The leading worldwide association for companies and persons doing laser light shows, and providing lasershow-related projectors, hardware, software, and services. Supporting safe and ethical laser shows since our founding in 1986.
For descriptions and general information about ILDA's laser safety courses, visit the ILDA laser safety courses webpage. Below is a list of course schedules and rates.
Our main course is the 9-hour Laser Safety Officer (LSO) course. It is for people who create laser shows and are responsible for them being safe and legal (including filling out U.S. federal forms). Sometimes the LSO course is given all in one day; other times it is split into two half days.
We also have a shorter course for Lasershow Operators. It is always the first half, or the first day, of the LSO course. If you do not need a full LSO course, Lasershow Operator is excellent for persons running laser shows or working around them.
Dates and times can be changed if no one has yet signed up; see below on how to ask for a date/time change.
All LSO and Lasershow Operator courses are online using Zoom, unless otherwise noted.
Click on a link to go to the registration page for that course.
• Saturday December 7 2024 - in-person laser safety courses at the LDI show in Las Vegas. Sign up for this is done separately through LDI's website. Look for the courses, and then the two given by ILDA on Dec. 7. You can sign up for Lasershow Operator only (first half of the day) or the entire Laser Safety Officer class (the entire day). Cost information and schedule is at LDI's website.
• Monday December 16 and Thursday December 19 2024: Laser Safety Officer course, split over two days — NOTE THESE TWO DAYS ARE NOT SEQUENTIAL - they are Monday and Thursday. The time is 3 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern both days. The Lasershow Operator course is on Monday Dec. 16 only, 3-8:30 pm.
• Friday January 10 2025: 1-day Laser Safety Officer course, 12 noon - 9 pm Eastern. Lasershow Operator course is the first half, from 12 noon to 5 pm.
• Monday February 3 and Tuesday February 4 2025: Laser Safety Officer course, split over two days, 3 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern both days. Lasershow Operator course on Monday Feb. 3 only, 3-8:30 pm.
• Friday February 28 2025: 1-day Laser Safety Officer course, 2 pm - 11 pm Eastern. Lasershow Operator course is the first half, from 2 pm to 7 pm.
• Monday March 24 and Tuesday March 25 2025: Laser Safety Officer course, split over two days, 12 noon - 5:30 pm Eastern both days. Lasershow Operator course on Monday March 24 only, 12 noon- 5:30 pm.
• Thursday April 17 2025: 1-day Laser Safety Officer course, 7 pm - 4 am April 18 Eastern. Lasershow Operator course is the first half, from 7 pm to midnight.
• Thursday May 15 and Friday May 16 2025: Laser Safety Officer course, split over two days, 3 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern both days. Lasershow Operator course on Thursday May 15 only, 3-8:30 pm.
• Monday June 9 2025: 1-day Laser Safety Officer course, 12 noon - 9 pm Eastern. Lasershow Operator course is the first half, from noon-9 pm.
• Thursday June 26 and Friday June 27 2025: Laser Safety Officer course, split over two days, 3 pm - 8:30 pm Eastern both days. Lasershow Operator course on Thursday June 26 only, 3-8:30 pm.
Changing dates and times to fit your schedule
The date and time of an online class can be changed if no one has yet signed up for the class. For example, if you are in a time zone far from US Eastern, we can change the hours so it fits your schedule. If you are interested in a class but need a date or time change, contact ILDA. Once at least one person signs up for a class, then the date and time for that class will no longer be changed.
Pricing for LSO and Lasershow Operator courses
The cost for an online/Zoom Laser Safety Officer (LSO) course is $525 per person for ILDA Members, or $649 for non-members. This may be higher for in-person courses or the LDI show in Las Vegas due to having to rent room space, travel, and other expenses.
The cost for an online/Zoom Lasershow Operator course is $295 per person for ILDA Members, or $495 for non-members. This may be higher for in-person courses or the LDI show.
We set up an Audience Scanning Safety course for Friday, December 20, 2024 online by Zoom and in-person in Orlando, 2 pm to 6 pm Eastern. Click here to register.
The cost is $395 per person for ILDA Members, or $520 for non-members (same price for online/Zoom and in-person/Orlando).
We will add more Audience Scanning Safety courses in 2025, hopefully 3 or 4 online during the year plus one in-person at the 2025 ILDA Conference.
• The Laser Safety Officer (LSO) for Category A Laser Shows course is usually given only for groups of persons who already have LSO certificates from ILDA or other laser show organizations. This "brings them up to speed" on how to make a show that meets Cat A requirements. We have taught it in the past at the ILDA Conference and at the SELEM laser enthusiasts' meeting. If you have a special need for the Cat A course, contact ILDA.
• Online Lasershow Safety Inspector courses are scheduled usually by a union or group that wants its members to be able to know when laser shows they are working at are safe. Other interested persons are welcomed to take this course. Rates are $525 per person for the first five students, $475 per person for students 6-10, $425 for students 11-15, $375 for students 16-20, and $350 for students number 21 and beyond.
We often present in-person courses at the August SELEM meeting, at the fall ILDA Conference (location varies), and at the fall LDI trade show in Las Vegas. When we do any in-person course, the cost is usually higher than our online rates due to added expenses such as meeting rooms, travel, etc.
• Custom in-person courses are available in Orlando, Florida or at your location. Course rates depend on the number of persons taking the course at the same time and whether we have to rent a meeting room. If outside of Orlando, there would be additional charges to cover the instructor's travel and accommodations costs.
• The date and time of an online class can be changed if no one has yet signed up for the class. For example, if you are in a time zone far from US Eastern, we can change the hours so it fits your schedule. If you are interested in a class but need a date or time change, contact ILDA. Once at least one person signs up for a class, then the date and time for that class will no longer be changed.
• Custom online courses are available; contact ILDA if you would like to set up a course that we would normally not be teaching. Custom online courses incur a $250 additional surcharge. (This is just for on-demand custom online courses, specifically for one person or group. If ILDA has a regularly-scheduled online course and only one person signs up, there is no additional surcharge. Also, note that ILDA may open a custom course up to other persons — the "custom" part is because normally we would not hold a class at that date or time.)
The 2024 ILDA Award winners were announced 27 September 2024, during the ILDA Conference in Wrocław, Poland, hosted by Visual Sensation Laser shows & technologies. Here are the categories in which the 2024 entries competed:
Congratulations to all winners. A detailed list of all the award winners is at the 2024 Awards page.
A PDF booklet containing all the 2024 ILDA Award winners is now online. It contains a list of all the winners along with a description of each winning entry.
Group photo taken just after the Awards presentation 27 September, on the last official night of the 2024 ILDA Conference. Click here or on the photo for a large, 6MB version.
ILDA is working on a standard to describe professional-quality projectors. You are invited to download the standard and to make comments. This is an early draft of the standard, so be aware that elements are definitely subject to discussion and change. To make any comments, please email to horacio@lasernet305.com.
In 2017, ILDA honored Ivan Dryer by declaring his birthday, March 7, to be “International Laserist Day.” He was sent this plaque, to let him know how much he means to ILDA and laserists in general.
Ivan had been very ill at the time. His brother, David Dryer, presented it to him and told ILDA “Ivan had a big smile on his face when I showed him the plaque. That's the first smile in about a year!”
ILDA has created a standard for laser shows that the association will generally recognize as safe. The "Category A Laser Show Standard" includes requirements for simplified, lower-power shows with terminated beams.
The standard is currently being drafted. It is not yet approved or adopted. ILDA welcomes comments and suggestions. These are invited from anyone — Members, non-Members, regulators, safety experts, etc.
The Standard, plus a summary of the requirements and discussion of what the Standard hopes to accomplish, are on the Category A Laser Show Standard page.
ILDA Members receive a 10% discount on laser shows sold by Lasershow.biz. This is a platform for award-winning laser show designers around the world, to present and sell their work. Many of the shows themselves have won awards from ILDA and other groups.
When you register for an account at the website, click the ILDA Membership box if you are a Member. Later, when you go to purchase, Lasershow.biz will check your name against ILDA's online list of members and you'll get the 10% discount.
ILDA has now joined with the LIG Insurance Group to bring health care policies to our U.S. Members. This is an Association Health Program where LIG finds policies that meet your particular health care needs and desires (including extras such as dental and vision).
If you like your current health care insurance, that’s fine. But if you’d like to hear about alternatives that may save money and/or give increased coverage, you can now call 888-869-7142 or check out the the LIG ILDA Health Coverage page.
Sorry, the healthcare benefit is U.S. only because of U.S. laws. On the other hand, many of our ILDA-Member countries have health care systems with coverage that may be more comprehensive and/or more affordable than the U.S. employer-based system. And if any non-U.S. Members have information about similar association insurance programs in their countries, we would be glad to get details.
ILDA Members attending the 2018 Conference in Montréal
For more information, visit our other ILDA websites:
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Photo credit: Green beams above column 1 (The universe’s most unique light) — “Scooter” by Lightline Lasertechnik.