White Light’s New Technology Showcase 2025
February 25th, 2025 - 08:21
Spotlight on Innovation: Highlights from the New Technology Showcase 2025
Our annual New Technology Showcase returned once again, bringing together the latest innovations in live events, theatre, and the performing arts. With an incredible turnout of industry professionals and an array of cutting-edge equipment, the event was a true celebration of creativity and technological progress. Hosted at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama (RCSSD) in partnership with The Association for Lighting Production and Design (ALPD), the showcase provided a dynamic space where the brightest young talent could engage with industry leaders.
In the lead-up to the event, students collaborated with our team to help bring the showcase to life, gaining valuable hands-on experience alongside their studies. This unique opportunity allowed them to showcase their skills in a real-world setting while building connections with professionals across the industry.
Celebrating Talent and Excellence in Live Event Production
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the ALPD awards, which recognised outstanding talent across three categories: Emerging Lighting Designer, Excellence in Programming, and Production Electrician. These prestigious awards not only celebrated individual achievements but also reflected the industry’s continued evolution and future direction.
In addition to showcasing our extensive hire stock, our trusted suppliers introduced their latest innovations—two of which made their UK-exclusive debut. These launches provided invaluable opportunities for industry feedback and inspired both established and emerging professionals.
Attending brands hosted here at Sales WL:
Cutting-Edge Technologies and Exclusive Product Launches
It was exciting to see manufacturers introducing lighting solutions that not only delivered crisp, accurate sources but also pushed the boundaries of versatility. A prime example was the Martin MAC Aura Raven XIP, which launched on the same day as our event. This robust, multi-purpose moving head combines beam, wash, and eye-candy effects, making it an ideal choice for theatre, music touring, and broadcast applications.
These modern, adaptable fixtures are redefining lighting design, moving beyond the traditional use of lamps and gels to highly tunable LED technology. Chauvet Professional’s Ovation Rêve P-3 IP, for example, delivers a comparable light quality to a CP64 and features four interchangeable lenses for enhanced flexibility.
A modular approach was evident across many manufacturers. Robe showcased its T15 Fresnel, which can also accommodate a PC lens assembly, while their FORTE® LightMaster kit brought onboard follow-spot-style controls to their FORTE® and FORTE® FS fixtures. Similarly, Robert Juliat’s Tristan – designed as a replacement for the Victor – replicates the quality of an HMI lamp using LED technology while incorporating modern enhancements such as motorised zoom and DMX desk communication.
Many manufacturers refined their existing ranges, making fixtures smaller, lighter, and more efficient. ETC’s Halcyon Silent continued the brand’s commitment to rich, beautiful light, featuring a high-fidelity (HF) engine tailored for theatre and concert hall environments. Demonstrated alongside the Halcyon HF, this fixture showcased a new six-flag system that delivers deeper saturation and more uniform colour distribution.
Chauvet Professional’s Silens received an upgrade based on user feedback, with the new Silens 1x and 2x models enhancing both functionality and light quality while maintaining ultra-low noise levels. Ayrton expanded its Ultimate range with the Rivale and Veloce profiles, alongside the Mamba – a fixture that builds on the success of the Cobra and features an impressive selection of over 90 gobos for creative expression.
Shaping the Future: Trends in Lighting and Live Event Technology
Beyond lighting, supporting technologies also played a key role at the showcase. Obsidian presented its robust range of ethernet, DMX, and RDM gateways, designed for both temporary and permanent installations. These IP65-rated units, which include features such as clamp mounting, DMX termination switches, and multiple power options, ensure reliability in demanding environments.
As technology continues to evolve, companion applications are becoming essential for efficiency and asset protection. StageSmart took this concept a step further with an intuitive interface that provides real-time power draw data and post-event logs. This intelligent system not only safeguards equipment but also optimises energy consumption, contributing to more sustainable productions.
Among the many innovations on display, one of the most exciting was the second UK-exclusive debut: Vari-Lite’s VLHIVE 151 Digital FX. Presented in its prototype stage, this fixture redefines image creation with a digital-first approach, replacing physical gobos with vector-based digital imagery. With over 160 individually controllable pixels, users can craft multi-coloured shapes, seamlessly shift between digital and organic aesthetics, and generate unique, focusable textures. Thanks to Vari*glass technology, these dynamic images can even be projected onto the fixture’s face, enabling moving text, graphics, and psychedelic effects.
With a strong focus on both technological advancements and the creative minds driving them, this year’s New Technology Showcase was an inspiring glimpse into the future of lighting and live event production.