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
Germany - Manufacturer of flame retardant fabrics, drapery and stage engineering solutions, J&C Joel is launching several new products at PL+S 2018. Visitors to the tradeshow will be able to see four new velvets, the widest IFR Canvas on the market, a new addition to the Wool Serge range a new 3D digital print fabric and an exciting new acoustic system. At the event J&C Joel will launch Empress - a new NDFR Velvet manufactured with an upright pile direction giving it a very black appearance. The Velvet meets BS5867, B1 and M1 flame retardancy standards and is also acoustically tested to Class B Absorber making it perfect for European and touring markets. Andrew Walsh, J&C Joel’s sourcing and product development manager, said: “Empress is a Velvet with a high-density construction more typically seen offered to the high end domestic market. Its comp
UK - Richard Black has joined stage track and engineering specialist Triple E in a newly created technical sales and marketing role. Previously the projects manager at Flint Hire and Supply, Black’s new job will utilise his 10 years’ experience in scenic construction and rigging with a focus on client relationships, training and marketing Triple E’s expanding portfolio. David Edelstein, managing director, says: “We’re delighted to have Richard on board. He’s familiar with our products and ambitions and fully equipped to communicate the company’s product solutions.” Richard Black comments: “I’ve admired Triple E since I started working in this business. David wants people in tune with his designs, who recognise their merits. The tech sales and marketing position is a perfect fit for me and I’m looking forward to exciting challenges as Triple
USA - VER has entered into an agreement to merge with an entity controlled by Production Resource Group LLC (PRG). To facilitate the implementation of this pre-negotiated transaction, VER has filed voluntary petitions for reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. These filings only affect the company's North American operations, says the company. The agreement is part of a transaction supported by VER’s second lien lenders, including funds managed by GSO Capital Partners. VER expects to continue normal operation during the restructuring and says clients “can be confident that their project will not be interrupted”. Digby Davies, CEO of VER, comments: "Entering into this agreement and undertaking the court-supervised restructuring process will greatly reduce VER's outstanding debt
UK - PLASA Focus Leeds is bringing the world’s latest entertainment technology to the North of England on 1-2 May at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds. Visitors can expect new releases from top brands, an array of immersive workshops, and leading-edge seminars covering lighting, live sound, rigging, AV and staging. The show is the perfect place to see brand new products for the first time in the UK, including the highly anticipated grandMA3 lighting console. Visitors will also see Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Series, Vari-Lite’s VL2600 range, Sennheiser’s Wireless G4 System and Robe’s MegaPointe. The seminar programme serves many different tribes, from immersive audio and theatre refurbishment, to festival lighting and set design software. There is something for everyone at the industry leading show. The reinvention of the Chester Storyh
China - Star Events’ technology and inspiration was on the menu at a lunch for major promoters, production suppliers and principal venues in Shanghai recently. Hosted by Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena, China’s second busiest music venue, the event focused on the launch of the China PROM (Production Rigging Operations Manual) and the arena’s new house reduction solution, designed and installed by Star Events China, which was demonstrated to the lunch guests. Conceived by Star Events China, with input from engineers, local and international experts, rigging publications and the arena architect, PROM is the first rigging safety manual of its type in China. Built in 2010 for Shanghai World Expo, the Mercedes-Benz Arena has an extensive gallery level serving its sports commitments, which include NBA and NFL games. A roller blind mechanism, designed to scre
Germany - Doughty's Lightweight Lighting Stand will make its Prolight & Sound debut this year. Visitors to Hall 3.0 stand E11 can see the new stand, which is currently in prototype format and takes the principles of a Tank Trap but packages them into a neater, more aesthetically pleasing model. Dan Phillips, project sales co-ordinator at Doughty, comments: "The new Lightweight Lighting 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 spigot adapter, the stand can also be used to hold small speakers. This robust piece of kit 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 carr
Germany - BroadWeigh is set to unveil “exciting new pieces of kit” at this year's Prolight and Sound in Frankfurt including the TwistLink, updated Wind Speed Sensor and a new advanced handheld. With five of the company's product partners from across Europe taking stands at the show, Jonathan Purdue says Prolight + Sound is a good place to debut new products before a truly international audience. "We've been attending the show for some years now and we are always impressed by the turnout and the number of leads that come our way as a result of the networking opportunities it affords us. This year we'll have a presence on the stands of AC-ET (Hall 3.0, Stand F65), Hof Alutec (Hall 3.0, Stand A44), Scanrig (Hall 3.0, StandF33) and SONOSS and Louis Reyners (Hall 3.0, Stand D18) who are exhibiting together, and I will be making appointments with customers and potential
UK - The curtain goes up at Pleasance Theatre’s third London theatre space next month, 80-seat temporary structure Downstairs. Launched at the Edinburgh Fringe 2017 as ‘Beside’, and due back there in August, Downstairs is the first major UK application for Triple E’s large-scale Meccano-style ModTruss and will be in Islington for 10 months of the year. A versatile space, which provides for rehearsals during the day and performance in the evening, the theatre consists of 6” and 12” ModTruss with sleeve blocks running up the masts to raise the theatre grid and roof in one piece via electric chain hoists. In London, Downstairs has a new capacity and layout for its focus on longer-run text-based theatre. It will present both transfers and premieres from the most exciting emerging and mid-career companies and playwrights. Anthony Alderson, director
USA - InCord made their second donation to Behind the Scenes on 16 March during the recent USITT Stage Expo reflecting a percentage of profits from sales of their Theatrical Safety Netting Systems. The Behind the Scenes is a charity that provides entertainment technology professionals who are seriously ill or injured with grants that may be used for basic living and medical expenses. Joe Menhart, InCord’s theatrical sales manager, presented the cheque. He comments: “All of us at InCord take pleasure in supporting such a worthy charity as Behind the Scenes. Both InCord and Behind the Scenes are dedicated to the well-being and safety of personnel. I can’t imagine a better pairing and this contribution gives much greater meaning to our Theatrical Safety nets.” Rick Rudolph, the chair of Behind the Scenes, accepted the cheque along with other BTS Board member
Germany - UK based automation specialist and manufacturer Kinesys will feature an action-packed booth D15 in hall 3.0 at the Prolight+Sound 2018 expo in Frankfurt. The latest Kinesys Apex chain hoist system will be a big focus, and it will also be running an eye-catching motion controlled ‘art-tech’ centrepiece on the stand. Other popular Kinesys products like Elevation 1+, LibraCELL, DigiHoist and the Dimension Pendant controller will be highlighted. Apex incorporates the best of Kinesys’ extensive knowledge and practical experience of working with variable speed chain hoist technology to create a range of safe, reliable and rock-solid hoists and controllers which are designed to maximise creativity for show, stage and environment designers and operators in all fields of entertainment. Central to the Apex system is a versatile hoist controller and two ch
Germany - New trussing and staging company Sixty82 will make its first appearance at Prolight+Sound, presenting its trussing and staging solutions. The company, which launched in March, was founded by Fokko Smeding and Marc Hendriks from The Netherlands, Adrian Brooks and Lee Brooks from the UK, and Xavier Drouet, Jérôme Bréhard and Alain-René Lantelme from France. Smeding comments: “With some of the trussing world’s most experienced and trusted individuals behind our product line, we are extremely excited to be launching Sixty82 at this year’s Prolight+Sound. We have focused on the introduction of new technology that will become an industry standard within a short amount of time, and in providing our customers with confidence and security.” (Jim Evans)
USA - The inaugural New Word Rigging Symposium, held 13-14 March in Fort Lauderdale, brought professionals from around the world together for two days of presentations, Q&As and networking. While most attendees were from the US, there were also visitors from Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, and China. Joining riggers were engineers, health and safety professionals, venue managers, educators and manufacturers. The panels covered topics such as cruise ships, automation, engineering, risk assessment, standards, and ground support rigs. Highlights included Scott Fisher’s keynote address describing his early days in the industry and how the Navigator System was developed and Tony Galuppi’s impassioned plea for “safety first” who described conducting a risk assessment for hanging Criss Angel over a lake in Florida teeming with alligators. The Hot Button Iss
South Africa - Twenty riggers in South Africa kicked off the year with the 2018 Prolyte Rigging Course in conjunction with DWR Distribution, Prolyte and Rhino Rigs. Rinus Bakker from Rhino Rigs hosted the course from 29 January to 2 February 2018, and on the sixth day, DWR’s Robert Izzett and Keith Pugin presented practical training. “It was a good one,” says Rinus. “The delegates responded well and had good questions - they were spot on. The course ran according to schedule which was a great indication of their understanding.” The training covered important aspects of safety, maintenance, lifting materials and force calculations. Rinus’ next stop will be in Rotterdam where he will assist a circus and their performers to better understand rigging particularly with concepts like dynamic motion. His schedule so far includes training in Dubai, Holland
Sweden - Rigging Works Sweden (RWS), one of the country’s largest independent rigging and automation specialists, has recently invested in the latest Kinesys Apex technology, having purchased eight new vari-speed Apex hoists to an already extensive Kinesys inventory. The company is run by John McDonough, universally known as JonnyMac. All eight of the new motors were supplied to the country’s high profile 2018 Melodifestivalen tour, together with four of RWS’s existing Liftket motors running with Kinesys Elevation 1+ drives, a Kinesys Mentor 4 controller - offering SIL3 safety over Ethernet - at the hub of the system and one of RWS’s flexible Kinesys Vector control platforms. This gruelling six-week event, known for its high production values, visited six cities to select the Swedish song and entrant for the annual Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).
UK - The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) commissioned West Midlands-based Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) to design and deliver all the technical elements for their 2018 annual staff conference and awards, inclduing sound, lighting, video, staging and rigging. The high-profile event for 400 delegates was staged in Warwick Hall at the NAEC, Stanleigh and comprised a seated conference presentation that was transformed into a glamorous setting for the evening’s dinner and awards. The client wanted to use the width-ways orientation of the venue for sightlines, so CPL’s project manager Lee Gruszeckyj proposed a widescreen video blend as a striking visual starting point to align with the geometry of the space. The 30ft wide by 10ft high upstage projection screen was flanked by gauze panels designed to take lighting nicely and elongate the spac
USA - Global supplier of truss, staging and rigging equipment Eurotruss has acquired US structural systems manufacturer Total Structures, becoming the sole owner of the Ventura-based company. The deal is hoped to allow Total Structures “to offer a greater product range and use the knowledge, expertise and scale in continuing to be a leading brand and partner in the US market”. The US company’s new management will be led by former Tomcat employees Scott Johnson as CEO and Bill Berrier as CFO. Martin Kuyper, founder of Eurotruss, comments: “This acquisition strengthens our product portfolio and supply chain, being the first truss brand providing nationwide coverage from our two factories in Ventura, CA and Knoxville, TN. “We will honour, respect and continue the products, values and business of Total Structures while integrating the Eurotruss brand and
Oman - The Muscat-based Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) has taken delivery of ProLyft Aetos hoists. With over 22,000sq.m of column-free space, the venue offers a wide array of meeting and exhibition spaces with the very latest in communications and audio-visual technology to meet the demands of the most discerning global event organisers. To meet their customers’ demands, the venue operator, AEG Ogden, was looking for a flexible solution for the venue’s rigging facilities. Adhering to the highest quality standards and service excellence, they were looking for high-end rigging solutions, supported by the best service and knowledge. Meeting OCEC’s brief, Prolyte Group was selected to present a proposal. Based on the quality of the proposal and the technical support they experienced during this phase, they were happy to give the green light.
USA - Scott Fisher will receive the ESTA Technical Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing of the New World Rigging Symposium on 14 March in Fort Lauderdale’s Hilton Marina Hotel (Grand Salon). Established in 2017 by the ESTA Board of Directors and Technical Standards Council, the award recognises individuals with ‘significant and sustained’ technical contributions to the entertainment industry over at least 25 years. Last year’s recipient was Robert Goddard of Goddard Design. Fisher began his career in automation in the late 1980s in Las Vegas with Siegfried and Roy, the first of the mega shows at the first of the Las Vegas mega resorts, The Mirage. From this vantage point at the crest of the wave of huge Las Vegas productions and attractions of the 1990s and 2000s, he got to see what stage automation could be and just how far it had to go to get th
USA - Paradigm Rigging has worked with Christie Lites to monitor the loads with BroadWeigh wireless load cells on The Killers Wonderful Wonderful world tour. Michael Sorowka, CEO, Paradigm Rigging, explains: "In September we were brought to New Jersey where The Killers were doing technical rehearsals and programming of the show before their UK leg. There we had 56 cells in play to weight the full show before it hit its first arenas. “From initial versions, cells were originally going to be specified for some of the larger video walls and two mother grids to help with determining load distribution, but through a few minor design revisions, elements of that changed which in turn changed the needs of the load cells for the run." The set gives a strong Las Vegas feel consisting of large flown marquee arrows lined in neon, pointing downward to the stage as w
Europe - Sixty82, a new trussing and staging engineering company, launched operation on 1 March. The company brings together prominent professionals from the Netherland’s Prolyte Group and France’s Axente, along with Adrian and Lee Brooks from the UK. The company is planning to introduce a track-and-trace technology that guarantees every individual component is traceable, safe and properly engineered. Fokko Smeding, Prolyte Group founder and CEO of Sixty82, says: “With some of the trussing world’s most experienced and trusted individuals behind our product line, we are extremely excited to launch Sixty82. “Our passion has always been to supply the industry with safe, well-manufactured products, and back that up with our trademark - superlative, knowledgeable customer service. We have focused on the introduction of new technology that will become an ind
South Africa - DWR Distribution has partnered with South African technician Jacob ‘Jakes’ Mogale to form a new installation company, The Install Crew. While the new company will run independently from DWR, it will operate from the DWR offices. Mogale, who formerly owned DimBright, comments: “For me, this is the ultimate partnership. We share the same values, we care about quality workmanship and we have also worked on projects together for the past ten years which means we have built a relationship. This is an exciting venture for both my team and me.” Robert Izzett of DWR says: “This will be an installation company with no products involved. It means that The Install Crew will offer skilled labour and good workmanship, backed-up with outstanding service.” Mogale adds: “The aim is to be of service to any theatre or company in the country who n
