UK - The deadline to nominate products for the Association of British Theatre Technicians’ (ABTT) awards is fast approaching, say the organisers. Bestowed by peers and industry experts each year at the ABTT Theatre Show in June, the awards - including Product Awards for Engineering, Sound, & Lighting and the award for Widget of the Year - are open to any company or individual whose products have been “substantially new” to the market during the last 12 months and are available for purchase, immediate delivery and use. An award for ABTT Theatre Show Stand of the Year is open to 2019 show exhibitors only. To be considered, the entries must be available for adjudication during the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show on 5 June (Wednesday) at London’s Alexa
Australia - Sydney-based event production and management company AGB Events has announced plans to expand, bringing its vision and talents to festivals, museums, cultural/heritage celebrations and other events and locations around the world. AGB Events was founded in 2006 by Anthony Bastic, who has spent decades in the entertainment and events industry, including as creative director for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games Live Sites and the recent Invictus Games Sydney 2018. Bastic is best known as curator of Destination NSW’s annual Vivid Light Sydney. “We specialise in imagining, producing and delivering cutting edge creative and cultural event concepts. AGB Events has a long track record of developing unique content that engages audiences in superb spectacles,” says Bastic, “and we plan to bring our extensive expertise and skills to organisations
USA - Visitors to InfoComm 2019 will be able to both see and hear the new Versarray Mk III and Versarray PRO compact line array systems from Crest Audio, plus a host of other Crest and PCA product in audio demo room W224A. Hour-long demos will be running every day at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. Attendees will also be able to see the products up close and meet the team to get advice on how a Crest/Peavey solution might suit their needs. The ‘headline act’ in the Crest demo room is the new Versarray Mk III which was first seen at NAMM in January. The system comprises the Versarray 112 Mk III passive ribbon tweeter line array element featuring a 12” Black Widow Neo series woofer combined with a neodymium-based Peavey ribbon tweeter, and its companion subwoofer, the dual 18” Versarray 218 Mk III. Designed to provide modular coverage of small to medium-sized venues, Ve
Germany - The latest EtherCAT Plug Fest welcomed 57 participants from eight countries and four continents. The event, conducted by the EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) in cooperation with acontis technologies GmbH, was held in the middle of May in Ravensburg. Besides testing their own EtherCAT devices in a shared network with those of other manufacturers by using the EtherCAT Conformance Test Tool, the participants could exchange knowledge and ask for advice from the EtherCAT experts on-site. The different masters and lave products led to a balanced ratio of devices and real-life network conditions. Christoph Widmann, managing director at acontis technologies GmbH, comments: “The EtherCAT Plug Fests are the perfect opportunity to test devices and applications in a large network together with other manufacturers. For that reason, acontis has participated in many
Denmark - SPOT, an annual music festival in Aarhus showcasing up-and-coming Danish and Scandinavian talents, saw 300 artists and bands perform across 25 stages throughout the city. Lighting designer and programmer Heiða Kristín Ragnarsdóttir used a grandMA3 light console to run lighting on her stage, reserved for WILM (Women In Live Music) a European non-profit organisation that supports women working behind the scenes and backstage. For the first time, this stage was run by an all-female tech crew. Ragnarsdóttir reports: “The MA system is my first choice for everything from theatre to concerts. It is very important for me to be able to personalize the setup to fit my needs of the moment which the grandMA2 software does easily. It is highly reliable, has intuitive controls and a lot of flexibility in programming which makes it ideal for ‘busking’ festivals.
USA - The ESTA Control Protocols Plugfest organisers have announced today that an Introduction to RDMnet will be broadcast live on Sunday 21 July from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 P.M., CDT. This event is being offered free of charge to both ESTA and non-ESTA members. Officially known as E1.33, Entertainment Technology – (RDMnet) Message Transport and Management for ANSI E1.20 (RDM) compatible and similar devices over IP Networks, the RDMnet standard was recently approved by ESTA’s Control Protocols Working Group (CPWG) as a consensus standard and is now on track to obtain approval by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) later this summer. RDMnet is a generational step forward, extending the functionality of RDM to Ethernet networks. As draft standard testing began in the summer of 2018, we would expect to see products with RDMnet features to begin to appe
UK - The Knight of Illumination UK (KOI) Awards, which celebrates the creative and technical talents of video and lighting designers, welcomes a number of new judges to each of the panels across the three disciplines of Theatre, Television, and Concert Touring & Events for the 2019 Awards. The Awards boast three panels comprised of arts critics and industry experts, with specialist knowledge of their sector, to ensure well-rounded coverage and expert insight during the judging process. In the Theatre category, each judge serves a two-year term on the panel, which is chaired by critic and broadcaster, David Benedict. "Given the breadth and depth - and length - of the annual judging session for the Theatre KOI Awards it is essential that our judges, all critics viewing work live in performance, are as passionate as they are articulate about their specific art f
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returned to the Royal Armouries from 14-15 May for its 11th edition. With an 8% increase in visitors, the show once again proved to be a key social and business event in the entertainment technology calendar, welcoming professionals from across the industry over two days. With a popular capped stand format, the show provides a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, as Davie Bell from Stage Electrics explains, “That’s where PLASA Focus Leeds is particularly relevant – with smaller stands you can get close to all sorts of people. As a result, we have been fantastically busy.” Peter Condron, UK sales manager for Martin Audio confirms this sentiment: “It’s been a great show, due to the family feel which the show is known for. It’s just the right size and the fact it’s spread over two halls also makes it feel more spacious and relaxed. It ha
The 11th edition of PLASA Focus Leeds will open its doors from 14-15 May at the Royal Armouries Museum, unleashing the world of live entertainment technology on the north of England. Spanning two sold-out halls, the popular show provides a platform for 175+ leading brands, all geared up to showcase the very best the industry has to offer, including a variety of products arriving on UK shores directly from international launches. Lighting will make an impression with Robe, Chauvet, Elation and Avolites; huge audio will be delivered by Bose, d&b audiotechnik, Funktion-One and Sennheiser; and event specialists include SFL Group, UK Rigging and Hawthorn. Beyond the show floor, the programme will see industry leaders present content that is both insightful and entertaining, guaranteeing visitors will depart from the show with ready-to-apply knowledge and endless inspirat
UK - The first week of May saw Creative Technology UK’s Festival of Technology 2019. CTFest19, as it is known, sees the company welcome innovation partners to its Sussex base to showcase the latest in event technology and creative ideas. This year, Brompton Technology took the opportunity to give attendees a close up look at its high-end processors and new HDR technology. HDR video offers a new approach to delivering better image quality, without requiring finer and finer pixel pitches to achieve it and brings a trio of image quality improvements that are particularly well placed for LED screens. “The response to HDR at CTFest19 was extremely positive,” says Brompton business development manager Rob Fowler. “We’re always keen to get involved with companies who prize innovation and want to showcase leading edge technology. CT understands the benefits of our sy
France - Pioneer Professional Audio has invited the audio installation, rental and club sectors to attend a technical audio demo at the Djoon Club facilities on the 21 May (Tuesday). Attendees will be able test Pioneer’s XY Series (comprising the XY-3B and XY-2 models) and experiment with the XPRS amplified speakers by bringing their own test tracks. The XY-3B and XY-2 models are designed for fixed installations and touring. The XY series loudspeakers feature in top venues including Djoon, Fabric London, and Halcyon. The XY-3B has performed at festivals such as I Love Techno (Montpellier) ADE (Amsterdam) Ultra (Singapore) and Lovebox (London). The XPRS active speaker range features Powersoft Class D amplifiers and comes with a seven-year warranty as standard and is designed for both audio rental companies and mobile DJs. Spaces at the Djoon demonstration
France - Details of Showlight 2021, the unique lighting colloquium organised for lighting professionals by lighting professionals, have been announced. The next gathering for this quadrennial event will take place on 22-25 May 2021 in the French town of Fontainebleau. The main sponsor for the event will be the 100-year old French manufacturer of followspots and theatrical luminaires, Robert Juliat. The Showlight committee searched long and hard for a setting worthy of Showlight’s reputation for fascinating locations, and settled on the historic town of Fontainebleau which lies 55.5km (34.5 miles) south east of Paris. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its medieval Château de Fontainebleau, a royal and imperial residence for more than 800 years, and surrounded by former royal hunting park, Fontainebleau Forest, Fontainebleau is
UK - Designed and developed specifically to address the demand for environmentally-conscious power within the film and TV industry, VOLTstack provides crews with easy access to clean power. Completely emission free, with a proven track record powering sets of all sizes, the VOLTstack range includes a number of power units ranging from 2kW and 5kW to 13kW and 200kW variants. The entire collection is suited to handling all manner of applications within the lighting, electrical and camera departments. With a rapid charge time of just 2.5 hours and available with a solar panel recharge option, the systems’ continuous power delivery is enough to handle almost any temporary application. For added convenience, units can be series linked to provide for extended operating times. The compact, rugged design which features an IP54 rating plus wireless monitoring, making VOLTstac
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) knowledgeable staff will be on hand to demonstrate a number of leading brands and technologies from its one-stop portfolio at PLASA Focus Leeds next week (stand N-E02). Continuing Chroma-Q’s celebration of 15 years in LED innovation, the multi award-winning Color Force II will be on show to demonstrate stunning colour blending for a multitude of cyc, wash and effects lighting applications. The award-winning Space Force LED space/soft light will be illuminating the stand. It combines a powerful output with tuneable white control in a lightweight, internally ballasted design featuring low heat convection cooling. Using a homogenised LED source capable of delivering variable colour temperature, plus/minus green shift control and the ability to produce deep saturated colours when needed, the Studio Force II is specifically designed
USA - Online Early Bird registration is now open for the Audio Engineering Society’s 147th International Pro Audio Convention, taking place 16-19 October at the Javits Centre in New York City. This year’s convention will “inspire” attendees with “a diverse gathering of top minds in the audio engineering industry, leading technical programme presentations and events tailored to offer attendees the ultimate professional audio education and networking experience”. The best housing options and registration pricing are available during Early Bird registration. This year’s AES New York convention is being organised by convention co-chairs Agnieszka Roginska, Valerie Tyler and Jonathan Wyner, who have assembled an expert team of to hone a programme covering “the most talked-about topics in the industry”. By popular request, this year’s convention i
UK - PLASA hosted its 2019 Members’ Day and AGM at the Royal College of Physicians, London, on 1 May to reflect on a year of stand-out projects and on-going industry initiatives. PLASA chairman Adam Blaxill opened proceedings with news of the Association’s key developments and achievements over the past year, while PLASA treasurer Mark Surtees reported a strong financial performance, and success across the membership, events and media divisions. PLASA MD Peter Heath then welcomed a series of active members who have helped to steer the Association and wider industry. ETC’s Adam Bennette provided an update on the single lighting EU Ecodesign regulations, followed by Peter Willis (Howard Eaton Lighting) and Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence) who celebrated the success of PlugFest, the annual event for lighting interoperability. Board members Matt Lloyd and Koy Nem
UK - AV and event production company Blitz has announced that Zak Roby has joined as commercial director. Roby, who has more than 16 years’ worth of industry experience, will focus on driving and strengthening the commercial strategy for Blitz. He joins Blitz from TMB Events. Roby will report in Mike Phillipson, managing director for Blitz. Roby says: “I am delighted to be joining Blitz at such an exciting time. The team are fantastic and at the top of their game when it comes to their creative event production and technical knowledge, so I look forward to helping to grow the business.” Roby will also be joined by Phil McMichael as new business development director. McMichael joins Blitz from 9 Yards Creative, a creative digital agency, a division of Future AV. He will report into Zak Roby. (Jim Evans)
USA - In a recent move to strengthen their executive management team, Elite Multimedia Productions has appointed Shana Devine to the position of director of corporate sales and business development. With over 20 years of experience in the live event and hospitality industry, Shana will now oversee the development of worldwide strategic corporate partnerships for the Nashville-based production provider, while also assisting with the evaluation of the latest emerging trends and technologies for the live event and production industry. “Understanding their level of commitment to providing the highest quality customer support for any live event or production, I am very excited to to be joining the team at Elite Multimedia Productions,” says Devine. “This is a wonderful opportunity to utilise both my sales experience and event industry knowledge to help build many new partn
UK - Shure has announced its official sponsorship of the audio at this year’s Unified Communications (UC Expo), which takes place on 15-26 May at the ExCel, London. As official audio sponsor, Shure will be providing a selection of microphones to equip the various theatre spaces, seminars and presentations taking place throughout the two-day London event. Along with audio sponsorship, Shure is the headline sponsor of the AVIXA Diversity Council seminar, How Do We Attract, Recruit And Retain A Diverse And Inclusive Workforce? which is being held on 15 May (Wednesday). The seminar will focus on solutions to facilitate the development of increased diversity and inclusion within the AV/IT industry and features insight and discussion by a selection of industry heavyweights, including Kevin McLoughlin, AV manager, Royal Society of Medicine. There will also be a
Italy - On 5 May (Sunday) the curtain will be officially raised on Music Inside Rimini. The industry event runs for three days. The event organised by Italian Exhibition Group over the years has managed to become a reference point for the world of national and international show business, thanks to a format at European level that integrates all sectors of the product chain - in the light & sound, professional video, integrated systems and music & DJ producer sectors. New exhibitors, training and entertainment will feature across eight pavilions of the Rimini Expo Centre. The Live You Play format, officially incorporated by the MIR brand, will give space to the rock and theatre world with three dedicated pavilions, in which participants will be able to immerse themselves to experience technological innovations live through Virtual Check and Live Show
EMEA - Production Resource Group (PRG) is integrating its global research and development efforts into a new operating group, PRG Innovation. Joining under PRG Innovation will be PRG Projects, PRG Research and Development, and the VER product development initiatives. The new operating group will encompass operations in Belgium, China and the USA, which include facilities in Dallas, New Windsor, New York and Los Angeles. Jere Harris, chairman and CEO of PRG, comments: “PRG Innovation brings all of our talent focused on product development into a single, global team, allowing us to anticipate market trends, move with agility and align product development with our larger strategic objectives. I believe that our investment and performance in market-driven innovation is one of the most powerful points of difference separating our brands from the competition. Now, that adv
UK - London and Dubai based event design and technical production company Maestra Group has added several new staff to the London team. The company has also doubled the size of its premises in east London by acquiring the warehouse space next door, creating a brand-new environment from which to service and administer a diversity of shows and events. The new staff joining the team include two project managers, two production designers and another technical manager. Maestra London’s managing director Justin Hammond comments: “I’m always very energised to see new talent coming onboard and am really looking forward to working with all our new colleagues, offering them opportunities to flourish as individuals and to excel at their work in a friendly and inclusive atmosphere”. Michaela Welford (senior project manager) worked in Dubai’s vibrant and a hig
UK - Production AV has announced two open days on 7-8 May at its new premises in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The AV hire and event company will offer hands-on demonstrations of its latest 6mm, 3.9mm and 2.6mm LED screens, 4K screen management system, media servers and camera solutions. The team will also showcase some recent projects, including large-scale projection mapping of Cheltenham’s Municipal Offices for a WWI Remembrance event and recent work on the Teenage Cancer Trust series of star-studded concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall. There will also be an opportunity to meet the team and discover more about the company’s plans for future growth. “We’re thrilled to not only have a new home but also a much larger facility, which will have a direct benefit for our clients,” says Production AV’s managing director, Pete McCrea. “There is a r
UK - KartFest, the annual fundraising event organised by entertainment technology charity Backup, is returning for its fifth edition on Independence Day (Thursday, 4 July). Organisers expect over 300 industry colleagues and friends to join on Surrey's Sandown Park, where 33 teams will battle it out in a three-hour endurance race. “So, get out your fake tan, your candy floss hair, your alien outfit, or your Mickey Mouse ears. In fact, do whatever gets you in the American mood, but book your place fast - the karts go fast,” says Backup. Besides crowning the new KartFest champions, the day will include the ‘Unusual' Pit Stop Challenge, Medialease’s Fastest Lap, a BBQ lunch and drinks, music, entertainment, the award for the best dressed team award, the Backup Sundown bar and a raffle. Each team can enter up to six drivers. Non-racer wristbands will al
