UK - Last week saw POLARaudio host an event to showcase the Renkus-Heinz Iconyx and IC Live series loudspeakers at the HMV Forum, one of London's major live entertainment venues.

An invited audience of leading theatre consultants, audio system designers and touring companies attended the 2350 capacity, Grade II listed venue to hear POLARaudio demonstrate the three ranges. The HMV Forum was specifically chosen for the event as it is a multi-purpose venue with architecturally and acoustically challenging features.

Technical director at POLARaudio Jon Stanley led the demonstrations, showcasing the new ICL-Single, ICL-Dual along with IC7 mechanically steerable array, IC8, 16, 24 and 32 digitally steerable line array and the IC Live portable and fixed installation products. Also demonstrated were the Dynacord XA2 System and digital networking from XTA and MC² Audio's Ti Series.

UK - The organisers of EvenTech Scotland exhibition, which was due to take place on 10-11 February 2010 in Glasgow, have announced that the event has been postponed.

A statement issued by Scattered Media blamed the "current economic climate and the strain this is having on many companies' budgets at present" and said that they were "in the process of looking at the calender to find suitable dates later in the year".

(Lee Baldock)

The Netherlands - When the 2010 edition of Integrated Systems Europe opens its doors on 2 February, over 20% of its 500-plus exhibitors will be new to the show, organiser Integrated Systems Events reports.

Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events comments: "No tradeshow can thrive without bringing new customers and new markets to its exhibitors. Right from its first showing in Geneva in 2004, this is something ISE has proved it can do. AV manufacturers are turning to ISE as a platform from which to launch their products and services into new and emerging sectors, and that is one reason why we are hosting so many new exhibitors in Amsterdam in February."

The pro audio sector is a prime example of this trend, with the likes of L-Acoustics, HK Audio, Sonus, Ateïs, Out Board/TiMax, Baldwin Boxall, Seeburg, Cloud Electronics, and XTA/MC2 Audio all show

The Netherlands - Ateis Europe is set to further consolidate its position in the public address, voice alarm and commercial audio markets during 2010, starting with its first appearance at the Integrated Systems Exhibition (ISE).

Ateis is an established name in the business sector served by ISE but over the past few years its products and systems have been adopted increasingly by installers and building operators to provide the highest quality sound combined with precise control and zoning.

The Ateis product range was expanded during 2009 to reflect this and now includes products designed specifically for installations at railway stations, sports stadia and exhibition halls.

The UAP G2 stackable, programmable digital audio processor, the next generation of the steerable column array loudspeaker, the Messenger G2, and the Orbit omni-directional line arrays are designed to cre

The Netherlands - Integrated Systems Events has announced the positioning of a Digital Signage Expert Showcase within ISE 2010. Co-located next to - and integrated with - a number of other attractions to form a larger Digital Signage Area in Hall 10 of the Amsterdam RAI, the Showcase is intended to show ISE attendees a complete signage system, with content creation, management, delivery and display solutions from a range of vendors, all viewable in a single location.

Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events, comments, "With over 250 digital signage exhibitors at our tradeshow and our DOOH Business Conference now firmly established as Europe's premier networking event for digital advertising, we felt the need to provide an additional Digital Signage Area for 2010.

"The Digital Signage Expert Showcase is a key element of this, and we believe i

UK - DB Systems has developed "a revolutionary solution that will help companies save money and reduce their environmental impact when exhibiting at events all around the world".

EcoXpress is a touch-screen based software solution installed on to DB Systems' hardware, either kiosks or regular PCs and screens. The terminals allow event delegates to browse exhibitors' literature onscreen, select what is most relevant to them and then email that information to themselves.

At present, delegates who attend events and exhibitions inevitably collect a library of brochures and various forms of corporate literature. Very often these items are lost, damaged, left behind, thrown away or don't contain the information that the delegate wants.

Oliver Richardson, DB Systems' sales director, says, "As a service supplier, DB understands that budgets are tight. One of the benef

UK - Visitors to ISCEx2010 will have the opportunity to network among the professionals from the sound industry and view the latest products during the ISCE's annual exhibition and seminar day at the Park Inn Hotel, Watford on 2 March 2010.

The seminars, which run alongside the exhibition, will provide the latest information on a wide range of topics. They are: The Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005 by Andy Scott of SigNET AC; The pitfalls of voice alarm contract project management, from specification to handover by Rupert Moon; Switching amplifier topologies - exposing the sub-classes by Anthony Smith of Current Thinking, and Digital audio networking - which technology?, by James Kennedy of Peavey Electronics.

Exhibitors who have already signed up include; Baldwin Boxall Communications, Cloud Electronics, Communication Technology, CUK Audio

The Netherlands - ISE 2010 sees LED screen manufacturer, Lighthouse Technologies, launch a new panel for the rental market, the Rn12i/o-SMD, which "heralds a new era for outdoor rental applications".

The Rn12i/o-SMD boasts 5000 nits, 16-bit processing and a 140 degree horizontal viewing angle.

Durability is also a key feature; this model comes with IP65 for both front and rear, and can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees and as high as 50 degrees, making it a suitable panel for outdoor rental applications such as concerts and sports events.

The Rn12i/o-SMD is also designed with convenience in mind, says the company, making it an appropriate model for rental operations. Its light weight makes it easy to transport, install and dismantle and a tool-free stacking method simplifies set up.

"Lighthouse screens have always been chosen for their picture qua

The Netherlands - UK-based Visual Acuity will be presenting LEEDership in AV / IT Design, Understanding the Latest Green Standards and Delivering Best Practices to Meet Them as part of the InfoComm International education sessions taking place on the 3 February 2010 at Integrated Systems Europe at the RAI, Amsterdam.

Blair Parkin, MD at Visual Acuity comments, "This exciting, fun and informative session will start by debunking the myths around climate change and put the science into context for a technology based audience. The LEED green building certification programme will be explained in detail along with an outline of reasons to use it and an examination of its effects on the AV / IT profession."

A case study based on the world's largest green building, the California Academy of Sciences and some practical AV / IT methodology will be presented alongside de

UK - The PLASA 2010 Show has officially launched with the opening of a free registration month, enabling early bookers to gain admission to this year's show, at Earls Court on 12 - 15 September 2010, at no charge. Registration is now open on the new-look PLASA 2010 website (www.plasashow.com) with free visitor registration available until 11 February.

Following the highly upbeat reaction to PLASA09, with exhibitors expressing delight at the quality of visitors despite the financial climate, expectations for PLASA 2010 are also high.

Early exhibitor news includes confirmation by Martin Professional; a doubling of stand space by Nexo; and the return after a one-year absence of Zero 88.

PLASA's Events manager Sophie Atkinson said, "Last year the free registration offer helped boost exhibitors' confidence in the show's compelling drawing power by attracting thousands of ear

France / The Netherlands - Digigram is unveiling its AudioManager VU software at ISE 2010. AudioManager VU is a software solution that allows for the planning, deployment, management and supervision of multizone audio systems.

Based on Visiblu, Digigram's Network Audio Operating System, AudioManager VU is a time-saving device for integrators developing complex audio systems involving events and scripts. The software auto-discovers the network and its attached devices for supervision. It handles all kinds of data including heterogeneous audio sources such as IP audio equipment (PYKO or third party devices), sound cards (for analogue I/Os) or ultra-low latency audio networks (EtherSound).

It will also manage application-specific control data for events, schedules or scripts. Audio Manager also offers processing and mixing points within the network; triggering the mix of announce

Italy - APIAS has acknowledged the demands made by the majority of APIAS member companies and has decided to postpone Show-Way 2010 which was scheduled to take place in Bergamo, 28 February to 2 March 2010. It will now take place in spring 2011.

A statement from APIAS says: "The main reasons that have led the organizers to reschedule Show-Way stem from the acknowledgement that the professional entertainment world is going through a period of great change.

"New and different opportunities are emerging on the world scene for all sector players. Looking at other similar situations in the past, there is also no doubt that taking part in trade fairs in hard times such as this is not always profitable for companies.

"The Show-Way Professional Entertainment Technology Exhibition will therefore return to the Bergamo trade fair in the Spring of next year, with the same

India - Diversified Business Communications - producers of events, publications and eMedia headquartered in Portland, Maine, USA - has acquired PALM Expo from Infocast Systems. Diversified will host the 10th PALM Expo 2010 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, from 3-5 June 2010, bringing international experience serving 15 specialised business sectors and organizing over 90 events annually.

"Diversified Communications India Pvt. Ltd, was created as a 100% subsidiary of Diversified Business Communications, which absorbed the entire existing team of the PALM Expo. I will continue to dedicate myself to the PALM and Musician Expo as managing director of Diversified Communications India, and Manuel Dias remains the project director, directly responsible to all exhibitors at the PALM 2010," says Anil Chopra.

The 2010 PALM show expands by nearly 35% this year and will include a

UK - The four-yearly International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference, which takes place in London from 13-15 June 2010, is now accepting delegate bookings, with early online registrations offering the benefit of the lowest costs.

This will be the third three-day event of its kind organised by theatre consultant Richard Brett in London. Venue architects, consultants, designers, managers, equipment manufacturers and technicians from around the world congregate to learn about the latest developments in their fields from international experts. The Conference offers delegates the opportunity to discuss design issues and exchange views with a wide range of knowledgeable practitioners. Previous conferences in 2002 and 2006 were over-subscribed, and judging from the significant number of pre-registrations received so far, places will again be in demand for 2010, say the or

USA - Adamson Systems Engineering supplied Waves Audio with their sound reinforcement needs at NAMM 2010. All though Adamson did not have a booth at NAMM in Anaheim, a couple of their latest Point Series boxes were placed in the Waves booth to give them the necessary volume boost during their presentations and training programme at the infamously loud show floor.

Waves required a solid reinforcement solution for their NAMM exhibit booth, where they had some of the world's top mixing engineers including Chris Lord-Alge, Eddie Kramer, Jack Joseph Puig, and Tony Maserati, talk about their work with various Waves tools. Adamson's assignment was simple: to deliver clear and coherent speech and audio over the noise floor of the show, without shouting or disturbing other exhibitors.

The set-up at NAMM could not have been simpler.The plug-and-play package incorporated two of Adamson's

The Netherlands - Renkus-Heinz will have a big presence, and feature its Iconyx line-up of products, at Integrated Systems Europe.

Exhibiting with Dutch distributor TM Audio, Renkus-Heinz will showcase the full Iconyx Digitally Steerable Array series, in the shape of the recently launched high-power, portable IC Live, and the new IC Live fixed installation version that's been added to the product line due to high demand from consultants and integrators.

To illustrate the ease and flexibility of RHAON software, a RHAON-networked Iconyx IC16R will be controlled and monitored with a simple laptop for live demonstrations and questions.

These products are particularly suited to accompanying large scale digital signage in public spaces, as the digital beam steering allows sound to accompany video in a highly controllable area - and the unit's slender column shape is a great benefi

UK - PLASA Focus: Leeds 2010, which takes place on Tuesday 27 - Wednesday 28 April 2010, has already surpassed last year's record breaking event - not only selling out all its exhibition space by the New Year, but adding no fewer than 15 new exhibitors in the process.

As the venue reaches full capacity and with 1,000 visitors already registered to attend, the demand for a high quality show for the North of England's entertainment and installation technology community is self-evident. PLASA Focus is once again on track to bring the latest products from around the industry to a region that looks set to become the location for an annual creative forum for the North.

Since the show and its website were launched in early December, both exhibition halls have completely sold out. New exhibitors Adam Hall, Chauvet Lighting, Cloud Electronics, GDS, Hi-Lights, Le Mark, Lumen Radio, Pola

The Netherlands - Sheffield, UK-based Cloud Electronics is launching the MA60MEDIA at ISE. A simplified version, the MA60, is also available without on-board digital music player.

The MA60MEDIA is billed as "an exciting new development which combines the reliability and proven versatility of Cloud mixer-amplifiers with the convenience of an on-board media player in a single, compact (2U, half-rack width) unit".

The unit plays MP3 or WMA files directly from a USB device or SD memory card plugged into the front panel of the unit, via a simple set of playback controls. Optionally, music source selection and level may be controlled remotely. All standard data rates and sampling frequencies are supported.

The MA60MEDIA may be configured to suit most paging systems. The balanced mic input (phantom power available), can be mixed with one of four music inputs; one of these

UK - This year's ARC show the Artistic Licence stand will be divided into zones, each of which will focus on the technological possibilities presented by Artistic Licence systems. Main areas of focus will be Art-Net and RDM, DALI & DMX Integration, Colour-Tramp and show control and Interfacing. Within these technologies, example systems will be shown along with real world challenges and solutions. Artistic Licence staff will be on hand with tips and techniques on how to devise systems which are truly seamless and 'multi-lingual', says the company.

To complement this, Artistic Licence has produced a Technical Focus brochure reflecting these areas of technology, which is full of information covering the functions and features of a number of products and brings readers up to speed on the latest versions on offer. It also gives working examples, within project settings, of is

The Netherlands - Duran Audio will be showing two new products at ISE in Amsterdam. On display will be the AXYS Octadrive DSP and the AXYS PB400.

The PB400 is the latest product in the AXYS IndustryAmp range, which was first introduced to complement the AXYS ADC and ABF loudspeaker ranges. The PB400 is a 4 channel 250W per channel power amplifier, with built in DSP, which is available with either low impedance or 70V/100V line output stages. The 100V unit has a CobraNet interface and a wide range of features as standard.

The Octadrive DSP is designed for use as a high performance line driver that can be used for a variety of situations and forms an interface between third party systems and AXYS products. The unit has eight analogue line level outputs (all with pilot tone generators and individual processing) and on board DSP. The unit also comes complete with a CobraNet inter

The Netherlands - DMi D&M Installation Europe is showing the new in-ceiling Architectural Series from Boston Acoustics for the first time at Integrated Systems Europe 2010 this week. The CI speaker series has been nominated for an InAvation Technology Award 2010.

All three models - including a subwoofer - are designed to resemble small modern halogen type enclosures, providing "the most discrete sound installation speakers yet devised, while employing proprietary Boston Acoustics' technology and engineering to ensure that this is achieved without any compromise to the company's renowned sound quality".

The HSi 430 and HSi 435 are 3½ " hi/mid enclosures, with round and square bezels respectively; the matching HSi S6W2 subwoofer also comes with alternative bezel forms. In addition to their diminutive size, the speakers feature dramatically reduced bezel visibilit

UK - The first National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills (NSA) annual conference takes place at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 25 February 2010.

This exciting conference will bring together 200 delegates in the context of discussing the current state of the offstage and backstage industry in today's economy, evaluating problems and discussing the solutions to key issues.

The NSA is a network of industry professionals working together to develop and improve the skills of people working in the sector. Their vision is to create an internationally acclaimed technical theatre and live music sector supporting the best stages in the world.

More information and to register for the conference, go to the website address below.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Visitors to the Baldwin Boxall stand at ProLight & Sound 2010 (24-27 March) and Firex South 2010 (16-17 March) will be able to preview the Eclipse2M, wall-mountable, stand-alone, voice evacuation/public address system. Other products on show will include the Unitouch touchscreen paging station, BVRD microphone controller and the popular OmniCare disabled refuge and fire telephone system.

Fully networkable, the VIGIL Eclipse2M is monitored and battery backed (backup batteries are contained within the unit). It utilises the new BVRD2M4 DSP-controlled router, a BVSMP switch mode power supply and either a BV120D (dual 120W amplifier) or BV050Q (quad 50W amplifier). With the BV050Q amplifier fitted the system is capable of serving two zones with dual circuits (or four, single-circuit, zones or three with reserve). Up to 126 units can be networked (digital networking can be achie

Spain - This month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (15-18 February) will be the stage for the first large scale unveiling of DB Systems' newest piece of software solution for exhibitors, ecoXpress.

ecoXpress is billed as a revolutionary touchscreen-based system that has been designed to help companies save money and reduce their environmental footprint when exhibiting at events all around the world, as it removes the need for printed brochures and corporate material.

At MWC, ecoXpress will be installed on numerous exhibits. When delegates visit those exhibits rather than taking away a printed brochure or guide, they will instead be able to browse the exhibitor's literature on touch screens. Delegates can then choose what information is most relevant to them and email that selected information to their office computers.

Oliver Richardson, DB Systems' sales director, said

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