Germany - The world of events is changing – it is becoming smarter, more immersive, and greener than ever. Prolight + Sound 2025 demonstrated how the industry is actively shaping this change – with innovative products, interdisciplinary know-how, and practical applications. Over 23,000 trade visitors from 108 countries used the 30th anniversary of the show to gain fresh inspiration for their work and make new contacts.

Technology was brought to life in all areas – from intelligent lighting and sound solutions to automated camera systems and sustainable concepts for energy-efficient events. 491 exhibitors plus numerous well-known brands presented their innovations and solutions for tomorrow.

Prolight + Sound 2025 welcomed visitors from all over the world. For example, from Europe, especially from the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain; from Ea

UK - Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has offered his support for Production Futures’ forthcoming On Tour event at the city’s AO Arena.

The free-of-charge event which takes place on 28 April is set to attract a wide range of young people from across the North West of England, and promotes employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, networking, and paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.

This will be Production Futures’ second visit to the AO Arena following last year’s successful event which was attended by a host of world-leading manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors.

Andy Burnham, who also visited last year’s event, comments: “Greater Manchester has a proud history of creativity and innovation in live events an

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries from 13-14 May 2025, with its highly anticipated seminar programme now live. Designed to reflect the current needs and future ambitions of the live entertainment technology sector, this year’s programme will explore critical topics across audio, sustainability, emerging professionals, and artificial intelligence.

Across the two-day show, visitors will gain insight from technical pioneers, creative leaders, and forward-thinking organisations. All sessions are free to attend and take place on Level 1 of the Royal Armouries on a first come, first served basis.

Audio innovation in focus 

The 2025 programme brings a strong emphasis on professional audio, with highlights including an exclusive audience with FOH sound engineer Robb Allan, whose work spans from Radiohead to Mas

UK - ISCVEx 2025, hosted at the historic Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry, is a gathering for professionals in the sound, communications and visual engineering industries. Organised annually by the Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers, the event welcomes both members and non-members to engage in a variety of enriching activities designed to foster professional growth, industry insights and networking opportunities.

Commencing on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, with the ISCVE Members’ Day and AGM, ISCVEx provides a key moment for the Institute to reflect on achievements and outline future goals. After a presentation by Andy Dockerty from Adlib on the future of the live events industries, attendees later joined a vibrant networking dinner, complete with live entertainment, offering a unique environment to build relationships and celebrate together.<

UK - In a joint venture, Backup Tech, The Back Lounge and UK Live Event Freelancers Forum, are launching a series of three Financial Literacy workshops and resources around being financially informed for freelancers working in the live entertainment industry.

Presented on Zoom and hosted by The Back Lounge’s Suzi Green and Paul Jones from UK Live Event Freelancers Forum, along with invited guest speakers on specific topics, the three, one-hour workshops, each of which will be standalone, will work synergistically to inform those working for themselves as sole traders or small businesses.

The series aims to provide practical advice balanced with an exploration of the culture shift needed to plan effectively for long-term security and will include a Q&A at the end of each session. They will cover topics including paying tax in the most e

Olivier Awards - Lesley Manville and John Lithgow were among the big winners at the Sunday's Olivier Awards. Lithgow won best actor for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant. Manville was named best actress for her performance in the Greek tragedy Oedipus. Three shows were tied with the most wins at the ceremony – with Fiddler on the Roof, Giant and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button each winning three prizes.

The award for best lighting design went to Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs for Oliver! Nick Lidster won the best sound design award for Fiddler On The Roof.

Artistic Own Goal - Cameron Mackintosh, Lee Hall and Sam Grabiner were among stars condemning government proposals to allow tech giants to train on artists’ work by

France - Showlight 2025 (19-22 May 2025, Dijon) has produced a programme full of treats for its delegates with over 30 speakers lined up to bring their expertise to Dijon this May. Tickets are selling fast so don’t delay in securing yours today!

Here’s our latest offerings from the worlds of film, live events, large-scale art installations, site-specific puppetry and illuminated fashion design!

Roger Simonsz

Schrödinger’s Dimmer; controlling the uncontrollable

Award-winning lighting designer, cinematographer, writer and director, and fellow of Rose Bruford college, Roger Simonsz, will discuss how difficult it is to achieve the kind of slow lighting changes so easily performed in theatre within the film environment. Using examples from Engrenages/Spiral as well as the recent Piper his paper expl

Europe - The event industry is in a state of constant change. Sustainable concepts, immersive experiences and smart, flexible systems are becoming increasingly important and are shaping the development of modern event and entertainment formats. At the 30th anniversary of Prolight + Sound this week, more than 500 exhibitors and brands from 32 countries will present their latest solutions and provide fresh impetus for the future of the industry.

Visitors can expect a four-day trade fair experience with extensive educational and networking opportunities, product innovations, and new and expanded event highlights.

With the themes ProGreen, FutureScapes and MultiTech, Prolight + Sound 2025 is drawing attention to sustainable event solutions, immersive and AI-supported technologies, and flexible, networked concepts for event form

UK - The Power of Events, the not-for-profit organisation launched in 2023 to provide better understanding, respect and value for the UK Events Industry, has announced the expansion of its UK Schools Engagement Programme with the launch of the North West Hub, its largest region yet, spanning Liverpool, Cheshire and Manchester.

This initiative will connect thousands of young people with the dynamic world of events, providing insights, inspiration, and career pathways into the industry.

With ambassador registration now live on the Schools Engagement Programme portal (schools.thepowerofevents.org), industry professionals in the region are invited to sign up and support the next generation of talent by volunteering as little as an hour to the initiative. The first wave of school engagements will begin in early May across the region, with the ambitious go

UK - The Backup Parish Council has announced that tickets for The Fabulous Village Fete, renamed for this year in celebration of Adam Taylor, aka Adam Fabulous, DJ and long-time supporter of the event, are about to go on sale.

Backup partners get access exclusive first access to purchase hospitality packages and tickets from 9am on 1 April, with access for general sale starting on 9am on 3 April.

The Fabulous Village Fete takes place on Thursday 10 July at Daytona Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. Affectionately known as ‘the industry’s best day out’, this is the industry’s hottest event tickets of the year!

“Epson are once again sponsoring the Manor House, for those wanting a more exclusive experience, there’s the ever-popular Bake Off, Veg Off, and we’re adding a DJ Off where budding ind

USA - Pharos Architectural Controls is set to continue its busy schedule of industry events, with the announcement that it will be returning to Las Vegas for this year’s LightFair show in May.

Pharos will be on stand 1842 to meet delegates and showcase a raft of important updates to its product offering, with a particular focus on Pharos Expert.

The team will be demonstrating the latest changes to the Expert range, including additional capability to support the Pharos RIO G4 – a four-port gateway which now adds convenient Ethernet-distributed DMX ports to an Expert system. The show will also offer the chance for Pharos to showcase its latest improvements to Expert software, including RDM (Remote Device Management) fixture status monitoring and support for luminaires with extended parameters, such as focus, zoom and gobo.

Expert software v

Europe - ETC is gearing up to return to Frankfurt for Prolight + Sound 2025, taking place from 8-11 April at Messe Frankfurt. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the company will be showing a series of new and established products, showcasing its commitment to advancing technology and lighting solutions.

ETC European marketing manager Rosi Marx comments: “ETC’s 50th anniversary marks a major milestone in the company’s history. We’ve continued to evolve and develop new products, and this year’s show will reflect this with our new offering. We are incredibly proud of the journey ETC has been on over the last 50 years, and we’re looking forward to celebrating this achievement with our customers and partners at Prolight + Sound.”

In Frankfurt, ETC will present its latest product releases and celebrate its 50th anniversary throughout the

USA - PPDS, global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary solutions, has announced its debut attendance at Seatrade Cruise Global 2025 (Miami, 7-10 April) – the world’s largest cruise ship exhibition – signalling the company’s latest business expansion.

Located inside the 500,000sq.ft Miami Beach Convention Centre in Florida, Seatrade Cruise Global – celebrating its 40th anniversary – brings together the global cruise community, allowing industry leaders to discover the cutting-edge strategies and technologies designed to advance the cruise industry.

The global team from PPDS, showcasing on Philips booth 4405, will join over 600 other exhibitors and an anticipated 11,000 visitors from around the world to demonstrate a range of display solutions spanning every area for cruise ships and luxury/super ya

Europe - Fresh for 2025, Showlight is introducing a new attraction - an enticing programme of informative, interactive Workshops guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing! These will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 21 May 2025 and will be open to all delegates on a first come, first served basis, with a strong emphasis on student attendance.

The Workshops will be conducted by leading experts in their field and offer unprecedented insights into subjects from the latest technology to personal development. Numbers are limited so delegates will be encouraged to sign up for their choice of workshop via the Whova App when it goes live closer to the date.

Here’s the lowdown on Showlight’s inaugural Workshop presentations:

Workshop 1: Colour and Light

Led by lighting designer, author, and co-founder of Studio School of Design

Germany - On 19 and 20 March 2025, LEaT X 25 turned the Ofenwerk Nuremberg into a central meeting place for the event technology industry. With over 1,000 participants, over 100 brands and a mix of networking and inspiration, the event was a complete success, say the organisers.

“The response to LEaT X 25 was overwhelming. The combination of an exclusive setting, a targeted trade audience and first-class exhibitors struck a chord with the industry,” says John Weltersbach, head of event operations at LEaT and new to the team since the beginning of the year.

The 38 exhibitors at LEaT X 25 offered visitors an opportunity to exchange ideas directly with leading industry representatives, establish new business relationships and discuss current market developments. The informal atmosphere of the LEaT X formats makes it possible to establish valuable co

Copyright Matters - Heads of high-profile arts organisations, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera, have written to demand greater protection on copyright for creatives. Tamara Harvey, Daniel Evans and Andrew Leveson of the RSC, as well as ENO’s Jenny Mollica and the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Alex Beard have all signed a letter expressing concern over the effect the government’s plans to "diminish creative copyright" could have on "a fragile ecosystem" for artists.

The leaders, who also include in their ranks regional venue leaders such as Bristol Old Vic chief executive Charlotte Geeves, Tiata Fahodzi boss Chinonyerem Odimba and the Donmar Warehouse’s Henny Finch, all oppose an envisaged exemption to copyright law for AI companies looking to train their technology.

The government’s eagerness to unleash the pote

UK - With only one week to go until ISCVEx 2025, industry professionals and enthusiasts still have the chance to register for this premier event.

Taking place on Tuesday 25 March and Wednesday 26 March 2025 at Coombe Abbey Hotel, ISCVEx promises a blend of networking, education and product discovery for sound engineers, audio-visual professionals, consultants and system integrators.

Day one - Tuesday 25 March kicks off with the Members' Day and AGM, featuring an inspiring presentation by Andy Dockerty, founder of Adlib Audio, followed by the Networking Dinner. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with peers, share insights and build lasting professional relationships.

Day two - Wednesday 26 March centres on three engaging seminars and an exhibition that brings together the industry's leading manufacturers and distributors.

Atte

Italy - The entertainment world is gathering in Rimini from 23-25 March for the new edition of MIR – Multimedia Integration Expo, dedicated to technological innovation in the live events and audiovisual industry.

This year, Claypaky returns to the stage to showcase its most innovative lighting technologies in the Audiosales Live Experience Area. This space in Hall C2 will host the Claypaky Product Show, where visitors can see Claypaky’s latest innovations in action.

“In recent years, Audiosales and Claypaky have organised a series of events to introduce and provide hands-on experiences with new technologies and products, starting with the Experience Days, which welcomed hundreds of lighting professionals to Claypaky,” explains Stefano Rocchi, CEO of Audiosales. “For this year’s MIR, we have embraced an innovativ

Next Generation - A major entertainment centre is fundraising to invest £20m into a new academy to develop the next generation of musicians. The Glasshouse in Gateshead is aiming to support young musicians throughout their education and help them build a career in music. Over the next two years, the academy will open four ‘music learning hot spots’ in Middlesbrough, Carlisle, Sunderland and Kendal.

The organisation said the scheme had been designed to ensure young musicians could take their next step in developing their talent, whether that be picking up an instrument for the first time or pursuing a career.

Glasshouse CEO Abigail Pogson said the centre, previously called The Sage, had worked for the last 20 years to be a place people of all ages could make and experience music. She said: "The Glasshouse Academy builds on this f

UK - Adlib returned to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall stage earlier this month for the largest annual music industry careers event for young people in the North of England. The team engaged with attendees to discuss career paths and showcase the inspiring roles available in the live events industry.

Over 700 people attended the 2025 Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest, which was delivered in partnership with Universal Music, Spotify, UK Music, PLASA, LIPA, Revere Arts, and LIMF Academy.

Adlib has a long-standing tradition of supporting the next generation of talent through regular open days at Adlib HQ, as well as providing work experience, apprenticeship opportunities, and participation in Early Careers events.

Lisa Mitchell, training and development, Adlib comments: "We’ve been delighted to support the Liverpool Phil

China - On 13 March, Absen hosted its Spring Launch event, to present its latest innovations for the ProAV market. The event, themed Pioneering Pixels: Shaping the Future, brought together more than 70 clients and partners from around the world to connect, gain valuable insights into emerging trends and showcase Absen's latest innovations and strategic vision for the future.

The event kicked off with keynote speeches by Absen’s senior leadership team, outlining the brand’s positioning and strategy for the coming year. The team emphasised Absen's commitment to pioneering advancements in pro AV technologies with an in-depth introduction to the company's latest product launches.

The new products pre-launched included the Absen X V2 Series, featuring all-in-one LED display solutions for conference and corporate applications with 2K+

Europe - The deadline for Showlight’s new Emerging Professionals Bursary/Scholarship Scheme has been extended to Monday 31 March 2025.

Aimed at early career freelance professionals to help make attendance more affordable, this is a fantastic opportunity to win a ‘scholarship’ that gives you access to some of the most creative minds in the entertainment lighting industry.

Successful applicants will have free access to Showlight 2025’s full schedule of activities (ticket price normally €580.00) including the Papers Sessions, Workshops, Exhibition, Welcome Reception (in Dijon’s ornate, historic Salle des États), Company Dinners and the grand Conference Dinner in a glamorous, as yet undisclosed location! A hotel room will also be included with the bursary and we hope to offer some assistance with travel costs too.

“Showlight wants

USA - TVNewsCheck’s Women in Technology Awards is taking place at NAB this year, “celebrating outstanding achievements and paving the way for the next generation of women driving innovation in media and entertainment technology”.

During the 14th annual awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 8, three women will be honoured for their contributions to the future of media technology. Swati Karkun Sen, Jacqueline Voss of Riedel, and Nina Walsh of Amazon Web Services will each receive the Women in Technology Futurist Award on the West Hall Main Stage at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

Sen has played a key role in keeping NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC at the forefront of breaking news and development of new consumer solutions. With a deep passion for media and a strong foundation in technology, she has introduced transformative operational s

Remember Monday - The UK's Eurovision entry for 2025 will be the female country-pop trio Remember Monday, the BBC has announced. The group, who previously reached the quarter finals of The Voice, will head to Switzerland this May with a song called What The Hell Just Happened?

Calling themselves "pop girlies with a little bit of yeehaw", the band was formed by school friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele in 2013. In a press release, they said: "We're going to be the first girlband to represent the UK since 1999, which feels like such a crazy honour. We're going to bring loads of fun, energy and hopefully do something that you won't have seen before on the Eurovision stage."

Citizens’ Return - A revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, a production of Douglas Maxwell’s a

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