Slovakia - Green Hippo has appointed City Light Slovakia as its distributor in Slovakia with immediate effect.
City Light Slovakia was established in 1993 and in addition to being a distributor, the company offers technology installation and post-warranty services and also has experience in providing operator training; an area in which it will work closely with Green Hippo’s highly regarded HippoSchool and in-house training division.
Marek Plancar, owner of cityLight Slovakia, comments: “For us, the distribution of Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers opens the door of creativity and offers high-end hardware and software, for great shows. We are glad to become part of the Green Hippo family and its product line of Hippotizer Media Servers - it is the world’s best

USA - Austrian AV technology manufacturer AV Stumpfl has announced the launch of a US subsidiary - AV Stumpfl Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the office will be helmed by managing director Todd Liedahl and supported by a network of distributors, dealers and technology specialists.
Fabian Stumpfl, AV Stumpfl GmbH CEO, comments: " The establishment of AV Stumpfl Inc. is a new chapter in our company’s history. Todd is without doubt the perfect choice for the role of managing director. Although our products are already well known in the US market, we feel that there is still a lot of growth potential for both our projection screen and media server systems.
He adds: “The USA is obviously of major importance as a trend-setter territory. Professionals from all over the world look to the US for the latest technological trends in the AV and entertainment ind

USA - Ashly Audio has appointed Noel Larson to serve as vice-president of marketing and business development. With over two decades of experience in the industry, Larson will work with Ashly engineers and strategic partners on new product development and will report to Ashly CEO Jim Mack.
Larson most recently served as Harman Professional’s global director of retail solutions - signal processing, mics, and connected PA. At various points, Larson had oversight of the dbx, Lexicon, BSS, Digitech, AKG, and Soundcraft brands during his seven years there
Larson said. “I was looking for an opportunity where I could make a real impact at a company that’s ready to grow fast and that has a management team that fully supports that vision. Ashly has CEO Jim Mack and a cast of talented people, and Jim has successfully piloted rapid company growth in his past endeavours and n

USA - Theatre Projects is opening an office in Denver on 1 June, the company has announced. Principal Millie Dixon will lead the new office with support from other familiar faces including Aaron Wong and Ali Mignone.
The location was chosen for being relatively central to western and mid-western US and for being easy to reach from Los Angeles, Portland, Minneapolis, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta by plane.
With the opening of the new office, Theatre Projects will have five offices worldwide - Denver, Connecticut (South Norwalk), London, Paris, and Shanghai, as well as a representative in Chile.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Super Bowl, the highlight of the NFL American football season, makes global headlines - both about the game and the half-time entertainment. National and international broadcasters also cover many of the lead-up events throughout the preceding week. For Super Bowl LII, Alcons Audio delivered a winning solution for celebrated events on both sides of the Atlantic.
Super Bowl LII took place at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Philadelphia Eagles beat the reigning champions New England Patriots. For the week before the game, the ballroom at the Minneapolis Hilton hotel hosted a range of events which generated huge US media interest. An audio system that could deliver speech and music of equal high quality over a large area was vital - just the task for the Alcons LR7 pro-ribbon micro line-array.
Packed with reporters, one of the highest profile even
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ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

For more information visit us at www.etcconnect.com

Denmark - MCH Group recently installed a complete audio and lighting solution from Harman Professional Solutions in the newly built visitor’s foyer at Jyske Bank Boxen Arena in Herning, Denmark.
The Jyske Bank Boxen is a 15,000-seat indoor arena that hosts sporting events such as ice hockey and basketball, as well as concert events with international artists. Jyske Bank Boxen is part of the MCH Messecenter Herning exhibition centre.
In preparation for the 2018 International Ice Hockey Foundation (IIHF) World Championships, the MCH Messecenter Herning opened a new visitor foyer, featuring a dynamic façade designed to direct visitors to the arena, exhibition halls and other areas of the complex. In order to deliver a memorable experience for guests at the area, MCH installed a complete audio and lighting solution from Harman, made up of Martin, JBL, BSS and Crown.

Israel - Light architects Cochavi & Klein produced a 'show-stopping' lighting designs for a major event staged in Pavilion 2, Tel Aviv’s largest venue. They were working for production company MPLive who delivered the event for financial services giant, Isracard.
The format was a gala dinner for around 2,500 people, a live show featuring a star-studded line-up of popular Israeli talent onstage including Infected Mushroom and others, culminating in a party. Eran Klein operated the lights working closely with stage designer Omer Israeli, Cochavi & Klein’s project manager Dor Aichner and video designer Rubi Saati of Studio Vega.
Omer and Eran chose Robe moving lights to deliver serious impact and effects, with 12 x Mega Pointes - used for the first time live in Israel - plus 30 x Pointes, six Spiiders, eight BMFL Blades, eight 8 x BMFL Spots and three Patt 20
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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

UK - The Charity Film Awards have been created to celebrate the success of film in fundraising, to increase exposure of charity films and to encourage donations for good causes. This year’s ceremony took place at Central Hall Westminster on Friday, 11 May where White Light is the venue’s production service partner. Attended by more than 300 people, WL provided a complete technical production solution as part of their commitment to sponsoring this event.
WL’s venue manager James Thurlow comments: “The Charity Film Awards is the only one of its kind, and we wanted to support them in creating an unforgettable evening. To achieve this, we worked closely with co-founder of the Charity Film Awards; Simon Burton to ensure that we delivered on his vision for the evening and to ensure smooth running. We are pleased to be able to offer Central Hall Westminster a charity awards

UK - Sennheiser is making a return to Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival from 17-19 May, where it will be celebrating 20 years of its Evolution wired microphones.
To mark the occasion, Sennheiser is taking its 20 Years of Evolution tour bus to the festival where it will be inviting artists to talk to Sennheiser representatives and discuss their equipment and audio requirements. Festival-goers can also experience the sound of Sennheiser microphones - which are also being used throughout the festival - and enter competitions to win Sennheiser headphones.
Sennheiser’s SpeechLine Digital Wireless range will also feature in the festival’s conference meeting rooms.
The tour bus will be located on New Road and will also host the first Sennheiser Sessions outside the bus on the Thursday (17 May) and Friday (18 May) at 5.30pm.
(Jim Evans)

USA - For the fourth consecutive year, global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks will continue its partnership with the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas (SILV) as part of its ongoing support for student designers.
As a first-of-its-kind intensive training programme, SILV offers improved and efficient ways to train students in all areas of live entertainment in an effort to grow the next generation of practitioners in the field. Vectorworks aids in this mission by donating funds to the organisation and teaching workshops on cutting-edge entertainment technology.
“The partnership that SILV has with Vectorworks has dramatically expanded our students’ experience with digital drafting and increased their pre-visualisation and console programming capabilities, making the plotting and paperwork process possible,” said Jane Childs, director at SILV.

UK - The Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham has selected Nexo’s Geo M6 compact line array system, with LS18 subbass cabinets, as the hands-on training inventory for its pioneering degree courses in Live and Technical Events. In September 2018, that GEO M6 PA system, along with Confetti and all its music and events students, will be relocating to a new £4m Contemporary Music and Live Events Hub in the centre of Nottingham.
This summer, Confetti turns out the first BSc (Hons) graduates from its pioneering Live and Technical Events courses. With less than five such certified courses available in the UK, there is great demand for such practical learning and students go on to work in a variety of jobs from live sound engineers to video technicians.
Now part of Nottingham Trent University, Confetti has equipped an all-purpose teaching space with the

UK - Since 2000, the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) and its patron, The Who's Roger Daltrey, have been bringing the greatest global music and comedy talents to the Royal Albert Hall for an annual week of shows devised to raise money for young people affected by cancer.
Befitting its 18th birthday celebrations, the 2018 series showcased one of the strongest line-ups to date, with UB40 (featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey), Nile Rodgers & CHIC, The Courteneers, Kasabian, Def Leppard, comedian Russell Howard and Daltrey himself as headliners.
In previous years, performances by artists including Noel Gallagher and The Who have gone on to yield acclaimed live album and DVD/Blu-ray releases, so recording shows for posterity in the highest-possible audio quality has always been important. Given the charitable nature of the concert series, and the fact that shows are often recorde

UK - Stage Electrics Group CEO Maria Townsend and marketing director and PLASA chairman Adam Blaxill met with Ashley Fox MEP for the South West to discuss the proposed EU Ecodesign regulations.
At the meeting, Blaxill outlined the potential implications, not only for specialist lighting companies like Stage Electrics and their sister company SLX Hire & Events, but also for theatres, social clubs and schools all of whom own equipment which will effectively become obsolete. He comments: “The UK and Europe are world leaders in entertainment lighting, these regulations are a direct threat to our ability to deliver world class entertainment.”
Fox, who had already responded to the consultation before meeting the Stage Electrics team, offered insight into the legislative process and promised to continue to raise concerns with the European Commission and lobby for an

China - MA Lighting and Avolites had blocked alleged infringing companies from exhibiting certain products at the recent Guangzhou Entertainment Technology (GET) exhibition after a number of product copyright infringements were identified by both companies and the GET organisers.
The move comes shortly after the two stage lighting solutions manufacturers joined forces in a similar action against an alleged counterfeiter at Frankfurt’s Prolight+Sound.
Franco Zaghini, director of business development for MA Lighting, and Avolites’ sales director Koy Neminathan led the team to negotiate with alleged counterfeit manufacturers on the show floor and asked them to withdraw all displayed infringing products.
Zaghini comments: “On the first day of the show, we sat with the GET organisers to show them all our patents, trademarks and IPs and their authenticity. At t


Stage Invasion - The anti-media campaigner who interrupted SuRie's performance in the Eurovision final managed to invade the stage after climbing into the venue's camera run while being pursued by security. Organisers the European Broadcasting Union said the man - believed to be a so-called "philosopher, activist and DJ" who goes by the name of Dr ACactivism - made his way to the stage via a bridge.
"He climbed into the camera run and reached the main stage via the bridge, pursued by security," said a spokesman. "He was removed off stage after seven seconds and was questioned by police. We take security very seriously and an investigation into what happened is already underway." The man previously stormed the stage during the final of The Voice in 2017 and the National Television Awards in January this year.
Autism Friendly - The Prin

USA - X-Laser USA began with the goal of making high-powered laser systems accessible and affordable for anyone who wanted to add dynamic laser effects to their lighting rig.
With the 2017 release of their Mercury laser control system, X-Laser continues to make lasers accessible and easy to integrate for all sorts of lighting professionals. To coincide with celebrating their tenth year in operation, X-Laser has released three new laser systems that will add to the brand’s legacy as a democratizer of high-powered laser fixtures.
“We’re kind of going back to our roots with these new fixtures,” Adam Raugh, president of X-Laser, said. “The Mobile Beat Mercury adds our Mercury laser control system to our most popular model line, the Mobile Beat, the model that really helped us make a name for ourselves. And while our Skywriter series is a bit newer, the Skywriter

USA - When Swedish House Mafia (SHM) decided to reform after five years, providing the Ultra Music Festival in Miami with its surprise headline act, production designer Andy Hurst was brought in to design the extravaganza.
Already the show designer for Axwell and Ingrosso, two of the band members, he immediately turned to GLP’s LED catalogue, procuring 60 JDC1 hybrid strobe and 96 impression X4 Bar 20 from PRG in Las Vegas, knowing that SHM would be the closing act. “As the festival main stage design was changed one month before the show we had to work quickly to get a new SHM design signed off and ready in time,” he explained.
His main challenge was to interface with the existing house rig, supplied by AG Light and Sound. “We had to have our entire system set in 35 mins. In that time we had to fly our back wall, set our custom DJ riser and roll in our lighting

UK - When Richard Tring opened Le Poivrot, an unmistakably French wine bar, on Colston Street in Bristol, it was in sharp contrast to his speakeasy-style Red Light bar, described as an "adult drinking den in the heart of Bristol". Le Poivrot demonstrates an altogether different creative expression from Tring, who with his wife Sarah also owns Weber and Tring's wine and spirits shop in the city. Since opening night, a seat at the bar at Le Poivrot is much sought after.
To help realise his vision for Le Poivrot, Richard engaged the services of Bristol-based designers, Out of The Woodwork Designs, with whom he already had a good working relationship, to design and manage the entire refit. Out of The Woodwork in turn, consulted with GDS over lighting provision for the project.
The project team wished to “combine exquisite detail and an understated old world charm to cre

USA - One of the most successful off-the-Strip venues in Las Vegas and one of Sin City’s more individual resorts is South Point Hotel and Casino. The resort offers novel amenities for a casino resort like an equestrian arena and 64-lane bowling centre, but teems with standard casino attractions as well.
In 2017, the resort decided to upgrade three popular areas with LED video displays – Showroom, Sports Book and Bingo Room – and chose Elation Professional’s high-definition EVHD3 LED video panels for the job. Twelve separate screens were installed across the three areas in November and December last year, an installation encompassing a total of 600 EVHD3 panels.
South Point operates a busy 400-seat Showroom facility that features headliner entertainment, live bands and other acts on a daily basis. The Showroom operates seven days a week the majority of the yea

UK - Stand-up comedy, for all its apparent simplicity in projecting the spoken word to large theatre audiences, can be anything but straightforward. The real challenge is to deliver an intimacy through coverage consistency and intelligibility because if the audience misses one word, the joke's not funny.
Martin Audio loudspeaker arrays have proved their worth regularly, reinforcing a multiplicity of leading stand-ups - none more so than Michael McIntyre. In 2015 they successfully deployed an MLA loudspeaker array via their rental partners Capital Sound for the artist’s Happy & Glorious tour, and they have repeated the formula for the current Big World Tour. With the exception of play-in/play-out music, this is 100% spoken word.
This time around, the comic had a different team shaping and powering his sound in the form of FOH engineer Steve Carr and

Japan - Since its founding in 1902, the American School in Japan has sought to provide its students with a well-rounded education. This is very apparent in the diversity of its student body, which includes youngsters from 47 different countries, as well as in its diverse programme of music, theatre, and conferences.
Recently, the school enhanced the infrastructure that supports its educational and arts programs by adding four Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures from PRG to its multi-functional theatre/auditorium. The new 440W LED moving fixtures join the full complement of conventional units in the school’s lighting system to give it greater flexibility.
“We have been looking to make our lighting system more versatile to meet the varied demands we place on it,” said Ed Gilmartin, theatre manager/resident lighting designer at the American School in Jap

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