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PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

Rigging / Staging

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From ports to PLASA might seem like a bit of a leap, but the Cavotec Group's range of industrial motor driven cable reels and lifts is finding an interested audience in the theatre industry. Although this was the company's first experience of the show, the fact that it has offices in 25 countries worldwide means that it's well able to support the entertainment industry across the globe. A steady stream of international visitors proved that Cavotec may well establish itself as a major force in the stage motorization market.

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Mojo Barriers launched its Barrier Load Monitoring System (BLMS), which provides realtime readings of crowd pressure on barriers. Driven by an uninterruptible power supply, the system records the results and produces graphs which show a time line, along which is plotted the pressure measurement and where it occurs - a real boost to crowd safety. Managing director Patrick Jordan confirmed that initial tests in 2004 at one high profile UK outdoor event saw amendments to the site for 2005, because the BLMS readings revealed significantly uneven pressure on the barriers. Read more in this issue's news, pages 26-27.
Doughty - Banner - from 4 July 2025

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PLASA 2005 marks the 50th anniversary for the CM Lodestar and was therefore the cause of much celebration on the CM Entertainment stand. This was the final PLASA for CM's Wally Blount who will have retired by this time next year. Asked if he was looking forward to it, he replied: "You bet. Wouldn't you?"

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Germany - Robbie Williams prepared for the launch of his latest album, Intensive Care with a special one-off gig at Berlin's 8,000 capacity Velodrome, complete with production rigging by Summit Steel. The live show was beamed to over 20,000 fans across Europe via high definition cinecast to selected cinemas. The show was also recorded for a TV show to be screened the night preceding the album launch.

Summit serviced the last Robbie Williams tour in 2003 with rigging and automation, and has also worked with the artist before then. The Summit team in Berlin was led by Jon Bray and five riggers from the UK plus nine local riggers.

The show involved a 50 tonne total load - the maximum allowed in the venue - comprising various elements of production lighting, sound and set. The hoist count was 180, and three trucks were needed just to transport the rigging to site.

The sho

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Europoint (Elcom srl) from Italy, was showing the electric telescopic elevator which it manufactures. This is simple to rig and operate and is extremely lightweight at 65kg. It's capable of lifting up to 200kg to a maximum height of 5m, and the elevator can be rigged to extend from a truss downwards as well as being a floor-standing lift.

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Steeldeck Sales showcased a range of innovations for the staging world, many designed to either disappear or fold into a very small space when not in use. The motorized NIVOflex Professional Motor scissor platform needs a 200mm pit depth to accommodate a platform which will rise to up to 1m and bear a 750kg/sq.m load. Also on show was the non-motorized Stabilo version, which is simple to manually raise and lower. Spiderflex-based portable staging was another highlight of the stand, designed by Claus Fleischhauer and using technology which allows the all-metal legs to fold away into a tiny, lightweight package, yet having a point load bearing capacity of 216kg when the stage is deployed.

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Promoting its new name, new staff and most of all its Arena production rehearsal, television and film sound stage facility in Yorkshire, the LiteStructures Group stand had a significant makeover from last year. Rather than fill the stand with product, this year it was a lounge where the company could - as national sales account manager James Light put it - "get to know clients all over again." The Group's purpose-built Arena (see L&SI September 2005) is a premier league facility which LiteStructures is keen to promote. First used by Coldplay, forthcoming production rehearsals include Phil Collins and The Osmonds.

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Stage Technologies Beamhoist may have picked up an Award for Innovation (see pages 58-59), but the new entry-level Illusionist console was also on display, running the Chameleon control software which is common to all Stage Technologies controllers.

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UK - This summer saw a CyberHoist / InMotion 3D motion control system, installed by Vertigo Rigging, make automated flying possible for the first time at Chichester's Festival Theatre in an acclaimed performance of How To Succeed in Business without Really Trying. The theatre, which opened in 1962, enjoys an international reputation for creating exceptional live performances, but its design does not include a fly tower.

The musical, which originally opened in the same year, played at the city's summer-long Chichester Festivities arts festival. The production was directed by Martin Duncan, designed by Francis O'Connor and choreographed by Stephen Mear. Lighting design was by Chris Ellis.

At the centre of the set is a large ceiling piece that serves several scenic purposes and is required to fly in and out, along with a large light box. Both elements also had to be removed to th

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Trussing manufacturer Metalworx came to PLASA to meet up with everyone the company knew in one place at one time and talk about new projects. Metalworx, manufacturer of the Penn brand, carries out a lot of custom-based trussing work as well as complete non-truss aluminium fabrications for anything from exhibition stands to nightclubs.

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Serapid, the French stage machinery and motorization supplier, was promoting its Linklift rigid chain lifting system. There are four Linklift products currently available - 100, 80, 50 and 30 and it consists of a sprocket-driven chain and a drive housing. The chain becomes rigid after passing through the drive housing and the system can carry loads of up to 10 tonnes per chain, and for the 100 model at up to 7m high.

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Dutch stage technology manufacturer Roden Staal was enjoying its third PLASA. The company sells a full range of winches and control systems, and engages in all types of steel work as well as complete stage machinery systems. Its newest products was the UCQ control system, based around a 19" TFT touch screen, back-lit keyboard and two joysticks and Roden Staal's unique 'I-Drive' special functions. The monitor and the stage plan being show on it can be flipped in all directions for viewing in different orientations.

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Dutch firm Trekwerk specializes in theatre and fixed installations. Its modular SyncroDisk vari-speed winches can easily be fitted next to each other in a theatre flywall situation, and each has a control panel attached to the machinery for easy access and maintenance. Each motor also has its own drive unit - just plug in power and data and the winch is ready to use. The company's Point Hoist also works on the same principles.

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Offered at any weight capacity you require, the SpecialzLift is another neat product from this problem-solving house. A direct pickle- or DMX-controllable scissor lift, the raising/lowering mechanism is especially smooth, being helical screw driven. Within the confines of a stage set, Specialz can make these devices bespoke with a closed depth of just 300mm.

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Beyond the exciting announcement of its deal with Pfaff (see news this issue), Tomcat was also bullish about its stage set work, with Tomcat/Brilliant Stages sets on major tours just opening in the US by The Rolling Stones (extensive work for designer Mark Fisher), and Paul McCartney (some unusual 'pods' for Roy Bennett).

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UK - It goes without saying that behind every reliable and efficient contractor there is an equally reliable and efficient supplier. Rope Assemblies equips a diverse selection of markets with an ever-expanding catalogue of wire ropes, rigging, PPE (personal protective equipment) and safety products and, to remain competitive, constantly expands its stock in line with customer demand.

With UK distributors including White Light, Stage Electrics and TMB, plus European distributors in Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Portugal and Iceland (all of which deals were agreed at PLASA shows over the last few years), it's amazing to think that the theatre and entertainment industry still only accounts for 50% of Rope Assemblies' business.

MD Siobhan Hitchen prides herself on the family-owned business that considers its customer's and its staff needs and safety as paramount. The company

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UK - This autumn, the Children's Theatre Company opens its Cargill Stage to the theatre going public. The new stage provides an additional performance space for the Minneapolis theatre company with flexible seating for up to 300. Patrons will enjoy state of the art productions, thanks in part to Tomcat equipment.

When designing the new facility, Children's Theatre Company wanted the lighting options to be as flexible as the seating. Working with the Tomcat design team, they could accomplish just that.The order included 65 pieces of medium duty truss (45 x 15ft sections, 12 x 5ft sections and 8 x 4ft sections) with asexual spigots. These truss sections can be configured in a number of ways; however, additional flexibility is provided by the corner blocks, designed with custom-made, spigoted truss attachment brackets (TABs). In addition to the truss, the order included 36 Columbus

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K2 from Kinesys is an entirely new piece of software from this innovative motion control specialist. In essence, K2 looks at moving objects as a whole, rather than as an abstract lifted and moved by multiple hoists - making the whole movement programming process much simpler. Create an object on screen, drag it to the desired new/next position (a process that can be viewed and worked in 2D or 3D) and then the software will calculate the movements needed by each of the lifting devices. Once a sequence has been completed the programmer can run it on screen and if it looks as desired, the data will then transfer to run actual hoists.

An added bonus of this software is its flexibility: if, for example, a designer adds extra equipment to an object - such as more lights to a truss structure - which may require the addition of an extra hoist to cope with the increased weight, the programmer d

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LTM - Lift Turn Move started as it meant to go on by serving champagne and cake within half an hour of PLASA 2005 opening! Celebrating both the company's first birthday and the 50th birthday of the infamous Columbus McKinnon Lodestar hoist, LTM's John Jones gave out colour reproductions of the original Lodestar brochure. Suggestions that LTM should offer Lodestars at the original price at PLASA 2005 fell on deaf, if amused, ears. Commenting on their first year of trading, Jones said: "I wish I'd done it years ago."

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The Rigging Partnership gave a show debut to its Flywire 3D automated flying system, which is designed to fly products, objects, cameras and performers within a three-dimensional flying envelope. The system has already been used on several projects this year including feature films, where it was used for flying cameras and special effects. Company director Gavin Weatherall noted: "We've had an excellent show, the breadth of international attendance to our stand has been impressive and we feel we've made some exciting new contacts."

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The second year at PLASA for Nordic, providers of modular staging and decking equipment, and the company is back with good reason. "We also tried Frankfurt back in the Spring, but the response from PLASA visitors proved to be much more positive," said its spokesman. "We had four or five very good orders last year, and hope to repeat that."

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Award winner Hall Stage (see pages 58-59) had great fun featuring the new Visual Act laser guided, servo motor driven stage wagons from Sweden. These are millimetre accurate and come with a dedicated control desk designed to sync' both horizontal and vertical plane movement. Hall Stage also showed two new steel bond systems for touring and installation.

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PCM-Pfaff announced its effective absorption into the Tomcat family of companies. Tomcat owner Mitch Clarke explained the move: "It's a natural fit to our work; Pfaff produce some excellent stage machinery and actuators that we already use in our own projects and those done by sister company Brilliant Stages." Read more in this issue, page 15.

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A busy corner of the show was occupied by ESP(UK), sharing a stand with two of the leading brands it distributes - MobilTech and RVE Technologie. "We've met loads of new people and old friends," said David Stressing. But there were also plenty of new products on show, among them the MobilTech Alptek 5500 and 6500 tower lifts. Adjustable to heights of up to 6.5m with a maximum load of 200kg, the lifts feature a key block system for safety and comply with BGV C1. Franck Dujardin of RVE was pleased to show off that company's newest products, including the Dimkit modular dimming system (shown last year as a prototype but now in full production), the Mini Cube 3W single channel dimmer and the Z10 Serenity modular spotlight.
  1. ShowTex
  2. Kinesys move the Millennium Stadium
  3. The Big Frieze for Summit
  4. Slingco installs world's largest CABLEnet
  5. Harlequin at Wells Summer School
  6. MBO at Mushroom Event Services
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