17.05.2017 | Elation Pixel Bar Fit for Fight at 2017 FIBO Fitness Show

State of the Art GmbH uses pixel-controllable LED strip lights to create immersive fitness experience at Europe’s largest fitness tradeshow.
Fitness-AV installation experts, State of the Art GmbH of Cologne, showcased a large Elation Pixel Bar 40™ installation as a key element of their booth design at FIBO 2017 as a real world example of the immersive experience the company can create for fitness club customers.

“At FIBO, we wanted to show our customers an immersive experience but with examples that are as close as possible to what we deliver in real installations,” said Andreas Knölle, Chief Technical Officer at State of the Art, the German market leader for professional AV installations in fitness facilities. “For the fitness industry, it’s important to engage their members. Fitness clubs are open 24 hours a day and reliable AV systems are important for customer satisfaction.”

FIBO is Europe’s leading trade fair for fitness, wellness and health and ran from April 6-9 in Cologne. Group fitness has grown over the years to be an important part of the fitness industry with group spinning, aerobic and weight training all an integral part of the fitness club regimen. If you then add an enhancing AV experience on top, you generate an immersive fitness experience that makes the fitness club the place to be, says Knölle. “To generate such an experience, we searched for lighting fixtures that fit our demands - reliable operation over a long period, affordable price and easy replacement. This is why we ended up with the Pixel Bar product lineup.” 
After a successful FIBO debut in 2016, SOTA decided to triple the size of their booth in 2017. As a main element of the booth design, a large Pixel Bar 40 wall made up of 62 one-meter-long Pixel Bar 40 fixtures was installed as an example of the type of immersive environment that can be created for fitness clubs. It also proved to be an eye-catching effect that attracted visitors to the booth.

The SOTA Pixel Bar wall at FIBO was 10 meters wide by 2 meters high with 25cm gaps between fixtures (a typical real-world project would have 50-75cm gaps, says Knölle). The pixel-controllable LED strip lights provided a dynamic linear backdrop and were used as a pixel bar, decorative light and wash luminaire. Because the fitness industry is a 24/7 business with staff that usually has no technical understanding of the lighting system, even SOTA’s most complex lighting installations can be operated by untrained fitness staff via easy-to-use software and the click of a button. The Pixel Bar wall on the SOTA booth was controlled using SOTA’s own Easy-Control solution.

Surrounding visitors in a shower of color and energizing pixel-mapped effects, the fixture’s 850 Nits of brightness is plenty bright enough to fill a room with color-changing light and the effect can be manipulated to create any mood or reflect the action of the music. SOTA, which works with event technology supplier and Elation partner sld mediatec to find the right lighting products for their needs, also incorporates Elation SixPar 100™ LED Par lights on some fitness installations for added color enhancement.