Prolight + Sound Conference Program for 2015 Published

Prolight + Sound, the international trade fair for events, installation, and production, has published full details of the conference program for 2015 on its website. With over 50 lectures within the framework of the Prolight + Sound Conference and Eventplaza Conference, renowned speakers will communicate valuable practical knowledge and discuss the latest technological developments, new areas of application and legal parameters. The lectures will be held on the first three days of the fair, April 15 - 17, and are free of charge for Prolight + Sound visitors.

Which trends and developments are having the greatest impact on the sector? The Prolight + Sound Conference in Hall 9.1, Hall 9.T Cosmopolitan Lounge and in Galleria 1 offers answers to current questions revolving around the subject of event and media technology. The program is split into four thematic blocks.

As part of the expanded program for trade visitors to Prolight + Sound from the theatre technology and planning segment, several particularly well-known personalities will speak at this year's Theatre and Film Colloquium. They include Robert Wilson from the USA, one of the world's most active and influential theatre and opera directors, who will give the keynote speech. A creative and bold user of event technology, Wilson has an outstanding reputation in the sector. Theatre expert Andy Hayles, CEO of the Charcoalblue consultancy for theatre technology, will discuss theatre design and new technologies, and venture a look into the future of the sector. Other lectures at the Theatre and Film Colloquium will spotlight a variety of subjects such as costume design, acoustics in event halls, truss systems, and selecting production staff.

At Media Systems, the focus is on systems integration and AV-media technology. One of the paramount subjects this year is frequency (spectrum) management, which has gained enormously in significance in the course of network expansion. Representatives of the major microphone manufacturers, Beyerdynamik, Sennheiser, and Shure, as well as from the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies, will pass on practical tips and examples of applications and best practices. Other subjects to be covered include new production tools for 3D sound design, progress in the field of digital media networking, and lighting solutions for the entertainment sector.

Organized by the Association of German Sound Engineers (Verband Deutscher Tonmeister - VDT), the VDT Academy is an important event for the professional audio sector. Professor Michael Schubert, director of the Erich Thienhaus Institute of Detmold Music University, will provide insights into the preparation, production, and mixing of modern film music. Gabriel Grote of bg audiodesign will speak about corporate sound while Philipp Heck, sound engineer of Bauer Studios, will discuss the value added of analog technology. Also represented will be the Music Producers Guild with renowned producers such as Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Erasure), Tony Platt (AC/DC, Bob Marley, Iron Maiden), and Stevan Krakovic (projects for Lufthansa). In a joint lecture, the sound experts will give practical tips on backing-up and archiving digital recording projects.

The Prolight + Sound Forum presents the latest developments and areas of application in the field of event technology and promotes the interdisciplinary exchange of information. As in the past, the spectrum of subjects is extremely broad this year. The lectures on projection mapping and advanced audio networks will emphasize technological progress. Professional qualification and specialist-exchange standards will also be discussed. Additionally, speakers will look at legal developments and issues, e.g., the new German Event Venue Regulations (Musterversammlungs¬stättenverordnung - MVStättV) and noise protection at events.

The Eventplaza Conference is a source of information about trends and strategies, as well as new ideas for event and incentive managers, marketing, communication, and HR managers and congress and conference organizers. This year, it will be held entirely in the "Portalhaus" building and, for the first time, include a Networking Lounge where participants will have the chance to make contacts and hold in-depth discussions with other participants.

New this year is the division of the program into three distinct sections. The first day (April 15) will be taken up by the International Event Safety Conference (I-ESC), which this year concentrates on the legally effective assumption and delegation of responsibility. Lawyer Martin Leber will introduce the subject with a lecture entitled "Responsibility is like Theraband - The 6-degrees of delegation and their impact on the liability of those involved." Subsequently, lectures will indicate solutions for problems at the interface between operator and organizer, describe best practice-solutions for achieving maximum visitor capacity, and offer insights into the thinking and methods relating to the establishment of responsibility structures following an accident. The subject of risk management will also be covered.

The focus of the second day (April 16) will be on contemporary methods of presenting products and staging events. The speakers will, inter alia, provide answers to the question what events can learn from film, what the effect of using music from events is, which creative techniques can be helpful for concept development and why events only rarely achieve their potential. Among the speakers will be experts from the fields of event direction and organization, lighting, sound, and media and social and cultural science. They also include renowned light and video designer Matt Finke, winner of the Opus -- German Stage Award -- 2013 who will discuss receiver-oriented scenarios.

The lectures on the third day of the conference (April 17) offer answers to topical questions relating to staff development in the event industry. The topics covered will include the complex conditions and regulations with regard to human-resources services, the impact of internationalization in the sector and the challenges resulting from the paradigm change in the employment market. Another subject is the evaluation of event success and failure -- including with respect to opportunities for developing evaluation expertise within the framework of specialist and degree courses.

Up-to-the-minute details of the seminars and lectures, as well as information about the speakers and the times -- can be found on the internet at www.prolight-sound-programm.com. There, it is also possible to register in advance for the lectures of the Eventplaza Conference and the Theatre and Film Colloquium.