Claypaky Exhibits the Future of Show Lighting at LDI Claypaky presented many interesting new products this year at LDI, a show which has become an unmissable event for lighting professionals over the years. No less than five Claypaky lights made their début on the American market, two of which were exhibited for the first time ever in the world. Moreover the Knight of Illumination Awards, conceived and sponsored by Claypaky, was held for the first time ever on American soil. The Axcor line won the Gold Star Product Award at LDI for "Best New Line of LED-Sourced products". This prize is awarded by a jury appointed by Professional Lighting & Staging News (PLSN). Claypaky Axcors are LED moving heads which bring together all the most advanced technologies in each field: precision micro-mechanics and optics, powerful reliable electronics and software, advanced lighting technology, and a pleasant ergonomic design. The family now consists of eleven models able to provide different output powers and cover all areas of application: they range from the 110W of the Axcor Beam 300 to the 880W of the Axcor Profile 900, and include the brand new Axcor Profile 600 and Axcor Profile 400, which are technologically advanced spotlights with shutters. This versatility meets the needs both of large production companies and small service firms, by ensuring consistency and constant manufacturing quality throughout the various power ranges. In addition to versatility on the power front, the functions available are also versatile, since all the lights in the main classes come in two versions: a model that favors light output, suitable for touring and events, and a model that favors color rendering (CRI 90), essential for places where light quality is a fundamental requirement. One of the lights that made its world début at LDI was the Axcor Spot 400. This compact, bright, moving LED spotlight, complete with all the devices needed for exceptional visual effect projections, enters the medium power market. The sheer number of possible effects and combinations is unmatched in its category: two rotating dichroic glass gobo wheels, with a total of 14 rotating gobos, an animation disc, a rotating prism, a power-driven iris, a 16-bit dimmer, and an incredible 5.5- to 55-degree zoom. Moreover, it has some advanced tools for color management, based on a CMY system with linear CTO and 6-color wheel. The Sharpy Plus is the first 100-percent hybrid unit capable of being both a perfect beam moving light and a perfect spotlight. It fits a new discharge lamp with very high light output, the Osram Sirius 330W X8, and weighs only 21.6kg (about 47.6lb). All of its functions are extremely rapid. A 3- to 36-degree (1:9) zoom covers the entire range linearly, both in spot and beam mode. This feature makes the Sharpy Plus unique on the market. In beam mode, the Sharpy Plus is capable of an extraordinary light output of over 300,000 lux at a distance of 10m (about 10.9 yards). ADB Stagelight, Claypaky's theatre brand, won -- outright -- the LDI Award for the Best Debuting Product in the Lighting fixture category, with its new Art Centric Lighting line for museum lighting. The judges wrote: "Art Centric Lighting has created a tunable white light fixture for lighting works of fine art with sensitivity and class. The spot or wash with a CRI of 97 is controllable via Bluetooth, changing the way you'll look at works of art." Simone Capeleto, ADB's CEO, was thrilled: "The basic principle of Art Centric Lighting is to respect the works of art, which become leading players like actors on a stage. It is no coincidence that the small Art Centric Lighting units are true miniaturized theatre lights: they are made by ADB, a well established company in the theatre world. They are not just 'luminaires' with an elegant, non-invasive design; they are fixtures with professional optical units that generate a high quality light, which can be modulated." During LDI, the curtain went up on the Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA). The winners were announced at a glittering ceremony with a gala dinner. Three hundred professionals from the world of entertainment saw 18 lighting designers and video designers be awarded the title of "knight of light" for their creative talent in three categories: Theatre, Live for Broadcast, and Concert Touring & Events. The winners in each category were selected by a completely independent jury, where each member was an expert in their own field. These awards were created by Claypaky eleven years ago as an event to celebrate British lighting designers. Since then, the Knight of Illumination Awards has grown to become the most important show lighting event in the UK, and has attracted the attention of American designers as well. In conjunction with Informa/LiveDesign, the American communications company that organizes LDI, Claypaky brought the Knight of Illumination awards to the United States for the first time, where it was an immediate huge success. American lighting designers really appreciated the arrival of an event totally dedicated to them in the US too. Here is what John Featherstone, founding partner of Lightswitch and Chairman of the Panel of Judges for "Concert Touring & Events" had to say: "I think last night will be considered the most significant night for event and entertainment lighting design in the US since the first LDI, 30 years ago. Bold words, but I suggest not an overstatement at all." www.knightofilluminationawards.com 
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