, today’s market has become much more layered. The medium of laser is not as new anymore as during the early days of our business activities. You have to constantly reinvent both yourself as a supplier as well as the medium itself, search for new forms of technical and aesthetic expression that offer a real added value for the customers.
Certainly, the unapologetic “copy mania” – in particular in the Far East – is an enormous challenge. Hardly a week passes without a previously unknown company misusing large segments of our internet presence, our demo videos or our name for their own purposes. Unfortunately, failed attempts to copy our technology or the distribution of pirated copies of our shows via the internet also happen.
The internet can also be tricky in other aspects. Today, there are thousands of small laser companies whose actual performance capabilities are rather non-transparent due to the anonymous presentation platform offered by the internet. Here, only a visit at the potential supplier offers the necessary clarity.
Additionally, a shockingly large segment of the offers on the laser market is highly dubious. This starts with purely fictional product specifications, continues with ignoring or deliberately exceeding applicable safety regulations and sometimes ends in the use of highly dangerous laser systems. Unfortunately, the latter is sometimes even the case with established German competitors.
Here it is important to convince the customer again and again with verifiable, clear facts and to bring many a widespread myth back down to earth. Recently, we have started an initiative with a free seminar, in order to inform interested parties from the professional event sector about objective facts.

BlachReport: Compared to its competitors, LOBO is primarily active in the higher price segments.

Lothar Bopp: At the latest since the market was flooded with cheap Chinese products, it became apparent for us that we were always right to strive for the best possible quality. However, we place great importance on transparent pricing. Obviously, there are always potential clients who believe that “a bombastic laser show” can be had for as little as EUR 3,000. However, if you only take the average hourly rates for a technician and then add transportation, depreciation of the equipment and insurance on top, you will soon see what can actually be expected with such a budget. What’s more, thousand Euros alone have to budgeted for the safety-related approval of the beam guidance by a publicly sworn expert.

BlachReport: What can we expect in the upcoming 25 years?

Lothar Bopp: Today, we are well-positioned and can look optimistically towards the future. For us, 2007 will most likely be a record-breaking year and in 2008, we will introduce some interesting new products. We will try to remain a reliable partner for our customers with rock-solid technical solutions, individual services and convincing creative approaches with a good price-performance ratio.

BlachReport: Thank you for answering our questions.