Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
LSi 40 - Banner - July-Nov 2025

General

Details
The McKenzie Group has acquired its fifth live music venue which will allow for further expansion of the successful Academy brand to Scotland. The Group has concluded negotiations to purchase the former New Bedford Cinema on Eglington Street in Glasgow from Scottish property developers E.D.I. Group, and will fully refurbish the venue before its relaunch in March 2003.

MKG currently owns and operates three other Academy branded live music/club venues - Brixton Academy (London), Birmingham Academy and Bristol Academy; and also London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Bar Academy in Birmingham City Centre.

An extensive £3,000,000 planned refurbishment programme will commence immediately by MKG’s in-house project team headed by Archie McIntosh - previously responsible for the refurbishment programme of McKenzie Group’s Birmingham Academy, Bristol Academy and Bar Acade

Details
Audio-Visual company 6th Sense Solutions (UK) Ltd has recently moved to new premises in Cheltenham, following six years of growth that have seen the business grow to need four times as much space as at its old premises.

The company specializes in audio visual production and hire and sale of AV equipment. Its clients range from those requiring a simple audio-visual presentation at a small event to large-scale productions for conferences, outdoor concerts and festivals. Clients include household names such as the BBC, Leeds City Council, Dyson Appliances, The Salvation Army, Pfizer and Dairy Crest. Matt McCarty, managing director at 6th Sense Solutions, told us: "The move will enable us to be more efficient and give us greater opportunities to display our technology. We need to continually invest in the latest equipment in order to satisfy our clients’ expectations."

Th

LSi 40 - Banner - July-Nov 2025

Details
The Entertainment Services and Technology Association’s Board of Directors has voted unanimously to open up ESTA’s Code of Conduct to allow complaints to be filed by the general public, with effect from 1 January 2003. In 1999, ESTA led the industry in promoting ethical business practices and professionalism by creating and adopting a Code of Conduct for members. Received with enthusiasm by members, the Code was also used as a model by several other industry associations, including PLASA and CITT, in creating their own codes.

ESTA’s Code of Conduct plays a very important role in maintaining public confidence in the industry by assuring the public of uniformly high standards in their dealings with members of the Association. As one member of the public said: "ESTA membership does matter to many of us and we use it as a ‘recommendation’ when looking for

Details
Those involved in Fire Safety may be interested in a seminar being held at the Headquarters of the Institute of Electrical Engineers at Savoy Place. Taking place on 12 December, the focus is on the recently revised Building Regulations Part B - Fire Safety. Whilst the bulk is on prevention and accordant construction, time will be devoted to detection and warning systems.

For more information, contact the IEE or Alison Payton at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers on the e-mail address shown.

(James Eade)

Details
The Event Services Association (TESA) is moving into providing training for the UK event industry with the launch of a series of Health and Safety Courses.

Designed to improve standards in the events industry, the first three courses are planned for March, April and May of next year and will be undertaken for the Association in conjunction with Richard Limb, Director of Leisure Safety and Group Safety Manager with the Symonds Group, one of the industry’s leading event safety consultancies.

Costing just £195 + VAT per delegate, the one-day course will cover everything from risk assessment planning to the evaluation of both indoor and outdoor sites for events. Delegates are given a practical exercise to do in site planning and complete the course with a TESA/Symonds Certificate to show that they have completed the work.

Further courses are also being planned in other areas of

Details
Large format projection specialists E/T/C UK projected the images of the BBC’s 10 Greatest Britons onto three different city centre landmarks. Contracted by the BBC, E/T/C UK did this over the three evening’s leading up to the broadcast of the final programme in this high profile series.

As the final winner was announced, the face of Winston Churchill, voted the all-time greatest Briton by the public, was then projected onto all three buildings - in London, Liverpool and Bristol - in a simultaneous live broadcast.

The project followed on from E/T/C’s work with the BBC for the first programme in the series - on Viscount Horatio Nelson. They projected the face of Nelson onto the Shell Building on London’s South Bank. This projection was such a success, that the BBC decided to publicise the finale using the same hi-impact promotional techniques of large format p

Details
Creative Technology (CT) produced some unusual television effects for the BBC Children In Need fund-raising marathon hosted by Terry Wogan and Gaby Roslin recently.

The company was contracted by BBC Resources to build on the Totaliser screen reinforcement they provided last year, as well as adding a spectacularly ‘retro’ LED dancefloor. The dancefloor dominated the stage and was in use for much of the evening. CT’s project manager Paul Holden commented: "Last year we provided a flown screen over the Totaliser using Barco i6 high-brightness panels. This year we used 80 of the Barco i8 panels, in a 16 x 5 configuration."

The display - measuring 7.16m wide by 2.24m - was run in 16:5 format, receiving 16:9 aspect ratio feeds, to create a letterbox effect. The content mostly comprised of Totaliser-specific graphics. But the more challenging aspect of the set wa

Details
A big thank you to Le Mark and Roscolab as this Christmas both companies have decided to send their Christmas greetings via e-mail and advertising respectively, instead of traditional Christmas cards, with the money saved being donated to the Light Relief charity.

Stuart Gibbons, managing director at Le Mark explained: "A Christmas card has a life of one or two weeks before it's disposed of, so my suggestion was an e-card to send either via e-mail or to create something along the lines of a virtual Christmas tree to use on an industry news site."

Duncan Smith at Roscolab added: "Light Relief has enjoyed a high profile recently, especially at PLASA 2002, and I wanted to add to that. As we usually buy charity Christmas cards anyway, as well as taking every opportunity to give something back to the industry, I thought this year instead of cards we should make a donation t

Details
East London-based gobo and projection specialist, Projected Image, has taken on an additional new premises at its HQ in the Three Mills Island Studio complex, Bromley-by- Bow. This is part of an on-going expansion plan in line with recent company developments and the establishment of sister company Projected Image Digital.

In November, Projected Image announced an exclusive UK distribution deal with RADlite, the revolutionary new PC-based computer generated effects package. Expanding to the new, larger, 1100sq.ft premises will allow Projected Image to enlarge its gobo production facilities and move all administration into the new space, leaving the original area free to be set up and utilized as a permanent RADlite demonstration. "We’re very excited about the move," said director David March. "The intention is also to offer the facility to lighting designers and vi

Details
L&SI’s series of industry networking events got off to a flying start on 10 October when 58 delegates joined the PLASA Media team and the technical production crew at the London Palladium for a backstage tour of the world’s most technically-advanced musical production, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

After a welcome drink in the Palladium’s Cinderella Bar, delegates were welcomed to the theatre by L&SI editor Ruth Rossington, before being given a fascinating potted history of the site and the venue by theatre manager Nick Bromley. Following this, the delegates were split into groups to begin the behind the scenes tour, which took in the automation control position, the lighting control room, the lighting rig, FOH sound desk, the under-stage engineering and the radio racks, plus a chance to view the amazing car itself, built by Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd. At each point, deleg

Details
PLASA has now launched its online training database. The searchable facility has been six months in development and offers visitors to the site information and course details covering training options specific to the production industry.

To simplify the search options, the database has been divided into two key sections - short training programmes and educational courses. The first section guides users through a range of short courses which are either industry-specific (often delivered by manufacturers, suppliers, hire and installation companies, some of whom are PLASA members) and business-related courses. Between them they cover such areas as Management Development, Business Development, Information Technology, Health and Safety and Technical Courses.

The Education section is dedicated to full-time academic courses and covers Theatre, Audio, TV/Radio, Lighting, Lasers and EMC Testi

Details
You have until 12 January to visit the most exciting event in theatre design for years, the 2D>3D show at Sheffield’s Millennium Galleries. If you can, you should allow a whole day for your visit - I could have used a week to roam the tightly packed exhibition space, reading every label, browsing every sketchbook and scanning every storyboard in this fascinating display.

More than 150 set, costume and lighting designers, plus a distinguished band of theatre architects, are showing some of their best work produced over the last three years. Organizers Peter Ruthven Hall and Kate Burnett have prepared an excellent catalogue of the show (available from SBTD at £18), replete with sumptuous colour illustrations, but the very 2D nature of the book explains why you should, if at all possible, see the real 3D thing: the catalogue has a careful sketch from Nancy Surman of her costumes fo

Details
Our photo shows industry consultant Peter Ed, part-way through his three-day journey to scale Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, located in the Atlas Mountain Range. Peter and his wife Lynne undertook the trek (which involved mules, freezing temperatures, cascading boulders, 6am starts and vertigo) to raise money for ARK - Absolute Return for Kids - a charity established to transform the lives of children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness and poverty.

Anyone who’d like to add to the money that’s already been raised, can contact Peter on p.ed@btclick.com or 07887 713 215.

Details
Following November elections, the Association has welcomed three new members to its executive committee. With effect from January 1st, Andrew Bishop of Carlsbro Electronics, Steve Cole of Navica and Matthew Tonks ofStage Technologies will join PLASA’s executive body.

The new places were made available by the departures of Paul de Ville of Lightfactor Sales, Nikki Scott of Stage Technologies and Tracey Patterson of Artistic Licence, all of whom decided not to stand for re-election. PLASA Chairman Mick Hannaford acknowledged the valuable contributions that all had made, and thanked them for their efforts.

The three new members are all experienced industry players. Andrew Bishop of Carlsbro worked with both Fisons and Barclays Bank, before moving into the fireworks and toys business, gaining a broad experience of import and export. In 2001, he purchased Carlsbro Electronics, a man

Details
Keith Owen is to leave the Production Services Association (PSA) in the New Year. He will step down from his role as trade association manager in order to launch a design company which will supply 'practicals' and special projects to the entertainment, TV and film industries. It’s a return to a role he undertook for 20 years before joining the PSA. There will be continuity for the PSA in the shape of Julian Walden, an experienced events person, who will now work closely with the PSA Council.

(Ruth Rossington)

Details
UK - Caroline Moss, former pro audio journalist, editor and industry specialist, has joined Faith Communications, the independent PR and marketing consultancy set up a year ago by Aviva Ozin.

Ozin and Moss first worked together in the mid-eighties at Britannia Row, the recording and PA group owned by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Since then both have gone on to amass more than three decades of industry experience between them, with Ozin holding PR and marketing posts with the Autograph group of companies and gaining experience in the recording sector with Harris Grant Associates. She also spent a two-year break from the industry as communications manager of a humanitarian aid organisation. Meanwhile, Moss moved into journalism, and has been assistant editor of Pro Sound News Europe, deputy editor of Studio Magazine and most recently editor of Pro Sound News Asia, as well as wri

Details
UK - Following the membership vote at the end of 2002, PLASA has welcomed three new members to its executive committee - Andrew Bishop of Carlsbro Electronics, Steve Cole of Navica and Matthew Tonks of Stage Technologies. The subsequent internal election for the officer posts saw David Hopkins OBE, managing director of Audio Design Services, elected as PLASA chairman, while Sammy DeHavilland of Dare Pro Audio takes on the role of vice-chairman, and Tim Brown of Apple Sound replaces DeHavilland as PLASA treasurer.

The new places were made available by the departures of Paul de Ville of Lightfactor Sales, Nikki Scott of Stage Technologies and Tracey Patterson of Artistic Licence, all of whom decided not to stand for re-election. Mick Hannaford, who stepped down as PLASA chairman at the close of 2002 after three years in the chair, acknowledged the valuable contributions that all h

Details
UK - The McKenzie Group has appointed David Laing as general manager of the Glasgow Academy. He joins the team from Queen Margaret Union at the University of Glasgow, where he set up and headed the Entertainments Department. In just over four years, Laing successfully increased the number of live gigs at the University, as well as promoting a number of key dance events and club nights.

The 2,500 capacity Glasgow Academy is the latest sister venue to be added to the expanding list of McKenzie Group venues, namely Brixton Academy (London) Bristol Academy, Birmingham Academy and London's Shepherd's Bush Empire - famous for staging events as diverse as Madonna and the Rolling Stones. Glasgow Academy will launch in March this year, and to date has confirmed live shows with Massive Attack (April 8th & 9th), Inspiral Carpets (April 2nd) and Sugababes (March 28th).

The McKenzie Group

Details
UK - A number of new members have joined the Association recently.

Joining as Full Members are Salisbury-based Multitex Engineering (Tel: +44 (0)1722 332139), specialists in lighting solutions; Scarborough-based P & L Sound & Lighting (Tel: +44 (0)1723 378888), a retail, sales and hire operation, which also offers a repair and maintenance service; Swadlincote-based Active Color Systems Ltd (Tel: +44 (0)1283 819780), suppliers of a range of lighting, laser and audio systems and London-based Projected Image UK, (Tel: +44 (0)20 8215 3331), specialists in gobos and projectors.

Joining as Full EU Members are Belgium-based Amelia nv (Tel: +32 (0)3 270 36 36), specialists in developing electronic solutions for special effects; Netherlands-based 5 Star Systems (Tel: +31 23 5544 611), manufacturers and suppliers of lighting products to the entertainment industry, and Spain-based Ben-Ri

Details
UK - Despite the nasty weather, the unexpected closure of the Victoria line and the fact that it was a Monday morning, PLASA had a strong turn-out for its Australian seminar at the DTI Conference Centre in London on January 20th. The event was organized jointly by PLASA and Trade Partners UK (the government organization designed to help British businesses succeed in overseas markets).

Richard Harper, Trade Promotion Manager at the British Consulate-General in Sydney, offered practical insights into approaching the Australian market, highlighting the fact that despite common ground - language, culture and legal systems - there were still significant differences between the UK and Australian markets. He advised those considering the market to first commission a market report through Trade Partners UK.

Nigel Benson, publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, concentrated on th

Details
UK - PLASA presented a cheque for £150.00 to Harry Crowder for successfully completing the BTEC General Theatre Technician Award, which is delivered through the AETTI and Loughborough College. Crowther, stage manager at Bedworth Civic Hall, was attracted to the course because it gave him the opportunity to gain a recognized qualification, whilst continuing in employment.

The General Theatre Technician course is run over three days and costs £350.00. Harry has gone on to attend the BTEC Stage, Lighting, Rigging and Operation Award which the AETTI have recently launched. Peter Coleman from Stage Electrics and Jason Larcombe from White Light are tutoring on the new course. For more information about course dates and times contact Chris Garner on 01509 618377 or e-mail chris.garner@lou.ac.ukThe money comes from the sum raised by the Product Excellence Awards at the PLASA

Details
UK - PLASA Media has learned that Simon Brophy, the former head of lighting at the Millennium Dome, has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), the body that ran the Dome. Two other persons, David Gordon, 41, a company director, and Brophy's wife Margaret Bragg, 29, have also been charged with conspiracy to defraud the NMEC. The three, who have been released on bail, will appear before Bow Street Magistrates Court on 7 February.

Brophy, Gordon and Bragg were arrested by the Fraud Squad in October 2000, following scrutiny into the awarding of contracts at the Millennium Dome. A woman in her 60s was also arrested at this time, at a residential address in West Yorkshire, followed by two further arrests in February 2001, of a man and a woman, both in their 30s. These three remain on police bail pending further enquiries.

(Lee Baldock)

Details
UK - The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) has warned its members in the past about scams in which companies are approached by organizations claiming to be 'collectors' for Data Protection Act registration. The approaches are often in the form of a letter, and carry demands for a registration fee (often £95 +VAT) along with erroneous 'reminders' that failure to register could result in a fine of up to £5,000. Other 'collectors' have even visited companies in person, and displayed convincing-looking ID tags.

It seems that the practice is still continuing, with up to 18 bogus agencies known to be engaged in the scam - for a full list, visit the web address below. Anyone being approached with a similar request is asked not to make any payments, and to contact their local police.

(Lee Baldock)

Details
USA - Electrosonic has formed a new division, MediaSonic - the Media Networking Division.

The new operation, based in Burbank, will design and manufacture network-enabled media products and systems for the delivery of rich media content to the control and presentation markets.

Some of the first offerings from MediaSonic include control systems and storage devices only previously available exclusively in Electrosonic systems and installations, including the ESCAN Control Area Network for Media Control and Management, FrEND Far End Network Device, The MediaSonic MPEG-based HD Player and MediaSonic HD Decoder card which decodes all 18 ATSC formats and custom formats.

MediaSonic is also establishing OEM relationships based on the technologies of these products and other Electrosonic products and designs.

Jim Bowie, previously the general manager of Electrosonic in Burbank, has

  1. Not a Dry Ice in the House
  2. Lords defeat government over Licensing Bill
  3. PALA, Singapore
  4. PLASA Association Day: Friday 6 June, 2003
  5. PLASA Industry Research: key trends identified . . .
  6. City Theatrical acquires Matsuda-Dunn Design
Page 87 of 243
LSi 40th sponsors - Large MPU - July-Aug

Latest Issue. . .