Further exhibitors cancel participation at Prolight + Sound

Last week, Prolight + Sound 2020 was postponed to new dates (26–29 May) due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. Following news of the postponement, several manufacturers, including Allen & Heath, ETC, High End Systems, L-Acoustics, Nexo and Yamaha, announced that they would be unable to exhibit in Frankfurt during the new dates, most citing logistics and the busy summer festival season as reasons for no longer being able to take part.

Several other manufacturers have added their names to the list of those that will no longer be taking part at the 25th edition of Prolight + Sound. These include: Adamson, d&b audiotechnik, FBT, Martin Audio, ROE Visual Strand and Vari-Lite.

‘We didn’t come to this decision lightly but, ultimately, we had to do what we felt was best for our Adamson Network partners and end users, as well as our employees,’ said Adamson CEO, Marc Bertrand. ‘We wish organisers and participants the best for 2020 and look forward to returning in 2021.’

In a short statement released by d&b, the company noted that its decision came as a result of ‘the logistics of the new date, including quality of experience for partners and customers’ and that it will ‘reassess for next year’.

FBT echoed those sentiments by also stating that ‘the new dates will not allow a quality exhibition experience for our clients’.

For ROE Visual, the decision to no longer exhibit at Prolight + Sound is not necessarily due to the new dates, but rather concerns over the virus that caused the show’s postponement to begin with.

‘Taking the general effect of the outbreak of the coronavirus into consideration, we saw no other option than to rethink our plans for this spring and to decide not to participate in the postponed Prolight + Sound exhibition,’ said Marina Prak at ROE Visual. ‘The quality of our exhibition presence and the total experience of the trade shows will be under pressure, but foremost the safety of our personnel and clients is what is paramount in our view.’

In lieu of appearing at the Frankfurt trade show, ROE will be confirming alternative plans, including in-house product presentations, open-house meetings and seminar days shortly.

Vari-Lite and Strand took a similar stance. ‘There remains further uncertainty as to the progress of Coronavirus and we have decided it best for the safety of our employees and customers to not commit to participate in a major international tradeshow in May,’ said Sameer Sodhi, business leader for Vari-Lite and Strand at parent company Signify. ‘The health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, customers and partners is and remains our number one priority.’

While the list of exhibitors dropping out of the rescheduled Prolight + Sound has grown, some manufacturers, such as Elation Professional, have announced their intentions to take part in the show at the end of May.

‘Elation Europe is genuinely concerned about the developments of the Covid-19 virus and its effect on the entertainment technology industry,’ the lighting manufacturer said in a statement it released. ‘With the cancellation of events and exhibitions, those companies that support these shows have been hit especially hard. That’s another reason why Elation’s participation in PL+S is so important. Elation Europe, as a responsible industry leader, will always observe the recommendations and/or directive of governmental authorities and trust in the ability of public governments and health authorities to advise what is best for the industry and the welfare of the public. Provided that governmental health ministries and local public health officials declare it safe to travel to and participate in an event or exhibition, Elation Europe will heed that recommendation and participate in trade shows and other events.’

Keep checking Pro AVL Asia and Pro AVL MEA for further updates.