Friday, 30 Oct 2015 13:17 GMT

The Future for Neon

Neon is experiencing a renaissance, partly due to it exemption from the mercury ban and as a very fashionable design solution, but Brendan Perring asks: “What do you see in its future?”

Making an impact

As a company we have been involved with neon for well over 35 years. My father worked at Electroneon Signs which was then part of Classic/MGM cinemas from the late 1960s (not to be confused with Electrosigns), as did our senior engineer. This was one of the biggest neon manufacturers, producing most of the neon work around the West End of London. I have grown up around neon as we have always had a glass shop since my father started the company 32 years ago. I have always enjoyed being involved with the production of neon signage, and loved the light it creates.

During those many years, neon has been threatened by the emergence of other technologies like vinyl and the use of Perspex in extruded aluminium for sign cases etc. but it has survived and carried on from strength to strength. As with everything, it has its place. Just like LEDs are not the answer to every lighting solution, vinyl and Perspex in illuminated sign cases were not the answer to every sign requirement.

I have always enjoyed being involved with the production of neon signage, and loved the light it creates”


As such, we understand the ease for sign companies to move over to technologies that require less hands on skills, and less care to handle, but we are happy to provide other companies with advice and help if they want to be involved with this special part of the industry, by providing a trade service.

So for us we feel the future of neon is, and always will be, bright, as the special hand crafted nature of neon signage has and always will attract people, like a moth to a flame, awe-inspiring and impactful.

Respect the profession


Julia Bickerstaff, neon maker, Neon Unity


Neon as a medium has experienced an almost revolutionary shift in its perception and use. Having made neon for now approaching 30 years, the shift has been astounding in the past couple of years.
 
The biggest change I have witnessed is the profound popularity it has in image and design choice. Neon has been made popular by current fashion trends. The postponement of the ban to the use of mercury until 2020 (thanks to the great awareness campaigns of the BSGA) and a possible reprieve of the continued use of mercury (the magic material which makes the UV needed to light the coloured powdered tubes) is a real tonic to sensible deliberation on the part of the people in power to decide on the fate of the use of mercury.

Point 3.2 of the EC Guidance website proffers a balanced reflection of the volumes of waste (ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/mercury-in-cfl/en/mercury-cfl/).

Neon as a medium has experienced an almost revolutionary shift in its perception and use”


The postponement has given an element of confidence to the public and consumers. This means that neon makers and users do the right thing and recycle their waste 100 percent, making neon harmless to the environment of cause.

My neon making has changed significantly from predominantly signage to bespoke creative projects. I am heavily involved in the design process of these projects. Occasionally I am given free rein to the design process adding my knowledge about the way neon can be used. I have also added my art training and sold some of my own light art sculptures.

I see neon having a composite future mainly in the creative and bespoke design market. The future is bright so long as we respect our clients, products, and professions.

My work is featured under the heading ‘Light art’ in the gallery section of Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_art).

Work of art


Catherine Spink, director, Neon Creations


As a company, Neon Creations has experienced a resurgence of demand for neon over the course of the last four years, with productivity and, therefore, turnover growing steadily during this time.

We therefore would not attribute any of the neon renaissance to the exemption from the mercury ban. Further, we mainly deal with end users or other middle men rather than trade sign companies, and these clients would not have been likely to have any knowledge about the potential banning of mercury, which would potentially have affected their decision to buy neon.

Currently we are seeing that neon is very popular within the leisure industry, with many bars and restaurants choosing to light up their interiors with neon, and using it more in the way of an art form, as opposed to advertising their business. So sayings and words seem to be the choice of the moment as opposed to the recreation of logos.

Similarly, there also currently seems to be a trend for neon to be used as a piece of art within the home—so something that was viewed as a luxury during the times of the recession, now becomes more of an affordable purchase for clients that wish to brighten up their home interior.

Currently we are seeing that neon is very popular within the leisure industry, with many bars and restaurants choosing to light up their interiors with neon”


For Neon Creations we can see a positive future for neon, particularly as we have not really been affected by the increased use of LED for exterior signage as this is not a market that we were ever involved in. In terms of the range of colours available, and the fact that it gives 360 degree light, there currently is not anything on the market to match it. That is not to say, however, that it will never be matched, and we will always strive to keep abreast of the alternative products that come onto the market.

The only thing that in our opinion will get in the way of the future for neon signs is whether the exemption for the use of mercury within the neon trade is extended beyond 2020. We are very strict with the control on mercury within our workshop, with any old mercury containing tubes being recycled correctly, and employee mercury levels being tested on a regular basis.

A bright future


Steve Earle, managing director, Kemp London


Kemp London breathed a huge sigh of relief once we heard the news from Brussels that the bureaucrats had agreed to an exemption allowing neon to still be made with the use of mercury until 2020. We have been experiencing extraordinary demand for our neons for the last three or four years, now with growth on the neon side of the business increasing by over 50 percent year-on-year.

This continued growth has allowed us to expand our business. Last year we launched our neon prop hire department where we have recently invested over £70,000 in the manufacture of a huge inventory of neon props, including the fabrication of over 100 one metre tall, steel-cased neon letters, comprising of the complete alphabet and number range.

This expansion into neon props has opened a vast new market to us with clients from the film, photographic, and music industries now contacting us on a daily basis to hire our neon letters and props. To keep abreast with this demand not just from our clients but also in terms of our ever increasing storage demands we are in the midst of locating larger premises to house the ever increasing neon stock.

We have been experiencing extraordinary demand for our neons for the last three or four years, now with growth on the neon side of the business increasing by over 50 percent year-on-year”


Looking forward at the neon market over the coming year, it would be foolish for us to rest on laurels, we constantly evolve our marketing strategy to ensure that Kemp Lon-don remains as being one of the market leaders in our field. We invest heavily on our online neon marketing campaign and also have several dedicated Kemp London neon photo shoots planned to showcase our work.

The only issues we are currently experiencing with this resurgence is it does appear as though some of the glass tube manufacturers have been caught on the hop, as we quite often encounter shortages of certain colour tubes forcing us to import glass at greater cost from the States.

To summarise, I believe the future for all things neon is looking ‘extremely bright’, and I for one feel positive that the coming year will open ever increasing avenues of business for us.

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