PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013 Professional Development Program Announced - Bigger, Better, and Still Free!

Free registration is now open for the PLASA professional development program, which will be running alongside a sold-out PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, on Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1.

The PLASA professional development program is an opportunity to learn new skills, watch new product demonstrations, and meet some of the most respected practitioners in the business.

Kicking off is Adam Bennette, technical director of ETC Europe, who leads a discussion about how to design new systems that support both tungsten and LED lighting in a rational and sustainable way. "Requirements for Data and Power Infrastructures for LED Stage Lighting" is a seminar where audience participation is an important part of the process. System designers, technical managers from theatres and multi-purpose venues, and equipment designers who want to have their voices heard shouldn't miss this one-off opportunity to have their say and make a valuable contribution.

To keep up to date with the use of Ethernet and networking in the lighting industry and investigate where this technology is heading, "Networking for Roadies," is best described by the presenter himself. "My seminar is designed to debunk technical myths about control protocols and show how they interact, compete, or complement in the real world of a live venue," says Wayne Howell, technical director of Artistic Licence and a contributor to the original development of the DMX512-A and RDM (Remote Device Management).

The practices of stage automation is the subject tackled by John Hastie, group development director of Stage Technologies and one of the original proponents of automated control systems for live productions. During "Automation for the People," Hastie will debunk the notion that motorized control in smaller venues is a black art to be avoided through concerns about affordability and complexity. As Hastie himself comments, "There are innovative ways of using the technology for maximum effect and minimal budget. Automation is just as practicable and viable for the smaller venue and production and it can transform a performance without increasing the risk."

A trio of experts representing the ABTT will ask the question: "Are You Competent: Can You Prove It?" Robin Townley, AEO at the ABTT, Tom Mannings, head of technical at English National Opera, and Chris Higgs, training manager at Total Training Ltd. are all passionate about standardizing assessment and validating competency across our industry. It is no longer simply enough to say a technician can do something; as professionals, practitioners are now expected to be able to prove it. This seminar offers attendees the opportunity to learn how to use current training and experience to achieve recognition of their vocational proficiency.

Ambersphere's "grandMA2 -- What It Does and How It Does It!" is hosted by Philip Norfolk, Ambersphere's sales director, the audience will be treated to a demonstration of what MA Lighting's grandMA2 series of products can do with a lighting system. As Norfolk explains, "With more and more live events working on the MA Lighting platform PLASA Focus: Leeds seems a good place to talk about some real practical benefits as to why this control system is used by so many. Anyone unfamiliar with MA will gain an understanding of a networked system and why that might be useful. Rather than using networking as yet another slightly pointless buzz word, MA Lighting sees the network approach as being at the heart of their lighting control and industry practitioners will learn a little about that."

Norfolk returns on the second day of the program with a presentation to entice anyone curious about how lights work and in particular how that is harnessed in the moving light sector in "Clay Paky and the Laws of Physics!" Norfolk uses the light output of the Sharpy and the new Sharpy Wash when compared to their modest lamp wattages to investigate if Clay Paky has actually discovered a way to rewrite the laws of physics. Not sure about the first law of thermodynamics? Want a better understanding of all the optical bits in a modern light and how that affects the bright dot on the wall? Register for this free session today and discover that physics can be fun!

d&b audiotechnik kicks off the program for sound designers, engineers, and technicians. Oran Burns, from education and application support at d&b audiotechnik, examines the journey of sound from the loudspeaker to the human ear. "Demystifying Audio Techniques" is a practical, interactive session designed to guide the audience through the principles of acoustics to discover what constitutes a well-behaved loudspeaker and how it affects what we hear. This is a refreshing approach to the basics that underpin all pro-audio technology.

In "Why Size Matters?" Steve Jones, from application support and education at d&b audiotechnik, explores how the size of a loudspeaker can affect its directivity, the direct to reverberant ratio, and the level at the back of the room. Using a combination of lively discussion, practical experiments, and visual support, the audience will gain a real understanding of what "loudspeaker throw" actually means. This presentation is geared as much to brushing up skills for the experienced audio professional as it is for those new to the game.

In "Creative Manipulation of Sounds" award winning sound designer Gareth Fry will demonstrate some of the techniques he uses to mangle and process sound effects, ranging from making a sound effect sound more distant, to creating something weird and wonderful. Fry is chairman of the Association of Sound Designers and has a number of accolades to his name, including winning the 2009 Olivier Award for National Theatre of Scotland's much lauded Black Watch and the 2007 Olivier Award for Waves at the National Theatre. Fry was also the soundscape designer for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.

More information about the keynote speaker along with other seminars, demonstrations, and presentations will be available in the coming weeks. All sessions are free to attend and early registration is recommended. By registering as a visitor at the URL below, attendees will receive more details on the sessions and find out more about what's on offer at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013.