Celebrating its “best show for many years”, PLASA Show once again took residence in the Grand Hall of Olympia London from 1-3 September, demonstrating continuous growth – with 10% more floor space and a steady 5% increase in visitors.
Miles Hillyard, Business Development Manager at PRG, says, “We are thrilled to announce the resounding success of this year’s event, where we were delighted by the incredible turnout and the palpable excitement in the room. The overwhelming response from attendees truly highlighted the strength and vibrancy of our community.”
Graham Hill, Business Development Manager at Elation, says, “PLASA Show continues to gain momentum and for us, the show was consistently busy throughout, with an excellent quality of customer.”
Reaching a pre-pandemic atmosphere, the show floor vibe was electric. Despite the unexpected heatwave, Sunday’s attendee numbers saw a +9.5% increase compared to 2023, and day two’s footfall exceeded 2019 figures.
The show floor hosted a healthy cross-section of industry visitors, from entry-level to C-Suite, welcoming 15% more students compared to 2023, while 79% of attendees declared having influential purchasing power. Key job roles included directors, CEOs, technicians and programmers, followed closely by engineers, lighting designers, technical directors and project managers. Over a third of attendees work across concert touring, theatre, and live events, with sectors like corporate AV and events, broadcast and film also being generously represented.
To navigate the larger show floor, visitors were invited to download the new PLASA Show app, which stand-out feature was an interactive map, directing visitors to exhibitors and sessions with ease.
Stephen Button, UK and Nordic Trade Marketing Manager for Pro Audio at Sennheiser Professional and Neumann, says, “PLASA Show continues to be a critical event in our calendar, offering invaluable exposure and the chance to demonstrate our commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound.”
Charlie Henden, Marketing Manager for Leisuretec, says, “The steady flow of visitors to our stand provided a number of opportunities to demonstrate our solutions and engage in meaningful conversations. The high level of interest in our offerings led to many promising leads, reinforcing our belief in the value of participating in the show.”
Visitors got first glimpse of new products, soon to be rolled out across the industry.
PLASA Show’s headline sponsor, Robe, wowed visitors with live demonstrations, complete with acrobatic performers and utilised the show’s powerful platform to launch four products: the iForte Fresnel, the Painte Fresnel, the SVOPATT and the SVB1 – with recent release – iBolt scooping a PLASA Award for Innovation.
Robe, comments: “It was an honour to headline sponsor PLASA Show again for 2024! We were proud to debut brand-new Robe products, demonstrate our spectacular main show ‘The Fifth Dimension’, and interact with new and old faces from all across the world. The team are excited to return in 2025 for another year of live demonstrations and entertainment!”
Elsewhere from the lighting department, show sponsor, beamZ introduced its new linkable Neutron-Dot, Avolites debuted the Diamond 7 console, Claypaky unveiled Tambora Rays, Tambora Stormy and Mini-B Sparky Aqua, FBFX introduced the DMXPro lighting controller and Vari-Lite released the VL3600 LT. New to the UK market, Ayrton exhibited the Veloce Profile and Rivale Wash, ChamSys showcased its latest GeNetix GD4IP DMX Splitter, and Chauvet Professional displayed both the new Maverick Silens 1X and 2X Profiles.
AV professionals saw the international debut of the Theatrixx xVision Nomad TPEP LED, while audio enthusiasts saw the launch of the DiGiCo Quantum326 and Quantum326T, EM Acoustics’ R6 loudspeaker, L-Acoustics’ X8i system, and Glensound’s GTM Mobile – which won a PLASA Award for Innovation.
Rigging and staging also dominated the floor, with a PLASA Show debut from show sponsor, TAF, while returning exhibitors, Area Four Direct UK, Harlequin, Steeldeck and Total Solutions Group filled sizable stands.
Theresa Gibson, Head of Marketing for Area Four Direct UK, comments “PLASA Show is the perfect platform for us to connect with existing customers, catch up with industry friends and forge valuable new relationships, attracting visitors to our stand from all corners of the UK, Ireland and Europe.”
This year’s show welcomed 31 new exhibitors, who anticipate big business rewards.
Luke Edwards, Commercial Sales Developer for KLSTR, says, “The enthusiasm of the visitors about KLSTR was incredible, and we had valuable conversations with potential partners and clients. Exhibiting helped solidify our presence in the industry.”
Morten Bakke, International Sales for Pro Tour Systems, adds, “The response from the UK market was overwhelming, and in hindsight, we realize that we should have had a larger stand and more representatives to handle the high level of interest!”
Ben McCarthy, Managing Director at Premier Events, says, “We have had a great 3 days at PLASA Show, it was our first time exhibiting and we were blown away with how many people came to our stand… We will be back in 2025!”
The packed programme featured experts from iconic productions.
Inspiring presentations on world-famous festivals, Glastonbury and Tomorrowland, were among the more popular sessions, alongside explorative sessions on ‘Tools for Tech’ and ‘How Light Affects Human Behaviour’.
To generate awareness of our industry’s impact on global sustainability, a selection of eco-conscious-themed sessions from the likes of Unusual Rigging, addressed areas of improvement, while PLASA’s Business Breakfast hosted expert sustainability consultants and encouraged open discussions. Wellbeing sessions on ear protection by HELA and mental health in the workplace by ABTT also raised important action points.
The programme wasn’t short of technical deep dives either, seeing the return of the ever-popular session on power regulation, led by James Eade and visitors got a glimpse into the future, with LSi columnist, James Simpson’s ‘Future Tech’ digest.
Visitors watched the exclusive premiere of the highly anticipated live event career video, spearheaded by Adlib and supported by many industry associations, including PLASA. The engaging video details every possible job available in a live gig production line, which is set to be a useful tool for encouraging students into our industry from a young age. Meanwhile, Production Future’s talk on career pathways also engaged students.
The show was bursting with free-to-attend training sessions and demonstrations.
Dante returned with its exclusive AV training sessions, focusing on Dante ‘in a live environment’, in association with Entourage Pro and Dante ‘fundamentals’, in association with Production Futures.
Elsewhere, Nicolaudie ran focused workshops on their DMX lighting software from sub-brands, Daslight and Wolfmix. Plus, new exhibitor and show sponsor, AbsenLive, transformed its room into an immersive festival experience, kitted out with huge LED displays and a stage full of instruments, encouraging visitors to take the spotlight.
Darren Jackson, Business Development Manager – UK & IRL for AbsenLive, says, “This was the first ever PLASA Show for AbsenLive… Monday was fantastic…a throwback to the “good ole days” as the calibre of visitors was very good and the numbers incredible… It was undoubtedly one of the best PLASA Shows for many years, the whole show has a great atmosphere too.”
On the audio front, visitors were treated to focused sound blasts during drop-in demonstrations. KV2 Audio showcased their award-winning SL 4.12 system, featured across world-famous nightclubs and theatre shows, alongside their newly released active 2.5-way double 8” EX 28.
RCF demonstrated the new NXL14-A and NX 932-A active full-range speakers, among others, which were brought to life through sonic choreography by TT+ AUDIO Business Development Manager, Andy Magee—who channelled an array of FOH engineer experience and expertise.
Dean Davoile, Head of UK Operations for RCF, says, “This was our best PLASA Show ever… we saw a complete cross-section of customers… often visitors were struggling to get into the demo room! We have already written new business from PLASA Show.”
Vintage tech from iconic events took visitors on a trip down memory lane.
Back by popular demand, the treasure chest of iconic vintage tech – ‘Classic Gear Live’, once again attracted a swarm of visitors and evoked a wave of nostalgia. The impressive collection from CH Vintage Audio and LSi magazine spanned an impressive 100 sq meter display, and visitors witnessed the likes of Pink Floyd’s PA and mixers, Starlight Express and The Phantom of the Opera 80s lighting consoles and 50 years of OptiKineticsSolar250 projector.
Plus, enthusiasts got to speak to the original operators of the tech, including The Phantom of the Opera sound designer, and industry veterans from Strand, Vari-Lite and OptiKinetics.
Rob Halliday, host of Classic Gear Live, says, “… the Classic Gear Live stand was back bigger and better, with a wider selection of classics and another great field of experts there to talk about them… It became a remarkable social hub, of people telling stories and sharing memories of these, and other, products that have shaped and defined our industry over the years.”
The year’s most innovative and sustainable tech was recognised with award status.
In association with LSi magazine, this year’s PLASA Awards for Innovation saw a competitive 44 entries, many of which could be seen up close on the Innovation Gallery. Nine lucky nominees scooped a coveted award, with Vari-lite earning the Sustainability Award for its VL2600 SE profile fixture.
Dave Whitehouse, Product Development Specialist for Robe, says, “We are incredibly honoured to receive a PLASA Innovation Award! This recognition of our Robe iBolt goes beyond acknowledging its technical excellence… this prestigious recognition from PLASA will undoubtedly support the continued success of the iBolt.”
In addition to celebrating innovative products, the awards donate a significant portion of the proceeds to charity. This year, £3,000 was raised through entry fees and donated to Backup Tech.
In a different approach to recent years, the 2024 Gottelier Award was presented to winner Robin Elias during a Gottelier Award winner alumni panel session, accompanied by the late Tony Gottelier’s original business partner, Peter Wynne Willson. Robin Elias, comments, “I can’t quite believe I have won this fantastic award. Thank you so much for voting for me. I have rigged almost everything over the last 50 years, but I didn’t rig the vote. . . honest! This award really is for riggers everywhere; the true stars of the events industry.”
Community was at the core of PLASA Show with dedicated networking zones.
The 2024 show brought two new chill-out zones – the PLASA Beach Bar, led by industry marketing agency, The Inside Story, which transformed a regular bar area into a fun-filled lounge with deck chairs and cocktails. Elsewhere, upstairs hosted a quieter sofa area away from the hustle of the show floor.
The heart of the show was the #WeMakeEvents after-party, which was kicked off by a charity head shave, which raised £5,606.26 for Backup Tech. Then, exhibitors and visitors alike came together to enjoy complimentary refreshments and a DJ on the decks, courtesy of Headliner.
Jessica Allan, Charity Coordinator for Backup Tech, says: “The new bigger show footprint gave an electric atmosphere, giving us some great interactions with existing and new connections looking to support the charity… Backup is incredibly grateful to PLASA for their continued support of the industry charity and for helping us raise awareness!”
With plans for 2025 already underway, PLASA Show is set to continue this trajectory of success.
Sophie Atkinson, PLASA Head of Events, concludes: “This year’s PLASA Show has once again exceeded expectations, reflecting not only the growth and innovation within our industry but also the incredible energy and passion of our community. We were thrilled to see such a remarkable turnout and engagement, and we look forward to continuing this momentum into the next event. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this year’s show a resounding success!”
PLASA Show will return to Olympia London from 7-9 September 2025.
Be the first to hear when registration opens at https://www.plasashow.com/mailing-list
