16/01/2009

At the start of the year, Trends Tendance magazine traditionally names the best Belgian managers of the previous year. On the French-speaking side, a champagne magnate won the honour this year, while on the Flemish side, two representatives of an American-style success story picked up the trophy.

After a royal visit, an agreement with a tour operator, the creation of a TV network, and excellent box office results, production company Studio 100 – headed by Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst – enjoyed financial and industrial success in 2008, exceeding €100m in turnover.

The jury of professionals was particularly impressed by this year’s takeover of German company EM Entertainment. This enabled Studio 100 – a specialist in audiovisual entertainment for young audiences – to add legendary characters such as Maya the Bee and Pippi Longstocking to its catalogue of popular heroes.

Studio 100’s commercial approach is characterised by its 100% focus on entertainment: the firm possesses its own studios, as well as amusement parks, a printing works, an audio and video production company, and several licences for associated merchandise.

The company increased its film activity last year. The big screen adaptation of various children’s TV series made Studio 100 the domestic leader in films for young viewers in 2008.

Two of the company’s productions claimed third and fourth position in last year’s box-office rankings for Belgian film: Anubis: Het pad der 7 zonden [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (165,000 admissions) and Samson & Gert: Hotel op Stelten (134,000 admissions). The four films released in 2008 accounted for 382,000 of a total 2m admissions for Flemish film (including 900,000 for Loft [+see also:
trailer
film profile] alone).

Children with "happy faces" (as Bourlon and Verhulst like to say) – who undoubtedly received toys and outfits inspired by their favourite heroes for Christmas – flocked to see the films.

This is not the first time an audiovisual company has scooped the coveted “manager of the year” title. In 2004, Liège-based slow motion specialist EVS won the honour on the French-speaking side.

(Translated from French)