ONCE UPON A TIME...
... there was a small shop in Antwerp. Not just any small shop, THE smallest shop with the greatest service!
B-Light. A household name in Antwerp for everything light & sound. Just about every club in Antwerp was a customer, and even far beyond the city, people called on B-Light for the perfect light and sound experience.
And it was in this little shop that a young but hugely passionate 17-year-old DJ named Laurent Wery was hired as a salesperson and installer.
Windows blown to pieces by the sound pressure inside, smoke machines that brought the fire department to the street time and time again. Barely 15 square meters, but one small, rebellious shop!
"We shared the same passion for gear and entertainment, and it was clear it was only a matter of time before we would all grow into a tight-knit team. The mid-nineties were also an absolute peak for nightlife in all its facets, and I was right in the middle of it. It gave me a unique inside look at how it all worked. And the technological progress was unprecedented. Every year brought a new innovation that was truly groundbreaking. What a time!"
But when DJ Laurent Wery was setting dance floors on fire 6 out of 7 nights, almost every single week, it was clear he had to go full-time in 2000.
Of course, his love for "sound & light" never disappeared during his DJ career (Laurent was right in the middle of it) and after a jam-packed period with the international hit "Hey Hey Hey (Pop Another Bottle)" and subsequent performances at the biggest festivals at home and abroad, "Pro Gear" was finally born in 2012.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...
2012
Pro Gear started out as a small webshop via eBay with a range of cables. Cables that were in high demand in nightlife, but very hard to find. So from day one, customers were 100% front and center.
2017
In 2017, the range was expanded with a tiny warehouse holding some light & sound equipment, because there was clearly a demand for a reliable partner and Laurent was perfectly positioned to meet it. His extensive network built over a long DJ career, combined with real expertise, outstanding service, and sharp prices meant that the nightlife scene quickly found its way to Laurent, and thus to Pro Gear.
‘For me, Pro Gear was actually a story coming to an end in 2016: eBay was completely over. But 2017 brought fresh momentum. Together with Tom (the first employee), we started brainstorming about what Pro Gear should become. Namely: offering top service, fair pricing, and quality equipment, all in an experience-driven environment. Backed by a few manufacturers, we went all in, and every day was a day full of surprises.’
A TOUCH OF EXPERIENCE...
2020
The worldwide lockdown obviously had consequences for a nightlife supplier like Pro Gear, but thanks to a forward-looking vision, the webshop was further expanded during this period and the Tomorrowland DJ & Experience Store was born: a pop-up experience store in collaboration with the famous Tomorrowland, packed with DJ gear to try out and, of course, TML merchandise.
Originally, the Tomorrowland DJ & Experience Store was a temporary pop-up, but given the success of this experience store, it was allowed to stay in the Tomorrowland buildings until 2024. In 2024, however, Tomorrowland moved, so it was decided to close this pop-up store.
2022
Meanwhile, the team was expanded with a wide range of profiles, from lighting experts to DJs to marketing, allowing projects to be delivered more smoothly, turning Pro Gear into a household name online as well, and making it possible to expand the service even further.
PRO GEAR EXPERIENCE STORE...
2024
Due to the limited space in the experience store in Antwerp and the need for more stock room, Pro Gear opened a full-fledged experience store in Sint-Niklaas in 2024, with 60.000 watts of sound, the best in DJ gear, and more than 100 lighting effects and moving heads. Two floors of demo equipment to immerse every visitor in sound & light and let them make the perfect choice based on their own experience.
WHAT'S NEXT?
At Pro Gear, we are always looking for the best solutions for our customers. New & better products, faster & reliable delivery, an even more extensive yet easily searchable webshop,... There is always room for improvement, and that is exactly how we like it!
"With our team of 7 colleagues, we take on every challenge day after day and always try to help everyone as best we can. It has become our mission to listen to our customers’ wishes, then offer the best solution and go all in on it."