I’ve got three products that I’ve already been given private previews of that I’m very much looking forward to see again at the show in their newly upgraded incarnations.
First off, the highly anticipated MA Lighting grandMA2 is sure to be a crowd pleaser. MA Lighting seems to have taken a page from their German counterparts at BMW: take a platform with super stability and then make it aesthetically sexy. Not only is it going to arouse all the techno-fetishists out there, but the boys from the fatherland have vowed not to release it until it was rock solid. What a concept!
In terms of shiny things, I really think that the Martin MAC III Profile and PRG Bad Boy are going to raise the eyebrows of many people in the industry. We’ve seen a rather stagnant stream of LDI showings these past few years when it comes to actual lighting fixtures. Everything seems to have focused on LED and digital imaging. These two new fixtures are finally going to bring some life back to the arguably dying art of fixture manufacturing. Both companies have focused not just on output and features but also on the technical service issues of their past product lines...and it shows. The tech geeks and artsy designers will both be crowding around and with good reason.
Last, but not least, is Element Labs new Cobra. Everyone spills the beans to me about new stuff because they know I can keep a secret, but nobody seems to have been given the preview skinny on this one and that’s what’s making it so damn intriguing. Nils Thorjussen and the team at Element Labs have yet to disappoint, so I’m sure that the secretive hype will be worth it.