USA - Stage Technologies has confirmed its platinum sponsorship of the forthcoming North American Theatre Engineering & Architecture Conference. The two day conference will be held in New York 20-21 July 2008.

Based on the model of the London TEA conferences, produced by Richard Brett in 2002 and 2006, NATEAC promises to bring together many world-leading theatre consultants, architects, engineers, technicians and technical managers. The conference will offer a forum to address issues concerning planning, design, construction and equipping all manner of entertainment venues, from grand opera houses through to school theaters.

Stage Technologies' decision to become platinum sponsor of NATEAC, follows the success of the London TEA 2006 conference, for which it was the sole platinum sponsor.

Kevin Taylor, CEO of Stage Technologies Inc said, "By supporting the conference as

UK - Wandsworth's Cancer Resource Centre offers a pioneering model for the future, according to world-renowned cancer doctor Professor Karol Sikora of Imperial College. His appointment as President of the Centre was announced at the Centre's 25th anniversary celebration on 27 February at Battersea Power Station, attended by stars and users and supporters of the centre - and accompanied by a rare lighting up of the chimneys of the power station.

Martin Professional contributed to the evening's celebration by creating an atmosphere in light over Battersea Power Station. Martin products used to illuminate this event were eight Exterior 600 washlights, which were placed on the flat roof of the power station to light the side face of two of the large chimneys.

Peter Western at Martin Professional commented, "We were approached to offer some lighting for this event and were hap

UK - The Stage Electrics audio department has recently added the new L-Aacoustics Kiva / Kilo line array systems to its growing inventory of L-Acoustics loudspeakers. The company's existing stock has been in high demand since a UK dealership agreement was signed with the French manufacturer in August 2007.

In total, 16 Kiva Mid-Highs and four Kilo Lows have been purchased, with the possibility of increasing the numbers later in the year. The system is being powered by the addition of a further two LA4 controller amplifiers.

Stage Electrics audio production manager Andrew Taylor commented, "We had been looking to add a small format line array system to our hire inventory for some time and were interested in the soon to be released Kiva / Kilo system. The demo system L-Acousticss provided was enrolled on a couple of high profile shows with spectacular results, our clients w

UK - The international professionals responsible for the safety of audiences worldwide were themselves looked after by crowd management company, Showsec, this March. The International Live Music Conference (ILMC) welcomed 950 live music promoters, agents and managers to London's Royal Garden Hotel to discuss the issues affecting live music and events, including secondary ticketing, audience safety and emerging markets.

"Live music promoters understand the responsibilities and challenges of providing top class crowd management, stewarding and security," says Showsec's managing director, Mark Harding. "So we were delighted to be able to provide the friendly, professional and effective service they demand. Showsec is increasingly being asked to work in a management capacity on international events including Bestival Romania, Desert Storm in Dubai and MTV Europe. We f

UK - Unsigned Heroes, the competition run by microphone manufacturer AKG to find the best unsigned UK or Irish band of 2008, continues to gather pace. The first live heat of the contest was held on 29 February, pitting three unsigned bands against one another at Shoreditch's Comedy Café, London, during new music evening The Break. The winner, by unanimous agreement of the assembled industry judges, was Warrington's ska'n'surf trio Bill Davro.

Unsigned Heroes returns to the Comedy Café in Shoreditch with three more unsigned bands for the second heat of the contest on 28 March. Once again, the heat coincides with The Break, the new evening of new music and performances by up-and-coming bands sponsored by AKG and Strummerville, the charity set up to promote new bands in the name of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer.

(Jim Evans)

USA - American DJ is going on tour, starting 27 March, 2008 in Florida. In the months to come, the company will be stopping at dealer locations throughout the country to introduce the latest sound and lighting equipment by offering hands-on training and "amazing deals for customers". The ADJ Tour aims to showcase the benefits of the latest technology, and help DJs get the most out of new equipment, says the company.

Also stopping in California, Nevada, New York, Washington, and Oregon, the ADJ Tour gives DJs the opportunity to attend a hands-on demo featuring the latest gear from Reflex LED, Pearl LED, Revo 3, Dual Gem LED, and the Revo LED Sys in lighting and the TT Record, SDJ-1, and QSD in audio. Factory reps will be offering training on the products, so attendees will be learning straight from the professionals.

"New technology is changing the landscape of t

Europe - Ohm's Northern European sales coverage has been augmented by the opening of Ohm Europe, announced at ProLight & Sound in Frankfurt. Already strong in Eastern Europe with distributors based in Slovakia, Poland, Russia, Finland, the Ukraine and Scandinavia represented by the Kinovox Group. The newly formed Ohm Europe will complete the northern European coverage in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Based at their substantial premises in Nuremberg, South Germany, the company is headed up by Daniel Danzer and Sebastian Kamm. They possess many years experience in the sales of Ohm products as well as rental and installations, making them ideally qualified to advise OHM customers on the use of the full range of Ohm equipment, says the company.

"This is a great opportunity for us to be further involved with Ohm" says Daniel Danzer. "We have sold, used and instal

China - Midas's Chinese distributor Rightway Audio has sold four Midas XL8 Live Performance Mixing Systems into the country. Three have gone to the Suzhou Science and Cultural Centre (SSCAC) while a further has been sold to Shenzhen Poly Cultural Centre.

Two of the XL8 systems at the SSCAC have been installed into the 1,200-capacity Grand Theatre, with the third residing in the 500-capacity Dinner Theatre. A Verona has also been installed into each theatre, along with four Klark Teknik Square ONE EQs and an 8-channel Square ONE Dynamics processor.

The centre, built alongside Lake Jin Ji in the Arts and Entertainment district of Suzhou Industrial Park, is the largest multi-functional complex in the region, housing exhibition and function halls, a commercial centre, a Cineplex and an IMAX Theatre as well as the two XL8-equipped theatres.

Theatre Projects Consultants was the au

Dubai - The relentless drive in hospitality project development throughout the Middle East now valued at in excess of US$90 billion, has proliferated the number of top international technology brands lining up alongside local distributors at this year's PALME Middle East show, say the organizers.

Taking place at Dubai International Exhibition Centre on 27-29 April, and now the region's largest entertainment and integrated technology show, PALME has an impressive exhibitor portfolio that includes AMX, Dutco Tannant, Sanyo, Christie, Extron, NEC, Martin Professional, Bose, Tannoy, Adamson Pro, Robe, Clay Paky, MA Lighting, Vogels and Barco, while a Smart Residential Area will be supervised by Eon, distributors of the Philips Pronto.

Exhibition director, Alexander Heuff, claims technology companies involved in the hospitality and residential sectors are backing the show in increa

UK - Carling Academy Sheffield, AMG's latest £3,500,000 live music and club venue, opens on Friday 11 April 2008.

The venue is Liverpool-based Adlib Audio's first AMG project, for which they have specified and installed a Nexo Geo D sound system, with Soundcraft digital consoles.

The sound design was created by Adlib's Andy Dockerty in conjunction with Roger Kirby and Mark Burnley, working closely with AMG's group technical manager, Ed Jackson and group operations manager, Richard Maides. The final system optimises the venue's requirements for the live environment with the diversity of a leading dance/club system.

Carling Academy Sheffield features a deep balcony wrapped around a dancehall style room, so the team chose traditional side-hangs stage left and right, each comprising nine elements of Nexo Geo D10. These are complimented by a block of six a-side ground stack

UK - As part of an ongoing sponsorship arrangement, Compulite and Fuzion, its UK distributor, have recently upgraded RADA's Compulite Vector Orange console to a Vector Green.

The console was first used on the production of Little Women staged in the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre at the beginning of February. The main design concept for the show utilises video, designed by Nigel Sadler from Green Hippo, to transform the set into numerous different locations for the different scenes in the production.

Lighting designer Matt Prentice used moving lights as specials to keep the light off the video projection, these included three ETC Source 4 Revolutions and six Clay Paky Alpha Halos all supplied by Stage Electrics London, another major RADA sponsor.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Commercial audio specialist Ateis International announced a major expansion of its global network with the launch its new UK subsidiary at the ProLight&Sound Show in Frankfurt last week.

Ateis UK is set to bring the company's range of audio and voice alarm products to an expanding UK market - adding to the potential of its existing international reseller network based in 15 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Far East territories.

Industry expert Neil Voce will head up Ateis UK in its St Alban's based HQ along with his chosen team including Sam Elsdon and John Andrews. Offering a combined 60 years of experience, the team is well positioned to fulfil the increasing demand for commercial audio systems solutions, say Ateis.

In only a few years, Ateis has developed an enviable reputation globally by manufacturing advanced public address and voice evacuation systems

USA - As we mentioned briefly in yesterday's news from Midas at LSI Online, Clair Brothers Showco, one of the world's most influential PA rental companies, has purchased and taken delivery of two Midas XL8 Live Performance Systems.

The Midas flagship joins Clair Brothers' extensive XL4 and Heritage 3000 rental inventory, which continue to be used daily on major touring productions, both across America and throughout the world.

Midas has worked in partnership and consulted with Clair Brothers Showco throughout the XL8's development, with delegations from Midas paying regular visits to Clair's headquarters in Pennsylvania, USA since the beginning of the project in early 2004. These visits proved invaluable, the company says, helping it fine-tune its digital concepts into the flagship XL8.

"As a leading light of the global touring industry we have always been very proud to

UK - Birmingham-based hire and installation company DMX Productions has been contracted to supply sound reinforcement to the Q Club in Birmingham, and has invested in an Electro-Voice XLD compact line array system which has quickly become a near-permanent fixture in the venue.

The Q Club is back after five years, recently refurbished and under new management. Once upon a time, this massive venue, a former Methodist church, was the heart of Birmingham's clubbing community - now, it is rebuilding its reputation for hosting the top events. With a main dancefloor overlooked by tiered seating which ascends up towards the ornate high ceilings, extra atmosphere is lent by the grand pipe organ that dominates one end of the club.

SJ Grevett, the energetic young owner of DMX Productions, has had his new EV XLD line array boxes in almost continuous use in the venue, particularly by promo

The latest AMG venue, Carling Academy Sheffield, opens next month and is a welcome addition to the UK live music circuit. And the complete refurbishment of the venue has provided great opportunities for installers and manufacturers to showcase their products and services.

As one venue opens, another closes...Just a week after the news broke that the Marquee Club had closed, another long-standing London venue, The Astoria in Charing Cross Road, looks certain to close. London's mayor, Ken Livingston told The Times that it would be demolished to make way for the Cross Rail project which has finally been given the green light. An Internet-based petition to save The Astoria has attracted some big name signatures, but it's probably too late.

Looking on the bright side, though, the Cross Rail project should offer great opportunities for the installation sectors of our industry to get a slic

USA - A small, portable Saxis control unit and BigTow winch, from Stage Technologies, is being used to create effects for the touring production of Rapunzel. Following a sell-out tour in the UK, the Kneehigh Theatre's non-traditional production has opened at The New Victory Theater in New York.

Stage Technologies worked with production manager and lighting designer, Alex Wardle, on this project, and provided a simple, easy to use system, capable of flying a small platform carrying two performers. The red, oval-shaped piece of floor is flown to stage level during the show, to bridge a gap in two circular stages. The same oval piece is also flown approximately six feet above the stage and supports the two performers who use the platform as a swing.

Alex Wardle commented: "Part of the reason we chose the system is that the Saxis is simple to programme and operate. Dur

UK - Bradford-based firm Pro Audio Systems has completed a major design and sound installation project at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, which opens this month. The contract, awarded by World Duty Free, was won against stiff national competition.

The brief was to advise World Duty Free on the best and most innovative way to operate a fully integrated sound and visual media marketing package in their stores. Working with one of London's top retail design agencies, JHP and leading visual brand Sony, Pro Audio Systems created an integrated network of high quality audio systems in 13 zones across seven World Duty Free stores in the Terminal. Each zone had specific requirements varying from beauty areas and cocktail bars to arrivals areas.

The provision of clear, intelligible audio was the primary goal, coupled with designs that reflected the ambience of the store, all linked into

UK - The Mission's recent farewell tour brought much of its own to the stage, but it also gave many nods to some of the highlights of the band's touring past. The rig was structurally reminiscent of some of the first tours they did, with a custom Pre Rigged Truss Arch from the 80s containing a backdrop with an album's cover art on it. The only problem was however, that the original canvas backdrop no longer existed. So instead lighting director Adam Stevenson from Entec turned to Martin's LC2140 for the solution.

"We really wanted to have the album artwork in the arch, and we thought about projecting it, but there were some limitations for projections, especially with the shape of the arch we used. So we thought; how about a screen instead?

"The LC screens were perfect and the audience and band loved it. For the last four nights we used the first four albums, so one

UK - In April, a group of people with links to the event production industry will be undertaking a charity walk to raise money for research into cancer - specifically an often overlooked form of the disease, pancreatic cancer.

In August 2006, aged 51, Chris Venn a prominent freelance production manager, working for many of the high profile communications and production companies of the last 25 years, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. There is currently is no long-term cure for this type of cancer, because the level of research funding in to this specific area is relatively poor. Sadly, after 13 months, Chris lost his battle in September last year, the same year that another industry colleague, freelance logistics manager Howard Kerr, was diagnosed with the same disease.

As Howard nears the 12-month mark since his diagnosis, he and his industry colleagues have begun to put

World - On their recent tour, The Spice Girls sang using personalized microphones: their Sennheiser SKM 935s were lavishly adorned with rhinestones; even the earpieces on their evolution wireless monitor receivers were decorated. The band used (much plainer) evolution wireless guitar systems and all the microphones were used with EM 550 twin receivers.

"For the Spice Girls tour we needed great sounding vocal mics with rock-solid radio performance," explains Ray Furze, the tour's FOH engineer. "The 935 capsule proved to be an excellent choice. We had no radio drop outs on the whole tour and I found they were highly resistant to feedback, even with all five mics 20 metres in front of the PA."

Monitor technician Matt Napier adds: "After Ray Furze and I reviewed all the radio systems that were available for the Spice Girls tour, it quickly became obvious t

Sweden - United Audio Starlight (UAS) has given its new Nexo Geo S12 line-array system a high profile nationally, taking it all over the country with the Melodifestivalen, the competition to choose which artist will represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Almost 3500 songs were entered for the 2008 Swedish national final, 32 of these made the four semi-finals and 10 artists performed in the final. Performing Hero, Charlotte Perrelli was the artist who received the highest number of points from the regional juries and televoters, and she now goes forward to represent Sweden in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade later this year.

The five-part Melodifestivalen culminated in a grand final at Stockholm's famous Globe venue in mid-March. All the concerts were sell-out shows, and the process up to and including the final selection was broadcast

UK - When Sky News was looking to create a new visual dynamic at the end of its Westminster studio, it was suggested that a wall of LED strips would not only be a modern replacement for their ageing projection video cube system but would also be low on maintenance and power requirement. In short it would radically reduce the studio's carbon footprint.

The broadcaster has occupied the Millbank Media Centre (No. 4 Millbank) since 1993, since when it has carried out systematic technology upgrades. In addition to presenting down-the-line interviews to its main studio in Osterley, the studio houses a weekly PMQs show and covers breaking news from around Westminster.

Sky has an open policy when it comes to third party vendors, but during a visit to last year's PLASA Show at Earl's Court, Mark Fowler, who manages Sky TV's lighting department, saw the LED strips on the stand of

Eire - Barco has installed a large-scale, visual decision-making environment in the main auditorium at Google's Irish headquarters. The Barco display is equipped with advanced imaging and multi-windowing capabilities, and is used to magnify auditorium presentations and create an information-rich, engaging forum for collaborative discussions.

For years, Google was using complex switching and cabling setups, as well as multiple remotes to connect and operate its projectors in order to show various presentations. Google AV/IT staff found this arrangement costly and time consuming. As such, Google decided to replace its existing projection equipment in its auditorium with an up-to-date visual system that offered only the best in terms of ease of use and projecting various types of content simultaneously and flexibly. After an extensive review of display solutions, Google narrowed do

Germany - Following a year of preparation, Lightpower has opened the 'LED Competence Centre Germany' in time for the official announcement during last week's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. Through this centre, the company will offer sophisticated LED products and low-res LED systems from Barco, Element Labs, Schnick-Schnack-Systems and Ayrton - all under one roof.

For this reason the generic term 'Creative LED' was borrowed from Barco to give the variety of solutions one name, say Lightpower, adding that the term will soon become the internationally accepted term for this product field.

The new centre will focus on close co-operation with the professional end-user, expertise in all disciplines within the sales team, and will offer a synergy of product solutions covering controllers, network components and media serves.

Lightpower also reports that an extens

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