EVENT LOGISTICS

ROCK and roll

Rock-it Cargo keeps broadening its hiccoughs along the way. The schedule of a Rolling Stones tour was thrown into disarray when Mick Jagger suffered a medical scope of high-octane project logistics, problem. The band decided to go on with the tour, but the calendar became extremely tight, necessitating shifting a lot of writes Ian Putzger. the transportation to faster options. “The show must go on, so we have to make sure we have an option B if option A doesn’t work, an option C - and an option hen Paul Martins the President and CEO mantle D,” remarks Martins. left MNX Global last summer to Martins and All this requires personnel who blend precision with a high WLogistics last year to became company Chairman. degree of fl exibility and ample enthusiasm for what they are doing. join concert logistics specialist In his previous role at “Our people have to be well trained and passionate,” he admits. Rock-it Cargo, in a way it was the helm of MNX, Martins a return to his roots. Before was used to high-speed Challenges of the big tour he embarked on a career in logistics. The company Live performances are occurring thick and fast. “Last year logistics his focus had been specialises in time-critical was incredible. We had a convergence of a lot of big tours,” on music, a journey that movement of urgent recalls Martins. He adds that, according to projections from began in his childhood and healthcare shipments like PricewaterhouseCoopers, the tour market will continue to grow at took him to the New organs, bio-pharmaceuticals a rate of 3.5% for the next few years. Conservatory and a stint with and radiotherapy products, He notes also that the importance of concert tours has the Opera Company which require top speed and undergone a fundamental change. “In the past, performers went as a trumpet player, besides precision. Rock music events on tour to support an album, which is where they made the numerous performances and like Elton John’s farewell tour highest returns, whereas now they go into the studio to support gigs with bands. or an Asian tour of U2 are not the tour and the merchandise they sell on the tour. Audiences His other passion was a matter of life and death, but want to see them live. They want to see the whole show, with aviation, which led him the logistics around them have all the lights, the pyrotechnics, the bands behind them. It’s no into the air cargo business. a similar intensity. Everything longer what they can do in the studio,” he reveals. While he was working for is dictated by the need to As a result, the amount of equipment shipped to the concert UPS Airlines, Rock-it fi rst have all pieces in place for the venues has grown exponentially. For gigs relating to Taylor came up on his radar, as the moment when the lights go on Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018, two An-124 freighters music logistics specialist over the stage. were deployed to carry staging equipment between airports in would charter UPS freighters “Failure is not an option,” , New Zealand and . The logistics called for uplift at weekends. It marked the asserts Martins. of 635 tonnes within 36 hours from Brisbane to Auckland, which beginning of a friendship At the same time, though, required six An-124 fl ights on the sector, followed by three fl ights with Rock-it founder David it is always lurking along the from New Zealand to .

Bernstein, who handed over route. Inevitably there are The singer’s world tour last year required the equivalent of © Aphotostudio - stock.adobe.com

24 February 2020 www.airlogisticsinternational.com A not atypical tour scene, as event equipment on the ramp awaits the loading process

six B747 freighters. According Antwerp. In the wake of the Rock-it itself underwent a change in ownership in August of to Martins, a typical tour deal, the Belgian forwarder 2018, when private equity fi rm ATL Partners acquired a majority involves two B747 freighters became a member of the stake in the logistics company. ATL is targeting the aerospace, plus commercial lift on CargoLive Logistics family, a transportation and logistics sectors. Its investment portfolio scheduled fl ights. “Bigger is subsidiary of Rock-it. includes Pilot Freight Services and has included aircraft leasing better. People have come to In the main, management fi rm Sky Leasing. expect this,” he remarks. is looking for organic growth “We believe that by partnering with ATL, who know and Sometimes the timing and continues to work understand our core logistics solutions well, we can accelerate allows for a mix of ocean with partners it has been growth by capturing more opportunities in our existing end containers and commercial collaborating with for years. markets and aggressively pursue adjacent markets through airfreight, and sometimes it’s In part, the investment in organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions,” commented a combination of charter and Belgium is a response to Brexit, Bernstein at the time. scheduled lift. When it comes as Rock-it’s main European For his part, Martins has been looking to broaden Rock-it’s to airline selection, the type of base is in , where it has capabilities. Last year the company set up its own in-house aircraft the organisation fl ies is multiple facilities. charter group. On average, Rock-it executes 250-300 wide-body a key factor, but their fl exibility charters in a year, but this move also aims beyond its own needs, and processes, as well as which offering charter brokerage for third parties. market segments they serve, Over the years the company has diversifi ed beyond rock also come under scrutiny. The show must and pop music to a number of other fi elds. Besides the logical Ultimately, the relationship expansion to other music acts, like classical concerts, it moved should be a partnership based go on, so we have into stage and theatre productions, from Broadway acts and plays on solid understanding. “They to make sure we in London to opera performances in San Francisco. It has also know and understand your counted Cirque du Soleil among its clients for some years. Film requirements, how you work, have an option B and broadcast has been another area for recent expansion. they know the criticality of Paul Martins, President and CEO, “We are currently moving all the broadcast equipment for the the markets we serve,” adds Rock-it Cargo Australian Open to ,” says Martin, by way of example. Martins. This sporting life A growing operation “In anticipation of Sports events represent a huge market for the fi rm, something Last October the company unforeseen Brexit challenges, that offers lots of room to grow. It has organised the logistics announced a signifi cant strengthening our presence of National Football League games in Europe, it will handle incremental investment on the continent makes the World Endurance event this year and has been involved in in Triple M Entertainment pragmatic business sense,” Formula One logistics in collaboration with DHL. Logistics, a logistics provider Martins commented when the “Sports is becoming a big part of our business,” states Martins. to live event shippers based in deal was announced. “The end is the same: getting the equipment there at the right www.airlogisticsinternational.com February 2020 25 EVENT LOGISTICS

time, making sure that Rock-it moniker does not portray the size and scope of the group the products arrive in the FOUR DECADES OF accurately, according to Martins. right physical and financial ROCK The name certainly does not trigger associations with classic condition.” cars, but the company has a division called Cosdel International Rock-it has even moved During its 40 years of operation, Transportation that is very active in that arena. Last autumn it into project work in the energy Rock-it has grown to 32 locations moved 447 valuable vehicles with a combined insurance value sector, which is managed from around 12 countries, and musters of US$122m from the US and Canada to Saudi Arabia for an its office in Houston. “We’re over 400 employees globally. exhibition and sales auction that invited bids from a global not looking to be the next It currently has offices across audience. The project required 250 ocean containers, with the first Panalpina. We’re not going South America, around Europe, in batch of cars sailing in early September 2019. after large customers with Australia, Japan and in . Nor does the relentless drive towards ever more elaborate shows RFQs,” he stresses. Most of and the associated amount of equipment and decor to be shipped this work has been for jobs from one venue to the next signal much thought about sustainable that require bespoke solutions logistics. However, this is very much on the company’s radar. and a quick response, such as In December Dietl International, the group’s specialist moving generators to a disaster in shipping artwork, moved art from galleries in Germany, area. Switzerland, France and the UK to Miami for an exhibition. In “You never want to total it transported 167 tonnes for the event, which included a stray too far from your B747 charter. The project created 644 tonnes of carbon dioxide. core competence. We are a To offset this, the company worked with Sustainable Travel specialised, niche, critical International and purchased carbon credits in support of an logistics provider. We don’t environmental programme in Brazil. do small parcels and we’re not “In the art world, this has become a hot topic,” observed Fritz going to get into final mile Dietl, President of the art logistics specialist. “However, for it to e-commerce,” he maintains. work, we need to be able to offer cost-effective green solutions. One of the objectives for Galleries have such small profit margins that it has to make sense 2020 is to reflect the range for them, or they won’t buy in.” of the company’s activities This is rather a lot to convey beyond the punchy Rock-it brand better in its brand image. The Life would be a lot simpler if – but it cannot be overlooked. concert equipment was of a standard size - but it isn’t

26 February 2020 www.airlogisticsinternational.com