What's happening
PLASA Show 2026 ran 6-8 September at Olympia London, gathering 250+ brands across lighting, sound, AV, rigging and staging with Robe as chief sponsor. The PLASA Awards for Innovation recognized standout new products, and exhibitors included Ayrton, Chauvet Professional, ETC, GLP and many others, making it a key launch platform for projection and entertainment-lighting gear.
Why it matters for buyers
For a retailer, venue or signage buyer, the practical effect is simple: the unit that reads on your wall at your ambient light, with your artwork, beats the one with the bigger number on the box. Specification order — distance, image size, ambient, then brightness — decides the result.
It also changes lead-time risk. Custom gobos and certified outdoor builds need briefing before the date is fixed; the projector is rarely the long pole, the artwork and certification are.
The technical angle
Laser lines are alignment tools first and effects second. Self-levelling pendulums keep the line true without a tripod bubble, but the class and eye-safety rating matter more than the colour for any public space.
What to specify
Before you request a quote, lock these down:
- Ingress rating if it lives outdoors or gets washed down
- Lead time on a custom gobo versus a stock pattern
- Mounting surface and whether the bracket can hold aim
- Gobo material: glass for longevity and colour, metal for cheap short runs
