Latin America. Avolites celebrates its 45th anniversary in May. First established in 1976 under a railway arch in Hammersmith, London, from its first rotating dimming frame, the iconic Avolites LD attenuator (which would later become the FD attenuator), to the launch of its latest Diamond 9 flagship console earlier this year, the company has been at the forefront of technological change in the lighting events industry ever since.
Throughout its history, Avolites has believed in the power of technological innovation to enhance creative expression and has combined that approach with component reliability, ergonomically designed interfaces that allow for ever greater artistic freedom, quality finishing and inspired design. As such, it has played a key role in enabling programs to become larger, more demanding, and more immersive over the decades.
From the largest traveling shows to the world's most important theatrical productions and nightclubs, Avolites has ensured that multimedia visual canvases that delight audiences around the world meet the increasingly demanding ambitions of its designers.
The company was founded by Ian Walley in 1976 and gets its name from the AVO (amps, volts and ohms) meter that he usually carried with him on loads. Over the decades, Avolites has manufactured a wide range of lighting control and networking products, media servers, accessories and software, but is probably best known for its range of lighting control consoles and dimming racks. These include the first generation of consoles designed to control the new smart lighting products that were emerging on the market in the 1990s, such as the Pearl, Sapphire and early Diamond consoles; the Art series of attenuators followed by the PowerCube attenuation/distribution units in the 2000s; and the release of its own game-changing Titan lighting control software in 2009.
A strategic move towards media servers also saw the launch of the Ai software platform, and both were used at the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games to make video maps in audience seats, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest landscape video.
Along the way, the original FD attenuator was updated many times and is still alive as Art 2020, although it is a highly evolved product of the original design.
"At the heart of every decision or technological innovation are our users and customers, the lighting and video designers and operators, who use the tools we create," explained Paul Wong, Managing Director of Avolites. "Avolites has always focused on the people who use its products. All of our best product innovations are born from hundreds of conversations and inquiries from users and customers. That's why our software platforms have an intuitive and visually guided user interface, without the need for intense training to get started."
Given the length of its history and the depth of its heritage, it is not surprising to see that there have been corporate changes over the years. In the 1980s, it was briefly owned by a television company, before returning to private ownership after a management buyout (MBO) led by three employees: Richard Salzedo (current president), Steve Warren (current director of new business) and Meena Varatharajan. (Retired Director of Finance and Logistics).
Recent years have also seen more changes, with Paul Wong leading a new team of directors who have led the company through the Covid-19 pandemic and now look ahead to the next 45 years of its development. Within these developments, 2021 has also seen the launch of the company's new brand identity and logo. This is the first significant change in the company's brand since 1976. It reflects the direction of the company's forward-looking strategy, while underlining Avolites' creative approach to lighting and media design.
