Europe - Optocore’s Festival Box has been successfully deployed on a number of festivals and tours this summer. As demo systems were released to targeted dealers and production companies around the world, Optocore technical sales manager, Maciek Janiszewski, said, “It is gratifying that customers have trusted us with delivering a completely new device concept and placed it immediately on high-profile tours and festivals.” Early adopters have included Billie Eilish and Spice Girls, both with Wigwam, while festivals have ranged from the mighty Sziget in Hungary and KFPP Opole in Poland, to Parklife and Bluedot festivals in the north of England. Festival Box allows any audio protocol as well as video and data to tunnel over the same fibre, making it an efficient solution for multi-act scenarios. Migrating the technology from sister company BroaMan’s Repeat48
New Zealand - Distribution and AVC support company JPRO presented an exclusive demo of the JBL VTX A8 line array to a group of entertainment and commercial industry representatives in Christchurch. The VTX A8 is a compact line array system available in various formats for small to medium size installed and tour configurations. VTX A8 and its bigger brother VTX A12 have impressed this year during NZ's Summer Festivals - being used extensively with touring artists and music festivals such as Toto, UB40, Slayer, KORA, Sound Splash and The Hollies. The demo took place at the newly rebuilt Christchurch Town Hall in the James Hay Theatre. “It’s fantastic that we are able to use venues such as the James Hay Theatre to allow audiences to get a first-hand impression of the JBL VTX A8,” comments JPRO’s Nicholas van Dyk, sales manager South Island. “This is a new
UAE - ARX has appointed Gala Pro AV as its distributor in the United Arab Emirates. Based in Dubai, Gala is a leading pro AV and lighting solutions provider who also represents Bosch, Lavoce Italiana and Odyssey. The company is exhibiting at the upcoming Prolight+Sound Middle East expo (15-17 October) in Dubai. “Gala are ideally placed in the UAE to strengthen our brand and to build sales in a market where we see a great potential for growth,” comments Colin Park, managing director of ARX Systems. (Jim Evans)
USA - This week’s AES New York Convention will feature its first visit from the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, which invites AES attendees to tour its facilities, learn about its mission of inspiring creativity, and participate in the interactive tent experience featuring jam sessions using the latest gear. Daily gear giveaways worth over $6,000 - with gear from Audio-Technica, Focusrite, Genelec, K&M, Neutrik, OWC, and Yamaha - will take place at the bus at 1:00pm each day of the exhibition. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. In its 22nd year, with the latest technology and gear, the bus continues to be dedicated to providing young people with tours of the studios, participation in free digital media production workshops, and the production of giant peace signs. Assisted by three on-board engineers
Europe - Loudspeaker technology specialist Fulcrum Acoustic has appointed Audires BV as its exclusive sales representative for Europe, Middle-East, and Africa. Audires BV, based in Belgium, will be responsible for Fulcrum product sales and support within their territory. This appointment comes as Fulcrum is expanding its presence in the international market. “As Fulcrum continues to grow, so does the demand for our products,” says Stephen Siegel, president and co-founder of Fulcrum Acoustic. “Audires will help us serve the EMEA markets directly with experienced representation.” “My goal at Audires with my team is to represent the best brands in the industry. Fulcrum's exceptional product line, and the solutions they offer, definitely puts them in that category,” says Alain Boone, founder and owner of Audires BV. “I look forward to working closely w
Italy - Prolights staged its annual international distributor conference at its HQ in Minturno. Welcoming over 150 guests from 40 countries, the conference comprised a week of product demonstrations, keynote speeches, new product previews, networking and team bonding. The event was opened by Prolights managing director Fabio Sorabella, who welcomed the group and introduced the keynote speeches and corporate presentations outlining the past, present and future vision for the company. Sorabella also outlined the current and future expansion plans for the Italian HQ, aimed at further developing the laboratories and R&D departments. “We’ve had over 150 people visit us, from our closest customers through to people who want to know more about us and what we do,” he explains. “Couldn’t have asked for a better crowd and the feedback from the conference abou
Germany - The Laserworld Academy is holding an LSO-certified laser safety officer seminar in Munich in January 2020, with more dates set to be announced shortly. The organisation holds events dedicated to laser safety and the training and education of Laser Safety Officers across Europe. This upcoming seminar, to be held in English at the Leonardo Hotel Munich City South, addresses regulations in Germany which require a laser safety officer (Laserschutzbeauftragter) to take responsibility of any laser system class 3R, 3B or 4 that is used. It is suitable for those utilising lasers in trade and for show/display applications, as well as for industrial purposes. The contents of the LSO seminars meet the requirements of the German le
The Netherlands - dBTechnologies has added another user to its Vio family. TSR AV - Audiovisual Interactions is the first company in the Netherlands to acquire the Vio line array system. The company has decided to purchase several elements of the VIO system. In total, TSR AV added 16x VIO L212, 12x VIO L210 and 16x VIO S218 modules to its rental inventory. Han Wassink, managing & sales director and founder of TSR AV, comments, “We see great potential for the audio system in the Dutch market. As a long-standing dB Technologies user we have great trust in the expertise and quality of the dBTechnologies brand. With the Vio system, dBTechnologies has taken an enormous step in technical development. And last but not least, we are very satisfied with the dBTechnologies R&D team.” Martijn Groot, managing and operations director adds: “One of the goals in purchas
UAE - ETC is opening a new facility, ETC Dubai - The Studio. Located in the Zee Tower in Dubai's Media City, the space will act as a ‘central hub’ providing training and product demonstration areas as well as a visualisation suite for pre-programming shows. The facility will be unveiled on 31 October with a launch event during which ETC will present its latest technologies, including the PLASA Award for Innovation-winning Augment3d programming tool, and preview brand new ETC and High End Systems products. Find out how to attend the opening event here. “The Studio space will be a central hub for training both ETC’s Eos and High End Systems’ Hog 4 consoles in the Middle East presented by top product specialists. We plan to expan
South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa (GHSA) became the latest rental company in the country to invest in Astera wireless LED products by purchasing 48 Astera AX3 ‘Lightdrops’. Ever since DWR Distribution was announced as Astera’s distributor in June, Gearhouse SA’s then sales manager, Bill Lawford, lost no time in placing an order with Duncan Riley and his team for the fixtures required for a series of high-profile weddings in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Johannesburg-headquartered GHSA supplied the full technical production for these events in conjunction with, and working for, Israel-based event producer Tali Yacobi. In total, there were nine events related to three different weddings spanning a five-week period, for which it was decided to source all the kit from SA. One of the specific needs was table centre lighting for the banqueti
UK - PLASA has teamed up with the Music Industries Association (MIA) to host two public forums to help businesses and industry organisations prepare for Brexit. Taking place in London on 25 October at the Victory Services Club and Leeds on 28 October (exact location TBC), the events will feature a line-up of expert speakers who will provide legal, shipping, HR and currency advice. Confirmed speakers include Ros Kellaway of Eversheds, transport and haulage specialist Tim Ridyard, Nicky Gleadow of HR Point, economist Roger Martin Fagg (Leeds only), and representatives from SGM, freight company Velta, and HR consultants Croner. More speakers will be announced over the coming weeks. The two events are free to attend and are open for bookings at
South Africa - Pretoria-based rental company AJR has decided on the L-Acoustics colinear Syva system to offer high-end quality audio to their corporate events. In doing so, they have become the first in South Africa to purchase Syva. Owned by Altus van Rensburg, AJR was one of the first in the country to buy into the L-Acoustics X Series with X12 and X8. Contemplating the best way to build on his existing audio system, he came across the Syva at local distributor DWR Distribution and was sold. “When Syva first came to the country last year, we stood around like excited school boys, listening and wondering what magic was coming out of the boxes,” Altus says. “We hoped that someone would buy the system first because we wanted to hire it from them and try it out. My initial thought was to expand on our ARCS WiFo system. We currently have six X12, six X8, six ARCS W
The Netherlandsd - Amate Audio Benelux / Imagination AV is holding a two-day showcase in Rotterdam this month. On 10 October, the company will run a comprehensive demo of its new X212AF line array at Onderzeebootloods, a 5,000 capacity venue on the former site of the EDM Submarine Wharf. Amate Audio Xperience will demo the new X2121AF line array and X218WF sub systems, with vice-president and chief technical officer Joan Amate giving an overview presentation of the systems. On 12 October, attendees will be taken to the Dagvlinder Festival, where the same system provides the Main Stage sound, with a second system of eight-a-side NÍTID N208 line array elements and 12x N18W subs on the Jack’s House stage. More details on attending are available from the company's Face
Glastonbury 2020 - Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival sold out in just over half an hour. All 135,000 tickets for the 2020 event were bought within 34 minutes, according to organisers. Demand for the Somerset festival far outstripped supply, as 2.4m people registered to try to attend. Glastonbury celebrates its 50th year in 2020, and big acts are expected to be booked to appear on the various stages at Worthy Farm. Sir Paul McCartney has hinted he may return to play the festival in its anniversary year. Emily Eavis, daughter of founder Michael, tweeted: "We have now sold out. Thank you all for your incredible, continued support. Demand was higher than ever, with over 2.4 million people registered. Bring on 2020!" Carbon Neutral Theatre - Shell’s membership of the National Theatre will come to an end next year, as the arts organisation unveils a
USA - One of the largest rental houses in the United States, Main Light Industries of Wilmington, Delaware, has added Elation Professional’s Artiste Monet and Artiste Picasso LED profile luminaires to its rental fleet. Both award-winning theatrical-grade luminaires, the Artiste Monet recently won a PLASA Award for Innovation at the 2019 exhibition in September. The investment in Elation’s Artiste Series adds to a significant amount of Elation products in Main Light’s rental inventory. Most important in the decision to go with the Artiste luminaires, says Main Light operations manager Randy Mullican, was the quality of build. “We have been working with Elation for over 15 years and again went with Elation for the quality of the product, as well as the after sales support,” he says. “We were looking for a line of products that would cover a good portion of our cli
USA - ESTA has launched the nomination process for its Members Choice Awards to all member exhibitors at the 2020 NAMM Show. The awards, voted on by all ESTA members attending the NAMM Show, recognise outstanding new entertainment technology products. Awards are bestowed in three categories: • Expendable: product which is designed to be consumed or replaced frequently • Gadget: product that is physically small enough to fit in a pocket or small backpack, or software with a file size no larger than 100 megabytes • Equipment: product that is physically too large to fit in a pocket or small backpack, or software with a file size larger than 100 megabytes Only ESTA member exhibitors at The 2020 NAMM Show may nominate a product(s); they must be either the manufacturer or exclusive distributor and can submit one nomination in each category. Only produ
Europe - Sixty82 is pleased has announced the recent appointment Cast as its exclusive distributor for Switzerland. With immediate effect, Cast will distribute and provide technical support for the full product range of Sixty82 trussing and staging solutions. “As we learned about the birth of Sixty82in 2018, it was obvious that one day we would join this marvellous team, led by people we have trusted for more than 25 year! It is wonderful that today is that day!” says Silvio Cibien, CEO of Cast Switzerland. Fokko Smeding, CEO of Sixty82, comments: “We are delighted to be working with Cast. This partnership will help meet the industry’s requirements for fast delivery times and technical know-how from experienced people.” Date Jonkman, Sixty82 executive account manager, adds: “We believe that Cast is uniquely positioned to further develop our existing
UK - KV2 Audio has announced a partnership with RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) to support the training of young students in theatre sound production. KV2 has provided a range of EX Series loudspeakers to equip RADA’s Jerwood Vanbrugh and Gielgud theatres, and will also offer masterclasses on sound design and the use of point source technology in a theatre environment. Steve Mayo, RADA’s head of sound, comments: “These partnerships are the life-blood of hands-on training for our students. I am very eager for our sound students to have the opportunity, not only to work with high quality, modern equipment, but also to meet the people behind it. The support we’ve had from KV2 has been invaluable in paving the way for this partnership, from our initial conversations at ABTT in June through to them organising for all our students to have a proper demo of the full KV
UK - PLASA has launched the National Lifting Event Training (NELT), a training programme for production technicians who use lifting equipment during event production. Designed in conjunction with the Live Event Production Group with the aim of improving safe working practices of lifting operations, NELT is currently available at UK Rigging in Bolton and Production Services (PSI) in Northern Ireland, with more approved centres expected to offer the programme in 2020. Nicky Greet, PLASA’s director of membership, skills & technical, comments: “PLASA is pleased to offer this national training for production technicians that has been developed in collaboration with industry professionals on PLASA’s Live Event Production group. The aim of NELT is to standardise good practice and knowledge, making work environments safer and more efficient for all those involved.
UK - The team behind the immersive installation Blackout are calling for more participants to join its industry research into mental health. The research, which was initiated during the PLASA Show, is seeking to provide the first evaluation on mental health awareness within the UK technical backstage entertainment industry. To collect the required research data, Dr Paul Hanna, research director in clinical psychology at the University of Surrey, has devised a short (5-10 minutes) questionnaire. The results of the study will then be used in panel discussions, conferences and health and safety reviews with industry organisations to promote a discussion on industry issues such as working hours, overnight shift work and touring shift patterns. Mig Burgess, Guildford School of Acting tutor and creator of the Blackout immersive event, says: “This is an extremely impo
Poland - Warsaw-based AVI Media has been appointed to distribute DAS Audio’s professional audio products in Poland. AVI Media’s Michal Zelman comments: “During my time working in the PA/AV market I was involved in projects and events with DAS Audio products and I always had a very good impression of their performance and reliability. My goal now is to expand this brand’s excellent reputation throughout Poland and participate in larger projects with AV integrators, designers and sound engineers, providing the best customer service.” Ignacio Chuliá, executive sales representative for DAS Audio in Europe, adds: “AVI Media is the perfect partner for the Polish market. DAS Audio has been working with Michal for quite some time and we look forward to sharing this new project with him. “We are positive that our cooperation with Michal will consolidate our
Germany - Over 250 guests were in attendance throughout the nine-day Ambion Digital Jungle open-house event. Attendees enjoyed an hour-long sensory journey of innovative installations focused on tracking, immersive interactivity, sensor technology, realtime control and reactive, generative content using BlackTrax, disguise and Notch. Ambion is a full-service provider that plans and produces technology for concerts, sports events, trade shows and congresses around the globe. The company recently held open house days where they invited selected clients, partners, innovation agencies and event planners to attend. The Digital Jungle demonstrations focused on technology and its application in a live event scenario. OBJ.Studio the Ambion design department has been trying some interesting light and media tech projects in Berlin. The last one was a smart
UK - Industry electrical expert and LSi columnist James Eade has announced the October dates for his recently-launched accredited training programme, BS 7909 Temporary Power for the Events Industry. The course has been fully updated to align it with current industry guidance and standards. It is the only course James Eade is associated with and not offered by any other provider. BS 7909 is taking place across three days on 21-23 October at the Whatlington Village Hall, East Sussex TN33 0NE. There are still a couple of spaces left to book for this sesion, with further events scheduled by the end of the year - more details are available on www.eade.uk.com/training. Pearce Hire is also hosting a series of standards update courses at its HQ in Peterborough. This course is an acc
UAE - SSL has appointed Provision AVL as its live sound product distributor in the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Formed in 2014, Provision AVL have grown their reputation as a leading sales and distribution company in the Middle East, representing premium brands including Prolyte Group, Chauvet Lighting, Clair Brothers Audio Systems, Admiral Staging, and Le Maitre. Provision AVL’s MD, Kevin Boujikian comments: “Back in my college days, the first and foremost audio console brand discussed around our Audio Engineering classes was Solid State Logic. Twelve years on, it was vital for us at Provision AVL to add a leading audio console brand alongside the exciting portfolio of lighting, staging and trussing products we already represent - hence the simple decision to go with Solid State Logic. The Live series compliments what we already offer in terms of audio sy
