Adam Hall will show the new Gruv Gear V-Cart Solo, a multi-position personal utility cart that offers to ease the task of loading and unloading equipment with a 230 kg load capacity, has four different positional modes and folds down to a compact and easy to store form.

The cart, says the company, is designed for creative professionals, including musicians, DJs, photographers, cinematographers, filmmakers, studio engineers, audio/video techs and stage crews.

Patent-pending features including the multi-position handle and sliding support arm were designed and engineered for ergonomics, strength, stability, maneuverability and ease of use. The V-CartSolo comes with a range of accessories including flat bungee bands, grip tape, carpeted puzzle decks and an extra-large extension frame.

The cart quickly transforms from its compact and portable storage mode to three configurations: four-

Jezet Seating will launch a new version of its Plaza Plus model at PLASA 2011. This auditorium seat has an anti-panic writing tablet integrated in the armrest and is suitable for both retractable and fixed seating systems.

In common with all of its seats, says Jezet, the Plaza Plus is characterised by an ergonomic and comfortable design. The seat is designed for installation in auditoria, theatres, cultural centres and exhibition halls, and is available in various finishes.

The company has been a supplier of retractable seating systems, seats for theatres, auditoria and sports halls for more than 35 years. From its Overpelt, Belgium, base it handles the development process, from preliminary studies to the end product, completely in-house, delivering made-to-measure solutions to ensure, it says, that every individual space is laid out in the most functional and flexible way possible.<

USA / Belgium - After three years on the road and 112 live shows to over 6.8m fans, U2's record-breaking $700m grossing 360° tour came to an end on Saturday at Magnetic Hill Music Festival, California. The tour spanned five continents and saw U2 perform over 2,600 songs, and it was not just the band that grabbed headlines across the globe - the now-famous Stageco stage on which they performed captured many people's imagination.

Following the speculation across the international press last week that the stage, nicknamed the 'Claw', will be available to buy after the tour, stage design and manufacturer Stageco prepares to welcome the systems back to their US and Belgium headquarters.

Stageco was involved from the earliest stages of the Claw's planning and conception, working closely with U2, show director Willie Williams, set designer Mark Fisher and production manager Jake

UK - Hall Stage has added the range of hoists & control systems from long-term partners Maquinas Iberica. Offering a wide selection of tried & tested powered flying systems and control options, Maquinas systems complements and extends the Hall Stage catalogue to include zero-fleet and wire rope point hoist options "at very affordable prices".

Hall Stage has designed a specific entry level zero-fleet hoist - the DGZ - with a 350kg load on four lines & 15m travel, moving a stage flybar at 12m per minute - three times the speed of regular chain hoists or standard pilewind units. Designed for service use with lighting and technical equipment or basic scenery moves, the unit comes complete with all necessary drop pulleys and bar, wire ropes and local control for less than £5,000.

Additional options include programmable control, variable speed up to 1.5m/second, flyi

South Africa - Stage Audio Works exhibited for the fourth consecutive time at Mediatech, which took place from the 20th to 22nd July at The Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg. The stand's impressive aluminium double tier design showcased Stage Audio Works' manufacturing division - Stage Plus Engineering, Total Fabrication trussing and the impressive Tour Step staircase with all the components designed and machined and fabricated in-house and proudly South African.

Total Fabrications is manufactured under licence by Stage Audio Works in Africa, making this world-renowned truss design more easily available to the local market. The obvious benefits for local customers with local manufacture and back-up service, is that expensive international freight costs will be eliminated and time delays will be all but eradicated.

Members of the team were also spinning Black and White on the stan

UK - At next month's PLASA Show, with the introduction of its latest model, the SL50, Stageline launches a new range of mobile stages, the Light Series. The Light Series will add other cost-effective and light-weight mobile stage solutions to Stageline's product range.

The Stageline SL50 portable stage measures 6.1m by 4.9m (20' by 16') and features a fiberglass roof, light & sound rigging, full banner capability and an option of two roof heights. It can be towed by a SUV or pickup and sets up in 30 minutes, says Stageline.

"The reduced trailer dimensions make it very easy to park in tight locations. With the new SL50, owning a Stageline mobile stage is within everyone's reach and delivers a fast return on investment."

(Claire Beeson)

UK - Showsec ensured the safety of the audience at the Batman Live world premier at Manchester MEN Arena, and the VIP party hosted in Manchester Cathedral on 19 July, 2011.

Rehearsals had taken place over three weeks in June at Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, another venue where Showsec is the contracted security partner. With huge media interest producers demanded the specifics of the show, including the plot, remained a closely-guarded secret. Showsec was engaged to ensure the venue remained a closed set throughout rehearsals, with only members of the production crew and cast having access.

Prior to the opening night an audience of 4,000 guests were specially invited to the Manchester MEN Arena; a final opportunity to fine-tune aspects of the production and ensure the venue staff understood how Batman Live differed from other shows.

Tim Chambers, Showsec's project m

Europe - GearSource Europe's dedicated truss and rigging business, UsedTruss.com has secured massive stocks of ex-rental Prolyte truss for immediate delivery, further expanding the range of products offered.

Usedtruss.com was established four years ago to provide a dedicated one stop shop for the rigging and trussing community looking for quality 'named brand' equipment at very competitive prices.

"We work very closely with most of the leading manufacturers and rental companies in the industry and have built up an excellent reputation in the four years we have been developing this market," said Usedtruss.com's Amsterdam based, Benjamin Hollenberg.

"By constantly improving the way we work, and by keeping costs to a minimum, we have given manufacturers the possibility of securing sales they might not have in the past. And that is exactly why we have now added th

USA - Effective 1 August 2011, the Wenger Corporation,based in Owatonna, MN signed an agreement to acquire J.R. Clancy, Inc. based inSyracuse, NY.

A joint statement says, "This is exciting news for employees and business partners of both companies. The Wenger Corporation and J.R. Clancy are long standing privately owned businesses with shared values, dedicated and loyal employees, great brands, strong heritages, and great reputations in the marketplace.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Owatonna, Minnesota, Wenger designs and manufactures specialised equipment and solutions for music education, performing arts, and related markets for both domestic and international clientele. Wenger offers acoustical products, chairs, classroom products, conductor's equipment, staging and risers, stands, storage products, fixed audience seating and orchestra pit fillers.

Wenger offe

UK - Arena Seating has completed the installation of its permanent stadium BOX Seat system into Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

The installation of just under 1,800 BOX Seats was completed in July and comprised of 1,270 TBS903 Seats for the club's members bar and upper terrace and 523 of Arena's padded TBS908 Seats to VIP areas and member's lounge. This high-end range of permanent seating products for the sporting market has become the next phase in the redevelopment of the Edgbaston International Stadium.

Phil MacDonald, operations & development director for Warwickshire CCC comments, "It was clear to our development team that the BOX Seat from Arena would satisfy our stringent requirements where we needed the best for our premium customers. I know our main contractors have been very pleased with the speed and efficiency with which this seating has been installed."

UK - The Backstage Academy's new fast-track foundation degree in Live Events Production, set to be delivered at its training facility in Wakefield, has been formally validated by the University of Bolton.

The 15 month foundation degree, which is the only one of its kind, focuses on the artistic, creative and practical use of technology for live events and will be delivered in partnership with the University of Bolton.

According to Creative & Cultural Skills, the Sector Skills Council for creative and cultural industries, by 2017 there will be a need for 30,000 skilled backstage and offstage technical theatre staff to support live events. The Backstage Academy is aiming to train students who can help meet this demand.

Students will gain hands-on experience at the Backstage Academy thanks to its base at the LS-Live Studios in South Kirkby, Wakefield. The course, which begins i

UK - Le Mark Group, based at Houghton Hill Industries, has been shortlisted for a 2011 East of England International Trade Award. These International Trade Awards, sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking are the only UK wide business awards to exclusively recognize the success of exporters, importers and those trading overseas.

Despite the challenges posed by current global economic conditions, UK companies like Le Mark are still very much 'out there' competing on the International stage and the 2011 International Trade awards celebrate these ventures & successes.

The 12 regional finalists will be invited to the UK final at a prestigious Gala Luncheon and Awards presentation at the House of Lords where three national award categories winners will be announced. Le Mark were selected for the SME category, as a company who shown outstanding International Trade achievement with a

UK - The team behind the UK's National Student Drama Festival are seeking entries and support for the first ever International Student Drama Festival, which will take place next year from the 22-30 June in the UK.

The NSDF12 - ISDF - being presented in conjunction with Sheffield Theatres, RSC, LIFT, The Old Vic Tunnels and Menier Chocolate Factory - will feature a nine-day celebration of young people's theatre featuring the best of British work alongside exceptional student productions from across the world.

The Festival is an opportunity for young people to come together and present their work on the world's stage to an international audience of theatregoers, industry experts and peers. Participants don't have to be studying drama to be a part of it - they just have to enjoy it and want to watch it and make it.

NSDF12 - ISDF will feature over 100 performances of 20 internat

UK - SES Entertainment Services on Stand number 1J-11, are running a competition at this year's PLASA show, with one lucky winner walking away with a holiday in Sunny Florida.

For every order placed on the stand this year, an entry will be placed into the competition to win a two week stay in a five-bed luxury villa in Kissimmee, Florida in 2012.

Just 10 minutes drive from the Gates of the Walt Disney resort in Orlando, Florida, the home sleeps up to 10 people and has a very large pool. Just off the highway 192, you will be in the heart of all the major attractions within a few minutes drive. The home benefits from four bathrooms, full air conditioning and a games room. Dates for the stay are subject to availability (Summer dates are still available) and the prize does not include flights or car hire. The value for entry is subject to a minimum spend of £250.00, but mult

UK - InfoComm International will continue its programme of support for the UK's AV rental and staging community when it hosts a range of education sessions at this year's PLASA show next month.

The sessions will take place at London's Earl's Court on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 September. They will be led by Andre LeJeune, CTS, InfoComm's rental & staging staff instructor, who has more than 30 years' experience of staging and presentation and has been responsible for many large-scale productions for corporate clients around the world.

Topics covered will include 'Lighting for Video in the Large Meeting Environment', 'Audio Techniques for Corporate AV Events', and 'Project Management for Stage Labour'. Each session will last 90 minutes and will earn attendees 1.5 RUs (Renewal Units) towards continued InfoComm CTS certification. All sessions are free to attend.

Chris Lavel

UK - Northampton based rigging specialists Unusual Rigging has officially launched its new website (www.unusual.co.uk). The interactive site provides clients, prospects and potential employees with extensive new features, higher quality content and complete information on services, news and events. The improved navigation, access to content and rich media additions, such as videos of installations, will aid users in making the most informed decisions about their options, says the company.

Since its founding in 1983 Unusual Rigging has grown to become one of the largest specialist rigging organisations in the entertainment technology industry, serving projects and clients nationwide. The new website is designed to inform clients and prospects in a straightforward manner, with concise content, SEO-rich text and stunning photography.

Rose Bruford College will be featuring its two innovative new programmes in Performance Sound and Creative Lighting Control. These three-year BA programmes are unique in Higher Education, and with two year's of graduates working in the industry, says the college, they are already making their mark.

BA (Hons) Performance Sound reflects the growing importance of sound in every field of performance - from theatre to music concerts, from sports events to dance, and from site-specific installation to radio drama. The programme combines sound design, technology and operation, with a strong emphasis on live production, and has recently attracted the support of key players in the audio industry, including sponsorship by Harman Pro Group UK in the shape of a Soundcraft VI-1 digital mixer.

BA (Hons) Creative Lighting Control has been created in response to rapidly growing industry demand for s

USA - FocusTrack, the production lighting documentation system, has been chosen to create a record of the lighting on another hit Broadway show: the new musical Sister Act. The show is now playing at New York's Broadway Theatre after a successful run in London.

FocusTrack was specified by production electrician Michael Pitzer to document Tony Award-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz's work on the show. Pitzer has previously used the software on The Addams Family and the Broadway revival of Les Misérables. On Sister Act, the software took the information from the show's grandMA console, programmed by Hillary Knox, and identified more than 1600 lamp-focus positions across the show's 125 moving lights - an average of over 12 positions per light.

With the lighting complete, Pitzer organised a focus plot session where he connected FocusTrack t

UK - Prolyte Group brand manager Eric Laanstra frequently received enquiries for a smaller truss with a higher loading capacity and has masterminded the solution. With his team of engineers ,he has designed the H40R truss, a rectangular standard H40 truss with a programme of specifications based on the H30V, H40V and S36R truss.

The H40R has three-sided webbing. The thicker braces on the bottom side allow easy mounting of automated luminaires/moving heads and central loading, reducing the torsion effect resulting from one-sided loading in standard trusses.

The spigot orientation follows that of the S series truss, allowing easy assembly while the truss is still on the floor. The H40R measures 339mm high by 239mm wide. The diagonals are placed to allow room for a 30D truss to rest on the bottom chords.

The loading rate is comparable to the H40V, taking into account that, due

Europe - Tait made important contributions to the record breaking Take That Progress European tour this summer. Production manager Chris Vaughan reports, "This is a very complex production, I gave some specific scenic elements to Tait and having never worked with them before, it's been a good experience and we've both learned from each other."

Tait Towers project manager James Erwin started concept development with Chris Vaughan, Es Devlin, Malcolm Birkett, and Phil Broad four months ahead of the tour, working on three key custom show elements.

The custom B-stage was 40' 6" wide and37' 6" deep, based on Tait's proprietary Mag Deck. Incorporating eight 30"x80" lift decks and one 12'4"x7'11" centre- lift, the stage was designed with maximum use of limited space in mind to store theatrical props used during the show. To maintain clea

UK - J&C Joel have completed a major installation of stage machinery, rigging systems, acoustic solutions and theatrical textiles in Wales' conservatoire of music and the arts - the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.

The Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) provides its students with specialist education and preparation for a career in music, theatre and performing arts.

In June 2011 RWCMD opened a £22.5m performance and rehearsal complex incorporating the 160-seat Richard Burton Theatre and the Dora Stoutzker Concert Hall. In a major installation J&C Joel designed and installed stage machinery and equipment in both venues to help establish them as facilities in which the college's students can perfect and perform their craft.

The Richard Burton Theatre provides teaching space for some of the UK's most exciting young actors and also hosts many of the RWCMD's annua

USA - The collapse in high winds of a temporary concert stage at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday claimed five lives and left almost 50 injured, according to US news reports. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse began on Sunday, and its findings will be watched with great interest by the event production industry.

In addition to issues surrounding the build and stability of the structure itself, the question of why the event was not stopped and the audience evacuated far sooner will surely form a major part of the investigation.

It is reported that organisers had urged audience members to seek shelter just minutes before the sudden winds hit the stage structure - far too late, as it turned out, for an effective evacuation. With news reports claiming that forecasters at the National Weather Service had predicted the strong winds of 60-70mph up to t

UK - SES has signed a sole distribution deal with PLS. PLS are one of Europe's leading manufacturer of dimmer packs and associated products and the full range will be shown at this year's Plasa on the SES stand (1J-11).

PLS which manufactures and brands for other leading manufacturers, will have an impressive range of product available which will be complemented by SES 19" rack mount distro.

(Jim Evans)

Australia - Jands Staging, together with The PA People, are rapidly approaching completion of the new Assembly Hall at the Sydney Grammar Senior School in College Street, Sydney.

The building is being constructed by Southern Cross Projects and sees Jands again working with Peddle Thorp & Walker (PTW), City Electrical, and The PA People to deliver "a world class performing arts and music venue". Jands previously worked with PTW on both the Sydney Theatre and City Recital Hall.

This project includes the installation of JLX-PRO Lighting Bars, Jands H500PVX Hoists, and SAX P1 Controllers together with Jands Dimmers and ETC Control.

The PA People have developed a Vocal PA with Jands Technical Resource Group using JBL VRX and CBT loudspeakers, BSS Blue and Crown Amplifiers.

(Jim Evans)

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