UK - The digital TV shopping channel QVC has been treating itself to some retail therapy with Innovative engineering company Triple E.

QVC, which claims to reach 15.4m UK homes, has installed Triple E track systems in all four of its new Chiswick Park studios.

In Studios 1, 3 and 4 QVC has installed twin parallel Unicyc track systems, which feature dropout sections and points. This particular system facilitates the easy swapping of Cyclorama backdrops between tracks or allows them to be easily lowered to the floor, minimising the necessity to work at height.

Studio 2 has been equipped with Triple E 2WAY track, which will be used to create a number of variable sized spaces, specifically for close up camera work.

"Triple E was first approached in 2010 when the new studio project was at early planning stages," explains managing director for Triple E, David Edelstein

UK - Remote energy supplier, Off Grid Energy, has launched a fleet of money-saving hybrid power generation machines specifically for rental.

Off Grid Energy provides remote energy solutions for people in places where grid power is unavailable, unreliable or too expensive to connect. Traditionally, if mains power is not available, then a generator has been the only way of generating electricity.

Managing director of Off Grid Energy, Danny Jones, says, "We've produced a viable solution to generate clean, silent and cost effective energy and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Our off the shelf hybrid power system - E-Cube mini - is self-contained and particularly useful for commercial applications. Used on its own or coupled to a generating set the system can be easily deployed and transported to wherever it is needed."

With diesel costs so high, many in the building

UK - Independent Studio Services will be exhibiting for the second year running at ABTT where it will be showcasing its range of services and products (Stand 3). Specialising in the design, supply and installation of stage engineering systems and offering inspection and preventative maintenance services, the Independent Studio Services' team will be on hand to discuss customers' upcoming projects and how they can be best serviced - be it an install or inspection, or a full design and implementation package.

As newly appointed distributors for Tüchler, Independent Studio Services will be exhibiting the Tüchler Stage Platform Zoom 1200 and a selection of curtain tracks, alongside Tüchler's Tom Kat category 'A' chain hoist.

Independent Studio Services is also the UK distributor for HOAC, suppliers of staging and ASM Steuerungstecknik, manufacturers of drive and control technol

UK - "When one of the UK's biggest TV shows sets up in your back yard and say they need to equip the largest lighting rig that's ever been seen on prime time TV....it would be rude not to help them out." Says ELP project manager Barry Denison with a wry smile on his face.

He continues. "It's been brilliant having The Voice based here at Elstree as we've been able to instantly provide LD Mark Kenyon and his head rigger Dave Morrell with all the gear they need right from our Elstree office. We worked closely with them on-site throughout the whole process, from creating technical drawings during the planning process right through to supplying extra components on actual show days."

ELP were involved even before The Voice UK came to Elstree. The show was broadcast in three stages. The first stage involved blind auditions from BBC TV centre where co

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) will use the opportunity of its forthcoming Theatre Show (13-14 June), to present a seminar discussion on the future of industry training, at London's Old Truman Brewery, on Wednesday 13 June, 12:45pm-2pm, in the venue's Seminar Room. Speakers include: Robin Auld, operations director, National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural; Chris Parry-Jones, head of Gallowglass Training; and, Bryan Raven, managing director, White Light.

Throughout the last year, the Association has continued to develop and promote its Technical Access Passport (TAP) - launched at the ABTT 2011 Theatre Show - a scheme that creates an online repository for verified training, skills, insurance and other professional information.

Now, with TAP gaining weight within the industry, the second phase of the scheme is ready to start. Industry trainers will

At The Cinema - The farewell concert by Irish pop band Westlife is to be screened live to cinemas in the UK and Ireland and across Europe. The group, who announced last October they were splitting after 14 years, are set to bow out with a final concert at Dublin's Croke Park on 23 June. The event will be screened at more than 200 cinemas in nine countries including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Norway. There are also plans to screen the gig in Australia and South Africa. The band, whose 14 UK number ones include 1999 hit Flying Without Wings, have sold more than 44 million records worldwide. Organisers said tickets for the 23 June concert sold out in minutes, leading them to schedule another date at the Dublin venue on 22 June.

No Show - Lady Gaga has cancelled a concert in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, citing security concerns after protests by religious groups. The s

UK - Flightcase manufacturer 5 Star Cases has donated some of its Arena 600 cases to The Rig Scout Active Support Unit which is based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK, for their day-to-day use.

'The Rig' is a charitable organisation currently managed by Jason Robbins. It was originally set up in 2000 by parents of a local scout involved in the lighting and sound industry to help his group weather financial difficulties, and started off running local discos with some scouts on the crew.

Since then things have grown considerably. A team of 10 regular volunteers and others enable The Rig Scout Active Support Unit to provide a full range of technical production services for stage shows and events, in the process helping to support all scouting activities in the Huddersfield North District.

Robbins approached 5 Star's Keith Sykes - initially at the PLASA 2011 exhibition - aski

UK - Entertainment equipment engineering company Triple E will unveil its newly designed and enhanced acoustic banner at this year's ABTT trade show.

Triple E says it believes that its latest version offers significant advantages over the original design. Simpler mechanics and an improved slat design have reduced weight, and enabled a much smaller stacking distance. The new design incorporates an enclosure for both the lifting system and the stacked fabric with the bottom tray forming a closing panel.

"Our new variable acoustic system, Varibanner is the result of 15 years of experience in designing products that not only absorb sound but are also visually and architecturally pleasing," says David Edelstein, managing director at Triple E. "We're hugely excited to be introducing the industry to our new version at ABTT, which confirms our edge in this market."

UK - London- based automation specialist Kinesys has announced June and July dates for its on-going product training programme, consisting of two day courses and workshops.

The next two General Technical & Vector Control training courses will take place on 13 & 14 June and 11 & 12 July respectively. For full details, please visit the Kinesys website: www.kinesys.co.uk

The training provides both theoretical and practical tuition covering the fundamentals of Kinesys' innovative motion control systems under the banner Technical and Vector control.

It will be held at Kinesys' new dedicated training facility at the company's HQ in Hampton, Middlesex. This includes a special classroom set up with individual computers allowing attendees to work at their own pace, and a full practical training rig.

These latest courses, co-ordinated by Kinesys' training manager Andy Hicks,

UK - The third Annual PLASA Rigging Conference takes place London 2012 on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 September 2012 at the Earls Court Conference Centre in London.

Confirming that the PLASA Rigging Conference maintains a truly international profile, this year's key-note speaker, Roy Bickel, one of the original 'Disney Riggers' from the USA is followed by speakers from both sides of the globe.

Looking at Ground Supported Structures will be Malcolm Richards, a chartered structural engineer with extensive experience in all forms of entertainment industry structures. Supported by a panel representing manufacturers, suppliers, consultants and designers, Richards will be looking closely at the safety and science of the ground supported structure especially in the light of last year's tragic events, both in Indiana and in Europe.

New Zealand rigger and structural engineer, Nick Barnf

UK - On the same weekend the country is celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, there's another celebration taking place at Le Maitre who have just completed their 35th year in business.

Since Rick Wilson, Harold Berlinski and Karen Haddon set up Le Maitre back in the '70s, the company has gone from strength to strength to become a global leader in its field of pyrotechnics and special effects.

"We've over 500 state-of-the-art products including the renowned PyroFlash and ProStageII ranges and we continue to bring out cutting-edge products. This year will be no exception with a stunning new range of pyro shortly to hit the scene as well as an exciting new development on the haze front later this year - watch this space," says Wilson.

"I'm delighted to be able to say that our product sales are greater than they have ever been. We have grown our distributor net

UK - As part of the 2012 Thames River Pageant to honour the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, MTFX were asked to fire the guns of HMS Belfast. The ship is docked next to Tower Bridge, close to the finishing place of the Royal Spirit of Chartwell barge.

During the finale of the pageant, HMS Belfast fired two volleys from the turret guns to close the pageant.

(Jim Evans)

UK - ShowTex returns to London next week for the ABTT Theatre Show where several new product developments will be presented at stand number 39.

The Acoustic Baffle from ShowTex proves ecology and noise level control can go hand in hand, says the company. The new acoustic fabric panels are made from 100% recycled material compressed together to optimize sound conditions. The flame retardant Acoustic Baffle comes in two sizes (2m long and 3 m long) and can be installed modularly for extra flexibility.

By combining the two standard formats, nearly any height or area can be covered. The Acoustic Baffle can be installed as a ceiling lining or around curves and corners. Custom formats and /or colours are available by request. The panels are finished off with Velcro for connecting together easily and can be used for temporary and fixed installations.

The Acoustic Baffle from ShowTe

UK - Take a walk along Brick Lane, or any other surface you could imagine - Le Mark will introduce the new CODA digitally printed performance vinyl floor at this year's ABTT Trade show.

A high performance dance and stage floor with the advantage of a 'print receptive' surface. CODA's construction allows for high resolution custom designs to be overprinted to meet a set designer's specification.

Durability in manufacture has been key, CODA is designed to tour as well as fixed for installations. This performance stage floor can be rolled out, used re-rolled, shipped, stored and still look great for the next show!

September 2012 will see Le Mark Group celebrate 30 years of innovative product design. The Le Mark team of Leanne Baker and Steve Marshall will be on Stand 22 at the ABTT show.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The annual Theatres Trust Conference takes place on 12 June at London's Stratford Circus venue. Four years after the Trust first addressed how theatres could become 'greener', this conference will explore which steps theatres are taking to achieve the triple bottom line amid rising energy costs, tougher building regulations, and even more difficult economic times. Conference discussions will also look at the challenges of theatres to provide a catalyst for social and economic recovery in the communities they serve as well as addressing the sustainability agenda.

ShowTex is a corporate supporter of the Theatres Trust and will sponsor the conference this year for the second time. According to ShowTex marketing manager Jessica Ballenger, "Our focus is shifting more and more towards products that take environmental impact into account as well as durable investments vs. sho

UK - The team at Thorns Group has completed a complex challenge of erecting a fabric lining inside one of the substantial exhibition halls at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.

The assignment has seen a 240m length of wall, extending to a height of more than seven metres, clad in black wool serge. It means the highly popular exhibition venue is able to mask the original brickwork, which was in a variety of colours, in addition to assorted electrical trunking, cables and piping.

As well as tackling the work in the venue's 3,100sq.m Hall 1, Thorns' team is also due to clean and repair similar fabric that has been in place for a number of years in neighbouring Hall 2, which measures 4,500sq.m.

The latest project has been tackled by the group's Classic Technical Services division, which is a leading supplier of lighting, electrics, theming, set design, audio visuals and sound syst

UK - LS-Live, Backstage Academy and STS Touring Productions supported emerging talent both on and off stage at Manchester's Raw Fest on Sunday 27 May.

Kris Sparrow, a young entrepreneur from Manchester, is one of 500 finalists in a BBC competition and decided to stage a festival as part of the next challenge. He turned to LS-Live Backstage Academy and STS Touring Productions to provide advice, training and production support for the event, which showcased the city's finest unsigned artists and talent.

Said Sparrow, "I love music but I had never organised a festival before and I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone because you have to challenge yourself.

"I'm so grateful to all the sponsors that offered to support me in my mission. The festival production would not have come together without them and their guidance has been invaluable."

LS-Live suppl

Romania - Linkin Park performed on 6 June in Bucharest where the concert was staged under the impressive LT Roof system from Prolyte Group.

Just weeks before, Bucharest based Standard Vision SRL, decided that the solution for a series of concerts they are organising, would be a Prolyte LT Roof system.

Standard Vion is a communication agency that covers a complete spectrum, supporting their customers from concept to creation with promotional material to organising live events, like outdoor concerts.

Once they had decided to buy a Prolyte Roof system, the appointed head rigger flew in to Leek, to discuss the rigging and above all, loading capacity needs with Ivo Mulder, senior brand engineer Prolyte Structures.

Knowing the set of Linkin Park would be one of the largest and heaviest to accommodate, this was a benchmark case for the LT roof. After calulations proved that this,

UK - Doughty Engineering is launching two new products at ABTT, as well as previewing others before their official launch later in the year.

Debuting at ABTT (stand 35) is Doughty's 35mm Atom clamp, a "perfect fit for 35mm speaker stands". The smallest of Doughty's clamp range, Atom clamps are slotted to hold captive a nut or bolt head, have a SWL of 100kg and are suitable for lightweight truss as well as the majority of stands.

New additions to the Doughty catalogue are Reutlinger Cable Holders. Available in two different sizes to suspend loads of up to 130kg and up to 330kg on steel cables (wire rope), these cable holders have been specifically designed for applications which demand compliance with BGV C1 accident prevention rules.

Also being seen at ABTT for the first time is Doughty's all steel Beam Clamp which, with a wide adjustment range of up to 200mm, make

UK - Triple E will launch its redesigned and refined TRA06 theatre curtain runner at the ABTT 2012 Show this week.

Triple E - respected for the kind of engineering expertise that enables inspired and dynamic scenic design - has released its upgraded TRA06, which works seamlessly with older versions of the product and with the company's industry standard Unibeam and Unitrack systems. It comes in two or four-wheeled (for curved tracks) versions and is built to carry a curtain or scenic cloth to a safe working load of 25Kg.

The latest version of the TRA06 features flanged ball-raced wheels, with Polyurethane tyres, fastened to a moulded 'U' shaped body. The body is manufactured from a tough, metal replacement, Polymer. A welcome design modification is that the curtain attachment now features a rotating swivel, which ensures that the curtain stacks more evenly..

Triple E managin

UK - The new SRT Rigger Glove from Dirty Rigger was officially launched today. The SRT rigger glove boasts silicone embossing on key areas for a confident performance in all-weather working environments.

High density knuckle padding and finger guards to protect against impact, combined with micro perforated inner fingers to help keep your hands cool even in the toughest of environments.

The SRT is a result of collaboration between Dirty Rigger and nationally recognised crew service suppliers Crewsaders.

Designed to withstand vigorous manual labour in all weather conditions, be comfortable, look good, comply with relevant EN specifications and most importantly of all, be affordable enough to be used in high volume, says the company.

Crewsaders health and safety director Pat Fellows says, "Seventy per cent of our onsite injuries are to hands. I am confident that being h

USA - The submission deadline for the fifth annual Rock Our World Awards is only weeks away, all nominations must be submitted by 1 July 2012. The awards, which recognise ground-breaking achievement by PLASA Members, were designed to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designers or integrators who apply it. The awards were originated by ESTA and are now expanded as a worldwide program under PLASA.

Submissions can range from the simplest problem-solving product to unusual or complex uses of technology to projects that highlight the collaborative nature of our industry. If you've seen something that's impressed you in the last year, now is your chance to tell the world. It could be a piece of equipment you worked with, something you saw at a trade show, read about in an industry magazine, or an event you experienced. It could also be something your com

USA - Trusst, a manufacturer specializing in efficient and economical trussing and related components, launched its first line at InfoComm 2012. Part of Chauvet & Sons, Inc., which includes the Chauvet DJ, Chauvet Professional and Iluminarc brands, Trusst develops aluminium truss systems "built with care for exhibitions, entertainment, production and retail applications".

The first line of Trusst is 12" (290mm) square truss that utilizes a conical connector system, that easily mates with other major brands of truss of the same size and connector style. Trusst offers modular components that combine to create nearly limitless configurations and increase design flexibility.

Built for convenience and ease of use, Trusst is available in six different lengths and seven types of corners. For added stability, base plates are available in four sizes while easy-to-install

Canada - The event production community was shocked by another stage collapse tragedy on Saturday (16 June), when a partial roof collapse at Downsview Park, Toronto, killed one crew member and injured three others.

The stage, which was being set up for the final show on the North American leg of Radiohead's world tour, collapsed at 4.00pm local time, around one hour before the gates were due to open, killing 33-year-old Scott Johnson, a British drum tech who was working on the stage at the time.

Of the three people injured, a 45-year-old male suffered head injuries, but these were reportedly not life threatening. The two others were less seriously injured and were treated at the scene.

A message on the Radiohead website says: "We have all been shattered by the loss of Scott Johnson, our friend and colleague. He was a lovely man, always positive, supportive and funny, a

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