SINGAPORE: Twenty years on from its founding in 2006, Singapore-based EXPO AV Pte Ltd has marked a significant milestone by formalising a strategic partnership with Martin Audio, a move aimed squarely at strengthening the brand’s presence and perception across Southeast Asia. While the announcement may be new, the relationship itself is anything but, having been built steadily over nearly two decades of consistent investment, trust and shared philosophy.

EXPO AV’s association with Martin Audio dates back to just a year after the company’s inception, when the company’s Founder Gerard Rodrigues made his first purchase of W8LM and W3 systems. Reflecting on those early decisions, Rodrigues notes that they “all sounded awesome”, setting the tone for what would become a long-term alignment with the brand. Subsequent investments followed, most notably MLA, which he describes unequivocally as “a gamechanger”, reinforcing Martin Audio’s position as a cornerstone within EXPO AV’s evolving inventory.

From the outset, EXPO AV’s ambition was to grow into a full-scale production rental and staging company with a clear focus on the MICE segment—Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions. That vision expanded further in 2008 with the launch of DK Studios, a dedicated arm specialising in design and content production, adding another layer to the company’s integrated offering. Throughout this journey, Martin Audio remained central to EXPO AV’s technical and sonic identity. “We are a strong supporter and believer in the Martin Audio brand and philosophy,” says Rodrigues. “We have always been attracted to the quality of the sound and the Martin Audio tradition, and throughout its history it has always maintained a belief in great-sounding loudspeakers. We run almost the entire Martin Audio family within our inventory — from Wavefront Precision to FlexPoint.”

A key factor underpinning the formalisation of this partnership has been EXPO AV’s long-standing relationship with Dave McKinney, Founder of Generation AV – the Asia Pacific representative for Martin Audio. Rodrigues recalls that discussions around their next major line-array investment began years ago, well after MLA had been deployed. “Dave and I got together a few years ago and were already speaking about our next line-array purchase, after MLA. The trust and relationship were great and so it made the decision much easier,” he explains.

That trust culminated in EXPO AV’s largest Martin Audio investment to date, placed late last year. As preferred AV partners to venues such as Singapore Expo, D’Marquee @ NTUC Downtown East and another major new venue yet to be revealed, the company committed to a substantial system expansion led by a 36-box WPC system. The order also included multiple SHX218, SX218 and SXH118 (flown) subwoofers, eight XE300 stage monitors, and a comprehensive selection of larger FlexPoint models comprising FP6, FP8 and FP12. For Rodrigues, the decision was straightforward. “Making the WPC purchase was almost a no-brainer,” he admits. “The Wavefront series always delivered best-in-class audio quality and once Dave and his team went through all the details it made our decision to purchase WPC much easier.”

Operationally, the return on investment was immediate. Since delivery, the WPC system has been in near-constant use, covering events across Singapore’s larger venues. The deployment phase also doubled as a listening opportunity for customers and system integrators, an approach that appears to have paid dividends. “It’s been out constantly since we took delivery — covering all events which have taken place in the larger venues here in Singapore. During this time, we invited customers / system integrators to take a listen … and they have loved it,” says Rodrigues.

Beyond system deployment, EXPO AV has begun actively amplifying its Martin Audio narrative through a structured marketing push, though Rodrigues stresses this is still at an early stage. A dedicated in-house marketing team manages multiple social media platforms, while fortnightly product showcases are organised to engage customers, potential clients and regional partners. The company has also invested in advanced photographic equipment to document equipment and live shows, with all content shared with Generation AV and Martin Audio through tagged posts, reinforcing visibility across the region.

Support from both Martin Audio and Generation AV has also played a crucial role, particularly in ensuring systems are deployed to their full potential. Rodrigues highlights the effectiveness of this collaboration, citing strong backing in areas such as the practical application of DISPLAY prediction software.

Looking ahead, Rodrigues is confident that the breadth and depth of Martin Audio systems within EXPO AV’s inventory will continue to strengthen the company’s standing in the market. “Many sound engineers that we work with have only good things to say about the system and we are starting to see an upward trend of new users adopting the brand — not because of heavy marketing, but for the quality it produces. Our customers are happy with the brand, and therefore so are we.”