PlugFest 2019 started sold-out yesterday morning with a record number of 40+ attendees yesterday morning in Lille. This edition was a first-timer in mainland Europe. Exclusive SoundLightUp report from the bubbling heart of what looks like a hackathon, but is rather the brainy gathering where the future of lighting protocols will emerge from.

Nicola Rye (left) and Nicky Greet (right), the perfect hosts for any PlugFest meeting (or others, as long as it’s Plasa labelled).

Nicky Greet and Nicola Rye from Plasa handled the day-to-day organisation and warmly welcomed every participant, making this event smooth and easy to get aboard and feel at home in the two conference rooms dedicated to the event at Ibis Hotel in the heart of Lille.
Nicky Greet states “It is very important for Plasa to help PlugFest to take place in the very best conditions. We’ve been organising the whole event for the last two years, and it’s nice to see all these important and skilled members of the industry gather in a neutral place, not related to any manufacturer in particular, to exchange views and tips, and above all meet and talk openly to make this industry progress as a whole”.

This 2019 new location was unanimously appreciated by the attendees, as all Northern Europe were close enough, and the ones coming from Paris and London had a direct and quick Eurostar with station less than 300 meters walking distance.

Sold-out hands-on workshops and seminars…

“Even my screwdriver is RDMnet compliant, now !”

PlugFest is THE place to be for DMX512/Art-Net/RDM/sACN (to name a few) aficionados, as being the technical event for entertainment lighting interoperability organised (formally since two years) by PLASA.

This time PlugFest returned for the first time in mainland Europe, allowing for more manufacturers, developers and technicians from across the continent to meet and test their products.

The first opening session indeed was the occasion to unpack an incredible collection of tests kits, projectors, strange home-made testing led panels blinking all the way through (or not), and ready for intense comments and co-operation across the 40+ assembly of skilled engineers, programmers, technical gurus and the like.
PlugFest is aimed as being the opportunity for participants to collectively test and demonstrate device and system interoperability with the aim of improving reliability, resolving compatibility issues and ultimately improving connectivity between all entertainment lighting and related technologies.

Richard Thompson (ETC) telling the joke about the sound guy with a RDM tester and a XLR-4 cable.

Break-out sessions are happening several times a day during the whole PlugFest in the adjacent room, but with the separating panel slightly slid open between the two spaces.
This means sometimes you can hear a comment or question arising from the “hands-on” room nearby, so it’s really a very open-minded way of sharing knowledge while validating it on the test bench at the same time.

“I’m not sure this will work. Are you sure about this RDM Get command number in this packet?” Peter Willis from Howard Eaton Lighting, and co-organizer.

Focusing on a wide array of protocols including DMX512, RDM, DALI, sACN, Art-Net, RDMnet and LLRP, the event’s expert hosts, Hamish Dumbreck (JESE Ltd), Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence) and Peter Willis (Howard Eaton Lighting) help create and define many of the protocols relevant today and are always on hand for guidance and support.

Also new for 2019 was a webinex with the Plugfesters in Europe and the ESTA CPWG next gen task group. As well as this,
the usual presentation on the ESTA Entertainment Industry control protocol standards which have been in public review since the last PlugFest last year in Gatwick (UK), with the revised drafts of the RDMnet standard being of particular interest to many previous participants. Attendees also learn about the latest ESTA/ANSI standards which are expected to be released spring 2019.

… with special free-to-attend Ecodesign seminar tomorrow

In addition to all the sold-out conferences above, a free-to-attend seminar covering the latest developments in the EU Ecodesign regulations will take place tomorrow thursday. The seminar is open to anyone who may be impacted by the regulations. It will be presented by Adam Bennette (ETC) and and Christian Allabuer.

As you may already know, Ecodesign lighting regulations have been looming over the stage and studio lighting sectors for several months, culminating in a vote at the EU Commission in December 2018.
Following the vote, the European Entertainment Ecodesign Coalition (a group of European entertainment associations) stated that “further exemptions for the live performance, lighting design and film sectors guarantee that the vast majority of stage and studio lighting can continue to be used.” This statement will be explained further during the seminar in addition to sector-specific guidance and forecasts for the future.

To find out more and confirm your attendance please visit: plasa.me/ecodesignatplugfest and register free of charge for this seminar.

More on PlugFest 2019

During a break-out conference hosted by Peter Willis, sudden blaze of color in the adjacent room dedicated to experiments: “It’s alive!”

Drinking AND having a short nap AND listening to Robert Juliat’ Thierry Dupont, all at the same time: incredible multi-tasking Wayne Howell from Artistic Licence, one of the co-organizers.

PlugFest is organised by the PLASA Association, for more information please visit: www.plasa.org/plugfest