It was a welcome return to face to face - or mask to mask - meeting opportunities after the 2020 online event, and Robe’s French team also celebrated this landmark putting a special focus on the launch of the new T11 range of theatrical luminaires, a unique three-in-one LED lighting solution.

The eye-catching Robe booth in the main Pullman Dock building was designed as a stylish, contemporary ‘lounge’ meet and greet area, and became a social hub for those wanting to say hello and stop for meetings and discussions. It was constantly busy with a stream of customers, contacts and industry friends, and Robe France co-CEO Bruno Garros commented, “It was impressive – many came to us with a specific agenda – they wanted to negotiate and talk about deals! This is a great sign for business picking up again!”

His enthusiasm was shared by his co-CEO Elie Battah who underlined the “extreme importance” of being able to “network with such a diverse mix of people in one space, with so many very positive outlooks for the future after a tough 18 months”.

They and the team reported seeing numerous lighting designers, programmers, technicians, and others from the freelance community together with rental companies, venue operators and also students as well as aspiring young professionals eyeing a future career in production and entertainment technology.

Several people noted a presence from other European countries, bringing an international streak to the expo’s robust and well-established domestic audience. It was also a sign that Europe is on the move again after Covid restrictions!

Robe France was supported by two key people from Robe international, director of global sales Harry von den Stemmen, and key account manager for Europe, Ingo Dombrowski.

With the main stand a hub of activity in the Pullman Dock building, across the road in the Dock Eiffel, Robe hosted two adjacent black box spaces where products could be demonstrated and examined up close.

The first was dedicated to Robe’s newest product launches – FORTE, ESPRITE, iSpiider, LEDBeam 350, Tetra 2, ProMotion and the RoboSpot follow spot system.

The second space showcased the new T11 range – T11 Profile, T11 Fresnel, and T11 PC – static luminaires designed to be a perfect investment for any venue - especially theatres and performance spaces - seeking to renew their existing ‘generic’ lighting rigs and upgrade to the latest LED technology with all Robe’s guaranteed reliability and quality.

The response to the T11 was “fantastic” commented Bruno Garros, with particular interest from venues already invested in Robe T1 and T2 moving lights for which T11 is an ideal complement, especially for matching quality in the white ranges as well as continuity of colours across all fixtures.

Robe’s T1 and T2 moving lights were in this same black box area together with two products from Anolis’ extensive architectural and built environment ranges, the Ambiane HP111 – as recently installed at the Auditoria de Louvre in Paris – and the Ambiane XP56.

These two Anolis products are a smart choice for house lighting systems or for the illumination of concert halls, public areas, and spaces for which they have “seen massive potential” in performance and multipurpose venues, stated Anolis product specialist, Bruno Francois.

The dual black box concept worked well due to the general theatrical emphasis of JTSE and enabled people to see the symbiotic relationship that exists between Robe and Anolis fixtures and brands.

The all-Robe black box was also constantly full of visitors interested in looking closer at the latest and most popular LED innovations geared to stage events, festivals, concerts, and touring.

The show followed strict Covid protocols which required all guests and exhibitors to be vaccinated or tested negative and wear masks everywhere indoors, and it was clear that this was a small inconvenience for the throngs of industry individuals who used it as a place to reconnect, catch up, hang out and plan future business.

“The willingness of people to come and look at new products and trends and talk about upcoming projects is very encouraging and a definite sign that everything is moving forward and getting back to work,” concluded Bruno Garros.

Photo Credit: Louise Stickland