Originally intended as a chance for visitors to catch up with the latest products and services offered by the various members of The White Light Group, the Open Day expanded into something of a mini-trade-show with many of the companies whose equipment White Light hire or sell, attending to demonstrate their latest products. Visitors to the Open Day could therefore make side-by-side, hands-on comparisons between, for example, ETC's Emphasis, the Strand range, High End's Wholehog III, the MA Lighting grandMA, the Compulite Vector and Martin's Maxxyz lighting controller.
Beyond the battle of the lighting controllers there was plenty to see: the many companies represented covered a full range of products from followspots (the first UK appearance of the new Robert Juliat Manon) and large format slide and video projection, through to stage automation, with Stage Technologies flying a champagne bottle through the warehouse.
Those attending the Open Day came from the wide spectrum of entertainment lighting, with visitors including staff from the Royal Opera House, the Royal National Theatre, the Royal Court, most of the theatres and productions in the West End, Somerset House, Imagination, the Ambassadors Theatre Group, Robert Fox Ltd, the BBC, GMTV, Techplan, TMB, Blitz and VLPS. Students and staff from many of the drama colleges, plus many lighting designers, electricians, production managers, stage managers and theatre consultants also made the trip to Wimbledon.
The festivities went on well into the evening as the day crossed from a trade show into a farewell party for White Light's long-serving hire director Mike Crossman; the Open Day was his last appearance for White Light before setting off on an 18-month round-the-world trip.
And the hot air balloon? Strong winds meant that it wasn't able to fly for most of the day, though a lucky few, including White Light's managing director John Simpson, did get to see White Light and surrounds from the air. The balloon flights had been intended to raise funds for Light Relief: thanks to contributions from the manufacturers who exhibited at the Open Day, the charity will still benefit from the event.
(Ruth Rossington)
