Thousands of Live Design Professionals Attend LDI 2008; this year’s strong attendance reaffirmed LDI’s status as the leading US tradeshow and conference for live design professionals. LDI 2008 was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, October 20-26, 2008 and featured professional training, new product introductions, and the industry’s award presentations.
Each year, leading industry manufacturers introduce the very latest in live design products and services at LDI. This year was no exception as attendees were able to experience the very latest in Lighting (including LED technologies), projection, audio, staging, and special effects. The New Technology Breakfasts highlighted just a few of the many new products. A panel of industry experts selected the year’s best new products for the LDI awards.
Awards for Excellence in Design and Innovation Winners:
The Wally Russell Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented to Richard Pilbrow, an internationally acclaimed stage lighting designer, author, theatre consultant, and theatrical producer, film producer, and television producer.
The Wally Russell Most Promising Newcomer Award: Presented to Ben Hagen
Concert Lighting Designer of the Year Award: Presented to Bryan Hartley
Theatre Lighting Designer of the Year: Presented to Rick Fisher
Special Effects: City Theatrical DMX Snow Machine developed in conjunction with White Light.
Rigging/Staging: Steeldeck’s APACK retractable audience tiering system that can be curved.
Projection: Element Labs Helix P1, which offers amazing display-shaping opportunities. It is flexible,
durable, and has user-specific pixel pitch.
Lighting (two winners): Nila, a new lighting solution for the entertainment industry setting an unprecedented environmental standard for low-energy consumption, while delivering unmatched lighting performance and product versatility. ETC Unison Paradigm system, which fully fuses architectural lighting control advances with entertainment lighting-control technology.
The annual Backstage tours took attendees to live performances of Jersey Boys, CRISS ANGEL Believe (Cirque du Soleil’s newest – and sixth – resident show in Las Vegas), and Phantom of the Opera. The performances were followed by Q&A sessions with the designers.
LDI is part of Penton’s Live Design™ family of multimedia offerings for designers, programmers, and technicians involved in visual design for the entertainment and related industries. Live Design publications and events cover the latest news, tools, and technology that fuel innovation across live entertainment, corporate events, Broadway, houses of worship, clubs, and more. The Live Design family includes Live Design magazine; Live Design Wire, livedesignonline.com and Live Design™ Master Classes. Visit www.livedesignonline.com to learn more.
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