PLASA Focus Leeds Promises to Inspire and Inform with Range of Seminars

	PLASA Focus Leeds

PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries May 10 - 11 with its popular seminar program offering a variety of thought-provoking topics from leading organizations in the live entertainment technology industry. The two-day, free-to-attend seminar program will welcome inspirational and technical sessions from the likes of Soulsound, Association of Lighting Designers (ALD), BECTU, and d&b audiotechnik.

This year, the ever-popular seminar program offers practical guidance for industry professionals with early highlights including multiple sessions from Soulsound as Justin Grealy hosts "A Sound Engineer's Guide to Guitars and Guitarists" and Dug Gutherie (Soulsound / Surfing Cow) looks in-depth at "Category Cables for Touring Applications." Steve Jones from d&b education and application support will present "Why Size Matters' exploring how loudspeaker size affects its whole performance; its directivity, the direct to reverberant ratio and what loudspeaker throw actually means."

Further industry advice comes from the media and entertainment union BECTU as they offer "Tax Essentials for Freelancers" by Tony Lennon. He will present top tips for freelancers from understanding your employment status to the options for offsetting business expenses against income. The Riggers' Forum returns, led once again by Harry Box and Chris Higgs, known for their thought-provoking seminars. Their presentation "Shouty, Shouty" will discuss "attitudes," just as essential to a rigger's skill-set as being able to do the job.

The ALD's session presents their ideas on finding a solution to encourage diversity. Association executive director Ian Saunders says: "As a membership organization, the seminar program at shows such as PLASA Focus Leeds is an important part of opening up discussion around particular topics that affect those working in our industry. Whether that is concerned with current practice of lighting or video for live performance or issues that affect the future of structure of who we are and what we do. Points raised feed back into how as an organization we relate to both members and the public as we develop future schemes and initiatives."

"The free-to-attend seminar programs at PLASA events enables the industry to have access to learn from expert speakers, discuss practical problems with their peers, and discover the benefits of the latest technology in the market," says director of events division, Christopher Toulmin. "We look forward to welcoming a variety of knowledgeable speakers to offer vital advice to attendees."