This year's show will be held 21 to 23 October, in Las Vegas, where you could get a jumpstart on networking and job hunting, and stay up to date on the latest technology trends. By taking a few short minutes to fill out the application at www.etcconnect.com/LDISponsorship - due by Wednesday 1 June - you could get your key to a brighter future.
Are you nervous about graduating and no longer having a faculty advisor to help guide you? ETC's LDI Student Sponsorship gives you the chance to get that support. Each Sponsorship recipient is paired with a well-known person in the lighting or stage technology field, who provides encouragement, guidance and advice for at least a year after the LDI show.
"The mentoring programme for me has been a great way to connect with one of the coolest people I now know and get to hear about a side of the industry I'm not familiar with," explains Angelina Vyushkova, a 2013 ETC LDI Student Sponsorship recipient. "We get to chat about my latest lighting projects and bounce ideas back and forth."
ETC provides many opportunities for Sponsorship recipients to meet and share ideas with professionals, peers and prospective employers. That includes a special dinner reception for the students, where you can network with industry influencers and benefit from their experience. "I will never forget the incredible people that I met at the student dinner. The idea that industry professionals like those would care enough about their industry to give back their time and money to help me grow is a truly wonderful thing," says 2014 ETC LDI Student Sponsorship recipient Ben J. Golden.
The full conference pass awarded by the Sponsorship gets you access to LDI training sessions. "Being able to attend LDI sessions opens up an entire new world to designers, especially in terms of the products and new technology that will be driving the designs of tomorrow," says Darren E. Levin, a 2008 ETC LDI Student Sponsorship recipient.
Sponsorship alumni have gone on to accomplish amazing things, using the experience they gained at LDI as a launch pad for their careers. "ETC is never shy about promoting young designers, and the events they arranged proved to be very valuable for me to gain exposure in the lighting world. It is apparent that ETC takes great pride in giving next generation of lighting professionals a healthy start. So, whether you're a designer, programmer, or technician, I would recommend applying for this great opportunity," concludes Nick Diaz, a 2013 ETC LDI Student Sponsorship recipient.
(Jim Evans)
