Italy - Prolights Sunblast 3000FC transformed the arcades of Bologna, a worldwide symbol of the city and UNESCO heritage site, into a light show. The project, conceived and promoted by singer Cesare Cremonini, involved illuminating 2km of arcades, from Piazza Santo Stefano to the Basilica of Madonna di San Luca, during the Bologna Portici Festival. "The arcades are the true stage of everyday life for us Bolognese, and I wanted to pay tribute to Bologna with a tailor-made lighting project for the portico of San Luca, a symbol of worship but also an emotional connection for all of us citizens," stated Cremonini. The technical manager Antonio Onorato, in collaboration with the agency Giò Forma, projected an unprecedented lighting design: a 30-minute loop of lights, synchronised with Cesare Cremonini's songs, transformed the arcades into a unique and emotionally charged l
Belgium - Creative visual practice Painting with Light (PWL) was asked by the Agoria Sports and Entertainment Technology club - a networking hub for Belgian technology leaders - to show direct and design lighting for an epic mixed media visual spectacle - lighting, lasers & fireworks - which was the finale segment of the official 2023 Belgian National Day celebrations. This year, the occasion also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the coronation of King Philippe of Belgium, making it extra special. The overall event, which included a two-hour music Festival, was titled Happy Belgium. The 15-minute finale show was developed for the Syndicat d'Initiative-Bruxelles Promotion (SIBP) and staged against the imposing and dramatic backdrop of Cinquantenaire Arcade, a grand 30m-wide, 45m-high triple arched architectural monument in Brussels’ Parc du Cinquanten
UK - Following on from a record-breaking BikeFest in Spain earlier this year, the #WeMakeEvents fundraising bike ride returns to London this September to raise money for industry charities Backup Tech, Music Support and Stagehand – and the team is calling for new recruits. Since being spearheaded by PLASA and Backup seven years ago, BikeFest has grown into a popular industry event, taking place in Spain and the UK each year in the lead up to ISE in Barcelona and PLASA Show in London respectively. Each BikeFest event raises thousands for industry charities, with BikeFest Spain 2023 raising an incredible £50,000, helping industry professionals suffering with ill health or financial hardship. And soon the BikeFest London team will be back in the saddle, ready to cycle up to 80 miles on Saturday 2 September, in time for PLASA Show at Olympia London from 3-5 September. T
Germany - Lang AG has expanded its rental inventory with the addition of 50 additional units of the PT-RQ50 projector from Panasonic. With this move, the company doubles its rental stock of the 3-chip DLP projector to a total of 100 units. With this acquisition, the company is responding to the increasing demand for high-quality, high-performance projectors. Lang AG CEO Tobias Lang summarizes the motives for the additional purchase: "Panasonic's PT-RQ50 is the best 4K projector available on the market - especially for demanding events and large-scale events. We have increased the supply to be able to meet the increasing demand." Jan Markus Jahn, head of media entertainment business division at Panasonic Europe GmbH, further explains, "We are delighted with the trust that LANG has placed in the PT-RQ50 and are proud that our projector is able to impress
Indonesia - Melodia Sound and Lighting Systems has partnered with 1 Sound to be their official distributor in Indonesia. 1 Sound products will be sold exclusively through Melodia for Indonesia sales. Although Melodia carries many brands and has grown to have several company office locations, Melodia carries the same values and heart that they had starting as a small store in the 1980s. 1 Sound and Melodia share a mutual bond over their company values of having a passion for their work, sharing knowledge, and fostering excitement within the industry. Rudy Winarto and the Melodia Team gave 1 Sound sales executive, Leonardo Dani, a warm welcome this week as they toured Melodia’s facilities. Together, they are launching 1 Sound in Indonesia at the SMEX Music Expo followed by a launch event in Bali, that will take place 8 August at the Aston Kuta Hotel. “I am ve
Las Vegas Bound - Kylie Minogue is going to Las Vegas. The singer has announced her first exclusive residency in Sin City, following in the footsteps of Adele and Celine Dion. She has not toured in North America since 2011, so her shows at the Voltaire nightclub at The Venetian in Las Vegas will be a major US return. Minogue has promised extravagant costumes and dances, saying that at this point in her career she has "earned the right to" play Las Vegas. "I've performed a couple of times at Vegas, but as part of a tour, and particularly when I did the Showgirl tour in 2004 - at that time we said, 'oh, this feels like a Vegas show', the Australian pop star said at a Los Angeles news conference. The show will be based in a smaller venue that allows Minogue to give guests and fans a more personal show. "I want it to be the kind of essence of what a Kylie show has b
UK - Henley Festival, known for its refinement and elegance, made a triumphant return this year, commemorating a significant milestone. RG Jones, the provider of sound systems, celebrated four decades of collaboration with the festival. The riverside location presented audio challenges, particularly with the Floating Stage. Overcoming the technical feat of achieving consistent audio coverage for both the audience inside and outside the auditorium, given the relatively short front-to-back distance and expansive space, RG Jones, under the guidance of designer Simon Honywill, tackled the challenge with the acclaimed MLA Compact system from Martin Audio. The advanced control technology of MLA enabled precise adjustments to meet licence conditions, ensuring optimal sound levels and minimising offsite noise. The festival showcased an extraordinary line-up featuring Rag'n'Bon
Italy - Powersoft is preparing for a new era of growth in Japan following the opening of a dedicated office in Tokyo. The Japanese office is the Italian company’s fourth, joining its headquarters in Scandicci, its US business in Flanders (New Jersey) and its China representative office in Beijing. Spearheading Powersoft’s expansion in Japan is its newly appointed market development manager, Haruka Murayama, a pro-audio veteran who brings nine years’ industry experience to the role. Murayama most recently spent five years in sales with Bose Professional’s Japanese subsidiary, where she became familiar with X Series, Powersoft’s high-powered live sound amplifier platform, and previously worked for the Japanese distributor of Harman, Shure and DPA Microphones. The opening of a representative office in Japan is part of Powersoft’s strategy for growth by i
UK - Lancashire-based event management specialist Glasgows has been a leading UK supplier for more than 35 years, working with a wide range of organisations. In 2021, Glasgows provided production for Green Zone at the UN’s Climate Change Conference, COP26, a measure of the esteem in which the company is held. Until recently, the company had hired in audio systems to cover the needs of specific events, but a change in the circumstance of a regular supplier prompted Glasgows to explore the possibility of investing in own equipment. As champions of sustainability the company seeks, wherever possible, to reduce its impact on the environment, so as well as addressing an immediate logistical challenge, the company saw an opportunity to invest in a long-term, future-proof solution. Having decided that an outright purchase was the way forward, they consulted with Bradford-based su
UK - The ABTT’s International Theatre, Engineering and Architecture Conference (ITEAC) has announced its most ambitious schedule yet, including over 50 sessions from around the world for its 2023 edition at the IET, London on 19-20 September 2023. With contributors from Australia, America, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Japan, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea and Wales – ITEAC 2023 brings more variety to the table than ever before. A full timetable has now been released. The programme includes a variety of live seminars and discussions informed by short films and pre-recorded presentations from prestigious projects and commentators. Delegates can expect discussion, debate and sharing of best practice, with those attending the IET London event able to create new connections and forge lasting collaborative relationshi
Australia - Following record-breaking attendance in 2023, Australia's largest festival, Vivid Sydney, is inviting expressions of interest (EOI) for its 2024 event programme. In 2023 Vivid Sydney attracted more than 3.28m attendees who experienced the 300+ light, music, ideas and food events of the programme. Now, artists, musicians, thought leaders and food creatives are invited to submit an EOI to be part of the 2024 programme under the unified, creative vision – Vivid Sydney, Humanity. Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said Vivid Sydney presented an opportunity for those in the creative sector to showcase their talents to a large and far-reaching audience as part of an event that exemplifies Sydney’s standing as the major events capital of the Asia Pacific. “Vivid Sydney is a globally recognised event that brings together creativity, innovation and technolog
UK – Consultancy 3LR Lighting has announced another addition to its portfolio of leading lighting brands, with the inclusion of LED manufacturer, Schnick-Schnack-Systems. From its manufacturing base in Germany, Schnick-Schnack-Systems produces individual, ready-to-use lighting solutions with associated controls for a broad range of applications, especially television and film studios, architectural projects, system integrations, cruise ships and events. Its range of LED components includes strips, tiles and dots designed for decorative use in all types of environment, for indoor or outdoor use. “With 3LR we merge two excellent teams,” says Solveig Busler, speaking on behalf of Schnick-Schnack-Systems. “With the expertise of 3LR we have a brand representative that understands our product range and will make it easier for the customers to explore our products. 3
UK - Void Acoustics is proud to be associated with Art Designers This is Loop whose large-scale audio-visual sculpture Emergence has recently been shortlisted for a CODAaward. Emergence is an immersive audio-visual installation which features Void Acoustics’ sculpted Cyclone 55 fixture. This weather-protected IP-55 rated speaker was ideal for the artwork, which is predominantly displayed in outside environments. Artist Alan Hayes is one of the partners of This is Loop - a collaborative artistic partnership which tours large-scale experiential architectural installations and sculptures to city centres and events across the UK and the world. As the creator and architect of Emergence, Alan was adamant about his decision to work with Void Acoustics on this particular sculpture. The brief was to provide the audio aspect of the installation whi
USA - Gateway Productions in Newburyport, Massachusetts has purchased 28 Ayrton Domino Profile fixtures for use on productions and installations and to add to its rental inventory. Domino is an IP65 multi-function luminaire with extraordinary light power and a full feature set that’s designed for intensive outdoor use. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America. Gateway Productions services all special events and provides a wide range of AV equipment rentals. The company produces more than 1,000 events annually helping with every step of the process from initial ideas to planning, logistics and execution. The Domino purchase marked the first Ayrton acquisition for Gateway, which immediately installed them for an eight-month run at The Brooklyn Mirage, an open-air music venue at the heart of Avant Gardner. Avant Gardner is an 80
UK - Following on from a Spring visit to Australia and New Zealand, Kurt Vile and The Violators hit the road in the UK and Europe touring in support of the 2022 studio album, Watch My Moves. The Philadelphia psych rock star’s audio crew continues to choose Britannia Row Productions for equipment rental and international tour support. FOH engineer Aaron Brody began working with Vile six years ago, and as of last year, has been pulling double duty as Tour Manager. “We’ve been with Brit Row since I started working with Kurt, when I was originally mixing monitors. He’s actually the first artist I've toured with overseas, and this has given me the ability to rent a production package,” he says. “I love working with Brit Row; the prep days in their shop are the best! It’s important to know, when you’re mixing and tour managing, that your gear is going to be
UAE - As house riggers at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Unusual Rigging & Engineering is used to handling the requirements of the array of different events that are hosted there. However, The International Indian Film Academy Awards 2023 presented URE with its biggest project at the venue to date. URE’s Richard Hoare explained: “IIFA is a massive event - the Bollywood equivalent to the Oscars - held annually, it celebrates the best talent the Indian film industry has to offer. This year we were asked to supply our venue rigging services for the event. This involved more than 316 points to suspend more than 105 tonnes of production equipment. This was 100+ more points than we rigged for the 2022 event and three times the amount we’d expect to put in for a normal show.” One of the big challenges this year was time. The venue was booked back-to-back with ev
USA - Audio-Technica has recognised Mavric Incorporated with its Samurai Award for the 2022/2023 fiscal year, for representing Audio-Technica in the US Southeast, covering Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. Audio-Technica held the awards ceremony to honour its dedicated force of manufacturer’s representatives on the eve of the InfoComm Expo on 13 June, 2023, in Orlando. Mavric Incorporated was congratulated for outstanding sales performance and bestowed with Audio-Technica’s Samurai doll. Mavric Principal Pete Petty accepted the award, which was presented by Reid Peterson, Audio-Technica US executive director, system solutions, and Jeff Beck, Audio-Technica US territory sales manager, system solutions. Peterson said: “We are proud to honour Mavric once again with our Samurai Award. Pete Petty and the res
UK - Production Futures exists to create opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop real careers in production across every area of the live event, music, touring, theatre, TV, broadcast and film industries. The organisation has announced that its flagship On Tour event will take place at Production Park, Wakefield on Thursday 28 September. Featuring international special guest speakers, panel discussions and learning zones, the event will place emphasis on the theme of transferable skills across the production industries. Production Futures’ diversity partners will also play an important role on the day with Black Lives in Music, The Association for Black Event Professionals, Women in Live Music and The Network of Women in Events, all represented. New features for this year’s event include new ‘speed networking’ and ‘recruitment’ areas.<
Italy - Teatri di Siena is leading the way in sustainable theatre practices by upgrading to the latest and most efficient LED systems from ETC. With support from Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the venue is embracing an eco-friendly option that not only benefits the planet but also enhances the audience's theatrical experience. In an effort to promote technological advancement and energy conservation, PNRR is extending aid to the theatre industry as it recovers from the pandemic. Teatri di Siena is seizing this opportunity by upgrading its lighting system. Seasoned electrician and lighting aficionado Andrea Garbini is leading the venue's ongoing renewal efforts, along with colleague Michele Pisano. Together, they are making significant strides towards a sustainable and eco-friendly future for the theatre industry through the PNRR initiative. Acco
France - The commemoration of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution, is the occasion for numerous events throughout the country. For this 11th edition of the giant classical music concert at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, Lawo once again met the live sound and live broadcast requirements of the French public broadcasters and Eurovision network. Under the expert hands of Radio France and France Televisions' sound engineers, Lawo consoles delivered quality audio to the huge crowd on the Champ de Mars, as well as to millions of listeners and viewers. Two mc²56 desks sharing a pair of redundant A__UHD Core units were used at front of house by Nadège Antonini for the orchestra and the overall PA mix, and by Stéphane Thouvenin for the soloist premix. A third mc²56 and an A__UHD Core audio engine took care of th
UK - Vision: 2025, the UK outdoor event industry's steering group for environmental sustainability, has been commissioned by the Event Industry Forum’s (EIF) Purple Grants Fund, to write a new chapter of the Purple Guide on Environmental Sustainability for events. It is intended to provide clear guidance on best practice and signpost to users to resources and guidance to minimise the carbon impact of events. Feedback will be reviewed in September and the chapter will be launched 18 October 2023, at SES 23, hosted at the Showman’s Show. The draft is available online for comment until Friday 1 September on the Vision: 2025 website. The draft has been prepared by an industry working group including Hope Solutions, the Local Authority Event Organiser’s Association (LAEOG), Julie’s Bicycle, The Association of Festival Organiser’s (AFO) and even
Switzerland - From 30 June through 15 July, the limelight of contemporary music performance again focused on the shores of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva, where legends and emerging luminaries assembled for the 57th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Meyer Sound was on hand for its 37th year as strategic partner and official sound provider, ensuring that the latest in audio technology was ready to connect artists to audiences at the two paid-ticket venues and 11 free music stages. Again this year, the Auditorium Stravinski hosted world-renowned artists spanning generations and genres, including Bob Dylan, Lil Nas X, Iggy Pop, Gilberto Gil & Family, Buddy Guy, and Nile Rodgers & Chic. And, for the second year, the system at the 4,000-capacity venue was built around a complement of 24 Meyer Sound Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers. “The reacti
UK - Eight years ago, 11 teams turned up, had a bit of fun and raised a small amount of money driving some karts for the live events industry. Fast forward to 2023 and The Parish of Backup delivered the Village Fete, its biggest and most successful event to date. The day was set against the backdrop of a traditional British Fete, 350 members of the live events industry came together to have the best of British days out. With Chauvet Professional once again taking up the headline sponsor slot, and first-time main sponsor 5 Star Cases joining them and providing a colourful selection of flight cases for the Flight Case Challenge, over 40 companies, along with many individuals, descended on Daytona Sandown Park. Outside of the traditional award shows and trade shows calendar, this event has become one of the biggest fun days out for the live events industry. “Raising the
UK - GLX Productions has announced their continued investment in Chauvet Professional fixtures and Chamsys control systems. This is a major move for GLX Productions on its mission to offer high standards of equipment at affordable price points for all productions across the country. GLX has bought a large quantity of Chauvet Professional Outcast 1L Beam, Color Strike-M, Outcast 1 Beam Wash, Strike 1, Strike Array 2, COLORado PXL 16, RDMX8 Splitters and NET-X II. Their investment in control has expanded exponentially, now stocking Chamsys Compact consoles including MQ50, MQ70 and MQ80 as well as their full Stadium Series of MQ250M, MQ500M including wings. “We’re incredibly happy with our investment in Chauvet and Chamsys, already they’ve proved popular with all our clients across many different sectors. Both Chauvet fixtures and Chamsys control have a very
