Although Prolight + Sound 2020 is only celebrating its 25th anniversary, there are companies that have been part of the trade fair, which started off as a special show at Musikmesse, for much longer. Like the Spanish manufacturer Altair. The company has been taking part in the fair for 32 years – almost as long as it has existed. In an interview, Fran Herrería talks about the changes in the industry and the ups and downs of Prolight + Sound.
1. Tell us about the mission of the company Altair.
Fran Herrería von Altair
Our mission is to keep on designing and manufacturing innovative and reliable products in the field of communications, professional audio and broadcasting, capable of satisfying the expectations of the most demanding engineers.
In addition, we are very committed to after-sales service and to the durability of our systems, which I consider extremely important in these times in which the end users demand responsibility from the manufacturers. We are particularly proud of our Technical Service.
2. How has the industry changed since the beginning of your production? What potential is there in this area?
The industry has changed a lot, considering that when our production started we were creating a market and nowadays we are operating in a mature market that has evolved very fast, especially during the internet era.
Our specific field has seen the birth of some new players recently and some others have disappeared, so as long as we keep aiming high and being self-demanding our expectations are good. The potential for us lays on how easy it is today to promote our products even in the furthest markets, if you make good use of the tools that internet offers.
3. For how many times have you participated at Prolight + Sound as an exhibitor? What are the reasons for your participation?
This is going to be our 32nd participation, all of them in a row.
Why? Well, there’s a component of nostalgia for us when we talk about this show. It’s true that Prolight + Sound has seen better times and it’s also true that we are not particularly happy with our last 2 or 3 participations in it, but it’s still an important event for the industry and we´d like it to remain this way.
4. What significance does Prolight + Sound have as a trade fair for event technology?
Aaltair Directive Board and founding members Antonio M. Ruiz, Cesar Gonzalez and Miguel Gimenez (from left to right)
Frankfurt Prolight + Sound is the perfect showcase for us. It’s the event in which we display our novelties and gather the feedback coming from our best clients and distributors. I guess it’s kind of the same for all manufacturers in our market.
At Prolight + Sound, we all finally get to know what other companies are working on and what novelties are being presented by our “competitors”, that’s why this trade show is so interesting and creates so much expectation.
Professionals come to find out about the latest technology and of course all companies want to have good cards in their hands to make the most of their game at Prolight + Sound. It is definitely an important date for event technology, despite the important absences in the last editions…
5. With regard to the Prolight + Sound 2020: Can you give visitors a little taste of what to expect?
As explained above, Prolight + Sound is a show in which the big majority of manufacturers from our sector introduce their novelties, so it’s always an exciting event for all engineers and for all the people who simply like technology.
For us it’s going to be a transition year as we are developing new products which are not ready yet. Anyway, we always have a couple surprises and this year won’t be an exception.
Altair was founded in 1986 with the aim of combining innovation, high precision, quality and excellent customer service. More than 30 years later, the Madrid-based company has developed into a global player in the professional audio sector.