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| PLASA | |
|---|---|
| Name | PLASA |
| Type | Trade association |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | International |
| Membership | Theatrical, live event, and entertainment technology companies |
PLASA PLASA is an international trade association serving companies and professionals in the theatrical, concert, broadcast, and live event technology sectors, uniting manufacturers, suppliers, venues, and technicians. It coordinates standards development, organizes trade events, provides training and certification, and advocates for technical interoperability across lighting, audio, rigging, and control systems.
Founded in 1976, PLASA emerged amid the rise of modern concert touring and professional lighting design linked to Pink Floyd, Genesis (band), Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Who and the expansion of arena venues such as Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Olympia (Paris). Early membership included suppliers associated with industry names like ETC (company), Mole-Richardson, Strand Lighting, Martin Professional, Avolites, Vari-Lite and Harman International Industries. PLASA responded to interoperability challenges similar to those addressed by Audio Engineering Society and IEEE by fostering cross-company dialogues between manufacturers including Shure, Sennheiser, Yamaha Corporation, Digidesign, Allen & Heath, and AKG. As the industry globalized alongside touring companies such as Live Nation, AEG Presents, Festival Republic and festivals like Glastonbury Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Tomorrowland, and Burning Man, PLASA expanded activities into standards, exhibitions, and training.
PLASA operates under a board structure with elected representatives from member companies, mirroring governance seen at organizations such as British Phonographic Industry, Recording Industry Association of America, National Association of Broadcasters, Society of Light and Lighting, and Institute of Acoustics. Committees interface with stakeholders including manufacturers like Chauvet Professional, Robe Lighting, Clay Paky, Philips Lighting, and systems integrators such as PRG (Production Resource Group), TAIT and Midas. PLASA liaises with standards bodies including CIE (International Commission on Illumination), ISO, ANSI, CEC, and European Commission technical groups. Corporate governance draws on practices seen in British Standards Institution and Trade Association Forum members.
PLASA hosts technical committees to develop interoperability standards comparable to MIDI Manufacturers Association, AES67, Dante (audio networking), sACN (Streaming Architecture for Control Networks), and RDM (Remote Device Management). Committees have worked on protocols integrating fixtures from ETC (company), control consoles by MA Lighting, Avolites, and GrandMA, and media servers by Resolume, disguise, and Dataton. Collaboration partners include CIE (International Commission on Illumination), IEC, ISO, ANSI E1, and professional bodies such as British Standards Institution and Society of Broadcast Engineers. Technical outputs address safety concerns intersecting with standards from Health and Safety Executive, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, European Committee for Standardization, and industry guidance used by venues like Royal Opera House and promoters such as SFX Entertainment.
PLASA produces trade shows and exhibitions similar in sector role to InfoComm, ISE (Integrated Systems Europe), NAMM Show, and Prolight + Sound. Events have featured exhibitors such as Martin Professional, Robe Lighting, ETC (company), Shure, Sennheiser, Harman International Industries, Yamaha Corporation, Allen & Heath, Avolites, MA Lighting, PRG (Production Resource Group), and Chauvet Professional. Services include publishing technical guides, standards documents, and organising conferences akin to PLASA Focus, collaborating with training providers like City & Guilds, TÜV SÜD, ITEC and certification schemes comparable to CompTIA in structure. PLASA’s marketplace and networking activities mirror those of Theatres Trust and Association of British Theatre Technicians.
PLASA has influenced interoperability across lighting, audio, and control sectors, partnering with organizations such as Audio Engineering Society, MIDI Manufacturers Association, IEEE, ISO, CIE (International Commission on Illumination), British Standards Institution, Health and Safety Executive, Society of Light and Lighting, and professional associations including Association of British Theatre Technicians and Institute of Acoustics. Its standards work has impacted manufacturers including ETC (company), MA Lighting, Avolites, Robe Lighting, Chauvet Professional, Shure, Sennheiser, and Yamaha Corporation. Collaborations extend to venues, promoters, and production companies such as Madison Square Garden, Royal Albert Hall, Live Nation, AEG Presents, PRG (Production Resource Group), and academic partners like Royal Northern College of Music for skills development.
Membership spans manufacturers, distributors, rental companies, venues, contractors, and freelancers, with companies like Martin Professional, Mole-Richardson, Strand Lighting, Harman International Industries, Shure, Sennheiser, ETC (company), MA Lighting, Avolites, Robe Lighting, PRG (Production Resource Group), TAIT represented. Training programs and certifications align with frameworks used by City & Guilds, TÜV SÜD, Institute of Acoustics, and Society of Light and Lighting, and address competencies required by employers such as Live Nation, AEG Presents, Festival Republic, and rental firms like Backline (company). PLASA’s educational outreach connects with conservatoires and universities including Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and technical colleges.
PLASA has faced criticism over governance, funding, and event strategy analogous to controversies at trade organizations such as Reed Exhibitions and Informa. Debates have arisen around standard adoption versus proprietary solutions promoted by companies like Vari-Lite, ETC (company), MA Lighting, and Avolites; similar tensions have appeared in discussions involving Dante (audio networking), AES67 and proprietary lamp and fixture control systems from Philips Lighting and Osram. Questions about trade show commercialisation have paralleled criticisms leveled at InfoComm and Prolight + Sound, while training certification scope and recognition have been compared to disputes at City & Guilds and CompTIA.
Category:Trade associations Category:Entertainment technology