Clay Paky and Its Successful Venture at PLASA 2016

"The Clay Paky lights at PLASA 2016 were captivating and successful," said Pio Nahum, Clay Paky CEO, when he got back from the London show, which has finally returned to the heart of West London at London Olympia. The industry met the stylish revival of the show very warmly with the participation of numerous visitors and skilled professionals from all over the world. Clay Paky presented its products at their best, at a large booth in the Ambersphere Village, through a demo-show programmed by lighting designer Alex Mildenhall, operator at the famous TV show X-Factor.

The Clay Paky Scenius Profile won the PLASA Award for Innovation. The judges said "this product's innovation reaches from the lamp and reflector all the way through the optical path." This is precisely the recognition Clay Paky desired, after the company's technicians had worked so enthusiastically to build a fixture with a higher quality light. Osram's R&D also provided a decisive contribution to this success by creating the beautiful lamp used in the Scenius. http://www.lsionline.co.uk/news/story/Winners-of-the-PLASA-Innovation-Awards-2016-announced/ODSXWY

The Scenius Profile was not the only acclaimed product at the Clay Paky booth. Visitors and the award judges themselves showed great interest in the Shar-Bar, a moving LED bar with advanced features, which turns into a totally new multi-beam effect. The Shar-Bar fits six powerful Osram Ostar RGBW 30W LEDs. The optical unit coupled to each LED consists of a motorized system with double mirror. This means each light beam can be operated independently of the others within a cone of 60-degrees (+/-30-degrees). Thanks to this ingenious, original feature, the Shar-Bar can produce an effect similar to that of six separate beam lights working synchronously or asynchronously.

One of the main talking points among visitors to PLASA was definitely the return of ADB, recently taken over by Clay Paky. A specific booth was set up to exhibit some of the key products from ADB's wide range, including the top quality Freedom consoles, the powerful Eurodim Twin tech dimmer system, and the new ALS LED lights.

The new ADB staff was present in its entirety: the new CEO Simone Capeleto, the ADB brand manager Fabiano Besio, the corporate advisor Christian Léonard, the product portfolio manager Gilles Govaerts, and the project manager Henri Marechal.

ADB's takeover and its relaunch on the international stage were the focus of the press conference called by Clay Paky CEO Pio Nahum, where he explained that: "Through the ADB name, Clay Paky and Osram wish to strengthen their position in the theatre and TV studio areas. ADB is a brand with a high reputation and long history. It was founded in 1920 and has set a benchmark since then for quality products and the ability to offer a complete service, from design to control."

"Of course," said ADB's CEO Capeleto, "our project also involves updating the ADB product range, especially with the introduction of new LED technology and automation, in which Clay Paky and Osram have great experience. In a few months' time, we plan to present our customers with a new generation of lights for theatrical lighting."

The complete Clay Paky ODEON line, a range of "pure" (IP66) architectural lights, also made a successful début at PLASA. Massimiliano Biava, the line's brand manager, said: "the range has been designed considering the technical and aesthetic requirements of architects. They are not lights for architainment or entertainment fixtures adapted to the world of architecture; they are products designed right from the outset specifically for architectural installations. PLASA is not really the most suitable trade fair for this field, but we did not want to miss the occasion, and we received very positive feedback."

There are two main versions of the Odeon lights -- flood and linear -- with a range of over 30 models. They are available with 5-, 25-, and 45-degree optical units, with RGBW, tunable white and total white configurations. They can also be further customized in terms of size and surface finish.

Clay Paky and its parent company Osram were the most important sponsors of the ninth edition of the Knight of Illumination Awards, a glittering event during which the best British lighting designers and shows produced in the UK receive trophies. Nahum opened the evening by thanking everyone for helping the Awards grow to the major industry event it is today. As the evening continued, Nahum gave a donation of £5000 to the technical entertainment charity fund, which supports entertainment professionals in difficulty.

The Award for Lifetime Recognition, named after Enrico Caironi, was assigned to John Offord, a publisher of great renown, who -- among other things -- contributed to the growth of the PLASA association and its show for the many years during which he was PLASA's executive officer. For a detailed description of the event, see: www.knight-of-illumination.com; www.lsionline.co.uk/news/story/Knight-of-Illumination-Awards-2016-winners/-H11ZS4