UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the city’s Royal Armouries from 14-15 May with two sold-out show floors and a bigger-than-ever programme. A record number of people have registered to attend the popular trade show, which promises to deliver an abundance of brands from across the pro audio, AV, lighting and staging sectors alongside a packed programme of seminar sessions, panel discussions, training events and more.

On the show floor, over 200 brands will span two halls, with Ambersphere proudly returning as headline sponsor. Many of the exhibitors will showcase their latest products, with several UK debuts to look out for.

Lighting brands include Avolites, Beamz, Chauvet Professional, Elation Professional, ETC, GLP, Highlite International, Martin Professional, Prolight, Robe, Roxx, TMB, and Vari-Lite.

Pro audio brands include Allen & H

UK - The recently announced Profile Awards have created much interest within the industry, with sponsorship take up for all the 16 Awards. The Headline Sponsor is Ayrton with the TV Awards being sponsored by ChamSys, ELP, LCR, Light Initiative, Roxxlight and Version 2 Lights. The Theatre Awards are sponsored by Chauvet, Elation, ETC, Fix8, GLP, TSL, SLX and Vari-Lite; the pre-show bar is sponsored by Ambersphere Solutions and the Goody Bags at the end of the evening are sponsored by JLL.

The Profile Awards have been created and are coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD; the Awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and television in the UK and the inaugural event will take place at the Alexandra Palace theatre on 6 June 2024.

Alongside eight specific Theatre awards and six TV awards

UK - Production Futures’ next On Tour event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Tuesday 30 April. As its first arena outing, this will be Production Futures’ largest and most ambitious On Tour event to date. 

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is a strong supporter of the Production Futures mission, and who opened the previous show in the city, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Production Futures On Tour back to Manchester for a third year, and to see huge growth in the upcoming show, now taking over the AO Arena, where so many major artists and shows have taken the stage.

“Greater Manchester is known around the globe as the birthplace of ground-breaking music, film, theatre, festivals, venues, live events and TV, but that’s only made possible by the expertise and dedication of thousands of people working behind the scenes

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has revealed additions to its annual awards. The ABTT Award for Costume and ABTT Award for WHAM Design aim to honour the expertise and significant contributions of industry professionals, as well as the creative collaborations they foster within the production process.

Presented at the annual ABTT Theatre Show on the 5 June, the Award for Costume has been designed to honour individuals from different disciplines of the costume sector who have achieved a command of their chosen discipline. For 2024 this award will be celebrating costume managers who demonstrate excellence in the work they have undertaken.

The new ‘ABTT Award for WHAM Design’ has been developed by the ABTT’s Wigs, Hair and Makeup (WHAM) Committee that aims to promote the interests of the wigs, hair and make-up community w

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the north from 14-15 May, along with a programme dedicated to delivering knowledge and inspiration for all those working in the live events and entertainment technology industry. Sponsored by Vectorworks, this year’s programme is the biggest ever, and the first wave of seminars has just arrived. Register for PLASA Focus Leeds to gain unlimited access to all these sessions, and more.
Lighting design and sustainable tech
Jonathan Haynes and Stuart Porter from White Light will discuss the processes and challenges of enhancing your lighting rig. This seminar follows on from last year’s seminar on sustainability and is aimed at venue managers and technicians as well as sustainability advocates and manufacturers.
Robe will host two seminars: a journey into why CRI and colour rendition matter when choosing LED lighting – aimed

Europe - Czech moving and LED lighting manufacturer Robe celebrated its 30th anniversary at the 2024 Prolight + Sound expo in Frankfurt and looked forward to another 30 years of lighting innovation.
The entertainment technology brand presented the finale of the Power of Imagination show, that entertained packed audiences five times a day and also staged a Rock ‘n’ Robe stand party on the evening of the second day, featuring Queen tribute band Queenie. Additionally, an array of new lighting products was launched and on the eve of the expo, Robe announced the acquisition of LSC Control Systems.
LSC joined the other Robe businesses – sister architectural brand Anolis, console manufacturer Avolites and control solutions provider Artistic Licence
The two public ‘dark demonstration’ rooms on the booth were constantly busy throughout the four days wi

UK - The Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers (ISCVE) celebrated a successful ISCVEx 2024. The two-day symposium, which took place from 19-20 March at the historic Coombe Abbey, near Coventry, brought together more than 250 attendees in a showcase of knowledge, technology and community.
ISCVE hosted a varied line-up, which started with an engaging AGM and featured an illuminating member’s presentation from Jason Williams on Species AI Capture – The challenges and rewards of working on environmental and conservation projects. Participants then enjoyed camaraderie and insights exchanged at the networking dinner, complemented by an exhilarating performance by The Pub Choir.
Highlighting the second day were three seminars. James ‘Brew’ Henry Breward led the charge with Quiet Please, bringing to the spotlight the advanced audio systems util

Germany - Under the motto ‘Claypaky: leading through innovation. And Beyond’, Claypaky celebrated its participation in the 2024 edition of Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt.
The primary focus was on the latest addition to the ‘Multispectral family’ – Rhapsodya. Claypaky hosted a pre-recorded product presentation, including a short light show lasting about 12 minutes, which ran every hour. Following the demo, the Buddylight automated followspot was showcased in action during a special performance on stage, featuring singer Nevio Passaro.
Claypaky presented some innovative lighting solutions including:
Volero Cube is a compact IP66 fixture that seamlessly merges beam, wash, and strobe effects. This new, multi-function, multi-effect moving head is a real “4-in-1 fusion fixture” boasting 4 powerful 60W RGBW LEDs and plus-shaped cool white LED strips for str

Germany - Last week’s Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt attracted round 25,000 visitors from five continents and more than 100 countries, according to its organisers who reported that over 500 exhibitors and brands showcased their innovations and solutions at the show.
"I am very pleased that we were able to emphasise what makes Prolight + Sound so special with this year's edition,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president & CEO of Messe Frankfurt. “It not only combines technical innovations, knowledge transfer and entertainment, but also brings together a large number of top decision-makers with young industry newcomers under one roof - and thus forms a bridge between the status quo and the future of the event industry.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our association partners VPLT and EVVC once again for their commitment and support,"
Panel

Germany - LEaT con, the trade fair and conference for the event and entertainment industry, reports that 80% of the available exhibition space has already been sold to exhibitors.
Taking place from 22 to 24 October 2024 at Hamburg Messe, LEaT con has established itself since 2022 as a community hub for professionals from the event and entertainment industry.
With a list of over 150 exhibitors and more than 180 brands presenting the latest technologies, services, and solutions, the event offers a platform for exchanging ideas, promoting innovation, and building new contacts in the entertainment industry.
"We are overwhelmed by the positive response and the trust the industry places in LEaT con," says Duc Nguyen, director of LEaT, organiser of LEaT con. "Reaching 80% of the exhibition space sold at this early stage is a clear sign that our vision of creating a net

Germany - Alongside celebrating its 30th anniversary CAST Group of Companies will unveil its latest innovations including the wysiwyg 2024, and BlackTrax's new MiniBeacon Wave.
Enriching the Visual Design Experience with Wysiwyg 2024 Exclusively at ProLight + Sound, CAST will be sharing previews of wysiwyg's Release 2024 features and enhancements that are ‘set to open new possibilities for lighting and production designers’.
The new MiniBeacon Wave is the latest addition to BlackTrax. Engineered to guarantee seamless integration and maximum versatility, the MiniBeacon Wave features compact design and user-friendly interface. One of its key features is the ability to quickly attach stringers (tracking points), streamlining setup and reducing the load on belt packs.
"This year represents a significant landmark for CAST, as we commemorate 30 years of pioneeri

Germany - Avolites showcases its new and latest technology at this week’s Prolight & Sound show in Frankfurt.
The main attraction for the Avolites stand (D28, Hall 12.1) at this year’s show will be the new Diamond 7 (D7) console, the next in the line to the flagship Diamond 9 (D9) console. “This initial product launch allows us to gain valuable feedback from lighting designers and operators, as well as extensive product testing over the festival season,” says the company. The full product launch, with all the product variants is planned for end of this summer. The Frankfurt stand will see two variants, D7-330 and D7-215, the three and two screen variant with 30 and 15 faders respectively, and available for individual demonstration.
Key product features of the new D7 include a new clam shell screen panel and locking mechanism. The console control surface f

Germany - Robert Juliat will be exhibiting at Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt in its familiar position in the Lightpower Village in Hall 12.0, Stand C60.
Fresh to the stand, RJ will be previewing its latest followspot, the new LED, cool white Tristan with a 7°-14° zoom range, which is set to become the LED replacement for the popular 1,800W MSR Victor.
RJ’s Sully 4C profile will also be demonstrated on the stand: visitors will be able to have the full hands-on experience of the fixture and free rein of the controls to discover RJ colour. This software platform makes the Sully 4C fixture user-friendly while offering a wide set of features and controls.
Finally, RJ will also be previewing an exciting new LED profile spot which will mark the introduction of a new family of Robert Juliat fixtures later this year.

Germany - Ayrton will be exhibiting at Prolight+Sound this week (Stand D75), where it will be revealing two new products in its Multi Source 6 Series and Creative Solutions range: Kyalami and Nando 502 Wash.
Kyalami is a new laser-sourced, IP65 rated fixture inspired by the multiple award-winning MagicDot. First released in 2015, MagicDot sold by the thousands within months, and still inspires creativity. Nine years later it has given birth to Kyalami, the first IP65 laser source luminaire in the Creative Solution series.
Devised for architectural graphic effects, Kyalami is an ultra-compact luminaire with great creative potential. Its essential performance capability is based on its design, extreme miniaturisation, and a minimalist cylindrical footprint that allows multiple luminaires to be installed only a few centimetres apart.
A sphere of just 265mm incorpor

Germany - Receiving its worldwide launch at Frankfurt will be Green-GO’s Stride Antenna - the first product in the company’s new Stride wireless series.
Stride offers seamless roaming, greater DECT spectrum efficiency and increased user mobility, without affecting the range or the audio quality of devices on the network. Compatible with existing Green-GO WBPX wireless beltpacks, Stride enables higher DECT device density, allowing more WBPX beltpacks to be used simultaneously within the same area.
“True seamless roaming has been a goal for Green-GO’s customers since the very beginning,” says Silvio Cibien, CEO of Anima Network, the company responsible for Green-GO’s export and marketing, explaining the importance of this innovation. “Now, with Stride, we can finally deliver it. Achieving this function is a huge success for us, requiring a significant inve

Germany - Robe celebrates 30 years of embracing the challenges of the entertainment and performance industry with a number of new products launched in Hall 12.1 on stand D10, the centrepiece of which will be the iBOLT - a powered searchlight type of fixture.
Other products being launched include the iESprite Fresnel, the T15 Fresnel, T15 PC, the Footsie1 and Footsie2 Slim versions, the T32 Cyc and the T32 Cyc Slim, the iProMotion Landscape + iProMotion Portrait, the Forte Fresnel / PC and the iSpiiderX.
Also launched is the iT12 Fresnel, a powerful outdoor Fresnel wash fixture which includes an ingenious new patented F2L Fresnel-lens system, comprising two lenses engineered with a smooth outer surface to eliminate the debris accumulation commonly found on outdoor Fresnel lenses. The iForte LTX LightMaster will be previewed.
Robe will present the final show in it

Germany - Power and lighting control specialist LSC Control Systems will launch a number of new products at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt.
LSC’s Unity, GEN-VI and APS product ranges already provide peace of mind in top-end performance and leisure venues, events and productions worldwide. Now, visitors to Prolight+Sound will be among the first to see the new GEN-X and APS-X products - each offering important new enhancements to the manufacturer’s power management systems. Also on show will be the latest Mantra 4.0software, and the new Nexen Portable, adding further to LSC’s family of protocol converters.
New at Prolight+Sound this year is the GEN-X. A new version of the GEN-VI (pronounced ‘GEN6’) advanced dimming and power distribution system, this introduces an Ethernet input alongside the DMX, allowing for direct control via sACN and Art-Net. GEN-X offers all

UK - Thursday 11 July will see Backup Tech’s The Village Fete return to Daytona Sandown Park in Surrey for more fun and frivolity. So, dig out your best tweed and flowery dresses, dust off your cake recipes and get ready to purchase your tickets, which will go on sale at 9am on Monday 25 March for Backup’s Partners and at 9am on Wednesday 27 March for general sale.
“We had such great feedback about last year’s fete that we’re adding more fun and frivolity,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “Last year, we changed the whole look and feel of the day to make sure the Village Fete appealed to so many more people outside of the karting.
“This year, we’re building on the success of the fete by adding more fete stalls, a ‘Veg Off’ to complement our very successful ‘Bake Off’, bringing back the Lions Barbers Collective, The Straw Stage for live music an

Europe - Architectural LED lighting manufacturer Anolis - A Robe Business - enjoyed a busy and positive 2024 Light+Building expo in Frankfurt, launching two new product ranges - Lyrae and Agame plus the new iProMotion, an IP65-rated moving head effects and video projector, as well as showcasing its current flagship ranges of Calumma, Ambiane and Eminere.
The team enjoyed a steady flow of visitors across the four-day event, seeing people working across the many and ever-diversifying sectors of architecture and built environments.
Anolis considers Light+Building to be among the most important architectural lighting exhibitions in Europe, and arguably worldwide. “We wanted to be there for multiple reasons,” explained Anolis product manager Bruno Francois, “one being to expand our influence and presence, and also to emphasise the significance of the architectural s

Spain - Visitors to ISE in Barcelona were greeted by the sight of a custom-made 7.5m umbrella, where 61,500,000 pixels of animations enlivened every panel using six 10-bit, 4K, 20,000-Lumen projectors which were driven by Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers.
The project was realised by UK-based Motion Mapping, who were challenged with creating the concept and delivering the unusual exhibit, which was rigged on the Epson stand.
“We managed to load up the two Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers with the new Hippotizer 4.9 software and used the SHAPE toolkit to 3D map the undulating surfaces of the umbrella’s many panels,” says Stuart Harris of Motion Mapping. “We constructed a 3D model in C4D and then the real thing was constructed in Germany. SHAPE helped us to calculate everything and visualise it all in pre-production and then blend and line it all up on-s

Germany - Prolight + Sound 2024 is set to be an important event for KV2 Audio and their customers. One of the highlights is the Live Sound Arena situated outside Hall 11 where KV2 holds four demos daily that invariably attract a big audience.
“We have participated in the Live Sound Arena demo area at Prolight + Sound every year for nearly 20 years (COVID years excepted),” says George Krampera, jr., KV2’s CEO. “In our experience, this demo area is the best demo setup of any trade show anywhere and it has always been hugely successful for us. In fact, it’s the main reason we’ve supported the show for so long despite its reduced size, because we still perceive enormous value in the live demos which are well set up and well run, offering extremely realistic outdoor conditions for all participants.”
KV2 will be demonstrating their powerful VHD2 system, a lon

Europe - The flagship conference of the Digital Signage and DooH Industry is back from 22-23 May, at the Hilton Munich Airport in Germany. Early bird tickets are now available.
At Digital Signage Summit Europe 2024 (DSS Europe), experts from around the world will explore software-related issues such as the move to a platform economy, AI, and cybersecurity, alongside other industry trends such as the latest developments in green signage and retail media.
The two-day summit, a joint venture between Integrated Systems Events (ISE) and invidis consulting offers ‘networking at its core and a goal to shape the future of digital signage’. The conference programme hosts a comprehensive lineup of speakers sharing knowledge and insights, including an industry ‘outlook’ presentation from invidis consulting, keynotes from global industry leaders, presentations of concepts

Germany - At the 2024 edition of the Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, ETC will be showcasing new products and a series of presentations on stand C39 in Hall 12.0.
Throughout the week, visitors to ETC’s stand will have the chance to explore the latest technologies in lighting, control, stage machinery and more. Attendees will get a first look at a new entertainment lighting fixture, new Hog software and a preview of Eos lighting control software with expansion processing on stand C39.
ETC product specialists will also host a series of mini presentations during the four-day tradeshow on the stand. These sessions will delve into whole system solutions and integration, exploring how to make workflows more efficient, and taking a closer look at some of ETC's advanced technologies.
Attendees will also get a chance to see the latest in stage machinery including a Prodig

China - Brompton Technology has announced its participation in this year's Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), where it will co-exhibit with creative studio partner, Votion Studios, alongside AOTO and Disguise.
Hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the four-day event takes place from 11-14 March 2024, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It is recognised as one of the premier events in the global film industry and serves as Asia’s largest film and entertainment content marketplace.
With a primary focus on virtual production as a cornerstone in the evolution of visual storytelling, Brompton will join its industry partners in showcasing the key capabilities and latest features of its Tessera LED processing range to the burgeoning filmmaking community in Hong Kong.
“Targeting filmmakers, content creators, and

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