GLP UK returns to PLASA Show from 6-8 September, taking its usual spot on stand E5, right at the front of Olympia London. And this year, there is a lot to celebrate.
Marking 10 years of GLP UK, the stand will bring together the UK team and international GLP colleagues with some of the latest additions to the GLP range, including the impression FR2, WildBar 8 and TWYN. Alongside them will be the JDC2 IP, supported by a separate program of dedicated hands-on workshops running away from the bustle of the show floor. And, of course, there will be coffee.
Stand E5 is one of the first stands visitors encounter on the way into the hall, making it an easy meeting point during three busy days, and according to GLP UK, it's still home to the best coffee at PLASA. No independent verification has been sought.
Making its PLASA debut will be the GLP impression FR2, which combines theater- and TV-friendly Fresnel quality with a compact format light enough for one person to rig.
Delivering more than twice the output of its FR1 predecessor, FR2 uses GLP's iQ.Gamut color technology to ensure consistent color matching across compatible GLP fixtures. Three additional rings of 32 RGBW LEDs each provide a completely separate creative layer, opening up possibilities for effects and visual accents beyond the fixture's core Fresnel functionality.
Also making its PLASA appearance is the GLP WildBar 8, the newest and smallest member of the WildBar family. At half the length of the WildBar 16, it uses GLP's patented seamless pixel pitch technology, continuing a principle that has been featured in every GLP LED bar since the impression X4 Bar. Maintaining exactly the same spacing between pixels both within and between fixtures means WildBar 8 and WildBar 16 units can be mixed freely while still appearing as one continuous line of light, with no visible gaps between fixtures.
Completing the line-up is the GLP TWYN. Still a relatively new addition to the GLP portfolio, TWYN has already gained strong traction by bringing together the DNA of two familiar GLP concepts in one unique dual-face moving head.
One side builds on GLP's Creos, with a 3×3 array of zoomable RGBL LEDs producing powerful, homogeneous washes. Spin it around and the opposite side takes its inspiration from the JDC Burst 1, combining a white strobe tube with RGBW LED plates for dynamic strobe and color effects.
They're two very different lighting concepts in a single fixture. That means less truss space needed and fewer fixtures required. For large productions, that can mean simplifying an already complex rig. And for smaller shows, it means getting significantly more out of the space available.
Away from stand E5, GLP UK is also giving programmers and designers the chance to get properly hands-on with the JDC2 IP.
A substantially updated software platform introduces improved DigiFX, more powerful video integration and a streamlined Canvas, considerably expanding what can be created across multiple JDC2 IP fixtures while making the workflow more straightforward.
Rather than attempting to demonstrate all of that in the middle of a busy exhibition stand, GLP UK is running a program of dedicated workshops titled "JDC2 IP: Beyond the Strobe" in Workshop Studio, Henley Suite 7.
Led by GLP product specialist René Geissel, the sessions will explore Segment Mapping, DigiFX, Canvas and Fixture Positioning, External NDI, FVP and Pixel Cruncher, together with the new DigiFX Visualizer.
Together, these tools allow designers and programmers to move from fixture-level effects to large-scale visual compositions across multiple JDC2 IP units (including external NDI content) without requiring a separate media server.
Each session lasts 30 minutes and is limited to just six people. That's intentional. These aren't presentations from the back of a crowded room. Everyone will have the opportunity to get hands on with the system, to ask questions and to see what it can actually do.
Places on the JDC2 IP workshops can be booked in advance at jdc2plasa2026.netlify.app.
PLASA also marks a milestone for the UK team, who will celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2026.
Over that decade, GLP UK has grown considerably, but the approach has remained reassuringly familiar – good products, good people, close relationships with customers and (wherever possible) not taking itself too seriously.
A few nods to the anniversary will inevitably make their way onto stand E5 throughout the show. Visitors are very welcome to come and help mark the occasion, and no singing of Happy Birthday is required.
Simon Barrett of GLP UK states, "PLASA is always one of those shows where an enormous number of our favorite people end up in the same building, which is probably why we keep coming back.
"This year feels particularly special because GLP UK is ten. We've got some genuinely exciting new products to show, there's a huge amount happening with JDC2, and most importantly we'll have a lot of the people who've been part of those ten years in one place.
"Come and see us on E5. Have a play with the kit, book yourself into a JDC2 workshop, drink our allegedly excellent coffee and help us celebrate ten years of GLP UK."
Photo credits: GLP