Showlight 2017 Announces First Speakers for Florence 2017

	Kathryn Williams speaks at Showlight 2013.

Preparations for Showlight 2017 are heating up as the first speakers for this unique quadrennial event are announced.

With the Papers Committee continuing to sift through a swathe of submissions, details of the first speakers for Showlight 2017 in Florence are coming to light. The program promises to be as fascinating as ever with the following international lighting specialists the first to sign up:

Aldo Visentin -- Visentin will share some of his experiences over many years of touring with, and lighting for, Maestro Andrea Bocelli.

Colin Ball -- Lighting designer Ball will show how he uses theatre and film lighting techniques to light many buildings, including the Tower of London and the Palace of Westminster.

Declan Randall -- Randall will tell of his experience of acting as set and projection designer, in addition to lighting designer, for an original production of Sister Act in Johannesburg.

Amy Mae Smith -- Smith made her West End début as the lighting designer for the critically acclaimed Sweeney Todd on Shaftesbury Avenue, winning the 2016 Knight of Illumination Award in the Musicals category.

Henk van den Geest -- van den Geest will explain the problems of using LED to light fragile works of art, such as Van Gogh paintings, in art galleries, while dealing with decision makers who are without technical experience whose main focus is in energy savings and limiting investment budgets.

Jeff Ravitz -- Ravitz will talk about lighting the current Bruce Springsteen/E Street Band tour, and the challenges of designing a live show that must also work for TV.

Mikki Kunttu -- Kunttu will speak of his adventures lighting the Danish Royal Ballet.

Philip Norfolk -- Norfolk will explain how the sun works, how heavy a dustbin of sun is and why the sky is blue, while also covering nuclear fusion and other photon facts ... and will somehow manage to incorporate a picture of Albert Einstein!

Simon Corder -- Corder has been summoned to Singapore to relight his original design in the world's first Night Zoo. Expect tales of tigers and elephants in a tropical forest -- and how they react to LEDs.

Luc Peumans -- Belgian lighting designer, Peumans, specializes in lighting large-scale productions and will present a paper entitled "Painting with Light."

Al Gurdon -- Gurdon also specializes in lighting large-scale spectaculars such as the MTV Awards and the Super Bowl Halftime performances, and will give us an insight into the work that goes into them.

Rob Halliday -- Always entertaining, the Papers Committee is still wading through the variety of subjects Halliday has been suggesting.....

The first of Showlight 2017's panel presentations has also been announced, with the subject of programming as its focus: what is the relationship between the lighting designer and the programmer; what should it be, and how will it develop? An experienced panel from all the lighting genres will disagree!

For the first time, Showlight 2017 will be offering a simultaneous translation of papers into Italian. Traditionally an all English-speaking event, Showlight has decided to offer this service, generously sponsored by Osram, to encourage local attendance and promote the new papers only one-day tickets. Day tickets for papers only can be bought online in advance or at the door on the day.

Showlight is a unique and enjoyable forum that takes place in a different location every four years. The format centers around three days of papers on an eclectic range of topics related to lighting in its many forms, a micro-trade show, and a social program with a strong emphasis on networking. Company dinners, visits to places of local interest and, of course, the Showlight gala dinner all give plenty of opportunity for members of the industry, from fresh-faced students to seasoned professionals, to network, learn, and exchange ideas.

Exhibitor spaces are always in demand and are selling out fast. To secure your opportunity to be part of this unique event -- only 40 places exist -- contact Jane Cockburn or Derek Gilbert on exhibit@showlight.org without delay.

Showlight is grateful to Clay Paky as the main sponsor for Showlight 2017, and also to diamond sponsor, Oasis, gold sponsor, Osram, and to ETC for their generous support. More opportunities for sponsorship of Showlight 2017 are available -- for details contact Cockburn or Gilbert on exhibit@showlight.org.

Showlight will have a presence at PLASA London 2016 in its new venue at Olympia Exhibition Center next week (September 18 - 20, 2016). Come and visit us on stand V15 on the upper level and discover more about exhibiting, sponsoring, speaking, or attending as a delegate.