Avolites: Industry Viewpoints

AVOLITES: INDUSTRY VIEWPOINTS

At a time when the creative capabilities of the touring industry are put on hold, Shareholder and Original Director of Avolites, Steve Warren, tells TPi why he has created a platform for industry experts to share their pearls of wisdom…

As early pioneers of the high-end professional lighting control console, stage dimming equipment, and media server market, Avolites has accumulated a wealth of experience and resources, not only in the live events field, but also in technology, legal and logistics. At a time when thousands of creative resources and webinars are available at the click of button, with more eyes than ever before, Shareholder and Original Director of Avolites, Steve Warren, explains why discourse should be at the forefront of innovation.

“M any individuals in the live touring industry share views and an understanding of current trends, so we felt it would be a benefit if some of the important questions of the time could be put to individuals who are experts in each field,” Warren said, speaking from his home in London.

“At the same time, we felt that our role as one of the early pioneers in the industry (Avolites celebrates its 45th birthday on 7 May 2021), is to bring important topics and trends to the attention of our end users, customers as well as the industry as a whole, to create debate and get different perspectives on the important topics and trends, that are affecting and will affect our industry.”

Th e Avolites team decided the best way to do this was with a series of articles, informed and shaped by leaders of the industry. “We hope this is just the start of an ongoing dialogue on these and other important topics that face our industry in the future,” Warren explained.

Th e list of contributors is open to “those of merit”, featuring experts and key decision makers from all corners of the live events sector, such as: Wayne Howell MD at Artistic License; Kinesys MD, Dave Weatherhead; Backstage Academy MD, Rachael Nicholson; Visual specialist, Nick Jevons; RES Tech Director, Dave Green; TPi Awards Lighting Designer of the Year, Tim Routledge; I-pix MD, Chris Ewington and Martin Professional Director of Product Management – Lighting, Peter Skytte. Topics will be separated to focus on key talking points in the industry, including: Innovation – Past,

Present and Future, which delves into the topic of using video integration as key innovation driver example; Changing Roles Within the Lighting Control Industry, which will hypothesise on what the future may hold for tomorrow’s programmers, designers and controllers; Future Predictions in the Professional Lighting Control Industry; and Sustainability – How Will the Industry Change to Meet the Expectations of Ticket Buyers and Government Regulations?

“Our contact base centres around the lighting, video, training and logistics sectors of the industry, so that influenced the initial response groups,” Warren added. “Overall, the industry has been very receptive to the concept; I intend to pull in some audio contributors for future articles.”

With a host of columnists in the bag, Warren looked towards future topics such as The Big Pivot, which focuses on the changing commercial model, which software is driving. “Who are the winners and losers and how will the new technologies and developments in AR, VR and streaming directly affect the production industry?” he posed.

Warren explained that by consulting with a wide range of representatives from all corners of the industry, the articles will present a “balanced view that is helpful and of interest to readers”. He furthered: “As one of the earliest companies in the industry, we have a responsibility to stand up for our industry and look out for it. It is not enough just to stand by and watch things happen; we need to be active in creating positive change across the industry, for the good of all.”

Ac cording to Warren, readers can expect to receive insight and comment from respected peers and mentors that will help them to take decisions on their future and provoke further thought. “Our best guidance on the future of our industry is from looking at past developments and seeing how they impacted on our current lives and roles,” he reported. “Corporate returns and responsibilities now play a greater part today and that ripples throughout our industry. The different disciplines of audio, video, lighting and scenery come closer together as we all deliver on immersive and interactive projects. I believe that AR and VR will push this concept even further.”

The first set of articles will be shared on the Avolites website, social channels and platforms. “We hope others will pick them up and add their points of view,” Warren concluded. “They are intended to be starters, for discussion and debate, so we welcome everyone to take part.” TPi Photos: Avolites www.avolites.com

Photo by Claire P on Unsplash* Original warranties expiring 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 are extended by 12 months

A Ghostlight burns in empty theaters as a beacon against the dark and as a promise to soon retake the stage.