The anniversary edition of this important international trade fair for events, installation and production will be distinguished by a multifarious spectrum of products and technologies, an extensive complementary programme of events and presentation ceremonies for many renowned awards. The large number of registrations already received, the many returnees and the numerous first-time exhibitors taking part in 2015 underscore the great significance of Prolight + Sound for the sector.

What’s new

“Stagery’ brings together an expanded product spectrum, new events and an exclusive programme of benefits and highlights. With a set of new offerings, the trade fair will also be of particular interest to companies and trade visitors from the theatre and theatre-technology sectors. An extensive seminar programme for this target group, a special “Quickfinder’ guide to relevant exhibitors and a special VIP programme for theatre planners – that’s the new “Stagery’ segment at Prolight + Sound.

Numerous manufacturers and service providers from the fields of stage lighting, trusses, rigging, lifting technology, curtain systems, show textiles and seating have already signed up to exhibit at Prolight + Sound. They include Alfa System sas, American Dancewear, Buhnenbau Schnakenberg, Butec, ChainMaster Buhnentechnik, Chemtrol Division Teatro, Enforcer Pulz, ETC, Gerriets, Jelmez-art, Maquinas Iberica and Quinette Gallay.

“We noted the desire of the theatre sector to make presentations and get together at the same time and place as other parts of the event industry,’ says Prolight + Sound director Michael Biwer. “Now we are taking account of this with the establishment of the Stagery product segment, which will give companies, retailers and professional users a good reason to take part in Prolight + Sound.’

As part of the Stagery segment, Prolight + Sound is organising the Theatre and Film Colloquium, a special programme of lectures for the target group at which experienced speakers will offer valuable insights into theatre technology, stage settings, costume design, legal issues and safety aspects. The Theatre and Film Colloquium is one of the main lecture blocks of the Prolight + Sound Conference and is supported by important organisations from the sector including the Society of Theatre Costume Makers and the Federation of Film Makers.

Prolight + Sound has always aimed to bring companies from the sector together with specialist retailers and professional users. To ensure that visitors from the theatre sector can find relevant exhibitors quickly and easily, Messe Frankfurt is publishing a special Stagery Quickfinder brochure clearly listing important exhibition stands in the five exhibition halls. Additionally, all exhibitors from the theatre sector can be found without difficulty thanks to a special-interest filter in the online search engine.

Another aspect of the new Stagery segment is a VIP programme for theatre planners on the Thursday of the fair – 16 April 2015. Besides the broad spectrum of products and the multi-faceted lecture programme, registered visitors profit from a variety of benefits and special highlights. For example, they will get free entry, receive an exclusive Welcome Package and are invited for a business breakfast. They will also have the opportunity to take part at the gala evening event that includes the presentation of the renowned “Opus – German Stage Award’. All theatre planners interested in the Stagery VIP programme can register by simply sending an email to stagery@messefrankfurt.com. The number of participants is limited.

The expansion of the target groups to include the theatre sector is also reflected by the alliance with Showtech, which will be incorporated into Prolight + Sound in 2015.
The other trade associations supporting Prolight + Sound are the German Theatre Technology Association, the European Association of Event Centres and the Professional Lighting & Sound Association of Germany.

The companies that have registered for the trade fair include Adam Hall, Avid, B&K Braun, Clay Paky, d&b Audiotechnik, DiGiCo, DTS, L-Acoustics, Lawo AG, MA Lighting, Martin Professional, Meyer Sound, Riedel, Robe and SGM. In 2015, Prolight + Sound will have a special thematic focal point for the theatre world and welcome numerous new companies from this field. Among the companies representing the theatre and stage technology sector at Prolight + Sound 2015 will be Alfa System sas, Buhnenbau Schnakenberg, Butec, ChainMaster Buhnentechnik, Chemtrol Division Teatro, ETC, Gerriets, Maquinas Iberica and Quinette Gallay.

The exhibition halls occupied remain unchanged in comparison to 2014. Exhibitors from the audio and sound-systems sector make their presentations in Hall 8.0 while visitors will find everything relating to lighting and stage technology, as well as trusses, display and video systems, in Hall 9.0. Exhibitors from Asia are represented by a broad portfolio of products, stretching from lighting and sound systems to stages, trusses and network systems, in Hall 9.1. New products and innovations from the world of lasers and effects, show and stage lighting, as well as contract installations and trusses, can be seen in action in Hall 11.0.

The Event Plaza Conference will be held in the Portalhaus building while associations and publishers make their presentations in Galleria 0 and Galleria 1. Prolight + Sound Conference Information, training, specialist qualifications: Prolight + Sound Conference bundles the numerous lectures and presentations held within the framework of the fair. The conference speakers pass on expert knowledge, as well as give practical advice, offer insights into the sector and explain the latest technological trends.

The conference is split into four main sections:

Media Systems puts the spotlight on systems integration and AV-media technology. The Prolight + Sound Forum looks at new developments and areas of application in the field of event technology and promotes an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information. The VDT Academy is an information event organised by the Association of German Sound Engineers (Verband Deutscher Tonmeister – VDT) for the professional audio sector. Additionally, the Theatre and Film Colloquium will form a separate section of the Prolight + Sound Conference for the theatre, stage and film technology sector in 2015.

Another part of the comprehensive educational programme held at the fair is the three-day Eventplaza Conference, at which renowned speakers with great practical experience discuss the latest trends and strategies, as well as new ideas and impulses for the event sector. The programme is aimed primarily at event and incentive managers, marketing, communication and human-resources executives, as well as congress and conference organisers. For the first time, each of the three days will have its own focal point. Therefore Wednesday 15 April 2015 will be devoted to event safety when the International Event Safety Conference (I-ESC) tackles the subject of “Assuming and transferring responsibility’. The focus on Thursday (16 April 2015) is on products and events. The speakers on the third day of the conference – 17 April 2015 – concentrates on personnel developments in the event sector.
The new Networking Lounge represents a great opportunity not only to exchange ideas and information but also to make new business contacts. The Eventplaza Conference will be held in the “Portalhaus’, located to the south of Hall 11.0. Naturally, visitors from the event sector will also find everything they need for successful events in the exhibition halls – an overview of this product segment can be found in the “Eventplaza Quickfinder’ brochure and via a special-interest filter in the online exhibitor search engine. For more information visit: www.eventplaza-conference.com

Awards

Important awards for the sector are presented at Prolight + Sound. The Opus – German Stage Award – is the foremost distinction for stage productions and honours particularly innovative and successful productions in the fields of theatre and stage production, live events and open-air festivals.

The Prolight + Sound International Press Award (PIPA) was given for the first time in 2014. Under the auspices of MM-Musik-Media-Verlag publishing company, a jury of international trade visitors will meet in Frankfurt and give the PIPA awards which will be presented to the winners for outstanding products in the recording, pro-audio and lights / video categories at a grand evening event with over 300 representatives of international manufacturers and distributors.

The Sinus – Systems Integration Award 2014 – is given for the creative use of audio-visual media technology and systems integration. The Sinus is firmly anchored in the media technology and systems integration sections of the fair, and the Media Systems section of the Prolight + Sound Conference.