Mastering d.o.o. is a Croatian company dedicated to equipment rental and show production, based in Đurđevac, in the eastern part of the country. It was founded in 2018 by Đuro (Djuro) Kucelj, who also runs a successful construction business and has been active in music for more than 40 years.
Earlier this year, Mastering made its first purchases of Robe moving lights, a goal they had in mind since the company was founded. It has been a major milestone, and everyone involved —including clients and technical crew— is thrilled with the results.
Music has always played an important role in the lives of Đuro’s two sons, Matija and Lovro, but as they grew up, Đuro felt they should have the opportunity to run a business more directly related to shows, concerts, and performances —and more fun— than construction. Fortunately, both embraced the idea enthusiastically and are now interested in lighting, visuals, and all other areas of production.
Mastering began with the commitment to offer the best equipment, highest production values, and the best service to all its clients, and almost immediately found themselves renting Robe products to cover higher-profile concerts and music events. However, with so many costs typical of a start-up, at that time they were unable to take the step of purchasing these fixtures, and instead started with numerous unbranded moving heads from Asia, always with the intention of growing the company and upgrading to higher-quality lighting.
These big plans were put on hold as they navigated the Covid period and gradually rebuilt the company. In early 2025, they secured the job of providing production for one of Croatia’s most famous bands, Parni Valjak, whose lighting rider included Robe fixtures, so Đuro knew it was the right moment to make his first investment in the brand.
20 MegaPointes and 24 Spiider LED wash units were added to Mastering’s inventory, and they have been working non-stop ever since. They were so excited about the purchase that they drove one of their own trucks —they also have a transport and logistics division— to the Czech Republic to personally collect the equipment.
Thanks to the proactivity and hard work of Robe’s long-term Croatian distributor, LAV Studio, the brand is in high demand in the region, and several of the country’s leading bands regularly use their fixtures. Needless to say, it is a major help and influence when artists themselves request a specific product or brand.
Mastering’s client base includes a large number of live music events, concerts, tours, and festivals, as well as several high-end corporate and industrial events, although music remains their true passion.
As the largest rental company in this part of Croatia, they work throughout the Balkans region and also have a base in Malta. They currently employ 20 full-time staff plus a group of regular freelancers, and in the summer they hire students interested in production for the festival season. Đuro’s construction company built their current warehouse, which is modern and purpose-built, and together with the transport and logistics division, the operation is self-sufficient —a major advantage for production and event managers who only need to deal with a single entity for all technical requirements.
With the MegaPointes and Spiiders in such high demand, Đuro also believes they are a solid foundation for the future of the business, and they are considering further investments in iFORTES and Spikies.
Đuro believes that Robe is a benchmark brand in the market, and Matija and Lovro highlight the reliability and consistency of the products: “With Robe, you know exactly what you’re going to get”. They also appreciate the Spiider’s beam characteristics, its colour mixing, and the overall quality of the light output, which they describe as “vastly better” than other fixtures they still use occasionally.
They all agree that the local support provided by LAV Studio is essential and describe it as “excellent: fast, efficient, always friendly… basically everything a rental company needs”.
With these MegaPointes and Spiiders in stock, the company is now much more flexible. The quantities allow them to mix and match for at least two major productions simultaneously.
They work regularly with several leading lighting designers in Croatia, including Zvonimir Borovec, Domagoj Stefanović, Dino Petrina, Goran Petrovčić and Matija Kucelj, who are also enjoying the experience of working with Mastering’s new lighting technology, helping make this an exceptional year for the hardworking company.
