It is a great pleasure and honor when you meet a graceful personality and when chatting with someone who represents a very significant history and tradition of decades in cinema, the professional image and television, professional audio and radio, but also in Theatre. The interview of Ms. Anna Maria Calavitis, Managing Director of Calavitis S.A. in our Technological Web Portal we believe has a lot of interesting points and messages to several recipients.
Text: Andreas Tzanakos
Images: Andreas Tzanakos & Calavitis S.A. Archive
radiotvlink.gr: Having this historic path to the Greek Film Industry, Television and Professional Image, as well as the Pro Audio and Radio, but also of the Theatre, we would like to tell us what are the most significant moments of this successful route and why? What is the secret of longevity of the company and its continued successful development?
Anna Maria Calavitis: First of all, I would like to thank you for the interview and for the opportunity to speak with you besides the Press releases and the new products.
Significant moments in our journey are so many that it is difficult to pick out some without doing injustice to people and situations.
However, there are milestones in our journey which cannot be forgotten like the award from SACHTLER, as the oldest Partners in Europe as well as the same recognition from ARRI.
Another important moment was the decision of Steve (Calavitis) to join the company as Commercial Director for several years and so contributing significantly to its growth.
radiotvlink.gr: What is the philosophy of the company and what its policy with respect to the sale and installation, support and maintenance of the equipment offered in the entire industry? What differentiates it from its competition in Greece and Cyprus and why you think the professionals working in our industry should cooperate with the company?
Anna Maria Calavitis: To resist in time, all buildings must have solid foundations. This fundamental truth is also valid in our case.
Four are the pillars on which we have relied since establishing the company,
Comprehensive services and turnkey solutions. Customer support before and after the sale, strong relations between the team and, most important, the respect of market rules.
The aim of all companies is the customer’s satisfaction. We believe however that our differentiation results from a long-lasting collaboration with the majority of manufacturers which has evolved in a strong friendship, all these years.
We are among the first companies to have established the Technical Support 16x7. Our customers have valued it and they show appreciation at every opportunity.
Regarding the Support, I would like to stress that the company's technical staff continuously monitor developments and follow training programs provided by the manufactures with whom we work.
radiotvlink.gr: Recently announced the establishment of CALPRO company. Because it is likely to occur some misconceptions from such important news and business movement that takes place in a not-so-good period, taking into account the current economic situation in our country, please speak openly about the creation of this company, its goals and aspirations. What new CALPRO has to offer in our industry and what's the relationship with Calavitis S.A.?
Anna Maria Calavitis: CALPRO for us represents the evolution.
The Evolution in the services rendered, with the sole purpose of more direct support to the audiovisual professional market.
Despite the difficulty of our times, but also against the market trend to start companies in neighboring countries, we decided to stay local and to take the risk. The newly formed company will provide a wider range of innovative products and services. Among the immediate targets, it is to form a group of renowned professionals working with young innovators to provide advice and studies on new technologies. It will also to set up a reseller network for products distributed by both companies.
We are optimistic and we believe that CALPRO will soon establish itself in the market and will play an important role in the development of the domestic audiovisual industry.
radiotvlink.gr: Can you mention some significant projects in all sectors of our industry, in which your company played an important role?
Anna Maria Calavitis: For us all jobs are important and all clients are treated as unique like the projects they entrust us.
However, some of them stand out because of their peculiarity but also for their duration in time, which proves that the products we offer are of high quality and represent a valid and true investment.
Just to mention few : the sole Greek OB VAN of OBS built for the 2004 Olympic Games, the Studio D of the National Television ERT, the Studio facilities of the STAR CHANNEL, the Athens Concert Hall etc.
radiotvlink.gr: Technological developments in both image and audio are many and some of them particularly important. How your company respond to them, covering the current and future needs of its customers? Please refer also to the human resources of your company.
Anna Maria Calavitis: The greatest strength of CALAVITIS is its Human Resources.
Even under extremely difficult circumstances, and the many obstacles in our way, we continue to invest in our people.
The result of each employees' experience as well as the continuous training and specialization is, in the end, what the customer receives.
Also I would like to stress that all the challenges are faced by a team working with a system, dedication and experience
Another important factor is, of course, the network of "friends" we have acquired abroad over the years, who always support us and contribute significantly to the development of the company.
radiotvlink.gr: What are the expectations and the future goals of Calavitis S.A.? What are your prognosis about the future of all sectors of our industry? We would like to know your opinion about our Technological Web Portal.
Anna Maria Calavitis: The main target is now to continue offering high quality products and services. With the times changing it is important for us to be flexible and to face the challenges. It is a fact that, due to the global economic situation but also due to the technological achievements, different fields have merged.
A typical example is the notion Cinematic Broadcasting of ARRI which is growing in Northern Europe and which is basically the coexistence of the Motion Picture with the Broadcast.
Products considered up to now purely cinematographic, today are used also for television productions as well as for news and talk shows in the studio.
Similarly, in post production, where in the past very expensive equipment were needed such as Quantel, company we represented in Greece, today better results can be achieved with a powerful laptop.
Consequently, many professionals of the Industry, taking advantage of the technology, are able to produce very fine works by channeling their creativity to the result and not the medium.
Summarizing all the above, we consider very important the presence of the technological portal www.radiotvlink.gr because it offers a continuous and immediate information to a wide range of people involved with the production of audio-visual works.
The long existence of the gateway has also given us the possibility of addressing to the professionals and informing them daily about our new products and services.
Taking this opportunity and on behalf of the CALAVITIS Team, I would like to thank you for what you have offered all these years and you continue to offer to our market.
radiotvlink.gr: We wish for Calavitis S.A. to continue the successful path for many more years, at the same high level, serving all of our industry. Warm wishes for the course of the new company CALPRO and we hope to have the opportunity in the near future to speak with its Managing Director.
Anna Maria Calavitis: Thank you very much for your wishes. Our hope and expectation is a long lasting and upward course of our companies and their people who are the guarantee of success for the future.
Info: www.calavitis.gr
