UK - Twelve James Thomas PixelPAR 90 LED fixtures are at the core of a new high-impact exterior architectural lighting scheme at the Royal & SunAlliance building in Bristol. The Grade II listed West Gate building was designed by renowned British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott - who's work included national landmarks like Battersea & Bankside Power Stations, Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral and the classic red British Telephone Box.

Royal & SunAlliance was keen to stamp its own modern - and lasting - identity on the building for the 21st century. It also wanted an innovative and high quality scheme to reinforce West Gate as a prominent city centre landmark. An additional challenge was that the 'Listed' status meant no signage could be attached to the exterior. Keen to embrace new technology, Royal & SunAlliance decided that lighting was an inventive solution that would also crea

UK - PLASA's professional development programme starts off this year on 4 March 2005 with 'Essential Steps to Effective Strategy Development' and will be held at the DTI Conference Centre in Victoria, London. Aimed at anyone who has responsibility for the development of strategic/business planning, the seminar will cover:
The components of strategic planning, key models/tools and the application to a case study.
Reviewing and exploring types of market information and cost effective methods of data collection for successful planning.
Starting work on identifying possible market resources and the development of individual business plans with support/review by a specialist consultant.
Lunch will be provided and there will be the chance to network throughout the day. Please note that places are limited due to the practical aspect of this workshop.
The cost of the semi

The Netherlands - Luxeon LED luminaires have been installed by Germany's Bocom as the sole light source in the bar of the Hotel Anna in Munich, Lumileds' LEDs creating a key attraction through the use of dynamic colour-changing light. In total over 1800 LEDs from Lumileds, housed in 12 luminaires throughout the bar area, are used to create the control and imagery needed for this designer hotel.

Harald Spilker, sales and marketing manager of Bocom GmbH, said: "The success and on-going high performance of the Hotel Anna solution underlines the benefits of Luxeon LEDs. Creatively we were able to achieve far greater control and dynamism over the lighting solution, while the minimal maintenance and on-going cost savings provide the hotel with a high-performance, cost-effective installation." Bocom is also responsible for the 35,000 Euro lighting refurbishment of the Rhein T

Luxembourg - With the whole of continental Europe, including Russia, served by Harlequin International, the Luxembourg-based operation can now offer information on its web site in six major languages. In order to assist customers with details of products and services, Harlequin recently completed a total translation of the web site into French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian, alongside the original English.

Linked to the expanded web site, Harlequin has launched an English language e-mail headline news service. Aimed at anyone involved in the dance community, dance education, stage and events productions and interested in keeping informed of new developments in dance floors, Harlequin's e-news allows readers to scan headlines and images and 'click through' to read the full story on the Harlequin web site.

(Mike Lethby)

UK - Shure Distribution UK has announced it is now shipping QSC's AcousticDesign AD-S282H full range, surface mount loudspeaker. The unit's contemporary styling is designed to fit perfectly into multiple surroundings and applications including hotels, restaurants, convention facilities and multimedia environments. The speaker incorporates the Advanced Directivity rotatable waveguide and is available in black or white; these weather resistant enclosures can be painted to match any specific décor.

The AD-S282H is the most recent addition to QSC's AcousticDesign range of installed loudspeakers and is a 2-way system housed in a ported enclosure made from injection moulded, high-impact polystyrene. This enclosure incorporates two 8" weather-resistant, LF transducers with heavy-duty double roll cloth surrounds. These high output versions employ a 1" exit compression HF driv

Germany - Messe Frankfurt has unveiled organisational and facility changes to this year's Musikmesse and Pro Light+Sound events on 6 to 9 April.

Among a series of new digital services for exhibitors and trade visitors are round-the-clock ticket sales with online registration, while a complete Wireless Local Area Network (W-LAN) will allow wireless internet and e-mail access from anywhere in the Exhibition Centre. PCs and handhelds must be equipped with a standard W-LAN card that supports the IEEE 802.11 b or g standard (Wi-Fi). Visitors can purchase W-LAN access cards with time credits of between 15 and 60 minutes for € 2.50 to €8.50. A special flat rate for exhibitors costs € 380 per terminal unit and includes W-LAN access for the duration of the fair, including the setting-up and dismantling phases.

Online trade visitor registration is now available from anywhere in the w

Greece - A DiGiCo D1 Live has been specified by sound engineer Aris Koudouris for open air concerts, television shows and music club seasons in Greece. "Ypsilon Live, the rental company I usually work with, and I decided that time had come to switch from an analogue to a digital mixing console," says Koudouris. "We chose the DiGiCo D1 Live primarily because of the way it sounds. We'd tested other mixers, but they didn't completely satisfy us." At the moment, Koudouris is using his D1 for a 60-show season with Greek artist Yiannis Kotsiras at large clubs in Salonica and Athens.

"I'm using the D1 at Front of House with an SLS RLA-2 line array system, with a Lexicon 960 for reverb and a Focusrite compressor," continues Koudouris. "Just because this is the first time I've used the console, I have two D1s mirroring each other. Besides the safety iss

UK - Computers Unlimited recently teamed up with the Central School of Speech and Drama in London to hold its first ever VectorWorks Spotlight event. The 2D drafting and 3D modelling software was shown using advanced lighting design and production tools, together with the complementary products, SketchUp and Piranesi.

The well-attended day started with an opening talk and demonstration by Mark Stephens, director of The Design Division, followed by a more in-depth demonstration by Alex Wardle, lighting designer and technical manager. Both demonstrated how easy and flexible the software was to use even for someone with no previous training and confirmed that VectorWorks Spotlight was compatible with other existing software. They also offered a special student package available at a fraction of the cost of the more commercial product.

After an interesting question and answer sess

UK - Brighton Film Studios, the facilities subsidiary of The Brighton Film School, has just taken delivery of the new JVC DLA-HD2K high definition projector. Franz von Habsburg, director at Brighton Film School, first saw the projector at VMI's new High Definition and Broadcast facility in Soho. Brighton Film Studios use the HD2K's special video processor unit, which accepts a wide range of HD and SD signals. It up-converts and rescales all signals to output 1920 x 1080 progressively scanned images which are transmitted via DVI signal to the HD2K projector.

"What I liked about the HD2K was the scaler," commented Franz who, as a BAFTA judge, has been using it to screen BAFTA award entries prior to casting his votes. "It ramps up any input of a lower standard to HD and produces an image that's outstanding and virtually pixel-free to the naked eye." The HD2K has

The Netherlands - In the last weeks of 2004, Audio Electronics Mattijsen (AEM), Meyer Sound's distributor in the Netherlands, opted to hold the first-ever Dutch training seminar for the Meyer Sound SIM 3 audio analyzer system on Spain's Gran Canaria, one of the sub-tropical Canary Islands. 14 engineers, including two AEM staff, headed for the sun, but Meyer Sound Technical Training Instructor Mauricio "Magu" Ramirez's intense program left the attendees with only the off-hours to actually enjoy the swimming pool. The course's final day focused on practical application of the SIM 3 system, during which the local theatre's audio system was optimized. All the attendees arrived on Gran Canaria either as certified SIM II engineers or having taken an earlier week-long, comprehensive "Compact Seminar," and all 14 left with SIM 3 certificates received at the swimming po

The Netherlands - A CyberHoist / InMotion 3D motion control system is adding a key creative ingredient to the current tour by arch metal band Rammstein, which is due to run around the globe throughout 2005, taking in the UK in February beginning this week. With sales of their current album Reise, Reise already topping one million Rammstein are Germany's leading international rock act. No small feat for a band that sings almost exclusively in its native tongue, part of their success is founded upon a reputation for spectacular stage shows overflowing with wild pyrotechnics and fantastical lighting. This tour calls upon the twin talents of production designer Roy Bennett and CyberHoist/InMotion 3D, the PLASA Award-winning motion control system from XLNT Advanced Technologies.

"Since I first saw the system I've wanted to try it out," said Bennett. "Rammstein h

USA - The USA's Entertainment Technician Certification Program Council has announced the appointment of Rigging Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). These people, all highly respected in their field, have agreed to volunteer considerable time to the development of the industry's first rigging certifications. Selected for their breadth and depth of knowledge, the SMEs will work closely with the Council's selected psychometric services provider, Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP), to develop the examinations.

The SMEs are: Roy Bickel, John Bleich, Eddie Blue, David Boevers, Olan Cottrill, James Doherty, Harry Donovan, Kelly Green, Glenn Hufford, Edward Kish, Stephane Mayrand, Joseph McGeough, Brian Miller, Walter Murphy, Rocky Paulson, G. Anthony Phillips, Eddie Raymond, Michael Reed, Bill Sapsis, Peter Scheu, Karen Seifried, Scott Sloan, Sammy Stokes, and Jack Suesse.

The SMEs

UK - The Wales Millennium Centre (WMC), nestling at the water's edge of Cardiff Bay, which describes itself as 'the most exciting cultural initiative happening in Europe today', officially opened at the end of 2004, and attention to detail throughout the build was meticulous. Sound and lighting contractor Stage Electrics called upon the expertise and equipment of Ampetronic for an induction loop system to allow those with hearing disability to access audio through a substantial portion of the facility. The building contains 5,000 tonnes of structural steel which can absorb most of the energy from an induction loop system, while the floor of one of the main areas to be covered rests on steel sheets.

"Ampetronic performed a site survey at Easter of 2003," says Stage Electrics' Jonathan Porter Goff. "We'd worked with them before and we were very pleased to be workin

UK - XL Video recently supplied projection and control for video artist and photographer David Buckland's inventive installation work in Somerset House, which is part of his wider Cape Farewell Arctic exploration project. It drew together artists, scientists and educationalists to collectively address and raise awareness of global warming. The projections - one of the art elements of the project - were beamed onto the Seaman's Hall facade of the main courtyard at Somerset House, at the end of the venue's famous winter ice rink, enjoyed this season by nearly 120,000 members of the skating public.

The installation, which ran every night for 10 days, was primarily an experimental exercise, designed to illustrate how this type of building projection will potentially translate into a much larger integrated Cape Farewell Festival event, planned for Somerset House in 2006. The technica

USA - High End Systems customers have long benefited from equipment leases through FX Financial. Now, says High End, the rates have lowered even more with enhanced direct access to lower cost finance, now that FX Financial is a division of US Express Leasing.

"FX Financial has graded High End Systems lighting and control as 'excellent' collateral and offers monthly payments based in large part on the high resale value of the gear," says Alan Garretson of FX Financial. "This means we can offer High End Systems' U.S. clients the lowest monthly payment on any lighting gear in the industry." HES CFO Peter Duff commented, "We want to ensure our clients can afford the equipment they need. Offering lower monthly payments allows clients the flexibility at the outset to get the equipment needed quickly for that tour, theatre production or corporate show. Our par

China - Strand Lighting Asia has announced that they have won a contract to supply a complete lighting and control system for the new Dongguan Opera House in China. The stunning new performing arts complex in Dongguan was designed by Canadian Architect Carlos Ott, whose projects have included the Bastille Opera House in Paris and the Canadian Broadcasting Center in Toronto.

The facility with an estimated cost of RMB 450 million is located on a 40,000sq.m site that houses two theatres. The main theatre is a 1,600-seat Opera House and also includes a 400-seat Experimental Theatre, featuring a fully flexible seating and staging system that can be configured to meet the needs of a wide range of performances.

Strand is supplying 21 dimmer racks to the project with a mix of dimmer module types including 64 3kW and 5kW Sinewave dimmers. There are nearly 1800 dimmers in the system. T

UK - London based production house GSP Ltd appointed Drapes specialist Blackout and sound specialists Canegreen Commercial to help realise the setting for the film premiere of The Phantom Of The Opera, staged at the National Hall, Olympia. The movie is an adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's romantic stage musical.

Blackout's project manager Chris Brain collaborated with GSP's managing director Emma Gold and GSP's appointed set designer to dress the venue to their specifications. The set recreated in minute detail an opulent theatrical environment in the film's signatory red and black colours. To set the scene an eclectic mix of props was sourced both from the movie and GSP's creative team. The stage was crowned by a 5 x 8m 25,000-crystal chandelier supplied by Swarovski. As a finishing touch 1,000 black-edged red roses, supplied by Jayne Copperwaite, were suspended on fish

Australia - Sydney's biggest New Year's Day party once again descended on the city with 20,000 people celebrating at Field Day 2005, and organisers Fuzzy selected Allen & Heath's MIDI-enabled Xone:92 DJ mixer for the plethora of top DJs to use. Since its inception 4 years ago, Field Day has changed the way Sydney celebrates the dawn of New Year - 12 hours of house, breaks, electro and hip hop at the Field Day. Fuzzy has a considerable depth of large scale event experience to call on, and the sheer quality of DJ talent reflected this with names including 2 Many DJs, Plump DJs, Tiga, Martin Solveig, James Zabiela, Ian Pooley, Miguel Migs, De La Soul, Black Grass, Matt B Safer, Meat Katie and Lee Coombs. Behind the very relaxed party atmosphere was a very serious production, not least in the engine room - the DJ booth.

"Because of the rapid turnarounds it was necessary to have

UK - Celestion has unveiled its newly-revamped website (www.celestion.com), which has now doubled in size and been extensively redesigned. The announcement, says the company, comes as a direct result of its ongoing commitment to its guitar and professional audio end users. The site has undergone a radical redesign, fuelled by what Celestion calls 'a massive increase in traffic over the past eighteen months, coupled with a desire to provide even more targeted and useful information'. The site now splits into two distinct sections - pro audio and guitar loudspeakers.

The pro audio area incorporates in-depth product information on professional components, including the recently introduced FTR range of chassis, and sound reinforcement systems such as the QXi range.

(Mike Lethby)

UK - Le Maitre has embarked on Green Day's UK tour, which started in Birmingham on 23 January and will take in all major cities in the UK, culminating at Glasgow's SECC on 10 February. The special effects for the tour are designed and created by Pyrotek Special Effects Inc, and feature Flashes, Flames, Fireballs and the 'Dragons' propane gas flame effect, as well as Le Maitre's Stadium Flash Reports.

Le Maitre is working closely with Pyrotek, supplying a full-time pyrotechnician on all the dates of the tour and dealing with the logistics and import permits for the pyrotechnics. Green Day and their special effects can be seen on the BBC's Top Of the Pops tonight (Friday 4 February), and at the 2005 Brit Awards next week.

(Lee Baldock)

USA - Hummingbird Nest Ranch, a new world-class equestrian facility located 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles in Ventura County, has become the site of the world's first Soundweb London installation. Installed in November, two new CobraNet-equipped BSS BLU-80 units are now being utilised by the 140-acre ranch to provide digital signal processing and routing for up to a dozen different speaker zones. One of the DSP units is located in the 17,000sq.ft clubhouse's main audio rack, while the other is housed in a rack on castors designed to roll out to the judge's stand for events held in the Spotted Elk Ring, a 600ft x 300ft International Grand Prix field.

The BSS processor pair collectively interfaces with nine Crown CTs 600 amplifiers, all outfitted with IQ-PIP-USP3/CN cards, which drive approximately 30 JBL Control 30 loudspeakers in the primary and secondary arenas, clubhouse,

USA - Color Kinetics Inc has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2004. Revenues for the quarter were $10.7 million, an increase of 39% from the $7.7 million reported in the fourth quarter of 2003. Net income for the fourth quarter increased to $626,000 or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $50,000 or $0.00 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2003.

Revenues for the full year ended 31 December, 2004 were $40.2 million, an increase of 39% from the $28.8 million reported in 2003. Net income for the full year ended December 31, 2004 was $2.4 million or $0.14 per diluted share, compared to a loss of ($727,000) or $(0.26) per diluted share reported in 2003.

"2004 marked several milestones for Color Kinetics, both financially and technologically," says George Mueller, chairman and CEO. "We successfully completed an IPO, strengthened o

UK - Autograph Sales Ltd, the UK's leading professional audio distributor, has supplied and installed a range of loudspeakers cabinets from EM Acoustics for England's groundbreaking Eden Project, Cornwall. The system was initially supplied for A Time of Gifts, a season of events that celebrated Christmas and other global festivals, all of which share many common themes. The events take place in the Warm Temperate Biome, and include the long awaited official Eden Project soundtrack First Breath. The soundtrack, which utilises the newly installed EM Acoustics system, is accompanied by a live performance three times a week - alongside a projected film journey.

Due to the size of the Biome, Mike Mann, Autograph Sales' project consultant, together with Lucy Gaskell, Eden Project's consulting technical manager, selected the 13 cabinets from EM Acoustics. EMS-81s, an EMS-

UK - Serapid, the leading supplier of push-pull and lifting chains and Quick Die Change machinery, has announced the formation of Serapid Limited in the UK. The new company has been established to provide an improved level of sales and service to the UK and Scandinavian markets, which to date have not received the level of attention they deserve, say the company.

Mr. Said Lounis, owner of the Serapid Group, says: "The UK and Scandinavian markets are of strategic importance to the Group, and the formation of Serapid Limited is in response to the needs to provide a higher level of support to these markets for the purpose of achieving the level of sales that should be expected from these countries with their advanced industrial bases."

The company is jointly owned and will be run by Iain Forbester, who joins the company from the stage engineering industry, and who has

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