The Area Four Direct UK (A4IUK) team enjoyed a busy, productive and successful PLASA (Professional Lighting & Sound Association) Show 2024, which returned to the Grand Hall, Olympia, London from 1^st – 3^rd September.
 
This year saw a new immersive stand design constructed from MILOS M520 Quatro truss, incorporating three video walls forming a vibrant backdrop of dynamic rolling video content showcasing the Area Four Industries brand portfolio represented in the UK including  – MILOS, LITEC, EXE TECHNOLOGY, XStage, TOMCAT and JTE.

 

PLASA London is still the most prominent national expo for A4IUK in the live entertainment, technology and rigging sector.  It provided an excellent platform to showcase our industry-leading products, connect with fellow professionals and engage in fruitful conversations on upcoming projects.
 
Area Four Direct UK located on stand J20, enjoyed a buzz of busy footfall throughout the event.  The stand had been designed to showcase key product lines including our full range of EXE TECHNOLOGY hoists and control systems.  Displayed on the stand were the 2.0t and 1.6t extra-large frame single chain fall EXE RISE D8+ hoists alongside our industry-standard 1000Kg, 500Kg and 350Kg models. Featuring advanced safety features and precision control, market-leading brand EXE trailblazes the future of automation and rigging with an increasingly strong and growing foothold in the UK market.
 
Visitors had the opportunity to learn more about our EXE FLEXA range of load cell options, which provide a critical task in monitoring suspended loads in working environments.  Guests were also given an advanced product preview of the revolutionary EXE FLEXA DYNAMIC system which is due to launch at ISE in 2025 and was received with great interest from across the sector, generating insightful conversations and enthusiasm with key industry professionals.
 
Matt Millward - Head of Automation said: “PLASA 2024 was a great success for A4iUK and our automation brands, with our EXE RISE chain hoists on display and in the air of the Olympia exhibition hall, supporting a number of our customers stands. On show we also had EXE DRIVE motor control and EXE FLEXA load monitoring solutions, both product sectors receiving a lot of interest from our visitors and generating many interesting conversations.
 
Within the EXE FLEXA display, we showed a product preview of our exciting new EXE FLEXA DYNAMIC system. Offering real-time load monitoring across multiple sites with numerous users and access rights. This system lends itself to applications requiring greater numbers of load monitoring devices with the flexibility of centralised administration.”
 
Long-established truss brand - MILOS showcased a range of products and structural solutions, whilst LITEC featured popular truss lines and a couple of innovative products including the pioneering Backbone Frame Indoor System which attracted great interest and the latest in LITEC barrier systems, complementing the extensive LITEC product portfolio.
 
 
 
Peter Stressing – UK Brand Manager, MILOS said: “Moving on from our famous red exhibition truss, the stand itself was constructed from MILOS M520 Quatro providing an impressive footprint and visually striking display.  A selection of the vast range of MILOS and LITEC trussing products was on show, along with various accessories and fittings. Alongside this, Xstage was represented by a selection of the popular S9 Decks. 
 
The design and layout of the stand worked very well for us, and from a MILOS perspective, we saw many new and existing customers and it proved an excellent showcase for our products.”
 
During the show, the A4IUK stand was a hub of activity, welcoming a wide range of industry professionals from across the sector, including technicians, production professionals, business owners, rigging experts, installation specialists and technical venue personnel. Our sales team, product specialists and international technical colleagues were on hand to provide live demonstrations, discuss tailored solutions, and share their expertise over the three days.  We engaged with visitors from all corners of the UK, Ireland and Europe who had travelled from near and far.
 
As a committed thought leader in the entertainment and rigging sector, this year, we were delighted to be involved in delivering two educational seminars sharing valuable knowledge and industry insights presented by Area Four Industry’s Technical Director – Norbert Tripp.  The first focused on: ‘Best Practice for the Stability of Temporary Structures’ and the second in conjunction with Arne Svendsen from Creative Technology, Norway, covered the topic of: ‘Bigger Stage, Bigger Problems and How to Combine Structural Engineering with Practical Handling.’  Area Four Industries’ commitment to educational leadership, alongside its popular global A4ITV channel, is rooted in the belief that shared knowledge elevates the entire industry, enabling growth and innovation across all facets of live entertainment, rigging, and production.
 
Theresa Gibson – Head of Marketing concludes: “PLASA London is always a fantastic opportunity to connect with industry friends, customers and new prospects whilst showcasing our latest products and innovations, hearing first-hand from professionals about their needs and challenges.
 
The success at PLASA Show 2024 has further strengthened Area Four Direct UK’s position as a leader in the entertainment technology industry with its strong product portfolio.  As the company continues to innovate and expand its product offerings, it remains committed to driving forward the future of safe, reliable, and high-performance structural solutions for the entertainment and live event sectors.
Area Four Direct UK extends its sincere thanks to everyone who visited the stand and contributed to the success of the show. The team looks forward to future collaborations and further engagement with industry professionals and returning to Olympia London in 2025!”