30 Years of Rock ‘n’ Robe celebrated at Prolight+Sound 2024

Czech moving and LED lighting manufacturer Robe celebrated its 30th anniversary in fantastic style in Hall 12.1 at the 2024 Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt and looked forward to another 30 years at the forefront of lighting innovation.

The leading entertainment technology brand presented the finale of the ‘Power of Imagination’ show, a dazzling, hi‐energy live performance that WOWed packed audiences 5 times a day and also staged a showstopping Rock ‘n’ Robe stand party on the evening of the second day, featuring “Queenie”, arguably Europe’s top Queen tribute band. Additionally, an array of outstanding new lighting products was launched, many utilised in the production spectacle … AND … on the eve of the expo, Robe announced the acquisition of popular Australian power distro and control brand LSC Control Systems!

LSC joined the other Robe businesses – sister architectural brand Anolis, console manufacturer Avolites and control solutions provider Artistic Licence – who altogether occupied a vast space, double that of previous years, which was already huge! It was a scenario that Robe only ever dreamed about when attending their first ever Prolight+Sound in 1994!

The booth was busy from the minute expo opened with people flowing in to see the first live show kick off and the VOG product presentations that preceded and succeeded the performances, as Robe kept the buzz and excitement pumped throughout the day. Happy Hours at 4 p.m. on the first 3 days of the 4‐day event proved popular as visitors enjoyed Czech hospitality and joie de vivre!

The two public ‘dark demonstration’ rooms on the booth were constantly busy throughout the four days with great enthusiasm all round for all the launched and new products, especially the iBOLT™, iFORTE® LTX and the T32 Cyc™ – now available in both standard and Slim versions. Robe CEO and co‐ founder Josef Valchar commented, “We enjoyed a truly amazing Prolight, the stand was busy, we saw a diverse mix of people from many sectors and from all around the world including so many of our own distributors who rocked up for the party, all of which made it very special.” 

Josef underlined the enormous team effort involved in making the booth environment work smoothly and seamlessly on all levels – as a show space and a showcase. “Everyone from our talented creative team who produced the show to our equally brilliant logistics, planning and administration teams that paid attention to every detail of the organising – from the products to the merch to the graphical elements, the refreshments and data gathering – both in advance and on site. A LOT of people worked many hours, and all their hard work ensured we had an exceptional booth for business and fun, and a highly memorable party that ran like clockwork.”

The third ‘Power of Imagination’ show incorporated many of Robe’s just launched and newest tech plus some established products in an adrenalized, tightly choreographed, highly entertaining show that illustrated their

creative potential in a real‐world context. Challenges abounded for Robe’s creative and production team led by Nathan Wan and Andy Webb. Not only did this show have to be a variant of the previous two (PLASA 2023 in London and LDI 2023 in Las Vegas respectively), but it also needed to be individual and have that extra spectacle to mark the 30th anniversary landmark! With over 1000 lighting cues in the 9‐ minute extravaganza, including some highly effective and sparingly used G‐ Flames and other SFX, the pace was full on! Nathan also created completely new and fresh video content for this version of “The Power of Imagination”, which was programmed and run via an Avolites Q3 Pro server.

Robe staged several celebratory events throughout the Prolightweek to mark the 30‐yearachievement, in which time the brand founded by Josef Valchar & Ladislav Petrek has rapidly progressed from being a quality OEM manufacturer to a global innovator and market leader for entertainment and architectural lighting. At Prolight, the activity peaked with a live concert on the evening of the second day stand headlined by Queenie, an amazing Queen tribute band from the Czech Republic. They thrilled the crowds with their incredibly lifelike replication of the legendary rock band’s greatest hits complete with lead singer Michael Kluch looking and sounding every part a contemporary Freddie Mercury!

The unique synergies between all Robe brands – Avolites, Anolis and Artistic Licence – also ensured each Robe Business enjoyed a busy show and lots of interest in their new and existing product ranges.

www.robe.cz