Press

15.01.2009 - Wedemark/Anaheim

On tour with Simple Plan: Sennheiser launches its StageMeister competition

Audio specialist Sennheiser is getting the new (concert) year off to an exciting start by launching a roadie competition. The Sennheiser StageMeister Contest at www.sennheiser-stagemeister.com offers entrants the opportunity to accompany a touring band as a roadie. The competition is supported by Sennheiser subsidiaries and partners around the globe, and these will provide practical training for the winners. The competition will be launched at the NAMM show and will start by searching for a roadie from the USA and Canada, before focusing on entrants from Europe in the second round in April. The band that the North American roadie will accompany for a week during the 2009 summer festival season will be Simple Plan from Canada.
 

“We are delighted that Simple Plan finds this competition just as fascinating as we do,” said Susanne Seidel, President Global Marketing at Sennheiser. “For many – and especially for young people – being a roadie is their dream, and it’s great that we can give the winners the opportunity to gain some first-hand experience in this area after some intensive training.”
 

Why me?
– this is the question that entrants from the USA and Canada have to consider right at the start. Their online application with a video or a photo will have to convince the jury — made up of Sennheiser experts and Simple Plan’s production manager — why they of all people would be the ideal candidate for the job of “part-time roadie”. The competition closes on 31 March, after which date the jury will select the two most suitable candidates and invite them to a telephone interview that will decide on the winner.

The training
A two-day training session at Sennheiser in Canada or the USA will prepare the winner for the job with Simple Plan. The training programme will include an introduction to RF technology, miking techniques, touring and production equipment and a brief insight into “roadie lingo”. The future roadies will also be provided with a camera and a laptop so that they will be able to report on their experiences in a daily blog at http://www.sennheiser-stagemeister.com/. 
 

“The North American phase will then be followed by other Sennheiser subsidiaries and partners as well as bands from other parts of the world,” explained Susanne Seidel. “This will give music fans from around the globe the opportunity to apply as a roadie for a band. It’s certainly not an easy job and will require a lot of dedication from our candidates – but they will be proud of their team’s achievements after every show. After all, they will have helped to create an unforgettable evening for the audience.”
 

Jeff Stinco from Simple Plan: “This contest gives you the chance to test your newly acquired skills on the road, with us and our technical crew. If you win, our techs will guide you through your work and show you how things really go on behind the curtains — there’s a lot of magic that goes on behind the scenes of a good rock show. Don’t think you’re going on a holiday here; you have a lot of work ahead of you. We wouldn’t be able to play for thousands of fans year after year if we didn’t have such a great team behind us that thinks about every detail that makes a Simple Plan show happen. Good luck and we hope to see you backstage at one of our shows very soon.”
 

http://www.sennheiser-stagemeister.com/
 

The Sennheiser Group, with its headquarters in Wedemark near Hanover, Germany, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. The family-owned company, which was established in 1945, recorded sales of over €395 million in 2007, 83% of which were generated abroad. Sennheiser employs almost 2,000 people worldwide, around 55% of whom are in Germany. Sennheiser has manufacturing plants in Germany, Ireland and the USA, and is represented worldwide by subsidiaries in France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark (Nordic), Russia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Japan, China, Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as by long-term trading partners in many other countries. Also part of the Sennheiser Group are Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin (studio microphones), K + H Vertriebs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (Klein + Hummel studio monitors, installed sound) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications A/S (headsets for PCs, offices and call centres).
 

Download pressrelease:
pressrelease_15.01.2009_en.zip (3,5 MB)
 

You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website at http://www.sennheiser.com/, or by contacting:
 

Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
Press & PR • Edelgard Marquardt
Am Labor 1 • 30900 Wedemark • Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)5130 600 329
Fax: +49 (0)5130 600 295
E-mail: edelgard.marquardt@sennheiser.com