New ILDA competition looking for laser show talents

[buffo]

Hey Everyone;

Patrick Murphy asked me to post this announcement here on PL. ILDA is starting a competition (or a talent search, if you prefer) where people who are producing laser show content are encouraged to submit their work for recognition by ILDA.

The competition is only open to people who have no ties to ILDA. If you have ever been an ILDA member in the past, you can't enter. This is designed to focus on newcomers who are doing great work but are currently unrecognized.

My guess is that the winner of this contest will attract a good bit of attention from the commercial players in the industry, along with the trophy and the free ILDA membership and admittance to the ILDA banquet in Baltimore this year.

See details below:

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New ILDA competition looking for laser show talents

With laser projectors becoming more affordable, there are many enthusiasts and laser artists creating laser light shows. The International Laser Display Association has announced a new contest to find and publicize non-ILDA members who are creating exceptional shows.

The 2016 "New Talent" competition winner will receive the “ILDA New Talent” trophy, honoring their work as the best of the worldwide entries. They will be recognized at the November 2016 ILDA Awards Banquet and Presentation in Baltimore, and will have free attendance to the banquet (a $250 value). Their achievement will be publicized on ILDA's website. Recognition as a winner could become a stepping stone to further involvement in the laser display industry. They will also receive a free year's Individual Membership in ILDA (a $130 value; this amount may be optionally applied towards a Corporate Membership). The Membership includes free access to Skyzan laser safety software (a $299 value), discounts on LSO classes and ILDA events, and other Member benefits.

Subsequent New Talent searches in 2017 and beyond will find and publicize additional new talents.

The ILDA New Talent search was created at the request of ILDA Members attending the association's October 2015 conference in Dubai. Members asked the Board and Awards Committee to come up with a way to help non-members doing professional level work get the attention they deserve.

This search is open to any individual who has not been a member of ILDA, either on their own or as an employee of an ILDA member. They can enter up to three videos, each one up to 4 minutes in length. An international panel of judges will view all entries to choose the winner.

There is a nominal entry fee of $10 for one video, $25 for two or $50 for three. The fee helps defray costs of the New Talent program, and it also helps limit entries to persons genuinely interested in having their work be evaluated in the competition.

The complete rules and entry form are online at ILDA.com/newtalent.htm. Deadline for entries is July 31, 2016. Anyone with questions about the competition should contact ILDA directly.


About ILDA: ILDA is the only worldwide association for companies and individuals engaged in laser light shows. ILDA developed standards that allow laser projectors and controllers to work together, that define scanner performance, and that allow exchange of frames and animations. ILDA offers a one-day Laser Safety Officer for Lasershows course; thus far 70 people have passed the ILDA course. ILDA helped keep U.S. outdoor laser shows viable, by helping to write procedures later adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration. ILDA Members have free online access to Skyzan laser safety software, a $299 value. ILDA hosts a website, LasershowSafety.info which is a one-stop source for links and articles about laser show safety. ILDA Members subscribe to a Code of Ethics and a Code of Business Practice; disputes between customers and ILDA Members have been settled by the Ethics Committee. ILDA holds an annual Awards competition for its Members; in 2015 there were 170 entries from 32 Member companies in 16 categories. The annual ILDA Conference, bringing laserists from around the world together, has been held at locations including Amsterdam, Moscow, China, Italy, Dubai, Germany, Las Vegas -- and even on cruise ships. The 2016 ILDA Conference, hosted by Image Engineering, will be in Baltimore, Maryland; it is at this Conference that the 2016 New Talent winner will be publicly announced.


For more information, contact:

Patrick Murphy, Executive Director
International Laser Display Association
mail@ilda.com
www.ilda.com
+1 407-797-7654
http://www.ilda.com/newtalent.htm

[swamidog]

i have only been a member of ILDA for a few years, but my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive and i encourage anyone who is not a member (or has not been an ilda member) to submit their artwork for this competition.

let's show the big guys how much we kick ass!

[Bradfo69]

I want to know what the hell we're eating if the value of this banquet is $250!!!

[Bradfo69]

Just had a long talk with Patrick Murphy who called me in regards to my response. Admittedly, I was being a little snarky and I'm satisfied with the answer. I'm not bashing the idea or the conference or the banquet or anything and am actually looking forward to attending the conference this year since it's in my backyard but, being in the business, the semantics of saying "a $250 value" is what I questioned.