GDC Europe - Local people, local support

When people think of GDC Technology the first thing that often comes to mind is ‘server company’ The next thing that often springs to mind is that GDC is an Asian company. Whilst it is certainly true that GDC was founded in, and has its HQ in Hong Kong, many people are surprised to find out the company has 13 global sales offices and 29 service centres, including a long-established office in Europe with experienced staff members representing the business located in the Spain, UK, and France.

Spain Presence

As the name suggests, GDC Europe is just that – a European business! The European operation is located in Barcelona, where there has been a GDC presence for over 12 years. In 2022, we moved the office to a fantastic new space; the GDC European team manages all of the inventory for Europe from Spain and is well stocked with products and spare parts, meaning we can always react fast when needed for sales and support.

GDC Digital Cinema Technology Europe, SL
Address: Carrer de Vallirana, 63 bajos izq, 08006 Barcelona, Spain

The office is managed by Sales and Office Manager, Cristina Vázquez, who has been with the company since its first entry into Europe back in 2012. “We have seen really amazing growth in the business since the very early days,” says Vázquez, “but we are still amazed that so many people did not realise how well-established we are and that we have such a strong business operation here in Europe!” Vázquez is supported by a team in Spain that includes Logistics Coordinator, Eva Monleón; Sales and Office Administration, Karina Lutter; and part-time Sales Admin, Manuel Vázquez.

Cristina Vázquez, Sales and Office Manager based in Spain

UK and France Presence

GDC Europe also has two full-time team members based in the UK as well as a consultant based in France.

European Service engineer, Kokoro Tong, who has a long history with GDC stretching back to 2007 is based in London. Kokoro is familiar with all GDC products and is always on hand to work with partners and to support GDC customers in the UK and Europe. Be that on the phone, video call, in-person and at site, Kokoro is always around to make sure that GDC customers have the support and information they need to get the best out of their equipment.

Also located in the UK is European Sales Manager, Adam MacDonald, a cinema industry veteran who has worked for some high-profile cinema technology companies including MasterImage 3D and Sony Digital Cinema. “I have always worked for companies that truly offer the very best-in-class technology and support for customers,” says MacDonald, “Being the best has not always meant having the most common brand or well-known technology, but GDC are really at the front of the queue in terms of product development, range of products and also the quality of what we offer. Take the latest solutions in audio. No other cinema technology company is creating so many options for cinema owners in terms of audio solutions, and GDC, in partnership with leading audio company DTS, are now bringing affordable and high-quality solutions to market, including full immersive audio with DTS:X for IAB and also most recently DTS Surround, allowing cinemas to have the very best 7.1 offer for their customers whilst knowing they can rely on GDC and DTS for support and quality”

Adam MacDonald, European Sales Manager based in the UK

Kokoro Tong, European Service Engineer based in the UK

Supporting the business for the French market is Loran Abadie, Sales Manager France. Loran is a cinema industry expert and specialist, with decades of experience that combines an in-depth understanding of the global entertainment business, including technology, business management, and development of the new markets. Loran spent 20 years with the leading French cinema chain, CGR Cinemas, first as a manager then as COO and finally as Deputy CEO. Known more recently as a RealD consultant and country manager for France.

Loran Abadie, Sales Manager France

Building EU Presence: Senior Management and Global Support from India

Sachin Shetty, the Executive Director of GDC Digital Cinema Technology Europe, SL, is based in India and plays a crucial role in overseeing the EMEA and South Asia regions. “The past couple of years has been an exciting period for GDC in Europe. The introduction of a wide array of audio products from our R&D including the in-built audio processor on our SR-1000 server and several audio accessories have caught the attention of the exhibition community. Additionally, the Cinema Automation CA2.0 along with streaming on our servers, which is an industry first, have simplified cinema operations for several chains in Europe. Our customer-first approach and consistent efforts to provide high levels of service have helped us understand our clients and serve them better.” Sachin says.

GDC Technology’s global technical service operations are based in India, strategically positioned in terms of geography and time zones to cater to customers worldwide including the European region. The global technical service team is led by Reksten Aranha, Head – Global Technical Services, who has over 20 years of experience in the cinema industry, having worked for both exhibitors and technology providers. He and his team are quick to understand the challenges that customers face and provide the best solutions possible. His teammate Basavaraj Gandudi, Assistant Manager of Technical Services for South Asia and EMEA, handles instant message, email, and phone inquiries to provide remote support to the local sales team and customers. Additionally, Tushar Shetty, the Product Trainer, conducts webinars and training sessions regularly for customers. Whilst ‘in-person’ and ‘on-site’ trainings are welcome, the ability to deliver comprehensive training via webinars means GDC can fit around the busy schedules of our partners and deliver tailored training for their needs. “Their team in India delivers excellent online, phone, and social messaging platform support to customers in the UK and Europe. Their availability and responsiveness have earned them the reputation of being “always on hand” when needed.” MacDonald says.