South African-based DWR Distribution recently participated in the MA Distributor Technical Training Week, held in Paderborn, Germany, from March 12–14. The event offered valuable insights to bring back home, and a big thank you goes to MA for their warm hospitality, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Beyond the training, it was also an excellent opportunity to connect with global delegates and strengthen ties within the MA community.
Jaques Pretorius and Jannie de Jager, who handle technical support at DWR, immersed themselves in the advanced features of the grandMA3 system and software version 2.2. Topics covered included network and session behaviour, multi-user programming, fixture types, tracking and timing in sequences, programming workflows, and technical sales—including market analysis. Luke Chikkala presented training on grandMA3, while Guido Hupperich presented the Luminex and system training.
“The trip was fantastic, and a huge thank you to Duncan Riley, Bruce Riley, and Robert Izzett from DWR for giving us this opportunity,” said Jaques Pretorius, who also heads up training at DWR. “The training was held in a great location and attended by delegates from all over the world—from Iceland to Greece. We explored the MA roadmap, examined the latest software and hardware updates, and picked up some great tips for the consoles. My biggest takeaway is that DWR is well-positioned to help take South African MA users to the next level.”
It marked Jannie de Jager’s third visit to Germany for MA training. “This year the focus was on distributor technical training, whereas my previous visits were more sales-oriented,” he explained. “While we did cover market-related topics, what stood out to me was the MA roadmap—where they’re headed and what improvements are being made to the software. It was exciting to see the advancements in hardware and software, and MA fans will be happy to know there’s something exciting in the pipeline—watch this space!”
Advanced topics like workflow, command line, macros, and XYZ programming were covered and there was a focus on network-based training, which tied in with Luminex. It was eye-opening to see how exceptionally well MA and Luminex integrate and complement each other and these sessions were especially valuable to delegates.
“We had a great time, and MA looked after us so well,” said Jannie. “Now, our primary goal is to share this knowledge with our clients—helping them enhance their technical setups for shows, with a strong focus on system stability and redundancy.”
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