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During the PLASA Show came the announcement from High End that it has appointed Peter Duff as chief financial officer (CFO) of High End Systems Inc. Duff has held a number of CFO positions with Pfizer and Hanson and lately the electronics company International Flex Technologies, and his appointment comes after a series of high profile changes at the company. Duff attended the Liverpool City Institute before graduating at Bradford University with a business degree. Following training with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in London and subsequent work as a Chartered Accountant he moved to Canada, where he became CFO of Pfizer Canada, transferring to the company’s corporate headquarters in New York in the mid-1980s. There then followed a 10-year stint with Hanson Plc and a number of CFO assignmen

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DJ Sunday - featuring the Gemini ‘Extreme V DJ competition’ and iDJ-sponsored Talk Zones - raised the volume at the first day of the PLASA Show as DJ hopefuls lined up in front of hundreds of spectators to showcase their talents in the hope of launching a successful DJ career. DJ A.D., the runner-up in last year’s DJ competition went one better and reversed the tables on the 2001 defending champion, DJ Angelo (placed third this year), to win the Gemini ‘Extreme V’ DJ competition.

The audience and judges got a taste of DJ A.D’s (real name Adrian Hall) cross-sectional DJ’ing capabilities during the early stages of the competition, where he kicked off with an energetic display of technical ability matched with an impressive mix of unconventional sounds. "This is an excellent competition because there is an enormous variety of DJing styles and

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L&SI profiles the new industry trade association taking its first steps in Australia.

The Australasian Lighting Industry Association (ALIA) has been formed with the aim of bringing together everyone in the region with an interest in lighting - at any level and in any area. After many months consulting with the industry, ALIA became incorporated in June, and has since been signing up members. An interim committee is currently in place and the association’s first Annual General Meeting is planned for this month.

The focal point for the association, which covers an area larger than Western Europe, is the website - www.alia.com.au - where news is regularly posted. It’s also proving an invaluable source of technical information, and includes one of the web’s most extensive pages of lighting-related links. Like PLASA, ALIA aims to promote an understanding of the industry

Luminous - Banner - Aug-Oct 2025

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Following the success that AVW's motion control system Impressario has enjoyed over the last two years, culminating at this year's ABTT show where it won the Product of the Year award in the Engineering category, AVW is using PLASA to launch Impressario Advance!.

The most obvious change is the new-look silver console, but key changes have also taken place internally, including the use of the latest computer technology in the form of Windows XP. Hardware developments mean that a floppy disc is no longer necessary, now replaced with a CD R/W drive, whilst the Pentium II board had been replaced with a more powerful and faster Pentium IV.

Changes to the software include a new Cue List and Equipment List facility, which enables users to look at all cues/equipment on a single page rather than scrolling through as is currently the case. To provide more relevant information to stage manag

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Stagetec has completed a major installation of lighting systems in three studios at BBC Northern Ireland in Belfast. Studio B, the news studio, has recently been completely refurbished with the installation of a digital infrastructure - as a result, now offering widescreen programming for the News and Current Affairs output. Stagetec has installed 120 channels of 5kW Compulite CompuDIM 2000 modular dimming in the new control suite. A custom mains distribution system - also designed and supplied by Stagetec - provides remote voltage/current indication on the studio floor and in the control room.

Two new Compulite control systems have been provided - an Ovation 4D/RX system with remote electronics crate for the control room and a Micron 4D for use on the studio floor. The whole system is controlled via Ethernet, although DMX distribution has also been installed. A range of Ethernet node

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PLASA 2002 at Earls Court, London, is the venue for the launch of the Compact Sy40, the new digital mixing console from InnovaSon, featuring 40 input channels and 24 mix busses. Housed in the same chassis as the Compact Live and Actor, the Compact Sy40 offers far greater mixing capabilities and enhanced functionality for the same number of faders: 32 (including eight stereo) for 40 input channels, 12 stereo mix busses, three left/right/mono/centre masters and one for automation control. The Sy40 has all 12 GrAux outputs stereo enabled to allow fully featured IEM mixing capabilities. Compact Sy40 can be expanded to 72 physical inputs and 48 physical outputs when used in conjunction with an InnovaSon remote Stage Box and up to 500m of co-axcable.

The Compact Sy40 has all of the advantages of the modular architecture of the rest of the Sensory range. Users can choose from optional input/o

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The PLASA Awards for Product Excellence were presented yesterday evening in the New Technology Gallery in front of a packed audience. This year’s awards attracted one of the largest tallies of nominations ever - 64 in total - across the categories of Lighting, Sound, Audio-Visual and Stage Engineering.

The judging panel of freelance lighting designer Simon Swift, sound system consultant Richard Northwood of Coms UK, Live Business International’s technical director Roland Hemming, freelance AV consultantPhil Pike, system designer Glyn Hughes of Sysco, project manager Andy Hayles from Theatre Projects Consultants, technical consultant Mark Jones of the Royal Albert Hall and Jason Tang, general manager of Bandit Lites (UK), deliberated over three days to decide the winning products in each category.

In the Lighting category, Clay Paky’s Stage Profile Plus SV received

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At the PLASA Show today, visitors and exhibitors alike will join together in observing one minute’s silence at 1.46pm, in memory of those who lost their lives in the attacks on America one year ago.

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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

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Coemar are using PLASA 2002 as a platform to launch the new Antari UK on its own dedicated stand. Smoke machine expert Jon Petts has joined the company to head up the initiative - which effectively becomes the Smoke & Effects division of Coemar UK, set up earlier this year by Ian Kirby. Petts believes the Taiwanese technology of Antari will make an immediate impact with the launch of the professional Fogger Fazer X range, aimed at the club and touring markets. This will complement the established Z range - and innovative products like the HZ-400 DMX-controlled professional hazer.

The new, aesthetically-styled X range, which will be on its first public exhibition duty anywhere in the world boasts a number of key features common to all models. These include aluminium casting heater, which offers longer-lasting dispersion and 25% more output; a modular design, providing easy maintenance a

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Canford announced new additions to the EMO range at PLASA. Retrofit variants on the E450 cable tester that now permits cables fitted with EP connectors to be tested, in addition to 4- and 8-pole Speakon connectors, 3-pin XLRs and A-gauge jacks.

The EP Retrofit kits permit cables fitted with EP 4-, 5-, 6-, or 8-pin connectors to be tested. The EP connectors fit in two pre-punched holes on the rear of the tester accessed by removing the blanking panel. The unit’s flying leads plug directly into connectors mounted on the tester’s PCB.Separate kits are available for each of the EP connector types so users only need to purchase those which they come into contact with regularly. The E450 will test for continuity, cross connection, and open circuit in cables fitted with the above EP connectors just as it does for 2- or 3-pole A-gauge jacks, 3-pin XLR connectors and NL8FC 8-pole an

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A brand new cool beam zoom profile luminaire, available in both static and automated versions, has been launched at the PLASA Show by Belgium-based manufacturer ADB. The stylish Axis comes in 15-30 degree and 25-50 degree versions, and utilizes an 800W halogen axial lamp and a dichroic glass reflector to produce a light output greater than a conventional 1200W profile, with low gate and beam temperature. The Axis Automated fixture provides full pan and tilt control, with beam-shaping functions. The ACN ready unit uses three-phase stepping motors and no fan provide true noise-free operation. With other features including a slide-in iris diaphragm and a 360 degree rotating gobo (or two gobos without iris), and a patented, integrated, endless rotating shutter system with four 360 degree rotating shutters, the Axis looks set to provide an attractive addition to lighting designers’ tool

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Under the watchful eye of Jim Hamilton, president and CEO of Doughty Engineering USA Inc - the US division of Doughty Engineering UK Ltd - the clamps and couplers manufacturer and supplier is expanding. The latest distributor to be welcomed to the company’s network is Industrial Metal Supply Company which has three branches covering California and Arizona and is ideally positioned to supply a comprehensive range of Doughty fittings. The Doughty range features high tensile, extruded aluminium, clamps and couplers. Our picture shows Jim Hamilton (left) congratulating Neil Sherman, CEO of IMP, on the new association.

(Ruth Rossington)

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The 25th PLASA Show closed on a high yesterday thanks to one of the most positive shows in the event’s history. Business was high on the agenda for all exhibitors - many of which reported the highest levels of business they’d ever done, some saying that they had signed up orders of significant size at the show. The exhibition was buzzing practically from the moment it opened and the visitor count will significantly outstrip last year’s figures.

The show was active on many levels - the PLASA Product Awards for Excellence attracted one of its highest number of nominations ever with 64 products displayed in the L&SI sponsored New Technology Gallery - a clear indication of the importance of the event as a showcase for innovation. The Masterclass, Seminar and Round Table sessions that ran throughout the show added to the appeal of the event, allowing visitors to learn more

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Entec Sound and Light has supplied full lighting production, plus sound control and a monitor system, for Alanis Morissette’s European tour.

The company, who have worked with tour manager Andy Proudfoot on other tours, won a competitive tender to supply lighting and crew for the European section of the tour. They also worked closely with Clair Brothers Europe/Audio Rent in Basle, Switzerland, to ensure the tour had the precise audio package required, which involved the new Clair Brothers i4 line array speaker system.

Lighting

LD Jim Fitzpatrick’s design - produced in conjunction with Proudfoot - is a dynamic asymmetric rig consisting of six trusses - a 60ft angled front truss, a 50ft rear truss and four others ranging between 24ft and 40ft, all hung at erratic angles. Onto this - scattered randomly - are 26 High End Studio Colors and 16 Martin MAC 2000s - t

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Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS), the international staging and structures specialist, has returned to central London once more after its run of successful installations at this year’s Bloomberg World Cup project in the City of London and the Golden Jubilee events at Buckingham Palace Gardens, the Mall, Hyde Park and London’s West End.

This time ESS developed an ESS Superstructure building solution for the Event Management Company Fortesqueue’s, at a location inside the garden square at Lincoln’s Inn Fields; an occasional destination for bespoke private events. The brief, to house a one-off project during the second week of September, was introduced to ESS earlier in the summer. ESS' Olly Watts and the ESS team worked closely with the Event Management team at Fortesqueue’s to create a stunning environment for this multinational organization. The one-off event

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Biamp Systems has appointed Carlos Otero as its new Latin American regional manager. Otero has an Electronics Engineering degree with an emphasis in digital control from the University of Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia, and has 20 years of audio design, manufacturing and installation experience. "Carlos was a part-owner of one of our very successful Colombian distributors, Disctronics, and was very effective in the positioning of various brands for this company," commented Graeme Harrison, Biamp’s vice president, international sales.

(Ruth Rossington)

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The 40-year old Sydney-based National Institute of Dramatic Arts has just moved into its gleaming new home. The new NIDA building was funded by an AUS$25 million grant from the Australian government, bolstered by an AUS$10 million sponsorship programme to complete the complex. This latter fund was kick-started by donations from two of Australia’s best known exports - Mel Gibson and Rupert Murdoch.

The most prominent feature of the new building is the giant aluminium veil that encloses the auditorium of the Parade Theatre and juts skyward through the glass roof of the foyer. This veil reflects daylight into the expansive foyer space that currently houses examples of student costume design. At night, nine Griven Kolorado fixtures light up this aluminium veil in a sea of colour.

At the heart of NIDA is the Parade Theatre - a727-seater drum-shaped venue that is a far cry from the

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US-based video giants Nocturne Inc. recently approached their associates at PSL Concert Touring to support a major UK appearance by one of their long-standing clients - Guns ’N Roses. The group appeared at The London Arena on Bank Holiday Monday with PSL providing the complete LED and camera package.

Drawing on their new fleet of Barco DLite 7 LED screens, PSL provided the centre stage wall at 4.3m high and 3.6m wide with two PA walls both at 2.7m square. Lighting designer Gary Westcott added tremendous dramatic effect by having certain panels randomly removed and then blasting white light from behind through billowing smoke! PSL also provided a six-camera package with cameramen, along with the show graphics driven by DoReMi drives. Given the compatibility of the D-7 between PSL and Nocturne it means that systems can be easily duplicated for clients working between both the US a

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Pete Miles, formerly a director of The Spot Co and Flying Pig Systems, has joined Coemar UK as a non-executive director. It is his first foray back into the business since The Spot Co was sold to American giants the PRG Lighting Group, and he will retain his pre-existing shareholdings.

Miles, and Coemar UK’s Ian Kirby, have remained in close touch in recent years - and the timing of this decision, says Kirby, couldn’t have been better. "Peter’s knowledge and experience will not only provide a valuable input of ideas, but will help us establish greater links with the rock and roll world." The Spot Co had been one of the first companies to buy the NAT and their former MD has a long personal relationship with the brand. Miles added that having been impressed with Ian Kirby’s previous track record in the industry, his involvement in Coemar’s new UK o

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L&SI has arranged an exclusive backstage tour of the Palladium Theatre where you can meet with those who worked on the production and see first-hand how some of the more complex effects in the Show have been achieved. Following the tour, you'll have a chance to network with industry colleagues at an L&SI-hosted reception where you can talk further with members of the creative teams, before sitting down to watch this much talked about show from some of the best seats in the house.

The event takes place on Thursday October 10, 2002 at the Palladium Theatre, London, running from 3.30pm onwards, and costs just £69.00 (which includes a full reception, the backstage tour and a £40.00 ticket for the Show).

To sign up contact Sheila Bartholomew at L&SI on +44 1323 418400 or e-mail sheila@plasa.org.

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Vertigo Rigging’s expertise and knowledge of the Royal Festival Hall came into its own when they transformed the famous concert hall venue into a full pros arch theatre for Raymond Gubbay’s popular, month-long production of Follies.

The project involved Vertigo undertaking an intense four-day working period during which time they installed large amounts of trussing and drapes. Follies - considered by many to be one of the greatest musicals of all time - was directed by Paul Kerryson and designed by Paul Farnsworth, and this was the first time the Sondheim classic has featured on a London stage for 15 years.

Follies’ scenic style transposes the audience to the crumbling Weissman Theatre, as memories from its glorious past reunite and are remembered one more time. The fact that the RFH needed to resemble a dilapidated venue at the end of the day didn’t make the

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