Robe bounces into The Fifth Dimension at brilliant PLASA 2024 Expo
Robe lighting enjoyed a brilliant PLASA 2024 expo in London Olympia, tapping into the hustle and energy of the show which is again a vibrant landmark on the UK production technology industry calendar. Four new products were launched by the Czechia-based manufacturer – the iFORTE Fresnel, the PAINTE Fresnel, the SVOPATT and the SVB1 WashBeam moving light, all attracting plenty of interest as Robe continued the celebration of its 30th year.
Robe also premiered its new live exhibition performance extravaganza, “The Fifth Dimension” complete with three live performers including aerial acrobat and dancer Oskar Skrypko, who caused such a stir at Prolight earlier in the year! Over 200 lighting fixtures – 44 DMX universes and 920 pixels, nearly 1000 cues – were executed in the 9- minute show which was programmed on an Avolites Diamond D9-215 console that ran to timecode.
All of Robe’s businesses – Avolites, LSC, Anolis and Artistic Licence – occupied their own areassurrounding the main Robestand, demonstrating the bi- directional synergies betweenall of these and capitalising on the buzz and positivity of the expo.And topping off another amazing PLASA London for Robe, the incredible iBOLT – also launched this year – winninga coveted PLASA Award for Innovation!
The newly launched SVOPATT fixtures brought some cool looks to The Fifth Dimension from their prominent mid truss positioning, especially when utilising the zoom function on each of the 7 individual LEDs per cell plus its central LED strobe chip. These two elements look equally good as stand- alone effects or blended in multiple combinations. These were joined by 16 new SVB1 fixtures, comprising a single SVOPATT cell on a moving head base, which with some sick and nifty programming, looked hugely impressive! Robe’s T32Cyc units showed their flexibility in tight and challenging-to-access spaces with shallow throw distances, mounted above the printed side panels to the stage, used for key lighting these in close proximity.
In addition to devising the Fifth Dimension show, the creative team designed the stand layout and spaces for all the Robe group of companies and brands, who also attracted their own interest and audiences.
The Avolites booth was stage right in relation to Robe and also enjoyed huge energy with the launch of their D7 console. Avolites MD Paul Wong commented: “This year was probably the best show in recent years for Avolites!
“We presented a strong product line-up on our stand, especially with the new D7 console that showcased the depth, detail and flexibility of our commitment to visual – video & lighting – control. Of course, it was a great opportunity to catch up with all our loyal supporters and meet lots of new ones! We were delighted to see such a very busy stand and be part of the Robe Family of Businesses – which is a testament to how much we’ve progressed in the last 12 months.”
“PLASA was a really positive experience,” said LSC’s founder and managing director, Gary Pritchard. “Being in two high-profile locations allowed us to get the full benefit of the show’s top quality visitor base. The level of interest in our products, and the awareness of their advantages, was very satisfying.”
The UNITY range of power distribution and dimming systems was hugely successful and is an increasingly major consideration for consultants and specifiers of which many visited LSC throughout the show days.
Rounding off a PLASA expo with an Innovation Award is always a high! Robe product specialist Dave Whitehouse collected this at a special ceremony on the second day of the show. He also echoed others in saying that PLASA 2024 was “even more special this year with the entire Robe Group around our stand.”
His show highlights included the launch of the classically shaped SVOPATT, the highly versatile SVB1 WashBeam, and the compact PAINTE Fresnel which is packed with advanced beam control features that lighting designers love.
Dave shared everyone’s enthusiasm – including the Innovation Awards judges – for Robe’s iBOLT. “It is fantastic to see this outstanding product celebrated not only for its cutting-edge effects package but also for its industry-leading safety features. Winning the Award is a remarkable achievement for the entire Robe team!” he concluded.
Photos © Paula Duck, Marko Polasek, Louise Stickland
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