50 and not out for PLASA

Originally established as the British Association of Discothèque Equipment Manufacturers (BADEM), PLASA (Professional Lighting and Sound Association) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year at London’s Olympia. Characterised by disco, punk rock, football hooliganism and dirty streets as depicted in TV series such as the Sweeney, 1977 London was a different landscape to today’s regenerated, cosmopolitan multinational city. Following several years in exile at Excel to the east, this very British exhibition continues to flourish in the hinterland of its old Earls Court stomping grounds.

Peter Heath may have stepped down from his role of CEO recently, but he can take credit for charting PLASA 2026 through those difficult COVID years. We Make Events became the rallying cry for the British and global entertainment sector that was largely ignored and left to suffer by governments around the world. Somehow, the industry survived, put competitive streaks aside and drew strength in unity. That spirit remains intact.

Once again, PLASA’s stage was set under the late summer blue skies. Enticed by the increasing selection of lighting, video and audio technology, visitors sacrificed Sunday lunches and a day off in the sunshine to network with industry colleagues. Since those heady Earls Court days some two decades ago, PLASA’s fortunes have fluctuated. The lighting manufacturers and suppliers of lighting equipment continued to support PLASA during those interim years, but the audio part of the show fell silent, and a strong representation of international visitors dropped.

Under the glass canopy, the sunlight mitigated the dazzling effects of those manufacturers outputting lumens from their booths. As ever, Robe stole the show. Alongside its partner businesses, Avolites, Anolis, LSC Control Systems and Artistic Licence, the Czech brand revealed their latest moving light and LED products whilst staging a “Catch World Beyond Reflection” show. Following the launch of Arianne 2 and Arianne 6 earlier this year, the Arianne 4 and Arianne 12 now completes the Arianne multisource LED IP65 series of fixtures.

The return to West London within the majestic old setting of Olympia has drawn an ever-increasing number of live production companies to its floorplan. Professional audio continues to flourish as Adamson, d&b audiotechnik, EM Acoustics, FBT, KV2 Audio, L-Acoustics, Martin Audio, Nexo, PK Sound and RCF demonstrated. Taking it in turns, KV2 Audio once again hosted audio demonstrations of their VHD, ES and EX systems, next door to RCF with the latest TT+ GRTX7c and GTS16C system.

In addition, the Adam Hall Group promoted its LD Systems, Cameo and Defender brand portfolios. In addition to Cameo lighting, the LD Systems portfolio included MAILA, a selection of DQOR and ICOA PA systems including the PRO series that can be managed and controlled via Bluetooth 5.1 or the ICOA PRO app. The continued development of the Questra control and monitoring software aimed at small-to-medium fixed installations continues to gain gravitas.

Audio-Technica, DPA Microphones, Sennheiser and Shure represented the main microphone manufacturing brands on display. From live sound engineers to theatre technicians, all four brands were keen to promote their latest wired, wireless and software releases. A more bespoke selection of Shure technologies could be witnessed on the Leisuretec booth in addition to Allen & Heath, ElectroVoice, Martin Audio, RCF, Roland Pro AV and others including Void Acoustics. By showcasing a boutique offering at this year’s PLASA, these industry heavyweights are providing a minimal presence with a view to increasing their footprint in years to come.

Similarly, the Solotech booth hosted several prime brands including Clear-Com, DiGiCo, Roe Visual and Yamaha. DiGiCo presented its Klang Konductor immersive 3D software and Quantum control surfaces. Heralding from Maidstone in Kent, Glensound is a regular at broadcasting exhibitions such as IBC and Broadcast Asia. However, an increasing number of PLASA visitors are taking stock of its hardware including the dedicated GTM eSports gaming and PLM parliamentary interfaces.

Located on a booth near the entrance, FBT UK’s Mike Roissetter and Mark Parkhouse have been consistent exhibitors at PLASA Focus and London for 12 years. In addition to the other FBT loudspeakers including the Archon, Canto, Shadow, and Vertus Series, the distributor was also highlighting technologies from JTS, NewHank, Neutrik, APEX, Studiomaster, Cobra, Ultimax and StageCore.

“It’s always good to be talking to our friends in the industry here at the show,” confirmed Parkhouse. “The first day of the show is traditionally quieter, but I have been pleasantly surprised by the volume of traffic for the first day.”