Avolites celebrates its 45 anniversary in the entertainment lighting industry

Since his birth in 1976, Avolites has been at the forefront of technology in the entertainment and event lighting industry. A long run that began with the LD rotary attenuation frame, until the release of its flagship Diamond console 9 earlier this year.

Avolites is celebrating its 45 anniversary. Created in 1976 under the train tracks at Hammersmith (London), the company has remained at the forefront of technological change in the event and show lighting industry. This innovation has been reflected from its first rotary attenuation frame (the Ld that would then become the Fd), until the release of its latest flagship console Diamond 9 earlier this year.

Throughout its history, Avolites has combined material confidence with ergonomically designed interfaces (that allow for ever-increasing artistic freedom) with a quality finish and inspiring design.

The company has played a key role in allowing shows to become bigger and bigger, demanding and immersive over the decades. From major tours to larger productions on the world's most renowned stages and nightclubs, It has ensured that multimedia visual canvases that delight audiences meet the increasingly demanding ambitions of their designers.

Lighting control

Over decades, Avolites has manufactured a wide range of lighting control products, media servers, accessories and software, but is probably best known for its range of lighting control consoles and attenuation racks.

These include the first generation of consoles, designed to control the smart lighting products that were emerging on the market in the 1990s 90, like consoles Pearl, Sapphire and the first Diamond; the series Article attenuators followed by attenuation/distribution units PowerCube in the 1990s, 2000; and the launch of its own lighting control software Titan in 2009.

A strategic move on media servers also saw the launch of the 'Ai' software platform, which was used in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics 2012 to project videomapping on viewers' seats, setting a Guinness world record as the largest video viewing surface.

The feature set of pioneering software Synergy launched in 2019, which has allowed everyone to, and not just programming professionals, can for the first time use the power of video and lighting interchangeably.

The year 2021 saw the launch of the new flagship console, Diamond 9, featuring a big screen, Completely new controls and unique media integration that intuitively combines control of all the visuals of a show and is ready for the next generation of shows.

Along the way, the original FD attenuator has been updated numerous times and is still present in the product catalogue, known as Art 2020; although it's a version that's evolved a lot since its original design.

Corporate strategy

Over the years, the company has had several corporate changes. In the 1990s, 80, Avolites was owned by a television company, before returning to private property after a Management Buy Out (Mbo) led by three employees: Richard Salzedo (current president), Steve Warren (current new business manager) and Meena Varatharajan (Director of Finance and Logistics, now retired).

Recent years have also seen more changes, with Paul Wong leading a new team of directors who have been able to drive the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and is now looking to the next 45 years of its development.

Within these developments, 2021 has also seen the launch of the company's new brand identity and logo. This is the first significant change in your image since 1976. Reflects the future, oriented towards the strategic direction of the company, while underlining Avolites' creative approach to lighting and audiovisual design.

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