PartyBros, a dynamic company founded in 2022 by brothers Emil and Etienne van Heerden, has recently launched its corporate division, EVH Events. Building on their experience in the events industry, EVH focuses on delivering high-end solutions for large-scale and corporate events. The company has invested in an Absen NT3.9W LED screen consisting of 120 panels, Prolyte trussing for structural support, and ADJ Focus Beam and Focus Flex units from DWR Distribution. Theirs is one of those feel-good stories partly fuelled by Covid-19 and a series of unlikely events!
Emil is the older brother, and directly after school, he took a gap year. Then COVID hit. “We went on another gap year together—Etienne’s first and my second—and travelled to Nepal for three months,” says Emil. “When we came back, we considered studying, but everything was online, so we didn’t see the point of studying from home.”
Both their father (and mentor) and grandfather are entrepreneurs. “My dad asked me if I wanted to work with him,” says Etienne. “So I worked there for about two weeks. Then one of my friends turned 18. We went to his house party, and the music was really bad. That’s when my friends asked if they could borrow my dad’s JBL PartyBox 310 speaker. And that’s when I thought—why don’t we see if there’s a gap in the market for renting out gear for parties? And that’s how it all started.”
That was February 2022, and PartyBros has been growing ever since. What began as a dry hire company filling a gap at parties and weddings has evolved into a comprehensive event solutions provider, EVH Events. The brothers started collaborating with other suppliers working on larger setups. They offer solutions for corporate events, product launches, conferences, exhibitions, festivals, sports events, concerts, weddings, and private parties. In a short space of time, they’ve built a company founded on trust, hard work, and professional service.
Their new investment to meet visual requirements at events includes Absen NT3.9W LED series with a Prolyte support structure—for indoor and outdoor stages. It also includes ADJ Focus Beam LED fixtures (80W LED moving heads with sharp 2.5° beams, motorized focus, two prims wheels and a built-in frost filter for wash effects.)
Someone who has influenced this journey is Pierre Griffioen, owner of technical supply company Pure Event Gear. Earlier this year, he encouraged the brothers—at the last minute—to attend ISE in Barcelona, which turned out to be a pivotal moment.
That’s where Duncan Riley of DWR met them for the first time. “We were introduced to Etienne and Emil by Pierre at ISE. They already had an idea of what the industry is all about, but ISE opened their minds. Pierre has been an incredible guide, helping them with set ups and quotes. That kind of mentorship is rare.
“There are very few people who start a business from the ground up and for me, it’s inspiring to see them grow. We need the younger generation to start taking over and it’s good to see passionate people wanting to do what we do. It’s also wonderful to see leaders like Pierre not wanting to keep all the business for himself but willing to grow other people and sharing knowledge. I think that’s really cool. Emil and Etienne have taken off and I think they’re in mid-flight, so now it’s all about the long haul. I look forward to many years growing with them. It’s going to be fun.”
Their father is proud. “He’s very excited because he knows we already have a client base—now it’s just about executing,” the brothers conclude.