USA - As of 1 November, Robe North America (RNA) is the exclusive distributor for Avolites in the United States of America. The Davie, Florida-headquartered company will provide full sales, service (including warranty related), training, and technical support following Robe sro’s recent acquisition of the console and media server manufacturer. Avolites USA product manager Brad White and product specialist Kade Behm, already well-known industry wide, will work alongside the Robe North America teams taking care of all things Avo-related. Lorienn Cochenour, CEO, Robe Lighting, Inc. commented: “We are very excited to welcome Brad and Kade to Robe North America, where their energy, enthusiasm, years of industry experience and excellent knowledge of Avolites products will be a strong foundation - as one of the most globally recognised lighting and visual control
UK - SLX has announced the students selected to participate in its 2023/24 Lighting Programme. After a highly competitive selection process, the team is proud to introduce five exceptional university students representing various institutions across the UK. The talented individuals have earned their place on SLX’s Lighting Programme and will shortly begin to expand networks, gain hands-on experience, and expand knowledge within the field of lighting. The students comprising the 2023/24 Lighting Programme cohort are: Tom Barge (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Nancy Straham (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Sophie Schmidt (Guildford School of Acting), Jamie Burke (The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and James Callis (Guildhall School of Music and Drama). During the programme, the selected students will have the opportunity to work alongside SLX's experienced
The Netherlands - In the picturesque town of Venlo, on the banks of the Meuse River, the annual free Zomerparkfeest is more than just a festival; it's an immersive experience where music, art, and culture come together. This year, the Zomerparkfeest unveiled its various stages, brought to life by an impressive array of lighting products from Infinity, Showtec, DMT, and Showgear, courtesy of Demo Productions from Ulestraten, the Netherlands. As the festival’s main stage blasted off, Demo Productions bathed it in a mesmerizing glow, thanks to a dazzling array of lighting products. Headliners such as Altin Gün, Peaches, and Rowwen Hèze took to the stage beneath the illumination. Piercing beams of light from 14 Infinity iB-2R moving heads were accompanied by 15 Showtec Stage Blinder 4 DMX and 48 Showtec DWE Audience Blinders. To set the mood, eight Showtec Heli
India - Elation has announced that VMT (Vardhaman Megatech) has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Elation and Obsidian Control Systems products in India, effective immediately. VMT is a leading professional audio and lighting distribution company with a strong distribution network and rich history that goes back to 1958 (parent company Vardhaman was established in 1807.) Based in Mumbai, the family-run business serves a diverse range of customers through retail, installation and distribution divisions, the latter working closely with a network of B2B dealers, retailers, and large touring companies across the country. VMT director of sales, Jeff Mandot, expressed satisfaction in adding the Elation and Obsidian brands to their large catalogue of leading AV brands. “We chose to partner with Elation because of their reputation as a leading manufacturer of
USA - Creative Technology has announced two key promotions in its executive management team. Effective immediately, Herb Brandt has been named president of the Creative Technology Group in the US and Stephen Gray will be taking on the newly created role of senior vice president of NEP Live Events. Brandt is a 27-year veteran with extensive experience across all of CT’s business offerings. His most recent role as chief business officer focused on the client-facing side of the business, enhancing CT’s go-to-market strategies while developing new, innovative solutions for customers. Stephen Gray has been a part of the Creative Technology family since 1994 and has built a reputation grounded in customer service and operational excellence. He will continue in his current role as chief operating officer for CT US while he takes on the responsibilities as senior vice-pre
USA - ADJ is preparing to showcase a variety of entertainment lighting fixtures, LED video solutions, and atmospheric effect generators at the IAAPA Expo (Booth #475), an event for professionals from the attractions industry. The company’s booth will feature a variety of products suitable for the attractions industry, including both regular and IP65-rated automated luminaires, static lighting solutions, LED video panels and a high-output professional snow machine. IAAPA is the Global Association for the Attractions Industry and its annual Expo attracts thousands of visitors from across the United States and around the world. Hosted in Orlando, FL - the undisputed theme park capital of the world - the event attracts professionals from the full gamut of attraction-based businesses, including amusement and theme parks, hotels and resorts, water parks, family entertainment cen
Belgium - At a ceremony at the Brussels Expo Paleis 10, two women, Rika Coppens, CEO of House of HR, and Diane Govaerts of Ziegler, were named Manager Van Het Jaar (Manager of the Year) by Roularta Media Group’s Trends magazine, the largest circulation business weekly in Belgium, and Trends Tendence the Wallonia version of the publication. Rika Coppensand Diane Govaerts were both praised for their forward-thinking creativity and their ability to maintain high standards of excellence. Contributing to the success of the event was D-Dream, which provided technical support and creative vision for the evening’s activities. “We’ve been working together with Roularta Media Group for several years,” said D-Dream managing director Elke Scheirs. “This year, we were again chosen to supply all audiovisual support for the execution of the awards.”
India - Christie has announced that its Griffyn Series RGB pure laser projectors are illuminating the façade of the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple for a spectacular son et lumière that pays homage to the timeless legends of Lord Krishna. Situated in Mathura, a sacred city in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple is traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most widely revered divinities in Hinduism. With its origins dating back to the 6th century BC, this temple stands as a site of profound importance and ranks among India’s most frequented religious destinations. The nightly 40-minute light and sound show which portrays Lord Krishna’s life as a symbol of tenderness, patience, compassion, and love, was inaugurated by Agra’s chief minister, Yogi Adityanath. This mesmerising presentation was
UK - The spectacular production of The Wizard of Oz, directed by Nikolai Foster and with lighting design by Ben Cracknell, transferred from Leicester’s Curve Theatre to the London Palladium in the West End for a summer run. With Martin MAC Encores and VDO Atomic Dots specified in the original design, the rig at the Palladium was expanded with additional MAC Encores and with over 50 Martin VDO Atomic Dots after the compact, high output fixtures were described by the LD as being “a revelation” at the Curve. For the West End production, the previously specified MAC Encore Performance CLD fixtures were joined by additional MAC Encore WRM fixtures, positioned both overhead and on side ladders. “The MAC Encore Performance CLD is my go-to," stated LD Ben Cracknell, “and by swapping out [a competitor fixture] to the MAC Encore WRMs we had just one typ
Ukraine - Leoland, a 300,000sq.m sports, educational entertainment & leisure complex in Lviv, in the west of the country, has opened a new multipurpose conference concert space. This enhances its already considerable facilities at the heart of this picturesque city. Given everything that Ukraine has been going through over the last 20 months, it is as much of a small miracle as it is a testament to the spirit and strength of all involved in the project who were determined it should be completed and immediately start further benefiting the community. The room features 270-degree projections and is lit with Robe products including eight VIVA CMYs to cover the stage, together with 26 LEDWash 600+s and eight ParFect 150s that are positioned around the ceiling, all delivered by one of Robe’s Ukrainian distributors, Sound House, based in Dnipro. The lights were
World - Stage lighting rental house Christie Lites has announced a major strengthening of its global reps, welcoming five new team members to its UK, Germany, USA and Canada shops. The addition of these new team members reflects the company’s growth aspirations in multiple sectors, including TV, special events and theatre. London-based rental rep Alex Griffiths brings a decade of experience at the heart of the lighting industry. “I've had the privilege of collaborating with exceptional individuals and building a robust network of industry professionals,” he says. “I’m excited to harness my network and expertise in my new role at Christie Lites, contributing to the continued success of our lighting projects.” One of Griffiths’ key objectives is to expand Christie Lites' presence in the TV and special events sector. In Germany, where Christie Lites o
Australia - Cannon Hill Anglican College in Brisbane has upgraded its auditorium with an all-LED lighting rig, including the Prolights EclFresnel 2K and EcLFresnel Jr. Thanks to these fixtures, the college now has access to a broad palette of thousands of colours, providing many creative possibilities for their performances. All lighting fixtures were supplied by Show Technology, the official Prolights distributor in Australia. The Prolights EclFresnel 2K were installed in the auditorium. To maintain the same level of quality in the foyer, which features a small stage, the EclFresnel Jr were strategically placed. Josiah Kerridge, Brisbane Sound Group's installation & projects department manager, expressed his confidence in the Prolights EclFresnel 2K fixtures for this important project. Having previously installed numerous Prolights fixtures in various Queensland
Mexico - Scores of luminaires from Elation Professional’s Proteus, Artiste, KL and other lines were used by lighting designer Miguel ‘Miki’ Molina on the latest season of La Casa de Los Famosos Mexico which airs on Televisa Univision. Its season four grand finale took place 13 August, reaching more than 195m viewers. The Elation package was used throughout the season across six different sets, including the grand finale, with the main stage alone boasting some 400 Elation lights. Other Elation lines used on the programme included Pixel Bar, SixBar, Chorus Line, and DTW Blinders, along with Therma Tour 600 haze effect generators from Magmatic effects. Additionally, EN12 nodes and RDM10 splitters from Obsidian Control’s Netron line were used for signal distribution. The supply of the Elation fixtures and the lighting technical production for the project w
Estonia - The grand opening of phase one of the third floor in the redeveloped T1 Mall in Tallinn saw invited guests enjoy drinks and snacks before being treated to a series of presentations and demonstrations. Global Productions organised the event with funTIME Showservice supplying equipment for the occasion. Following new ownership and management, the T1 mall is undergoing renovations designed to broaden its appeal. The building is already home to many shops and offices and now adds a number of sports clubs too. The new sports clubs have all been housed on the third floor, making it the place to go for sports enthusiasts. In addition to climbing facilities, there’s a boxing and wrestling club, a fencing club, a dance school and even a capoeira school. The opening event included demonstrations from all of these sports with the equipment supplied by funTIME Showser
UK - Long-standing event lighting hire company, Storm Lighting, has substantially grown its inventory of Martin fixtures over the past year - particularly with its IP-rated products. According to rental manager James Price, since April they have boosted their fleet by almost 100 pieces - comprising Martin’s ELP PAR powerful wash lights and the new IP65-rated version (ELP PAR IP), as well as the MAC Aura XIP (IP54), with the aura filament effect and full pixel control. These have been supplied and supported by Martin’s UK distributors, Sound Technology. The MAC Aura XIP is the first fixture in its class to feature innovative smart outdoor-proofing technology, Martin’s ‘XIP Smart Weather Protection’ feature helping it win a PLASA Award for Innovation. As for the ELP PAR IP, this is also suitable for fast installation, due to its quick-focus system and bright an
The Netherlands - The Tivoli music venue at Vredenburg, one of the most well-known music venues in The Netherlands, recently installed 64 Ayrton Eurus S Profiles within two of its halls - Ronda and De Grote Zaal - via Ayrton’s exclusive distributor in The Netherlands, Ampco Flashlight Sales. This large venue built in 2014 has six halls with a total capacity for 7,500 people. De Grote Zaal, the original building from 1979, was built as a symphony hall with a seating capacity of 1,717, or standing room of 2,000. “Being a symphony hall, many orchestras perform here,” says Jolijn van Iersel, lighting technician for the venue, “but the stage also hosts pop and rock shows including, in 2003, the Rolling Stones. More recently the likes of Iggy Pop, The Four Tops, Wadruna, Phillip Glass, King Crimson, Nils Frahm, Steve Hackett, The Temptations, Paul Carrack have also
USA - Chauvet has opened its new headquarters in Davie, Florida. The 175,000sq.ft complex houses dedicated centres for its product development, quality control, customer service, and global supply chain teams. Company founder and CEO, Albert Chauvet is quick to point out that the move to a new, expanded, green-thinking facility is about much more than having the size to handle a rapidly growing business that designs products for productions in over 100 nations globally. Purpose designed by the Chauvet team and its architect partners, the new facility was built around the vision of enhancing the company’s delivery of service and customer engagement at every level and supporting R&D efforts behind its growing family of brands: Chauvet Professional, Chauvet DJ, Kino Flo, ChamSys, LynTec, Iluminarc and Trusst. The new facility serves as the global HQ for Chauv
USA - Rock band Paramore are engaged in a world tour supporting their sixth studio album, This is Why, which was released in February. The live show features an eye-catching and interesting stage and lighting production design crafted by Sooner Routhier of Sooner Rae Creative and Trevor Ahlstrand of Ahlstrand Productions. The lighting rig includes 67 Robe Esprite moving lights, three Robe BMFL FollowSpots and six BMFL FollowSpot LTs working on a three-way RoboSpot system, plus six iFortes. Approached in the fall of 2022 by tour manager Andrew Weiss, it is Sooner’s first work with the band. Trevor and Sooner were keen to collaborate on a project for some time, and for this one, all the stars aligned for it to happen. They also worked closely with creative director and video content designer Mike Kluge of Cour Content. Mike’s history with Paramore dates
UK - A spectacular eco and pet-friendly alternative to fireworks will set the skies ablaze above London’s Hammersmith and Fulham with a new show marking this Guy Fawkes season. The 12 innovative Lights and Laser Spectacular shows at Ravenscourt and Bishops Parks are being staged over two nights during the Fawkes Festival, run in partnership with the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. Designed and produced by the team at GC Live and delivered by technical partners, 21CC Group, the festival promises an action-packed, environmentally, and animal-friendly evening. Themed around A Night at the Movies, the shows feature an immersive light and laser display with sky trackers, flames and special effects all choreographed to a soundtrack of light and laser-themed film scores and classic movie music. The displays have been created by award-winning light
Singapore - Thousands of children of all ages are visiting Universal Studios’ Pantages Theatre in Singapore to see Trolls: Hug Time Jubilee which debuted on 15 September. Inspired by the Trolls film series, the new live theatrical productions features Queen Poppy, Branch, Guy Diamond, Cloud Guy and all the other refreshingly original characters that have made Trolls movies a favourite of parents and children across the world. Helping the Trolls cast of characters come to life at Pantages is a dynamic and richly texture colourful lighting design by Nick Ho that features 44 Chauvet Professional fixtures, including 32 Rogue R3X Washes. Working with programmer Justin Poh, Ho deftly uses intense, focused light to enhance the vivid quality of the cast members (all of whom are dressed in character costumes), as well as the inflatable timecode-triggered flowers
Sweden - The grand unveiling of the new Science Park Towers headquarters within the Jonkoping Science Park showcased an innovative lighting setup with Prolights fixtures. The Science Park serves as a dynamic hub that brings together entrepreneurs, students, businesses, and individuals, fostering creativity and growth. To commemorate the opening of this new location, the project organisers turned to the expertise of FCP, specialists in lighting technology, who provided a cutting-edge lighting system featuring Prolights products. For the inauguration event, an array of 112 Prolights projectors was deployed, including EclPar FC, EclFresnel VW, Astra Hybrid420, Jet Wash7. Additionally, a permanent installation of 94 Prolights projectors graced the new venue's event space, comprising 24 EclFresnel VW and 70 EclPar FC projectors. The latter also served as the primary room li
Spain - Created back in 2011, the Coca-Cola Music Experience (CCME) set out to become the first Gen-Z focused music festival, creating a strong link between the brand and teens through their passion for music. Twelve years later, it has fulfilled that aim, as the recent two-day festival, which was held at the Caja Mágica (Magic Box) in Madrid, proved. Taking place in front of 23,000 people, it was accompanied by a simultaneous live stream. Situated in the Manzanares Linear Park, the multi-functional space was designed to embrace all the scenic, technical and artistic elements expected of a TV gala and a music festival. Entrusted with the lighting design was the in-demand, locally based LD and programmer, CaCo García, who has wide experience in lighting large-format one-off events such as this. He selected a vast armoury of more than 300 GLP fixtures, which were
Belgium - Popular trance festival Sunrise celebrated its 10th anniversary in style with more stages, artists, and production values at its waterside site of De Lilse Bergen near Lille. Upping the ante on lighting was a brief that lighting designers Kristof Blancquaert and Mattijs van Looy Kristof of design studio KB Lighting were happy to deliver - lighting all six stages with the help of some Robe moving lights. As a freelance LD, Kristof has been involved with lighting Sunrise for some time. He designed a high impact rig for this year’s Main stage which included 14 x Robe MegaPointes, 18 x Spiider LED wash beams, six T1 Profiles, 20 x T2 Profiles, 10 x Tetra2 moving LED battens together with blinders, strobes, and deco lights. Eye-catching décor was designed by Roxxi, and the main stage video elements were also integrated with the scenography. Kristof’s o
USA - Elation Professional has unveiled a new logo, the first update of its brand logo since the company’s founding in the early 1990’s. The redesigned logo brings it up to date with today's design and digital landscape and better aligns with the progressive, innovative company that Elation is today. The updated logo design, the creation of Elation marketing manager Patrick Nadjarians, maintains the brand's rich Elation identity while evolving the background oval into an elegant curve with a smooth, flowing contour that represents light, movement and the company’s dynamic future. Inspired by the company’s vision of innovation and continuous advancement in the industry, the more streamlined design uses sleek, clean lines to express a forward-thinking company. Additionally, as it is clearly evident to the market that the company is 100% dedicated to the professional e
