Lightfactor’s Scott Callis is in the midst of a highly successful UK tour with a quantity of SGM automated lighting kit. This is designed specifically to put the gear through its paces in a variety of situations and environments. Callis devised this slightly unorthodox way of exposing the equipment to as many differing situations as possible by integrating it into varying lighting hire packages. The SGM kit - including Giotto 250 Spots and Giotto 1200 spot and wash lights - has appeared at high profile clubs, venues and live shows nationwide including a recent BB King show at Leicester De Montfort Halls and an insurance sales conference at the NEC in Birmingham. At De Montfort Hall, Callis has supplied the SGM kit to the Hall’s Chief LX and technical manager Graham Williams for a variety of summer events, including an outdoor concert by blues legend BB King.

The show was de

The Smoke Company will have a host of new products and ranges on show at PLASA. The company has recently agreed a joint venture with Wings and is now the sole European distributor for its range of quality special effects lighting systems. Other new products planned for PLASA include Apollo - a range of silk flame lights, built in the UK under licence by The Smoke Company; UV Planet, a range of ultra-violet products for use in pubs, clubs and bars (The Smoke Company again being sole European distributor); the Powercan, a popular and cost-effective canister smoke machine. The Parcan, smoke output from a lighting fixture . . .

Also on show will be The Battery, The Goblin and The Roama.

The Smoke Company can be found on stand D33

MilTec (UK) Ltd has recently supplied the Woodville Halls Theatre of Gravesend with a whole host of f.a.l. (Italy) theatrical products, which were supplied through Primarc. Ken Green, technical manager of the Halls told PLASA Media: “We were looking to refit our theatre with a number of theatrical lighting products, and decided on the f.a.l. products, these being well-constructed, good value and featuring excellent optics.” The installation included 28 profiles, 20 spotlights, five six cell lights and two ultra-violet lights.

Chad Ward has joined Bandit Lites UK as operations manager. He was previously responsible for Bandit’s account whilst he was a sales representative for Wirral-based Tomcat UK. Bandit Lites UK general manager, Jason Tang, told PLASA Media: "Chad brings with him a wealth of knowledge from his time with Tomcat and previously Unusual Rigging. We have a very strong relationship with Tomcat and this move can only strengthen it." Ward will be responsible for procurement, logistics and also act as purchasing manager.

The Gaiety Theatre on the Isle of Man has unveiled a permanent lighting exhibition covering the evolution of theatre lighting. Building on from a ten-year long restoration process to re-instate the theatre back to its former Victorian appearance and ambience, the management decided to convert the three old projection rooms into a permanent exhibit of the history of theatre lighting. The idea had been lying latent for a while and was brought to life at ABTT earlier this year, following a conversation with lighting designer Jim Laws.

Designed by the highly reputed Frank Matcham, the Gaiety Theatre was built in 1899 and opened in 1900. Located at the rear of the auditorium above the balcony, the exhibition houses lighting equipment from the early days of electrical theatre lighting. Most of the old lighting from the theatre has found a new home there, as has the 1960's control system from

The Augustin Cloisters are one of the highlights of Les Nuits Lumière de Bourges - a season of lighting and sound shows run in the historic French town of Bourges during the summer months.

It’s a multi-site Son et Lumière show - the audience sees the 90-minute spectacular on foot and stroll about 2km during the show, being guided by a blue line of light. At each of six main buildings or sites, they see and hear a show with dramatic lighting and projected images. The show was designed by Philippe Noir and Christine de Vichet. Lighting design by Pierre Boudeau and Vladimir Lyszczynski, sound by Daniel Deshays and images by Serge Fouillet. The main technical contractor for the event was AEB, with Cyclope providing the large format filmstrip projectors. Electrosonic France was responsible for overall show control and slide projection.

On Thursday 12 July, a preliminary meeting was held at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre, to seek interest in the formation of an Australasian association for all who share an interest in the art, science and technology of light.

With an overwhelmingly positive responses from this, and a follow-up meeting in Melbourne, organisers Andy Ciddor and Cat Strom (Forcer) have decided to press ahead in establishing an Australasian Lighting Industry Association, provisionally entitled ALIA.

Discussions at the meetings were based around a widely-circulated proposal prepared by Cat Strom, Steve Furzey and Andy Ciddor, the text of which can be found on the preliminary ALIA website - www.lighting-association.com.

It was agreed that a broadly-based and inclusive lighting industry association is a worthwhile goal. Members of Australia’s existing lighting association, the Illuminat

Lighting design and events specialists Rainmaker recently lit an open air stage on Brighton Beach for a Channel Four party event starring dance impresarios Norman Cook AKA Fatboy Slim and Groove Armada, and enjoyed free by approximately 35,000 excited revellers.

The main focus of the stage was a giant Screenco LED screen. This had been rigged to facilitate a C4 broadcast of the Ashes cricket from Edgebaston on the Thursday through Sunday. However, Channel Four then decided it would create a great local buzz of they threw a party on the Friday night, offering an opportunity to groove the summer evening away with the best in contemporary club vibes with local hero - the Fatboy himself! They then decided to broadcast parts of the party a week later on C4’s ‘Fatboy Slim Night’.

The Fatboy Slim event originally started out just as a just live show, with Rainmaker initial

In preparation for the recent PALA 2001 and continuing its commitment to international workshops, DHA Lighting recently organised a day of workshops in Singapore in association with Audio Light Asia. Showing how theatrical lighting effects can be translated into alternative design contexts, Julie Harper, DHA's sales manager for the Asia Pacific region, demonstrated a variety of DHA products. In addition to theoretical guidance and professional demonstrations, the workshop provided hands-on opportunities to experiment with a range of lanterns and accessories. The audience was able to experience the potential of creative lighting when used to produce a variety of atmospheres which can be used across several market sectors, including themed entertainment, architecture, retail and interior lighting.

Taking her audience through a wide range of moving effects, Julie also used the compact DHA

i-vision is the brainchild of Geoff Jones - an entrepreneur well-known in the entertainment technology industry, most latterly with his company Laser Studio and as chairman of the Entertainment Laser Association (ELA). Jones is setting up I-Vision as a new and integral infrastructure for the dynamic group of companies with which he is involved. With the i-Vision launch, the company starts up in new premises in Wales, in downtown Chepstow, adjacent to the Severn Bridge. Contained within the group is Laser Studio, JMC Lighting i-vision Banners, i-vision Architectural and i-vision Hire. The plan is to develop the i-vision brand as a progressive, contemporary visual production facility appropriate to service a huge array of challenging entertainment industry projects in the 21st century.

Laser Studio continues to manufacture, sell, install and hire the latest in laser technology. Re

Doughty is showing a range of new products for the first time. The latest addition to studio suspension equipment from the company is a range of two and three adjustable spring pantographs. The Doughty spring pantographs have been designed to be lightweight and compact, with strength, safety and ease of use being the major design criteria. Loads from 5 to 20Kg can be suspended from overhead tracks or barrels and quickly positioned with height ranges of 2.2 to five metres. Also new is the Quick Trigger Clamp. The design of the QT clamp gives a high degree of safety by allowing one person to hang heavy luminaires and scanners on any size tube from 38mm to 51mm. The jaws are sprung loaded to stay open to leave both hands free to lift and position the load, the weight of the object being hung then becomes its own safety factor by automatically closing the clamp. This unique feature allows th

DHA has announced its new licensing agreement with Rosco, granting the company exclusive rights to manufacture the most popular gobo designs from DHA's catalogue for supply to Rosco dealers around the world. The new system now means faster delivery of standard gobos for Rosco's customers. "Having worked with DHA for 17 years we are very happy to continue the relationship and pleased that together we are able to respond to increased customer demand for rapid delivery by streamlining our systems," said Joshua Alemany, product manager at Rosco Laboratories. He continued: "Complementing DHA's international network of dealers, Rosco continues with its agreement to be DHA's exclusive distributor of gobos in the USA, South America, Australia and Canada. The worldwide network of Rosco companies and existing global stockists will benefit from the new arrangement and we both expect

For those visitors new to PLASA or simply keen to remind themselves how impressive last year’s event was, the Show website now features a virtual tour of last year’s PLASA Show. The tour takes in various elements of the exhibition with views from both the lower and top decks. By clicking on any of the green circles featured, visitors can look at the show floor in 3D and also explore other facilities at Earls Court 1.

Avolites continues to expand its Art2000 digital dimming range with the addition of the 32 Amp dimmer module, to be launched at PLASA 2001. Art2000-TV has been developed to meet the growing and changing demands of the television, film and industrial show and exhibition lighting industries, where the use of dimmable fixtures is becoming an increasingly popular, cost-effective method of lighting these specific environments.

The dimmer offers 32 Amps - continuously rated - in six-channel modules. Each channel has 240µ rise time - optimised for silence on both dimmer and fixture - and forced air-cooling via a speed-controlled fan. C-Type breakers are fitted to deal effectively with high in-rush currents. For full flexibility, the Art2000-TV module is available in two standard frame formats - 2 bay (12 x 32 channels) or 4 bay (24 x 32A channels). Art2000-TV’s top-mounting control mod

Lighthouse Visual Communications were responsible for staging the 5th Nikken Annual European and World Convention in Dusseldorf, Germany for an audience of 5,000 delegates from 25 countries, with translation required for 17 languages. Nikken is an industry leader in network marketing and offer their clients a range of innovative products many of which are based on the latest in magnetic technology. Lighthouse have been involved with this client for over five years and 2001 represented the biggest challenge to date for the team.

The venue chosen was the Messe Congress Halls in Dusseldorf where six halls were booked to cover the main events, the Gala dinner and an exhibition centre. Hall 9 was the main convention site and covered 11,000sq.m. The set was 65m wide and contained two 20ft x 15ft screens. The principal feature of the conference was to reward delegates for sales throughout the

The PLASA Standards Office has prepared a series of Guidance Notes for PLASA Members. Each provides useful information on current topics of interest and will be updated on an ongoing basis in line with developments. Further documents are planned in response to the needs of PLASA members. The following guidance documents are currently available. These documents are in PDF (Portable Document Format) and may be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 3 or later) which is available free from www.adobe.co.uk

Guide to Australian EMC Framework: contains advice on the EMC and C-Tick labelling requirements for equipment destined for the Australian market.

Basic Guide to the FCC Rules: contains advice on application of the USA Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules on EMC for entertainment equipment.

Standards for Dimmers: contains advice on the applicable safety

It appears that Bob Cashill is no longer editor of Lighting Dimensions magazine. In a notice posted on the publication’s website, a brief statement says that on July 28, publisher Jacqueline Tien appointed David Barbour to head up the editorial staff for Lighting Dimensions. Barbour, a veteran of the Entertainment Design/Theatre Crafts and Lighting Dimensions team, has 11 years' experience with the publications. Prior to that he was the director of the Drama Desk Board, which is second only to the Tony Awards group. Cashill had been appointed editor of Lighting Dimensions in 1996. There is no mention of what his future plans might be.

Building on the success of its original Lightforce speaker enclosures, Italian specialist PA builder FBT is set to launch its new Lightforce 2 series at this year’s PLASA show, on the Proel International stand. For users who demand wood - not moulded plastic - enclosures, Lightforce 2 offers a unique solution - the sound quality and substance of wood, but with lightweight, due to FBT’s poplar ply construction method. The Lightforce 2 range comes in both passive and active bi-amped versions. Total component reliability is ensured thanks to FBT’s ADAP electronic transducer protection system and the carpet-covered asymmetrical trapezoidal enclosures incorporate several unique features that make them easy to adapt for flying, stacking or installation uses.

Models in the unpowered Lightforce 2 range run from the two-way LF32 1x10" plus 1" compression driver, whic

ADDA will launch its new catalogue at the PLASA Show. The new full-colour catalogue features 12 pages of information about the company’s large range of high quality cases and services, highlighting the wide choice of materials and finishes as well as fittings and colour options. For the first time, the catalogue will embrace the OXO product range of architectural lighting protection - Con'Dome, Flight'Dome and the new Upside'Dome. The latter received an honorable mention at ABTT earlier this year and finally solves the problem of bad weather versus intelligent lighting. Also covered in detail are the range of options for sizes and rigging kits for the Domes. The complete catalogue will go online in September 2001.

ADDA can be found on Stand G37.

The Entertainment Services and Technology Association has launched projects to draft three new American National Standards:

BSR E1.18, Recommended practice for the selection, installation, use, and maintenance of single-conductor portable power feeder cable in the entertainment industry. The standard is intended to offer guidance on how to select, install, use and maintain single-conductor portable power feeder cables. The project will promote safety and compatibility in the equipment and practices used in live performance and in film and video production in North America.

BSR E1.19, Recommendations for the use of ground fault devices in the entertainment industry. The standard is intended to offer guidance on how to select, install, use and maintain ground fault protection devices in the entertainment industry. The project is intended to promote the use of these devi

Lighting design company MAD Manufacturing will be providing lighting design support for John Hornby Skewes’ stand at this year's PLASA Show. At the recent JHS Event 2001, held on-site at the music trade distributor's Garforth head office, MAD provided an impressive full lighting rig as visual support in the HK Audio pro audio demo theatre, in addition to being a guest exhibitor at the JHS Event. With a well-deserved reputation for innovation in what is a highly competitive industry, MAD were impressed by the level of reaction they received during the JHS Event 2001 from the many music trade visitors, and are delighted to be involved with JHS again for the PLASA Show.

JHS can be found on Stand E46.

Lighting&Sound International, PLASA Media’s leading entertainment technology journal, is sponsoring the New Technology Gallery at PLASA 2001. This is the showcase of all products nominated for the prestigious PLASA Awards for Product Excellence. Situated on the Top Deck of the PLASA Show, near to the main bar area, the showcase offers visitors a chance to check out the features and capabilities of all of the major product innovations at PLASA 2001, in one place.

L&SI will be based on the Lower Deck (stand K19), where we will be offering free readerships to qualifying UK industry personnel, plus special offers on international subscriptions only available at PLASA 2001 - plus PLASA Media freebies to all new subscribers!

L&SI can be found on stand K19.

Constella is adding three new products to its DMX512 lighting range at PLASA this year. Following the success of the Chameleon 5 at PLASA 2000, the company has made the unit intelligent, and now presents the Chameleon 5 DMX. Other additions include the Astra Moon Scan and Astra Moon Star effects, combining the crystal sharp images and responsive movement of the Chameleon 4 with a choice of two light delivery systems – the scan head or the rotating barrel.

Constella can be found on stand L5.

Forget three-phase power supplies, water-cooling, unreliable performance and costly maintenance, plug and play lasers are definitely the way ahead according to laser firm VIVID. By plugging into a standard 13amp socket crisp, pin-sharp graphics and animated images can be thrown from the lightweight laser with the bonus of high speed digital blanking. With each image as a separate entity the permutations for all manner of presentations is endless, says Mike Lister, managing director of Vivid.

Lister has teamed up with Clive Davies, the technical mind behind Laser Electronics, to form Vivid, which is based in brand new 12,000sq.ft high-tech headquarters in Wakefield. Vivid manufactures a rotor moulded, stylish lightweight case which can be colour-matched to any interior. Each unit weighs less than 15 kilos and can be daisy-chained like any intelligent lighting rig. Vivid claims it's the

Latest Issue. . .