USA - The largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, has set sail with a large energy-efficient Elation Professional LED lighting package used in the ship's main entertainment and relaxation areas.

As the third member of Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class, Harmony of the Seas is similar to her two sister ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, however with design changes, extra amenities and entertainment technology upgrades.

Built by STX France in Saint-Nazaire, France, the 5,479-guest ship has something for everybody and like Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships, Harmony of the Seas is an environmentally friendly 'smartship' in which energy savings and energy efficiency take priority. It continues the high standard in energy-efficient entertainment lighting that Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas set in 2014 when it firs

UK - The Prolight Concepts Group now distributes a range of YODN discharge lamps, fitting most manufacturers of discharge beam fixtures.

YODN Lighting, established over 10 years ago, provides light sources for the entertainment, commercial and industrial markets. A hive for research, development and manufacturing for all things lamps, YODN is known for its outstanding performance and reliability. They are also one of the leading brands to produce the R Series Beam Lamps providing high quality at a new affordable price point.

"With further buying power, The Prolight Concepts Group are again able to expand its vast product portfolio by bringing a range of YODN lamps to the market at an affordable price. Manufactured to the highest quality, these lamps are suitable for stage lighting, concerts, TV studios and night clubs, making them the perfect replacement lamp for rental co

Taiwan - Christie's rental staging partner Hexogon Solution Pte Ltd has ignited the Christmas spirit by delivering spectacular visuals that captivated thousands of spectators who turned up for the official lighting up ceremony of the highly-anticipated Christmasland in New Taipei City event on 19 November.

The stunning projection mapping performances, which run nightly until 2 January 2017, are planned and executed by Hexogon Solution using a total of 42 Christie Boxer 4K30 3DLP projectors. A slew of bright and vibrant visuals depicting Christmas adventures of the Santa Bear and Fang Tou Bear family project onto the fa

USA - On 2 August, 1956, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed papers that enacted Constitution Week. Since that time, communities throughout the United States have used the occasion to commemorate and honour the 4,543-word document that has served as the framework for the country's legal system for the past two-and-a-quarter centuries. In most communities, these celebrations pass in relative obscurity, but not in Gilbert, Arizona.

Located 22 miles southeast of Phoenix, Gilbert holds what is widely regarded as the largest Constitution Week celebration in the US, complete with food, fireworks, theatres, live music, flyovers and educational programmes. A highlight of this year's event was a stirring performance by the 700-voice Millennial choir that was illuminated by a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Creative Backstage.

John Garberson, owner of Cr

Switzerland - The Zurich Openair Festival, which has existed since 2010, attracted more than 60,000 visitors this year to the festival grounds on the outskirts of Zurich.

The musical spectrum included indie, electro and rock music, and included a mixture of internationally known musicians, bands and newcomers. This year, Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, Sigur R

USA - Ever since Atlanta-based lighting designer Greg Ellis discovered Robe's BMFL moving lights which were launched in 2014, he has been recommending them to as many people as possible and continues to be "consistently impressed" with Robe's subsequent product launches.

He just finished the latest leg of a Pretty Lights US tour where 36 x Spikies and 14 x BMFL Spots graced his lighting rig and helped create a stylish and invigorating show for rising star DJ and music producer Pretty Lights with whom he has worked for the last seven years.

The Episodic Festival Tour comprised five two-day experiences staged over different weekends at interesting and cool locations around the US - including Telluride in the Rocky Mountains, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, both in Colorado, as well as Chicago, Nashville and New Hampshire.

The rig didn't change but the idea was to embrace the

UK - Following its record-breaking two year run in London's West End, The Commitments is now embarking on a UK tour for the first-time ever. Adapted for the stage by Roddy Doyle, it tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, a young, working-class musician who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateurs and friends into the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced. The show is currently visiting venues up and down the country. White Light was called upon to provide the lighting equipment.

The lighting designer on the show is Jon Clark, who also lit the West End production. Callum Humphries is the chief electrician, working alongside Sophie Wilkins as well as the touring production electrician Justin Cook. He comments, "As chief LX, it's my role to not only run the electrics department but also recreate Jon's design within each venue. This includes positioning and focusing individual

USA - Elation Professional's popular Colour Pendant colour-changing RGBW LED luminaire is now available in a variable white light version, the DW Pendant. This new, versatile, ETL approved LED luminaire allows for dynamic white light control of stage or house lighting levels in an energy-efficient downlighting fixture.

The DW Pendant houses 36 long-life 3W LEDs (18 cool white + 18 warm white) for variable shade projections of white light. It features full colour temperature range control from warm white tungsten (2,900K) to cool white daylight (6,800K) for a wide choice of shades. Its uniform flat-field output and 41° beam angle make for a highly effective wash luminaire whether flooding a stage in uniform shades of white light or functionally washing a seating area, foyer or other space. Variable dimming curve modes and strobe effects enhance its dynamic capabilities.

UK - Artistic Licence, has introduced two new products that complement its popular DMX-Buffer product. The range now includes the sister products DMX-Clarify and DMX-Protect.

DMX-Buffer is an economical alternative to an opto-splitter when there is a need to run DMX over distances greater than the standard limit of 300m. It rebuffers the DMX signal and offers full support for RDM.

Housed in a protective metal case and powered from a standard 9V PSU with a DC jack , DMX-Buffer is simple to use. DMX-Buffer XLR uses a standard 5-pin male XLR connector that is terminated internally. The output connector is an 5-pin female XLR connector. DMX-Buffer is also offered with Ethercon connectors (DMX-Buffer RJ45) to enable use with Cat5 cable.

DMX-Clarify is offered in the same form factor. It offers similar functionality to DMX-Buffer, but operates permanently in 'data fix' mode

Germany - Lawo has announced a full set of new features for its mc2 series consoles, adding further functionality for live, theatre and install sound applications.

With software release 5.8 the consoles now feature Module ISO, which enables users to prevent certain settings from being loaded from snapshots, respectively create partial snapshots that only affect certain channels or modules. The update also provides seamless RAVENNA AoIP integration for Neumann DMI-8 digital microphone interfaces.

"We are seeing a significant demand from customers to use our audio consoles in install, HOW and live sound environments. Therefore, we continue adding features tailored to these kind of applications", explains Hervé de Caro, live sound specialist at Lawo.

In addition to the new feature set, Lawo also announced a new interface card for its modular Nova73 processing and r

New Zealand - Eastgate Christian Centre in Auckland recently upgraded its audio system, selecting a combined dLive digital mixing and ME personal monitor system from Allen & Heath to manage FOH and monitor audio requirements.

"We needed a greater auxiliary count and a more flexible workflow than the existing FOH mixer could provide, plus the monitor system was no longer reliable, so the church decided to replace both systems with a higher capacity system that can easily handle the most demanding services," explains Matt Bayly, technical arts director at Eastgate.

After researching and seeking advice from AV consultants, the church enrolled its team of volunteers to test out different mixers before a purchasing decision was made.

"It was a unanimous decision - everyone preferred dLive as it had a superior work-flow, was more user friendly and it sounded incredible," say

UK - The Hyundai Mercury Prize, took place at London's Eventim Apollo Hammersmith and was won by Skepta, who beat new albums by a variety of artists including Radiohead, David Bowie, Anohni, and The 1975.

The awards event was produced by Lipfriend Rodd International. Producer David Davies, and technical director, Robert Lipfriend contracted PRG XL Video to supply rigging, and lighting for the show which was filmed and broadcast by BBC Music.

The lighting design for the show was created by award-winning designer, Nigel Catmur. PRG XL Video's account director, Chris Walker worked with a rigging brief which needed to accommodate both lighting and video elements, all of which moved during the show. Chris explains, "We worked with the design from Nigel Catmur, which included lighting, LED screens, and masking trusses.

"Our rigging team, led by head rigger, Chris 'Karrit' Ha

UK - Of the many Houses of Worship visited by AV installation company, Old Barn Audio (OBA), the Syrian Orthodox Church in East Acton will rank as one of the more unusual.

Fitted out with Martin Audio's radical CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) sound reinforcement in time for its consecration in November, the church is described as "an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church based in the Eastern Mediterranean, with members spread throughout the world". Due to the war in Syria, the community of Syriac Orthodox Christians in Britain has grown considerably.

The Church employs the oldest surviving liturgy in Christianity, the Liturgy of St. James the Apostle, and uses Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic spoken by Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as its official and liturgical language.

OBA was one of several companies asked to tender, and was awarded the contract largely as a re

Denmark - The MCH (Messe Center Herning) group is one of Scandinavia's largest congress centres, based in the city of Herning, mid Jutland, with large buildings and arenas for hosting conferences, sports events and rock concerts.

The group has just installed a new d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker system into its theatre in Herning town centre, which will be used for both conferences and live music events.

The decision to select d&b was made by a team of in-house and external professionals after presentations and listening tests. MCH's head of sound, Tommas Hviid Kristensen, commented, "We wanted a premium brand system that would be rider friendly for both in-house and visiting engineers, so we asked a number of companies to tender. Each company set up a mono hang of their system so that we could hear them in the theatre and then decide which we preferred."

Lars Baun Freder

Croatia - Avolites control consoles and Ai media servers powered beat-perfect visuals across Outlook and Dimensions, two of Croatia's leading dance music festivals, seamlessly merging lighting and video to immerse and enthral the crowds of revellers.

The sister festivals are held every year in Croatia's medieval town of Pula in the ruins of the town's 150-year-old Fort, 'Punto Christo'. Providing the lighting and video aspects for both Outlook and Dimensions was UK lighting, rigging and production expert Fineline Lighting, which has been involved in the festivals since 2012.

"This year we looked after The Void, Mungo's Arena, The Stables, Noah's Ballroom, The Moat, The Garden and the main stage," says Fineline Lighting's managing director Rob Sangwell. "The two festivals celebrate EDM and soundsystem culture, so lighting and visuals are always high on the agenda."

Sang

Cambodia - Johnny Strife, head of lighting and lighting designer at PNN TV in Cambodia has been announced as the lucky winner of Zero 88's popular In Control competition and he's chosen a Zero 88 FLX console as his prize.

Johnny is absolutely delighted. He could hardly believe it when he opened his FB page and found Zero 88's congratulations message, "I was so excited. I will use the new console to control many more performances," he declared.

The competition was extremely well received and open to anyone working with, using or owning a Zero 88 lighting control product - desks or dimmers - or even anyone even thinking about it!

Entrants snapped a photo of their Zero 88 product 'in control' in a real lighting environment and submitted this together with a short caption to the Zero 88 team via social media or Email. The entries were examined closely by a panel of experts

New Zealand - Auckland Live is a busy umbrella organisation running all the live performance venues in New Zealand's largest performing arts and convention centre complex right in the heart of the city.

Their existing stock of Robe moving lights is now boosted with the addition of 44 new LED moving lights - 12 x DL4S Profiles and 32 x LEDWash 800s.

Head of lighting Malcolm Ibel has been using Robe moving lights increasingly in his work in recent years, and Auckland Live initially invested in the MMX Series with the purchase of 12 x MMX Spots and 12 x MMX WashBeams.

Having been extremely happy with the performance of these and what they brought to lighting the various venues and shows, they had a solid basis for the decision to go with the latest purchase.

The DL4S Profile was selected for its finesse and elegance as a theatrical luminaire - compact size, light weig

Switzerland - Now equipped with Nexo's Geo M6 compact line array, the Rosey Concert Hall at Institut Le Rosey near Lausanne is already being acknowledged as one of the finest concert halls in Switzerland.

This 900-seat venue sits at the heart of the Paul and Henri Carnal Hall, a visionary building by architect Bernard Tschumi that has recently been added to the campus of the exclusive Rosey boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. The auditorium, designed by Arup Acoustics, is dedicated to classical music, welcoming world-famous orchestras such as the St Petersburg Philharmonic. With the addition of a Nexo sound reinforcement system, it is also able to stage concerts, musicals, operas, lectures and film shows, as well as a huge range of other events to nourish students' cultural appetites.

ZAP Audiowas invited to design a PA system for this elegant hall. ZAP director Fr&eacu

UK - Production Park has announced the acquisition of consulting firm, AspectUnlimited and the integration of their media design workflow consultancy into the Production Park group of companies.

The acquisition will merge AspectUnlimited's specialties in previsualization, technical and production workflow consulting for 3d media servers and lighting systems, with the electronics and automation skill sets of Brilliant Automation to create a new renamed group brand - Brilliant Technologies.

Lee Brooks, managing director of Production Park, remarks, "Future productions will require an ever increasing technical integration of scenic, automation and visual technologies. Shannon and the team will be key to developing our capabilities in these areas."

Director of AspectUnlimited, Shannon Harvey will take on a new role as the director of technology for the Production Park grou

UK - Adding a little neon radiance to edge the politically charged wit of comedian Matt Forde, illumination specialists, LED Creative has been working with scenic designer James Dillon to help create the look for Unspun.

Filmed in front of a live audience at Elstree Studios with lighting director Martin Kempton, Unspun sees host Matt Forde delivering a contemporary, comedic view of the week's political activity, expertly dismantling the week in Westminster. The set design has the presenter at its centre, flanked on all sides with a variety of set pieces and light boxes created using the LED Creative Alpha 60 RGB System.

The Alpha 60 and bespoke driver units have also been cleverly built directly into both the presenter's desk and around the perimeter of the large video screen to the rear of the set. Flexible and precise the highly controllable capabilities of

Belgium - Creative lighting and visual design practice Painting with Light has added its own touches of magic and excitement for thrill-seekers enjoying Heidi The Ride, the stunning new 71 km/h wooden roller coaster due to open 1 April 2017 right at the heart of Heidiland, a new area at the Plopsaland De Panne theme park in Belgium.

Heidi The Ride - themed after the highly successful Heidi TV show produced by Studio 100, who own the park - is a new 6m euro investment built by Great Coasters International. She soars up to 22m high with a track of 618m, and her construction involved 56,846m of wood, 95,723 bolts and 181,198 nails with 784 mainstays holding everything secure.

"It was a really amazing honour to be invited to light this beautiful and intricate structure" explained Painting with Light's Luc Peumans, whose concept involved highlighting the detail of the st

World - Responsible for the design on the Red Hot Chili Peppers recent word tour, The Getaway, is once again Scott Holthaus, long term LD, programmer and production designer for the band and a loyal user of MA Lighting consoles.

Holthaus comments, "We have now used grandMA for 20 years! As this is the most ambitious project I have come up with to date, I saw no reason to change from what has worked so well. Therefore, we voted again to use MA - in this case two grandMA2 full-size." Leif Dixon is working alongside Scott as programmer.

"It was my intention to create a giant video kinetic sculpture that includes, involves and encompasses the audience", continues Holthaus. "I feel this is the coolest travelling show out at this time - as do most who have seen it fly!" Premier Global Production provided the lighting equipment, TAIT the stage structure.

(Jim Evans)

UK - SLX has provided the lighting equipment for award winning actor, Mark Rylance's, show Nice Fish at The Harold Pinter Theatre for Sonia Friedman Productions.

The show which opened to critical acclaim last year on Broadway opened on 25 November 2016 at The Harold Pinter Theatre, London. With lighting by USA based Japhy Weideman the show features a wide range of equipment including Martin Viper Performances, Martin Rush Pars, ETC Source Four Lustr2s, ETC Source Fours and Look Solution smoke machines.

The show is being run from an ETC Gio control desk. For the London transfer there were a number of changes from the New York show; a large amount of the rig was swapped from Scrollers to ETC Source Four Lustr2s and Martin Rush Par2s for reliability and the additional options that these fixtures bring.

The show was put into The Harold Pinter Theatre by production e

USA - Some 15,000 fans of Mexican fashion icon, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, waited hours to gain entrance to the M.A.C. Cosmetics / Selena world premiere at the American Bank Centre in Corpus Christi, Texas, recently.

Handling the lighting for this event was Axis DeBruyn (of Axislights), who incorporated 48 of GLP's X4 Bar 10 battens in his design, supplied (along with the video and scenic effects) by PRG Las Vegas.

The concert arena was transformed into a Selena paradise with purple lights, purple rugs and purple Dillard's kiosks, to promote the new M.A.C. collection and T-shirts in honour of the Hispanic fashion designer (dubbed the 'Queen of Tejano Music').

One of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century, Selena was fatally shot at age 23 in 1995 at the height of her career. Corpus Christ was her home town, and such is her icon

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