ABTT Theatre Show
 | This article, ABTT Theatre Show, has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
| ABTT Theatre Show | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Entertainments Industry Technical Equipment |
| Venue | Alexandra Palace, London |
| Location(s) | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Inaugurated | 1977 |
| Founder | Association of British Theatre Technicians |
| Attendance | 2500+[1] |
| Organized by | ABTT |
| Website | [www.abtttheatreshow.org.uk] |
The ABTT Theatre Show is an annual trade show hosted in London and organised by registered charity, the The Association of British Theatre Technicians. The ABTT Theatre show draws exhibitors and visitors from all over the world interested in topics such as lighting, audio visual, scenography, rigging, set construction, technical theatre and related technologies.[2][3][4]
History
The ABTT Theatre show has been running since 1978, originally named The ABTT Trade show rebranded in the 2001 to make the annual event more accessible to a wider audience including front of house theatre services. This has resulted in the growth of both exhibitors and attendees. The show originally started in 1978 at the hands of principal organiser Roger Fox (still current Theatre Show director) and ABTT members Bob Anderson, Joe Aveline, David Adams and Richard York at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, RSC Warehouse in Covent Garden, moving on to the Piccadilly Theatre in 1979.[5]
Fellow Ian Albery is part of the Albery theatre family who owned the Donmar Warehouse Theatre and the Piccadilly Theatre and facilitated the ABTT in getting the Theatre Show started.
From 1980 the event was situated in the Shaftesbury Theatre; proceeding in 1981-82 to The Roundhouse and Riverside Studios during 1984-90.[6]
The Mermaid Theatre hosted the show in 1991 and then it relocated to The Royal Horticultural Halls where it stayed until 2011. The move from the The Royal Horticultural Halls came after the sale of the Hall to Westminster School – who planned to convert the exhibition space in to a sports hall.
The ABTT then moved the Theatre Show to The Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch after deciding that an event space, rather than an exhibition hall would “provide everything we need to use… (with it being ) a quirky venue… exhibitors have welcomed the choice.”[7] and since then Alexandra Palace has held the event from 2015 to present.[8]
Each year the Theatre show presents the ABTT Awards. These started in 1976 and were then hosted alongside the Theatreshow from 1984. This has progressed from the initial “product of the year” in the 1979’s a variety of awards including “technician of the year” and “stand of the year”. In 1993, this altered from an initial ABTT Awards ceremony to the “ABTT Awards and Dinner” with in excess of 150 people attending.
In 2014, these awards were presented for the first time in combination with the National Awards for Stage Management in a joint ceremony with the Stage Management Association, with the host for the awards being actress Lesley Manville.[8][9]
In 2018, Roger Fox will be celebrating his 40th anniversary as Theatre Show Director along with the Theatre Shows 40th anniversary on 6-7th June 2018.
References
- ^ http://www.abtttheatreshow.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Exhibitor-Sales-Prospectus.pdf
- ^ "21st Century Theatres - The ABTT Theatre Show: a place for management and technicians".
- ^ "ABTT Theatre Show 2004 - ETNow.com". www.etnow.com.
- ^ Assemblies, Rope (23 June 2016). "July 2016 - ABTT Theatre Show 2016 Highly Commended Award for Tiger Lifting Chain Block System - Rope Assemblies".
- ^ http://www.theatrecrafts.com/archive/cue/cue_46_15.pdf
- ^ http://theatrecrafts.com/archive/cue/cue_59_30.pdf
- ^ "ABTT Theatre Show finds new home after Royal Horticultural Halls loss - EN". 22 February 2012.
- ^ a b http://www.abtt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ABTT-DRAFT-Annual-Report-Consolidated-Accounts-SIGNED-FINAL.pdf
- ^ http://www.abtt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ABTT-2014-accounts.pdf
External links
