UK - For Kent-based production rental company, Limelite Lighting, taking delivery of two new QC-Check electrical testing workstations from Data Strategy at the end of February 2020 just as the industry began to wind down into a global Covid-19 lockdown, could have been a mis-timed event. However, the versatility of the product and its ease of use enabled Limelite’s directors to turn the situation to take full advantage of their investment in product safety, warehouse organisation and logistics.
The ability to commission QC-check workstations remotely – which has enabled customers as distant as Australia and the UAE to benefit from the safety testing system – ensured that Limelite Lighting’s QC-Check workstations, including the robust and rapid testing power of Out Boar

UK - Lance Show & Publications Limited, organiser of The Showman’s Show has confirmed that the event will be held at Newbury Showground from 20-21 October 2021. The government setting out a roadmap to steadily ease the current lockdown and a tentative date of 21st June for all restrictions to be lifted has provided a much-needed boost to the outdoor event sector and prompted a string of exhibitor bookings, say the organisers.
Johnny Lance, event director of The Showman’s Show said: “The unveiling of the roadmap was the positive news that we’d all been waiting for. As publishers of the Showman’s Directory, we’ve seen a surge in event organisers getting in touch to confirm dates for their 2021 events and we’ve been busy updating the website. It’s also been wonderful to see so many high-profile events receiving national media coverage as they announce that t

Sweden - The impressive, airy Kulturhuset Spira (Culture House Spira) is a seven-story glass-and-wood structure on the banks of Lake Munksjön. Leading Swedish architect firm, Wingårdh, designed the structure that houses four stages and hosts a progressive programme of music, theatre, dance, and children’s programming, as well as serving as the headquarters for the regional Smålands Music & Theatre team.
Spira translates as ‘grow’ or ‘aspire’ and this spirit infuses the team at Spira’s desire to remain at the cutting edge of technology. When they recently embarked on an upgrade to the venue audio system, they opted for L-Acoustics Kara II.
L-Acoustics was the first and final choice of sound system for Spira. When the centre opened its doors to audiences in 2011, it was with a Kara system and it has served well in the intervening years. However, demand

UK - When London’s Adelphi Theatre re-opens later this year, it will do so with a new flying system. The refurbishment – stage one of three has involved a complete replacement of the fly tower hemp sets and a new front loading 42 set double purchase counterweight system.
With all theatres across the country having spent the last 12 months in the dark, LW Theatres and Nederlander who jointly own the Adelphi, has taken the unprecedented circumstances as an opportunity to carry out a programme of work across several of its venues. And with no shows or audiences, this has allowed for refurbishment to take place uninterrupted so that once theatres can open their doors, they can do so freely and start recouping lost revenue immediately.
Martin Skelton, technical and building services manager at The Adelphi said: “Phase one has seen the Unusual team come in to initially

Denmark - DJ and music producer Martin Jensen has played a series of livestream concerts in unexpected, innovative locations around the country including Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium, aboard Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Niels Juhl and aboard historic paddle-steamer Hjejlen, atop the Camp Adventure nature reserve forest tower in Rønnede and amidst Copenhagen’s famous Illum department store.
At the heart of ensuring that all concerts on this tour were visually and sonically engaging experiences was lighting designer Mathias Skall Hansen from Frontsound.
For five of the seven shows, Mathias specified and used quantities of different Robe moving lights – MegaPointes, Spiiders, BMFLs – which were supplied by Nordic Rentals.
Mathias has been using Robe products consistently in his lighting designs for the last six years. “They are very powerful with good c

UK - Last year the Light It In Red campaign saw hundreds of venues, workplaces and landmarks light up in ‘emergency red’ to raise awareness for the plight of the live events industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in a bid to spread a message of hope and support to individuals in the industry, the campaign is asking everyone to get involved with a week-long show of solidarity from 15-19 March.
Individuals and businesses are encouraged to support the campaign not only by illuminating buildings and structures as in previous #LightItInRed actions, but also by sharing the campaign’s heart logo on social media.
A statement from the campaign reads: “We know the past year has been bad, we don’t need reminding! So we’re not going to focus on that. We’re going to focus on you. We want to bring the live events

South Africa - Professional audio specialists, Stage Audio Works (SAW) have announced the appointment of Lee Thomson to the newly created role of projects sales manager, with Mike Summerfield taking on the post of distribution sales manager. The move follows the decision to restructure the sales operation into two distinct verticals – namely Projects and Distribution – to better serve both markets.
The Projects team will look after markets served directly by SAW; these include key accounts in the houses of worship, themed attractions and casinos, sports, and performing arts sectors. The Distribution team will manage those markets chiefly served through a reseller/integrator channel; namely corporate AV, education, retail, broadcast, plus rental and staging companies.
“Separate teams will allow us better focus on the specific needs of each vertical, which are quit

Italy - Prolights EclProfile CT+ is now capable of being controlled in RAW mode and xy coordinates control. This update comes after the release of the new ellipsoidal in the autumn of 2020 and a successful kick-off in sales amid a global pandemic, and with many users giving great feedback about the profiles and comparing its features against other market-leading units, says the company.
Xy coordinates control allows users to pick a colour in the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram right from their consoles, or to typing in the exact colour coordinate to match different sources.
“This is an extremely useful feature for our customers in theatre or film lighting, where colour precision is important,” says Andrea Gabrielli, R&D manager at Prolights. “We are working on implementing features that are inclusive to all segments of the industry. This is the first ellipsoida
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USA - PK Sound has released an installation-focused iteration of Trinity, its flagship large-format line array element.
“Trinity Install delivers the impact and operational advantages of our flagship array family to high-performance installs in a fixed position, with our sleek, clean, and uncompromising new all-black design,” comments Darryl Ross, senior applications support for PK Sound. “The response from our network and clients so far has been very encouraging, as partners can now offer a solution for concert venues, theatres, nightclubs, houses of worship, and other live event spaces that want the full PK experience for their performers and patrons.”
The vertical angles are set during installation using a fixed rigging system, while horizontal angles are locked into one of 22 symmetric or asymmetric configurations throughout a line source. A combination of

USA - Founded in 2020, LA-based XR Studios constantly pushes the boundaries of XR technology to new heights. Collaborating with Fuse Technical Group for technical and equipment support, XR Studios provides two high-spec LED stages featuring quality equipment, including Brompton Technology processing and ROE Visual LED panels, and offers a team of expert technologists and bespoke workflows to help bring XR productions to life.
“We have always had a great relationship with Fuse, a company we consider to be one of the greatest pioneers in terms of pushing LED technology for a wide variety of applications,” says XR Studios’ director, J.T. Rooney. “They have a lot of experience with the equipment and provide technical consulting across live entertainment, television, film and virtual production. We wanted to ensure that our entire operation was executed at the highest le

Zimbabwe - Winky D and Jah Prayzah both draw passion and inspiration from the same rich, deep and fertile wellspring that is the Zimbabwean musical tradition. However, the two artists take this inspiration in slightly different directions; the former favouring chanting dancehall reggae beats, while the latter opts for a sound that is a bit more contemporary.
In both cases, the two have soared to superstardom in Zimbabwe and throughout southern Africa, each with a rabidly loyal following. Indeed, nothing divides the country’s music lovers quite like the Winky-Jah debate.
This February, Kayse Concert TV presented Best of Both Worlds, a three-hour pay-per view livestream that showcased the talents of both artists. The widely anticipated show met and exceeded all expectations, as it served up a nonstop outpouring of pure passion and joy, not only with its music, b

USA - At AREA15, the new art and entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, visitors should ‘expect the unexpected’. Behind the looming exterior façade, the 200,000sq.ft interior houses a collection of themed retail and entertainment options, all surrounded by an air of cosmic mystery.
One principal attraction is a space called The Portal, where, behind imposing metal doors, visitors can plunge into a 360-degree projection-mapped video experience supported by immersive audio enabled by Meyer Sound’s new Spacemap Go spatial sound design and live mixing tool.
The 6,584sq.ft Portal was initially conceived primarily as a large meeting and event space, one that could compete with the hotel ballrooms on the Las Vegas Strip while offering its own ambience. To that end, the projection systems were designed for four-wall coverage allowing surround v

Sweden - The Rival hotel in the bustling Södermalm district of Stockholm is renowned as one of the city’s favourite meeting spots. A building with lots of history, it has remained dedicated to entertainment and hospitality since its beginnings in 1937.
In 2002, the complex was purchased by Benny Andersson of ABBA along with two associates, and extensive redevelopment work began to shape the complex into what it is today – a luxury 99-room boutique hotel complete with bars, a bistro and café, modern meeting facilities and a theatre.
The latest addition is a new bar named after Benny’s faithful Jack Russell terrier; Watson’s Bar offers food and drinks in a vibrant atmosphere with music at the heart of the experience. A Genelec 4000 Series sound system ensures that the pulse never stops.
Open seven days a week from 11am – 1am except Sundays which has a

UK - A new charity fundraiser is aiming to galvanise the support for live event industry professionals in need by making donating as easy as sending a text message.
Launched by the #WeMakeEvents campaign, Texting ONETWO is a text donation initiative, the proceeds from which will directly benefit entertainment technology charity Backup. Anyone who wishes to make a one-off donation can text the words ONETWO followed by the amount they wish to donate, to 70085. To donate £5 for example, you need to input ONETWO5.
The campaign has been backed by several prominent musicians, including The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, who stated: “Everyone who works in production in theatre or live music needs to be recognised and given support in these trying times, so join us in helping them.” Frank Turner, Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Katherine Jenkins and James Bay are also among the

Germany - Stephan Schenk, as general manager global sales & solutions, has taken over responsibility for the worldwide sales and service of ARRI’s hardware products as well as the company’s solutions business. This newly created position aims to combine and align the sales and service activities across all ARRI product groups and expand the systems business across all markets.
In this role, Stephan Schenk reports directly to executive board member Markus Zeiler. He is responsible for all the sales and service departments of the camera systems and lighting business units, including the ARRI System Group in Berlin. Additionally, the regional managers from the Americas, China, East Asia Pacific, and EMEAI will report to Stephan Schenk.
Schenk joined ARRI in 2009, as head of ARRI’s Business Unit Camera Systems. He was appointed to managing director of Arnold &am

UK - Event Concept has appointed Adam Stanley to the role of managing director at the company. Stanley will succeed founder Mark Beaver and assume responsibilities immediately. Beaver, who established the firm in 1994, will remain within the business in an advisory capacity.
Stanley joined Event Concept in 2013 as a producer. Working on some of the companies most prolific events, he held roles as account director and most recently, commercial director where he presided over three years of growth.
Mark Beaver comments: “I was delighted to ask Adam to take over as managing director - Adam has an unwavering passion for client satisfaction and delivering truly memorable event experiences and I’m thrilled to see where he takes the business next. Under Adam’s leadership, I know our fantastic team will be supported, encouraged and excited for the next chapter of Event C

USA - BriteShot, a vendor of LED lighting solutions for television, film and events, has shifted its manufacturing strategy to help venues re-open safely amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Making the most of its resources during these challenging times, BriteShot is now specialising in coronavirus air filtering and decontamination products.
“At Briteshot, we aim to have our decontamination technology be a factor in helping entertainment venues, restaurants, and more, reopen their doors in a safe and effective way,” says Roy McDonald, co-founder at BriteShot. “It’s been a difficult year within the entertainment space as facilities have been forced to close their doors or reduce capacity, greatly impacting revenue and job security across the board.
“To help ease customers back into business, we dedicated countless hours in production and testing to provide a solutio

South Africa - Brent Sauls of Magic Arm Lighting is a freelance gaffer and cinematographer from Cape Town - currently based in Johannesburg - whose professional career has encompassed 15 years at the forefront of making a diversity of commercials, movies, and TV series.
Last year he invested in a set of eight Astera Titan Tubes, purchased from distributor, DWR and these have been working constantly ever since.
Brent noticed that Titan Tubes were becoming increasingly frequently requested by a variety of DoPs, especially on commercials.
As a gaffer, it is advantageous to be able to offer certain specialist lighting elements and products to a production. “It’s all about having the right tools,” he stated, and this drove the purchase by Magic Arm Lighting, which Brent co-owns with two other cinematographers, Quinton Fredericks & Ebrahim Hajee.
He wa

Germany - Lighting designer Jerry Appelt and Matthias Meyert have set up their own pre-programming studio under the name Salty Dog, in his home town of Hamburg. Eight GLP impression FR1 TM (Trackmount) can be found in the new premises, set in the historic Zippelhaus.
“Our planning office, Beacon GmbH, has been based in the Zippelhaus in Hamburg's old town for a number of years,” explains Jerry. “So far, we have rented various studios for pre-productions, which apart from the technical equipment, usually don't offer a lot of com-fort. With Salty Dog we wanted to create a really appealing alternative in a prime location, which we of course use ourselves and also rent out.
“In the Salty Dog Studios we have integrated everything that we often missed in other studios. In addition, there is the attractive location directly opposite the Speicherstadt, with a large sel

USA - For the 2020 filming of Netflix musical, The Prom, Hog programmer Scott Barnes worked alongside director of photography Matthew Libatique and CLT Jeff Ferrero, with High End Systems Sola Series fixtures and Hog 4 control becoming central figures behind the scenes. The creative team employed SolaFrame Theatre, SolaFrame 3000 and SolaHyBeam 3000 fixtures in many of the performances; all luminaires featured High CRI engines and were supplied by Lux Lighting.
When production commenced, Barnes says they already knew the SolaFrame Theatre and SolaFrame 3000 would be their ‘go-to’ movers. Barnes says, “The SolaHyBeam 3000s were not available until about midway through production, but they soon became our powerhouse fixture. The SolaFrame Theatre was especially helpful because of its ultra-quiet performance.
“After the first week of production, we realised

Russia - Robe luminaires were selected for another cultural project, this one at the Said-Galiev Cultural Centre in Derbyshki in Kazan, the capital of the Russian semi-autonomous region of Tatarstan, an area renowned as a lively melting pot of Russian and Tatar heritage.
Robe’s Russian distributor LTM - with branches in Moscow, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg - delivered the order of Robe Pointes, LEDBeam 150s and ParFect 150s for its client the Altin Group. LTM also undertook all the related installation and commissioning work for the Robe moving lights and other elements of the venue’s lighting that were extensively updated in this project.
The ornate Said-Galiev Cultural Centre has two main auditoriums, a main one seating 560 and a smaller 120 capacity hall and was originally built in 1959. This latest technical upgrade, which also included audio, flexible riggi

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