“Your commitment never ceases to amaze me”
James MaCloud, Ice Operations Technical Manager, Feld Entertainment
“Your commitment never ceases to amaze me”
James MaCloud, Ice Operations Technical Manager, Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment is a Florida-based, live-show company whose productions include Disney On Ice and Monster Jam, among other global entertainment projects. The Disney On Ice show literally travels around the world, bringing the Disney magic to millions of families. It goes without saying that their awesome shows require equally awesome power generation and temperature control. Energy solutions that Feld Entertainment used to rent elsewhere, but now they’ve teamed up with Energyst and recently Feld and Energyst signed a 5-year contract.
Sometimes this testing and tweaking is successful, sometimes it isn’t. But we always keep trying. That combination of engagement and expertise is what Feld really liked about Energyst. So much even, that the 1-year contract we signed for the European tour became a 5-year contract for the European and the Asian tour! A contract we earned by really giving all of our professional and personal energy to the project.
Looking back, maybe this is not so much of a surprise when you look at the brand values of Energyst and Feld Entertainment. Both brands have passion as a core value. Feld’s James MaCloud (Ice Operations Technical Manager) noticed our engagement straight away: “You clearly and concisely answer my emails within 24 hours. When I call you, you always pick up the phone. What’s more: Energyst is always on-site. You are really part of the team!”
Wiljan Paridaans
Account Manager at Energyst
The Feld Entertainment case story is a textbook example of how a combination of passionately doing your job and building sincere relationships pays off. Wiljan Paridaans (Account Manager at Energyst): “It’s one of those typical Disney sayings everyone knows: ‘It’s a small world after all’. Also, as it turns out, the saying applies 100% to how we were asked to do our first project for Disney & Feld Entertainment.” Energyst was connected to Feld’s logistics company, that handled all the transportation of the Disney On Ice equipment. As we already had a good track record at powering up and cooling ice skating rinks in the Netherlands, we told our contact at the logistics company that were looking for the next step: a chance at proving our expertise and dedication to bigger ice-entertainment companies. The logistics company arranged a seat at the table with Feld’s James MaCloud.
“The show must and will always go on”
Rob Munsters
Operations Supervisor at Energyst Benelux
Energyst and Feld Entertainment agreed on a one-year contract for engineering the power generation and temperature control for the European tour of Disney On Ice. Paridaans continues “During that first year, we really got to know each other in the most positive way.”
Rob Munsters (Operations Supervisor Benelux at Energyst) remembers all the effort his team put into (and is still putting into) the Disney On Ice project. Munsters: “When we started doing the European tour, the chillers that were used for the ice rink floor of Disney On Ice were good. But only one chiller per floor was used. From an insurance standpoint this was unacceptable – the show must and will always go on. Basically, it was easy enough to tackle this specific challenge: add one chiller as a backup! This double-chiller solution was good enough for the European Tour, but not for the Asian one.”
“The double-chiller configuration could not be shipped, because it didn’t meet the so-called CSC requirements,” says Munsters. So, Energyst had to make one that did. Munsters continues: “Our team engineered a custom-built CSC double-chiller solution especially for Disney On Ice. And added 24/7 around the globe service to it. That way, Feld had a ‘plug & play’ safe solution they could use and set up anywhere they wanted.
To meet CSC requirements we designed a double-chiller that looks like a container on the outside, but on the inside has all the technical specs of a chiller solution. We basically put a custom-designed chiller in a container frame, so it could be transported by sea from Rotterdam to Japan. Japan being the kick-off country of the Disney On Ice Asian tour.”
A container must be closed, but a chiller needs air from the outside. So, Energyst designed one that can be opened from all sides – including the top. Maintaining, of course, its firmness. Because this engineering process was also one big trial-and-error process, it took many meetings, calls and visits to Feld and the Asian region, Wiljan Paridaans remembers: “But we did it. And our client – represented by James MaCloud – was pleasantly surprised, saying: ‘Your commitment never ceases to amaze me’.”
This new and improved version is even more easy-to-use and reliable than the previous one. But having a state-of-the-art solution is one thing… making sure all engineers and technicians can operate it and answer questions about it, is yet another. We trained our team, so they could give Feld Entertainment the best possible service. Whenever. Wherever.
Photos Disney On Ice ©Disney ©Feld Entertainment
BB Promotion, Germany’s largest producer of musicals and other live entertainment events, turned to Energyst to provide the temporary power supply for the CATS musical tour across the Benelux. "From the very beginning of planning up to the first première, Energyst provided excellent and professional support. All changes were quickly dealt with and the material is very reliable."
Reliable cooling is essential for the F&B industry. Not just because companies have to comply with regulations. It’s really all about preserving foodstuffs and beverages from spoiling and damage, ensuring business as usual for hundreds of outlets: “Hundreds of thousands of consumers cannot go without their groceries!”