USA/UK - Ambersphere Solutions has officially become a part of North American supplier of entertainment technology ACT Entertainment. This acquisition continues a long-standing relationship between the two entities, especially in their distribution of MA Lighting and Ayrton products.
“We are excited to bring ACT and Ambersphere together and continue to build on our mission of providing technology for our customers to realise their creative vision,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO of ACT Entertainment. “Just like ACT, Ambersphere prides itself on offering industry-leading products with an accomplished staff of experts in sales, service, support and training. I have tremendous respect for Lee (House) and Philip (Norfolk) and am excited to work alongside them as valuable partners to our customers, extending our reach and continuing the strong tradition of excellence Glyn (O’Donoghue) created at Ambersphere.”
The transition sees the departure of Glyn O’Donoghue and Ken Sewell, with Lee House stepping up as managing director alongside Philip Norfolk, who continues in his role as sales director. The focus remains on preserving the company’s core values while leveraging ACT Entertainment’s resources and capabilities.
Lee House concludes: “It’s business as usual at Ambersphere. Our collaboration with ACT has always been strong, and this move is a natural progression of our ongoing relationship.”
Australia - Robe Lighting has acquired LSC Control Systems in Australia, a move that sees the Czech Republic lighting manufacturer further consolidate its portfolio of leading lighting and control brands.
This move follows the purchase of console manufacturer Avolites in September last year.
“We’re delighted that this opportunity arose - it is hugely exciting, and we look forward to a long and positive collaboration,” says Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar. “It will allow us to offer the best complete lighting and control turnkey solutions to our customers and their clients and projects across all sectors.”
As well as diversification, it also gives Robe a manufacturing base in Australia, in addition to its facilities in central Europe and the UK.
LSC’s founder and managing director Gary Pritchard adds: “LSC will gain access to greater investment and resources, and working through Robe’s renowned worldwide distribution network we can reach more global and diverse markets in turn stimulating greater opportunities for creativity, expertise, business and action for all of our team.”
LSC’s operation, which started over 40 years ago in Melbourne and has grown into a trusted and respected specialist brand well-known for inventive technology, will continue functioning exactly as it is now.
Gary sees the move as an affirmation of the company’s value. “An organisation of Robe’s stature wanting LSC onboard is a sign of confidence that also tells the world that LSC will continue doing what we do best - both now and well i
UK - The ALPD has announced the successful candidates for their Design Lumière and their Production Lumière for 2024. This is the first year in which the ALPD has been able to offer a Production Lumière placement to complement its successful Design Lumière programme.
A pathway scheme for emerging lighting designers, the Design Lumière Scheme gives the successful candidate valuable experience of working professionally as an assistant lighting designer for six months and the Production Lumière for four months. For both Lumières, the scheme begins with time spent at Glyndebourne.
The Production Lumière this year, Ellen Butterworth-Evans, is already at Glyndebourne and will continue there until mid-April, when she then spends four weeks at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and two weeks at Lamp & Pencil.
The Design Lumière for 2024 is Imogen Clarke. Imogen will spend three months at Glyndebourne followed by a further three months, when she will work with several different lighting designers on a variety of productions.
Imogen started out as an apprentice at Fairfield Halls, moving to Richmond Theatre and then The Peacock Theatre to work full time. As a freelancer, she works across dance, theatre, musical theatre and ballet as well as site specific projects wearing lots of different hats.
“I'm over the moon to become this year's Design Lumière and gain the opportunity to develop my craft and learn from working alongside the brilliant designers across this year's scheme. I’m greatly looking forward to beginning the course
Germany - Sixty82 has welcomed Avenion to its growing network of resellers in Germany. This addition aims to strengthen Sixty82's presence in the German market and ensures that customers have wider access to its products.
Avenion is making waves in the AV solutions sector with its fresh approach. It has quickly become known for its innovative ideas and commitment to quality. Furthermore, the team has extensive experience in the areas of rigging and trussing.
"We're really excited to have Avenion join our team," says Fokko Smeding, CEO of Sixty82. "Matthias Matthes and his crew are exactly what we look for in partners - they're young, they're innovative, and they're all about pushing the limits of what's possible. We're not just adding a reseller; we're gaining a partner that shares our vision and energy. This is going to bring some great things to the German market, and we can't wait to see where this partnership will lead."
Matthias Matthes, leader of Avenion adds: "Joining Sixty82's reseller network is a big deal for us. It's recognition of the hard work the Avenion team has put in and a chance to bring something new to the German entertainment scene. We're all about innovation and pushing boundaries, so pairing up with Sixty82, a company that values those same things, is perfect for us. We're ready to roll up our sleeves and get started."
UK - This year’s Printwear & Promotion LIVE! event landed at Birmingham NEC in February with an AV solution by JLL that featured hi-res LED video displays driven by tvONE's Green Hippo brand of Hippotizer Media Servers.
The event showcased all that’s new in garment decoration and attracted more than 100 suppliers, including the AWDis portfolio of brands. On the AWDis stand, JLL delivered design, equipment, and operational support, constructing a Lynx Pro Audio sound system and three large 6m x 4m LED video displays, with Green Hippo’s flagship Hippotizer Tierra+ MK2 Media Servers at its core.
“The high-performance hardware of the Tierra+ MK2 Media Servers was ideal for the large-scale, high-resolution output required for the 6m x 4m screens, offering reliability and advanced video processing capabilities,” says Rick Skelton, senior project manager at JLL.
The three synchronised LED displays were set up to form a continuous, high-resolution visual canvas that ran throughout the three-day show. “We used Hippotizer's advanced control systems for seamless video playback, ensuring synchronisation and fluid transitions between visuals,” Skelton continues. “Content was expertly transposed to the Hippotizer Media Servers, enabling us to map and manipulate the visuals directly onto the screens with precision.
“The main challenges were ensuring flawless synchronisation across large screens and managing high-resolution content in real-time. Hippotizer Media Servers were instrumental in overcoming these challenges, providing reli
USA - One of 21 missions originally built by the Spanish in California, Mission San Luis Rey church, known as the ‘King of Missions’, was founded in Oceanside in 1798. Today it stands as one of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture, a national historic landmark that Franciscan Friars call home.
San Diego-based AV company Sound Image Integration, now part of Clair Global Integration, have been servicing the Mission’s audio, camera, and video distribution requirements for the past 20 years. Business development manager, Scott Coyle, explained that to keep the Serra Centre worship space fully operable as it carries out vital community work, previously sympathetic budget decisions were undertaken.
That was until a decision was made to reorientate the interior, from its traditional long rectangular shape, through 90°, to bring the congregation - which can reach 1,200 -closer to the altar. Coyle recognised that “while it made more sense that way, the sound was compromised due to a succession of ceiling speakers.”
When administrators recognised that a more serious and permanent approach to their sound was required, it was the Martin Audio Torus T820 constant curvature solution that Coyle proposed, bearing in mind that with the reconfiguration, the church now had extraordinary width but little depth.
“We knew the focus needed to be principally the spoken word,” he said. “However, at the same time they have large congregations attending their weekend masses when a full choir and band perform.”
They looked at the
UK - One of the UK’s largest independent pub companies, Amber Taverns operates a network of more than 160 outlets across the North of England, Scotland and Wales. The North Star in North Shields is one of the latest additions to the company’s roster, opening in October 2023 following a major renovation including a complete AV overhaul.
Overseeing all aspects of the AV specification and installation, Bolton-based TVC Technology Solutions were tasked with providing an all-immersive AV package, including 4K LED Hospitality TVs, signal distribution systems to mirror programming delivered to other pubs across their current catchment area and a comprehensive Optimal Audio loudspeaker and control solution.
Speakers featured in the installation include Optimal Audio’s Cuboid 8 two-way, full range passive loudspeaker and the Sub 15 high-power sub-bass cabinet. Given the North Star’s lively environment (the venue offers a full BT and Sky Sports entertainment package for patrons) the Sub 15 plays a particularly important role in delivering sub-bass support of up to 135dB during busier periods.
Chosen for their designed-in robustness as well as their sonic performance, both the Cuboid and Sub feature steel grilles and tough plywood cabinets and their compact footprint belies their available power delivery.
The Optimal Audio loudspeakers are harnessed to a ZonePad 4 Wall Controller which allows touch sensitive control of up to four separate zones via six programmable presets. The easy-to-operate ZonePad is supported at the North Star by Optimal Au
Germany - Ayrton will be exhibiting at Prolight+Sound this week (Stand D75), where it will be revealing two new products in its Multi Source 6 Series and Creative Solutions range: Kyalami and Nando 502 Wash.
Kyalami is a new laser-sourced, IP65 rated fixture inspired by the multiple award-winning MagicDot. First released in 2015, MagicDot sold by the thousands within months, and still inspires creativity. Nine years later it has given birth to Kyalami, the first IP65 laser source luminaire in the Creative Solution series.
Devised for architectural graphic effects, Kyalami is an ultra-compact luminaire with great creative potential. Its essential performance capability is based on its design, extreme miniaturisation, and a minimalist cylindrical footprint that allows multiple luminaires to be installed only a few centimetres apart.
A sphere of just 265mm incorporates Kyalami’s 100W laser module, cooling system and optics, while its 126mm front lens positioned in the continuity of the sphere provides Kyalami with a unique visual signature.
Kyalami’s proprietary three-lens optical system produces an intensive 1° beam and an extreme range of focus that permits the beam shape to be adjusted according to the operating distance.
Kyalami delivers a record luminous flux of 400,000 lux at 10m from its next generation speckle-free laser source, which is designed for rendering a D65 white point that allows perfect colour reproduction. A highly innovative colour section includes a high-definition progressive CMY colour mixing system and a mul
Germany - Robert Juliat will be exhibiting at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt in its familiar position in the Lightpower Village in Hall 12.0, Stand C60.
Fresh to the stand, RJ will be previewing its latest followspot, the new LED, cool white Tristan with a 7°-14° zoom range, which is set to become the LED replacement for the popular 1,800W MSR Victor.
RJ’s Sully 4C profile will also be demonstrated on the stand: visitors will be able to have the full hands-on experience of the fixture and free rein of the controls to discover RJ colour. This software platform makes the Sully 4C fixture user-friendly while offering a wide set of features and controls.
Finally, RJ will also be previewing an exciting new LED profile spot which will mark the introduction of a new family of Robert Juliat fixtures later this year.
Germany - Avolites showcases its new and latest technology at this week’s Prolight & Sound show in Frankfurt.
The main attraction for the Avolites stand (D28, Hall 12.1) at this year’s show will be the new Diamond 7 (D7) console, the next in the line to the flagship Diamond 9 (D9) console. “This initial product launch allows us to gain valuable feedback from lighting designers and operators, as well as extensive product testing over the festival season,” says the company. The full product launch, with all the product variants is planned for end of this summer. The Frankfurt stand will see two variants, D7-330 and D7-215, the three and two screen variant with 30 and 15 faders respectively, and available for individual demonstration.
Key product features of the new D7 include a new clam shell screen panel and locking mechanism. The console control surface follows the Diamond 9 design language. The D9-215 fits into a standard Peli-Air case and is under European 23kg aircraft hold weight limit.
Titan version 17, the latest of our popular lighting control software, will be released on 19 March and running on all the consoles on the Avolites stand. The main focus of v17 has been to greatly enhance the user experience and to further optimise performance, which will allow for a greater experience on larger shows as well as during longer programming sessions. This will be followed closely with a new version of the remote app, for both Android and IOS.
Media software application Prism will also have its first licenced version: Prism One, a
Europe - ColorSource PAR jr is the newest addition to the affordable line of ETC fixtures that has become a staple in venues around the world. A complement to Spot jr, PAR jr boasts a similar feature set and includes a four-colour red, green, blue and lime array.
The fan-free, convection cooled design makes this luminaire ultra-quiet. And at nearly half the weight and half the price of a full-sized ColorSource PAR, PAR jr is designed for venues of all sizes.
This wash light is available in two array options. The Original array provides subtle pastels and beautiful white light to enhance skin tones. While the Deep Blue array is for anyone needing more saturated, dramatic colours. Like all ColorSource fixtures, PAR jr includes ETC’s colour integrity technologies.
Headliners - Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will headline this year's Glastonbury Festival, organisers have announced. It marks the first time in the event's history that female acts have taken two of the three headline slots. Country star Shania Twain will play the coveted ‘legend slot’ on Sunday afternoon. The singer told BBC News she was "over the moon" to be taking part. "Everyone always talks about it being the pinnacle of festival slots," she said. "The only advice everyone gives me is to bring my wellies.”
Other acts on this year's line-up include Afrobeats star Burna Boy, who is taking his first stride onto the Pyramid Stage; and award-winning rapper Little Simz, who will play immediately before Coldplay. Thirteen-piece boyband Seventeen will become the first K-pop group to grace the main stage - an indication of how dominant the genre has become over the last five years.
More traditional Glastonbury acts include Idles, Disclosure and The National - all of whom will headline the Other Stage, the festival's second-biggest arena. Sugababes, who shut down the Avalon field with a reunion performance in 2022, will return - this time on the much bigger West Holts stage. And pop stars Avril Lavigne, Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello will make their Glastonbury debuts.
Vault Closure - Vault Festival will close after failing to secure funding for a much-anticipated new central London home. Vault Creative Arts, the charity behind the festival, said the organisation had secured a "long-term home" close to its previous base in Waterloo - but mone
China - Outline has announced an exclusive distribution partnership with Guangzhou Aga Audio Technology Co. This agreement grants Aga Audio exclusive distribution rights for Outline products across China, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Over the past years, Aga Audio Technology has successfully installed a variety of Outline’s high-performance point-source systems tailored for permanent installations. With their growing technical expertise, Aga Audio is now poised to expand its offerings to include Outline's line-array systems and audio processors, including Newton. This strategic decision reflects Aga Audio's commitment to delivering comprehensive audio solutions to its customers.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Outline for developing products specifically targeted to the Chinese entertainment market,” says Anson Ai, general manager at Aga Audio Technology. “Their dedication to understanding the unique needs of our customers and delivering innovative solutions has been instrumental in our success over the past years. As we embark on this partnership, we are excited to further leverage Outline's expertise and product range to offer our customers even more comprehensive audio solutions.
"Aga Audio Technology has always been committed to excellence, and our growing technical expertise is a testament to our dedication to providing top-notch audio solutions to our customers. With highly skilled technicians in the live/touring industry, we are now well-positioned to expand our offerings to include Outline's renowned line-array systems and p
UK - Guildhall School of Music & Drama has announced a new BA degree in performance design, starting in September 2025. The three-year, full time BA programme will equip students with the practical and imaginative skills required to create designs for stage performances and live events.
Led by stage designer Dr Susannah Henry, the BA in Performance Design is the newest course to offered by Guildhall’s Production Arts department. The Performance Design programme blends studio-based design work with hands-on experience, including collaborating on a wide range of performances using Guildhall School’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Student designers will gain an understanding of the creative, collaborative and practical elements of performance design, developing their skills through studio-based projects, before building to fully realised designs for public performance. The programme also explores the histories of art, design and theatre, incorporating self-led research to shape and inform students’ own identities and aspirations as emerging performance designers.
Working in close collaboration with students on Guildhall School’s other Productions Arts courses, including the School’s BA in Production Arts and BA in Digital Design & Production, Performance Design students will have the opportunity to develop design skills in areas such as costume, video and lighting, and learn about the technologies and processes needed to make a performance happen. They will also build connections with existing the School’s industry partners and a n
USA - Flogging Molly’s 21-city Road To Rebellion tour started 16 February at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut and closed 17 March, St. Patrick’s Day, at the downtown Las Vegas Events Centre.
Keeping pace with all the hand clapping and sing-alongs is a colourful and lively Peter Therrien lightshow that features a 100-percent Chauvet Professional floor package supplied by JDI Productions.
“I do build a page for every song with Flogging, but nothing is timecoded, as it’s all about spontaneity and freshness,” said Therrien who ran his show on a ChamSys MagicQ MQ500 Stadium console. “As far as my colour selection goes, it’s based on the feeling I have for the band’s music. So, for instance, when I hear ‘Drunken Lullabies’ it’s always white. I’ve tried blue and amber in the past, but it just feels wrong. The colour choice has to be in the moment.”
Helping Therrien create this party rainbow are eight Maverick MK1 Spot fixtures, eight Color Strike M motorised strobe-washes, 14 Rogue R1 BeamWash units, 12 ÉPIX Bar Tour strips and one Ovation 2805FV batten. Adding brightness, geometric forms and audience lighting to the mix are 12 Nexus Aw 7x7 panels.
This rig was positioned on four 8ft I-stand truss structures, and two 5’ wheeled trusses. Therrien hung two Color Strike M units on the face of each tower. “I like to use the plates as a wash behind the band,” he explained. “Also, love the incredible plate effects for eye candy. I’ll also use the white tubes as a powerful hit effect during various parts of the
USA - Sphere Entertainment Co has announced the inaugural Sphere XO Student Design Challenge - a partnership with the greater Las Vegas community that gives select members of the general public the opportunity to see their art featured on the Exosphere.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge is a collaboration between Sphere and the Clark County School District (CCSD) and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) that will provide more than 100,000 Clark County-based students with an opportunity to create art for the Exosphere.
Eight student winners ranging from elementary school through college will be chosen by a combination of voting by the general public on thesphere.com, and selected by professional artists who have designed for the Exosphere, including Refik Anadol and Michela Picchi.
The Sphere XO Student Design Challenge, which will kick off this month, will be themed around the 4th of July, with winning students’ artwork debuting on the Exosphere on July 4, 2024, which will also mark the one-year anniversary of the first illumination of the Exosphere.
In addition, winning high school and UNLV students will receive a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere. Winning elementary and middle school students will earn a $10,000 donation from Sphere for their school’s art programme to further art education in public schools, as well as tickets for their entire school to attend The Sphere Experience this autumn.
“Sphere is more than a venue - it is a new entertainment medium uniting art and science to broaden our understanding
Germany - Robe celebrates 30 years of embracing the challenges of the entertainment and performance industry with a number of new products launched in Hall 12.1 on stand D10, the centrepiece of which will be the iBOLT - a powered searchlight type of fixture.
Other products being launched include the iESprite Fresnel, the T15 Fresnel, T15 PC, the Footsie1 and Footsie2 Slim versions, the T32 Cyc and the T32 Cyc Slim, the iProMotion Landscape + iProMotion Portrait, the Forte Fresnel / PC and the iSpiiderX.
Also launched is the iT12 Fresnel, a powerful outdoor Fresnel wash fixture which includes an ingenious new patented F2L Fresnel-lens system, comprising two lenses engineered with a smooth outer surface to eliminate the debris accumulation commonly found on outdoor Fresnel lenses. The iForte LTX LightMaster will be previewed.
Robe will present the final show in its Power of Imagination live performance trilogy which will ‘energise visitors who can enjoy some knife edge action onstage, and a high energy lightshow designed to show off the creativity and potential of the new products in their native environment’.
Power of Imagination will play several times a day, and in between an interactive timecoded presentation on the booth will highlight the best features of the new products.
The booth - Robe’s largest to date at any Prolight expo to emphasise the significance of the occasion - will feature two dedicated demonstration areas where people can see the products in depth. The Robe information flow will continue outside H
Germany - Receiving its worldwide launch at Frankfurt will be Green-GO’s Stride Antenna - the first product in the company’s new Stride wireless series.
Stride offers seamless roaming, greater DECT spectrum efficiency and increased user mobility, without affecting the range or the audio quality of devices on the network. Compatible with existing Green-GO WBPX wireless beltpacks, Stride enables higher DECT device density, allowing more WBPX beltpacks to be used simultaneously within the same area.
“True seamless roaming has been a goal for Green-GO’s customers since the very beginning,” says Silvio Cibien, CEO of Anima Network, the company responsible for Green-GO’s export and marketing, explaining the importance of this innovation. “Now, with Stride, we can finally deliver it. Achieving this function is a huge success for us, requiring a significant investment for the licence to enable us to develop our own control of the DECT protocol.”
Green-GO’s Stride Antennas synchronise automatically. DECT time slots are synchronised across multiple Stride Antennas via PTPv2 (Precision Time Protocol version 2) technology, without additional action required from the user. This effectively enhances the consistency of coverage within a given area, providing seamless roaming. Now, with Stride Antennas, a Green-GO system can make full use of the available DECT spectrum, allowing a greater device density than was possible before.
The use of Stride Antennas will not compromise the range of a single antenna or cell on the network, says Green
Europe - MA Lighting has released grandMA3 software version 2.0.0.4. This software release features new functionalities and workflow improvements for many different applications.
The area of data handling and organization shows’ lots of improvements’. Sheets can be filtered and reorganised to create a personal workspace. The transfer of fixture data gets much easier with the new Clone window. Working in big sequences with a lot of data is now improved by the use of new tracking functionalities. And the new Fixture Type Presets allow the user to easily transfer predefined content from show to show.
The MA University with the grandMA3 special course v2.0 presents detailed information about the new software release - online and completely for free. Additionally there is an update to the grandMA3 User Training and a new grandMA3 Essentials Training available. Local MA distributors will help to get access to the MA E-learning platform.
MA Lighting is offering grandMA3 v2.0 public webinars in April, presented by the MA Lighting tech-support.
UK - Thursday 11 July will see Backup Tech’s The Village Fete return to Daytona Sandown Park in Surrey for more fun and frivolity. So, dig out your best tweed and flowery dresses, dust off your cake recipes and get ready to purchase your tickets, which will go on sale at 9am on Monday 25 March for Backup’s Partners and at 9am on Wednesday 27 March for general sale.
“We had such great feedback about last year’s fete that we’re adding more fun and frivolity,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “Last year, we changed the whole look and feel of the day to make sure the Village Fete appealed to so many more people outside of the karting.
“This year, we’re building on the success of the fete by adding more fete stalls, a ‘Veg Off’ to complement our very successful ‘Bake Off’, bringing back the Lions Barbers Collective, The Straw Stage for live music and workshops, peasant shooting with laser clay shooting, our brilliant food and craft fest stalls and, of course, Vinnie and his ice creams.”
Adding to the esteemed Parish judging panel this year, Martin Fullard (ex-Conference News editor) has been enlisted to provide a corporate approach to cake eating and will be joining the judging panel alongside LSi’s Claire Beeson, TPi’s Stewart Hume, AAA’s Chris Barrett and PLASA’s Peter Heath. “We realised there were a lot of calories consumed by the judges last year,” Lee notes, “so adding Martin might help spread the load!”
The Backup village Council also wanted to offer something different for companies wanting to atte