Bristol-based SLX, one of the UK’s leading providers of technology for live events, culture and sports, is to play a lead role in staging the 2024 Olympics, which officially opens in Paris this evening.
As the official supporter for broadcast lighting and rigging, the firm will work at 29 venues on the outskirts of the French capital throughout the event, including the Paralympic Games, which take place between 28 August to 8 September. 
SLX, which has been producing live events for more than 40 years, has had a 30-strong team in Paris for the past few months to create unique lighting experiences at each of the venues, including La Défense Arena, pictured right, and the new 5,000-seat aquatic centre, pictured below.
It has also taken on an additional 25,000 sq ft space in the city dedicated to supplying the venues with around 5km of rigging to support tailor-made lighting for the venues, which will host a total of 2,500-plus fixtures between them.
More than 15m people are expected to attend the Olympics, including 15,000 participants from 206 countries, while the global TV audience is likely to be around 4bn.
The games will be among the biggest-ever projects for SLX, which employs a permanent team of 54 at its 60,000 sq ft head office in Avonmouth and in its bases in Paris, London and Edinburgh.
The firm, which supplied broadcast lighting for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, has also been reselected to work on The Hundred – the five-week, eight venue summer cricket series which started this week. 
SLX was last year certified as a B Corp business with an industry-high score of 89.3 in recognition of its ethical approach to business.
In 2022 the firm invested in a 120kw solar array – meaning more than half the energy used at its head office comes from solar sources – while all its delivery vehicles run on HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil).
As well as sporting events, SLX – which is on track to hit £30m turnover by 2030 having achieved an average annual growth rate of 35% over recent years – has expanded its state-of-the-art lighting to the theatre, culture and entertainment sectors.
Following a successful run supplying the rig for the West End production SIX The Musical since 2018, SLX is working on the hit show for its international tour. It is also providing technical expertise working on the Hear You Come Again UK Tour.
Long-running partnerships are continuing with the Welsh National Opera and English Touring Opera for their forthcoming productions and this summer the SLX team will work with renowned venues such as Underbelly and Grange Fest at The Stand during the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The firm, until 2019 part of Bristol-based entertainment technology products and services provider Stage Electrics, has also grown its live events offer for corporates, museums and heritage venues in recent months.
Client wins include Dick Lovett and Porsche, and the Royal Horticultural Society whole it will work on September’s B Corp Louder Than Words Event in Oxford as part of its commitment to working with fellow B Corps.
SLX will also be providing B Lab with a full environmental impact report following the event.
SLX CEO Alastair Currie said: “2024 is proving to be a big year for us, not only are we showcasing our ability to handle large-scale events as an official supporter at the Paris Olympics.
“We have also been working hard to expand our offer to many different and diverse cultural, arts, heritage and sporting events and venues – both large scale and smaller.
“This has only been possible with the hard work and commitment to excellence of the team.
“This year’s growth demonstrates our desire to lead the industry, not just with technical expertise and innovation, but also in doing business responsibly and ensuring a focus on sustainable practices.”
