West Nottinghamshire College and leading certification body and training provider NAPIT have formed a collaborative partnership to create a stronger, more effective pathway into qualifications within the building services, renewable energy and low-carbon sectors.

NAPIT is based on the Pleasley Vale Business Park where it provides electrical courses, as well as training in technologies such as heat pump, battery storage, electric vehicle charging and solar PV installations. The college delivers air conditioning and refrigeration training at the same site, which also serves as an end-point assessment (EPA) centre for plumbing, heating and refrigeration apprentices and holds City & Guilds approved EPA provider status in ‘recognition of excellence in apprenticeship delivery.’

The agreement between the two organisations will provide access to appropriate work placements and apprenticeships, a clear progression route for semi-qualified electricians and low-carbon heating engineers, and a pathway into industry for full-time learners.

It will also create opportunities to upskill current electricians and local businesses, enabling them to enhance their skills, deepen their industry knowledge, and expand into emerging areas such as renewable energy and low-carbon technologies.

Learners could gain access to the NAPIT CPD platform and the NAPIT Foundation, which aims to support students during their learning journey with technical helpline access and supporting articles to best practice guides and webinars.

Working with NAPIT, the college aims to strengthen its training in renewable energy systems, retrofit and energy efficiency, equipping learners with the knowledge and practical expertise needed to meet evolving industry demands and contribute to the transition to low-carbon technologies.

West Nottinghamshire College Principal and Chief Executive Andrew Cropley, MBE said: “I’m delighted to celebrate yet another exciting partnership for our college. Working with NAPIT will help us engage with a number of local and regional businesses, many of them at the forefront of clean and low-carbon energy, and support them in recruiting and developing their workforce.

It will also enable us to equip our students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight needed to become highly employable by NAPIT’s member businesses.

Crucially, this collaboration strengthens the link between education and industry, helping to bridge the gap between training and employment while ensuring our courses remain up-to-date and relevant as the sector continues to evolve. I very much look forward to us working with, and learning from, our new partners at NAPIT.”

NAPIT Commercial and Compliance Director Stephen Melton, said: “NAPIT and West Nottinghamshire College both provide training in the same building where we have our headquarters in Pleasley Vale, so it makes perfect sense for us to collaborate and work together to benefit learners and employers in the local area.

We are keen to promote the benefits of employing apprentices and the opportunities available to electricians and installers of low-carbon technology, especially given the drive towards heat pumps and solar PV in recent Government announcements such as the Warm Homes Plan and the Future Homes Standard.

The partnership agreement between NAPIT and the college will help to create a stronger, more effective pathway into qualifications within the building services, renewable energy and low-carbon sectors.

Combining the resource and expertise of both organisations will help to offer a wide range of enhanced opportunities for learners, employers and NAPIT members in the area. It will support employers and businesses in the East Midlands, strengthen employability and upskill the industry to make the most of the growth opportunities available to electricians, heating engineers and installers of heat pumps, solar panels and batteries.”

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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 DALI Alliance announces that its 3rd Annual DALI North America Summit will take place 16th and 17th September in Dallas, Texas, alongside ArchLIGHT Summit, the commercial and architectural lighting event held 15th and 16t September at Dallas Market Center.

The DALI Summit brings together lighting designers, manufacturers, integrators, and technology providers to explore the latest developments in standardized lighting control and smart building integration. The event continues to grow as a key forum for advancing interoperability, data-driven lighting, and the role of lighting within connected building systems.

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Now in its second decade, TheStadiumBusiness Summit is recognised as one of the leading global gatherings for stadium, arena and venue professionals, bringing together senior decision-makers from across sport, entertainment and venue operations to explore the future of the industry.

At this year’s event, Thorn Lighting will showcase its latest sports lighting solutions, including the Altis White LED and RGBW Colour LED ranges. Demonstrations will highlight how lighting quality, control and flexibility can support modern venue requirements, from broadcast performance to enhanced fan experience.

Thorn will also contribute to the conference programme, with Josh Egginton, Head of Sports at Thorn Lighting, delivering a session titled “The Future of Sports Lighting Technology,” exploring how the latest lighting technology and innovative solutions can help to increase engagement, put fans first and create memorable experiences.  Demonstrating how Thorn Lighting can support global complex projects from a foundation of Circular Design Rules and sustainable business and manufacturing practices.

The company’s involvement follows its recent shortlisting in TheStadiumBusiness Awards 2026, where it is a finalist in the Venue Technology category for its work at Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light. The project demonstrates how advanced lighting systems can combine broadcast-quality illumination, energy efficiency and dynamic control to create new fan engagement opportunities, including the club’s pre-match “Lighthouse” lighting experience.

TheStadiumBusiness Summit 2026 will bring together a global audience of venue owners, operators and suppliers, including CEOs, COOs, CTOs and commercial leaders, providing a platform to explore innovation, technology and transformation across the sector.

Visitors attending TheStadiumBusiness Summit 2026 can meet the Thorn Lighting team at stand 149 to explore its latest sports lighting solutions and discuss how lighting can support performance, sustainability and fan experience in modern venues.

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Pharos Architectural Controls are exhibiting at PLASA Focus Leeds on 12th – 13th May 2026, presenting their latest developments across its lighting control portfolio, led by significant new capabilities within the Pharos Express range.

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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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This year’s production features a full lighting refresh that includes Elation’s PARAGON M LED profile moving head, supplied by 4Wall Entertainment. The fixtures play a central role in shaping the show’s visual language from subtle emotion to high-impact concert-style moments.

Visual storytelling

The modern-day passion play delivers an immersive retelling of the life and death of Jesus. Working alongside Creator & Founder John Bolin and Director Andrew Harmon, Fournier helped shape the look of a show that leans heavily on visual storytelling.

“Lighting plays a gigantic role in guiding the audience’s experience,” explains Harmon, who has been directing the show for the past 15 years. “Lighting tells the audience where to look and, in many ways, it becomes part of the dialogue. It says ‘this moment is important’ or ‘wow’ or ‘this is a sad moment.”

“Precision”

An Emmy Award nominee for his work on Fox’s The Masked Singer, Fournier brings a wealth of experience across broadcast, film, and live events. His connection to The Thorn dates back to 2010, having first joined as a lighting tech under early collaborator Robby Kurtz of 4Wall. Departing in 2012 to pursue his own career before returning to this year’s production, Fournier collaborated closely with Harmon and Bolin on the production.

Each year, The Thorn adopts a guiding principle to focus on, with ‘precision’ chosen for 2026. “Even before the tour started, we focused on precision with the crew,” Fournier explains. “When we brought in the PARAGON fixtures, they immediately meshed with that concept.”

Fournier, who serves as production manager, lighting designer, and lighting director on the tour, embraced that philosophy while refining a design he inherited from previous Thorn collaborators. Given creative freedom, he introduced new programming elements, sharpened the visual look, and added his own ‘tips and tricks.’

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he shares. “We kept the core of what makes The Thorn special but upgraded the rig to deliver sharper, more precise lighting throughout the show.”

A versatile rig for a dynamic show

Recommended by 4Wall’s VP of Business Development, Robby Kurtz, PARAGON has proved to be a versatile and reliable solution on the tour. “I’ve been thoroughly impressed,” says Fournier. “The framing shutters are incredibly accurate, the colors are rich, and the increased lumen level across the stage really shows. The precision on those fixtures has been great.” He adds that they haven’t had to touch the spares or even reset a fixture.

The lighting system includes 36 PARAGON M fixtures deployed across the rig. Ten are positioned on the front-of-house truss for key lighting, while the remainder are distributed across side-stage torms and overhead trusses. The majority—32 units—are integrated with a real-time performer tracking system. To cover the variation in the story, Fournier says he leans into the fixture’s full feature set.

“We’re using virtually everything the fixture offers for high-energy, concert-style looks to very quiet, emotional moments,” he explains. “One of the biggest comments we get when people first see the show is that they didn’t expect how varied and impactful it would be, and it’s what makes the experience so powerful. One minute it’s deeply theatrical, set-piece driven and dramatic, and the next it feels like a full-on rock ‘n’ roll show. It’s a full experience.”

Creating emotional impact

The ability to support storytelling through light is central to the production and PARAGON effects capabilities, from color floods to break-up textures to mid-air beams, all play a key role in maintaining visual interest throughout. Among the many visually striking scenes, one moment stands out for the designer and, undoubtedly, for many who see the show.

“It’s the starry night scene when Jesus is born,” Fournier says. “Dot gobos from the PARAGONs cut through the haze, and it feels like you’re really inside that moment. Using gobos and the animation wheel while tracking creates these beautiful, evolving shadows and textures as the focus moves around to the different zones. The beam spread across the room, and the clarity of the fixture really carries the emotion and underscores the importance of that moment.”

While The Thorn assumes that many audience members are familiar with its story, the production aims to create a deeper connection. “We assume that most people know the story of Jesus, but they might not have experienced it or felt it,” Harmon says. “We hope people leave the show with a different understanding of the story of Jesus and that they feel it more emotionally.”

Powered by partnership

4Wall provided the AV package for the tour, including the new lighting kit. Fournier credits the company for helping shape the system, and for its excellent on-the-road support. “4Wall has been incredible to work with,” he said. “The gear looks brand new out of the box, and Robby Kurtz and Gabe Thruston are great to work with. It’s a great team and makes a big difference when you have that level of partnership on a tour like this.”

Photo by Cora Wagoner.

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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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