ILDA, the International Laser Display Association, will hold its annual conference in Orlando, FL, November 21-23 at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. These dates allow ILDA members to also attend LDI99, which takes place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, November 19-21. "This is a great opportunity for our members to attend LDI," says Chris Ward, ILDA president. "Our members can get twice the benefit from a trip to Orlando. The ILDA conference is the best way to stay current with the latest laser products and professional issues, and LDI is a great way for our members to learn about markets and products throughout the entertainment lighting industry."
ILDA99 meeting hosts include the Orlando-based company, Lighting Systems Design, and Walt Disney World Resort. Seminars begin with an Advanced Technology Workshop on Sunday, November 21, at 9am, with the ILDA exhibits opening at 4pm that day. Sessions include topics such as technical, production, and safety issues, an ILDA business meeting, and the election of new board members and officers. The ILDA conference ends with the annual awards presentation and banquet on Tuesday, November 23.
ILDA members will also present "Laser Design Portfolio," a half-day workshop at LDI on Saturday, November 20, 1:30-5:30pm at the Orange County Convention Center as part of the LDI conference. This special four-hour session is produced by ILDA and ILDA member Tom Harman of Laser Production Network, and will take an in-depth look at the how-to of laser safety and design techniques, plus limited hands-on opportunity for attendees to work with laser equipment and software.
ILDA members will also produce a nighttime laser presentation at Disney's Pleasure Island the weekend of November 20. "We are very excited about this," says Ward. "We've always wanted to do something in a public venue. You'll get to see different styles of work from members around the world." ILDA now has more than 140 members representing 32 countries.
Ward also points out that ILDA has been working to establish standards for the laser industry. A new technical standard, for example, allows members to trade graphics and animation frames across laser systems.
For additional information on the conference, contact the ILDA office by phone at 941/758-6881, by fax at 941/758-1605, or by e-mail at [email protected].