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What is the ABTT?
Let’s get this out the way first for those who don’t know. The ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) is an independent charity and organization founded in 1961. It sets and upholds Live events industry standards for technical excellence, safety, and compliance in theatre and live performance.
What is the ABTT show?
For almost 50 years, ABTT’s trade show has been assisting backstage professionals in making alliances, finding and experiencing the latest innovations, and staying at the top of their chosen career.
Why should you go?
This is a good question. The ABTT show has always been a solid part of my calendar. While PLASA has all the glitz and flashy things, this show has always been an education. Free to attend, It is a welcoming space for new and old, and especially for those of us not looking to spend but to understand, educate, and talk with those who are at the forefront.
I teach students in technical theatre and live events. For me, these technicians are the ones who will be in charge of the budgets and decisions down the road, so the ABTT show is a chance for them to discover more about the industry that they will be working in and how to shape the future.
Some brief highlights?
This fantastic show is a great pin in the calendar for both experienced professionals and those new to the industry. This year did not disappoint!
From Adlib to Harlequin, Chamsys to Clearcom, it was a hotbed of innovative displays but also a chance for those looking for more experience to attend the numerous talks, seminars, and workshops that were on offer.
The Palm Court, the main entrance to the whole show, like 2025, contained all the Associations, Unions, and Industry Charities that are so vital to our industry. These groups are vital to all our work, from groups like BECTU (the technicians’ union) that represents approximately 40,000 freelancers, Contract, and staff workers to Backup Tech that provides financial & Wellbeing support to industry professionals.
This is a stop I always make at ABTT, getting to chat with all the associations and find out what the current issues are facing our industry, and getting the up-to-date information to take back to my students.
Unusually this year, I got to spend a little time in “Education alley” seeing it from my child’s perspective. They have recently graduated from university, were visiting the show for the first time, and wanted to chat with those about further education opportunities and also talk to other industry professionals about CV creation and Stage management in the “Careers hub”. This gave me a great opportunity to speak to the “ABTT School Theatre Support Committee” about their work creating links between school technicians.
An honorable mention must also go to my boss, Nick Young-Wolfe, for his part in the Careers hub, talking to people about Freelancing, Training & Alternative Routes on Thursday.
Some new/old tech?
We all love a little tech, and there were lots of bits and pieces to have a look at, but a couple caught my eye while walking past.
For those with an eye for effects, getting to talk to Just FX is always a must, and as usual, always good to see what was on offer.
The Cameo Otos LC12 Moving bar was great to see in person. I have seen other manufacturers have similar products, but most seem to have live music and festivals in mind with the design, whereas Cameo seems to have more of a theatre eye with their system.
The Luxibel XFR-140C (bit of a mouthful) made me stop while on a wander mainly because it appealed to my ‘Old School’ brain. It seems to be a modern version of a Strand 123 (A lantern that has a special place in my heart), and for the brief time that I was there, it seemed to be a pretty solid offering for an LED wash unit.
In the world of comms, the Clear-Com HME wireless headset and Hollyland Solidcom C1 Pro Wireless Stereo Remote Headset were both strong offerings to the eternal issue of wireless comms.
And my standout quirky mention that I really liked seeing in a digital, techno-heavy world was Theatre-in-a-box, a very simple and elegant solution for education and understanding of stage layout and the need for model boxes in a techno age.
What else?
Well, so much else but not enough space and time, so some highlights:
The Coffee Chat stage puts industry in the room with attendees like the Conversation between Gemma Swallow (former Technical Director, National Theatre of Scotland) and Paul Handley (National Theatre).
The numerous workshops for those looking for a little more knowledge or to fill some skills holes like “5 Ways to Fit a Radio Mic”, “Standby! How the RBO Stage Management Team Get a Show On” and “Venue Hire Made Simple”.
The seminar programme tackles the topics the industry is actually wrestling with, such as “Martyn’s Law” and what the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 means for venues and “Sustainable theatre-making with the Theatre Green Book”.
But also for those with questions like “Under the Skin of sACN and Art-Net” and “Continuing to Learn Beyond Education: Outcomes from the 2026 Make a Difference Conference”
All of the above and much more led to a fun and inspiring day for me and some of my students who attended.
Why not check out the ABTT show for yourself next year: ABTT 2027
And have a chat with MUTI about how you or your business can benefit from a MUTI apprentice.