It’s almost absurd calling yesterday, October 20, the first official day of LDI. After all, for most exhibitors–and, with LDInstitute, the Backstage events, the Projection Master Classes, and various other sessions, an increasing number of attendees–LDI begins Monday or earlier. Still, Friday’s the yardstick by which we tend to measure how the show is going, since that’s the first day the show floor officially opens. And from everything I saw and everyone I spoke to, it’s safe to say that this year’s LDI is going to be the best show ever.

Yeah, yeah, I know. We say that every year. Best Show Ever! It’s so cliched, it should probably be in quotes. But as ESTA president Bill Groener noted at Thursday’s ESTA dinner, the buzz is palpable. The show floor footprint is the biggest ever, pre-registration in the days prior to the show was already up nearly 2,000 over last year’s total attendance, there are great new products being unveiled, and people are in a buying mood, across all markets.

All I can say is, thank you little baby Jesus. I gotta admit I was nervous coming into this show. We had a lot of new stuff we were doing this year–a print Show Daily, the Projection Master Classes (more on that in another posting), and a few new staff members attending LDI for the first time–and that’s on top of all the stuff we normally do: booth visits, blogging (natch), working closely with the LDI show staff, hosting our Friday cocktail reception, and of course hitting the evening party circuit. That’s a lot of balls in the air. But I gotta say that our staff here has stepped up big time. Marian Sandberg, Lisa Murphy, Diane Straughen, Earl Otsuka, Albert Margolis, Jeff Donnenwerth, Dean Muscio, Keith Gregory, Kirby Asplund, and Glenn Laudenslager–they’ve all contributed immeasurably to making all our various pieces fit seamlessly. Thanks to my homeys.

We’ll have lots more from contributors over the course of the next couple of days, so stay tuned…

We heard it thru the grapevine…

Berger Group of Canada, providing lighting, video production, indoor and outdoor staging, fabrication and turn-key event services for the entertainment industry, and Mega-Stage, designers and manufacturers of mobile stages and accessories, sold under the trademarks Dynastage and Logicstage, are poised to announce their expansion to the US under the names of BergerUSA and Mega-StageUSA in Las Vegas.

Our sources tell us the official announcement will be made at this year’s LDI, so be sure to check out both the Mega-StageUSA and BergerUSA booths, #262 and #263, respectively, where reps will be on hand to conduct demonstrations and answer questions.

In addition, the firms‘ principals invite attendees to come and see the debut of “ArtAbout,” a special event showcasing their world-famous stages in action on Saturday, October 21 from 10am to 10pm.

Stay tuned for more Vegas happenings!

I guess it all depends on your definition of “celebrity” but in certain circles a band like the Flaming Lips would definitely be considered celebs.

Anyway, they are in the process of building a custom truss to hold thier lighting rig, a giant rounded UFO…First unveiled at a show in their hometown of Oklahoma City last month, the band’s lead singer Wayne Coyne, has been very involved in the entire building process with lighting designer John Paul “Pope” Allison, and rumor has it the two may be at LDI this year, shopping around for various UFO-related lighting products.

Here are a few sneak peeks at the beginning stages of what some in the greater Oklahoma City area mistook for Aurora Bourealis, fireworks, and real UFOs during lighting rehearsals.

Keep an eye out for coverage of the Flaming Lips’ light show in its glorious entirety in the December issue of Live Design…

Massive is what one calls this one: MGM and Boyd Gaming are working on not mega-casinos but mini cities. Work has started on City Center by MGM. You can view a model where they have started the project between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo Hotels. Plans call for a main casino and hotels, shopping, and other features. Boyd Gaming will close the Stardust in November their own version of the same but also featuring, if I recall, about 1 million or so feet of convention center and meeting space. Harrah’s is also about to announce a massive “city center type” project that will be between all they own from the Venetian to the Aladdin with the razing of the Imperial Palace and other properties.

Speaking of meeting space, the Sands Expo will start adding another 1.5 or more million square feet of convention and meeting space across the street from the Sands. When finished, it will again make the Sands the largest privately held convention facility in the world. These are just some of the many trends the city’s direction is going…not so much “themed” casinos anymore but mini-cities and condo projects, some of which will have gotten off the ground, some that will not because there is just not enough labor or due to costs and have been put on hold.

In other news, Splash, the first “hip-hop” type show dating back to 1989, closed at the Rivera.