Rich Dale of Apollo has moved to New York City and is out on the town. His job is to meet and interface with lighting designers and what better place to do that than the Big Apple (well, he was based in Fort Wayne, Indiana…). We met for coffee the other day and talked about the New York lighting scene as well as Apollo’s commitment to young designers, as seen in the Standing Ovation ad campaign they have been running, and which featured our 2007 Rising Star winner John Horan. They are also hosting a gobo design contest with entries accpeted through June 30… so if you have nothing else to do this weekend, get out the old drawing pad and maybe your name will be added to their gobo catalogue. Good luck to all those who have entered!

Many years ago, I was in Las Vegas and Adam Steyh took a few of us out on the town, sort of an informal club crawl. Adam knew everyone in town and we wandered into all kinds of clubs, saw part of a Sheena Easton concert someplace and ended up at a way-off-the-Strip Italian restaurant that Adam liked—complete with third rate Elvis impersonator. But what a Las Vegas experience. Adam also stepped in during LDI that year to lead a tour of the lighting at New York New York, which had just been completed, and I knew I could always count on him for information or introductions I might need. As we wander the ins and outs of Las Vegas in October during Backstage Las Vegas at LDI2008, I know that Adam will be there in spirit. Jim Holladay and Barbara Brennan have promised to send their thoughts about Adam so please keep an eye out for that….