UK - Event crowd management company AP Security has just completed its busiest weekend of 2010, deploying over 2,000 crew members to seven different sites across the UK.

Events during the weekend of 17-18 July included the Latitude Festival in Southwold, Suffolk, Lovebox in London's Victoria Park, JLS concerts for the Forestry Commission at its Westonbirt site near Bristol, Escot Park in Exeter and The Embankment at Peterborough, the Shoreditch Festival and the Newham Town Show, as well as covering their regular venues, such as The O2 and Brixton Academy.

"The logistics of looking after multiple sites and over 2,000 crew are immense," says Simon Miller, AP's northern operations manager who worked with southern operations manager Chris Hollands to coordinate the weekend's workload. "Just one event such as Latitude takes a lot of pre-planning, but when you have se

UK - Harsco Infrastructure's events team provided 21,475 temporary grandstand seats for The Open Golf Championship held at St Andrews from 15-18 July. Harsco Infrastructure is the new name for SGB Eventlink, which has supplied seating systems for use at the The Open since 1988.

There were 25 grandstands in total around the golf course, in locations chosen to provide optimum views of the event. The type and seating capacity of each grandstand varied depending on location, ground conditions, seating required and wind loading.

The seating system is designed to comply with the relevant British standards and codes of practice and causes minimum disturbance to grass and other sensitive ground areas, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

USA/UK - Adding to the list of accomplishments for its first year in production, the RSC Lightlock has been named the Live Design Lighting Accessory of the year.

Presented during the 2010 Broadway Lighting Master Classes, the Product of the Year awards are chosen from the equipment brought to market in the last 12 months which the voting panel feel makes the biggest changes to the industry. The awards were presented 24 May at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Present to receive the award were Adrian Forbes-Black, vice president of Total Structures, and Vince Herbert, the designer of the RSC Lightlock and head of the Lighting Department for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Upon Avon.

This award adds to the accolades heaped upon the RSC Lightlock in its debut year. In addition, it has also been recognised as the best debuting product for rigging and staging equipment b

UK - Le Mark's mirror effect stage floor was used in the resent Tampax Mother Nature TV advertisement. The set was built by Cheshire based Pravda 41 who were looking for a highly reflective, mirror effect surface for both the main set floor and also to be used as a supporting background feature.

"Le Mark's StudioTak is a brilliant product, we found it really easy to use and the effect it gave was better than we had expected. We also used a Mirror Effect portable floor in the background, which was suspended from the studio roof to give the set a bright and modern feel. Combining the Mirror Floor with the huge silver sequin screen, white dome lights and white leather sofa gave an ultra clean look. " says Jane Carroll of Pravda 41.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The first details of this year's extended PLASA 2010 Education & Learning Programme have been unveiled by organisers PLASA Events. The acclaimed programme of free seminars and masterclasses includes top international speakers on industry projects and technologies, sustainability, AV and systems integration and much more.

The Gottelier Masterclass will be presented, as is now established tradition, by last year's Gottelier Award winner - Alex Cooper from Midas Klark Teknik. Entitled Don't Just measure: Listen, the Masterclass will be an appreciation of the power of human perception and spatial awareness, and how they relate to audio - in particular, the fact that just because a piece of audio gear measures correctly does not necessarily mean it sounds good.

InfoComm International will host a seminar theatre dedicated to AV & Systems Integration. Topics over the dedi

UK - David Hornby has been appointed a board director of Jamie Oliver's Fabulous Feasts. After 15 years working in the hospitality sector with groups including Thistle Hotels, Marriott DeVere and Intercontinental, Hornby spent six years with Visit London as its commercial director.

Managing director Glen Chadwick comments, "David will be a great asset in helping us communicate the real differences Jamie Oliver's Fabulous Feasts' can bring to an event."

(Jim Evans)

UK - The organisers of the PLASA Show (12-15 September 2010, Earls Court, London) have announced the final shortlist of nominees for this year's prestigious Gottelier Award, which will be presented at the PLASA Show on Monday 13 September.

This will be the fourth Gottelier Award - named in memory of the former designer, developer and commentator Tony Gottelier (pictured), who died in 2006. The Award (sponsored by Lighting&Sound International magazine for which Tony Gottelier was a regular contributor for many years), aims to recognise those who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the development of entertainment technology. Former winners are Tony Andrews of Funktion One (2007), John Stadius of Soundtracs/DiGiCo (2008) and Alex Cooper of Klark Teknik and Midas (2009).

This year's nominees are, in no particular order:

Richard Cuthbert

Richard Cuthbe

UK - Glastonbury 2010 saw an impressive seven modular LiteConsoles in action across four stages - including the Pyramid stage.

Kelis, Tinchy Stryder and Simian Mobile Disco were among the names whose stage sets incorporated LiteConsoles. On the Dance Village East stage, Kelis performed with three DJs all using single LiteConsoles. Tinchy Stryder used a single console on the Pyramid stage, while on the Dance Village West stage, double consoles were used by Boys Noize, Nick Warren and Dubfire. On the Glade stage, Way Out West and System 7 also used double format consoles.

LiteConsole's clear presence at this festival heralded the launch of the product becoming commercially available in a modular format. LiteConsole modules comprise just four primary pieces of high-grade easy-to-connect aluminium sections and are designed to house a 50" plasma screen, although this open spac

UK - Summit Steel has just completed one of its busiest phases at The O2 arena in London, where the Kent based company provides the venue's in-house rigging services.

The all-action schedule included a 12-night residency by Bon Jovi and shows by Leona Lewis, Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, George Benson & Marti Pellow and Al Green & Michael McDonald, with the real logistics-twister presented by the dates for Leona Lewis's four shows and Aerosmith's one, all dotted within Bon Jovi's run. Leona's show entailed four separate ins and outs - three of them either side of Bon Jovi's, with Aerosmith slotted right in the middle of both of these.

In the Summit office, the technical requirements and logistics for the busy contract are co-ordinated by project manager Simon Frost and administrator Kate Parsons.

The Bon Jovi show was the most complex in terms of rigging, involving 117 points - 33

UK - Switchcraft has unveiled its comprehensive new website (www.switchcraft.com) which features " a wealth of information and more features in addition to the new streamlined design and intuitive navigation".

Highlights of the new site include: Comprehensive product lists and part number builders; Distributor stock checker located on product pages so visitors can check which distributors currently have stock available; application pages to showcase how Switchcraft and Conxall products have been incorporated into applications for different industries; Separate Pro Audio and Industrial sections of the website to help visitors quickly find what they are looking for; 2-D drawings for many products are now downloadable directly.

Visitors to the site can also sign up to follow Switchcraft's news and product introductions on Facebook and Twitter.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Showsec implemented a balance of maintaining safety and security with a very customer focused operation for festival organisers Rob da Bank and John Hughes along with the Loud Sound production team to deliver a successful, family friendly, Camp Bestival 2010.

Southern regional manager Steve Reynolds reports, "Customer care was a high priority for everyone. We worked with all stakeholders to create a plan and briefed staff very thoroughly in that area. It was imperative we create a relaxed and safe environment for the 25,000 capacity crowd from the moment they arrived on site. Parents with small children had travelled for hours in warm cars, so all staff were encouraged to welcome guests courteously, familiarise themselves with all key locations for giving directions and to be patient at all times."

The team of 280 event security professionals from Showsec office

UK/Germany - TMB has announced the signing of an exclusive UK Distribution agreement with coolux GmbH. Under the agreement, TMB will offer technical support, training, sales and service for coolux's Pandoras Box media and show control systems in the UK market.

Capable of playing back multiple layers of video in all common file formats up to 4k, these networkable systems can achieve seamless, blended projections as well as synchronous multi-screen displays. As a real-time 3D compositor, Pandoras Box integrates with audio, moving scenery, lighting, and other show elements for accurate synchronisation of a total sensory experience.

Signing of the TMB distribution agreement coincides with coolux's release of Pandoras Box Software Version 4.6, with new features such as 3D server preview; dual HD-SDI / DVI inputs; curve and clip editor; and support for additional protocols such as M

UK - ALD, STLD and Clay Paky have announced the nominations for the 3rd Knights of Illumination lighting design awards. The awards will be held on the evening of Sunday 12 September 2010 at the IBIS Hotel London Earls Court.

The awards will provide public recognition for outstanding achievements in lighting design by UK based lighting designers, in a number of professional areas. At the same time, these awards will forge closer ties between the world of lighting design and the lighting Industry as a whole.

The awards for The Knight of the Illumination are nominated and judged by a panel of professional reviewers working in the specific categories, selected and coordinated entirely by STLD and ALD.

Television nominations

Light Entertainment

Mark Smithers for Mission 2110

Martin Kempton for Who Dares Wins

Lee Allen for Blue

The Netherlands - Last month, the Ms Nieuw Amsterdam was launched from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard in Venice. It is the fourth Nieuw Amsterdam from Holland America, with the first dating back to 1906. With a capacity of 1380 passengers at a length of 780 feet (238 metres), the luxury cruise ship celebrates the glamour and history of New York City (formerly called New Amsterdam). The ship is also home to five Broadway-style shows, with lighting design and pre-programming completed in wysiwyg R25.

Four new shows debuted at the maiden launch: Avalon, Cantare, It Takes Two and NYC. Another show on board is Garage Band, which is a re-run of a show that was debuted on the Ms Oosterdam last year.

The creative team for all five shows (which will run for approximately five years) includes show director John Charron at the helm

UK - At the recent ABTT Theatre Show awards, the latest innovation from the Stage Technologies mechanical design team took the prize for Best Engineering Product 2010. The split pulley is a simple mechanism that makes performer flying, specifically at an angle out over the audience easy and neat.

Steel wire rope is fed into the pulley as normal. The pulley's sheave is split in two and an electrical signal causes the two halves to move apart on demand, enabling the rope to drop through.

Ted Moore, director of rental services at Stage Technologiescomments, "For a flight out over the auditorium you need to rig two winches. In the original production of Mary Poppins, when Mary flew out over the audience in the finale, the second rope was static and taped to the side of the proscenium with a bit of gaffa tape.

"Before the flying took place, a stagehand had to cli

Gradav Hire & Sales is the UK's newest stockist of Le Mark's Dirty Rigger Gloves & Accessories range.

Gradav's Graham Threader says "We have been surprised at the genuine interest shown in the new Dirty Rigger gloves & accessories range and are delighted at the level of sales. Feedback has been positive, with all those that we have spoken to very happy to find gloves that looked so well suited to their needs, turned out to so good in practice."

(Jim Evans)

UK - The Lyttelton Theatre's hydraulic lifts were installed around 30 years ago and have given the theatre a great many years of reliable service. However, when The White Guard was staged earlier this year, the National's systems engineering team found themselves in a quandary. The show required that they synchronise all three lifts and they found that the existing system simply didn't have the required functionality.

Guy Kendall, head of electronic systems at the National was responsible for finding a solution. The brief was simple: provide a new control system for the three lifts and the main stage wagon to enable synchronous motion.

"Once we had the brief from the designer we knew that the existing systems could not provide the functionality required,' explains Kendall. "So we contacted Stage Technologies with a seemingly impossible challenge. They had to

UK - Following the launch earlier this year of its radio controlled LED lights, R.A.T. (Music Stands) is extending its suite of radio controlled accessories. Responding to customer demand, and after identifying further unmet needs in the market, the company has developed two new components to add to its RAT Radio System portfolio. These will debut at PLASA 2010.

The Radio Controlled Power Pack consists of a radio controlled socket and a rechargeable battery, enabling completely wireless control over any 24V appliance plugged into the socket. Other voltage outputs are available to order.

The Radio DMX Bridge Receiver eliminates the need for DMX cables when controlling any DMX enabled device. The transmitter and receiver form a wireless bridge between any wired DMX outlet and the DMX input to the device. The only requirement at the device is a mains socket or a battery to power

UK / Spain - SES Entertainment Services, the UK's leading manufacturer of power distro, has appointed Bofill & Asociades in Madrid as the sole distributor for its products in Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearics. Gordon Cooper of SES commented: "Having worked with Bofill in the past, we realised that there was great potential in appointing them as our distributor, and this has already been proven by way of a steady influx of orders and some very big enquiries for our range of permanent panels. The team at Bofill understand the market and already have a good portfolio of clients and other manufacturers, and we are very pleased to be able to sign this deal."

(Lee Baldock)

UK - White Light has helped d touring ballet company English National Ballet update the low smoke effect used in many of its productions, supplying three of Look Solutions' Cryo-Fog high-output low-smoke machines to replace the MDG machines ENB previously used.

"We purchased the Cryo-Fogs to replace our previous machines, which were becoming expensive to maintain and keep in peak operating condition," says ENB's Dave Richardson. "We had seen Look's machines on the White Light stand at PLASA last year, were impressed with their performance and with the price; we've now switched over to using them entirely."

Cryo-Fog consists of a fog generator, a fan and a cooling chamber plus space for a five litre fluid container all built into a single, compact flightcase. Cryo-Fog uses liquid CO2 to cool the incoming smoke from the machine, ensuring that no smoke is emit

UK - On display for the first time in the UK at PLASA 2010 will be the Mini Fan Fogger and Fog Haze Case following their launch at Prolight + Sound Frankfurt earlier this year. Alongside will be the Tourhazer 2.

Smoke Factory UK celebrates its first birthday at PLASA this year as they launched at PLASA 2009 as an exclusive distributor in the UK for the German made Smoke Factory range of Fog and Haze machines.

Smoke Factory UK hold stocks of spares and fluids and spare parts in its London warehouse for immediate despatch to any UK address.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Alfred University has chosen PowerLift automated hoists and the SceneControl 500 rigging controller - products designed and manufactured by J. R. Clancy, - for its new theatre in the Miller Performing Arts Centre. The 498-seat proscenium theatre is slated for completion on 15 October.

J. R. Clancy has supplied 20 PowerLift automated hoists - 12 fixed speed hoists for electrics, borders, legs, scrim, teaser and tormentor, and the Wenger Diva acoustical shell; and eight variable speed hoists for moving scenery. A single counterweight lineset will be used to raise and lower the house curtain.

The SceneControl 500 will control all 20 automated linesets.Designed by Clancy's in-house team of rigging professionals, this intuitive touch-screen system shows operators a 3D representation of the stage and the scenery hanging on each batten. Operators can set simple or elaborate cue

UK - The Stage Technologies training department is offering new one-day introductory courses on automation and operator programming at the end of September in London.

The courses are aimed at students of technical theatre, technical professionals who wish to expand their skills into automation and automation operators who would like to familiarise themselves with eChameleon techniques and the very latest in operating software.

Course 1, Introduction to Automation and the eChameleon Suite, is designed for beginners. The programme offers attendees a basic understanding of automation use and best practice, an understanding of terminology and architecture of automation systems, a basic understanding of eChameleon features and functionality, and an understanding of health and safety, as applied to stage automation.

Course 2, eChameleon Suite Plotting and Programming

UK - At stand 2-R32 at the PLASA 2010, J. R. Clancy and theatrical technology dealer Hoist UK will exhibit together in a partnership that offers the 'Best of All Worlds'.

This distribution and partnership agreement offers customers a complete project solution. Hoist UK can integrate products from each partner's expertise and equipment through a single dealer source. The result is a complete project solution, minimizing customers' need to select and manage many different suppliers.

"The Best of All Worlds partnership offered by Hoist UK gives customers the opportunity to find products from industry brand leaders that are seamlessly designed, conceived, manufactured and delivered with one call," said Tony Dickson at Hoist UK.

J. R. Clancy designs and manufactures off-the-shelf and custom automated and manual rigging systems, heat resistant borders, fire curtains and

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