Showlight 2009

At the heart of Showlight is the programme of speakers, a series of papers ranging in length from 15 to 45 minutes taking place over three days. Since the first event in 1981, delegates have enjoyed hearing from those who are at the pinnacle of their profession as well as from some who are just starting out.

Speakers over the past two events, Munich in 2005 and Edinburgh in 2001, have included award-winning lighting designers Ken Billington from the US, best known for his lighting of Chicago, Durham Marenghi from the UK, lighting designer for both theatre and events, and Richard Pilbrow - who works on both sides of the Atlantic. We have also been treated to Lighting on a Shoestring, from the BBC's Carol Sadler, and Bargain! 99.5% Off, when Carol was joined by Ian Dow to present a short and interesting solution to lighting a shaded face against a bright window.

And in 2005, Nick Schlieper took us through the sublime folly of how the smallest opera company in Australia (just five people) opened all four operas of Wagner's Ring Cycle in just one week. As delegate Andy Hayles of Charcoal Blue put it: "It was all there, big budgets, political intrigue, huge timescales and loads of water!"

The following is just a taste of the 20+ speakers that will be in Glasgow:

• Among a panel of experts debating the future of entertainment lighting will be Fred Foster, CEO of ETC.
• Alex Wardle of Arup venue consulting will take a backward look to 1750, when the bleached beeswax candle was cutting edge, and discuss how he re-created the feel of a stage lit by candles without actually using a naked flame.
• Bernie Davis, freelance lighting director, will describe how he put on a West End show - the Royal Variety Show - in just three days.
• America's Jim Tetlow, will talk about the pitfalls in lighting US Presidential Debates.
• Also from America is Roberto Schaefer ASC, most recently DoP on the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, and BAFTA nominee for Finding Neverland.
• At the other end of the film scale, Lucy Gaskell, a lighting designer in Cornwall, has to adapt to any work available, including DoP, retail and outside events, some of them at the Eden Project. She'll be telling us how she copes with the rain, the wind and the wonderful Cornish sunsets, which are different every night!
• Lighting Designer Michael Hulls tells of his partnership with choreographer Russell Maliphant, which has produced exciting lighting over the years.
• The venue for Showlight is BBC Scotland's new state of the art headquarters in Glasgow, which boasts the latest broadcast technology, and Joe Breslin of BBC Scotland will explain what is hanging above everyone's heads and why he specified it.