Lighting Dimensions: ILDA Awards Presented at ETS-LDI

Members of the International Laser Display Association (ILDA) honored the best and brightest in their industry with awards for outstanding technological, artistic, and career achievement during ETS-LDI 2004 in Las Vegas. Companies from the US, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Russia received awards for shows that included outdoor festivals, corporate productions, theme park installations, and special events.

ILDA also presented its first Product of the Year Awards. Cambridge Technology won Laser Display Hardware Product of the Year for its 6215H laser scanner and drivers, which let laserists scan faster and larger images than ever before. The Laser Product of the Year was awarded to Laser Entertainment srl and Laser System Europe for their new "Flash" laser, a compact white light DPSS laser. Laser Visuals Ltd.'s new ScanGuard Laser Show Analyzer program was voted Laser Display Software Product of the Year and also won ILDA's prestigious Fenning Award for technical achievement.

ILDA's Career Achievement Award went to Patrick Murphy, a pioneer in laser show software and founder and 15-year president of Pangolin Laser Systems. Murphy's software products played a key role in making it possible for just about anyone to create affordable, professional-quality laser shows.

ILDA's artistic awards saw the addition of three new categories recognizing laser displays in nightclubs and discos, lasers displays used in video and film productions, and laser displays used in live stage performances. There was also a new "Best of Show" category won by LFI International and Fischer Media Group, honoring what the judges considered to be the most outstanding laser display from among all the winning entries. LOBO electronic of Germany took the most awards, winning three categories, in addition to taking Finalist awards in another seven categories. (www.laserist.org)

Products of the Year for 2004

Laser Display Software Product of the Year: ScanGuard Laser Show Analyzer, Laser Visuals Ltd. (www.laservisuals.com)

Laser Display Hardware Product of the Year: Cambridge Technology 6215H Scanner and Driver Amps (www.cambridgetechnology.com)

Laser of the Year: DPSS White light Laser: Laser Entertainment srl and Laser System Europe (www.lasyseurope.com; www.laserent.com)

Fenning Award for Technical Achievement: ScanGuard Laser Show Analyzer, Laser Visuals Ltd. (www.laservisuals.com)

2004 Career Achievement Award Patrick Murphy, founder of Pangolin Laser Systems (www.pangolin.com)

ILDA Winners, Artistic Displays

Best Beams/Atmospherics Laser Show (Multiple Scan Heads) Winner: LOBO electronic, Massive Impact Finalists: LM Productions, Elecktronika HB-Laserkomponenten, Hair

Best Beams/Atmospherics Laser Show (Single Scan Head) Winner: HB-Laserkomponenten, Team X Treme} Finalists: Laserlight Showdesign, Hurricane LOBO electronic, Night Flight Pangolin Laser Systems, Music

Best Entertainment Graphics Laser Show Winner: LOBO electronic, Billabong Finalists: Laser Entertainment srl, What is the Light? LaserAnimation Sollinger, The Tricky Book LOBO electronic, The Circus

Best Corporate Graphics Laser Show Winner: Orion Art Production Intl., Panasonic Casino Finalists: LOBO electronic, Holiday Park Trailer Strictly FX, 7th Annual Chicago Bears Fan Convention

Best Abstract Laser Show Winner: Audio Visual Imagineering, Setting Sun Finalists: LOBO electronic, Mode of Motion Strictly FX, I Can Only Imagine

Best Static Laser Composition Winner: Laser Entertainment srl, Fantasy 2004 Finalists: Audio Visual Imagineering, Poison Symmetry LOBO electronic, X15 Scanline

Best Multimedia Show Winner: Laser Entertainment srl, History: Graphic & Multimedia Show Finalists: Laser System Europe, SEA Games LM Productions, StratoFantasia - Hong Kong Tourism LOBO electronic, Europapark Halloween Show 2003

Most Innovative Laser Display Application Winner: Laser System Europe, Flying Laser Finalists: LM Productions, Death of the Red Baron Laserpromotions B.V., LaserStrike

Best Nightclub/Disco Laser Display Winner: HB-Laserkomponenten, Barbie Pop Party Finalists: Laser System Europe, Radical Disco LOBO electronic, G-Fiedel

Best Use of Lasers in a Video or Film Production Winner: LOBO electronic: SWR Station ID Finalist: TLC- Creative Productions, Usher "Yeah"

Best Use of Lasers in a Live Stage Performance Winner: LFI International and Fischer Media Group, Surpraser "Changes" Finalists: Manick Sorcar Productions, Dancing with My Soul Matrix-Laser, Origins FIRE

Best in Show Winner: LFI International and Fischer Media Group, Surpraser "Changes" Finalists: LOBO electronic, Billabong Laser Entertainment S.R.L., History: Graphic & Multimedia Show