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Malaysia's BNB Technologies
Tourism is one of the main industries of the state of Sarawak; not at all surprising, as this eastern Malaysian state is blessed with beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, and a balmy tropical climate. Yet, nestled between the scenery and the welcoming arms of the tourism trade, you'll find plenty of industry, such as local firm BNB Technologies, a booming audio-visual company based in the city of Kuching to serve both Sarawak and the neighboring state of Sabah. The tale of BNB's past and continued success is a story of effective niche marketing coupled with excellent customer service. Most of all, it is the story of a company that has distanced themselves from their competition by providing unparalleled offerings and audio quality, for which they give credit to their equipment partners, notably Meyer Sound. BNB Technologies was originally founded back in 2000 by partners Busrah Bujang and Martin Ben, Ben handling financial and business matters, while Bujang handled the technical side. They figured that Kuching, with its prime location and population of just under half a million people, would be a perfect place to start a production company catering to the pro audio rental market. Today, BNB is a booming company with a sizable staff, easily the largest audio-visual firm in the area. It's all a result of tapping into a thriving market segment serving branches of government agencies, telecom companies, and similar organizations. Says Ben, "They sponsor a lot of sizable organized events, like outdoor concerts and festivals. They're the ones with large budgets, whereas most private events operate more on a shoestring budget. " The company itself started on a shoestring, as they obtained most of their first sound equipment used. Bujang acquired the first pieces of their Meyer Sound system several years back after attending a show in Singapore where he was blown away by the clarity and response of the audio system at the venue. A colleague was handling sound production for the show, and after speaking with him about the equipment, Bujang ended up buying much of it from him. BNB's current outdoor system is based on 16 MSL-4 horn-loaded long-throw loudspeakers, eight DS-4P horn-loaded mid-bass loudspeakers, and eight 650-P high-power subwoofers. Though they have upgraded components and replaced some parts as the need has arisen, the original system Bujang purchased second-hand is still the core of their outdoor setup. Ben points to the ease of obtaining parts and/or replacement speakers whenever needed, "Because of this I believe we can continue using the MSL series for many years to come." Audio BNB, the company's rental division, employs a crew of four full-time technicians, though with large outdoor events they typically work hand-in-hand with event coordinators that bring in supplemental crews of additional audio professionals. While many engineers are notoriously picky and suspicious of equipment they're unfamiliar with, all of the supplemental crew BNB has partnered with have embraced the Meyer Sound system due to its ease of setup, light weight, and sound quality. Says Ben, "So far all our clients are happy with what they hear and they all have good things to say about the system. The sound engineers like it, too. The quality of Meyer Sound has really helped us capture the market and made us the first choice sound and light provider in the region." For proof that they are indeed the top provider in the region, all you need do is look at the sheer number of substantial jobs in their portfolio; over the past few years, every major festival or concert in the area has enlisted BNB for their production needs. They've provided audio and/or video services to the Rainforest World Music Festival, International Jazz Festival, and, most notably, the Sarawak Independence Anniversary celebration, a week-long festival featuring mostly rock and blues acts with an average attendance of roughly 10,000 people. From there, it was only logical the company would branch out into equipment installation and sales. The BNB Tech division handles AV installation for hotels, restaurants, office buildings, and theatres, with special emphasis on conference room setups. Services provided include system design, installation, integration, and testing. This dovetails nicely with their pro audio and instrument sales division, Studio BNB, which offers everything from basic student instruments to large-scale loudspeakers, control units, and microphones for the audio professional in their downtown Kuching store. As BNB eyes the future, they hope to expand the coverage of their rental business, possibly partnering with event management companies in new areas such as neighboring Brunei. Of course, BNB also continues to grow their installation and sales sections. Given what the company has achieved in a relatively short time, "BNB" are three letters likely to soon be synonymous with quality audio throughout the entire region. May, 2006 |
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