UK - The market value of the UK entertainment technology industry has grown by an estimated 5% in the past 12 months, according to PLASA research. This puts the industry’s value at £1.36bn in 2018/19, up from £1.30bn in 2017/18. The sectors with the largest growth include architecture, broadcast and corporate events, which are valued at £250m, £220m and £160m respectively. Only a third of the businesses surveyed expect the industry to grow in 2019/20 however, the main concern being how and when the UK will exit the European Union. The full report, which follows on from PLASA’s comprehensive industry research released in 2018, details sector by sector performance, investment in marketing and R&D, and the future outlook for the industry.
USA - Visitors arriving at GLP’s stand at LDI will be greeted by four diverse offerings as GLP extends its 25th year celebrations accompanied by associated brands Fusion by GLP, Cosmic Truss and Scenex Lighting. Also present will be the Highlander high output discharge washlight; impression S350 Wash, which brings a new level of control and functionality to the mid-range LED washlight market; and impression FR10 Bar, with a new optical system, and larger size aperture. Fusion by GLP’s Fusion Stick 10 and Fusion Stick 20 feature a connector system, which allows the Stick to create seamless light lines in either a horizontal or vertical set up; the Fusion Par 7 is equipped with seven high powered 30 Watt RGBW LEDs, and with an IP65 rating, it is capable of outdoor applications; Fusion Supernova features a powerful, homogeneous pixel free RGBW light output, making it
The Netherlands - One of best-known event venues in The Netherlands has been recently transformed into an intimate restaurant with high-tech decor. Madame Jeanette is the successor of dinner show Pandora, which ended early this year. It is an intense evening full of visual spectacle, where visitors dine in the middle of a vibrant story that is told in a visual, musical and culinary way. In recent months, Studio 21 has been completely rebuilt especially for this show, with the kitchen in the centre of the room and a high-tech decor in which the stage, the video and audio are in a 360° setting around the guests. Dutch lighting, audio, and rigging company Chain was responsible for the technical production. Because of the complete round set up, the decision was made to use six circles in the decor. In the middle of the room a 6mtr FD34 circle was used for t
UK - New research, carried out by Bournemouth University for the Events Industry Forum, has revealed that outdoor events have been much undervalued for the contribution they make to the UK economy, both locally and nationally, with a Gross Value of over £30 billion and providing employment for some 589,000 people. The research, funded by sales of the Purple Guide, is thought to be the first comprehensive study of the market to be undertaken. Its findings were introduced to key industry players at an event at the House of Commons on 24 October. In 2018, the year which was the focus of the study, over 140 million people attended outdoor events according to the researchers, ranging from music festivals to fairs and steam rallies. The good news for the industry is that 84% of those attendees were satisfied with the way events are run, and the majority of interviewees fe
Europe - Belgium-based entertainment technology engineering and automation specialist WIcreations has acquired the assets of Swedish advanced technology manufacturer, Visual act Scandinavia AB, effective immediately. The terms of the deal include all the IP, source coding, patents, etc., related to Visual act’s computerised control systems designed for all types of automated machinery - on, over or below the stage - for events, installations and venues. The move makes independently owned and operated WIcreations the largest automation rental provider in Europe. Hans Willems, CEO of WIcreations, comments: “This hugely exciting opportunity will assist our planned medium-term growth and allow us to develop even more dynamic and all-encompassing automation solutions for a wider range of clients, including full touring packages. “WIcreations has been usin
USA - The organising committee of the 2019 Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA) has announced the third and final shortlist for this year's awards. KOI-USA honours the talents and achievements of lighting and video designers for their work across the United States in the sectors of Theatre, Concert Touring & Events, and Live for Broadcast. The judging panel in the Live for Broadcast category have reviewed this year's submissions and selected the final shortlist of nominees, which is as follows: The Vari-Lite Award for Awards Show Jon Kusner for Billboard Music Awards 2019 Jon Kusner for CMA Awards 2018 Tom Sutherland for People's Choice Awards 2018 The Green Hippo Award for Digital Content Trevor Burk for CMA Awards 2018 Yussef Cole, Michelle Higa Fox, Jorge Peschiera & Marc Janowitz for Patriot Act
South Africa - DWR Distribution is inviting interested parties and companies to attend an L-Acoustics demo on Tuesday, 29 October in Durban. Taking place at the Glenridge Church in Stamford Hill, the free event will run between 12:00 and 15:00, with a focus on the L-Acoustics Kiva II and the A15 (Wide & Focus). Those wishing to attend should register at dwrdistribution.co.za/register/l-acousticsdurban.
Europe - Rozbark Dance Festival is using Prolights to mark the return of a major international event to Silesia This new dance theatre festival is a 10-day international event, presenting the most captivating dance theatre projects from Portugal, China, Israel, the UK, Poland and across the world. The Kamea Dance Company is home to 14 versatile dancers, Israelis side by side with dancers from all over the world who bring their creative talent to the works. Based in Beer Sheva, the capital of the Negev, Kamea tours extensively in Israel and abroad whilst enjoying acclaim from audiences and critics alike. The broad repertoire includes works from internationally renowned guest choreographers. Kamea Dance Company discussed production needs and fixtures with Teatr Rozbark and looking at the original rider and assessing the desired outcome the teams unanimously chose
USA - Under the banner Inspire, professional audio’s annual family reunion returned to New York City’s Javits Center for four October days where inspiration was abundant as leading audio innovators shared their knowledge and experience alongside gear designed to spark creativity and imagination while enhancing productivity. “The programme rocked, and the exhibits were packed with people. Everyone was very excited to be there,” shares Agnieszka Roginska, AES New York 2019 co-chair and AES president-elect. “No time in AES’s history has seen a more diverse, innovative and forward-looking programme.” Convention co-chair and AES Secretary Valerie Tyler elaborates: “We expanded the comprehensive technical programme to include more genres, a broader range of new technologies and a wider breadth of voices than ever before.” “We’re so proud of the
USA - Global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks has announced open registration for its fifth Vectorworks Design Summit. From 22-24 April 2020 in San Diego, California at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, design professionals, educators and students in the architecture, landscape and entertainment industries will have the opportunity to attend industry workshops, product training for all levels of expertise, keynotes, networking opportunities and a customer appreciation party. “This is our first time hosting the Design Summit on the West Coast, and we look forward to the networking opportunities, training workshops and events we’ve planned for attendees in beautiful San Diego,” comments Vectorworks director of channel operations, Tara Grant. “With the resort’s numerous activities and this year’s speakers, we know everyone will have the perfect
USA - With just less than a month to go until LDI 2019, organisers have announced they expect record attendance and participation in this year’s events. LDI runs from 18-24 November at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, starting with the LDInstitute and LDIntensives sessions and LiveXperience Symposium, culminating in the exhibit hall tradeshow from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 November. “We’re thrilled that this year’s LDI Show looks set to be the most well-attended yet, bringing the global live production community from over 80 countries to Las Vegas to share ideas, exhibit and do business,” says LDI's managing director, David Johnson. “Our registration process shows us that people are coming from a wide range of international live and broadcast venues - festivals, corporate events, theatre, concerts, clubs, theme parks, architainment, and houses of worship. LDI
UK - Event production and hire company 10 Out Of 10 is celebrating 30 years in business. Formed by RADA graduate and tutor Paul Need in 1989 with the core idea of offering 10 key services to the entertainment industry, 10 Out Of 10 now works across a wide range of live events, from conferences and exhibitions to theatre, film and television. The company achieved success with its online store, which covered lighting and sound equipment, rigging equipment, staging consumables and more. The acquisition of Drax Lighting, a leading specialist supplier of event and promotional lighting hire equipment, in 2016 further increased 10 Out Of 10’s inventory. The acquisition enabled the company to strengthen its presence outside the capital, making use of the Drax Lighting office in Dunstable. In more recent years the company has set its sights on enhancing its event production
USA - The Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA), which celebrates the creative talents of local and international lighting and video designers across the United States, has revealed the nominees for the 2019 Theatre category shortlist, following long deliberation by the judging panel. Dance critic Lauren Warnecke of the Chicago Tribune led the Theatre judging panel in her new role as panel chair. She was joined by journalist, dancer and founder of Black Dance Magazine, Norma Porter; critic and performing arts editor for the Independent (KC), Paul Horsley; editor in chief of Arts and Culture Texas, Nancy Wozny; theatre critic for Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones; lighting designer Clifton Taylor; and dance critic for Eye on the Arts, Celia Ipiotis. The 2019 KOI-USA theatre shortlist is as follows: The Notch Award for
Indonesia - The integration of immersive display solutions into the world of enterprise conferencing and collaborative working was a key theme for Calibre at AV Week Jakarta. The event ran from 9-11 October at Kasablanka Hall, Jakarta. Calibre teamed up with its new local partner V2 Indonesia based in Jakarta to showcase a host of innovations. A smart meeting room collaboration solution utilised the Calibre 130-inch all-in-one LED Wall integrated with the Calibre 4K QuadVision scaler-switcher and multiviewer for management of 4K @ 60 4:4:4 video and HDMI bandwidth of 600MHz using sources from webcam, a notebook computer, media player, an interactive flat panel display and powerful collaboration software. The result was an immersive, intuitive, and cutting-edge user experience. Visitors could try and test out the robust capabilities of each product. Calibre
USA - Registration is now open for the 2020 New World Rigging Symposium taking place 31 March – 1 April in Houston, TX in conjunction with the USITT Conference and Stage Expo. The event provides an opportunity for riggers and those interested in the entertainment rigging industry to network, discuss current issues and new technologies, and help shape the future of the industry. A complete schedule, session descriptions and a link to register are available at www.esta.org/nwrs. Over the two days participants will be given a range of opportunities to further their technical knowledge in sessions covering video wall rigging, automation and motorization, and tension grids. They’ll keep up to date with codes and standards, have some of their most pressing questions answered by structural engineers, and learn about rigging for cinema and performer flying. Jeanette Farme
UAE - Unusual Rigging & Engineering, Doughty Engineering and SIXTY82 will exhibit jointly at this year's PLSME. Visitors will be able to see a range of equipment from Doughty and SIXTY82, as well as kit from Liftket, for whom Unusual Rigging is a distributor, and a selection of PPE gear. Speaking ahead of the show, Denis Bramhall, managing partner at Unusual Rigging and Engineering said: "We've been exhibiting with Doughty at PLSME for a few years now but this is the first year that we welcome SIXTY82 onto the stand. We look forward to it being a very successful show for us and hope it marks the start of an interesting and exciting working relationship with SIXTY82." Denis continued: "From experience, PLSME is a well organised show and attracts the right people. We look forward to meeting up with new and familiar faces, making the most of the networking oppo
USA - At this year’s 147th AES Pro Audio Convention in New York the OCA Alliance is exhibiting within the AVoIP Pavilion, promoting the advances in control and monitoring of AVoIP networks embodied within the AES70 standard. The convention will be the focus for a number of presentations and announcements from the OCA Alliance, including numerous educational sessions, presentations and demos, and the reveal of a new AES70 Products page on the OCA Alliance website. The OCA Alliance will be on hand throughout the show as an exhibitor in the pavilion, with experts from the alliance and its member companies available to discuss the AES70 standard, available developer resources, and the evolution and progression of the standard throughout the AV industry. In addition to demonstrations on its booth, the OCA Alliance will be participating in the programme of presenta
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
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
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
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
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
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
