We've had quite a month of news for this ETS-LDI2004 issue. The industry has been buzzing with the announcement of Kristian Kolding's resignation from Martin Professional, news that broke just before we all met up at PLASA in London. We caught up with Kolding there, where he assured eager members of the press that he was really just prioritizing his life but that his days as a CEO are no more (after 28 years as a CEO at a variety of companies, I can certainly understand).
High End Systems has also been busy churning out the news in what appears to be a massive overhaul (or simply the start of one?). With over a half dozen major staff announcements in the last month alone, that's what I call restructuring! There are many familiar faces turning up at HES. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months and how it will affect the industry. I knew you could never really get out of the lighting biz once you've been roped in.
Anyway, look inside for a feature-packed issue focused on Las Vegas, and of course, ETS-LDI2004. See you there.
— Marian Sandberg-Dierson, Editor
Sure sign it's the trade show season: I'm sitting at our stand at PLASA, laptop literally on my lap, and writing about The Entertainment Technology Show-LDI, to be held at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas in just a few short weeks. This year's event is packed with all sorts of exciting features. Backstage Las Vegas runs October 18-20, taking participants behind the scenes of everything from the classic Vegas show Jubilee! to We Will Rock You. The always popular LDInstitute™ runs October 18-21 and the show itself runs October 22-24. And the all-new ET-Live on October 22-23 features an array of live outdoor stages for companies to show off their gear in a real working environment.
One of the great things about the changes we've undergone around here in the last year has been the opportunity to re-establish stronger ties between the show and both Lighting Dimensions and Entertainment Design. All three properties have been the go-to sources for information and education for decades, and they all continue to evolve to reflect the myriad changes of this vibrant and ever-evolving industry. I hope to see you all in Las Vegas in October, hopefully without the laptop.
— David Johnson