PLASA Show has announced an 28% increase in visitors for its 2023 event, alongside a boost in floor space, and has been praised by exhibitors and attendees.
PLASA’s headline sponsors wowed visitors with live demonstrations, complete with circus performers, and also launched three products: the FORTE Fresnel PC, iFORTE LTX, and FOOTSIE – with the latter two scooping a PLASA Award for Innovation.
“The vibrant atmosphere of PLASA Show delivered three exhilarating days of high calibre visitors from a wide cross section of the industry, said Theresa Gibson, head of marketing for headline sponsor Robe. “We were proud to return as headline sponsor and continue our long-standing relationship with PLASA, which saw an increase in visitors from the UK and Europe, whilst also attracting customers and distributors from as far afield as South America and Southeast Asia. PLASA Show always delivers lots of magic, excitement and energy with the best of our industry all under one roof and 2023 was no exception!”
The event’s packed programme featured several standing-room-only sessions. Lighting designer Tim Routledge delivered two presentations on Eurovision 2023 – both of which were “extraordinarily popular” according to the organisers. “It was a real thrill to see the huge interest in what we had created at Eurovision, and great to see PLASA attracting such a huge crowd,” remarked Routledge. Visitors also flocked to presentations on the Olympics with Durham Marenghi, and the Coronation Concert with NorthHouse Creative and SKYMAGIC.
PLASA included several free-to-attend training sessions and demonstrations. Audinate ran fully booked certified training sessions in Dante AV Level 1, 2 and 3. Elsewhere ChamSys ran back-to-back hands-on sessions, allowing attendees to get to grips with their MagicQ and QuickQ software and consoles. And following their PLASA Innovation Award win last year, Minuit Une showcased their dazzling IVL Photon luminaire.
According to the organisers, PLASA Show 2023 mirrored the upward trajectory of the live sector. Stephen Button, UK and Nordic trade marketing manager for Pro Audio for Sennheiser Professional Audio & Neumann, commented: “I thought it would be hard to top, but 2023 was even better than the 2022 PLASA Show for us. We had a great response from the many visitors who came by the stand. Lots of potential customers and partners which we look forward to continuing to build relationships with.”
Last word to Lee House, operations director for Ambersphere Solutions, who concluded: “I was struck by a sense of nostalgia and excitement— PLASA Show has made a triumphant return! The hall was bustling with a diverse array of exhibitors and, most importantly, visitors who were eager to engage in meaningful conversations about their technological needs for the present and future. It was a jam-packed, unforgettable three days that left us eagerly anticipating what next year will bring.”
PLASA Show will return to Olympia London from 1-3 September 2024.
