UK - Based at the historic Birmingham Hippodrome, the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of five major ballet companies in the United Kingdom. Known for its intensive touring schedule, the company required a reliable communication solution that could be easily deployed in a variety of venues. The solution came in the form of an innovative punQtum and Riedel solution, specified by UK distributor Autograph. Prior to the upgrade, the production team were using a two-stage system, composed of a one- or two-channel hard-wired system and a Motorola radio system. “Depending on the venue, we often found that their hard-wired systems were far from being able to accommodate the size and complexity of our productions,” says Johnny Westall-Eyre, technical manager of Lighting/AV at Birmingham Royal Ballet. “That meant we had an in-house system we couldn’t rely on and that wasn
Italy - With a wealth of platinum and gold records to his name, Italian singer-songwriter and ‘father of Italian blues’, Zucchero Fornaciari, affectionately known as Diavolo in Reggio Emilia, celebrates his 40-year career this year with his World Wild Tour 2023. The tour kicked off in New Zealand in April, before returning to Zucchero’s home- town of Reggio Emilia on 9-10 April where he played to capacity crowds at the RCF Arena, formerly known as Campovolo. With these two shows, Zucchero inaugurated the new-look Campovolo, which now has a 35,000-seat capacity, and a purpose-built 5% slope that ensures optimal views and acoustics across the whole site, making the RCF Arena the largest outdoor music venue in Europe. Zucchero’s lighting designer, Daniele De Santis, chose 60 Ayrton Cobras for the key feature of his lighting design for these two special show
UK - This year, Martin Audio’s open day programme returns over an extended three-day period (from 6-8 September) at their High Wycombe base, following on from the PLASA Show, London. It was exactly six years ago that the manufacturer launched the first of what has become a hugely successful programme. This September the open days will offer more demonstration times each day and a half day extension plus the introduction of a new product at their newly refurbished offices. It will be sharing the stage with fellow brands within the Focusrite Group, namely Optimal Audio, Linea Research and Focusrite, ‘delivering on the promise of a mini tradeshow, without the walking’. Martin Audio will be showcasing their recently announced point source series, FlexPoint, the full line up of constant curvature Torus loudspeakers, a selection of optimised line arrays from the
UK - Audio networking specialist, AuviTran has appointed Glasgow-based CUK as distributor for the UK and Ireland with immediate effect. AuviTran has been developing audio networking products in the shadow of the French Préalpes since 2003, initially with a range of EtherSound interfaces for mixing consoles. Today, the company produces a wide range of Dante interfaces along with the innovative Audio ToolBox modular solution for routing between and converting multiple audio formats including Milan certified AVB, Dante, EtherSound, CobraNet, MADI and AES-EBU. International sales and marketing manager at AuviTran, Cianna David-Kivlehan, comments: “CUK tick all the boxes for us when looking for a distribution partner. Their presence in both live sound and installed AV allows them to service our two key market sectors. Having a strong technical focus means that customers
USA - The recently-opened Bankroll is a new take on a Philadelphia sports bar. This 13,000sq.ft and 350+ seat restaurant and entertainment-viewing social experience is an impressive addition to Center City’s nightlife. CEO, Padma Rao states: “I think are going to change the game on how people come together to experience sports and live events with our range of access levels and experiences. “We’re encouraging guests to look up at the same big screen together, celebrate big wins and monumental moments with the table next to you, and ask for advice on the under from a real person that’s sitting across the bar. We’re bringing people back together with technology rather than keeping them apart.” Electrosonic led the audio/video system installation, outfitting this elevated sports bar with an installed 1 Sound audio system and 1,200sq.ft LED screens. Bankroll
USA - A new Anolis external lighting scheme is illuminating the facades of The Godfrey Hotel in Boston, picking out the detail and architectural intricacies of the former Blake & Armory Building, a historic commercial site at the corner of Temple Place and Washington Street in the city’s Downtown Crossing pedestrian shopping zone. Ron Kuszmar of PORT led the project and explained that the hotel’s owners brought them onboard to specify, design and install a new LED lighting scheme that would highlight the building in all its glory and replace the previous system dating back to when The Godfrey originally opened in 2016. Based in Seabrook, New Hampshire, an hour out of Boston, PORT is well known as a theatrical, stage and architectural lighting and control specialist. The client found them via a Google search and was impressed with some other commercial lighting
South Africa - Core Productions, a Cape Town based company established in 2015 by Bernard Gramann, has taken ownership of a grandMA3 onPC command wing XT and eight Claypaky Axcor Beams 300s, all supplied by DWR Distribution. Business has picked up in the live events sector in SA. “I think all the companies that fought through the pandemic are doing well,” says Gramann. “The biggest change we have seen is that most live events now have a virtual element. We are doing more hybrid events than just standard meetings or events. In addition, we have had to upgrade our skills in content creating, editing and recording.” “The grandMA3 onPC command wing XT is a little console with the capabilities of a full-size console,” comments Bernard. “What more do I need to say? For us, it’s definitely the leading brand in the lighting world, can do anything required from
Switzerland - Each spring, the Cully Jazz Festival immerses jazz fans in a blend of music and picturesque scenery in the heart of Switzerland’s wine country. The most important event in Swiss Romande's vibrant cultural calendar, the festival was born in 1995 from the passion and dreams of two Daniel Thentz and Emmanuel Gétaz. Since then, the festival has grown from a humble two-day event, to one of Switzerland's most influential jazz festivals spread across nine days. This year marks Cully Jazz Festival’s 40th anniversary, and the event now includes the entire village in its festival atmosphere. Year after year, the festival's demanding yet accessible programme attracts more than 70,000 festival goers. The festival line-up features musical performances across various genres and over three stages, including new Chapiteau, an outdoor stage, designed to elevate the live pe
Germany - Prolights illuminated the world's largest inclusive sporting event, the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023. The event was all about visibility, social participation, empowerment, and integration, as 7,000 athletes with intellectual and multiple disabilities stepped into the limelight to take part in 26 different sports. Under the artistic direction of Sven Sören Beyer, the collective phase7 performing arts was responsible for the creative concept of the opening ceremony, as well as its planning and implementation in collaboration with mediapool Veranstaltungsgesellschaft on behalf of the local organising committee. Technical services were provided by the POOLgroup and the lighting fixtures were provided by Lightpower, the Prolights distributor in the region. On behalf of phase7, Flo Erdmann (von | BERG) developed the lighting design for the impressive
UAE - Dubai-based iRIG has announced its partnership with Eilon Engineering as the exclusive distributor of their Ron StageMaster load monitoring systems. The partnership became effective on 1 June 2023, marking a significant milestone for both companies in expanding their presence in the Middle East market. Eilon Engineering’s innovative load cell technology and commitment to quality have earned them a solid reputation among professionals worldwide. By partnering with iRIG, Eilon Engineering aims to leverage their expertise and strong regional presence to better serve customers in the Middle East. The partnership will allow iRIG to enhance its product portfolio with Eilon Engineering's wireless and wired load cell solutions, providing customers in the region with access to the appropriate products for their lifting and load monitoring needs. Both iRIG and Eil
USA - Environmental Lights has announced that it has acquired City Theatrical, Inc and City Theatrical, Ltd (UK). The acquisition continues Environmental Lights’ growth trajectory as it expands its footprint and product offerings in the scenic market. City Theatrical, based in Carlstadt, New Jersey, has been servicing the scenic and theatrical markets for over 37 years. Its Multiverse Wireless DMX technology is widely accepted as the standard in live performance globally, serving both Broadway and West End theatrical productions. “Environmental Lights is focused on being the lighting leader in each of our core verticals. The acquisition of City Theatrical combines two strong businesses in the scenic market under one roof, positioning us as the clear leader,” said Brad Tedder, CEO of Environmental Lights. “City Theatrical has established itself as a premi
Germany - d&b Group has announced a major investment by Providence, a private equity firm specialising in growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education and technology. With the support of Providence, d&b plans to further strengthen its global market-leading position in the professional audio market while also further integrating its capabilities in the audio visual, lighting and media (AVLM) solutions sector. Providence has a track record of investing in businesses that deliver world-class technology and experiences. As part of the transaction, the d&b management team will also acquire a stake in the company, ensuring long-term leadership and strategic continuity. The parties have agreed not to reveal details of the transaction, and the conclusion of the transaction is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities. Founded in
Lithuania - Located along the banks of the slow-moving Nemunas River and surrounded by green meadows, the Old Church of St. John the Baptist stands alone as a sentinel against time. The picturesque Gothic church, with its striking steep-pitched roof, draws tourists and photographers from around the world to the Lithuanian town of Zapyškis. While the building is no longer used for religious purposes, it was given the status of a Cultural Monument in 2002 and is now a popular venue for cultural and music events like the annual Kite Festival and Pažaislis Music Festival. Steerable loudspeaker arrays from Renkus-Heinz were installed in the building to combat long reverberation times, improve intelligibility and enhance the experiences of festival attendees. Church staff contacted Vytautas Stasiukaitis, system designer at Audiotonas, to help redesign the audio system. As
USA - The US leg Tori Amos’ 2023 Ocean to Ocean tour kicked off in West Palm Beach, Florida in June with a fresh and varied setlist, ready to rouse fans across the States. The crew joining this year’s US leg are armed with an array of Green-GO Digital intercom products. At the heart of the setup is a Green-GO DanteX Interface, which is directly converting digital audio streams from Dante to Green-GO and vice-versa without loss of quality. “The Green-GO DanteX Interface was key to our system,” says Alex Penn, commercial director at UK-based 22Live, which supplied a complete audio system for the Ocean to Ocean tour in both Europe and the US. “The tour was already using an extensive Dante network that covered many jobs including the PA returns, and shared stage racks for both the FOH and monitor mixing consoles. “Utilising the DanteX Interf
USA - The 2023 Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards are now on sale at the BTS Boutique. This year’s collection features a mix of six different designs created especially for the charity by Alyssa Collister, Ryan Dantuono, Scott Kinnebrew, and Robert Mendoza. BTS is also bringing back two past favourites by Alex Elmendorf and William Gerton. Cards are available in a variety of options: card packs of 10 with a standard greeting, personalised cards with a company logo and custom message, and electronic cards in multiple file formats and an array of price points starting at $20. Sending a BTS holiday card helps spread the word about the charity and lets your recipients know you are supporting industry colleagues who are ill or injured as well as the BTS Mental Health Initiative. Orders for printed cards will be taken until 26 September to arrive by late November. Ele
Germany - On 18 May 2023, the sixth edition of the Tante Mia Tanzt Electro Festival took place in Vechta, Lower Saxony. Top DJs such as Netsky, Steve Aoki and W&W played on the 68m-wide and 14m-high stage in front of around 20,000 spectators. As in the previous year, Eventures was responsible for the technical event equipment of the open-air festival in 2023. Tante Mia also relies on continuity behind the lighting console: lighting designer Milan Spira previously used a lot of moving lights from Cameo for the 2022 edition, and this time opted for the Otos, Opus and Zenit series. For Milan Spira and his video partner Paris Yilmaz - who form the creative collective Clubkind Design - the challenge was to deal with the organiser's reduced budget: "We used fewer lights overall this year than in 2022 and also reduced the LED walls on stage. So the challenge was to make
Belgium - The impressive façade of the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie de Munt (Royal Theatre of the Mint) in central Brussels dates to 1818 and announces The National Opera of Belgium in style and presence. Belgium’s leading opera house is a federal funded institution taking the name of this theatre in which it is housed - ‘La Monnaie’ in French or ‘De Munt’ in Dutch - referring both to the building and the opera company itself. The theatre has just made a new lighting investment comprising Robe T2 Fresnels plus Robe Tetra1 and Tetra2 moving LED battens, which join its existing Robe T1 Profiles, two RoboSpot Systems running with T2 Profiles and 16 x Robe DL7S Profiles which were the first Robe purchases back in 2016. Head of lighting Koen Raes explains that the main house will typically stage eight opera productions per year in their 1200-capacity main house,
USA - Tempest’s new Oasis projector enclosures recently debuted in an inspiring outdoor projection mapping experience at the National WWII Museum in the heat and high humidity of New Orleans. Expressions of America is an immersive night-time sound and light experience, transporting audiences to the 1940s through projection, special effects, songs and words of the everyday people serving the US during World War 2. Solomon Group carried out the install, which included a total of eight Panasonic projectors protected by Tempest Oasis enclosures. Medici Media (formerly known as Mousetrappe) were responsible for concept design and production. “The Museum constantly upgrades its campus to appeal to a new generation of learners and keep the story alive through new and inventive ways,” says Barry Mendelson, audio/visual programmer, Solomon Group. “We were tasked
South Korea - Robert Juliat has announced the arrival of its first Arthur LT followspots in South Korea. Five of the 800W LED Long-Throw followspots were installed at the Seoul Broadcasting System Open Hall studios in Deungchon-dong by RJ’s exclusive distributor for the region, C&C Lightway. Established in 1990, SBS is the largest private broadcaster in South Korea, with a nationwide network of 10 regional stations, and three radio networks. SBS Deungchon-dong Open Hall is one of the region’s main production venues hosting a broad programme of entertainment and variety shows. The Arthur LT 800W LED followspots were installed in a bespoke followspot box located at a distance of approximately 20m from the production floor. They will primarily be used on SBS's flagship K-pop programme, SBS Inkigayo (The Music Trend), in addition to all other program
UK - For a second year, PLASA is able to support UK-based companies who wish to exhibit at LDI. Working in conjunction with the Department for Business and Trade, UK companies can make their debut at the Las Vegas trade show for a specially reduced rate. When LDI returns this year from 3-5 December, the show will yet again feature the Meet the Brits Pavilion, which will introduce UK companies to the expansive US market and facilitate valuable in-person networking. The Meet the Brits package includes a 5sq.ft logo-branded kiosk, complete with furniture, lighting and power, as well as online and onsite promotion. With PLASA’s support, this package is reduced from $3,800 down to $2,600. Exhibitors in the Meet the Brits Pavilion will also gain an invitation to a special networking reception and have the opportunity to attend the Department for Business and Trade Ex
South Africa - Technical supplier, Stage Effects Group, has purchased a grandMA3 full-size. Company owner Theo Papenfus and director Erik de Bruin recently took ownership of the console from DWR Distribution. “While we are definitely buying rider orientated gear to at least have the market on our side, this is also for our shows,” explained Erik. “We’ve had a grandMA2 console for quite a while now and it will also be used as our backup desk should we run a show in Mode 2. If you look at the MA history, both grandMA and grandMA2 desks are user friendly and grandMA3 will be too. We look forward to enjoying this desk the same way we did our previous console.” Robert Izzett from DWR adds, “There are only a few grandMA3 full-size consoles in the country and generally, when there is a big international act, at least two are specified. Stage Effects are an awesom
UK - As the name suggests, Bristol-based Enlightened has its roots in lighting. But over the years, the company has evolved to become a prominent complete technical solutions provider in the South West of England, covering everything from sales, hire and equipment repair through to installation and full event production services. A recent investment in a Nexo Geo M10 line array system has seen Enlightened bolstering an already significant inventory of Nexo ID and P+ Series point-source boxes. “They’re like hot cakes” reports production manager Ryan Stromski. “The utilisation of our Nexo stock is so high, they’re never on the shelf.” The new Geo M10 system was only in the warehouse for a few days before heading to Glastonbury where Enlightened had over 50 lists of equipment distributed over at least 10 locations around the festival site. On return, it
UK - VDC Trading has announced that it has promoted three employees to head up a new technical team, officially formalising its technical consultation service offering to customers. The new department is spearheaded by Jim Bulbeck, technical support manager, and David Barnard, customer services manager, both supported by technical assistant Dan Tompkins. Via an ‘added-value consultative sales approach’, VDC customers have always had access to experienced advisors helping them overcome any technical issues. The new team just makes it easier for them to have a dedicated and named point person to deal with their enquiries, says the company. Niall Holden, founder and CEO of VDC Trading comments: “We’ve always had a technical support department but this year as we lurch back into ‘normal’ busy times we have seen a huge increase in technical enquiries so
UK - Electric Airshows has announced its success in winning funding from The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) for ongoing innovation projects. The specialist provider of drone light show services to the UK’s outdoor events market, which launched last year, made its application for funding as part of the UK government’s Create Growth programme. Designed to help creative businesses explore new innovation projects as a stimulus for growth, the Create Growth programme provides targeted support for SMEs in the creative industries in six appointed UK regions outside of London. Run by Innovate UK EDGE, part of UK Research and Innovation, it makes significant sums available for such projects. To be successful, eligible businesses must demonstrate both a clear growth opportunity and their proposed innovation which will address it. Electric Airshows, founded by e
