Rigging / Staging

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03 September 2024

UK - The winners of the 2024 PLASA Awards for Innovation were announced last night at PLASA Show, currently running at Olympia London. The awards, run in association with LSi, are respected industry-wide for celebrating future-focussed technology that improves safety, efficiency and performance through new methods and materials.

44 products were entered this year, with the judges ultimately awarding eight products. And, for the first time in a number of years, the judges were delighted to also award the sustainability award. This year’s judging team comprised 13 independent technical specialists from a wide array of backgrounds, chaired once again by chartered engineer and LSi columnist, James Eade.

The winning products and judges’ comments are listed below:
Glensound for GTM Mobile  
The judges felt that this f

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03 September 2024

Portugal - Europalco leveraged the power of Kuka robot to create a memorable experience at the 36th Deloitte IRGAwards 2024. Held at the Carlos Lopes Pavilion in Lisbon, the event, organised by Desafio Global, welcomed 270 guests.

This year, the IRGAwards focused on technology and artificial intelligence, creating an atmosphere that showcased the harmony between humans and machines. Europalco’s Kuka robot played a prominent role in this narrative. The evening began with a performance where a Kuka robot played the piano alongside a pianist. A highlight of the event was the captivating dance performed by a Kuka robot and a professional dancer. These demonstrations showcased the impressive capabilities of modern robotics.

The IRGAwards 2024 stood out for its innovative use of visual and scenic elements. Of particular note was the 360-degree immersive

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30 August 2024

UK - Serious Stages’ Stellar Stage featured headliners The Prodigy, Sonny Fodera and Skrillex at Leeds and Reading Festivals’ new Chevron Stage earlier this month.

Designed and manufactured in 2024 at Serious Stages Wells HQ, the new 20m wide roof, with 8m screen and PA goalposts, was flanked by 12 6m high scaff towers supporting giant chevron LEDs, supplied by Colour Sound Experiment. Completing a distinctive arena design, a striking LED net curtain roof was suspended over the audience in front of the stage, creating a spectacular light show, supplied by Special Structures Lab and Colour Sound Experiment.

Serious Stages supported Festival Republic’s desire to create a new-look Chevron stage, with the introduction of the Stellar Stage. Its angled sides not only gave the crowd a different aesthetic, but also accommodated the technical production

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28 August 2024

Europe - Neg Earth supremo Dave Ridgway came to the assistance of creative director and lighting designer Terry Cook when he was seeking the kind of raw power from a new-generation washlight that audiences at an AC/DC show might expect.

“It needed to be bright, versatile, bold and strong,” says the designer, one of three partners at Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD). And so Ridgway recommended GLP’s impression X5 IP Maxx, promptly arranging a shoot-out. Terry Cook’s conclusion: “It brought meanness, real character and was unapologetically angry. It was definitely an AC/DC light,” he states. “We have history of embracing new technology on AC/DC tours and the Power Up tour was no different.”

At the same time, he noted a further advantage: the fixture’s IP rating. In fact, its waterproof qualities would prove vital during the tou

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28 August 2024

Singapore - The Star Theatre, the main venue at The Star Performing Arts Centre, has invested in a quantity of Ayrton Huracán Wash fixtures supplied by Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for the region, Total Solution Marketing.

The Huracán Wash units will become a fixed installation as part of the permanent lighting rig and mark the second investment in Ayrton for the venue.

The Star Theatre is a 5,000-seat capacity theatre that features a traditional horseshoe shape auditorium with plush seating that helps create an intimate ambience. It prides itself in using only high-end professional equipment in its broad programme of events and performances.

40 Huracán Wash fixtures were installed at the request of The Star Theatre's head of lighting, Mohamad Azhar Bin Mazlan, who explains why he chose them: “I specified these particular fixtures be

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23 August 2024

Europe - Mike Leuchter Veranstaltungstechnik has significantly strengthened its audiovisual capabilities with the acquisition of 61 units of DMT Alpha Series A2.6i indoor LED screens. The strategic investment also includes six DMT Double Rigging Bars and two DMT Single Rigging Bars, increasing flexibility and ease of installation for various event setups.

The DMT Alpha Series A2.6i screens are renowned for their high-resolution display capabilities, featuring a dense pixel pitch of 2.6mm, ensuring ultra-clear and vibrant images. This high pixel density makes them particularly well-suited for applications with close viewing distances, such as information displays and boardrooms.

Mike Leuchter, founder of the company, emphasised the strategic choice of these screens, stating: “We have chosen the DMT Alpha Series A2.6i because of its high pixel pitch

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22 August 2024

Germany - Nature One is an established festival for techno, house, trance, hardstyle and all other varieties of electronic dance music. In 2024, tens of thousands of EDM fans again flocked to the Pydna Kastellaun missile base to party for three days with the scene’s best DJs.

Much of the special atmosphere at Nature One is thanks to its main stage. Here, visitors don’t just dance in front of the stage, but in the middle of an elaborate truss construction with numerous light and video elements. Marek Papke from Gerdon Design has been responsible for the stage, lighting and content design for the main stage for many years and once again relied on the IP65 lights from Cameo this year.

“I’m always amazed at how easily the Otos H5 survives an outdoor techno festival lasting several days,” says Marek Papke, impressed by the IP65 beam-spot-wash hy

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13 August 2024

UK/Paris - A UK-based lighting and events company has defied the odds to become Europe’s leading sporting broadcast lighting business as an Official Supporter of Broadcast Lighting and Rigging for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, despite challenges faced from Brexit and the pandemic. 

SLX provided its services to light up 29 outer Paris venues, including the specially built Aquatics Centre throughout the duration of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Such is the scope of this project, SLX has had a dedicated team of 30 people working on the ground in Paris for the last 12 months. It has also opened a 25,000sq.ft space, equivalent to the size of two Olympic swimming pools, to store and supply the multiple venues with lighting, equipment, rigging and cabling to ensure competitors, spectators and media have the best visibility no matter the t

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06 August 2024

Saudi Arabia - The Ultimate Fighting Championship hit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time this summer. On 22 June, UFC Fight Night lit up the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, with Unusual Rigging & Engineering on board to supply the full production rigging.

Richard Hoare, rigger at Unusual commented; “This event wasn’t just a first for Riyadh, but for us at Unusual too. We’ve served as house-riggers for the event when it’s taken place at the Etihad Arena previously, but on this occasion, we won the contract to supply the full scope of production rigging. We worked alongside DLM, the rigging consultants for IMG and Bowie Ebrill who was onsite overseeing the installation and removal.

“Production manager Phil Campbell of IMG, was really pleased with the work and professionalism that our team had supplied as house riggers in Abu Dhabi an

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02 August 2024

UK - It has taken Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express 22 years to return to the stage since it pulled out of the West End in 2002. This time, the production’s new home is at the Troubadour Wembley Park which has been specially adapted to create an immersive performance experience, with Unusual Rigging on board to handle the venue and production’s rigging requirements.

Working for production manager Mark Carey from Shedworks Studio, the Unusual team were asked to install a number of items for the show requirements. Alex Taylor, production rigger at Unusual explained: “As part of our brief, we were asked to provide all of the LX, Sound and Video trusses, the trusses for the sound baffle, three technical working platforms for all the LX racks and to devise a method of lifting up a halo into position, being careful to get the height and angle just ri

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31 July 2024

UK - The stunning backdrop of the historic Ragley Hall in Warwickshire once again played host to the Adventure Bike Rider (ABR) Festival 2024, the UK’s biggest motorcycle festival returning to the estate for its fifth year.

Henley Theatre Services was commissioned by the festival organisers to provide all the stages, technical production support and onsite technical crew to operate the main Bikerhead Stage and five further stages located at various positions across the ABR Festival site. 

Adventure motorcycling enthusiasts from around the globe geared up for a celebration of freedom, exploration and community from 27-30 June 2024. Fifteen thousand bikers descended on the beautiful Ragley Hall estate over a sun-packed weekend, which provided the perfect location for guided test ride events with 29 leading motorcycle manufacturers.

The Milos

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26 July 2024

Europe - Chainmaster has announced a new partnership with menzi ebz, a leading Swiss company specialising in lighting and lighting control systems.

Marco Menzi, CEO of Menzi EBZ, comments, "We have been specialising in lighting and lighting control systems for many years. However, we lacked the right partners to enter the rigging business. We are extremely proud and excited to represent Chainmaster, the number one in Switzerland for chain hoists.

“We are also aware of the high standards Chainmaster and our customers expect in terms of consulting and support. Therefore, it is only logical that we will strengthen our team with product specialists and look forward to welcoming new employees to our team soon."

Benjamin Göldner, vice president stage of the Liftket Group, adds: "This partnership with menzi ebz is a significant step for Chainmast

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15 July 2024

UK - Serious Stages unveiled its new Stellar concert and festival stage at a series of concerts presented by Festival Republic, at Crystal Palace Park, 5-7 July.

The new Stellar stage was designed and manufactured by the experienced team at Serious Stages Wells headquarters,

Serious Stages operations manager Abbey Thomas states: “The concept for the Stellar stage was born out of clients' feedback, who identified their requirements for a medium-range flat-roof version of the Company's larger TZ Tower stages. From initial designs created by our in-house CAD/technical team, components were manufactured in our Wells workshop, before Stellar made its first appearance in London.

“Our investment in this new system, along with the new video towers we produced for Download Festival, underpins our ongoing commitment to help our clients deliver outd

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12 July 2024

UAE - The multi award winning Matilda The Musical paid a flying visit to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena in June. This was the first time that the production, which has won over 101 international awards had ever been staged in an arena venue, so production manager Matt Towell was pleased to have Unusual Rigging & Engineering (URE) on board to ensure everything went according to plan.

“The show is pretty much a carbon copy of the West End production,” explained Matt. “However, due to the difficulties of some of the venues, we chose to put all the scenery on a ground support truss. Emily Egleton, design engineer at Unusual in the UK drew all the ground support plans for us and we also carried out a test build at Unusual’s HQ in Bugbrooke, Northampton. We then liaised with the team in the UAE, and once stage size and location were established

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09 July 2024

USA - One hundred Broadweigh wireless load cells took to the main stage at the Miami Ultra Festival this year when more than 165,000 people attended to watch the likes of David Guetta, Eric Prydz and Calvin Harris perform.

The event, located in the Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami was produced and designed by Technical Arts Group (TAG). Load Cell Rental was brought on board to work alongside Kevin Mignone, CRO, TAG and Matthew Hannon, head rigger with the main task of weighing the rig on the main stage.

Ian Barrett, project manager, Load Cell Rental comments: “Our main task at Ultra was to monitor the weights of various structures during the build and to ensure that the roof beams and hoists were not overloaded. We have worked with TAG and Matt Hannon on other projects and they were already aware of the Broadweigh brand so they were happy for us to us

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09 July 2024

UK - Protec, a full-service rigging and AV company serving the events and conference industries, has significantly improved its operations and reduced equipment damage by investing in Admiral Strong Boy truss dollies from Stage Electrics.

Graham Thomas, a key member of the Protec team, first learnt about the Strong Boy truss dollies from an industry peer after facing persistent issues with damaged truss. Following a consultation with Admiral Staging, Protec was directed to Stage Electrics, who facilitated the initial sale of four Strong Boy truss dollies and spacer bars. Impressed by the product's advantages, Protec has since purchased five additional pairs of dollies.

Before purchasing the Admiral Staging Strong Boy truss dollies, the Protec team were noticing considerable damage and wear and tear on their truss as is typical for companies in the ri

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02 July 2024

UK - The annual Hay Festival returned from 23 May - 2 June to the picturesque town in Powys, Wales attracting over 250K visitors.

Founded in 1987, Hay Festival Global has grown into one of the most celebrated literary charities in the world and delivers events with authors, thought leaders and artists from around the globe. This spring’s edition in Hay-on-Wye featured 800 conversations and performances with diverse voices and genres including best-selling novelists, pioneering scientists, influential politicians, comedians, musicians and innovative artists.

Stage Sound Services based in Cardiff worked closely with the production team and provisioned all the technical equipment and installation to the seven venues located throughout the site. The Stage Sound Services team have worked directly with the charity’s in-house team for the last three yea

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21 June 2024

Denmark - The new Lion Productions show Cinderella the Musical (Askepot the Musical in Danish) premiered at the Tivolis Koncertsal, København, (Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen) and is being followed by an ongoing national tour.

Motor Stage Automation (MSA) has provided two elements of automation equipment for this acclaimed production – MRD750 7.5m double revolve comprising a 5m centre circle and a 2.5m outer ring, plus two tracking video screens on a rear truss.

All of this is being operated via a Kinesys Vector control console, programmed by Lion Productions’ head of automation, Erik Mølgaard Jensen, at the start of the tour. A touring operator runs the automation day-to-day, with Erik also overseeing the moves to different venues.

The MRD750 high gloss surfaced revolve is in constant motion throughout the performanc

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10 June 2024

USA - TAF USA has welcomed Carter Klute to its team as its new sales representative. Carter is responsible for contacting new customers in the United States and Central/South America, as well as providing timely and knowledgeable service to existing TAF USA customers.

Originally from the Midwest, Carter has now made New Smyrna Beach, Florida, his home and base for his activities with TAF USA.

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04 June 2024

UK - Lighting rental company Lite Alternative has consolidated its commitment to Kinesys automation technology with the recent purchase of 15 x Apex half ton hoists and a Mentor 4 controller.

Lite Alt is one of a number of UK customers transitioning from their existing Elevation systems, choosing to continue investing in Kinesys for their future automation needs. Lite Alt’s new Apex system has already been used on tour with the Arctic Monkeys and Niall Horan.

Both productions were designed by Lite Alt’s Paul Normandale who put automation at the heart of the show visuals. Paul is known for his innovative show designs and for thinking out of the box when creating lively and interesting performance environments.

Having invested in Kinesys for at least the last 15 years with the Elevation series, both Paul and Lite Alt’s technical and autom

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03 June 2024

UK - Visual Elements Ltd. has announced that Sam Tullett will join its board as sales director. Tullett brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in sales, particularly in developing multiple revenue streams for the business. His key role at Visual Elements will be to launch the company’s new dry-hire department and, in conjunction with Visual Elements’ account managers, promote the growth of our existing business.

Tullett will continue as managing director at STLS and join Mike Townsend and Amanda Townsend as sales director at Visual Elements. “Customers at both companies will retain their existing points of contact and can expect the same high levels of service and quality they have come to know and trust,” a statement says.

Mike Townsend of Visual Elements comments: “This is an exciting time for Visual Elements - Sam’s investment as

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30 May 2024

India - Proel has confirmed announces its entry into the Indian market. Headquartered in Sant'Omero, Italy, Proel offers a diverse portfolio of 10 brands encompassing professional audio, commercial audio, conferencing systems, lighting, stage equipment, musical instruments, and associated accessories. The company has strategically positioned itself globally, with offices in the USA, UK, Tunisia, South Korea, and now, India.  

The decision to invest in India is a testament to Proel's commitment to expansion and growth in emerging markets.

The Indian operations are based in Bangalore led by Nagaraj Mallikarjun and the sales team in Delhi, which is led by Shantanu Banerjee. There are plans underway to establish a presence in Mumbai shortly. “This strategic move has been in development for three years, culminating in a state-of-the-art warehousing an

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30 May 2024

Romania - On 25 May at the main national stadium of Romania, Arena Națională in Bucharest was the setting for Golden Generation vs. Legends of the World (Generația de Aur vs Legendele Lumii). The spectator stands with a capacity of 55,000 were completely filled with football fans. For the entertainment and ceremonial parts of the event, JSA provided and installed special stage structures.

The original design and engineering of the stage platform structure was created by JSA partner Adrian Vișenoiu. The customer and organiser of the technical part of the production was the Salt Box Studio agency. Since there was little time before the event, it was decided not to manufacture special structures, but to install all structures based on universal and quickly available Layher systems.

A special feature of the installation of stage structures was the ti

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29 May 2024

Europe - HOF has added Megalight to its distribution network as a new sales partner for Belgium. Megalight has more than 30 years of experience in lighting, sound and rigging.

Juan de Walque, sales manager at Megalight, says: ‘We are known for our excellent industry knowledge and our close relationships with our customers. This enables us to offer our customers high-quality products from well-known brands. HOF's innovative and high-quality products fit in perfectly with this.’

Edwin Duivelaar, export & sales manager at HOF, adds: ‘Megalight is recognised as a successful and important supplier on the Belgian market. I am sure that the HOF products will be a successful addition to the existing portfolio.’

Megalight will distribute the HOF MLT Pre Rig Truss Series, HOF Standard Trusses, XOOP Lighting and CJS Couplers.