Schwäbische Post 20. September 2008

ILDA Awards given out – up to 150 shows competed for the prestigious trophies

Not only did LOBO electronic GmbH from Aalen receive about two thirds of all first place trophies at the ILDA Awards ceremony, but was also the first company to receive its 100th ‘Laser Oscar’. Creative Director Alexander Hennig accepted the award.

Aalen LOBO receiving first place trophies in six out of nine categories at this year’s ILDA Awards and thus extending its uninterrupted twelve-year long lead atop the most important award of the laser and multimedia industry would have been a sensation in its own right. But that wasn’t all: When LOBO’s Creative Director Alexander Hennig took the stage of the theater onboard the giant cruise ship “Carnival Imagination” to accept the first price for the outdoor laser show “Noaptea Alba” in Bucharest, he brought along another award. Namely, this was the first ILDA Award of his company from 1994, which Hennig had received for a multimedia show on the occasion of the 1250th anniversary of the city of Fulda while still being an intern.

This award might certainly be seen as the starting point of Hennig’s own career, but also of LOBO’s rise to an industry leader in both the technical as well as the creative field.

In subsequent years, LOBO was to become the world's leading design team in the laser and multimedia sector and thus a permanent fixture among the recipients of the ILDA Awards. By 1997, LOBO had built up an uncatchable lead. From then on until today, LOBO always received more ILDA Awards than any other company worldwide – despite annually changing juries, continuously amended evaluation criteria, several new categories and restrictions on submissions by large show producers.

Now, LOBO was the first company ever to breach the barrier of 100 ILDA Awards. But even after the shower of confetti had settled down, ILDA president Tim Walsh had given a moving speech and the extraordinary achievement had been celebrated with a toast, the awards just kept coming. In the end, LOBO received two thirds of all first place awards and now has a grand total of 104 ILDA Awards to its name.

Outsiders may now get the idea that ILDA Awards are generously given out among the members. But that is not the case: criteria and application procedures are comparable to those of the Oscars. Typically, up to 150 shows compete for one of the coveted trophies, meaning that most participants go home empty handed or only have rather few “Laser Oscars” to their names. For example, LOBO’s closest European rival in the ILDA rankings only has received 22 awards. Hence, LOBO being showered in awards year in and year out is truly unique and outstanding.

“We are working hard to invent ourselves new time and time again and we can rely on a team that takes pride in their work,” Hennig attempts to explain the phenomenon. “We try to go off the beaten paths, question established methods and explore new avenues. This way, we repeatedly managed to create new and unique things.”