USA - Building on the momentum that started with the company’s 2017 move to a larger facility, InterAmerica Stage is rolling out a new brand identity. The new look starts with an updated logo, which embraces the familiar way clients refer to the organisation. “Everybody we work with calls us IA Stage,” says general manager, John Gitzy. “Heck, we even call ourselves IA Stage!” The new logo and branding theme were created by Black’s son, Andrew, who is a professional illustrator and animator. IA Stage has been busy integrating the new brand identity into all facets of the company’s public presence, and to augment the branding efforts, the company launched a new website designed by Designzillas at the end of April, introducing cross-platform functionality and more streamlined user experience. “We want people to visit our website and find something
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds provided the perfect showcase for new brand, Sixty82 to unveil its trussing and staging systems to the UK rigging industry - receiving an overwhelmingly positive reception and much interest from visitors. Matthew Millward, rigging sales manager for Sixty82's UK distributor, A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (AC-ET), which featured the brand on its stand commented: "It's fantastic to be working with Sixty82, whose team needs no introduction to the industry. There was a huge amount of goodwill and interest from the rental companies, technicians and venues we spoke to. We expect to receive lots of enquiries in the coming months - it's exciting times." AC-ET's specialist rigging product division, which is based in the company's Leeds Northern sales office and warehouse, will handle Sixty82 enquiries and hold stock there. Sixty82 Co-founder,
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (AC-ET) has agreed to provide technical equipment and run training courses for live events industry education provider Backstage Academy. The partnership is part of a long-term strategy to offer Academy students the most up-to-date practical experience through AC-ET’s latest technologies from brands including ProLights, Chroma-Q, Green Hippo and BroadWeigh. Jonathan Walters, AC-ET's UK sales director, comments: "We are delighted to be able to support up and coming generations of backstage technicians and creative people. The future of the industry is all about fostering the talent of tomorrow and letting them use the technologies behind today's live events productions. “The partnership will give the Backstage Academy's students access to the latest LED lighting from popular brands such as Chroma-Q and ProLights, indust
Europe - Second Warehouse is again simplifying pro AV cross rental as the service debuts on mobile and tablet. Based on a Progressive Web Application, Second Warehouse for mobile can be installed on your Apple or Android device with a single tap - no App store visit required. Now, even when you’re out on a job, Second Warehouse allows you to find and hire vital equipment within minutes while keeping your own inventory busy earning you money. Dedicated to simplifying and speeding up the essential but previously time-consuming and costly activity of equipment cross-rental between pro AV rental companies, Second Warehouse allows rental companies of all sizes to trade with one another in a safe, fast, monitored and extremely cost-effective environment. A rental company searching Second Warehouse for AV equipment will find what they need in a matter of seconds, while every item
UK - The world premiere of the new musical Tina - The Tina Turner Musical had its official opening night in the West End on 17 April at the Aldwych Theatre. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the production charts Turner's journey from humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into the global queen of rock'n'roll. Production manager Sacha Milroy knew that rigging the show successfully required a sound knowledge of the theatre and so turned to Unusual Rigging to handle the project. "This is actually the first time I've worked with Unusual," said Sacha. "Of course, I've known of them for many years and Simon Stone, who is senior project manager at Unusual, has a great reputation which precedes him. I was also aware of all the amazing work they'd done to transform the grid of the Aldwych Theatre for Beautiful - The Carole King Musical.
UK - Lift Turn Move (LTM) has extended its Entertainment LP electric chain hoist series with the addition of the LP1000 Hoist. The LP1000 has up to 60% greater lifting capacity with a weather resistant IP65 rating as standard - a key feature for the theatre and live events marketplace. With the D8 standard motor, the lifting capacity of the LP1000 is 1600kg in one fall operation, with an equivalent smaller weight chain for the same capacity in previous versions of the hoists. The specific requirements of the entertainment industry, such as increased capacity in one fall operation, low dead weight, low noise emission and suitability for outdoor use, have been given priority throughout the design and manufacture of the LP1000 concept. LP1000 has a robust construction, is simple in its assembly and does not contain any sensitive electronics. All shaft-hub connection
UK - The hit musical, Hamilton opened at the end of December to sell out audiences at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. Prior to its opening, the venue underwent a complete facelift to prepare for the show, with everything from the decor, the seats and the uniforms of the staff tying in with Hamilton. As part of the refurbishment, Unusual Rigging was brought on board to rejuvenate the theatre's 'tired' flying system as well as to provide rigging services for the show itself. Jeremy Featherstone of Unusual explained: "The flying system at the Victoria Palace Theatre had become life expired due to many years of use. For Hamilton, Unusual was asked to refurbish fifteen counterweight sets that were needed for the show. Essentially, all the moving parts and ropes were replaced during the pre-rig period and the opportunity was taken to lengthen some of th
Europe - Newly-launched in March 2018, Sixty82, the manufacturer of trussing and staging systems, has announced the appointment of its first distributors and distribution partners. With immediate effect, A.C. Entertainment Technologies and Axente have been named as the new, exclusive distributors for the UK and France respectively, while pan-pro GmbH of Germany and Set2Stage of Portugal have been appointed distribution partners in their own countries. “We chose A.C. Entertainment Technologies and Axente as the first in our international network as they represent the strongest importing distributors in their territories, with an historical strength in the trussing and staging marketplace,” says Sixty82 CEO Fokko Smeding, “Similarly, pan-pro and Set2Stage are both well-established companies with well-respected teams and ideally placed for distribution partnership.
UK - The stand of A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (AC-ET) will provide the UK show debuts of leading innovations across its product sales divisions, at PLASA Focus Leeds. Chroma-Q''s new Studio Force II is a powerful homogenised LED source for applications requiring high quality variable white light - complementing the multi-award-winning Color Force II RGBA LED cyclorama, wash & effects light. Also featured is the Inspire XT colour-mixing house light and Space Force variable white LED soft light. ProLights' new Panorama IP WBX LED moving light delivers a massive output and pixel ring "eye candy" effects in an IP65-rated fixture ideal for temporary outdoor events. The brand's other show debuts include the JetSpot4 powerful, fully-featured LED Spot in a compact design, and the RA3000 high precision LED Profile. Other models will be featured. Follow-Me's
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds has begun its tenth birthday celebrations on 1-2 May at the Royal Armouries, Leeds. The popular entertainment technology trade show provides a stage for over 175 global brands, and the show’s reputation attracts thought-leaders and taste-makers who share their expertise through seminars and training sessions. The show floor will feature products fresh from European launches, and the seminar programme is overflowing with enriching talks and lively debates. The show caters to everyone from lighting designers and sound engineers, to riggers and production managers. Audio enthusiasts can get under the skin of digital mixers with Soundcraft’s Andy Brown and Sound Technology’s Ben Todd, and can get to grips with Line Array systems with Harman’s Ed Jackson and Sound Technology’s Stuart Strachan. Visitors can learn about frequency response wit
Germany - This year’s Prolight + Sound show saw the worldwide debut of EXE Technology’s new dynamic stack tracks rail and trolley system – the EXE-DST66 – which draws on the success of its DST52 system. To answer the call by live production professionals across the globe for a heavy-duty rail and trolley system for their demanding live productions, EXE Technology developed the DST66 system that draws on a total of 63 Nm of power (additional 38 Nm compared to the DST52 system) and achieves speeds up to 60 m/min at 50 Hz (an additional 36 m/min compared to the DST52). Response to this system at the EXE Technology stand during the exhibition was absolute proof that they hit the bullseye, says the company. (Jim Evans)
Germany - James Thomas Engineering came to the Prolight + Sound show to officially debut its safety block system for its Thomas Tower TT4 that protects mother grids from both drop and lift. The recently-launched conical truss series for the EMEA region was also on display, which builds on its pedigree and extensive knowledge in truss manufacturing. James Thomas Engineering now offers a total of three connection systems – conical, fork and plated – for a range of structures and projects. Their conical range includes the JT22 light-duty display system in a compact format, JT30 / JT30H mid-sized system for multi-purpose use, multi-purpose JT40H / JT40HR / JT36 truss for mid-sized heavy-duty applications, JT52 high-capacity truss with super-sized conical connectors for higher loading capacities, and the extra heavy-duty JT100 truss for extra high-capacity loads.
Germany - Automation specialist and manufacturer Kinesys enjoyed one of its busiest and most successful Prolight+Sound exhibitions in Frankfurt to date. The UK-based company highlighted its new Apex chain hoist system, launched at Prolight 2017, which incorporates Kinesys’ extensive knowledge, practical experience and history as a pioneer in the world of variable speed chain hoist control technology. Kinesys also launched a new product - the LibraNODE - which can enable the EXE RISE loadcell hook as well as other third party loadcells to be integrated directly into a Libra monitoring network or a DigiHoist. Kinesys MD Dave Weatherhead commented, “The show was excellent and we saw lots of quality visitors throughout, from the first moment of day one to the very end. It was without a doubt the most positive Prolight we have experienced to date! We were very ha
UK - Specialist manufacturer of flame retardant fabrics, drapery and stage engineering solutions J&C Joel has been named as one of Yorkshire’s top 100 best performing SMEs in Yorkshire Business Insider’s SME 300. The SME 300 table is made up of companies in the county with a turnover of between £5m and £20m and this is the first time the Sowerby Bridge based firm has been listed featuring at number 86. J&C Joel has seen significant growth over the past few years opening a new purpose-built facility in Vietnam last year as well as expanding operations in Europe and Australasia. The award-winning business exports to more than 80 countries, providing products and services such as Front of House theatre drapes, stage backdrops, cycloramas, gauzes, acoustic solutions, projection screens plus an array of stage engineering solutions. James Wheelwri
Germany - This year’s Prolight+Sound exhibition saw the debut of several new Milos products and product lines. Presentation of the Milos steel truss line, as well as its new steel tower, head section and base with outriggers, turned more than a few heads at the show and generated a lot of interest from companies that could appreciate extreme load capacity this truss line can deliver. The accompanying video next to the display, which documented the recent load testing on MILOS steel truss spans with up to 47 tons CPL, was a fitting addition to the already impressive power the steel line commanded at the show. Additional new products that Milos displayed included its roof canopy tensioner that achieves 50% higher tensioning compared to their previous system and eliminates water pooling on roof structures, ceiling support for low headroom and safe suspension of all siz
Germany - Litec debuted three new products at this year’s Prolight+Sound exhibition in Frankfurt. One of the stars of the show was its new MyT Virtue truss line, which is part of the MyT truss family and a smaller version of the MyT Folding Steroid truss line. A compact solution, thanks to its folding design, it provides increased loading capacity for a truss of this size, as well as decreased deflection and longer spans for large-scale events. Made from EN AW 7003 T6 aluminium, it has 60mm main chords and features weld-free construction. Another popular new item from Litec was its Hoist Box Truss that offers EXE-Rise 500kg hoist owners a convenient, space saving and low headroom method of hanging their hoist within a wide range of support structures. The hoist box has a standard length of 500 mm, which makes it compatible with selected trio and quatro Litec truss fo
Germany - GUIL revealed its TMD-545/N rigging tower for flying sound systems at Prolight+Sound. "It’s one of the most compact towers on the market,” - says CEO Eduardo Hinarejos. “It can lift up to 500kg of line array to almost 6.5m and it is transported in a single package of only 1.48m3.” Visitors to the show were impressed by the design of the tower and also by the components that are included in the price: the complete truss structure with a double handled winch, a chain hoist for 2000kg and a chain bag. Another new product which attracted a lot of interest was the ULK 600XL front loading tower, which allows the user to lift line array, truss structures and LED screens from ground level. With a double handled auto brake winch, this compact lifter of only 1.63m stowed can raise 350kg to 6m high. “Nowadays professionals are looking for solutions that can of
UK - Triple E’s heavy-duty curtain and scenery track took the weight for a new multi-function ‘innovation space’ at The Crystal, Siemens’ recently-completely sustainable UK headquarters on Royal Victoria Dock. Rigid enough to serve as a suspension joist, UniBeam can be curved to a minimum radius of 2m and has the same dimensions and component range as UniTrack. As a result, The Crystal project benefitted from Triple E’s full range of accessories and carriers, capable of taking up to 385kg. Commissioned by Siemens to create the space, design agency Jotta tasked Shape Studio with the build, specifying materials such as Bencore, a lightweight/light-permeable, honeycombed panel, custom moulded in Italy, to reflect The Crystal’s unique architecture and environmentalism. Moving those elements, together with the other components, securely and efficiently,
Germany - At the recent Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt, Fantek and Work Lifters announced they will be incorporating an enhanced version of the existing Dynsys overload limiting system in their future products. Dynsys is a patented safety feature developed to protect operators by preventing top-loading (telescopic) and front-loading lifters lifting under overload conditions, in accordance with the stringent requirements of the EU-wide safety regulation DIN 56950, an important part of the DGUV V17/18 Health & Safety (Industrial Accident Prevention) regulations. Until now, if lifters incorporating Dynsys are overloaded, user control of torque is blocked. With the improved Dynsys v1.2 system, Fanterk and Work lifters will additionally be prevented from raising anything above Level 0. At the same time, the operator will be given immediate visual feedback to infor
Germany - New trussing and staging systems manufacturer Sixty82 only came into being on 1 March, and shortly after made its successful first public appearance at Prolight+Sound 2018. “The show was incredible for us and we have been bowled over by the phenomenal response we have received from the start,” says Sixty82’s sales & marketing director, Rainier Smeding. Sixty82’s stand was built using some of its own products to replicate a pub. Complete with bar serving bespoke Sixty82 beer, meeting areas and a full complement of its products, it was a suitable setting for staff to welcome its many new clients. The arrangement reflected the friendly, approachable nature of the company whose team has a genuine enjoyment of their jobs and puts customer service at the forefront of their operations. “Having good product is paramount of course, but we believe that gi
UK - A new lightweight lighting stand will take centre stage on the Doughty stand at this year's PLASA Focus Leeds. The prototype product, which has been designed with the events and conference market in mind comprises a flat, round plate and slim tube, slotted at each end to allow cables to run unseen inside it. Described as ‘extremely robust’, the stand has a sleeker appearance than the standard Tank Trap and comes with a stacking slot which allows for the stands to be stacked together as well as a carry handle. Dan Phillips, project sales co-ordinator at Doughty comments: "We really encourage everyone to come and take a look at this piece of kit on stand N-C25 while it's still in its development stage. We take feedback extremely seriously and use it to fine tune the product so that it ticks all the right boxes. We think our customers will really like the Lightweight L
USA - Known colloquially as RodeoHouston, The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is the world’s largest livestock show and richest regular season rodeo, dedicated to benefiting youth, supporting education, and facilitating better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. It draws more than 1.4m people each year to the 72,000-capacity NRG Stadium and over 2.5m people to NRG Park to enjoy the entire festivities. Running for 20 days in February-March, it attracts the very top names in country music, from Garth Brooks through to Brad Paisley, who perform after the main rodeo event each day. Such high calibre artists demand top concert production values and this year the Rodeo boosted its technological infrastructure by purchasing a new stage - built by TAIT in Lititz, PA. Working closely with TAIT, and leaning heavily towards GLP fixtures, were H
UK - Global Truss has developed the truss Silencer, a rubber damper that is simply pushed on to the end of a truss pin to reduce noise when assembling truss structures. The Silencer will decrease the volume when hammering truss pins by around 50% whilst dampening the high pitch frequencies significantly, says the company. A special rubber blend is being used in production which makes the Silencer flexible yet hard enough to transfer the force of the hammer effectively, and whilst preserving the material of the pin and the copper hammer. The Silencer has been designed to be left on the truss pins, whilst fitted to the truss, providing protection not only to the truss but also the surface it is sitting upon. Another added feature is that it offers camouflage when silver pins are used on black truss. “Audio measurements were conducted by audio specialists under r
UK - Unusual Rigging has appointed four new directors to the board in response to the company's exponential growth over recent years. The new directors, all current employees at Unusual will, in time assume specific leadership roles within the company. Senior project managers Steve Porter, Simon Stone and Simon Tiernan, together with Tom Harper, Unusual's sustainability coordinator, have accepted positions on the board. Alan Jacobi, managing director at Unusual, comments: "Unusual has grown at an unprecedented rate in recent years and now has responsibilities in very defined but different sectors where the clients expect to deal with officers at the highest level. This, together with the ever-increasing compliance requirements meant that we had to take measures to ensure the board is not overstretched." He adds: "We needed to regenerate the thread of continuity
