Events

Showlight 2013 ~ 18th - 21st May


Showlight moves to the Czech Republic


The next Showlight – the acclaimed international conference organised by and for lighting professionals – is to be held in the fairytale Czech Republic town of Český Krumlov on 18-21 May 2013.

Get out and about with Showlight 2013

Showlight has always been highly regarded as one of the best networking events in the international lighting calendar, with plenty of time allowed for the social aspects of the event. This year’s visit programme, featuring eight different tours each with a different itinerary, is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity, with an afternoon of visits arranged in and around the host town of Cesky Krumlov which offer a mix of strictly business and the not-so-serious.

The visits programme is included in the delegate fee and takes place on the afternoon of Monday May 20, with a choice of eight tours, each with a different selection of visits.  One of the most popular visits will undoubtedly be the Baroque Theatre inside Cesky Krumlov’s castle, where Showlight is being held. Dating back to 1760, the theatre is one of the oldest fully operational Baroque Theatres still in existence and delegates will be given the opportunity to go below stage to see the stage machinery our ancestors used.In addition to the Baroque Theatre, Cesky also has a small town theatre, where Robe, the main sponsor of Showlight, is offering the chance for people to see a short performance, lay their hands on Robe equipment and talk directly to Robe staff. The third theatre tour is to the South Bohemian State Theatre in nearby Budejovice. This regional theatre combines old and new technologies and is highly regarded in the southern Czech Republic. Once again the visit will include a backstage tour.

You might, by now, be thirsty so a sample of the local brew would not go amiss, particularly as it’s the original Budweiser, not to be confused with any other! The visit includes a tour round one of the most amazing industrial bottling plants in Europe. As an alternative choose one of the three tours that feature the Eggenberg Brewery, which is smaller and more traditional than the automated Budweiser brewery, and right below the castle walls!

Other visits include a fascinating trip down a graphite mine, although this is not one for the claustrophobic! With graphite readily available Cesky is famous for its pencils, and three of the tours offer a visit to the Koh-i-Noor pencil factory. Alternatively, choose the tours that feature a visit to Schwan, the leading private label manufacturer of cosmetic pencils and products, to see the whole manufacturing process from the mix that forms the colour, through the making of the pencil wood to the addition of the glossy paint and designer label. Schwan manufactures for many top brand names, turning out well over 100,000,000 pencils a year.

With such a choice of these and other visits, Showlight’s Monday afternoon programme offers a choice of itineraries – see www.showlight.org for full details. You must be a registered delegate of Showlight to book for the visits, which are included in the full delegate price of just £265.00 and also covers the three day colloquium, dinner on two nights, and coffee, lunch and dinner on each day.

Showlight 2013 is grateful to its main sponsor Robe and Gold sponsors Martin Professional, Clay Paky and White Light; other Showlight 2013 sponsors are Eyetidy Ltd and PLN Facilities Ltd; Henley Theatre Services; ISE; MA Lighting; Oasis Entertainment; and PLASA.Find out more at www.showlight.org 

The STLD is sponsoring up to 10 members to attend Showlight this year.

This is worth £265 as a full delegate. You will still have to get yourself to a nearby UK airport but transport is being provided from the airports over there as part of the conference fee. You will also have to put yourself up (and pay!) in one of the many hotels and inns in the town.  This can be done through the Showlight website.

In return you will be asked to be part of the STLD team present at the show for the period of 18 - 21 May.  We will be having a small stand to advertise our presence which will need one of us to be with.

Also - we need articles written for the STLD magazine!  If you feel you can fulfil all these requirements then please email Bernie Davis to apply for one of the STLD places.

See www.showlight.org for further details - if you are a student, then please apply direct to them.

The town’s amazing 13th century Gothic castle with its connected theatre and conference centre will be the main venue for the presentations and exhibition. All delegates are able to stay within the pedestrianised town; vehicle access is deliberately restricted in order to retain the medieval feel of the UNESCO Heritage site.
 
Showlight’s organising committee chairman, Ian Dow, says: “The decision to take the four day event to the town was taken after visiting a number of different potential areas, and it was the intimate feel and stunning backdrop of Český Krumlov that won us over.  “Showlight offers a unique opportunity to listen to and consider the experiences of lighting professionals from across the industry, and to get an insight into the way they work. We also make sure everyone gets a chance to network with some of the most famous names in the business.”
 
Josef Valchar, CEO of Czech Republic-based Robe, says: “Robe very much believes in the Showlight mission of bringing together the lighting community from all over the world and providing an outstanding opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business. We are honoured to have the opportunity to welcome Showlight in our beautiful country and we hope it will become a source of inspiration for all participants for years to come.”
 
Showlight is held in a different city once every four years, beginning in London in 1981. Some 350 people visited Glasgow for the last Showlight in 2009, where presentations were given on subjects as diverse as the lighting of the Royal Variety Performance and the Radiohead tour, to lighting Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque and the Beijing Olympics.  In addition to a major dinner, networking opportunities include a half day visits programme, which always proves popular with delegates.
 
To register for Showlight 2013, click here

The Showlight Schedule