Welcome to the world's biggest stage: innovative products and technologies for theatre and stage will be presented to you at Prolight + Sound by key players from all stage technology sectors.
Guided Tours
During the 2024 event, Prolight + Sound offers you expertly moderated tours of the fair on the subject of theatre technology.
The tours give you a compact overview of the fair in one hour. Specialists and managers from the companies present new products, innovations and technologies that are particularly interesting from a planning and technical point of view.
Your personal guide will be Andreas Bickel. From stage hand and engineering studies in mechanical engineering/event technology to project management for the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, to expert and specialist planner for stage technology and now also authorised expert for mechanical equipment for event technology, Andreas has actually done it all and has always remained loyal to the stages of this world. In 2022, he finally took the plunge into self-employment with BACKSTAGE ENGINEERING.
Tour 1 / Tuesday 2pm, Thursday 11am & 4pm with:
JB-Lighting Lichtanlagentechnik GmbH, Clay Paky srl, Astera GmbH, D.T.S. Illuminazione srl and VisionTwo GmbH.
Tour 2 / Tuesday 4 pm, Wednesday 2 pm, Thursday 11am with:
MA Lighting International GmbH, H.O.F. Alutec Metallverarbeitungs GmbH & Co. KG, Gerriets GmbH, spotlight, Martin Professional and InEar GmbH & Co. KG
All dates:
Tuesday, 19.03.2024: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Wednesday, 20.03.2024: 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Thursday, 21.03.2024: 11 a.m.
The tours are free of charge. Please arrive at the information counter in Hall 12, Via Ebene, West Foyer in good time before the start of each tour.
Lecture and conference programme
During Prolight + Sound there will be many informative lectures and training courses on the subject of theatre and stage technology. We have put together a selection to give you an overview. Take a look, participation is included free of charge in your ticket. In our event calendar you will find the complete programme for all days of the fair.
Keynote von Mikki Kunttu
19. March, 15 hrs Main Stage
"The thruline and the unspoken resonance - what I look for in a theatrical design"
Mikki Kunttu will speak of fundamentals in being a visual designer as well as the resonances it has on life in general. With specific examples he sheds light on how the very key decisions in certain designs have been made and how they resonate from "preprodcution to postproduction". What is the role of the unspoken and why should we always trust the "art by accident" approach?
Manufacturers`s Forum (Hall 11.0, Room Korall)
- 19 March, 12:30 - 13:30 hrs
Danger due to radiance (Herbert Bernstädt, Adam Hall Group, 12.1 A24)
- 19 March, 13:30 - 14:30 hrs
Curtain call (Eike Jan Gerlach, Gerriets GmbH, 12.0 C30)
- 19 March, 14:30 - 15:30 hrs
PIXERA in 4 ac
ts - The real-time platform PIXERA as a creative tool for modern theatre and show productions (Fabian Pointinger, AV Stumpfl, 12.0 C84)
- 19 March, 15:30 - 16:30 hrs
Sustainability and flexibility on and off the stage (Bernd Gienger, instagrid GmbH, 12.1 A59)
- 21 March, 11.30 hrs
They said it was impossible, so we built and toured it (Butch Allen & Adam "Bullet" Bettley, TAIT)
- 21 March, 13:30 - 14:30 hrs
Real-world fixture control with the grandMA3 system and GDTF
(Daniel Kannenberg, MA Lighting International GmbH, 12.0 C67)
- 21 March, 15:30 - 16:30 hrs
Black projection screen… Special focus on use in theatre and event applications
Jan Walter, AV Stumpfl GmbH, 12.0 C84
- 21 March, 16:30 - 17:30 hrs
Telescopic Tribune Systems
Inanc Sayin, Gala Sahne, 12.0 C28
PLS Conference
- 20 March, 14.00 hrs
Light as a woking material (Christoph Bauder, Sinus – Systems Integration Award Gewinner for „Dark Matter“) Speakers Area, Image Creation Hub
- 21 March, 15.00 hrs
From the classic follow spot to full tracking. A short journey through time and what we can still expect. (Chris Glatthor - Opus winner for the show design of Rea Garvey's open-air tour "Let's Get Loud")
Speakers Area
- 21 March, 11.00 hrs
The path to automated tracking (Kevin Klaes, Lightpower)
Women in Lighting
Clear the stage for creative women: With the "Women in Lighting Lounge" (Hall 12.0 D72) and a specialised programme, the innovative achievements of women in the event industry will be put in the spotlight. Meet female professionals and interested newcomers, listen to lectures and interviews with inspiring personalities or find out about career opportunities for women in the event industry.
Clear the stage for creative women
With the "Women in Lighting Lounge" (Hall 12.0 D72) and a specialised programme, the innovative achievements of women in the event industry will be put in the spotlight.
On 20 March (2 pm) there will be a 𝐖𝐈𝐋 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 M𝐞𝐞𝐭 U𝐩 next to the WIL entertainment sponsor Ayrton (Hall 12.0 D72).
As a further highlight, Cara Hood will be speaking on the Main Stage in Hall 11.0 (12 noon).
Her talk is titled: From Lighting Student to Working Professional: My Journey So Far - "I have the best job in the world, and it's only the beginning..."
Cara Hood is a Welsh Freelance Lighting Designer who is committed to making innovative, accessible, and inclusive productions and is passionate about new writing and unconventional theatre. Reflecting on her journey since graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2019, Cara will talk about her highs and the lows of navigating professional freelance life in the theatre industry. Sharing stories about her work, those who helped and supported her on the way, and where she aims to go next.
New: The LightLab
New: The LightLab
Blue light hazard, risk groups, limit values.... Many of these terms are being used more and more frequently in the industry, often without knowing their background.
The LightLab (Halle 12.0 E59A) offers regular lectures on the subject of hazards caused by optical radiation. It explains the risks that modern stage spotlights can pose and how to handle them safely. In a 20-minute lecture, the effect of optical radiation on the eye and the retina in particular is presented. Limit values, risk groups and simple tips for the safe use of spotlights are explained and demonstrated.
The project of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences is intended to educate, inform and objectively present the current state of scientific work.
B.Sc. Fabian Oving, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Faculty DMI - Department of Media Technology Lighting Laboratory and Prof. Dr Roland Greule, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Faculty DMI - Department of Media Technology Lighting Laboratory, Professor of Lighting Technology give the lecture "Danger to the eye from optical radiation" several times a day in German or English.
The LightLab will be supported by:
Ayrton, Cameo, Clay Paky, Elation, ETC, GLP, JB-Lighting, Robe and Prolight + Sound