Rick Fisher told his audience: "There have been many cases recently that you will have read of in the professional press of some pretty ghastly examples of the kind of tragedies that can befall people. Light Relief sets out to bring some comfort to those in our business when they find themselves in such circumstances." The new logo reflects the aspirations of the fund by illustrating an image of letting in some sunshine, with the Light Relief name focused below.
Tony Gottelier then stated the obvious, that a lot more money was needed to make this happen and that the manufacturing and service companies, with a few notable exceptions, have not been in a hurry to come forward with offers of help. "We need you to come up with creative initiatives to raise cash" he said. "It is significant that as much money seems to be coming from the profession as from suppliers. For example the late, great Michael Northen left us a substantial bequest but, hey, suppliers, we are your customers and we need your support." By the end of Showlight, something in the order of £20,000 had been added to Light Relief’s coffers, due to the generosity of those attending. In one particularly impressive stunt, Fred Foster, President of ETC, agreed to wear a kilt the following day, provided £2,000 could be raised for the cause. The money was duly promised and consequently Fred attended the conference resplendent in highland regalia. Not only that, but Foster also attended the tour of his competitor, Strand Lighting’s, factory in the tartan. "This is just the kind of stunt we are asking people to come up with, to raise Light Relief’s profile and to enhance the value of the fund," said Gottelier, "Fred is always a willing victim for a good cause, and we are extremely grateful to him."
