The hidden backbone of unforgettable shows

Janne Suokas

Editor, Tulus

From the Eurovision Song Contest stages to an Adele show in Munich and the booths behind top-tier DJ residencies, Dutch decor builder Unbranded relies on WISA^®-Spruce Special to build the structures behind unforgettable experiences.

When audiences watch a finished show, they see lights, movement, color and emotion. What they rarely see are the structures behind the surface: the frames, platforms and custom-built shapes that make the visual experience possible.

That is where Unbranded makes the difference.

Based in Hilversum, the media capital of the Netherlands, Unbranded has a 75-year history in building decor for broadcast, live events, and location-based entertainment. Since its early days, the company has grown into an international partner across broadcast, live entertainment, esports and award events. Recent projects include stage sets for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Laureus Sports Awards in Madrid, an Adele show in Munich, and major DJ residencies in Mallorca and Ibiza.

“We build creative things that have never been built before. Someone has an idea or a drawing, and we turn it into something real,” says Simon van der Vegt, operations manager at Unbranded. “We build the main stage, but we are not the ones in the spotlight. Every project is custom made.”

Strong, light and consistently reliable

Unbranded’s projects are built in Hilversum, transported to the event location, assembled on site and often dismantled again after the show. This makes the choice of materials highly practical: structures must be strong enough to perform, light enough to handle and consistent enough to support tight production schedules.

For its load-bearing wooden structures, Unbranded mainly uses 18 mm WISA®-Spruce Special plywood – around 3,000 panels a year. Building times range from two to three weeks for smaller TV sets to six or seven weeks for full Eurovision Song Contest stages put together by a small construction team.

“For the wood construction, we mainly use WISA plywood, and we use it a lot. The WISA panels are usually hidden behind painted MDF, high-gloss panels and customized finishes, but their role is essential. They form the backbone of the set,” van der Vegt says.

According to van der Vegt, the company uses WISA-Spruce Special because it combines strength with good workability and consistent quality. This is essential in a fast-moving project business, where unusable panels mean wasted time, material and money.

“WISA-Spruce Special is strong, and you can mill it, saw it and do a lot with it. It is good material and nice to work with. In addition, there isn’t much variation in the material, so we always know what we are getting when a pack is delivered.”

Reliable supply through a local distributor

Unbranded values the reliable availability of WISA-Spruce Special through Houtgroep van Drimmelen, one of UPM Plywood’s distributors in the Netherlands. When several projects are running at the same time, short delivery times and available stock help keep production moving.

“They have enough in stock, and if we call, they can deliver on short notice.”

For Frank Leijendeckers, local sales manager at UPM Plywood, that experience reflects exactly what the distributor model is meant to deliver.

"It takes two to tango," Leijendeckers says. "A perfect product without perfect service does not work. For end users like Unbranded, it comes down to quality and service together, and that is what keeps the relationship working."

Conscious material choices

Sustainability is a growing focus at Unbranded. The company holds EcoVadis Bronze and is working toward Silver, an effort that began with a customer request and has grown into a company-wide commitment.

In live entertainment, reuse is often limited: some TV sets are rebuilt several times a year, but many productions are one-off and too recognizable to use elsewhere. Where projects allow, Unbranded sorts waste and reuses materials.

“We know we are operating in a world where many materials quickly end up in the trash, so we consciously consider what we purchase,” van der Vegt says.

WISA-Spruce Special supports that thinking: it is made from sustainably sourced, FSC™- (FSC C009856) and PEFC- (PEFC/02-31-112) certified wood and is backed by Environmental Product Declarations.

“We choose to use materials from companies that can show these things.”

Case in brief

Customer: Unbranded, the Netherlands

Industry: Custom decor and set construction for location-based entertainment, live events, and broadcast

WISA product: 18 mm WISA®-Spruce Special plywood

Application: Load-bearing structures for custom-built sets and stages

Customer need: A reliable structural panel that performs in load-bearing applications, is easy to transport and supports tight production schedules

Key benefits: Strength-to-weight ratio, consistent quality from one delivery to the next, easy to mill and saw, dependable supply through a local distributor, responsibly sourced and EPD-backed

Result: Helps Unbranded turn creative ideas into reliable structures behind some of the world’s most visible live experiences.

Main photo: Ralph Larmann

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