With September being a significant month for our Managing Director Matt Lloyd, he’s put together a few words about why that is and how it’s allowed him to reflect on his own career and the industry as a whole…
This month marks two important milestones for me. Firstly, it was my birthday earlier this week so a big thank you to everyone who shared their well wishes. Secondly, it also marks 39 years of me working within this amazing industry – having started back in September 1986! When I first began, I never envisaged the journey this world would take me on almost four decades later. As such, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to share with you some reflections of own personal journey, what I’ve learned along the way as well as how the industry has changed during that time.
To say I’ve had a diverse career would be something of an understatement. I started working in actual theatres as Technical Manager at the Redgrave in Bristol before moving to Stage Electrics where eventually worked specifically with West End shows and UK touring theatre lighting rental. Then, following a year in which I sailed around the world (as you do!), I moved into manufacturing where I worked for 14 years. This role truly allowed me to draw on my twenty years of theatre experience and help create products I knew would be beneficial to lighting and venue professionals. I was very proud when said products won us 16 innovation awards over the years and were active in 38 countries. Following this, I then found myself move into the role as an Architectural Representative for ETC, which is how 3LR was formed…
What this all means is that I’ve been fortunate to see and work within practically all the different elements of this industry. Whether that’s as practitioner, designer, rental partner, manufacturer and now representative. It’s been an amazing journey, yet it struck me just how much the industry itself has changed during that time. I think the biggest advancement is technology. As we all know, LED transformed all lighting – though especially within the entertainment industry. When I started, if you wanted to change the colour of a light, you had to go through the somewhat arduous process of cutting and changing gels – now it can be done with the flick of a button! Similarly, rigs are now smaller but much more powerful. There’s also the emergence of moving lights – something I played a part in! I remember installing the first moving lights into the West End (apart from Vari-Lite) back in 1996 when we put Mac 500 and 600s into The Buddy Holly Musical for Graham Mclusky. At the time, these were ground-breaking but are now part of the fabric of every lighting rig across the land – and, of course, all the better for it.
Looking back, another constant factor throughout both my career and the industry is the role of PLASA. PLASA was formed in 1976 as the British Association of Discothèque Equipment Manufacturers (BADEM) before becoming PLASA in 1984. In 1977, the first-ever PLASA Show took place, though this was known as Discotek 77. PLASA very much started as a manufacturing show in which companies could showcase their products. But, as I’ve seen with my own career, it has evolved over the years and taken on much more significant responsibilities. The organisation still runs the PLASA Show annually (alongside PLASA North) and its Innovation Award is still one of the most highly-regarded within the industry.
Many of us will also remember PLASA being one of the first trade shows to reopen post Covid in 2021 and how amazing it felt to catch up with our friends and colleagues in person again. Speaking of Covid, it was PLASA who was one of the driving forces behind We Make Events – the campaign which aimed to support all of those out of work due to the pandemic. As such, the responsibility and role of PLASA has truly evolved since its formation and is now just as well known for its lobbying, establishing of industry standards, producing the industry’s most-read magazine LSi as well as being a voice for anyone who’s a live entertainment professional.
PLASA is also an organisation I hold very close to my own heart. I’ve attended every single PLASA Show since 1994 (except from 2002 when I was sailing around the world). Experiencing first-hand the importance of the organisation, I joined their board in 2010 and have been volunteering ever since. I was recently named Chair and it’s a position I’m incredibly proud to hold. PLASA has done so much for people like myself and the industry as a whole so I see this role as my own way of giving back. Visiting the show earlier this month, I felt a great deal of pride at seeing the industry united under one roof and the fact it keeps growing every year is a testament to all the other volunteers and the PLASA Team who work incredibly hard behind the scenes to make the show what it is.
And whilst this post has been mainly about reflection, it’s also a chance for me to look forward and ask ‘what’s next?’. Given the trajectory of my career so far, I can safely say I’ve no idea – and that’s something I relish. I’m excited to see where the industry continues to evolve towards and hope I can continue evolving with it. I am lucky that I get to enjoy every single working day and love Mondays as much as Fridays. It was the great Fred Foster, co-founder of ETC, who said his aim was to ‘Have fun and make money’ and I couldn’t agree more. One thing is for certain though – and that’s the fact I know my future will always include giving back as much as I can.
This industry has offered me so much, for which I am so very grateful, and I want to ensure I do the same for everyone else – whether that’s a young student, a long-term colleague or someone I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting. At the end of the day, we are one large, collaborative community – and that’s been the biggest consistent over the past forty years.
Here’s to the next forty?