Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

Rigging / Staging

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UK - Acorn Event Structures has been awarded the prestigious contract to provide the complete staging package for the UK's No.1 electronic music festival - Creamfields. Held on the August back holiday, Creamfields is now considered the premier electronic music festival in the UK and attracts an audience of 70,000 to its Daresbury Estate venue.

Acorn will supply two 60m wide outdoor stage roofs using their Space Roof product combined with steel truss video wings to support 730sq.m of LED screen. Each main stage will be supplied complete with a newly designed cowshed arrangement, front-of-house structures and delay towers. In addition to the main stages, Acorn will also provide over 900sq.m of standalone stage platforms and wheelchair user platforms across 8 indoor arenas at the festival using its modular Layher decking system.

Ian Greenway, director of production company LarMac

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UK - Rope Assemblies has announced that Linda Martin has been promoted to operations director.

Linda started with Rope Assemblies in October 2006 and during her time as operations manager has taken the company through ISO9001:2008 and recently also achieved the EN795 standard for anchor strops.

"Linda is an invaluable member of the team and has been instrumental in achieving the Quality Standards for the company and the development of new exciting products. We all wish her all the very best in her new role," says the company.

(Jim Evans)

Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

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Germany - UK based motion control specialist Kinesys launched its new Pathfinder system at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt which was a great success.

The energy levels in Hall 9 of the Messe exhibition centre and specifically on and around the Kinesys booth were definitely up on 2014, and once again, the brand attracted a lot of interest from multiple market sectors and visitors from all over the world.

The launch of Pathfinder reinforced Kinesys' confidence in the exhibition as a major international gateway for the entertainment technology industry. It also built on the last 12 months' drive to get the brand further established within new territories, of which the company's inaugural Prolight exhibition in 2014 was an integral part.

"We were exceptionally pleased with the interest in Pathfinder and in Kinesys generally," underlines MD Dave Weatherhead.

"Followi

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UK - From its award-winning venue, to its business only focus and change in opening hours, PLASA 2015 has its sights firmly set on providing a show that delivers on every level.

"This will be our third year at London's ExCeL," says Christopher Toulmin, director of Events Division at PLASA. "Relocating events is never an easy decision to make but the closure of Earls Court made it inevitable. Our move to ExCeL- the only venue in London that can fully support the technical requirements of our industry- has proved the right decision and has enabled us to pursue our exciting plans for development."

With a track record of hosting world-leading events such as PLASA London, ExCeL is the UK's largest exhibition and conference venue and a compelling destination for business professionals. Part of a 100 acre campus, ExCeL boasts easy transport links to central London

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UK - As one of Prolyte's distributors for the UK, AED Distribution UK are uniquely placed to provide a raft of solutions to Prolyte users by combining services from the AED Toolbox with the Prolyte trussing & staging offering.

First of those solutions is free product training and support. On 22 and 23 April a Prolyte Campus was held at the Distribution UK facility located in High Wycombe.

Over 20 professionals attended during the two days, taking away a variety of hands-on experience and real-life experiments.

The Campus is a Prolyte Group driven initiative to support its customers with the best and most up-to-date knowledge available. Providing the tools and training to use the Prolyte Group products safely and in compliance with applicable standards and regulations will help them in performing better.

Prolyte Campus offers a complete programme of learning activities to c

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UK - Cliff Electronics continues to expand their range of internationally renowned audio jack sockets with a number of new product introductions.

The new S1 industry standard ¼" offset nose space saving narrow body jack socket offers equipment manufacturers higher PCB packing densities. The S1 may be specified with an optional integral chassis grounding contact which connects to the barrel of plug for maximum earth continuity ensuring lowest noise signals and maximum safety. The new offset nose jack socket is available in all nose thread variants. Applications for this new space saving jack socket include musical instruments and amplifiers, effects pedals and all audio equipment where space is at a premium.

Extending their range of 3.5mm jack sockets Cliff have introduced the S9 range of stereo switched jack sockets. The S9 features contacts engineered with advanced cont

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Germany - Entertainment motion control systems expert XLNT Advanced Technologies enjoyed a busy and successful Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt with the launch of CyberHoist II, the second generation of the world's first intelligent, variable speed chain hoist.

The system has been designed for heavy-duty, worldwide touring and large-scale events. Already proven to be an instant hit with safety conscious professionals across the world, it went out on several productions immediately after initial customers took delivery. Amongst those was the Linkin Park tour, where it delivered fast and precise automation of the arena show's moving elements.

"We were delighted to have Ingo Koenzen, show operator for the recent Linkin Park tour, on stand with us at ProLight," says XLNT's Director of Sales and Marketing Marc van der Wel. "He, along with Sebastian Habrechtsmeier, Cy

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Denmark / USA - Neets is entering the US market in cooperation with its new distributor Starin Marketing. Starin is committed to creating the foundation to make Neets Control Systems the natural choice for classroom and meeting room control by integrators.

With over 100,000 control systems deployed, Neets has focused on developing reliable, user friendly and effective room control systems for the AV-integrators around the world. Configuration of the control systems is straightforward without code complexity with Neets Project Designer software.

Starin and Neets recognize the essential trifecta in a successful integrator partnership. Reliable product, dedicated support and profitable programs. Versatility to meet the end-users individual needs is also what sets Neets apart. Neets US keypad control systems will fit into standard US back-boxes.

For over a decade, Neets has spec

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UK - Hoist UK has been UKAS accredited against the provisions of OSHAS 18001: Occupational Health and Safety Management. The OSHAS 18001 accreditation adds to their ISO9001: Quality Management and ISO14001: Environmental Management accreditation obtained previously.

Hoist UK director, Tony Dickson comments, "Achieving the ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 is a major milestone in our overall business strategy and reflects the responsibility that Hoist UK's management team and employees have always taken to ensure that we look after our customers, employees and our business at all times in providing safe, value for money products with an emphasis on health and safety. Tony Dickson adds "Achieving this accreditation perfectly captures Hoist UK's core values of safety, excellence, respect and commitment and is embedded within every aspect of our business."

Louise Dic

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Italy. - Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno near Bologna is one of the most important entertainment venues in northern Italy. Opened in 1993 and seating 11,000, the indoor arena hosts a variety of events from concerts and productions to all types of sporting competitions.

Eilon Engineering's Italian distributor Molpass Stage Engineering & Multimedia Systems, based in Bologna, has installed an Eilon Ron StageMaster (RSM) load monitoring system in the arena to monitor overhead loads and reduce the risk of rigging accidents due to overloads caused by unequal load distribution. Molpass, which has been an Eilon distributor since 2008, has designed and distributed high-tech multimedia systems, stagecraft equipment and safety solutions for all types of installations and events since 1995.

Molpass CEO and engineer Giorgio Molinari has taken upon himself the task of improving safety w

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UK - Play Deep Studios - a brand new boutique recording studio in London's Kings Cross - opened its doors on April 17. The studio is the culmination of a two and half year project by owner and engineer, Canadian-British DJ Zachary Spider Brown-Smith (aka Spydabrown). Designed and built by Zach and his tech, he chose Van Damme cabling throughout, using a variety of types including Black Tourgrade, Blue Series, Green Digi Series and VD Video Coax. All supplied by VDC Trading along with assemblies and connectors. Uniquely, the studio features an Otari 54 Series 36 mixing desk, the only one of its kind in the UK.

Spydabrown commented on the cable choice: "I was recommended Van Damme cable, with everyone saying it is the best, and I must say I have not been disappointed. The team at VDC Trading did a great job of keeping me supplied."

Designed to be a cosy and chic record

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UK -The Technical Theatre Awards' nominations close on Wednesday 13 May - so now's the time to ensure someone's outstanding achievements working behind the scenes are celebrated.

Anyone working in theatre industry can nominate their colleagues, crew members or favourite hire company. This is your opportunity to highlight why your chosen nominee stands out from the rest and deserves some recognition. It only takes a few minutes to nominate at www.technicaltheatreawards.com

Nominations will officially close during PLASA Focus in Leeds. Following this, organiser Ian Taylor will be inviting a panel of independent industry figures to shortlist the nominations. This is a new initiative for 2015, as suggested by TTA supporters as a way to improve the awards process.

Voting for the UK awards will open during the ABTT Trade Show on Wednesday 24 June 2015 at Alexandra Palace in London

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Spain / UAE - After Prolight+Sound 2015 in Frankfurt, Guil confirmed their new distributor in the United Arab Emirates as Echo Beats Electronics - a company with a long history in distribution and installation of pro audio and lighting products.

Guil products will now form part of their high end portfolio, with emphasis on their lifting towers for line arrays and modular platforms for stages.

"Guil is delighted to start working with such a prestigious company and we are sure our products will be well received in their extremely conscientious market where high performance, safety and quality are the key to satisfying their customer's needs," says Eduardo Hinarejos, sales director of Guil.

Echo Beats Electronics will present Guil products at PALME Middle East Dubai from 11-13 May, at booth: ZC10.

(Jim Evans)

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Europe - XLNT Advanced Technologies' new CyberHoist II made its touring debut with US nu-metal mega-stars Linkin Park when the band returned to head-banging basics on their sold out European tour, The Hunting Party.

Show designer Michael Fullman worked with event technology supplier, Black Box Music to transfer the show from the USA to Europe. As the show transitioned from the US specified automation system to XLNT's CyberHoist II for Europe, Fullman says he was keen to reinvigorate elements of the original design.

Black Box Music's Moritz Stockschläder worked closely with the production and says, "It was great to be the first company to supply a full CyberHoist II system in Europe and on such a dynamic and exciting tour. For many reasons CyberHoist II, with its silent, smooth, unrivalled accuracy, proved to be the ideal solution."

Fullman concurs, "We rehear

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UK - Debuts are to the fore at this year's PLASA Focus: Leeds, with more and more exhibitors choosing it as the UK launch pad for new product releases, including Cadac's new CDC six and DiGiCo's S21 mixing consoles, Meyer Sound's Leopard loudspeaker system and Zero88's FLX lighting console.

At the entrance to New Dock Hall, Martin Professional is displaying its new VDO Sceptron indoor/outdoor LED strips, which come with a choice of diffusers, the 6mm Fenix panel video and Rush 650 and 850 smoke products. Also on show are the Quantum Wash and Quantum Profile, launched last year, as well as the Aura XB, which has 50 per cent more output than the standard Aura, plus extended colour mode.

"Out of all the shows we exhibit at, this is where you can spend proper time talking to people, so we've brought representative selection of our new and current ranges," says the compan

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South Africa - For the first year, Blond Productions supplied the full technical for the Main Stage and second year at Kyknet Stage at ABSA Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (Little Karoo National Arts Festival - KKNK), with extra equipment and crew supplied by MGG Productions. The Prolyte grid, with the inclusion of 12 new Prolyft Aetos 500kg motors, was lit with Robe fixtures.

The festival, some 1,120 kilometres from Johannesburg and 400 kilometres from Cape Town, is now embraced by all the towns people as accommodation is booked up with people flocking in to see theatre on a big scale - some are hosted in the 'veld' - and to enjoy the big names on stage and wonderful Little Karoo hospitality. This year's festival was hosted from 3 -11 April.

Besides the main stage, which included a line up of the top Afrikaans names in music, the entire town of Oudtshoorn was transformed for

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UK - The green generators of Film & TV Services are a familiar sight on many events and are responsible for powering the location shoots and OBs of countless TV shows and sports matches across the country and around the world. It was started by Eddie and Julie Fegan back in September 1977, their first job being the fire services annual conference in Bridlington, which they lit for BBC News. The work for the BBC grew and they took on two part time staff and a transit van loaded with a couple of redheads and blondes, which ran around doing reactive news and conference work all over the country.

Around 1995, during their early years of the European Golf Tour, Julie and Eddie had been in talks with Barry Johnson from Carlton TV about building their first broadcast twinset. In conjunction with specialist coachbuilders A Smith of Great Bentley and sales manager John Evans, they built

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UK - Reachmaster is a robust, easy to use mobile scaffold tower, that is suitable for a whole range of jobs, from working on low ceilings or decorating internal walls, to maintaining the outside of tall buildings.

Available now, Reachmaster offers "more working heights than virtually any other aluminium scaffold tower in its class", from 2.5m to 8.5m.

Setting up the Reachmaster is made easy, thanks to its folding base frame, which can be wheeled into position even when it's closed. Opening out the base frame and locking the folding gate is quick and easy. Braces snap into place and are colour coded for identification.

Unlike many scaffold towers, Reachmaster includes a folding base frame (measuring 1900mm x 960mm x 360mm when closed), making it compact enough to store and transport easily.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Illuminate Design has announced that from 15 May they have become dealers for the GaffGun range of products.

The GaffGun, launched in October 2014 has seen massive sales throughout the USA. Now with GaffTech the company behind it looking to branch out into overseas markets, Illuminate Design has been chosen to help this development.

The GaffGun (patent pending) is billed as "a great advancement in floor tape since gaffer tape was invented". Saving over 90% of the time to lay tape over cables or rope, The GaffGun simplifies your job while saving time, money, and your back. Cables don't even have to be straight-the GaffGun uses a funnelling system to straighten and centre your cables and then lay tape over them.

GaffTech developed the patent-pending CoreLok tape to work in unison with the GaffGun, ensuring a consistent result with every tape run. GaffGun CoreLok

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Spain - Jose del Arco has been appointed by Fenix Stage, reinforcing the company's Export Department, as export area manager. Throughout Jose's professional career he has always been involved with international business. He says: "I have always tried to contribute with effort and passion everywhere I have been working, as purchasing analyst, buyer or trade advisor in many industries. Now I have the chance to work on the other side, on the sales department, and Fenix Stage offers me the opportunity and the confidence to begin this new challenge . . . The complete trust in our products is a key point for me."

Fenix Stage is a relatively young company (as its name suggests, it was reborn from its ashes in 2005), with a team with more than 20 years of experience mixed with young professionals. "The result of this is a great combination of knowledge and dynamism, with

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UK - 'Disruption agency' TBWA developed a floating house brand activation for accommodation marketplace Airbnb, to celebrate new rules on short-term lets in London, and event producer Andy Ashton called on Star Events for the delivery.

With no available barge capable of providing the required 'foundations' for a two-bedroom house, replete with kitchen, living room, bathroom and garden, Star Events built a bespoke floating structure, which was licensed by the Port of London Authority.

Star came to the event via a wave of other waterborne showcases, Jaguar and Cortana among them, and worked with regular collaborators, including Setsquare Staging and Livett's Launches, to bring it to fruition.

Taken from order to completion in just four weeks, the project was launched on the River Thames and sailed straight into a celebration of media coverage on Monday 18 May.

Star Events' p

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UK - Award-winning temporary event power provider Power Logistics has secured a three-year contract to deliver the New Forest & Hampshire County Show with a site-wide power solution for their event.

The contract includes the provision of all generators, electrical equipment, distribution boards and cabling for the show and a complete project management solution. In addition they will also be supplying lighting for around the site and within temporary structures, from tower lights to fluorescents. This is the first time that the New Forest & Hampshire County Show has used one company to provide all their requirements and Power Logistics were chosen because of their impressive track record at large scale events.

Mike Whitehouse, Power Logistics' managing director said: "Power Logistics is honoured to have been chosen to support such a long-standing and highly respected even

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UK - Fresh from the recent re-branding of Milos to Area Four Industries, the UK operation continues to strengthen its position with the recruitment of Adam Beaumont as UK Brand Manager for LITEC, JTE, TOMCAT & EXE Hoists & Controllers.

Beaumont joins from ACTUS Industries with a wealth of experience in Rigging & Automation. He explains: "For over 15 years I have worked closely with LITEC and most recently at ACTUS we assisted with the development of the new range of EXE Hoists & DST systems. To be finally working within the team is a great opportunity and I am extremely excited for the future with the strength of all our brands "

Sales & Marketing Director, Glen Brown adds: "The timing with Adam is perfect with so many changes in our organisation and industry. Our new motto is 'You know What, We know How' in reality our aim is to know HOW & WHAT with new experti

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Germany - ETC is getting ready for its first appearance at Berlin's Stage Set Scenery show, 9-11 June, in Berlin. The company is set to make a big splash, giving Europe its first ever look at ETC Rigging, on stand number 208 in Hall 2.2. ETC will also have a second stand at the show - number 210 in Hall 1.2 - to demo its popular lighting products, giving show visitors a lot of new gear to experience.

Introduced in the US in 2009, ETC Rigging has made a deep impression on the industry, with some of the best quality and most versatile equipment available. ETC designed its rigging family with the user in mind, with dealers able to supply turnkey hardware packages tailored to the customer's unique needs, budget and venue size. ETC Rigging includes innovative controllers and motorized hoists that have sophisticated technical features - such as slack-line detection and live status fee

  1. J&C Joel unveils acoustic solutions in Berlin
  2. Blackout reveals Paul Cummins sculpture at Chelsea Flower Show
  3. BlackTrax transports audience at Maasvlakte II launch
  4. Star Events wins major contract in China
  5. WIMagic in motion for Tegen de Sterren Op
  6. J. R. Clancy sponsors USITT's rigging master classes
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Astera - Large MPU - June 2025
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