Strength and innovation at busiest PLASA Show in years
EN ’ s Joe Gallop visited the PLASA Show to check out the latest technology in live events , during the trade show ’ s busiest edition in years
PLASA Show , London ’ s international event for entertainment technology , opened its doors at Olympia London to celebrate the live industry ’ s “ strength and innovation ” following the pandemic .
Thousands of professionals from across the sector attended the show from 4-6 September , with more than 200 global brands in Olympia ’ s Grand Hall representing audio , lighting , audiovisual , rigging and staging technologies .
PLASA managing director Peter Heath said the excitement for this year ’ s show was “ undeniable ” on the back of a busy live outdoor event season . Following a gruelling couple of years for the industry , the show saw an impressive 41 % increase in visitors .
Heath said : “ Not only did we accommodate several more brands than anticipated , the number of visitors through the door exceeded all expectations . As I walked around the show , there was a real sense of community and appreciation for our fantastic industry .”
High-quality demographic Visitor seniority at the show was high , with 80 % in positions with purchasing
“ We knew expectations were high but the feedback is above and beyond what we hoped for .”
power . Business owners , directors and chairs were the single biggest visitor group ( 20 %), followed by technicians , programmers , and lighting designers working across venues , rental , and production .
A conference programme ran alongside the show floor , with backto-back sessions in three seminar theatres . Programme highlights included designing Ed Sheeran ’ s world tour , a session on mental health with Music Support , powering the Commonwealth Games and live events in the metaverse . A new feature for this year was the Vintage Audio Display , featuring the exact PA system used for Pink Floyd ’ s ‘ Live in Pompeii ’ concert .
Becky Stanton , marketing and systems manager for Prolight Concepts , said the show felt like one of the busiest to date : “ It ’ s amazing to think how heavily Covid affected the industry , but that many businesses in the sector have come through the other side and are now back better than ever .”
Alongside the show ’ s Innovation Awards which celebrated the most impressive products from the past year , a raft of new products made their trade show debuts - many of which were officially launched at the show . Around every corner of the show floor were spectacular product showcases that kept attendees engaged and intrigued .
PLASA head of events Sophie Atkinson said : “ Not only has the floor plan and programme grown in size since last year , there is a genuine sense of excitement throughout the industry that live events and entertainment are back – and more ambitious than ever . This truly is the year to see what ’ s new and expand your industry contacts .
“ Building up from our come-back 2021 show , we knew expectations were high for 2022 . But the feedback is above and beyond what we hoped for .” EN
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