Robe celebrated two PLASA Innovation Awards, stunned audiences with its All Environments live performance show and launched its new iFORTE IP rated LED moving light in style at London’s PLASA Show. The lighting specialist also introduced its brand new TX1 Posi Profile, which was presented live for the first time and showcased several iSeries products in the Great Hall of the Olympia exhibition centre over three days in west London, UK..
While showing off the durability, water resistance and many creative features of iSeries products – iBeam 250s and iSpiiders joining the iFORTE as stars of the show – Robe also delivered a strong environmental message, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability.
All Environments is the first of a trilogy of performances that will premiere at leading international trade shows throughout 2022 and 2023. It was conceived, storyboarded, designed, and produced by Robe’s talented in-house creative team led by Nathan Wan and Andy Webb with Jordan Tinniswood and Tomáš Kohout.
The six-minute timecoded show involved approximately 100 iSeries fixtures programmed to show off their features, toughness and proper weather resistance.
A T1 Profile running on a RoboSpot remote follow system was used for key lighting, and a large upstage LED video screen assisted with the narrative showing dramatic images and illustrated the close integration of lighting and video in stylish creative shows. The main screen was augmented with LED cladding the stage front for additional signage and messaging content.
This substantial video aesthetic also showed off the sheer brightness of all the Robe iSeries products, and the atmospherics were boosted with the help of MDG theONE fog / hazer and ICE FOG Compack low fog generator products.
A 3,000-litre water tank and a mix of programmable pumps and jets produced a rain curtain and water effects as dancer TJ added freestyle bodywork to the fluidity with a specially choreographed show.
A bespoke soundtrack was infused with voiced over statements carefully curated from the work of broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, author, Sir David Attenborough and his compelling broadcasts over the years, drawing attention to climate change.
Robe also produced dramatic new VOG presentations – snappy, theatrical, and informative complete with their own lighting effects – that captured people’s attention, and visitors were gathering both to listen to these as well as to enjoy and appreciate the All Environments show.
iFORTE, which was the star of the All Environments show, scooped a PLASA Innovation Award. The judges commented that this luminaire “features genuine innovation to help reduce service intervals and to mitigate failure by introducing precise moisture control” inside an IP65-rated fixture.
In addition, TX1 PosiProfile received a ‘special commendation’ with judge’s noting that it is a “novel hybrid of moving light and generic fixture” with multiple uses, particularly in restricted space scenarios.
Artistic Licence – newly acquired by Robe in exciting news announced on the eve of the exhibition – won the Sustainability Award for its Micro-Scope Upgrade Kit.
“Considerable thought and vision went into the development of the iFORTE ensuring that it is a truly market leading and state-of-the-art product in multiple ways, including its ability to be serviced on site without any special tools. For convenience and practicality this will be a big hit with rental companies and technicians,” Robe s.r.o. CEO, Josef Valchar commented. “We have put serious time and effort into perfecting this initial IP rated product range, and now have a series of game-changing technologies which will benefit all users and investors.”
Other current Robe products on demo in the back section of the booth included the new PAINTE and TetraX – a 360° continuous rotation LED bar – plus LEDBeam 350 and the ABTT Award-winning T11 series, a three-into-one generic lighting solution for theatres and venues.
Launched at the show and also attracting a lot of interest in the demo area on the booth was Robe’s T11 Profile MFS (Manual Follow Spot) which completes the current T11 range, Robe also ran training sessions in one of the seminar rooms for its RoboSpot remote controlled follow spot system.
Anolis brought an additional dimension to Robe, with its own booth immediately in front of Robe’s prominent stage. Anolis’ new Calumma range was showcased for the first time at a UK expo – the product uses high efficacy single-chip LEDs, has a wide range of useful accessories, and works with numerous control protocols. Anolis’ Ambiane and Eminere product ranges were also shown.
NRG (Next Robe Generation) students supported and assisted the UK sales team on the stand and some seminars. Robe was joined by Grainne Earley and Alison O’Shea, students on the Stage Management & Technical Theatre course at The Lir Dublin, and Jack Barlow who is studying Live and Technical Events at Confetti in Nottingham.
“This year’s PLASA delivered three uplifting days of busy, high calibre visitors, adding to the excitement and the return of our live exhibition shows, enabling an excellent platform to showcase Robe’s newest products and innovations. We are proud to continue our long standing relationship with PLASA as headline sponsor and it was fantastic to see the vast range of educational, inspirational and insightful talks and seminars on offer, delivered by some of the best industry specialists,” Theresa Gibson, Robe UK Head of Marketing, commented.
“Being recognised at PLASA’s Innovation Awards for the new iFORTE was an event highlight and distinctive accolade for our R&D team who continue to deliver world-class products and industry-leading innovations. The buzz, vibrancy and magic of PLASA London was definitely felt by all attending and is a vital part of what makes this show so special for both exhibitors and visitors!”
