When you think of the illuminations that transform our towns and cities during the festive season, few people can imagine the meticulous and complex work that goes into every twinkling light. Both a strategist and a man of the field, Stéphane Guillet is operations manager, works supervisor and handles part of the commercial activities at Instylum, a company specializing in the installation of festive lighting decorations. Emphasizing the eminently artistic aspect and technical prowess of these festive illuminations, he describes himself as a true “star hanger”. Instylum plays a crucial role in illuminating France’s greatest avenues, including the Champs-Élysées in Paris, with the essential help of Haulotte articulating booms.
Instylum: technical expertise at the service of creativity
Founded in 2016 by Valérie Liccia, Instylum stands out for its specialization in the installation of festive illuminations, accounting for 80% of its sales.
Stéphane Guillet joined the adventure in 2018, becoming project manager, operations manager, and works supervisor all at once.
“We’re a small team of six year-round, but during the busy period from September to March, we call in reinforcements to carry out large-scale projects,” explains Stéphane.
One of Instylum’s biggest projects is undoubtedly the installation of Christmas decorations on the Champs-Élysées, a major worksite carried out for seven consecutive years.
Decorating 400 trees on one of the world’s busiest avenues is a major logistical and technical challenge, made possible by targeted expertise and the use of state-of-the-art equipment such as Haulotte articulating booms.
Champs-Élysées, Paris for the Christmas illuminations (Blachere Illumination, on behalf of the Comité des Champs-Élysées)
The choice of articulating boom: agility and precision at the heart of the installation
Stéphane Guillet stresses the importance of choosing the right equipment for each project, especially when working in an urban environment. “We work a lot with articulating booms on LV (light vehicles) between 18 and 20 meters for street decorations. These machines are very well suited to the urban environment, and for complex projects like the Champs-Élysées: we need nimble platforms,” he explains.
Haulotte articulating booms, and in particular the HA20 RTJ model, are very popular for these jobs.
“On projects in dense urban areas, the articulating boom has to be agile enough to move around without having to come down every time. The HA20 RTJ model, for example, allows the operator to stay aloft and adjust the position precisely to avoid branches and urban obstacles.”
This flexibility is vital when the team has to install decorations while preserving the tree heritage, an aspect the company takes very much to heart.
In addition to precision, Haulotte articulating booms offer a safety advantage. Instylum also employs only CACES® (certificate of aptitude for safe driving) trained operators, “we’ve never had a serious accident in eight years of business, thanks in part to the reliable, well-maintained equipment we use, as well as the pride we place in training our operators. Safety is our priority, both for our operators and for the public around us”, Stéphane emphasizes.
The ecological issue at the heart of illuminations
Beyond technology, environmental preservation is a growing concern for Instylum.
« On the Champs-Élysées and in other major cities, we work closely with the tree care department. It’s crucial not to damage the branches and to respect ecological constraints, » says Stéphane.
This ecological awareness is also reflected in the choice of equipment. Although electric machines are not yet the norm for this type of site, Instylum is interested in new solutions, such as hybrid machines or models equipped with the start-and-stop system, which reduce fuel consumption. « We hope to gradually adopt hybrid or electric machines on projects in the middle, but for the time being, it’s mainly indoors that electric machines are the norm. However, we are constantly on the lookout for innovations to reduce our environmental impact. »
State-of-the-art equipment for exceptional projects
In addition to festive end-of-year illuminations, Instylum also works with artists to bring their creative visions to life. One of their recent projects includes the installation of luminous planets between trees for the Fête des Lumières in Lyon.
« For this project, we used Haulotte HA16 RTJ articulating booms, perfect for working at medium heights with great agility, » explains Stéphane.
These collaborations with artists and lighting designers represent a unique challenge for Instylum. « We have to find solutions to sublimate works that were not necessarily designed to be mounted at height. Our expertise in safe installation enables us to support artists while ensuring that their creation is both beautiful and safe for passers-by. »
Instylum’s success lies not only in its unique expertise and ability to adapt to logistical and environmental challenges, but also in its commitment to sustainable practices by anticipating tomorrow’s trends. Thanks to a passionate team and strong partnerships, such as with Blachère Illumination, Instylum transforms cities into illuminated works of art, where each light tells a story.
Rue de la République – Lyon for the Fête des Lumières (Designer: Pitaya)
Relying on state-of-the-art equipment, such as Haulotte articulating booms, Instylum plays a key role in the realization of these large-scale projects, whether it’s helping the Comité des Champs-Élysées to illuminate the world’s most beautiful avenue or sublimating the artistic creations of one of Lyon’s emblematic festivals. Instylum invites everyone to see these illuminations in a new light: an ephemeral spectacle that combines aesthetics, innovation and responsibility.