As major venues and production companies transition to all-LED lighting inventories, big manufacturers are ceasing to make replacement lamps for traditional fixtures, and many distributors are no longer sourcing and importing them. This could be a financial catastrophe for small venues, community organisations, houses of worship, and educational institutions across Australia, many of whom are years away from being able to upgrade to LED. Clearlight Shows have recognised this looming issue, and have stepped up to ensure that the lights will stay on across the country for years to come.
“There are still thousands of venues and people in the market that need those lamps,” states John McKissock, Managing Director of Clearlight Shows. “Most community theatres, churches, and schools just can’t afford the transition to LED yet. The big problem with getting replacement lamps is that most distributors have stopped stocking them due to the drop-off in the volume of sales. That’s affected their wholesale price too; the less you buy, the more they cost. It’s a vicious circle.”
John realised that something needed to be done urgently when Philips announced that they would no longer manufacture tungsten lamps from 2017. “That’s when we invested heavily in stock and bought mountains of Philips lamps,” John explains. “We’ve also sourced replacements from other manufacturers overseas to ensure continuity in our supply lines. We’re suppling wholesale and retail, and have a secure supply for at least the next 10 years.”
Clearlight are stocking replacement lamps for classic fixtures like Strand Pattern 23s and 123s, Pacific 1K Blue Pinch lamps, discharge lamps, pin spot lamps, DWE audience blinder lamps, par lamps, 110V par lamps, and in some cases lamps for fixtures up to 50 years old. “Everybody else has walked away, but we’re still bringing them in,” confirms John. “It is getting harder, but at Clearlight we are committed to ensuring that organisations will be able to keep running their traditional fixtures as long as they need to.”
