UK - During the PLASA Show in London, the European associations AFIAL, APESA, AVITA, Event Confederation, PLASA, PSA and VPLT announced their intention to join forces internationally.
The group represents manufacturers, distributors, dealers, system integrators, production companies, professional end-users and technical service providers involved in live events.
The new alliance (Entertainment Technology Industry Alliance - ETIA) offers a platform for exchange, pools expertise and resources, and provides a strong voice in European legislative and regulatory processes. The associations represent six European countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The associations are: Event Confederation (umbrella organisation for Belgian event professionals); AVITA (Audiovisual Association of Finland); APESA (French Alliance for Event, Live Performance and Audiovisual Professionals); VPLT (German Entertainment Technology Association); AFIAL (Spanish association that groups manufacturers and importers of audiovisual technology); PLASA (association for professionals active in light and sound from the United Kingdom); and PSA (United Kingdom Manufacturing Services Association).
The member companies of the seven ETIA associations determine the future viability of the international events sector by developing new and sustainable technologies, services, and standards. The associations and their members are committed to actively contributing to the economic sustainability of the entertainment and media technology sector through ETIA. Specifically, this involves standardization processes to provide comparable and reliable data on the environmental impact of products.
ETIA members state: "Like many other sectors in our economy, the events sector is also undergoing profound changes. An international partnership like ETIA, in which we pool our years of expertise, is fundamental to addressing the many challenges facing our sector. Through ETIA, we can join forces, strengthen common interests, and collaborate on specific projects and topics, such as product life cycle assessments. ETIA is an important milestone in this regard, and we are convinced it will send a powerful message to our sector, our governments, and European policymakers."
ETIA is not organised as an umbrella organisation. Each association continues to represent the specific interests of its members at the national and international levels. At the same time, collaboration on EU policy initiatives will strengthen our sector's position in Brussels.
ETIA was officially launched during a joint panel discussion of association representatives on 8 September 2025, in London, during the PLASA Show at Olympia London. ETIA's partner associations met for the first time at Prolight + Sound 2025 in Frankfurt. A further meeting of partners and interested associations is planned for next year's edition. A joint website is also planned for the coming months.