ETC’s ‘Lonestar’ Puts the French Presidency in the Spotlight

ETC’s automated fixture Lonestar was selected to light up the French ‘President of the Republic’ Emmanuel Macron during his speech at the iconic Louvre Museum earlier this year.  

The President’s team sought advanced lighting fixtures that could deliver consistently high-quality, reliable output across a wide range of environments for upcoming presidential events. The challenge was significant: to provide flawless lighting for every appearance - whether indoors or outdoors, in venues with limited technical infrastructure or those presenting complex logistical demands.

The specifications therefore called for a solution that was compact, lightweight and easy to transport, quick to deploy, and capable of delivering the same lighting output each time. To achieve this, the Presidency's event production department were searching for an LED fixture from a manufacturer known for its quality and reliable support.

It was at the annual JTSE tradeshow in Paris where a member of the Élysée Palace team (the official residence of the President of France) discovered Lonestar at ETC France’s stand – a fixture which has proven to be a market winner since its introduction in 2021. He was immediately impressed by its performance, compact size, and beam quality, making it the obvious choice.

The High End Systems Lonestar also offered advantages that were hard to ignore by the team: bright output given its very small footprint, and its quiet operation. These benefits have also been recently recognized by teams at the Eurosport TV channel and the renowned Opéra Bastille in Paris, both of whom chose Lonestar for their lighting needs.

After a thorough phase of testing and research, the Elysée Palace team chose and ordered six Lonestar fixtures from ETC which were installed on the front bridge during a speech by President Macron at the national art museum, the Louvre. Two identical kits of three Lonestar’s were arranged to guarantee immediate availability and capacity to alternate between different events, ensuring a smooth and seamless rotation.

For several months now, the President of the Republic’s team has been using ETC's fixtures to light the Head of State's appearances during his travels, both in France and abroad. The teams have been delighted with the Lonestar, which has demonstrated its reliability, robustness, and high quality of performance. Whether it’s been abroad during the President's visit to the armed forces in Djibouti, Africa or for an event at the Louvre museum, ETC’s fixtures met the strict criteria of the President’s team. With Lonestar, the presidential team found the right balance between performance, reliability, and affordability. Their selection is a clear endorsement of ETC’s ‘Star’ range which includes Lonestar, Ministar and Hyperstar— all engineered to deliver technical excellence for any type of space, whist remaining on a budget.

For more information on Lonestar visit etcconnect.com/Lonestar

Photo credit: Presidency of the Republic