PLASA Focus: Leeds 2014 will throw open the doors of Leeds’ Royal Armouries Museum today welcoming more than 150 exhibitors and a raft of expectant visitors. On Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April, the picturesque, canal-side setting of Clarence Docks will be transformed into an entertainment technology showcase. The industry will be out in force, making the show a must-attend event for lighting, audio, video and rigging professionals, both in the north of England and beyond.
PLASA Focus: Leeds 2014 offers unparalleled access to the 150 companies on show and to its Professional Development Programme, which comprises free-to-attend seminars delivered by expert speakers. The show, which is celebrating its sixth birthday, has become known for its friendly, upbeat atmosphere and for its growing importance as a platform for new product launches and UK debuts. Here’s a round-up of the latest pre-show news:
Chauvet Professional | Stand N-B12
Platinum Sponsor Chauvet Professional is supporting the show for the third consecutive year. The company will be showcasing the UK debut of the Chauvet Professional Rogue series, as well the latest additions to the Chauvet Professional Nexus series of LED video panels. Michael Brooksbank, Chauvet Europe General Manager, comments: “We’re honoured to once again be the Platinum Sponsor of PLASA Focus. For Chauvet, the event is an important and refreshing date in the calendar – the format makes it an invaluable opportunity for networking and real conversations.”
Martin Professional | Stand N-E16
Gold Sponsor Martin Professional will be exhibiting some very exciting new and current fixtures, including the MAC Quantum Wash, plus a new addition to the Quantum family, making its UK debut, the MAC Quantum Profile. The company will also showcase products from its RUSH line of cost-effective effect lights, including the new RUSH MH 5 Profile, RUSH DC 1 Aqua and, back by popular demand, the new and improved RUSH Wizard. The expanded family of VC-Grids and VC strips will also be on show, alongside the Jem Ready 365 and Jem Compact Hazer Pro.
Yamaha | Stand N-B27
Yamaha’s new QL series digital mixing consoles launched at Prolight & Sound last month and will make their UK trade show debut at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2014. The show will be the first opportunity for many UK sound engineers to get ‘hands on’ with the QL consoles, which are already shipping and have been used on their first shows in Europe. Yamaha Commercial Audio’s Sales & Marketing Manager, Karl Christmas, comments: “We are looking forward to giving more sound engineers the hands-on opportunity at PLASA Focus to appreciate why we call it ‘The Quintessential Compact’.’
Electro-Voice/Dynacord | Stand N-A01
Electro-Voice and Dynacord will be presenting the latest additions to their world-class portfolios of loudspeakers, amplifiers, digital sound processing and mixing consoles. Among the products making their PLASA premiere will be the Electro-Voice ETX powered loudspeaker series as well as the AXM 12A monitor and PM502 mixer from Dynacord.
Pioneer | Stand R-B18
Pioneer is set to showcase its impressive range of professional audio speakers at this year’s PLASA Focus: Leeds. Since launching last summer, word has been spreading about the new range of speakers from Pioneer, which have been designed specifically for nightclubs. The XY Series will be demonstrated on the stand, where experts will be on hand to talk through what makes the range, along with the GS-WAVE Series, such exciting prospects. The systems are currently installed in various Ibiza clubs, including Booom!, Pikes, KM5 and the Ushuaia Tower.
ETC | Stand N-C06
ETC will feature its Source Four LED Series 2 luminaire, ETC Source Four Mini LED fixtures and ETC Nomad lighting control, along with SmartPack ThruPower products. The Source Four LED Series 2 fixture was first seen in public at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, where it got a great reception. The Source Four Mini LED is now available in addition to the tungsten version of the Source Four Mini and provides greater energy efficiency. The SmartPack power control line has recently expanded to include installation racks with ThruPower capability, while ETC Nomad gives users lighting control capabilities from the comfort of their own computers.
Avolites | Stand R-B10
Avolites will be exhibiting the Sapphire Touch and new Wing, offering an additional 30 motorised faders and a third hi-res touch screen. The entire Titan range, two Titan Network Processor systems and the Tiger Touch II with wireless remote will also be available for demo and hands-on experience. Avolites’ Titan Mobile Fader Wing – which enables expansion of every Avolites Titan console, giving direct access to extra handy features – makes its UK debut.
Avolites Media | Stand R-A08
Avolites Media will be showcasing Ai’s video mapping capabilities, demoing interactive video controls using RFID, and discussing a number of high profile projects such as the recent Peter Pan theatre production, as profiled on the cover of LSi magazine. From a hardware perspective, Avolites Media will showcase the new S-Series media servers, along with the latest generation in the Infinity line, the Ai Infinity EX series.
Sennheiser UK | Stand R-C15
Wireless conferencing and camouflaged loudspeakers will be Sennheiser UK’s emphasis at this year’s PLASA Focus: Leeds, with Sennheiser’s ADN-W and SpeechLine systems, and K-array’s new Khameleon loudspeaker-wraps all making their first UK appearances. ADN-W is the wireless component of a hybrid solution that enables the combination of wired and wireless components. The Sennheiser SpeechLine portfolio offers easy operation and clear speech intelligibility from unobtrusively designed microphones. And, as the name suggests, Khameleon for K-array is an exciting new way of making the innovative Italian manufacturer’s loudspeakers blend in with their background or surroundings.
