UK - Robe stepped up the energy in the room for the 24th edition of the TPi Awards, supplying nearly 250 of its latest moving LED lights to help create the production lighting design – imagined by Robe’s own creative team – for the high-profile industry event produced by TPi Magazine, part of Mondiale Technology Media.
The event was staged at the Evolution London venue in Battersea and was hosted – for the second consecutive year – by Emmanuel Sonub, with over 1,850 industry professionals in the audience.
Robe technology was showcased by a team led by lighting director Nathan Wan, associate LD Andy Webb, lead programmer Jordan Tinniswood, programmer Kyle Evans and Robe International’s exhibition and production manager, Tomas Kohout who co-ordinated all the logistics needed to amass this large amount of kit at Evolution.
Wan and Webb were supported by a crew of seven NRG (Next Robe Generation) students from five different colleges around the UK.
Ant Ioannou, who is studying Event Production at the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham, was assistant lighting designer in the main room, with Abigail Skelton, also studying the same course, overseeing lighting for the main bar area.
James Levy, a Theatre Technology student from Guildhall, tech’d an exterior iBolt installation, which was inaugurated last year and proved hugely popular.
There were then four RoboSpot operators: Mason Dilworth and Sebastian Ollivierre, both studying Creative Lighting Control at Rose Bruford; Andrew Whewell from Leeds City College studying Theatre Design & Production Technology; and Harry Mooring from Derby University who is studying Sound, Light & Live Event Engineering.
Jane Monk, Robe UK’s NRG initiative manager, commented: “The TPi Awards provides a platform for selected NRG UK students to shine, and a unique opportunity to join Robe’s creative team and experience first-hand how to deliver a prestigious event in a room full of industry professionals. While definitely not for the faint-hearted, the many big smiles after the show make us proud to be able to help these hugely talented students on their lighting journey.”
Robe technology in the main room included the recently launched LedPointe luminaire. Also on the rig were Robe’s new SVB1s and SvoPATT luminaires, the flagship Forte LTX, SpiiderX LED wash beams, the ever popular LEDBeam 350s, TetraXs, iBolts and six RoboSpot systems each running with Forte LTXs.
All the lights were rigged on a series of trusses flown above the audience and the long shallow stage area, and on vertical ladders filling in gaps between the onstage screens. This all added to the cool organic nature of video imagery and motion graphics, with some lights even blended into the set design, hidden amongst the digital foliage.
The RoboSpot count was increased from four to six this year to cover the room very comprehensively and crucially, to enable super-quick winner pickups from tables wherever they happened to be seated around the room.
Robe UK’s managing director Mick Hannaford concludes: “Robe was proud to support the TPi Awards 2025, celebrating the massive talents and achievements of our industry. It is always a pleasure to see our fixtures light up Battersea Evolution for the evening, facilitated by our excellent in-house creative team who diligently design and programme the show from start to finish.”
