PLASA 2013 A Success

This year's PLASA show welcomed over 11,000 visitors to the London ExCeL, for a show that is already being described as a success.
International interest was high this year, with more than 2,200 visitors from 84 countries.
Chris Toulmin, Head of Events, PLASA London 2013, said: "The response we've received to PLASA London 2013 has been overwhelmingly positive, both from visitors and exhibitors. They have embraced the new venue and also enjoyed the new features such as the AudioLab Arena, Theatre and Interactive. The PLASA team has worked very hard to get to this point, and while we acknowledge that we have more work to do – in certain areas of the exhibition - we feel it has provided a great starting point for the future development of the show and are excited by the possibilities before us."
James King, Director of Marketing, Martin Audio, said: "We enjoyed a very good show, with anyone that was interested in Pro Audio flocking to our stand. Our competitors missed a trick by not being there this year."
Mick Hannaford, Managing Director, Robe UK, added: "The venue is a massive improvement - the outside space and cafes by the river were paramount to the overall feeling of the show and the customer experience, and visitors also commented on the accessibility and easiness. The show floor looked really good, it was easy to navigate and signage was much more concise, and there was a constant stream of people to the booth. We are really happy and have already rebooked for 2014."
James Leach, European Marketing Manager at Sony Professional Europe, commented: "It's been really good. We've seen a huge number of visitors to the stand and a good mix of people. Our focus has been on how we can offer 'the Sony solution' as a whole – from hand-held cameras, to studio products and with audio thrown into the mix. Visitors have been drawn to visit us due to knowing us as a camera manufacturer, but they have then shown interest in all the add-ons and other solutions we can provide. We've had some good conversations with sound designers, sound engineers and musicians. Our new Anycast product has proven very popular and is an important string to our bow. It's a portable, all-in-one product for live events and has attracted massive interest during the show."
The brand new AudioLab 2013 feature drew nearly 5,000 visitors for demonstrations and shoot-outs of the latest technology, including the first public showcase of Pioneer's new club speakers.
The AudioLab Interactive sessions attracted more than 600 visitors who watched the PLASA team perform live demonstrations, while the AudioLab Theatre welcomed over 1000 visitors to a series of sessions on a wide variety of sound issues, from the cross-over of live sound and broadcast audio to valuable tips on how to sound check.
The Professional Development Programme offered case studies on large-scale events such as Eurovision 2013, Glastonbury's Arcadia Stage and the Super Bowl Half-Time Show. There was also a behind-the-scenes look at the staging of the new production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and a discussion on the 'revolutionary times' of the National Theatre, celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The PLASA Awards for Innovation, sponsored by Lighting & Sound International magazine, congratulated 10 winners for the development of technologies and products that "advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice or taking a key step forward in terms of safety".
Other award ceremonies held during PLASA London 2013 included the Knight of Illumination Awards, celebrating excellence in lighting design, and the inaugural Technical Theatre Awards, rewarding those unsung heroes behind the scenes in technical theatre roles.
The 4th annual Rigging Conference which ran alongside PLASA London 2013 on 7-8 October saw 140 delegates in attendance representing 15 countries. The conference was opened by a key-note delivered by industry expert Robin Elias of Unusual Rigging, and for the first time ever the event covered structures as well as rigging issues.
PLASA London 2014 returns to ExCeL on 5-8 October 2014.
(IT/JP)