LDI 2004 Preview – Why You Should Be There
For: Church Production Magazine
By: David Martin Jacques
July 9, 2004

Have you ever been overwhelmed with all the choices presented to you when considering the purchasing of new lighting, sound, video, or projection equipment? Do you wonder if you are missing out on a new state-of-the-art product because your local theatrical equipment dealer does not carry it? Do you feel that you may require additional training to understand and work with modern technical equipment? There is a place where you can find all the latest products and learn more about modern theatre technology--that place is the ETS-LDI Conference.

For the professional lighting designer or technical theatre specialist, there is no bigger event than ETS-LDI 2004 (Entertainment Technology Show / Lighting Dimensions International). This annual conference showcases the latest in lighting, projection, rigging, and sound technology. Thousands of professionals from all over the world travel to this conference to see and try out new cutting-edge lighting and sound equipment, network with fellow designers and technicians, and learn new techniques in the entertainment technology industry.

This year’s conference will be held at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas from October 22 through the 24th. LDInstitute classes and workshops will begin on October 18 and run through the 21st. For the past several years LDI has alternated between Las Vegas and Orlando-obvious choices due to the location of productions utilizing cutting-edge technology in these two cities.

Whether you are a staff church technician or a professional designer/consultant, there are several compelling reasons why should you take the time and spend the money to attend LDI. First, there is no other conference where you will find such a comprehensive display of state-of-the-art technical equipment. Over 400 companies prepare year-round for LDI, presenting their products on the 120,000 square foot exhibit hall. You can meet company representatives and get hands-on demonstrations of the latest lighting, video, sound, rigging, special effects, and projection equipment. This is a great opportunity to try out new products before purchasing. In many cases you will also meet the designers of these products and learn how the products were developed.

You will probably discover some amazing technological breakthroughs. A few revolutionary products that were first introduced at past LDI’s include: the ETC Source Four leko, the High End Catalyst Media Server, the ICON M animated moving light, the Martin MAC 2000 automated fixture, and the Vari*Lite VL1000 tungsten moving light. Who knows what surprise products will be showcased this year?

I cannot tell you how many times I discovered products at LDI that offered solutions to churches that I was presently designing. You are able to see for yourself how a product performs, and not have to take a salesman’s word for it. After seeing how these products at LDI, you are able to decide for yourself if the product will fit your church’s needs.

On the education front, LDInstitute offers excellent pre-conference technical and design workshops. These workshops are organized into six areas of interests, including: Lighting Design and Projection Techniques; ESTA Sessions; Sound Design and Acoustics; Convergence: Audio, Video, and Lighting; Lasers; and Technologies for Worship.

This new area is the entertainment technology industry’s acknowledgment of the importance of our readership. This is very encouraging as more manufacturers recognize how they can help support our message. Workshops in the Technologies for Worship area include: Accent on Lighting: A Guide to Understanding Lighting System Design for Installation; Church Lighting for Television and Video Projection; Understanding Intelligent Fixtures and When to Make the Leap; Accent on Audio: The Next Step in Mixing; Audio Worthy of Video: Getting the Right Sound for Your Pictures; The Acoustics of Live Sound for Worship; Accent on Video: Advanced Projection in the House of Worship; PowerPoint 10 to 10 Enhancing Your Worship Service; and Video and RF Distribution Throughout the Church Campus. This group of workshops alone makes LDI worth attending. (You can purchase a package of all the Technologies for Worship workshops for an additional $395.)

In addition to these workshops, LDI offers a series of intense learning experiences. The LDI “Total Immersion” workshops include: hands-on training in WYSIWYG, LD Assistant, and VectorWorks design software; Maxxyz, Grand MA, Strand 500, Whole Hog III automated lighting controller programming; and Catalyst, Virtuoso media servers and video projection design. There are also workshops in Laser Design, Electrical Safety, and Tomcat’s Motor School. These Total Immersion workshops require an additional fee.

Through its Educational Conference Program, LDI offers opportunities to hear and learn from the industry’s leading professional designers and technicians. Numerous seminars are offered that feature lighting and sound professionals discussing various areas of interest including lighting and sound design techniques, rigging, electrical engineering and distribution, rigging, video projection techniques, equipment maintenance, LED lighting equipment, dimmers, Ethernet, sound system design, and control software.

Cirque du Soleil is presently performing “O” and Zumanity in Las Vegas. There will be a fascinating seminar at LDI that features Cirque du Soleil’s design and project management team discussing these productions. Believe me, after seeing these productions you will want to know how they were accomplished.

This is only a small sample of the numerous educational workshops and seminars available. A detailed listing of these seminars and workshops is located on the web at: http://images.entertainmenttech.info/files/1102/ets04_AB.pdf .

As this year’s conference will be held in Las Vegas, a journey down to “The Strip” will offer you the opportunity to see some of the most amazing displays of entertainment technology. LDI’s “Backstage Las Vegas” offers backstage tours and meetings with show designers. You will witness first-hand how these shows were created. The cost of this extra event is $1295 and includes all meals (from dinner Monday through dinner Wednesday), tickets to three theatre events, bus transportation around town and a full conference registration.

Finally, there is the LDI Awards Banquet where professional designers and equipment manufacturers are honored for their work. Here you may share in the recognition of some of the most important artists and technicians in the entertainment technology industry. You will also meet some very interesting people and share technical challenges and solutions.

What does all this cost? A full conference badge costs $495. This package includes entrance to all regular conference sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, ILDA, ESTA and TFW courses. However, it does not include access to any Pre-Conference LDInstitute courses, tutorials or Backstage Las Vegas. A one-day conference pass is $195. There is a student discount full-conference registration fee of $390.

If you only wish to visit the product exhibits on the convention floor, you may purchase a three-day “Exhibits Only” pass for $60. This is a good deal if you only wish to look at all the new equipment. It will take at least two days to see it all.

I have been regularly attending LDI conferences for over ten years. Along with the important experiences I have gained meeting fellow professional designers and consultants, LDI is an essential aspect in my further development as a lighting designer, consultant, and educator. The entertainment industry evolves much too fast for church technicians to just read about new products and techniques. LDI offers us the opportunity to see for ourselves how this technology can make our worship experiences more effective.

Conference information may be found at www.ets-ldi.com.