Behind the Curtain at LDI 2025

A Lighting Nerd’s Field Report

LDI 2025 reinforced why Las Vegas remains the global proving ground for live production technology. With a bigger show floor, deeper demos and a noticeable shift toward practical, tour-ready innovation, this year’s show was less about hype and more about tools designed by people who actually use them.

Las Vegas in early December is always a spectacle, but this year the Strip had an added technical edge. Thousands of lighting designers, production technicians, system integrators and live-event specialists descended on the Las Vegas Convention Center for Live Design International (LDI) 2025.

Long established as the global meeting point for the live production industry, LDI’s 2025 edition confirmed its status. With approximately 14,000 attendees, around 350 exhibitors and a visibly expanded show floor, the event felt confident, busy and energised. While Vegas was also hosting the National Finals Rodeo and UFC 323, the lighting and production community firmly owned the week.

Most major lighting brands were present, alongside large-format LED manufacturers, rigging specialists, control system developers and power distribution suppliers.

“LDI isn’t just a trade show, it’s where creative players come to play.”

Day One Highlights

The Robe family once again commanded attention with a large-footprint stand and several next-generation products from Avolites, LSC and Anolis. The Power Dolly drew strong interest; it’s a rolling base with integrated battery power and wireless DMX, with real potential to change how outdoor and remote installations are approached.

The iForte LTX demonstrated serious long-throw capability, while the WTF (Wash Twist Flash) strobe fully lived up to its name. A clever twist this year was using the fixtures’ own display screens as programmable visual elements during demos, a normally hidden part turned into a feature.

Martin Professional introduced the MAC Encore 2 and the ELP Manet Fresnel, the latter arguably one of the most feature-rich Fresnels currently available.

ETC surprised many with the sheer volume of new products, including the Hog 5 console range, MegaPix and GiggaPix washes and the reborn DataFlash 5000. A modernised take on the classic DataFlash wasn’t on my bingo card, but the refinement and features suggest it may soon appear on touring riders. Rather than chasing spectacle, ETC focused on depth, power and practical design.

The stand also featured the ETC Zeo and you can definitely see Richard Belliveau’s ‘fingerprints’ on new offerings from ETC.

Day Two Observations

Elation pulled out all the stops for their prime-position “Experience Tomorrow” stand, which won the Most Creative Use of Light Award at LDI. They continued building momentum with fixtures like the Paragon LT, Rebel Dartz and Proteus Radius, reinforcing their push into high-output, IP5x-rated weatherproof units. Elation also showcased the Volt+ battery-powered fittings and the Helio Track, a cost-effective LiDAR-based follow-spotting system. Their recent addition of X-Laser expands their offerings into traditional laser ranges.

GLP went all out with a bespoke 3,948,000-lumen installation: the giant JDC Maxx, a homage to the ever-popular JDC range. Built from 42 JDC2s and 18 JDC1 Bursts, measuring 4.2m high and 3m wide, it was a sight to behold, pushing out an almost unhealthy level of light. GLP also continued to innovate with accessories for the Mad Maxx, making it more versatile than simply being the biggest moving light around. On the opposite end of the scale, they launched the Nexxus range of wireless battery units with magnet mounts and app/DMX control.

Indu Electrical showcased the essential backbone of any production: reliable, no-nonsense power distribution that quietly keeps every rig running.

It was refreshing to see Australian company Event Lighting on the LDI floor. Sean Dixon walked us through the PAR F range, an IP65 LED PAR with electronic frost, along with the latest Antari haze, smoke, CO₂ jet and scent machines.

“LASER sources have been fully embraced by the lighting world.”

Day Three Observations

We kicked off day three at Blizzard Lighting, a brand not widely known in Australia. Blizzard brought plenty of fun and creativity to their stand, this year styled as an ’80s Apollo Mission ground-control centre.

The two major US lighting distributors took out the largest footprints:

–            Inner Circle Distribution (ICD) with Claypaky, Madrix, Roxx, Portman and Astera.Astera showed strong refinement with the QuickSpot, QuickPunch and the SolaBulb, an Edison Screw-style bulb with a zoomable Fresnel lens. Claypaky launched the new Sharpy.

–            ACT Entertainment with grandMA, MDG, Ayrton, ZacTracks, SGM and Hippotizer.

Chauvet’s stand packed a lot of visual impact with super impressive timed light shows demonstrating the growing range. The Maverick range continues to gain strength with the Maverick Force and Storm offering great value in IP65 housings. The ePix range has been an impressive addition to the Chauvet offerings. Riding the wave of success from the COLORado PXL Curve, Chauvet have also launched the PXL Curve, a single source head and the COLORado Edge, a really neat little footlight system with built-in cable management.

ROE Visual showcased the Omni Tube, a 360-degree video tube with a wide range of mounting options, and the Vanish Air, a 6.9mm-pitch LED product boasting 95% transparency. Its immaculate cable management and lightweight design made it one of the most impressive transparent LED solutions on the floor.

LED screen representation was strong overall. As the gigantic ISE show continues to expand, many LED manufacturers appear to be exploring opportunities to exhibit in spaces outside the overwhelming noise of Barcelona in February.

“There were some genuine surprises when it came to new gear on show this year.”

Across the final days, the conversation was dominated by distributed control, web-based tracking systems, compact laser fixtures and modular LED solutions. Many exhibitors focused less on headline launches and more on real-world upgrades, lighter weight, faster setup, better power efficiency and smarter integration.

My prize for the best novelty product on show has to go to the DJ Power HK-1, a smoke ring blower with LED bling mouth. I’m not 100% sure on how I would use this on a show, but damn it’s cool.

Final Thoughts

LDI 2025 reinforced that this is a show built by, and for, the people who actually use the gear. Products were demonstrated under load, systems were shown in realistic environments and conversations were grounded in real touring and installation experience.

LDI isn’t just about new toys, it’s about context, workflow and the evolving relationship between creative ambition and production reality. If the scale, energy and innovation on display this year are anything to go by, the live production industry remains firmly in forward motion.

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Main Pic: THE NEW STAGE HOG CONSOLE