GLP UK took part in PLASA 2026 with several additions to its portfolio, including impression FR2, WildBar 8 and TWYN. The company also organised practical workshops on JDC2 IP and celebrated ten years of operations in the UK.
Stand E5 brought together the UK team and GLP’s international representatives throughout the three-day show, which took place from 6 to 8 September at Olympia London. There, visitors were able to explore the company’s latest technologies and learn more about the workshop programme.
Located at the entrance to the hall, the space also served as a meeting point to celebrate GLP UK’s tenth anniversary. In addition, according to the company, it continued to offer the best coffee at PLASA, although this claim has not been independently verified.
New fixtures
impression FR2 made its PLASA debut, combining Fresnel quality suitable for theatre and television with a compact format light enough to be installed by one person.
FR2 delivers more than twice the output of its predecessor, FR1, and uses GLP’s iQ.Gamut colour technology to ensure consistent colour reproduction across compatible GLP fixtures. Three additional rings, each featuring 32 RGBW LEDs, provide a completely independent creative layer and expand the possibilities for effects and visual accents beyond the fixture’s main Fresnel function.
WildBar 8, the newest and most compact member of the WildBar family, was also present at PLASA. Half the length of WildBar 16, it uses GLP’s patented uniform pixel-spacing technology, continuing a principle used in GLP LED bars since impression X4 Bar. By maintaining the same distance between pixels, both within each fixture and across multiple devices, WildBar 8 and WildBar 16 units can be freely combined to create a continuous line of light with no visible gaps between fixtures.
TWYN completed the selection. Although it remains a relatively recent addition to GLP’s portfolio, TWYN has already gained widespread acceptance by combining the DNA of two established GLP concepts in a distinctive double-sided moving head.
One side is based on Creos and features a zoomable 3 × 3 RGBL LED matrix capable of producing powerful, uniform washes of light. When rotated, the opposite side draws on JDC Burst 1, combining a white strobe tube with RGBW LED panels to create dynamic strobe and colour effects.
These are two very different lighting concepts integrated into a single fixture. This reduces the amount of truss space required and the number of devices needed. In large-scale productions, it can simplify an already complex installation. In smaller shows, it allows much better use of the available space.
JDC2 IP: Beyond the Strobe
Away from stand E5, GLP UK also gave programmers and designers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with JDC2 IP.
A significantly updated software platform incorporates improvements to DigiFX, more powerful video integration and a simplified Canvas. These updates considerably expand the creative possibilities offered by multiple JDC2 IP fixtures while making the workflow easier.
Rather than attempting to demonstrate all these features on a busy stand, GLP UK organised a programme of dedicated workshops entitled JDC2 IP: Beyond the Strobe, which took place at the Workshop Studio in Henley Suite 7.
Led by GLP product specialist René Geissel, the sessions covered Segment Mapping, DigiFX, Canvas and Fixture Positioning, External NDI, FVP and Pixel Cruncher, as well as the new DigiFX Visualizer.
Together, these tools enable designers and programmers to move from creating effects for individual fixtures to developing large-scale visual compositions with multiple JDC2 IP units—including external NDI content—without requiring a separate media server.
Each session lasted 30 minutes and was limited to just six people. This decision was intentional: these were not presentations watched from the back of a crowded room. Every attendee had the opportunity to test the system, ask questions and see first-hand what it can do.
Ten years of GLP UK
PLASA also marked a milestone for the UK team, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2026.
Over the past decade, GLP UK has grown considerably while keeping its philosophy intact: offering good products, maintaining an approachable team, nurturing relationships with its customers and always working with a sense of humour.
PLASA is always one of those shows where many of our favourite people end up gathered in the same building, which explains why we keep coming back. This edition was significant because GLP UK celebrated its tenth anniversary. We presented new products, shared the latest JDC2 developments and, most importantly, brought together many of the people who have been part of these ten years, said Simon Barrett of GLP UK.
