France - Montpellier Events is the management company for The Corum Congress Centre – Berlioz Opera, a major event complex located in Montpellier, in the south of France. The venue hosts over 300 professional events each year including congresses, exhibitions, corporate events and conventions, as well as live performances.
Equipped with three auditoriums – Berlioz Opera, Pasteur and Einstein – the venue has recently invested in Robe moving lights. In total, 46 x T1 Profiles, 20 x T1 Fresnels, 12 x Esprites and 10 x Fortes were supplied by Texen, a specialist in production technology integration and sales.
The 12 Esprites are permanently installed on the advanced catwalk of the 1995-capacity Berlioz Opera auditorium. They throw light over a distance of approximately 30m to the stage and are used for front and key lighting.
Built in 1990 from pink granite and metal, the venue hosts both entertainment events like concerts, operas, dance performances and one-person shows and professional gatherings such as congresses, conventions and gala dinners. Since opening, it has also served as a regular performance venue for the Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier. Shows staged there are renowned for their high production quality, and the auditorium is acclaimed for its exceptional acoustics.
18 of the T1 Profiles are installed in the Pasteur auditorium (745 seats), while the remaining units are deployed on stage as needed.
Christophe Mora is the lighting manager at The Corum. He has worked there for five years in this position, and before then worked as a freelance lighting technician for 20 years, both in France and internationally. He was hired for his expertise in moving lights and modern lighting systems, with the mission of guiding a smooth transition to LED technology, now mandated by French regulations.
The replacement of older moving lights began in 2020. Christophe carried out this mission with Philippe Pujol, a lighting expert who has been working at The Corum for 20 years and has in-depth knowledge of the venue’s production requirements, configurations and technical practices.
The two most important criteria in selecting these new lights were silent operation – a must for the Berlioz Opera auditorium, which hosts many opera and classical music performances – and colour rendering.
One major challenge in the Berlioz Opera auditorium was introducing these new lights to its many users.
“A lot of people dislike sudden changes,” noted Philippe. “So, we phased them in gradually, taking into account everyone’s needs, from opera technicians to lighting designers and other professionals who are used to specific colour tones and lighting styles.”
The Robe fixtures were delivered in batches by Robe France to Texen. Now fully installed and in use, everyone is delighted, reports Christophe, adding that Robe, as a recognised brand, carries a strong trust factor.
Today, 90% of the lighting in The Corum's auditoriums has transitioned to LED. A few traditional fixtures remain in the Opera Berlioz control room, but they’re scheduled for replacement soon.
“The Corum Congress Centre – Berlioz Opera is one of the most important venues in Montpellier and the region. It’s an exceptional showcase for us – and for Robe,” says Nicolas Bellini, sales director at Texen.
His team worked closely with Jean-Marc Farre, regional sales manager for Robe France (Grand Sud area), who helped finalise the deal and adds: “Texen has been an excellent partner for us – on this project and many others involving Robe. There’s a strong synergy between our two companies.”
