Astera LED is specialized in battery powered spotlights for professional event technicians. The products are especially designed for rental and production companies, but are also used for live events, weddings or film productions. The company, based in Munich, was founded by a dedicated engineer and is still developing in Germany. Sebastian Bückle, Director Sales & Marketing Astera LED, reveals the advantages of a wireless system and why the company is exhibiting at Prolight + Sound.
1. With your wireless system you bring the future to the industry. What are the benefits of your system?
Event technicians spend a lot of time laying power and data cables. With our lighting system this effort is eliminated, leaving more time for more productive jobs. Of course, our wireless lamps also help at installation locations where power is not available or only at a very high cost and they allow for easy and flexible repositioning.
In recent years we have implemented many additional functions – these help to program our lamps even faster and to control and monitor them during use even more easily. Meanwhile many of our customers appreciate the lamps not only as pure battery lamps but as complete all-rounders for the most diverse applications.
2. How has the industry changed since you started production? What potential still exists in this sector?
The companies that pioneered wireless lamps with us came from Europe and the USA and the first products were quite exclusive and high-end. Over the years, the industry has changed and except for Astera, almost all battery lamps are now in the lower price range and kept simple in functionality. They are developed by Asian companies and distributed by Western brands. Often the same lamps then appear under several brand names.
We still see great potential here and are working day after day on the realisation of new groundbreaking products. Above all, we want to offer our customers complete solutions – and not just the stand-alone luminaire.
3. You have been taking part in Prolight + Sound as an exhibitor for several years now. Why?
Prolight + Sound is the most important event in our trade fair year. If we had to decide on one trade fair a year, that would be Prolight + Sound. Here we reach our target group in the best possible way, meet a large number of our partners and new customers and can make perfect use of the days in Frankfurt to strengthen and expand our network.
4. What significance does Prolight + Sound, as a trade fair for event technology, have for you?
Prolight + Sound is the central meeting place for the sector – this is where people meet, exchange ideas and celebrate. And all of it absolutely international with colleagues, partners and customers from Europe and all over the world. Simply perfect for all those who do not have a corresponding trade fair in their country. In addition, the manufacturers present their new products here – ideal for the industry to be always up to date.
5. In view of 2020: Can you give a small foretaste of what your customers will expect this year?
We will launch two new products in the course of this year. One is a battery powered LED wallwasher with 16 pixels or 8 pixels (100cm or 50cm length), the best colors, lots of accessories and numerous installation possibilities – it fits well into our product line and has been requested by existing Astera customers again and again. Furthermore, there is a new LED bulb, which, as usual for our products, achieves best color values and can be controlled with the Astera App or Wireless DMX. This bulb is absolutely revolutionary and can easily be used with an E27 thread in a socket or, even easier, with an external battery.
There are a lot of possible applications for both products and we are looking forward to the feedback of the visitors.
Thank you very much for the interview.
Pictures: Astera LED