Schwäbische Post 30 October 2013

From 2 to 7 November 2013, Lothar Bopp and Alexander Henning of LOBO electronic GmbH have invited the entire industry.
 

At the invitation of the Aalen-based company LOBO electronic GmbH, Aalen will become the center of the laser show world for almost one week in early November. In an interview with Wirtschaft Regional chief editor Winfried Hofele, Lothar Bopp and the Creative Director of the company LOBO explained what will happen then.
From Saturday, 2 November, to Thursday, 7 November 2013, the world-famous laser show and multimedia company LOBO has invited an entire industry to Aalen. Following metropolises such as Moscow, Hong Kong and Las Vegas, Aalen will not only be the location for the annual conference of the “International Laser Display Association”, short ILDA, but also for a meeting of the world’s largest online community of laser show enthusiasts. There are registration records for both events, the Ramada Hotel in Aalen is filled to the brink and visitors have long since had to look for other hotels.
Creative Director, you are board member of ILDA and at the same time Creative Director of the company LOBO. Can you explain to us why the giants of your industry are flocking to Aalen of all places?
Creative Director: Since 1994, LOBO has been a member of ILDA and has now comfortably topped the rankings of all trophies ever awarded by ILDA for exceptional artistic achievements for many years. These ILDA Awards are considered the “Oscars” of our industry. Every single award stands for exceptional performances on an international stage. Over the years, LOBO has received 139 of these awards – an almost unfathomable number for most members. Just for comparison: The next European company in the ranking has only received 28 awards.
Would you say that LOBO has an exceptionally unique position on the global market for laser technology?
Creative Director: LOBO has a worldwide reputation for shows of global renown and products of the highest technical level. Thus, it comes as no surprise that many attendees see the conference in Aalen as an opportunity to look behind the scenes at LOBO.
What is so special about the event in Aalen?
Creative Director: As hosts, it was a particular wish of us to bring together the professionals of ILDA with the laser show enthusiasts of LaserFreaks. Nobody has ever attempted that before. With this concept, we obviously had our fingers at the pulse of time and received a lot of support from both sides.
Mr. Bopp, Creative Director just talked about the idea of bringing together laymen and professionals at LOBO’s under one roof. What is the basic idea behind this consideration and how can the success of this idea be explained?
Bopp: As with many industries, the laser show sector has also been affected by globalization and cheap imports from the Far East. Increasingly, we are seeing high-performance lasers in the hands of people who actually do not know how to responsibly handle such a device. One of the few points of contacts for these laser show newbies are the aforementioned LaserFreaks.
What about safety?
Bopp: We were thrilled to see the safety awareness and certainly also profound knowledge that has manifested in this online community. Still, many half-truths are still common among hobbyists, especially in safety matters. However, the topic laser safety and responsible handling of lasers is a central issue for the future, both for professionals earning a living with it as well as for “Freaks”, who generally conduct their hobby in a very responsible manner. Just think about the public discussions concerning aircraft pilots blinded and endangered by laser pointers.
What can and will you do against that?
Bopp: Our aim is a first step towards stronger networking between professionals and laymen in order to establish a culture of safety on basis of reliable information. This is the only way to effectively prevent accidents caused by ignorance. When used responsibly, laser shows are completely safe and exude an unrivalled fascination. We hope it stays that way in the future
What exactly will happen during the conference in Aalen?
Creative Director of the company Lobo: For example, ILDA develops joint technical standards during the conference, attempts to promote the quality of laser shows with seminars, a show evening and obviously the ILDA Awards, and lays the groundwork for talks with government organizations in matters of laser safety. A particularly important feature of such a conference is the open exchange of ideas between normally competing companies. Here, they can build bridges and overcome differences.
Mr. Bopp, will the people of Aalen even notice that this event is happening?
Bopp: I do not want to tell too much, but during these days, anyone in and around Aalen will notice that the heart of the laser show world is beating here. In addition, it will be possible to attend the show evening of the LaserFreaks in the assembly hall of the University of Aalen on Saturday, 2 November, for a fee of ten Euros.
Dates for the laser meeting
The LaserFreak meeting from 2 to 4 November will be held in the University of Aalen on Saturday and at LOBO on Sunday in cooperation with ILDA. On Saturday evening, the LaserFreak Awards will be chosen and awarded in the assembly hall of the university. On Monday, it will be possible to participate in the ILDA fair at the Ramada Hotel and in the welcome reception at LOBO.
The ILDA conference (4 to 7 November) will begin on Monday with the ILDA fair and the welcome reception at LOBO, as well as user meetings and a laser safety officer (LSO) course. The actual conference with seminars and member meetings will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. All evening events, including the show evening, a laser jockey battle, and the awards ceremony, will be held at LOBO. On the final day, there will be a joint excursion to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The member meeting is open exclusively to ILDA members.