Singapore - Covering an area of four floors of the Suntec City Convention Centre, SAP Asia held its annual field kick off meeting in Singapore. Concept 360, the responsible event management company based in Singapore, organised the convention with the theme of Take it Higher. Bringing customers, partners, top executives and employees from all over Asia and Australia together, the convention gave an insight in SAP's strategy for the upcoming years. The three days of intensive workshops culminated in the Sentosa Gala Beach Party.

Lighting designer and programmer Fares Aljunied used two grandMA full-size, one grandMA light, one MA NSP and two grandMA video media server for the show. The sheer size of the venue made it necessary to consider a network based layout. Several stages and installations were spread out over the various floors which had to be linked. According to Alj

Sweden - One of the largest touring musicals of 2008 has completed a nationwide run, playing 15 arenas all over Sweden. The Sound of Music, starring Pernilla Wahlgren and Tommy Nilsson, has carried full technical production from Malmö to Luleå, including a full Nexo Geo T line array system.

Originally, this production opened in a theatre in Stockholm, using a compact Geo S line array. On tour, the show is on the road for five weeks, playing in ice-hockey arenas to audiences of between 2,000 - 6,000. The sound reinforcement system has been provided by Music & Lights AB, a left/right flown Geo T line array design which varies slightly from venue to venue.

"Although they are all sports venues, we assess each one independently," says Matthias Andersson from Music & Lights. "We consider the needs of each location, especially the sightlines. The Geo T system

UK - High End Systems Inc, located in Austin, Texas, USA wants to host one lucky winner to an all-expense-paid trip to Austin to visit their facilities and see some of their latest products - including the DL.3 Digital Light, Showgun, and the Road Hog Full Boar, plus many other exciting tools. Austin is the live music capital of the world, full of cowboy boots, margaritas and sunshine . . .

To enter, simply visit www.highend.com/austintrip

One winner will be selected at random to visit HES' world-class facilities for a private demonstration and be treated to Texas-style hospitality. But hurry! Contest ends June 15, 2008 at midnight BST.

Drawing rules: No purchase necessary. Entrants must be 21 years of age or older and possess a valid passport. Limited to one entry per person. Entries must be received by June 15, 2008. Random drawing will be held on June 16, 2008.

The priz

UK - KT Tunstall will judge the final selection for an innovative new award for aspiring singer-songwriters in the UK - the Shure Creative Award, which will be sponsored by Shure Distribution UK, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and Play Music Pickup magazine.

Applicants will be required to upload a video of themselves performing an original song on any instrument to the website www.shurecreativeaward.com, which will be live beginning 30 May. All entries will be judged by the general public and a panel of experts. Tunstall will pick the final winners.

The winner will have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to professionally develop his or her musical talent and skills, including the opportunity to perform in live showcase events in London, by receiving a free scholarship for the Institute's one-year Higher Diploma course in London, which will commence in Octob

UK - The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama is the first education venue to purchase a Stage Technologies' power-flying system for use with training modules which will be integrated into their curriculum. With an Illusionist control desk on their fly-floor and an additional 28 computers in their PC lab running Chameleon software, the RSAMD can now offer their students offline training on a virtual flying system and a real system to operate in their theatre.

Steve MacLuskie, lecturer of stage technology at RSAMD, comments: "The PC lab is an excellent facility and will allow students to play and experiment in a virtual environment without the worry and safety concerns of the real motors. Once comfortable with the virtual environment it will make the transition to the real desk and the real motors less intimidating."

As well as providing the RSAMD with the latest

Singapore - Visitors to evenTech Singapore (Singapore Expo from 25 - 26 June, 2008) can expect an informative and tailored educational programme of seminars across the two-day format, alongside the trade exhibition and social networking functions, say the organizers. Exhibitors and sponsors of the inaugural event include DAS Audio, d&b audiotechnik, Audio Technica and ProAktiv Systems.

Darren Brechin, Scattered Media director and evenTech co-creator, states: "AV equipment suppliers in south-east Asia and AV manufacturers from around the world had requested an event of this type for this area. In a region where the market is currently very strong, it is clear Singapore was lacking a networking event dedicated to this niche sector."

(Jim Evans)

Ireland - onepointtwo designed and supplied the interior lighting for the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel which recently opened in Dublin on the Naas Road. A prestigious hotel which is contemporary yet inviting, the lighting had to reflect the character of the hotel.

"We wanted the lighting to blend effortlessly with the rest of the décor but in certain key areas such as in the lobby, bar and restaurant we wanted to make a real statement," says Paul Donegan, design director at onepointtwo.

"The lobby is the visitor's first port of call in the hotel and should reflect the kind of hotel that you are staying in. In the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, it is modern yet comfortable and the lighting concept needed to complement this."

The lighting design for the four star Louis Fitzgerald Hotel caters for all aspects of the hotel's lit environment including the bar, resta

USA - Nexxus Lighting reports that Advanced Lighting Systems, a Nexxus Lighting company located in Sauk Centre, Minnesota has completed the lighting for the Norbert F. Beckey bridge in Iowa, which stretches from Iowa to Illinois across the Mississippi River 170 miles west of Chicago. A ribbon cutting ceremony officially marked the occasion on 12 May.

"The lighting system only requires 43 Advanced Lighting Systems LiveLED 100 RGB fixtures to illuminate the fifteen hundred foot bridge including the girders measuring 60 to 90ft high and piers 100ft high," explained Paul Benton, national sales manager for Advanced Lighting Systems. "Using a DMX lighting controller, multiple colour patterns wash the structure and create a stunning picture for this bridge and the surrounding area of Muscatine."

"This project was three years in the making and it was satisfyin

France - Lighting production company Arpege selected a Jands Vista console to provide lighting control for the 32nd César Awards, the biggest annual film awards ceremony in France.

The star-studded event, which is French cinema's equivalent to Hollywood's Oscars ceremony, has been running for over 30 years and is televised live from the iconic Théâtre du Châtelet in the centre of Paris.

Lighting designer Jean-Bernard Favero-Longo and programmer Didier Dast had worked together lighting live television shows many times before, and recently tried out the Jands Vista to great success on several events. So when Didier suggested they use the Vista for the high-profile Césars live awards, Jean-Bernard had complete confidence in his decision.

The awards ceremony's trademark set featured white suspended panels moving up and down, with the lights colouring and p

Germany - The International congress centre Eurogress in Aachen, already equipped with a Sound Projects Linex array system, has added a set of Sound Projects' line array in-one-box, DreamLine.

The DreamLines are rigged up on both sides of the main venue's stage and are used as front-fill/in-fill/down-fill. Eurogress also purchased another four Sound Projects X-act monitors. These are being used variously as stage monitor, side-fill or as a simple small PA kit.

* After 12 years in Hilversum Sound Projects' main office has moved to larger facilities and a logistically improved location in the centre of The Netherlands. The new address is: Karperweg 16, 1317 SN Almere. Phone: +31 36 5394570. Fax: +31 36 5300578. E-mail and website remains unchanged.(Jim Evans)

Turkey - Visual impact is critical to success for modern car brands, and Alfa Romeo Istanbul is using Vikuiti Rear Projection Film from 3M to present powerful messages at street level using full-colour, full-motion video. 3M Turkey has installed a 2.4 x 2m Vikuiti Film on sliding window panels at Alfa Romeo's showroom, which is delivering a variety of content directly to visitors and passers by.

The showroom is using the window display to present messages including promotional offers, new product announcements, and dealer and manufacturer news. The content is developed and produced by Alfa Romeo, working with professional creative partners, and takes advantage of Alfa Romeo's rich history as a design and motorsport pioneer to communicate the full excitement of Alfa Romeo ownership.

"Alfa Romeo is known as a vibrant brand, full of colour and passion. This can be difficult

France - Nexo has recorded one of its biggest system sales into eastern Europe, with the delivery of a substantial Geo T line array inventory, complete with amplifiers and operational accessories, to A-Logic Stage System in Budapest, Hungary.

The sale was handled by World Marketing Associates on behalf of Nexo and Lisys, distributor for Nexo products in Hungary, which supplied the loudspeaker system as well as several digital consoles, wired and wireless microphones, chainhosts, trusses and a full moving heads lighting system to a value of 1.4 million Euros.

A-Logic Stage System is a relatively new company which is setting its sights on top-end international touring shows and large-scale local events. According to WMA's Francis Williams, "Tthere have never been many large rigs in the accession countries as the acts that can attract large crowds generally tour with their o

Australia - The Olympic Torch Relay arrived at Australia's national capitol Canberra amid much fanfare and media attention. Following incidents earlier in its travels, local organizers worked overtime to ensure that the event ran as smoothly as possible.

The audio specification for the event required systems be provided at two locations, the first at the dawn torch lighting ceremony and the second for the end of relay presentation and concert. Canberra company Eclipse Lighting and Sound were contracted to supply the audio design and equipment for the event. This also included a small system at Canberra airport for the torch's arrival. The whole event saw an extensive array of Electro-Voice equipment used throughout.

The official torch lighting ceremony led by the local chairman Ted Quinlan then saw the torch handed to the first of many runners that took it on a three hour rout

USA - A new on-line Training Centre recently debuted on the High End Systems website. This special section is dedicated to training resources, including new videos and tutorials with specific information about Wholehog consoles, digital lighting products and new automated luminaires. Users can navigate through the information or view short training videos for in-depth tutorials on many topics. Training sessions have also been expanded with added dates to meet the demand, says the company.

"We're excited to debut the new online Training Centre," says Cat West, HES console training specialist. "Our goal was to have a place where our users could not only find information about our training classes, but also learn more about the products through videos and online tutorials. The best part is that these new resources are available free of charge, at any time, to anyone

Germany - The Eurogress international congress centre in Aachen, which had previously upgraded its sound reinforcement system with a Sound Projects Linex array system, has now expanded the system with a set of Sound Projects' "line array in-one-box" - DreamLine.

The main venue of the immense Eurogress, the 'Europa Saal', has a large capacity (2500 standing or 1800 seated) and a large stage with a variable height which can be lowered down to floor level, to give place to an additional 200 seats. The stage also has a variable depth from 3m up to 16m. This variability was the reason for Axel Dresbach, Eurogress technical manager, to add the DreamLines to the existing line array system of 16 Sound Projects Linex cabinets.

The DreamLines are rigged on both sides of the stage and are used as front-fill, in-fill and down-fill boxes. Dresbach explains: "The choice for t

USA - American Music & Sound reports that Wharfedale Pro has joined the AM&S family of brands effective 1 May, 2008. Celebrating 75 years of producing loudspeakers, Wharfedale Pro joins AM&S with a full lineup of powered, passive, and install loudspeakers as well as amplifiers, mixers, and studio speakers.

"Wharfedale Pro is a fantastic addition to our Live Sound and Sound Reinforcement offering," states Lynn Martin, president of American Music & Sound. "They bring an historic brand legacy and couple that with state of the art manufacturing techniques making Wharfedale Pro a tremendous opportunity for dealers, sound companies, consultants, and installers in the USA."

Daniel Chang, Wharfedale Pro's managing director adds: "American Music & Sound's distribution network and expertise in Pro Audio markets is perfect for our products. We are very excited to

Dubai - PALME Middle East 2008 closed with a record-breaking 8,600 visitors, representing a 22% increase over the 2007 event, say the organisers. The sixth PALME Middle East show ran from 27-29 April at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre. This year's event has set new records not only in terms of the number of exhibitors (272 exhibitors, representing over 800 companies and brands) but the amount of exhibition space sold and the number of visitors.

"We registered 1,500 more visitors this year than we did last year, clearly highlighting the industry growth and underlining Dubai as the entertainment capital of the Middle East. With five exhibition halls covering 20,000sq.m, PALME has real 'pulling power' and is now firmly established as the world's largest events' industry showcase," commented Neil Hickman, group exhibitions director of event organisers IIR Exhibit

UK - Clay Paky has announce the nominations for the 'Knights of Illumination' Lighting Design Awards that are to be awarded in association with the ALD and the STLD at the annual ABTT dinner in London on 11 June 2008.

The awards are being suppored by Clay Paky to recognise the UK's outstanding contribution to live performance and television. The awards are unique in honouring work across such a wide range of music, theatre, opera, dance and television.

Theatre nominees (Dance)

• Lucy Carter for Chroma at the ROH and her work with Random Dance. Her work was remarkable for the quality of light that added so much to the staging.

• Tim Mitchell for Hamlet for the Northern Ballet Theatre. His work was cited for its taste and restraint when so much was going on in the piece.

• Katharine Williams for I am Falling at the Gate theatre fo

USA - D&A Collective has installed two Xone:S2 mixers at the Hudson Terrace in New York City to handle both the main dance floor and the roof deck. High above 46th St in Manhattan's Midtown West, the new Hudson Terrace features a 7,000sq.ft rooftop deck in addition to more than 8,000sq.ft of multifunction space, bar, and outdoor patio.

"The Xone:S2 was the perfect choice for the Hudson Terrace for a number of reasons," states D&A's Steve Petrik. "The fader/rotary option makes a lot of sense for this space. I have the faders installed on the rooftop's S2 because the music up there tends to be more hip hop oriented, and the rotary option is installed on the dance floor which is great for club DJs. And, the fader/rotary units can be swapped as necessary to please the performing DJs."

The A/V System at Hudson Terrace, designed by Steve Petrik, is composed of co

UK - Cirrus Research plc, which specialises in the design and development of noise measurement equipment for health and safety applications has launched its Noise in Action Photography Competition. Cirrus is looking for interesting, unusual or imaginative images of its noise measurement instruments in use, and the winner will receive a pair of Sennheiser PCX-350 Noise Cancelling Headphones. The closing date for entries is 29 August.

James Tingay of Cirrus Research explains, "Cirrus equipment is used in so many different sectors, from mining and industry, to clubs and bars, and we are looking to add colour to our promotional material and website with some really exciting images of our products in use."

The entries can include any Cirrus Sound Level Meter or the doseBadge Noise Dosemeter, and must include the product in use. Full competition rules can be found

Russia - D.A.S. distributor BossMan opted to install the D.A.S. Audio line array for the Zhara Club in the city of Voronezh. In addition to a dance floor and a bar, it also includes a stage where live music plays an important role.

Designed as a multipurpose location, the club contains two areas - one for live sound and one for background music. In the first area, two clusters that cover the entire dance floor have been installed. Each cluster incorporates six powered Variant 25A line array modules and two Variant 18A subwoofers.

Two powered SML-12A systems have been installed as stage monitors. Three Sub-218G subwoofers were chosen to supply high low frequency sound pressure levels.

In the second area, four powered DS-108A systems have been installed, along with four Sub-18-A powered subwoofer systems to enhance bass response. To achieve a high quality system for messaging

Mexico - For the last 12 years, the town of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state Baja California, has hosted the Baja Prog festival. For the last two years, Nexo has been part of the event. Local PA company Audiomix provides a Geo S8 system for the 20 bands that come from all over the world to play.

This year's system was configured with 10-element hangs on either side of the stage (8x S805 plus 2x S830) with two CD18 subs on either side. Over the four days of the festival, the audience could enjoy an exotic bill of bands from Poland, Italy, the UK, Spain and Mexico. Among the big names were 1970s superstars Focus and Tony Levin from King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, as well as Cast (Mexicali host band), Alonso Arreola (México), Riverside (Poland), Omni (Spain), Rocket Scientists (United States), and the legendary New Trolls (Italy), Le Orme (Italy) and Circa.

(Jim

USA - The Midas XL8 digital live performance system delivered "impeccable audio performance" at front-of-house for the recent Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The three-week long rodeo is both the world's largest livestock exhibition and the world's largest rodeo event. Every night after the rodeo competitions wind down, the Rodeo brings on the big name entertainment, making it one of the world's largest live concert event series. This year, audience attendance for concerts by Brad Paisley and Hannah Montana both hit the 73,000 mark.

A veteran sound engineer of 30+ years, and long-time Midas enthusiast, Howie Lindeman worked alongside Houston's LD Systems - whose large deployment of Electro-Voice audio equipment ensures the Rodeo events and concerts sound superb every year - supervising the XL8, which was on hand as the house console for visiting engineers.

Most o

Finland - FogScreen, Inc reports that Encore Creative's inventory now contains five interlinkable FogScreen One projection screens, making them the largest provider of FogScreen projection screens in the US.

"Carrying the largest inventory of FogScreen projection screens in the US is a crucial step into what we see as a huge growth opportunity into the special events market," said Jeff Lowy, president of Encore Creative. "Our team is dedicated to providing memorable experiences for clients that are always on the lookout for something technologically hip and edgy. Having the FogScreen projection screens in our inventory gives us the ability to reach new creative heights for all our personalized events."

"FogScreen, Inc. is proud to have Encore Creative as the largest provider of screens for a US market primed to be entertained in exciting and memorable

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