Robe iFORTE LTX strengthens Meridian's lighting offering in Mexico

Mexico City-based rental and production company Meridian has added 50 Robe iFORTE LTX fixtures to its inventory, following the acquisition of four RoboSpot systems over the past year.

Meridian, led by its owner and CEO German Sevillano, works on concert tours, music festivals and corporate events. The company operates from two warehouses in Mexico City's Iztapalapa district and employs approximately 50 full-time staff, alongside freelance professionals.

Its Robe inventory also includes 124 MegaPointes, Spiider wash beam fixtures and Pointes.

The iFORTE is a very popular lighting fixture in Mexico, particularly because of its power and versatility, which make it a highly sought-after option, explains German Sevillano.

Several of the country's leading rental companies already had the original iFORTE in their inventories, thanks to Robe distributor SHOWCO, so Sevillano decided to invest in the new iFORTE LTX, a brighter version.

How the Mexican cross-rental market works

Sevillano highlights the strong activity in Mexico's cross-rental market, a model that works both ways: Meridian can increase its fixture quantities to meet the demands of large-scale productions and, when its lighting fixtures are available, rent them to other companies to supplement their setups.

Meridian's iFORTE LTX fixtures have recently been used at concerts by artists such as The Weeknd and Ricky Martin through cross-rental agreements between companies in the industry. In addition, at the end of last year, the company supplied more than 120 iFORTE fixtures for six sold-out concerts by Mexican rock band Zoé at Estadio GNP Seguros.

The importance of high light output and IP protection

Sevillano believes that investing in high-output lighting fixtures is a sound decision, particularly as LED screens, video systems and pixel-based elements used in live productions continue to become larger and brighter.

The iFORTE LTX's IP rating is also a significant advantage, given the large number of outdoor concerts and festivals held in Mexico and Latin America, where rainfall can be unpredictable.

Meridian was one of the first Mexican companies to invest in Robe's Pointe when it was launched in 2013. Both these fixtures and the MegaPointes continue to be used on projects ranging from festivals and golf tournaments to tours by artists such as Paulo Londra and Cazzu.

"They have been an incredible investment, and I expect the iFORTE LTX fixtures to deliver the same results", comments Sevillano. Meridian is also the regular technical supplier for Mexico City's Teatro Metropólitan, an art deco venue with a capacity of 3,000 people, whose permanent lighting rig includes 22 MegaPointes and 22 Spiiders.