How did your involvement with the lighting industry first come about?
I was working in the 'proper' lighting industry, designing lighting installations for offices, shops and factories. I took an interest in 'flashing 'lights' when I got involved with a pub project involving Pulsar controllers. I made it my business to get to know all I could about the entertainment side of lighting and soon took on distribution of Pulsar and Optikinetics, shortly followed by Le Maitre. I was quickly seduced by the dark side and it's been downhill ever since.

What products and lighting innovations of the past do you believe have been vital to today's professional lighting industry?
I suppose you have to talk about moving lights here but specifically I think that the introduction of the early moving mirror fixtures was the real turning point. When Coemar showed a select group of us their first 'Robot' it blew us away. I immediately specified a whole bunch of them in a club in Liverpool but as history will show this wasn't the most reliable product in the world. Looking back through old photographs I can pinpoint this era to the time when my hair started falling out.

Which products have you been proud to have been associated with and which do you wish you'd been associated with?
It was good to be importing the Satel range in the mid eighties. They were producing innovative, dramatic lighting machines in droves. They were the originators of the pinspot, and used the humble Par 36 lamp in so many different configurations it belied belief. I wish I'd been more involved in lasers, I would like to learn a lot more about 'the little green light' and its applications.

You are very familiar with club and disco lighting systems. What do you believe makes a good club lighting product / system / show?
My approach to design has always been to first and foremost introduce some drama from the lighting installation. This can only be achieved if the operator has a choice of what he/she can use so there needs to be a variation of fixtures available. The choice should be of power, colour, intensity and quality. You can't provide sufficient variation from a collection of fixtures that are all too similar to each other. Products need to be reliable and well constructed. The area over a dancefloor can be an extremely hostile environment. Excessive heat levels compete with any level of air conditioning and pumping in smoke or haze will compound the problem by adding to the pollution in the atmosphere. All this is drawn through the lighting fixtures by the on-board cooling fans, so regular cleaning is required to ensure that you get the expected reliability. If this kind of regime is adopted any installation will look as good at five years old as on the day it went in.

Tell us a little about Difuzion - the people, the products, the purpose?
I was introduced to the people at Fuzion in early 2004. They were thinking of growing their business by creating a lighting division and someone pointed them in my direction for some advice on a range of fixtures that they had been offered. I thought that this particular choice would not have been beneficial for a company of their reputation and standing and we had discussions as to what type of products they should be looking at. This led to me getting much more involved, and we took on the Futurelight distribution in the UK starting in September. Fuzion's successful methods of distribution and enviable reputation for after sales support are now a shared resource with Difuzion, alongside other operating departments like logistics and warehousing. There are obvious synergies between Fuzion and Difuzion and these will be exploited to the benefit of the customers, the companies and their suppliers.

What current products are you particularly excited about and what should we look out for in the future?
In these days of LED madness it's refreshing to find a company who are looking outside this area as well as within it. Futurelight are launching a range of LED moving heads in the early 2005, alongside a collection of very interesting projectors that produce some really nice animated wallpaper effects. This is the type of product that can be included in a huge number of different situations, from small bars and clubs to retail and commercial environments. Of course I'm always looking for any new, innovative products, so long as it is non-conflicting with our existing ranges.

What, in your opinion, are the best and worst things about the industry?
Best things: The people, the partying, creating something that you're pleased with. Worst things: The people, the partying, creating something you're not so pleased with.

How do you see the professional lighting industry evolving in the future?
There needs to be an injection of FUN! Lighting installations are all too often left to people who think that a couple of moving heads will provide sufficient entertainment to justify a dancefloor. I see a return to more emphasis being put on 'lightshows' that will make a distinction between a club and a pub with a late license. If club owners and operators continue to expect their customers to pay a premium to visit their venue then they should be expect to offer more than the trendy bar down the street with a couple of scans and a DJ. Executing the right technical spend in a project can be the most valuable asset of the venue, if it's done in the right way. I'm tired of hearing 'less is more' from people who are not capable of controlling a decent sized budget. There is already a definite move towards putting fun and entertainment back into schemes. I know of two or three forthcoming projects that include animated rigs, lots of special effects and budgets to suit. Their success will lead others into similar mindsets and hopefully the punters will feel that they are getting value for money.

What would you be doing if you weren't involved in the industry?
I suppose I would still be designing lighting installations for offices and factories, but maybe they would include just a hint of colour-changing.

How do you like to relax?
Having two small children takes up any spare time that may come alongÉ but I do enjoy the odd glass of wine when they're in bed.

Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
As a slim, handsome tanned Adonis with thick black hair! Just exactly as I see myself now.

What would your epitaph be?
I'd like for people to be going home saying: ''That's the best funeral I've ever been to.''