The long period of drought and the increasing number of devastating fires in the heart of Europe took their toll, and the Liechtenstein government was forced to cancel the traditional fireworks just three days before the event. It was a hard decision for the tradition-conscious Principality in the heart of the Alps, as the national holiday and especially the magnificent large-scale fireworks are a symbol of national identity and an attraction for tourists from all over the world.
The solution to the problem was not far away: by noon that day the telephone was ringing at the facilities of the laser show market leader, Lobo. A few hours later, Lobo's president Lothar Bopp and art-director Alexander Hennig arrive in Liechtenstein's capital Vaduz for an on-site inspection. By 4pm the committee could announce that a giant laser show was to replace the fireworks. At the same time the crew in Lobo's headquarter in Aalen were already configuring and packaging the equipment whilst preparing all the appropriate customs paperwork. At 12am, not more than 16 hours after the last discussions in Liechtenstein, 16 tons of equipment were ready to go to Vaduz where it would be installed just a few hours later.
Over two night sessions a unique 20-minute spectacular was created in the Lobo studios: the 10 Lobo specialists used every second until sunrise to put the finishing touches to the spectacle. Liechtenstein's media soon made the laser show the top story. Not an hour passed by without interviews, special reports and background information on radio.
On Friday, 15 August, at 10.00pm the big show was about to begin, and the Prince himself arrived at the Lobo Laser truck. The spectators were thrilled by the many elements of the show that made direct references to Liechtenstein. Despite the time pressure Vaduz witnessed a world premiere from Lobo: thanks to the enormous whitelight-power of the Laser Truck, for the first time Lobo displayed Scanline laser videos as full-coverage outdoor projection beamed onto the castle's facade. This technique, developed by the company, allows common laser projectors to project high-resolution MPEG videos. As the show drew to a close, lasers outlined the contours of the castle and the spectator's thunderous applause rewarded Lobo staff for all their efforts over the previous few days.
According to a survey carried out the following day, many citizens of Liechtenstein regarded the laser show as a welcome change and perhaps even as a possible alternative to the annual fireworks display. (Sarah Rushton-Read)
