An essay by Norbert Stangl, CMO of the Laserworld Group
The transformation process of the show laser industry has been ongoing since the development of laser technology as such in 1960. However, this technology has evolved over the decades from rather fragile, specialist technology to durable, compact, and affordable devices.
Several significant milestones in the history of laser technology also shaped the industry behind it and led to significant changes in the market.
Around the year 2000, there was the transformation from gas laser systems to affordable solid-state technology, significantly boosted by DPSS laser technology (usually the typical green laser), followed by a price drop for blue semiconductor laser diodes (the Casio video projector story - we will tell that another day). Then, in 2013, came the gradual shift to the newly developed technology for green semiconductor laser diodes.
All these changes occurred due to technological development. The companies and people involved were significantly focused on technology.
If we look at the recent developments in the show laser industry since COVID, the changes we see are different from those in the past: the global economy, international markets, and the general economy are shaping the industry and its developments.
Laserworld at the beginning, and now the Laserworld Group, became a key player in the market—and the home to many laser and laser show experts from the industry.
This live stream recording was made at the Open House Event of the Laserworld Group on Innovation Day, 10.10.2025, in Berlin:
And that evolution did not end: in the keynote that was held later that day, we revealed that LPS Laser from Germany, another show laser pioneer, joined the Laserworld Group in mid-2025. Since then, Lutz Bartl, former CEO of HB-Laser, joined the Laserworld Group in January 2026. Several more companies from the industry are already part of the Laserworld Group, but without public knowledge (yes, we do have some secrets 😉).
Having all those big names under our roof - Laserworld, LaserAnimation Sollinger, RTI, tarm, LPS Laser, HB-Laser, and more - the Laserworld Group was able to bring together the brilliant minds of the industry and their heritage. This has proven to be necessary in an industry that has transformed so heavily and has been significantly impacted by many different influences. Knowledge, experience, efficiency, and most importantly synergetic effects make us, as the Laserworld Group, a strong family.
As the Laserworld Group grew bigger over the years, it became essential to shape a product portfolio that spans the different brands, with product ranges that complement each other without having competing products within the Group. This challenge results from the question: Which product for which customer?
This is the presentation given at the Open House Event of the Laserworld Group on Innovation Day, 10.10.2025, in Berlin, titled:
Different laser systems – different customers
Besides the challenges of the actual laser systems, a much more significant question becomes increasingly important as laser setups grow larger - and there is definitely a trend toward a multitude of lasers being used at shows.
How can lasers be controlled reliably, and more importantly: how can reliable control be scaled to very large laser setups?
The Laserworld Group has two main technological approaches for this: one on the top-end side with LaserAnimation Sollinger and AVB/TSN signal transmission, and another with the versatile ShowNET laser mainboard on the Laserworld side.
Let’s have a look at the presentation “The latest trends in laser and multimedia project implementation,” held by Moritz Hilscher and Richard Schäfer on Innovation Day, 10.10.2025, in Berlin:
One aspect of the aforementioned ShowNET mainboard was specifically highlighted at the Berlin Open House event as well: the professional DMX and Art-Net control of lasers, specifically for large numbers of units. This live stream recording is from the Education Day, 09.10.2025, in Berlin:
Laserworld’s own laser software control system, the Showcontroller Software Suite, plays an increasingly important role in the industry and is experiencing strong demand and growth. Showcontroller software trainings in English and German were held in parallel on Education Day, 09.10.2025, in Berlin and showcased the latest developments and technical advancements of the professional software suite:
As the Laserworld Group not only caters to top professional, high-end laser users, but also offers a versatile portfolio of more basic products, the introduction to the show laser industry is also in focus. Total newcomers to the show laser industry can get started quickly and easily with basic laser systems nowadays, as technology has advanced so much. With knowledge of just a few fundamentals, it is possible to create astonishing laser shows - live controlled or based on a timeline. “My first laser show” was the title of a presentation that specifically addressed the ease of getting started:
The biggest developments in the industry, however, were the recent innovations aimed at bringing laser technology to the lighting world. The idea behind this was to make laser technology more easily available while maintaining ease of use and avoiding classification as dangerous laser devices. Different technologies have been tested along that route, and not all of them have proven to be successful.
The Laserworld Group has significantly invested in research and development over the past years to bring new innovation to the lighting industry. And this was successfully achieved - with the launch of the tarm VANQUISH, a totally new, first-of-its-kind moving head with a laser source as a substitute for a conventional light source.
And even more than that: it became the strongest turbo hybrid lighting fixture on the market, with 2.2 million lux at 20 m. The tarm VANQUISH was the highlight product launched on 10.11.2025 in Berlin during the keynote speech, and it has impacted the market since:
More is to be expected from tarm - professional luminaires very soon, as investment in development has not stopped, but has continued to grow significantly.
These recent presentations about different aspects of the laser show industry demonstrate the huge potential that still exists in the market. Even though the industry has consolidated over the past years, this has led to a kind of catharsis, and it appears that this development has fueled the evolution of the industry - and especially of the Laserworld Group as a key player.
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