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PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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A new 700-capacity rock venue in Holland has meant that the citizens of Amstelveen no longer have to travel to nearby Amsterdam for their nightly entertainment. The newly-built P60 opened its doors last November adjacent to the town’s theatre in the reconfigured town square (which now includes a parking lot), and has been thriving to a mix of Holland’s leading bands and international touring acts. Owned by the local government, the three-storey rectangular building cost HFL 11,000,000 to develop. It offers a ground floor café bar under an internet café - and on top is the large performance auditorium, where the sound sweeps through the floor and balcony courtesy of the Martin Audio Wavefront 8 Compact system.

The entire sound contract was won by Martin’s Dutch distributor, TM Audio, who put together a high specification of leading brands. Sales manager Jeroen van Ke

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Kent College, Pembury, is the latest in a long line of educational establishments to recognise the potential of Maltbury's Metrodeck, having recently bought 68 units of the versatile staging system towards the conversion of the main hall into a £1m state-of-the-art theatre facility intended for use by Kent College and the local community. Working closely with Philip Sparkes, managing director of Maltbury, was Chris Hinks, bursar of Kent College. According to Hinks, the decision to use Maltbury staging was based on a number of factors: "I have read several articles about the company and its various installations and I know that it has an excellent reputation for top quality service and products. Having used Maltbury before, I am aware of the wide range of staging systems it has, which meant it was able to offer me a bespoke solution to my brief."

For the multi-purpose complex

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS) rounded off the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in a mood not dissimilar to the British Women's Curling team, jubilant. Working with Imagination's New York office ESS produced the Olympic Rendezvous @ Samsung pavilion for one of the Games' main sponsors, Samsung. The two-storey pavilion was created for the Olympic Square site in Salt Lake City for Samsung to use as an Olympic HQ. The building included a visitor experience dedicated to Samsung's products and it also provided recreational facilities for athletes and the public. Imagination estimated 8,500 visitors per day used the facility during the Games and subsequently declared the project a success.

ESS worked closely with Imagination's design team to make the building an integral part of the experience. Both companies have received praise from visitors, members of the Salt Lake City Olympic Organising Com

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When London's Royal Opera House decided that it needed automated lighting equipment to form the heart of the permanent lighting rig in the newly-refurbished theatre in 1999, it turned to White Light and The Moving Light Company, which supplied them firstly with City Theatrical Autoyokes and then with custom automated Robert Juliat PCs created by The Moving Light Company. The ROH turned to White Light and The Moving Company again to provide specialist service and support, appointing The Moving Light Company to support the entire automated rig with servicing and emergency call-out services. White Light and its service and support division The Service Company also provides the Opera House with ongoing support of their lighting control systems.

Now the Opera House is expanding its automated rig further - and once again White Light and The Moving Light Company have been their suppliers of c

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XL Video has supplied all the recent live video requirements for the Jamiroquai Funk Odyssey world tour. The six (4 operated and 2 mini cam) camera show was directed by the ebullient Mark Antoniuk.

XL supplied a Digital PPU complete with Grass valley GVG1200 switcher for the mixing, and a Magic DaVE video effects generator. For the vast majority of the set Antoniuk relied on the sheer energy of Jamiroquai’s performance to mix an exciting video show. He used the DaVe’s strobing effects only twice, once at the top of the show and again during Deeper Underground. The camera feeds were beamed onto two portrait format offstage screens - made up of Saco 15 mm LED modules - either side of the stage. The mix was completely live each night, varying as much as the set and the length of the songs often did. The video proved a vital element of the overall show, working in harmony with

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Marantz Japan Inc and Denon have announced the establishment of D&M Holdings Inc, a joint holding company to merge the operations of Marantz and Denon. The transaction is expected to be completed by May 2002 and will create a global leader in the home theatre and audio-video (AV) market, while maintaining the established Marantz and Denon brands.

D&M Holdings will employ approximately 1,650 people around the world and will succeed Marantz as a publicly traded concern on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE II: 6799). The home theatre and AV market has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years, due to the emergence of home theatre applications, as well as an industry wide digital evolution. D&M Holdings will be well positioned to benefit from this pattern of growth through the development of digital products by matching Denon and Marantz’s expertise in digital AV and vis

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Audiosales has supplied a Martin Audio system for installation in the new 800-capacity Auditorium of Parma, which is run by the Commune di Parma. The programme of performance at the venue has yet to be specified, though it was originally thought that it would become a second opera house to the town’s famous Teatro Regio.

The contract for the audio was fulfilled by Ital Cida, and according to Audiosales’ Mauro Codeluppi, one of the reasons his company was nominated as the supply source was its proximity to Parma - they are based just ten minutes outside the town. When it came to equipping the former sugar refinery - which had stood empty for years - Ital Cida specified four WT3s, six WT2s, a pair of WS2A subs and eight WT15s - ideal for the multi-purpose nature for which the theatre will be used. The system will be powered by Lab Gruppen amplification, and the loudspeaker ma

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Over the past two years DHA's dealer base has flourished throughout Europe furthering the company's success. Madrid-based company O.K. Sumistros has now joined the DHA network and becomes the first Spanish stockist to complement the long-standing distribution of Rosco Iberica.

O.K. Sumistros stocks a range of DHA equipment, including all standard and custom gobos, plus moving effects, the DHA Gecko and Chameleon. Having first come into contact with O.K. Sumistros at MusikMesse 2000 in Frankfurt, DHA appointed the company at Madrid's Scenotech exhibition in February this year. As established users of DHA's equipment, O.K. Sumistros has extensive knowledge and experience of DHA's range. Nigel Sadler, sales manager for DHA, told us: "The partnership between our two companies will mean that theatrical and architectural customers, existing and future, will be able to obtain all the pro

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Following increased demand for its rental products in and around the capital, trussing and staging specialist Litestructures has opened a new hire operation based in Wanstead, East London. Strategically positioned close to the City and the newer docklands venues of Excel and the Arena, the location also allows easy access to the north circular and M25, offering excellent links to the wider region.

The operation is being fronted by Emma Church, who re-joins the company after a two year break, and who has a wealth of product knowledge gained from the three years she spent working at Litestructures’ head office in Wakefield.

The key products available for hire include the Astralite Original 3 truss range, the Litedeck stage units/system and the Litedeck rolling risers, which are proving increasingly popular thanks to the fact that they greatly reduce set-up times at gigs where se

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The RADLite, which combines images, vector shapes, text and video to create a range of visual effects, will get its London debut at the Brixton Academy this month when The Chemical Brothers perform two concerts there on the 18 and 19 March.

The band has already toured with the RADLite in Japan and Australia and will go on to Europe and the US after the UK leg. Lighting designer Andy Liddle first saw the RADLite at PLASA 2001: "It really lived up to my expectations. It can produce so many effects that it’s actually quite hard to decide which ones to use! The ability to insert your own video clips and images, as well as create your own shapes, means that you can really have the show you want."

The Chemicals have hired the RADLite from XL Video. The system comprises a heavy-duty rack mountable black box that holds a hi-spec PC inside, including dual processors and a dual

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Stagetec (UK) Ltd has completed a contract to design, supply and install a complete sound and lighting system for the new Chafford Hundred school campus in Grays. The split-level building is imaginatively designed by Nicholas Hare Architects, with a central lift and an impressive atrium. Built for the future, it combines the principles of energy saving with a flexible space for learning and recreation.

In the building’s central section are the halls, drama studio, dining areas, sports hall, public library and specialist facilities geared towards art, technology, music and science. The primary and secondary wings extend either side of these shared spaces, each with its own secure entrance. Stagetec’s design brief was to provide a simple-to-use system that offered the latest technology and was suitable for school productions and additionally, for when the space is used by th

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Automated lighting and control products from High End Systems Inc and Flying Pig Systems will now be available from one source in Germany. Arcus GmbH, based in Paderborn, previously offered only the Wholehog line of consoles, but as a result of a recent agreement, it will now handle the complete line of HES/FPS products.

"We have established a very efficient, high quality and customer-oriented working relationship with Arcus over the past three years from which German users of Flying Pig products can benefit," says Claas Ernst, High End's sales manager for Central Europe. LMP Lichttechnik will remain a dealer of High End Systems products in Germany, and the award winning Catalyst System will be distributed through both existing and new sales channels.

The official announcement came during the current Frankfurt show. To mark the new partnership, the two companies offered vis

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Essex University has recently installed a new customised sound system in two of its lecture theatres. Local company John Hearn & Son undertook the installation, working to a brief that required the two systems not only to be capable of working together, but to work equally well as stand-alone systems.

Tim Hearn explains: "Because of the layout of the theatres, the University wanted to be able to run both rooms independently but also have the option to remove the dividing wall and run it as one. They needed to be able to run the two rooms from either sound control unit." As far as the overall system was concerned, the requirements were certainly wide ranging. "Flexibility is how we viewed it," continues Hearn. "The University wanted to use the theatres for a variety of different applications, so we designed a sound system for spoken word, sound reproduction and

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Pyrotek Special Effects Inc is currently designing and supplying the pyrotechnics for a number of tours, including the Creed Australia Tour and the Kid Rock US Tour 2002. The effects for the latter include fireballs, a variety of gerbs, mines, flame projectors and flame dragons. Pyrotek also recently supplied effects to the European Tour for Slipknot, Creed Weathered Tour 2002 and the televised Miss USA event that took place in Gary, India last month. The company is heading into a busy spring with a number of tours in the pipeline including Britney in Japan, a Green Day Tour in Japan, the Creed North American Tour and Blink 182/Green Day Tour.

(Ruth Rossington)

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The first Showman’s Show North was declared a success by visitors and exhibitors, as event professionals from the North of Britain gathered at the exhibition on the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate this March.

Over 100 exhibitors and 656 visitors engaged in business in the relaxed atmosphere created at Showman’s North. Whilst not vast in size, the show drew event professionals from all sectors of the events’ industry with visitors ranging across representatives from Council events departments, the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, agricultural shows, corporate and exhibition organizers and event management companies.

Whilst many of the visitors were looking at events for the coming 2002 season, exhibitors also reported taking enquiries for the 2003 season. The exhibitors at the show certainly represented a good cross section of event suppliers. On the avenue

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Creative Technology has furthered its equipment rental and service standards within the exhibition sector, by building on its existing BECA accreditation through gaining membership to the Association of Exhibition Organisers (aeo).

The aeo is one of the leading voices of the exhibition industry, primarily representing exhibition organizers, but also working with companies in related industries. aeo members are committed to making exhibitions work harder for both exhibitors and visitors and to maintaining the highest standards of professional service.

CT London’s exhibition sales manager Matthew Hunter said: "As a company CT has always strived to make its brand synonymous with quality for technical expertise and service. Joining the aeo sees the natural development of our strategy for working within the exhibition industry and we are delighted to have been accepted by

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The charity event ‘Reaching out for Africa’, a gospel spectacular which took place at London's Royal Albert Hall on Sunday March 10, was literally ‘A day in the life of ‘ for the production and rental companies involved. Organized by Patti Boulaye to raise money for Support for Africa, a charity she founded to inform people of the terrible effect that AIDS and malaria are having in Sub-Saharan Africa, this one-off event had just a 24 hour schedule, from load-in to get-out.

Produced by Sir Michael Parker, the event was almost a rehearsal for The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, with which he will also be involved. The 3,000 strong choir, drawn from schools, churches and choirs across the UK, Europe and Africa, will go on to form part of the 5,000-strong Golden Jubilee Gospel Choir which will sing at Buckingham Palace in June.

Lighting the show on behalf of

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Audio production company Britannia Row recently supplied the sound system for the after-show party at the premiere of Disney Monsters Inc in London. Commissioned by event design and production company AD Design, the event was hosted at Planet 2000 - a venue featuring disused railway arches and sidings - and attended by 1200 people.

Utilizing a selection of its extensive Turbosound stock, Britannia Row distributed the sound system throughout six arches, as well as the main area and the foyer. All the equipment was linked via BSS Sound Web, using the ducking system for announcements from Capital Radio DJs. Two each of Turbosound’s TQ-440 enclosures were flown in two arches, four in two others, whilst two Floodlight systems, and four QLight TQ-425SP units were distributed in the ‘Monster’s Headquarters’, along with two flown TQ-440SPs which were used for delay.

B

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Atomic Kitten’s monitor engineer Ben Booker has specified the new dbx IEM in-ear monitoring processors for the band’s current sold-out UK tour. Booker’s decision came after submitting a demo model to rigorous testing. Sound supplier for the tour is Liverpool-based AdLib Audio, who’ve purchased the processors from dbx’s UK distributors Arbiter Pro Audio.

A major reason Booker chose the dbx was to save lots of rack space. The product features include Lexicon reverb settings, 4-band stereo limiter/compressor, 5-band parametric EQ, 4-band crossover, MIDI control, updateable software and many more - all of which devices would normally occupy three or four spaces in an external processing rack.

The processors are inserted into the monitor desk desk, and used to reduce the bottom end on the girls’ vocals. The dbx’s reverb is utilised to add ambience

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Pop music icon Neil Diamond is back out on tour again with Maryland Sound Industries – this time with a sound reinforcement system boasting the world’s first all-digital signal path between its microphones and loudspeakers. One of the key components in achieving this distinction was the use of Crown’s new IQ-PIP USP2/CN CobraNet module.

Each of the 70 Crown Macro-Tech 5000/5002VZ house amplifiers on the tour is equipped with its own USP2/CN card. This allows digital audio signals sent from the Yamaha PM1D front-of-house console through a CobraNet converter and BSS ProSys PS-8810C to be fed directly into the amplifiers on Cat 5 Ethernet lines and switches. All of the processing for the production’s JBL VerTec line-array loudspeakers - including crossover, delay and EQ - is performed via the Crown modules.

Using a laptop, the PS-8810C DSP system is wirelessly ca

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Yves Pepin, president and creative director of ECA2, and his team, are working on a night-time cultural visit of the archaeological site El Tajin, in the jungle of Veracruz state, eastern Mexico. Sound and light shows will be featured every night from 16 to 23 March 2002, with commentary in Spanish, English, French and Totonac. The total number of shows will be 14. El Tajin is recognised as the cultural birthplace of the Totonac people, the first American Indians encountered by the Spanish conquistador Cortés, in 1519. The site is vast and archaeologically rich, with most of its structures dating from 600-700 AD.

Spectators will be guided, over two hours, in a circular movement over the site, stopping at places to witness various aspects of Totonac culture. A notable feature of the visit will be its personal nature: according to rules set by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthro

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The famous Paris site where the legendary Jim Morrison said farewell to the world has been converted into a discotheque by Sir Terence Conran. The former Whisky-A-Go-Go, underneath his celebrated restaurant Alcazar, had been empty for some time, and when it was excavated for the refit, artworks from the legendary Doors frontman were found. The site has now reopened as the Wagg - with the sound and lighting specified and administered by fabric of London, and featuring exclusively Martin Audio sound reinforcement and amplification.

Technical consultant, Dave Parry of Most Technical, who last year turned famous London club fabric (where he is resident) over to Martin Audio sound reinforcement, with the use of Blackline and Wavefront components, this time opted for the EM architectural range. Sound over the main basement dancefloor - a long tri-domed corridor - is delivered through a distr

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Trussing manufacturer Slick, part of the Outback Group, has launched a new website at www.trussing.com - featuring full details of the company’s recently-increased product lines. To aid customer service, the new website also includes a ringback facility, which enables customers to receive a telephone call from a member of the Slick team while they browse the site online.

Slick has also recently introduced a brand new catalogue, in which the updated product ranges are divided for the first time into Architectural and Professional ranges - the former for architectural, retail and display applications and the latter for touring and heavier duty exhibition applications.

(Lee Baldock)

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The Griven Kaleido MSD 575 lamped CYM colour changer has found itself an unusual use, internally lighting a two metre giant sphere which is one of the highlights at conceptual artist Keith Tyson’s solo show - Supercollider - which recently opened at the South London Gallery.

DMX control electronics designed and programmed by Chris Newman of Brighton-based Sensatech change the colour according to the temperature of internal heating and cooling elements (simulating the inner core of our evolving earth). The sphere and support came from South London based one-off specialist manufacturer Michael J Smith, also responsible for other exhibits at the show.

Commenting on the installation, Tony Kingsley of Griven’s UK distributor Ambient Lighting, told L&SI: "The opal perspex reflects the light to give an even coverage, helped of course by the wide angle output of the Kaleido.

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