The six-date Smart Projects Roadshow will bring together   professionals driving commercial lighting projects to share the challenges they face before, during and after installation – and explore how leading edge, intelligent lighting solutions can overcome even deeply embedded issues.

Lighting now increasingly incorporates sensor networks, control systems and data platforms, all of which can integrate with smart building operations. As these technologies evolve, they must address the differing needs of M&E contractors, consultants, designers, and facilities, building and project managers.

Smart solutions already have the capability to deliver new levels of lighting quality and energy and carbon efficiency, and Whitecroft Lighting has innovated across the supply chain to introduce new smart products, and services to reflect this demand.

The Smart Projects Roadshow is part of this mission to innovate across the entire supply chain and ensure the future direction of Whitecroft’s research and development meets the needs of the market.

The Smart Projects Roadshow will visit six cities:

• Bristol, Watershed, Thursday, 7^th May
• Birmingham, Thinktank Museum, Thursday, 14^th May
• London, Glaziers Hall, London Bridge, Thursday, 4^th June
• Belfast, Titanic Distillers, Tuesday, 9^th June
• Glasgow, National Piping Centre, Thursday, 18^th June
• Manchester, The Alan Hotel, Thursday, 2^nd July

All the Smart Project Roadshow events run from 4.30pm – 7.30pm and are an opportunity for attendees to gain a clear and integrated perspective.

“Whitecroft Lighting’s Smart Projects Roadshow is much more about engaging with people delivering projects than showing off our smart lighting tech.” explains Matt Paskin, Solutions and Marketing Director at Whitecroft Lighting.

“We want to understand your on-site headaches. What slows you down? What smart solutions will make your job easier – from that first delivery through to long-term maintenance.

Whitecroft Lighting’s mission is to is to understand these daily challenges so we can evolve our proposition into a complete one-stop and lifelong partner.”

To sign up for a Smart Projects Roadshow event, visit Info.WhitecroftLighting.com/Smart-Projects-Roadshow

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The late-night style event comes complete with panel discussions, games, special – and surprise – performances, and collabs, as well as awards that recognize Bravospheric talents and achievements throughout the year. The November 2025 event was presented by Embassy Row Productions in conjunction with NBCUniversal at PH Live in – where else? – Las Vegas!

This was lit and production designed by John Viesta – president and principal designer of design studio Infinite Designs Inc. – who has been working his own creative magic on WWHL since 2010. To keep all that energy pumping, he included a serious amount of Robe moving lights among other fixtures on his lighting rig, in the form of 48 iFORTES, 134 iFORTE LTXs, 3 iFORTE LTX Follow Spots and 22 Tetra1s.

The design and lighting needed to capture the excitement and thrill of pacey live televisual moments, combined with the drama and spectacle of large-scale theater, as BravoCon 2025 featured 29 panels streamed on Peacock – available the day after the live presentations in Las Vegas – while separately, Andy Cohen recorded 5 episodes of BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen.

It was a truly full-tilt environment where all involved in the production needed to be constantly on their toes.

A version of the set had been used before, appearing in the 2023 BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen event. The design concept for the Vegas show captured the spirit of Andy Cohen’s late-night show WWHL by combining a NYC mid-century modern aesthetic and the styling of Las Vegas of the same time period, including a striking and elegant 80-foot-wide proscenium arch encrusted with incandescent lamps. John also used a number of lighting treatments to transform the set, including built-in fixtures that added a contemporary edge.

With PH Live generally being a much larger venue than the previous Paris Theater in Las Vegas, everything was upscaled. During planning, John realized that he would need much higher-powered profile fixtures than had previously been available to handle the 150-200 ft throws at PH Live.

That is where he got talking to Marty Postma, sales director at Robe North America. The two had attended college together and were already in touch, so they started talking and John began looking at Robe.

He needed a luminaire that looked great on camera and was bright enough to cover the throw and ideally a moving light that could also frame small and precise shapes and areas.

“I tested pretty much every moving light in that league that was available,” explained John, “and the iFORTE LTX was the only one that had the real firepower that I needed.”

It was the first time that John had used Robe’s powerful iFORTE fixtures, and a testament to the confidence he had in the products that he was prepared to do so on such a prominent and high-profile live televised show environment.

“Using these modern big-lensed fixtures really assisted with the general aesthetics; the abundance of fixtures enabled us to fill the airspace meaningfully,” he observed.

As it happened, PH Live had also just taken delivery of nearly 75 iFORTES and 9 iFORTE LTXs equipped with LightMaster rigs to be part of their house rig, so John had access to these, in addition to all the other Robe elements that were supplied to the event by lighting and rigging vendors Main Light.

The iFORTE LTXs were all rigged in the FOH area and used for key lighting. They were needed to cover the whole stage, which was at times completely filled with people. The iFORTES were positioned on a downstage bar just above the show portal.

The follow spots comprised 3 iFORTE LTXs running on 3 RoboSpot BaseStations, and it was also the first time that John had used iFORTES for this task, for which he was super impressed:

“The brightness is fantastic. They have decent CRI for camera … they look great on people and have great repeatability – so they return to exactly where we placed them – and color consistency was also very important over these distances. I’ll definitely be using them again!”

Various gobo iFORTE looks were additionally used to wash and texture the venue, creating some cool ambience.

John created a frame of fixtures outside of the show portal, alternating Tetra1s with tiny LED wash fixtures. He notes this effect made a gorgeous “Pearl Necklace, framing the stage.”

The main challenge in delivering BravoCon is the very short rehearsal window, which requires the whole creative team to be fluid, dynamic, and adaptable during production and filming, as ideas can and do change … and they need to be accommodated quickly and efficiently.

The pressure of the live broadcast is also something John loves, as well as it being a big pressure. “This is my favorite project to work on,” he enthuses, adding that Andy is a kind and generous individual with whom to work and who loves to push the boundaries of what is technically possible. “Good leadership comes from the top.”

John’s background is in theater, and Broadway in particular is where he carved out his professional niche. He has used Robe BMFLs in that world as follow spots and T2s on Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, so he knew the brand already, but this was his first big televisual extravaganza using Robe in such a mission-critical way.

“iFORTES are fabulous fixtures and I look forward to using them more frequently,” he notes, adding that when he met Robe CEO Josef Valchar – who is at the heart of the product development – he thought he was very inspirational, and also likes the fact that the company is independent and that the products are manufactured locally in Czechia.

Working alongside John on BravoCon 2025 was an incredibly talented team, including his Infinite Designs colleagues, Tyler M. Perry, who looked after the scenic design and Ben Travis, who was the technical supervisor. The lighting director was Greg Goff; Josh Selander was lighting director/programmer, John Salzmann was the gaffer, with Tom Thayler as associate gaffer, and the best boy was Eric Kaspersin.

Scenery was by PRG and Daedalus, with additional scenic elements from Kihl Studios.

Photo credit: Charlie Sykes.

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OESVs are specialised vessels that deliver logistics, transport, installation, maintenance, and operational support to offshore energy infrastructure – including offshore wind farms, oil and gas platforms, subsea installations, and power and communications cables.

“These vessels are built to exceptionally high specifications and are frequently required to perform in some of the harshest weather conditions at sea. That places strict demands on every component on board — including the lighting. The energy-efficient lighting complements the environmental benefits of these methanol-ready vessels, which also have generators capable of running on 100% biofuel,” said Bernt Omdal, CEO of Sea1 Offshore.

Glamox will supply approximately 2,000 marine LED lights per vessel. They include rugged exterior lighting, including watertight explosion-proof luminaires and floodlights. Interior lighting includes multipurpose luminaires for workshops, stores, holds, and passageways, recessed lighting for indoor crew areas, and downlights for crew quarters.

“Our marine-certified luminaires are highly energy efficient and have a long lifespan, supporting our customers’ ambition to cut emissions, reduce maintenance needs, and lower total operational costs,” said Astrid Simonsen Joos, Group CEO of Glamox. “This project represents another strong milestone for our marine business.”

Glamox will deliver the lighting for the first vessel to COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore Co. Ltd in April. COSCO, which is Glamox’s customer, is building all four vessels and will install the lighting at its yard. The lighting for the next three vessels will be supplied every three months thereafter.

Sea1 Offshore’s OESVs are based on the ST-245 design. The first two vessels were ordered in November 2024, and a further two in March 2025. They measure 120 metres in length, with a cargo deck of 1,400 square meters, and each will be fitted with a 250-tonne deck crane, two remotely operated vehicle (ROV) hangars, and a moonpool. They can accommodate up to 120 personnel. All four vessels are scheduled for delivery during 2027 and the first half of 2028.

Image: Rendering of a Sea1 Offshore OESV. 

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NG Bailey, one of the UK’s largest independent engineering and infrastructure services businesses, has marked a new chapter in its long-standing presence in Leeds by relocating to a modern headquarters at White Rose Office Park. The Grade A workspace brings together all operational businesses and support functions in to a single, amenity-rich environment designed to support collaboration, wellbeing and future growth.

Selected for its high-quality infrastructure, transport connectivity and extensive onsite amenities, the new headquarters reflects NG Bailey’s wider commitment to creating an exceptional working environment for colleagues while supporting long-term sustainability ambitions.

A brief shaped by workplace quality and architectural intent

Think Architecture led the workplace strategy for the CAT B fit-out, developing a layout that balances focused work areas with meeting rooms, breakout zones and social spaces. NG Bailey sought a lighting scheme that would complement the architectural language of the interior while delivering comfort, flexibility and clarity across a wide range of tasks.

KNG Building Services worked closely with the Zumtobel Group to develop a coordinated lighting approach. One of the key challenges was defining a coherent luminaire selection across both Thorn and Zumtobel, ensuring each space met its performance requirements while contributing to a consistent visual identity.

Through collaborative workshops and on-site sample demonstrations, the final specification was refined and agreed with NG Bailey, allowing lighting performance and aesthetic intent to be evaluated together.

Developing a coordinated lighting approach

Detailed reviews with NG Bailey allowed the Thorn and Zumtobel project team to refine the visual hierarchy of luminaires across the office. A considered mix of recessed, suspended and continuous-row solutions was developed to express the character of each space while maintaining low glare and consistent lighting quality.

The reception sets the tone for the workplace, combining Thorn Cetus downlights with Zumtobel SLOTLIGHT Round to create a clean, contemporary entrance experience. Discreet emergency coverage is provided by Zumtobel RESCLITE PRO.

Across the main office areas, Thorn IQ Beam delivers uniform, low-glare illumination suited to all-day screen-based work, supporting productivity and visual comfort.

Meeting rooms feature suspended black SLOTLIGHT luminaires alongside grey TRAMAO fittings with micro-reflector optics, providing controlled light for collaboration, presentations and video conferencing.

Breakout areas use layered lighting to define different zones and moods. Suspended and recessed SLOTLIGHT introduce rhythm and continuity, with selective colour temperature variation used to distinguish spaces. Black LINETIK adds visual contrast, while Novaline luminaires support circulation routes and informal seating areas.

Supporting different ways of working through light

Throughout the building, the lighting scheme balances functional performance with spatial definition. Low-glare optics support focused work, while architectural forms help distinguish collaborative, social and presentation spaces.

Emergency lighting is delivered using a combination of standalone Zumtobel RESCLITE PRO and Thorn Voyager Blade, ensuring compliant coverage throughout the building without visual clutter.

Controls play a quiet but essential role in the scheme. Presence and daylight dimming are implemented across office floors via a wired DALI system, reducing energy use while maintaining consistent light levels. Meeting rooms include scene-setting to support presentations, collaboration and video calls.

A collaborative process, a cohesive result

“From a Zumtobel Group perspective, this project was about bringing together the strengths of both Thorn and Zumtobel in a way that genuinely supported the client’s workplace vision,” says Martin Raper, Key Accounts Manager, Zumtobel Group. “By working closely with NG Bailey, KNG Building Services and the wider design team, we were able to develop a lighting scheme that feels cohesive across the building while still responding to the very different demands of each space.”

Carl Nielsen, Managing Director, KNG Building Services, adds, “The brief asked for operational performance and architectural identity in equal measure. The joint Thorn and Zumtobel solution delivers both, creating a workplace that is comfortable, visually coherent and aligned with how NG Bailey’s teams use the space day to day.”

The completed headquarters provides NG Bailey with an efficient, visually unified lighting solution that supports wellbeing, productivity and sustainability. The varied luminaire palette ensures each space is fit for purpose while reinforcing a clear, cohesive lighting identity across the new workplace.

Photography accreditation: Joss Guest 

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Located in Brattland, just outside Åre, the power line pole stands 32 metres high and is a pioneering combination of art and engineering. With the Åreskutan mountains in the background, it has become something of a landmark for those travelling from Östersund.

Stockholm Lighting Company delivered all the hardware, lights and controls at the first installation and for this upgrade. The pole’s lighting is managed by a single universe Pharos Designer LPC controller, an all-in-one control solution that is ideal for interactive and integrated lighting installations. As a rugged, compact unit, the Designer LPC offers complete reliability operating 24/7.

The LPC features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes, allowing the user to build dynamic, precise, fully customisable pre-programmed lighting effects with the freedom of real-time manual overrides and the versatility of powerful show control and integration features.

The intuitive system changes expression according to the season, showcasing different colours and lighting schemes to reflect the natural environment around it. The dynamic scenes also celebrate national days in Sweden, and the pole acts as a beacon for visitors to the area.

Lina Strömmer, Managing Director at Stockholm Lighting Company, said: “Many people who pass Brattland see the pole as a welcome signal lighting the way for them. The Designer LPC from Pharos has allowed us to create a fun and flexible system with customisable optics to future-proof the pole and continue to create a design that meets the client’s needs.”

Ryan Sainsbury, Regional Sales Manager for UK. Ireland, N. Europe and Benelux at Pharos Architectural Controls, added: “The dynamic lighting transforms the pole into a visual landmark for the community. By utilising our Designer LPC, this unique structure can provide not just efficient functional power but exciting artistic lighting and scenes that spark the imagination.”

Project credits
Lighting Controls: Pharos Architectural Controls.

Supply & Commissioning: Stockholm Lighting Company.

Lighting Design: Light Bureau.

Fixture Manufacturer: Lumenpulse.

Photography: Kai Piippo.

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“Great lighting design begins with collaboration and thoughtful innovation,” said Thomas Wang, Head of Global Development at WAC Group. “WAC Architectural is founded on four core strengths: a New York–based headquarters, precision manufacturing at our state-of-the-art facility in Thailand, technology developed in close partnership with designers and built for project-driven applications, and a strong commitment to sustainable, long-term performance.”

The brand benefits from WAC Group’s end-to-end integrated manufacturing model, ensuring superior quality control, rapid customisation, and environmentally responsible production practices to meet the rigorous standards of modern commercial environments. WAC Architectural empowers designers to push creative and technical boundaries; it is built on a foundation of four advantages:

1. Owned from concept to completion: End-to-end control across design, engineering, and manufacturing ensures accountability, flexibility, and consistency at every stage of a project.

2. Responsibility, engineered at ccale: Zero-emission, carbon-neutral manufacturing demonstrates that performance, innovation, and environmental responsibility can advance together.
3. Precision: Rigorous testing, reliable logistics, and disciplined lead times deliver products that perform exactly as specified, exactly when needed.
4. Forged in the world’s most demanding market: New York City shaped WAC Group’s standards for precision and accountability, while manufacturing centered in Thailand enables consistent, scalable execution worldwide.

“Building upon WAC Group’s strong heritage, we’re excited to debut our newly launched commercial specification brand, WAC Architectural, at Light + Building 2026,” according to Keith Eagle, Vice President- Business Development at WAC Group. “The fair offers a global platform for us to connect with customers, partners and industry leaders and showcase WAC Group’s portfolio of precision-engineered luminaires designed specifically for project-driven applications.”

According to Jenifer Walsh, CMO for WAC Group, “For over 40 years, the WAC Group family of brands has been united by a single mission: to bring smart, sustainable, and beautiful light to every environment. From residential to large-scale architectural projects, we have built a reputation for innovation, quality, and design, and today, that legacy continues with the launch of WAC Architectural.  Taking ourselves on a listen-and-learn journey, WAC Architectural was developed with the specifier at the core of our product development.  The result is a commercial portfolio that empowers customers and partners to shape light with accuracy, consistency, and creative freedom.”

WAC Group offers comprehensive custom capabilities to support projects that require tailored lighting solutions beyond the standard catalogue. With in-house design, engineering, prototyping, and manufacturing, WAC collaborates directly with architects and lighting designers to adapt products, develop specialty luminaires, or create fully bespoke pieces.

Custom expertise includes Schonbek, a WAC Group brand, whose century-long legacy of handcrafted crystal and artistry enables one-of-a-kind decorative statements for luxury residential, hospitality, and commercial spaces. Together, WAC Group brands provide flexible, precise, and reliable custom solutions that bring distinctive design visions to life.

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Located in the heart of London’s design community, the TRILUX Light Studio has been developed to support closer engagement with customers across the UK and beyond. The space reflects the company’s Light. Space. Dialogue. approach, combining inspiration, practical application and collaboration in one place.

A space for light, application and dialogue

The Light Studio brings together multiple functions within one environment, structured around a central ‘sphere of light’ feature. From this focal point, the space is organised into three key areas: a welcome zone, the inspiration stage and a collaboration space, each supporting a different aspect of the customer experience.

Visitors can experience lighting solutions in situ, explore different application scenarios, including office environments, and work alongside TRILUX teams on live projects.

In addition to installed solutions, the studio includes dedicated areas for hands-on collaboration, enabling customers to test ideas, review schemes and develop concepts in real time. The space is also designed to support workshops, events and knowledge-sharing through the TRILUX Akademie.

Supporting closer customer relationships

The opening of the London Light Studio reflects the growing importance of proximity and personal interaction in project development. By establishing a central London location, TRILUX aims to make it easier for customers to connect, collaborate and access expertise.

Based in Charterhouse Square, the studio provides a convenient and well-connected meeting point, supporting more efficient project discussions and long-term relationships.

A strategic hub for the UK and beyond

The London Light Studio forms part of TRILUX’s wider approach to creating spaces that connect customers, projects and expertise across markets, acting as a central hub for both UK-based activity and international collaboration.

Phil Cross, Managing Director, TRILUX UK, comments, “The London Light Studio reflects both our commitment to the UK market and London’s role as an international design hub. With excellent connectivity, including easy access from Heathrow, it provides a natural meeting point for customers and partners working across multiple markets.”

It was officially opened at a VIP event attended by customers and representatives from TRILUX headquarters.

Leighton James, Product & Marketing Director, TRILUX explains, “The Light Studio is about bringing our customers closer to TRILUX in a very practical way. We wanted to create a space where people can experience light, explore applications and have meaningful conversations around their projects.

Being in central London allows us to be more accessible and responsive, while giving our customers a place to meet, collaborate and develop ideas together. It’s not just about showcasing products; it’s about creating an environment that supports how projects are actually delivered today.”

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Acting as client, architect and interior designer, dMFK Architects approached Light Forms to develop a flexible, interchangeable lighting scheme that could combine standard and non-standard fittings – some fixed, some moveable – while responding sensitively to the constraints of a low ceiling and limited natural light. The ambition was to create a softly lit, highly adaptable environment that demonstrates how even the most challenging spaces can become viable, inspiring workplaces.

Accenting the narrow, mirrored lightwell that draws visitors down into the basement, Light Forms concealed a KA28 Micro Grazer LED fitting to wash a sheer curtain with light, creating the illusion of daylight along the limited street-facing edge. This subtle intervention provides an immediate sense of depth and arrival.

Within the main space – featuring a workspace, materials libraryand events hub – carefully positioned Powergear 3-Circuit track forms the backbone of the scheme. Flexible Nova Small spotlights, controlled via a Casambi system, provide the ability to reconfigure lighting layouts with ease, highlighting furniture, workshop samples and curated displays as the space evolves. The system allows seamless transition from focused daytime working to industry events, design talks, intimate suppers, and more.

At the centre of the basement sits a five-metre-long terrazzo bar, conceived as a multifunctional focal point – a materials discussion table by day and a bar, dining surface or DJ booth by night. Here, Light Forms proposed a completely flush track solution, delivering warm, dimmable illumination across the surface without the visual interruption of suspended fittings. The fittings can be easily swapped out to showcase alternative luminaires, supporting dMFK’s ambition to explore and present new products within the space.

In the meeting rooms, bespoke Sirius 400 circular fittings were developed to focus light precisely onto the table surface, softening gently at the perimeter to create a calm, intimate atmosphere. Designed to clip into the track, these fittings reinforce the project’s overarching principle of flexibility and interchangeability.

Installed in collaboration with contractor Retail Design and Build Ltd., the lighting integrates seamlessly with acoustic treatments, bespoke joinery and material interventions throughout the basement. The result is a cohesive, layered environment that balances technical performance with warmth and tactility, supporting focused work, collaborative workshops, exhibitions and social events alike.

Commenting on the project, Julian de Metz, Director at dMFK, said: “We work with Light Forms on multiple projects because they have a ‘can do’ ability and drive to design and fabricate interesting fittings that innovate, stand apart from the market, whilst performing in a highly technical arena. For ‘Downstairs at dMFK’, Light Forms were, as ever, easy to work with and helped us arrive at a solution that exceeded our expectations. The lighting is gorgeous.”

By combining concealed grazing light, adaptable track systems and bespoke feature fittings, Downstairs at dMFK demonstrates how thoughtful lighting can redefine a basement environment – strengthening working relationships, showcasing emerging products and creating a space that blurs the line between office, gallery and gathering place.

Project credits:
Client: dMFK Architects.
Architect: dMFK Architects.
Interior Design: dMFK Architects.
Contractor: Retail Design and Build Ltd.
Lighting: Light Forms.
Photography: Ed Reeve.

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Steven leaned into using 68 Robe iFORTE and 60 Robe Spiider moving lights as the primary lighting and effects fixtures for the show, supplied, together with other lights, sound, video and rigging, by Dublin-based rental company, Just Lite, project-managed by John McGuinness and Paul Smith.

Steven first met the band – Robbie Cunningham, Oisín McCaffrey, and Ross McNerney – when they were opening for Hozier, also one of his clients, on a US tour. They liked what he was doing and asked him to produce some lighting magic for them, culminating with these four high-profile arena shows.

Amble liked the idea of having a big back wall of lights, so after initial discussions, Steven took this as a starting point and framed this with an eye-catching LED pros arch to complement the wall of Spiiders. In addition to the three members of the band, these Dublin shows featured up to six guest performers onstage. Fundamental to Steven’s aesthetic, in addition to creating a fantastic lightshow, was “keeping them close together.”

Their success trajectory has been rapid – day jobs were quit and recording contracts were only signed in 2024 – so they are still relatively used to performing on much smaller stages. “I didn’t want to have a 60 ft wide stage with a load of dead space and people feeling uncomfortable,” Steven explained, so the LED pros and the back wall of lights functioned as practical set pieces, to which he added risers for guest artists.

The back wall of 10 wide and 6 high Spiiders on ladder trusses made a big dramatic statement and Steven also used it to create subtle twinkling and kinetic effects. Spiiders gave him “many options” and were interspersed with some blinders and strobes.

Spiiders were chosen as he wanted “a big face wash light,” adding that the central chip and Flower Effect were instrumental “in giving the show a unique look and an edge at times.”

The 68 x iFORTES were positioned on the overhead and front trusses and also on side torms with 12 fixtures on the floor for some rear lumen power.

Steven has used the iFORTE numerous times. It is a go-to when working festivals, so he knew it was a “bright, reliable, versatile choice with a good gobo set,” and that it would produce all the effects he was envisioning as well as excellent key light.

Six of the iFORTES rigged on the front truss were paired with a remote follow spot system with two front lights each designated to the three Amble band members together with one iFORTE from the back – on a separate truss just upstage of the pros – so for every person there were 3 iFORTE follow spots. They were complemented by side lighting from another 8 iFORTES to complete the key light picture.

The 12 iFORTES on the floor were used for big, bold, sumptuous beamy backlight looks.

Time was tight, there was no pre-production time at the arena – they loaded in and went straight into the first show – however Steven was able to build most of the show on Capture and spent two intense days of pre-vizzing at Just Lite’s studio in Dublin.

Prior to the Arena shows, Steven completed a quick run of shows with the band in the UK in smaller venues like Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom and London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, carrying only a small floor package in a trailer with the main workhorse being 6 x Robe Spiiders.

For Steven, it was a fun experience to work with a fast-rising band again who are “great lads and very enthusiastic” to deliver these landmark arena shows and get the chance to present a clean, modern look that focused on Amble and their music being the centre of the action, surrounded by a slick and creative supporting production.

“It’s very much a show about the band’s performance, so we created an architecture around them and lit it appropriately, putting all the emphasis on them but with capacity to go a little crazier as the show evolved,” he concluded.

Photo credit: Steven Douglas.

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Los Angeles-based creative company DX7 Design, who have worked on this event since its inception back in 2023, procured 270 of the JDC2 IP hybrid strobes from vendor PRG, along with 500 of the super-powerful JDC Burst 1, as their role this year extended far beyond simply outfitting the circuit grid and pit lane, reaching every corner of the city.

Led by the company’s CEO Tom Sutherland, the team created an expansive design, which spread from the track and paddock through six remote fan zones.

Tom explained: “Emily Prazer took over as race CEO this year, and her directive was to elevate the event into something more experiential, but within the same budget for lighting, audio and video. Her driving force was to bring Formula 1 more into the entertainment space, and we were given a blank canvas to develop a design that we could lay out across the entire city. It was essentially a festival meeting a sporting event.”

And the dynamic of GLP’s ultra-bright, flexible hybrids was key to the many show elements, including driver introductions, podium celebrations and the fan zones.

The 270 pieces of JDC2 IP lined the front of the F1 paddock and were used for colour chasing, strobe effects and displaying the F1 logo, while delivering the power needed for both live and global broadcast audiences. The ability to display the F1 logo had been one of the event highlights, said Sutherland. Thanks to the fixture’s NDI integration, video content could be streamed to the fixture’s RGB pixel plate, while the DX7 team also made use of the fixture’s library of built-in DigiFX.

DX7 then deployed 500 pieces of JDC Burst 1 across the different fan zones and around the track to create uniquely themed environments for the different sponsors (green for Heineken, magenta for T-Mobile and so on), and there were different activation moments set every 15 minutes. A 12-segment white strobe line formed the heart of this versatile fixture, at either side of which were RGBW LED plates, divided into 48 segments of 5 × 5 pixels each, which provided astonishing power output.

Explaining the underlying reasons for his product choice, Tom said, “We first used JDC2 on the VMAs [Video Music Awards] last year, and when I showed Formula 1 how we could import their logo, their eyes lit up.” As for the JDC Bursts, they were a perfect antidote for the torrential downpours and hailstorms that dogged the event, and with their extraordinary brightness took centre stage against the super-bright backdrop of the Vegas strip.

“We needed to be able to compete with all that lighting on the Strip, so you got a sense of the event in itself,” Sutherland agreed. “But while everything had to be bright, it also had to be IP-rated. Consequently, we had very few drop-outs; all GLP pieces worked flawlessly and maintained their strength throughout, without one failure.” Only the huge cable runs risked exposure to the weather.

Tom was supported by DX7 colleagues, James Coldicott (COO), Harry Forster (President) and Hunter Selby (Senior Associate Designer). Programmer Chris Fernandez worked from three intercommunicating grandMA3 full-size consoles stationed in a control centre that was bursting at the seams, running all the GLP pieces in maximum pixel mode for full impact.

Tom can reflect fondly on an event believed to have been the largest temporary video, lighting and networking system piloted from one centralised control position to date, not to mention being DX7 Design’s largest ever project. “The sheer scale of the event and weather were the biggest challenges, and it took a lot of very clever nerds to pull that off – to figure out how this system worked and how it went together. There were a lot of beams pointing into the sky, but fortunately, the FAA didn’t give us any grief!

“In fact, the whole event was a huge success, and the Formula 1 organisation loved the new look.”

Photo credit: DX7 Design.

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