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Management Perspectives
ntertainment technology asia
computer, which was my first computer, in my bedroom to design our lighting products. That was fourteen years ago. Today, we fullyown a large production facility in a town in the northern part of Italy called Castel Goffredo. It covers 3,000 square metres and our factory and offices are situated there. We manufacture 95 percent of our products and we export our goods to more than 50 countries around the world. Castel Goffredo is also the home town of other companies in the industry like Coemar and Griven.
Besio with the Nota 8/22 profile spotlight
Fabiano Besio Co-Founder Luci della Ribalta (LDR) srl Warm, approachable and soft-spoken, Fabiano Besio is one of the most recognisable people in the professional lighting industry. Frequently seen at trade shows, lighting events and exhibitions, Besio is very popular with his industry colleagues. Part of the reason for this is that he possesses a humble and unassuming demeanor and is very forthcoming when it comes to offering his advice about lighting. A highly intellectual person, Besio has 18 years of experience in professional lighting. His extensive knowledge about lighting has made him a much sought-after speaker and he frequently conducts lectures and talks about lighting at universities. He also conducts training classes for lighting professionals to help improve their knowledge and skills. As co-founder of LDR, a major supplier of theatrical and architectural lighting fixtures, Besio juggles many responsibilities. Aside from being the designer for all LDR products, he also plays a major role in the company’s sales and marketing efforts. In addition, Besio also establishes and maintains strong business relationships with LDR’s various distributors around the world who have contributed significantly to LDR’s success. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Technology Asia Magazine, Besio talks about his extensive experience in the lighting industry, LDR’s plans for the Asian market
and offers his insights about the future of professional lighting. ETA: How did you get your start in the business?
I’m still involved in the design of all LDR products. This means my product knowledge is very good and it helps me when I am selling our products. I have a good relationship with all the other industry manufacturers and I consider most of them as good friends even though they are competitors. I feel that the industry needs all the lighting manufacturers to be guided in the right direction by not misusing light sources. There is a right source for every lighting job. Sometimes this is in conflict with the interests of a company which is to sell their products and make a profit. However, we need to maintain our professionalism. We need to choose the right light source for the job. This is extremely important because, in architectural lighting, there is no sense in spending a lot of money to restore a very old theatre and then you don’t use the right light source to light up the architecture. We are all part of the lighting industry and we have the responsibility to use light sources correctly. People see the results of our work all around the world. The way a monument or House of Worship looks can be changed by the way it is lit. We should support our industry without misusing the different light sources.
FB: I grew up in a small town in Italy called Lonato del Garda, which is in the province of Brescia. It is situated halfway between Milan and Venice on the southwest shore of Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. I attended a local ETA: What are LDR’s plans for the Asian university there and after I graduated, I joined market? Coemar as a lighting designer. This was during the late 80s. After working for Coemar for a FB: My goal is to establish LDR as a leading couple of years, I left to perform my military lighting company in the Asian market. The service. I served in a tank division. After Asian market is growing very fast and that completing my military service, I returned is why we give it a lot of attention. It is very to work at Coemar for a couple of years important to us and we have appointed before joining another lighting company called Teatro (which means theatre in Italian) as a product manager. In 1997, I cofounded LDR with my partners Marco and Rossano Baietta, and Lisa Papi. In those days I was using a 486 (L-R) Fabiano Besio, Marco Baietta, Rossano Baietta and Lisa Papi