USA - ESTA and USITT have announced that the second New World Rigging Symposium is taking place 19-20 March 2019 in conjunction with the USITT Conference and Stage Expo 2019 in Louisville. Symposium attendees will receive free show floor passes to the USITT Stage Expo opening on 21 March as well as a discount on the conference registration. The event will provide an opportunity for riggers and those interested in the live entertainment rigging industry to network, discuss current issues and new technologies, and help shape the future of the industry. In 10 sessions over two days, participants will be given a range of opportunities to further their technical knowledge, keep up to date with codes and standards, increase their understanding of structural issues, and learn about the challenges of working as a rigger in other segments of the entertainment industry. T
Korea - Martin Audio has appointed Seoul-based Sama Sound as its new Korean distributor. Established in 1969, Sama Sound represents many major pro audio brands in the region, including Allen & Heath, Genelec, HK Audio and Shure. Sama Sound president, Jason Inn, comments: “Having looked carefully for opportunities to expand our product portfolio, we believe that with the addition of Martin Audio, we can now comprehensively service the market and grow together, increasing market share by developing synergy with our current partners. We are extremely excited about the new journey.” Martin Audio’s APAC account manager, Andy Duffield, adds: “Sama Sound has enjoyed great success over many years in the Korean market, both in rental / touring and the wider installation market. With Martin Audio’s proactive product strategy generating above indust
Brazil - Brazilian AV company Maxi has purchased DiGiCo's SD12 desk. The company’s association with the digital mixing desk manufacturer dates back to 2012 and the purchase of the SD10. “In 2012, DiGiCo was already dominant in the world market, but still had very few users in Brazil,” says Maxi’s executive director, José Augusto Martins. “We believed the brand had the same innovative and modern appeal that we have and intend to maintain, which is why we made the original investment. We’ve now added the SD12 because it’s a console that has all the great features from the previous DiGiCo consoles, but in a more compact package. I thought this was a brilliant combination.” And for Maxi, size definitely matters. “We can use the SD12 anywhere from corporate events to concerts, you name it,” José continues. The quality is excellent, it’s quick and e
UK - Technical entertainment charity Backup collected a record amount of donations at its annual karting challenge held in July. Kart-Fest 2018 raised £23,500 in donations - the biggest total for any Backup fund-raising event yet, and £2,500 more than in 2017. Held during the first Wimbledon fortnight, Kart-Fest 2018 was themed around the tennis tournament and saw racers from 33 teams don big hair, sweatbands, tennis skirts and dubious prosthetics. Backup trustee and event organiser Lee Dennison says: "It can be hard getting everyone together in this industry, as we’re all so constantly busy. But on the day, it felt effortless, and we were so pleased that 33 teams representing all areas participated. Rivalries stayed on the track and a common shared 'want' to support our charity and help our family out became the focus of the day." In first pl
South Africa - DWR Distribution will host a grandMA2 training course this month. Presented by Jannie de Jager from DWR Distribution, the grandMA2 Advanced Training will be held on 16-17 August from 9am to 5pm in DWR’s Johannesburg office. The cost is R2,550 per person and includes lunch and refreshments. Delegates are requested to supply their own grandMA2 console and laptop for the MA 3D Visualiser. After completing the training, participants should be able to programme and operate mid to large-scale productions using advanced techniques including building macros, timecode programming, advanced effects, XYZ programming, moving data between shows and building custom fixtures. The training takes place at DWR Distribution, Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, LaserPark, Honeydew. To book your place, please visit the DWR Distribution web
Malaysia - CAST BlackTrax has appointed Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) as its South East Asia distributor. A&L serves the local market as well as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand through a network of nine offices and 200+ staff. It already represents Avolites, Claypaky, disguise and Luminex among others. Andrew Gordon, BlackTrax director of business development, comments: “BlackTrax has already executed over 9,000 events around the world, but we continue to look for strategic opportunities to grow the business, and the South East Asia market represents a considerable market potential. A&L is the ideal team to help us establish a strong presence in the region. Their extensive experience, technical expertise and commitment to customer support represent what we strive for in a partnership.” Eugene Yeo, general manager of Acoustic & Lighti
Off Air - The broadcasting regulator Ofcom has scrapped the roll-out of further local TV channels across the UK. More than 30 local TV stations have been set up since 2013, but some have faced financial difficulties and have struggled to attract an audience. Ofcom has now halted plans to seek people to run new channels in 13 areas. The regulator said it had taken the decision in light of "the significant financial challenges that the local TV sector is facing". Continuing with the plans for the new channels would, Ofcom says, "have an adverse impact on the economic viability of the local TV sector." Licences will now not be advertised for Bangor (Wales), Barnstaple, Bromsgrove, Derry Londonderry, Forth Valley, Gloucester, Inverness, Kidderminster, Limavady, Luton, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and Stratford-upon-Avon. Local TV was launched in the UK under a plan laid out in
South Africa - DWR Distribution has announced details for its annual Vectorworks Training presented by Francois van der Merwe in September at DWR Distribution in Johannesburg. Basic training will be held on 17 September and will cover the fundamentals of Vectorworks, Layouts, Palettes, Basic Tools, Classes and Layers. The cost for this one-day training session is R850. Intermediate Training will be held on 18 & 19 September, with a focus Preferences, Basic Spotlight, Basic Renderworks and Intermediate Tools. The cost is R1 700.00. Advanced Users are invited for training on the 20-21 September. The course will cover Working Planes, Advanced Modelling and Advanced Renderworks. The cost is R1 700. Training will be held every day from 9am to 5pm and will be hosted at DWR Distribution, Block C, Unit1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeyd
Greece - Martin Audio has appointed RM Audio as its new distributor in Greece. RM Audio / Ressou Bros Co is a specialist provider of sound, lighting, video and staging equipment founded by Marinos and Michalis Ressos in 2006. The duo runs the business, based in Moschato, Athens, with Giannikos Pavlos and Giorgos Kapolas. Speaking of the new brand acquisition, Kapolas says: “It is well known that Martin Audio is one of the world's leading manufacturers of speakers. Unfortunately, in recent times the brand has been missing from the Greek market and so we contacted them, setting out our vision of Martin Audio to [EMEA sales manager] Brad Watson, and the opportunities that exist in Greece to get Martin Audio back as first choice of sound professionals again.” He continues: “Whether we are dealing with concert coverage via MLA or installing CDD5s, as we have re
USA - Trussing and staging equipment specialist Prolyte Group has opened North American headquarters in Pearland, Texas. The company is well established across Europe and Asia and its expansion to the USA follows five years of successful operations in Canada. Ralph Stockley, Prolyte’s chief commercial officer, comments: “Texas was an attractive selection for Prolyte’s North American headquarters. We already had an existing partnership with a company in Pearland. Other factors, such as tax benefits, the strength of the Texas economy and the proximity to the Port of Houston finalised our decision.” Prolyte is also planning to introduce its Prolyte Campus initiative in North America, through which the company has been offering hands-on training events across the globe. Lambert Bouwmeester, Prolyte’s chief executive officer, adds: “The opening of o
USA - ESTA has posted three documents for public review on its website. Two of the documents are reaffirmations of existing standards and one is a proposed new standard. The reviews run through 24 September. The documents are: ANSI E1.5, Theatrical Fog Made with Aqueous Solutions of Di- and Trihydric Alcohols ANSI E1.5 - 2009, last reaffirmed in 2014, is being considered for reaffirmation. This standard describes the composition of theatrical fogs or artificial mists that are not likely to be harmful to healthy performers, technicians, or audience members of normal working age. It is limited to those fogs and mists made from a solution of water and one or more dihydric or trihydric alcohols, and is intended to be applied in theatres, arenas, an
USA - Atlona has announced that D&H Distributing Company has become its first manufacturer’s representative to focus exclusively on IT professionals tasked with managing AV systems over the network. Based in Harrisburg, PA, D&H Distributing Company will represent Atlona on a national basis, with an emphasis on marketing Atlona’s AV over IP solutions to its small-to-medium-size business (SMB) customers. Pete Hurley, sales director for D&H Distributing Company’s SMB PROAV Division, comments, “Atlona’s inclusion in the projects calling for Cisco, Intel, commercial displays, integration projectors, screens and mounts provide an important differentiator from competitive IT distributors that lack a strong AV over IP partner. “Cat 6 cable drives virtually everything today across the AV ecosystem, and IT resellers are the first professionals working beh
UK - The Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) has revealed the 2018 Concert Touring & Events shortlist. This year's judging panel is led by chair Jess Allan, and comprises LSi editor Claire Beeson, TPi editor Kelly Murray, director of 18 Degrees architectural lighting Christopher Knowlton, head of lighting design at creative agency Imagination, Jonny Milmer, and account manager at Coloursound Experiment Jo Bierne.
Concert Touring & Events Shortlist
Award for Arena, sponsored by GLP German Light Products Cate Carter for Elbow Tim Routledge for Sam Smith Rob Sinclair for Queen + Adam Lambert Award for Stage, sponsored by Avolites Bruno Poet and Matt Daw for Sigur Rós Rob Sinclair for David Byrne Samuel Tozer for Wilkinson Award for Club, sponsored by MA Lighting Tom
UK - Nominations for PLASA’s Gottelier Award are now open. The award, named after late lighting designer and industry commentator Tony Gottelier, launched in 2007 to recognise product developers who have made significant and sustained contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology. Previous recipients include Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence), Anne Valentino (ETC), David Cunningham (Entertec), Pasquale Quadri (Claypaky), Jim Bornhorst (Vari-Lite), John Meyer (Meyer Sound), Terry Clarke (Klark Teknik, MC2 Audio), Fred Foster (ETC), Alex Cooper (Midas & Klark Teknik), John Stadius (DiGiCo / Soundtracs) and Tony Andrews (Funktion-One). Anyone in the industry can nominate individuals as well as development teams by emailing
UK - Poole-based Pulse PA are typical of companies providing full technical infrastructure for small-to-medium sized events. With limited truck space and a trailer stage to erect in rapid time on site, easy portability and fast rigging of the sound system is vital. The company has been successfully running Martin Audio LE1200 monitors for the past eight years, and when it was time to move into the next generation they kept faith with the brand, adding a quantity of the XE300 12” coaxial differential dispersion monitors to their inventory, powered by Martin Audio’s new iKON ik42 four-channel amplifiers. “LE1200s have always been very successful and popular with clients and are very rider friendly,” says Pulse owner, Ralph Walsh. But he knew it was time to move on. “We were given a demo of the new XE300 - they sounded extremely good and were perfect for vocal
UK - Milton Keynes pro audio solutions manufacturer Studiomaster has struck an MI and pro audio retail distribution agreement with EMD Music for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland. The agreement covers Studiomaster’s comprehensive range of analogue and digital mixers and mixing consoles, entry level and mid-market self-powered and passive PA and installation loudspeaker solutions, portable PA systems, and the popular range of Carlsbro CSD electronic drum kits. Studiomaster general manager Patrick Almond comments: “We have been growing our European market share significantly. Particularly in the last two years, when the rate of increase began accelerating to a point where it became clear that we needed to find a suitable partner with the presence on the ground to sustain further expansion. “The search for the partne
UK - Shure UK has partnered with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) “to help foster a strong theatre industry for the years ahead”. As part of the partnership, Shure has agreed to donate some of its equipment to the Academy and carry out masterclasses in wireless technology. Equipment supplied to RADA includes top-tier wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems, such as Axient Digital and PSM300, as well as Shure's range of KSM studio microphones. Steve Mayo, head of sound at RADA comments: "The collaboration between RADA and Shure is one of innovation, rigour and experimentation. Shure's company values sit perfectly with RADA's dedication to world-class education. The partnership between RADA and Shure ensures the high standards of excellence and helps to deliver consistency across specialist training, product development and application." Tuomo T
Tax Relief - Statistics published by HM Revenue and Customs show that theatre benefitted from £77m of tax relief in 2017/18, up from £44m the year before - a 75% increase. There were 910 claims made in 2017/18, representing 2,980 productions. Of this, 1,140 were touring and 1,840 were non-touring shows. Since September 2014, when tax relief for the sector was introduced, a total of £137m has been paid out in relief, covering 1,670 claims and 4,680 productions. The tax policy follows similar schemes for other media such as film, television and video games. Touring shows can claim back 25% relief on eligible costs and other productions can claim 20%. Society of London Theatre chief executive Julian Bird said the tax relief had “allowed producers to become more adventurous and compensated for reductions in funding from other sources”. Reunion Blues<
UK - TSL Lighting has invested more than £500,000 in new rental stock as it announces the completion of its acquisition of corporate and event lighting specialist Blinding Light. The investment expands the company's stock of fixtures from a range of manufacturers, including Chroma-Q, Claypaky, Luminex, Chamsys and Litepanels. Managing director Sam Tamplin comments: "This marks a significant moment for TSL and Blinding Light as we underpin our commitment to growth and service with significant stock expansion. Both brands share common core values - to provide the best quality lighting and rigging equipment and services to the production industry, delivered by skilled, knowledgeable and friendly project managers and technicians. I truly believe that our combined team - made up of well respected, experienced staff who share these values - will be a huge advantage to all o
UK - J&C Joel reports that the Theatres Trust, the national advisory public body for theatres, as its chosen charity for the company’s 40th anniversary year. J&C Joel was established as a limited company in Sowerby Bridge, Halifax in 1978 by John Wheelwright whose family had been involved in the textile trade for more than 150 years. Originally selling fabric to tailors and the fashion industry, John quickly identified an opportunity to expand into events and entertainment. The business, which has now been passed down to John’s son James, exports to more than 80 countries worldwide, providing products such as front of house theatre curtains, stage backdrops, cycloramas, gauzes, acoustic solutions, projection screens and an array of stage engineering solutions. As part of J&C Joel’s support for the Theatres Trust across the year they will be enc
USA - The judging panel for the Theatre category of the inaugural Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA) has been revealed. The panel comprises seven experts in lighting and scenic design as well as theatre and choreography. Those are Clifton Taylor, David Rooney, Deborah Jowitt, Chris Jones, Lauren Warnecke, Mark Swed and Celia Ipiotis. Clifton Taylor - is a lighting designer and chair of the Theatre judging panel, Clifton has over 29 years' experience in creating lighting, projection and scenic designs for theatre, dance and opera around the world. David Rooney - is the chief theatre critic for Hollywood Reporter, David regularly reviews theatre and film and has been covering the entertainment industry since 1991. He has been a member of the New York Drama Critics Circle for 14 years, and is the winner of both Southern California Journalism Awards,
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will be holding a UK recruitment event on Monday, 30 July at its headquarters in High Wycombe. The company will promote new vacancies as well as opportunities opening up alongside vacancies for existing roles and is looking to meet “passionate individuals with commercial / production experience, who are keen to learn/develop skills in this exciting industry and work for a company that is helping to establish new technologies.” The informal event will include an introduction to AC-ET, a tour of the headquarters' facilities, product demonstrations, and a talk about career opportunities and current vacancies at the company. To register your interest in attending the recruitment event, please email careers@ac-et.com or call 01494 446000.
UK - Ambersphere Solutions has announced two additions to its product portfolio in Astera and Zactrack. This brings Ambersphere's range to six UK exclusive offerings, including Ayrton, Claypaky, MA lighting, and Robert Juliat. Astera manufactures cable-less LED fixtures, including a waterproof, pixel controllable RGBW tube (AX1); the magnetic AX3 (Lightdrop), which can be used as a hanging or free-standing; the AX5 battery uplighter; and the AX7 and AX10 event spotlights. Ambersphere now carries the whole range, as well as a wide stock of spares and accessories. Zactrack is a motion tracking system, which can operate standalone but is designed to integrate with any lighting system. Ambersphere has a full demo system set up in their West London showroom.
UK - London-based PA rental company Capital Sound Hire has confirmed its acquisition by SSE Audio Group. The deal follows a period where the two businesses have been aligned through a strategic partnership. Capital Sound will continue to operate as a separate brand, but will be able to access the Group’s resources, including its multi-million pound hire inventory comprising L-Acoustics and d&b audiotechnik systems and the largest rental stock of digital mixing consoles in the UK. In addition, SSE offers specialist services including manufacturing, which serve the whole group. Keith Davis, founder and MD of Capital Sound explains: “We approached John Penn at SSE at the beginning of the year to assist us on a project that required a larger pool of equipment, knowing that we could trust SSE not to nick the gig! Through projects like this we were able to
