In September 2013, the European Sign Federation (ESF) held their Board Meeting and General Assembly in the famous Tuscan city and were treated to a display of work in neon by the students from the academy. The work displayed in the Town Hall of Pisa was sponsored by the Associazione Italiana Fabbricanti Insegne Luminose (AIFIL -the Italian Sign Association representatives to the ESF).
The President of AIFIL, Antonio Fidanzi, praised the skill and abilities of the students to create stunning representations in neon, a medium that none of them had worked with until the project was started 6 months earlier.
Mike Hall, Chairman of the BSGA Technical Committee and Vice Chair of the ESF Technical Committee was also present. “To see the work of these students who, 6 months ago had no idea of how to begin to make a neon tube, is certainly gratifying and a reminder that ‘old technology’ still has a place. This just goes to show how versatile neon can be. There are certainly some ideas here that would give the professionals a run for their money and it would not be a bad idea for sign makers to take note of what can be achieved and consider neon when designing the more ‘creative’ signs for their customers” 
The ESF Vice President, Herr Hans Joachim Kremser, congratulated the students on behalf of the ESF and its Members “lucky enough to be present to witness such a superb demonstration on the capabilities of the medium of neon”. He went on to say “it has been a pleasure to witness students taking grasp of the intricacies of creating neon tubes in their stride and design such fine work. It demonstrates that with flair and ingenuity, the use of neon can certainly create work that stands out from the norm that would win attention and admiration over many other forms of illuminated representations”