Vari-Lite To Receive Honor; USITT Honors AutomatedLighting Pioneer.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2000

Vari-Lite, Inc. (Nasdaq:LITE) will be honored this month with a Special Citation award for contribution and innovation in the performing arts and entertainment industry from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology,

Vari-Lite is being cited for its continuing development of innovative technologies and products for the theater, concert, film, television production and corporate event industries. USITT will honor Vari-Lite at the USITT 40th Annual Conference & Stage Expo scheduled for March 22 through 25 in Denver. The organization, with more than 3,300 members worldwide, bestows the award on a periodic basis.

"Vari-Lite's commitment to providing lighting professionals the most advanced equipment possible meets with our mission of promoting the advancement of the knowledge and skills of our members," said USITT President Leon I. Brauner.

Vari-Lite was founded in 1981 on the belief that creative engineering can join with creative lighting to bring a new dimension to any performance or presentation.

USITT is the association of design, production and technology professionals from more than 40 countries in the performing arts and entertainment industry.

About Vari-Lite

Vari-Lite International is a leading worldwide designer, manufacturer and distributor of proprietary automated lighting systems. The Company also provides related equipment and services to the entertainment industry, serving markets such as concert touring, theater, television, film and corporate events. The Company sells and rents its VARI-LITE(TM) automated lighting systems through a domestic and international network of Vari-Lite Production Services offices and independent dealers. For more information, visit www.vari-lite.com.

Vari-Lite International, Inc. shares are traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol LITE.

The foregoing paragraphs contain certain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although the Company believes the expectations contained in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These expectations may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, factors detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Note to Editors: Please use an asterisk in place of the hyphen when VARI-LITE is written in all caps.