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Organissimo and Elation deliver lighting at Americana Trade Fair 2025

The Americana Trade Fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany, is Europe’s largest trade fair for Western riding and equestrian sports. At the heart of the event is the Show Arena, a 36 m x 72 m space hosting horse shows, competitions, demonstrations, and broadcasts to both live and online audiences.

For the 2025 edition, held from September 3 to 7, Organissimo - official service partner of Messe Friedrichshafen - worked with Elation to illuminate the arena. Activities began as early as six in the morning and ran until midnight, with rehearsals often stretching into the early hours. This meant the lighting system had to perform under near-constant use. The arena was captured on eight to nine cameras for both broadcast and livestream.

The welfare of the horses was paramount. Traditional halogen fixtures had not only failed frequently, requiring constant bulb changes, but they also projected blinding light that could distract riders and animals. With fixtures mounted high on trusses above sensitive arena sand, there was no opportunity for quick maintenance if something went wrong.

The venue knew they wanted to upgrade to LED, and the solution was Elation’s KL Panel XL. Organissimo mounted seventy units across three long trusses running the length of the hall, along with additional trusses at each end to achieve full coverage. Organissimo’s Martin Knauer chose the KL Panels for the arena lighting and created the overall lighting design.

The KL lights were integrated into the overall production by Organissimo, which not only managed lighting, sound, and video but also oversaw some construction and provided behind-the-scenes support. Organissimo collaborated with camera teams, who specifically requested LED panel softlights, something that would not project blinding light but could cover the entire arena in a uniform wash.

The LED panels enhanced video capture without distracting riders or animals, while the RGBWLC engine provided the softer color tones requested by the client. The KL Panel XL units worked in conjunction with moving head fixtures, enabling Organissimo to combine uniform soft washes with dynamic spotlighting for specific scenes and performances.

For the first time, the Americana arena could transition seamlessly between crisp competition lighting and immersive colored scenes, something previously impossible with the halogen system.

(Photos: Organissimo)

www.elationlighting.com

www.organissimo.de

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