PLASA Focus Leeds 2025 returned to the Royal Armouries on May 13 and 14, bringing together a vibrant cross-section of the live entertainment technology sector for two days full of connections, innovation, and learning.
This year, the event welcomed 2,852 professionals, an increase compared to the 2024 edition. The quality of attendees continues to thrive, with 687 directors, owners, or chairs, representing 16% of the audience. Significantly, when combining senior roles with those dedicated to sales and procurement, nearly 40% of the professionals on site held final decision-making responsibility, underscoring the event’s commercial impact.
Representation spanned a broad spectrum of industry roles, including sound and lighting engineers, technicians, production and tour managers, lighting designers, venue and operations staff, as well as consultants, buyers, lecturers, content creators, and marketing professionals. Students also played a key role, reinforcing the event’s relevance to the industry’s future.
“PLASA Focus Leeds is a great exhibition for networking with existing clients and suppliers as well as meeting potential new ones. The atmosphere is so different from other exhibitions, focusing more on people than flashy booths”, Caroline Graves, SES (Entertainment Services) Ltd.
“We established contacts that many only dream of”, Ian Buckland, Sing2karaoke.
What makes this event unique is that there are no gigantic booths or over-the-top displays; here, what matters are genuine conversations, solid relationships, and an incredible atmosphere. Even the management team from Germany attended and agreed it’s one of the best and most enjoyable events they’ve been to. It’s a fresh, down-to-earth experience that many other fairs should take note of. Let’s keep PLASA Leeds just as it is: authentic, approachable, and people-centered, Oliver Webb, Country Sales Manager UK / IRE, Adam Hall Group.
Sponsor support
This year’s edition was proudly headlined by Ambersphere Solutions, alongside nine new official sponsors: A.C. Entertainment Technologies, BeamZ, Disney Cruise Line, HH Audio, J&C Joel, Link UK Solutions, QolorFLEX, Rentman, and SIXTY82. Their involvement contributed to a rich and dynamic exhibition space, with increased visibility and footfall.
“It’s always exciting to bring the latest technology directly to the UK production and lighting community, and PLASA Focus Leeds provides the perfect platform to do so. We also really valued the opportunity to be headline sponsors again this year—it’s a role we take great pride in”, Maria Tate, Ambersphere Solutions.
“Being an official sponsor at PLASA Focus Leeds 2025 was a fantastic opportunity that didn’t disappoint. The additional branding on site elevated our presence and helped drive traffic to our stand. The entire experience, from exhibiting to sponsoring, was incredibly smooth, with support available whenever needed. We had excellent conversations with students, integrators, distributors, and other exhibitors. We’re already looking forward to PLASA Focus Leeds 2026!”, Emma Thompson, HH Audio.
For us, PLASA Focus Leeds is a highlight every year. It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase our products and the latest innovations to the public. Each year, more and more professionals attend, to whom we can offer the right solutions and with whom we can exchange ideas about the future of lighting technology. This is always of great value to us. Thanks to this, we can look back on another successful PLASA edition, Rudy Velders, BeamZ.
A vibrant exhibition experience
This year’s event featured 215 exhibiting brands, spread across two sold-out halls and a bustling outdoor courtyard. Once again, the show struck the perfect balance between accessibility and depth, allowing professionals to engage meaningfully with new products and technologies.
“Returning to PLASA Leeds is always a pleasure… meaningful conversations with new contacts in a relaxed and approachable atmosphere”, Theresa Gibson, Area Four Industries.
“Showcasing our two stage brands under one roof sparked great conversations and genuine excitement about what we’re offering the market”, Ulrike Veit, Chainmaster.
“PLASA Leeds is an invaluable event on the calendar. We return every year because it gives us the fantastic opportunity to share our latest products and the innovations behind them directly with our target audience”, Franes Durkin, LANG UK.
“Participating with our stand at PLASA Focus is very rewarding. Being a smaller-scale show offers more opportunities for networking and having excellent conversations with friends, clients, and partners, both new and familiar”, Lizzy Prowling, AED Group.
An energetic program of talks and training
Backed by seminar sponsor Vectorworks, the 2025 program offered over 30 sessions designed to inform and inspire. Topics included everything from artificial intelligence and lighting networks to color theory, business growth strategies, and professional development.
Tim Smith of Artistic Licence delivered Navigating Networks – IP Networking for Lighting Controls, breaking down protocols and practical system design. Maximising Your Sound System Design in Pre-Production, by d&b audiotechnik, walked through predictive audio tools to improve on-site results. The growing role of AI was addressed in Cue The Algorithm and The Man Machine, examining the impact of automation on creative and technical roles.
Sessions like Get Noticed, Get Work and Become A Financially Savvy Freelancer provided practical advice for freelancers, while Dreaming Of Growing Your Own Business explored funding strategy and startup planning through an interactive game-based presentation. Demystifying Colour in Performing Arts & Broadcast Lighting, hosted by White Light, challenged assumptions about LED lighting quality, and sustainability was addressed head-on with speakers from Robe UK, Pearce Hire, and the Royal Ballet & Opera.
The program this year covered every aspect of the industry: from technical training and creative discussion to social issues and career paths, powerfully showing where live production is heading, said Sophie Atkinson, PLASA Head of Events.
Hands-on learning, live demos, and outdoor energy
During the event, professionals tested new tools and techniques. ChamSys provided hands-on training in lighting control, covering everything from Group Cues and FX to GeNetix networking. KV2 Audio offered large-scale demonstrations in the Bury Theatre, using this on-site space for the first time to deliver an immersive, acoustically optimized demo experience. Meanwhile, SOWA installed its wireless speaker system in the outdoor courtyard, energizing the atmosphere and providing attendees with a fresh sonic experience.
“Attending PLASA Focus Leeds gave SOWA a great platform… the event was an excellent networking opportunity and has opened doors for future collaborations”, Villads Sørensen, SOWA.
“Whether on the booth or in the training suite, it’s fantastic to see people learning tips and tricks to get the most out of the products”, Alex Pole, ChamSys.
Supporting the next generation of industry professionals
PLASA Focus Leeds 2025 also reinforced its commitment to nurturing emerging talent. Students from Leeds Beckett University took part in a tailored program led by Sophie Beasor of The Power of Events, which included a welcome session, an introduction to the show, a curated map of recommended exhibitors to visit, and professional headshots courtesy of the official show photographer.
Jonathan Scott, Live Events Technical Tutor at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, also brought his Technical Events students to tour the show. He commented: “Thanks to Prolight for the excellent conversation with the students about their new equipment, to CHAUVET for showcasing their consoles, and to DPA Microphones for wanting to participate in our next microphone comparison”.
Throughout the seminar program, several sessions were aimed at early-career professionals, including Get Noticed, Get Work, Step Into My Shoes, and the PLASA Student Forum, where students from across the UK shared their aspirations and concerns with industry professionals.
“The event gave me a deeper understanding of the events industry and has only strengthened my passion for pursuing a career in this field”, Sehar Kamran, student at the UK Centre of Events Management, Leeds Beckett University.
A smart digital companion for a smarter show
Debuting in 2025, the PLASA Focus Leeds app transformed how professionals navigated the event. With over 2,200 unique downloads, the app allowed attendees to access their entry badge, view the interactive floor plan, save favorite exhibitors and sessions, receive real-time updates, and even schedule appointments—all from their mobile device. Its launch was widely praised and made planning and navigating the show faster and more intuitive.
Looking ahead
PLASA Focus Leeds will return to the Royal Armouries on May 12 and 13, 2026, and is already gearing up to be another sell-out success.
Since its inception as ‘Leeds – Northern’, this event has always brought together enthusiastic exhibitors and attendees who share and learn through networking and presentations. I highly recommend it. – Vincenzo Borrelli, Adamson UK.
“PLASA Focus is the go-to networking show: here you’re guaranteed to find great opportunities and have productive conversations”, Ben Noble, Push The Button.
