Fred Fenning began his laser show career while still an MIT undergraduate, when he joined Laser Displays, Inc., a 1976 start-up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There he developed the PMR-8, a digital/analog imaging and animation control unit (one of the first to incorporate a data tablet for image input). He left in 1979 to form Image Engineering Corporation.

At Image Engineering, he developed many innovative laser systems, including: the first true RGB projection control system; custom high-speed closed-loop scanner amps; multi-channel FM encode/decode systems; a unique "XY-TV" display to emulate scanning on a CRT monitor; digital-video storage of multiple image sources with integrated hi-fi audio (in an era before digital recording devices such as ADAT); and "The Hard Machine", a console for analog control of digitally-stored graphics, which permitted real-time performance of intricate animations.

Fred died in a private plane crash, in August 1997. The ILDA Technical Award was renamed in his honor as the Fenning Award for Technical Achievement.

Alberto Kellner has been active in the entertainment industry since 1985. He first worked in PR and event organizing for a show agency in Milan. Since 1987, he has worked with lasers. In May 1988 he founded Laser Entertainment srl, which in 2013 reached its 25th anniversary year.

The focus of the company was to use and promote lasershow among the entertainment industry and related markets in Italy and in southern Europe, since spreading to the Middle East. Also, from the beginning Alberto has been fascinated by the use of lasers together with other media techniques (video, lights, special effects) to create a real "multimedia show".

Since the first large scale waterscreen installed in Gardaland in 1995 (ILDA Award first place, Multimedia, in 1996), Laser Entertainment has received more than 30 international awards and recognitions between ILDA and other first place prizes from groups such as the European Lasershow Festival, BEA, and the Pepsi Award.

Alberto and his creativity team have been pioneers in graphic lasershow creation using different software platforms (Laser System Magnum, LOBO Lacon 3, Pangolin), bringing and sharing high quality "state of the art" lasershows to the industry. Furthermore he has developed and assembled innovative laser products, including:

• The first 2 watt RGB DPSS solid state projector presented at ILDA in Las Vegas 2004 and winner of the ILDA Award for DPSS laser of the year called "Flash 2 watt RGB"

• The first laser projector with both integrated wireless DMX and Pangolin Flashback to allow show recall and play via wireless DMX, finished in 2007 and presented at the ShowWay 2008 exhibition in Bergamo, Italy.

Since 2010 Alberto and his team have pushed forward the integrated use of laser, lights and videomapping 3D to allow a unique multimedia experience

Laser Entertainment was the first Italian company to join ILDA, in 1993. Since then Alberto has been an active member promoting the safe use of laser in Italy, southern Europe and the Middle East. Alberto served on the ILDA Mascom committee in 2002 and 2003, then as Board member in 2004, and served as ILDA President from November 2004 to March 2006.

Alberto's company, Laser Entertainment srl, is an ILDA Corporate Level 2 Member for 2019.

This document is for formally nominating Paul McCloskey, CEO of Laservision in recognition of those who helped build significant laser display-related businesses.

With over 32 years at the helm of Laservision, Paul now plans to step back into a chairman role. He now entrusts the next generation of talented and creative engineers and artists to continue in his dream, propelling Laservision further into the future. It is because of his intense dedication, innovative vision and true passion for the art of laser and entertainment that we wish to bestow him this honour. In recognition of his accomplishments, this award would mark this his well-earned transition into the next phase of his life and career.

Over nearly four decades, Paul has been a pioneer in the development and growth of laser technology in the entertainment industry and has established Laservision and it’s laser and display technology as one of the world’s most respected permanent, multi-media tourism attraction specialists in the world.

Since 1984, CEO & Founder, Paul McCloskey has been inventing and patenting his ideas within the laser and entertainment technology spheres. rough this constant innovation, Laservision now has an impressive range of technology solutions to meet market demands and is represented with established offices in Sydney, Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Raised by Edwin McCloskey (an Engineer, Colonel and Diplomat with the Australian Army), Paul spent his formative years traveling around the world immersed in his father’s love of invention and technology. Having attended 13 schools globally and living in remote locations such as the mountains of Papua New Guinea, Paul experienced a multitude of exotic locations and colourful cultures.

Beginning his career in the officer training program at the Royal Australian Army, he later found himself as a free spirit who wanted to explore new frontiers rather than following the status quo. Paul began a career within the television industry, before establishing an entertainment technology company for nightclub and event installations.

Like the basement inventor ‘Q’ from James Bond, Paul was keen to develop a business that could do genuine research and development so he could explore some of his own unique dreams and concepts. His earliest research and development took place within the garage of his suburban home before purchasing a 5 acre compound with the vision of creating an advanced research and development facility. By the late Eighties his dream was realised. By the Nineties the Australian Federal Government saw great promise in the technology being developed and swiftly approved the facility for government grants which have since amounted to millions-of-dollars.

Paul is credited with producing, designing, supplying and installing a number of world leading tourist attractions including: Singapore’s Sentosa Island, Korea’s Everland, Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, Russia’s e Pearl of Sochi and the newly opened Dubai Festival City Attraction, IMAGINE. Paul’s life work in creating ground-breaking technology for laser experiences has now touched tens-of-millions of people.

At his heart Paul McCloskey is a visionary, inventor, free thinker, storyteller, artist and natural leader. He paints cities and skies across the world with light, bringing awe and delight to the masses. He prefers multi-coloured crushed velvet jackets to business suits, chooses bare-feet over leather shoes, and chooses to work in the bush rather than a boardroom.

Additional information such as photos, patents and selected shows are listed on a PDF document.

She's a female leader within our male dominated industry, carries a vast amount of knowledge about lasers, laser regulation, safety and has the capacity to deal with a high volume of shows all at the same time. She's made a number of contributions to ILDA which can be found all over the ILDA website. She does all this while being humble and friendly.

An exemplary star of the business.

Your nominee is given a certain number of points depending on your Member category:

• Corporate Level 1 (annual dues $1040): 4 points
• Corporate Level 2 (annual dues $520): 3 points
• Corporate Level 3 (annual dues $260): 2 points
• Non-Profit or Individual (annual dues $130): 1 point
• Hobbyist (annual dues $95): 0.75 points
• Student: Not entitled to vote

We will look up your membership to confirm that you are a current (2019) ILDA Member, and to confirm the number of points for your membership level. Only two persons will tally the points: ILDA's Executive Director and the chair of the ILDA Ethics Committee. Of course, voting will be kept strictly confidential.

The 2019 recipient -- the person with the most points -- will be contacted privately after the points have been counted. The recipient’s name will first be publicly announced at the 2019 ILDA Conference on November 10 in Orlando.