With a total of eight Awards for Innovation to judge, and with the option of bestowing a 'Gold' Award on one or more really outstanding entries, PLASA's panel of experts from across the industry are looking for products which "advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice or taking a key step forward in terms of safety." Entries will be judged on new and original thinking; novel ways of harnessing new technologies, materials or techniques; showing fresh perspectives and improvements in technical practices; original concepts that qualify for new patents or unique intellectual property or any mechanism for the improvement of safety across the workplace in the entertainment sector.
The Awards for Innovation also give special recognition to products that show outstanding development in the area of environmental awareness. The PLASA Sustainability Award allows the judges to acknowledge product that achieve a substantial reduction in power usage for its particular product type or application; show a real reduction in the environmental impact of a product lifecycle or make significantly effective use of renewable energy resources.
All entries get the chance to display their nominated product at the Innovation Gallery right at the heart of the Show in Earls Court 1 alongside the PLASA Bar. The Gallery is a central attraction to PLASA visitors affording nominees the opportunity to display their entries to the widest possible audience. Each nominee will have the opportunity to present their product to our panel of judges, and video footage of the presentations will be made available to all the nominees after the show.
If you want to have an exclusive endorsement of your new product and perhaps join the likes of previous Gold Award winners - Martin Audio's MLA system or Shure's Axient wireless microphone system - then visit: www.plasashow.com/awards to submit your nomination.
A special ceremony to announce the judges' decisions will take place on Monday 10 September at 6pm in the PLASA Bar in Earls Court 1. Winners of the PLASA 2012 Awards for Innovation and the PLASA Sustainability Award will be joined by the recipient of the 2012 Gottelier Award which celebrates one individual's outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry.
(Jim Evans)