05 October 2012
PLASA 2012, the popular trade exhibition for sound, lighting projection and staging, was one again held in London during September and enjoyed by delegates across the globe. We asked a few South Africans who attended for feedback on the event.
Brandon Bunyon from Black Coffee:
What was a highlight of PLASA this year?
Olympic backstage technical seminar – And Jubilee lighting seminar. Very informative and inspiring.
Any product that really stood out for you?
Avolites AI
How do you think technology is moving forward in the future in regards to lighting?
I saw technology in lighting slowing down as far as new Moving lights go. Obviously LED technology is making everything brighter, lighter and faster, and more ECO friendly requiring less power. With LED, I see lighting moving more in the direction of AV media.
Dillon Jearey from Kilowatt AV:
I really enjoyed myself and it was great to learn that what we are doing here at the tip of Africa is on par with the international market, if not better. Robert Izzett and Nick Barnes from DWR were awesome and really took great care of us. I will definitely be back next year!
What was a highlight of PLASA this year?
The educationals offered by PLASA were fantastic and I really enjoyed them, however the Knight of Illumination Dinner was probably the best part for me.
Any product that really stood out for you?
The ClayPaky K5 Led Wash. I think that the versatility of this light is fantastic. I love the company passion and I would love to see more ClayPaky gear in our warehouse.
How do you think technology is moving forward in the future in regards to lighting?
I think that is becoming more and more clear that lighting and video need to be much more integrated to create better, bigger and more creative shows. Companies like Avolites and MA Lighting who are realising this now and creating products for the market that allow these two aspects of shows to work more creatively and better together will dominate the future of gear sales.
Nick Barnes from DWR Distribution – Durban
What was a highlight of PLASA this year?
To be honest just going to PLASA and being in London was a highlight to me but with regards to the actual expo itself was meeting all our suppliers and realising the great relationships we have with all of them. The way we were greeted and looked after was well and truly rewarding.
Any product that really stood out for you?
I think for me the AI media stood out for me as it has such potential and has an amazing team behind it. Other products that stood out to me was a company called Swisson AG who had a very nice range of kit that would be useful.
How do you think technology is moving forward in the future in regards to lighting?
I think from a lighting point of view the world of LED is going rapidly, all brands had LED fixtures and some of them quite impressive. SGM had a strobe that is going to give some big competition to the leading brands, where Robe new LED profiles and washes no one could even get close to. ClayPaky had a very cool demo of their Led range but all the things we’ve seen before. Phillips have also brought out a wide range of theatre friendly LED products that I think will be a good for us to market. All in all I think we’ll see some major changes to the industry with the new tech coming out.
Philip Kruger from Philip Kruger Consulting
(Above) Philip Kruger with his lovely wife Gerda, who also attended.
What was a highlight of PLASA this year?
Meeting Richard Pilbrow and being able to have a nice chat to him. As usual PLASA was a great place to meet old friends and make new contacts.
Any product that really stood out for you?
D3 Technologies’ Designer software and servers, well thought out and very usable video projection system was the star for me. There were quite a few other products that also stood out: MA Lighting’s PC Fader Wing was another really interesting product. Green Hippo’s V3 software also came in a close second place – they are certainly getting it right.
How do you think technology is moving forward in the future in regards to lighting?
LEDs and more LEDs with everyone looking for the holy grail, an LED based Fresnel, apart from that it in respect of intelligent lighting it is a race to provide brighter, greener fixtures with more features. Control consoles are maturing and settling down with everyone concentrating on the user interface and getting that right. I think we will see a lot more integration between lighting and video in the near future.
Robert Izzett from DWR Distribution – Johannesburg
What was a highlight of PLASA this year?
The Seminar on the Olympic Opening/Closing Ceremony was very interesting!!
But I think seeing all the New products was the highlight. There were sooo many from all the manufacturers!!
Any product that really stood out for you?
Robe’s new Robin MMX Wash Beam was very interesting! Something different from the norm. The other product I really liked was the Elidy from Chromlech. It was awesome!
How do you think technology is moving forward in the future in regards to lighting?
LED is developing nicely. Most manufacturers have the LED wash light sorted! And now they are trying to do the Profiles. There are some very impressive LED Profiles in both moving lights and Generics. I think in the next couple of years they will out perform conventional profiles.
