UK - This year’s PLASA Show was a special outing for LITEC, as their new MyT Virtue truss was entered in the PLASA Awards for Innovation 2018 and won over many show attendees with its design, folding feature, compact form factor, and 60mm main chords that allow use of standard clamps. Its high load capacity was also a favourite, due to the use of high-strength EN AW 7003 T6 aluminium alloy for its construction and integral structural parts assembled with high grade steel nuts and bolts to optimize performance, eliminate issues related to weld heat affected zones. Products from the EXE Technology range on display in the Area Four Industries UK stand allowed visitors to have physical hands-on demonstrations of selected models from the EXE-RISE hoist and EXE-Drive ranges, as well as the EXE-Cell Interface System. EXE-Rise chain hoists feature an 8:1 safety factor, with a com
UK - The Ladder Association, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting work at height safety practices, is stepping up ladder safety through training with its Get a Grip on ladder safety campaign. With falls from height still one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries - accounting for 35 fatalities in 2017/2018, according to the organisation - and with businesses facing record fines for failing to keep workers safe, the campaign sets out to ensure that everyone using a ladder is fully trained and competent to do so. Steve Booker, chair of the association’s training committee, comments: “Safety and competence in the workplace begins with thorough and consistent training. The saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is all too familiar where ladders are concerned. It’s an attitude that encourages a complacent, over-conf
Russia - Twenty-five years after the launch of ChainMaster products, the Saxony-based company has grown to become one of the world's leading manufacturers of hoist technology in the event industry, offering a comprehensive range of products for everything from set up operations and complex scenic movements, to complete automation of theatre and opera house performances around the globe. The latest projects for the chain hoist specialists from Eilenburg include the Zaryadye Concert Hall and the Helicon Theatre in Moscow. For the Zaryadye Concert Hall, 24 chain hoists with 500 kg load capacity and 20 chain hoists with 1000kg load capacity were integrated into the existing in-house control system. The new hoists are equipped with absolute value encoders and load measuring cells and comply with DGUV V17 (formerly BGV-C1). The installation was carried out by the local sales
UK - Trussing manufacturer MILOS racked up another “overwhelmingly positive reception” at this year’s PLASA Show. With a selection of products from their extensive range of truss on display in the Area Four Industries UK stand, the company showcased the quality of their products and spoke with visitors about the many structural solutions they deliver for a wide array of projects. Making its world debut was the new S10 deck from Xstage, sporting a light-weight, improved profile design, new cube lock leg attachment system (for both round and square legs), and hexagrip anti-slip surface. From the comments and praise received at the show, the future of the S10 certainly looks bright, says the company. (Jim Evans)
USA - ANSI E1.60 – 2018, Guidelines for the Use of Raked Stages in Live Performance Environments, was approved by ANSI's Board of Standards Review on Friday, 21 September, and published on Monday, 24 September. It can be downloaded at no cost from the ESTA TSP website at http://tsp.esta.org/freestandards. The no-cost download is made possible by the sponsorship of ProSight Specialty Insurance. It may be purchased for $40 from ANSI and IHS at https://webstore.ansi.org/ and https://global.ihs.com/ respectively. ANSI E1.60 offers guidance for the use of raked stages in live performance environments to mitigate the risks for the protection of actors and technicians. The guidance offered is fundamentally a risk assessment/risk reduction approach, with a process outlined and suggestions offered on what must, should, or might be done to control the risk. (Jim E
UK - PLASA has said the 2018 edition of the PLASA Show has been ‘the busiest and most vibrant’ show since it moved to London Olympia in 2016. PLASA 2018, which took place on 16-18 September, saw a 4% increase in visitors with a palpable atmosphere that was reminiscent of its popular Earls Court days. The show welcomed a stream of exhibitors and attendees from around the world, primed to explore the leading edge of live entertainment technology. The expo also confirmed its importance for networking and trade, with 63% of visitors being final decision makers or specifiers, and a quarter being business owners, managers and directors. Jonathan Walters, UK sales and purchasing director from A.C Entertainment Technologies comments: “This third year back in West London has really confirmed PLASA’s decision to relocate to Olympia, each show here has worked consi
USA - Over 60 worship bands took to the stage at Soulfest in early August in Gilford NH. Not all of them were as famous as the festival’s headliners (a group that included for King & Country, Skillet, and Toby Mac.), but each was supported by a lightshow worthy of a star, thanks to a main stage rig that featured over 75 Chauvet Professional fixtures. “We designed this rig to be complete so it could provide big looks for the opening acts, while also complementing the floor packages brought in by the headliners,” said Tim Messina of Events United, which also supplied a “world class sound system” for the event. “As Soulfest has continued to grow over the years, Events United’s role has grown with it - from first providing production for a few smaller stages, to this year providing full production (audio, video, lighting, and backline) for the lar
UK - Alan Jacobi of Unusual Rigging was honoured with the 2018 Gottelier Award at the PLASA Show. Named in memory of Tony Gottelier, the renowned industry innovator and commentator, this annual award recognises product developers who have made significant long-term contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology. Voted for by his industry peers, Jacobi was this year's recipient, having worked rigorously to raise the profile and professionalism of the rigging industry and having long recognised the need for training and education in the sector. He has been a driving force behind the NRC accreditation scheme since the beginning in 2005, and Unusual Rigging is an Assessment Centre for the NRC. Jacobi comments: "I am so very honoured, not just to be this year's recipient of the Gottelier Award, but to know how much support I have
UK - Innovative technology and insightful seminars have been the highlights on Day One at the PLASA Show, with exhibitors wowing visitors with new technologies and stylish solutions. After revealing its new stand concept, Platinum Sponsor Robe continues to showcase its latest lighting fixtures in a show-stopping stand production featuring a dance troupe, rain, fire and a mysterious cave, all visible from the Gallery Level. “We decided to create a ‘Lost World’ trilogy for three trade shows,” explains design duo Nathan Wan and Andy Webb. “We drew inspiration from Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones and the Goonies, creating an epic fire VS water battle. We always go big and this year sees a 22m wide rain feature.” Stand aesthetics have led the way for Yamaha, too. Chris Irvine, Yamaha’s product manager, says: “This year we took a new approach which has had a gre
UK - The 41st edition of PLASA Show - the worldwide event for live entertainment technologies (16-18 September) - opened the doors of London Olympia this morning along with Platinum Sponsor Robe, Silver Sponsor Infinity and Hawthorn as Technical Sponsor. The atmosphere is tangible as exhibitors and visitors waste no time in browsing new products and discussing industry trends. 200+ brands are present representing each sector across the live events and entertainment spectrum, and the seminar programme is brimming with expert sessions and enlivening talks. Plus, the all new Hands-on Rigging Area and Rigging Theatre are welcoming both aspirational and seasoned riggers. “After months of hard work, the team and I are excited to see PLASA Show 2018 in action”, says PLASA managing director Peter Heath. “Many of our industry’s leading brands are here with their iconi
UK - Lighting and rigging specialist TSL Lighting has announced the appointment of respected head rigger Ali Morris to the team as rigging project manager. Morris brings a wealth of rigging experience to TSL, having worked in the live events industry since the mid-90s. His work has encompassed many disciplines, from theatre, television and rock & roll to festivals, sports, corporate and political events, both in the UK and abroad. During the 2012 Olympics, he looked after the rigging of specialist cameras in many of the venues across London including both vertical and horizontal tracks in the iconic Aquatic Centre. He has also served as head rigger at Glastonbury, Wireless and V Festivals, supervising the main stages. His most recent challenge involved touring a 4.5t custom built gantry crane for Matthew Bourne’s new production of The Red Shoes.
Belgium - Patrick Van de Sande, founder and CEO of Belgian pro audio manufacturer PVS, has announced his son Tom will succeed him as CEO. The company is also finalising an investment of €12m in new buildings for R&D, quality control and distribution in Stevoort, Hasselt. Tom Van de Sande comments: “A few years ago, PVS invested heavily in its own experience centre at the Veldstraat in Hasselt. In the meantime, the company has bought the buildings and land of a former transportation company in Stevoort, Hasselt. We have invested 12m euro in our new logistics centre, complete with new testing facilities and R&D centre. From this location our products are shipped worldwide, to every continent.” The own brands Audac (audio equipment), Procab (cables and accessories) and Caymon (flightcases and racks), all developed in Hasselt are finding their way to 8
UK - The PLASA Show will open its doors this weekend (16-18 September) at London Olympia. The trade show will feature hundreds of brands across the show floor as it prepares to welcome thousands of entertainment technology professionals. Audio heavyweights L-Acoustics, Bose and Yamaha, and lighting pioneers Robe, DTS, ETC and Philips will all be present on the show floor and the seminar programme promises to deliver in-depth sessions across a wide range of topics. Product highlights Elation will be showcasing the Smarty Hybrid, their new LED lighting fixture. MA Lighting is showcasing its grandMA3 lighting console. Robe is launching a new product as well as showing its RoboSpot Multi Device Control. Robert Juliat will reveal new additions to its Dalis range. Prolight Concepts is bringing the all-weather Endura and Evora series from elu
UK - Doughty's new Lightweight Lighting Stand will be the main attraction on the Doughty stand at both PLASA and IBC this year. Visitors to stand B50 at PLASA and stand 12.A58 at IBC can see this piece of kit - which is designed for use across the broadcast, theatre and live events industries - and takes the all the principles of a Tank Trap but packages them into a neater, more aesthetically pleasing model. The stand comprises a flat, round plate and slim tube, slotted at each end to allow cables to run unseen inside it. A 28mm receiver is incorporated in the top of the stand which will take an industry standard 28mm spigot. When used in conjunction with a speaker adaptor, the stand can also be used to hold small speakers. Dan Phillips, project sales co-ordinator at Doughty explains: “This robust piece of kit has a sleeker appearance than the standard Tank Trap and
UK - BroadWeigh's new Advanced Handheld will make its first appearance at PLASA this year. Visitors to the stand of BroadWeigh's product partner A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (E30) will be able to demo the product which has been entered into this year's PLASA Awards for Innovation 2018 as well as finding out more about the other items in the BroadWeigh range. Matt Millward, rigging sales manager at A.C Entertainment Technologies explained: "We have an exclusive corner of our booth dedicated to BroadWeigh products this year. We are including around 24 cells in the main grid of our overhead truss which will be shown as a live demonstration on our tablet PC along with the new Advanced Handheld. We'll also have the BroadWeigh Wind Speed Sensor in action along with another Advanced Handheld.” The Advanced Handheld brings an additional level of portability to the Bro
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will exclusively showcase over 15 brands from its portfolio of over 200 marques at PLASA 2018 (Stand E30), London - including four products nominated for this year's PLASA Awards for Innovation and several previous Innovation award-winners. 2018 PLASA Awards nominees include PROLIGHTS' new Panorama IP WBX IP65 LED moving wash light ideal for temporary outdoor events; Columbus McKinnon's new Lodestar VS chain hoist featuring Magnetek IMPULSE G+ Mini drive and other industry-leading safety procedures; Tourmate's new Multilock Hoist Connector for distribution of power and control to motorised hoists which eliminates potential cross-connection with other entertainment applications; and BroadWeigh's new BW-HA advanced wireless handheld display for its innovative wireless load monitoring system. Staff from AC-ET's dedicated produc
UAE - Event design and technical production specialist Maestra has launched a new scenic department in Dubai. It will operate from a dedicated facility close to their HQ in Investment Park. Maestra has been providing its clients with creative scenic services for the past few years in both London and Dubai, so this consolidates the business model, and brings a key division of the contractor services portfolio in-house. Already delivering lighting, audio, video, rigging as well as scenic elements including the fabrication of set and staging, it was a “totally logical step” confirmed Maestra Dubai’s managing director Tom Clements. The new department will be headed up by Jurgens Potgieter, who brings over 10 years of practical experience in the region, working for several leading fabrication contractors. Before then, he cut his ‘production teeth’ in the sam
Germany - Prolyte Group has announced the opening of their new International Training Centre (ITC) at Rheiner Strasse 125, D 48282 in Emsdetten, Germany. The new ITC state-of-art facility will provide a venue for Prolyte events and Prolyte partners to introduce Prolyte products to customers and prospective clients. The training centre includes 500 sq.m of meeting space and is comprised of a main conference area that can host up to 100 guests and five additional breakout rooms. The building was originally constructed pre-war as a textile manufacturing warehouse. ITC’s facilities will include a lounge and bistro area, arrange of high-end technical equipment including a digital projector and screen, video conferencing equipment, and a wide screen television. “It’s important that we provide the right tools and environment to help our partners experience the Prolyt
Singapore - Adam Hall Asia hosted an APAC distributor summit at the company's showroom in Singapore on 23-24 August. Just the second summit of its kind for Adam Hall Asia - a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adam Hall GmbH Germany - the event welcomed more than 20 partner companies from 16 countries, with distributors from Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Republic of Fiji attending for the first time. Members of the product managers and business development teams from Germany, alongside Adam Hall Group COO Markus Jahnel, were also in attendance. Jahnel comments: “I would like to emphasise how important the partners who attended this meeting are for the international growth and success of the Adam Hall Group." Chandan Mahtani, managing director of Adam Hall Asia, adds: “The whole meeting was characterised by a fantastic team spirit. It was evident how essential
Slovakia - SRS Group, lighting rigging and power distribution specialist, has recently moved its production and offices into a larger facility. The new base, in Rybnicna 38/B, 83107 Bratislava, is just across the street from the company’s old location. The larger premises will enable SRS to hold a larger stock of products, have more space for the R&D department, assembly and metal-work production. The building also features its own 600A transformer that gives an opportunity for PDU testing under full load. SRS Group believes their customers will benefit from this step ahead by having better delivery times, more organised production and even more developed R&D. Customers are advised that despite the move, SRS Group’s billing address has remained unchanged. (Jim Evans)
Europe - J&C Joel has announced an expansion of its operations in Europe, with the opening of a new office in Romania and establishing J&C Joel Europa. The UK-based company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of flame retardant fabrics, drapery and stage engineering solutions and exports to over 80 countries worldwide. After implementing channel model of dealers and distributors throughout Europe and Russia, the company is looking to further develop its presence across the continent by making this major investment into its infrastructure. Roland Rizk, J&C Joel’s regional manager for Europe and Russia, comments: “We are very excited to grow the business into Romania and to provide better strategic support for our clients and partners across Europe and Russia. Their efforts and commitment to market and sell our brand have facilitated the e
UK - Data Strategy has announced the first showing of a new product - VeriCal - on stand K10 at this year’s PLASA 2018. The new product, which is available for purchase or hire, verifies that the Out Board PAT-4 testers, an integral part of the QC-Check system, are within their operational specifications. The QC-Check system provides fast and accurate safety inspections and the robustly packaged PAT-4 tester provides the perfect solution for Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), cable (continuity and insulation resistance) inspection and testing of equipment protected by RCDs (distro). VeriCal consists of a calibrated hardware module that is controlled by a QC-Check style application that guides the user through the verification process and generates a test certificate upon successful completion of the process. A certain amount of adjustment of the PAT-4 calibration set
UK - Hawthorn has been newly appointed as the in-house technical production partner at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester’s historic landmark venue. As part of a long-term partnership agreement that started on 1 September 2018, Hawthorn will provide exclusive in-house rigging services and will be the preferred technical production supplier for corporate events across Victoria Warehouse’s diverse event spaces. Renowned for its highly flexible event spaces with an industrial vibe and situated in the heart of Manchester, Victoria Warehouse offers event spaces for a huge range of corporate events, from conferences and exhibitions, to gala dinners, award ceremonies, brand activations and parties. James Cohen, owner of Victoria Warehouse, comments: “I’m delighted to welcome Hawthorn to the team. Victoria Warehouse is a unique, iconic and carefully restored industri
UK - Studioforce, a new company specialising in the provision of production and technical freelancers to the film and TV industry, launched on Monday, 3 September. The London business is spearheaded by former ITV Studios head of scenic and lighting, Dave Stevens. It offers a network of personnel for the broadcast and production sector, including gaffers, lighting electricians, camera operators, scenic supervisors, sound engineers, studio engineers and lighting console operators. Studioforce is also offering a service to facilitate and administer payroll contracts and handle recruitment for any clients who are looking to outsource certain roles, easing the process to make it more time and cost efficient. Stevens comments: “When the recent changes at ITV Studios were announced [the broadcaster is closing its London studios], I needed to look for a new opportunity. I’
