Poland - Intel Extreme Masters - one of the largest e-sports events in the world - features a multimedia stage that has become synonymous with the event. The structure of the stage with its distinctive scaffolding was originally introduced in 2015, and the look has since become a signature feature of IEM Katowice. For the 2019 edition, the design features large automated LED screens on the central part of main stage, from which pro gamers enter the stage. The catwalk where the IEM trophy is located, has been completely reworked and combined with the rest of the stage. Despite set changes the lighting design has been completely renewed, featuring new lighting fixtures and LED bar frames built around the screens behind the teams. Almost 400sq.m of LED screens were used and 650 lighting units. “Every year we are trying to introduce something new to the stage
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has launched a new website to showcase its portfolio of technologies. Created to deliver a better overall user experience, www.ac-et.com features a cleaner design, improved menu functionality with faster navigation, and is now fully responsive, adapting to the best layout for viewing on mobile, tablet and desktop. The website also reflects AC-ET's position as a one-stop supplier of lighting, rigging, video, audio and related technologies. AC-ET's UK sales and purchasing director, Jonathan Walters comments: "We are delighted to share our new website with you. The team have been working tirelessly to create a high-quality website, which reflects our (AC-ET’s) world-class products and services. We are confident that the smarter, slicker design will enable easier and quicker browsing to ensure you find the right products
Australia - DirectOut is establishing a cooperation with tm stagetec systems as their new distributor. The two companies will be offering the entire DirectOut product portfolio to the Australian market. Based in Sydney, tm stagetec systems specialises in high-end audio, video, PA and intercom solutions for institutions and enterprises and is also invested in product research, development and manufacturing. Treva Head, managing director of tm stagetec systems, comments: “DirectOut is a perfect fit for us. Both the philosophy of the products and the diverse range they cover will help tm stagetec systems better serve our customers in both broadcast and pro audio markets. With the suite of audio over IP solutions and the intuitive globcon software, DirectOut provides tools to solve many customers’ problems. We are excited to represent DirectOut and further build thei
UK - Green Hippo has announced the appointment of David March as head of sales and marketing. March will report directly to Green Hippo’s business unit director, Emma Marlow. He will take responsibility for Green Hippo’s sales and marketing strategy in EMEA and Asia. March comes to Green Hippo from VER where he most recently served as head of VER Lighting Europe & Aurora Lighting. He began his career as a rental assistant at Vari-Lite Europe ultimately becoming general manager at Vari-Lite Production Services. Since then he has held a number of leadership positions in the lighting and live events sector, including roles at Philips Entertainment, PRG Distribution and AED Distribution UK Limited. "I am thrilled to be joining the most exciting and innovative brand in its sector. Hippotizer continues to go from strength to strength, and I look forward to helping th
The Netherlands - Absen has appointed Van Domburg Partners as its official distributor in Benelux. The announcement follows the earlier appointment of Kern & Stelly as Absen’s Germany and Austria distributor and is expected to further strengthen the Chinese LED display manufacturer’s presence on the continent. Based in the Netherlands, Van Domburg Partners is part of the Midwich Group and distributes a range of AV solutions. Emma Liu, regional director for Absen in Benelux, comments: “We are excited to have Van Domburg Partners as our distribution partner and are looking forward to working closely with them on opportunities in the Benelux region. They are a forward-thinking company with an excellent reputation for quality and service, helping to strengthen Ab
Europe - ArKaos has released a performance boost to its flagship MediaMaster 5 realtime video control software platform. The new software version (v5.4) will boost rendering and performance of this powerful and flexible control system by 33% utilising the same hardware. This had been extensively tested on ArKaos’ current media server range. Part of this boost will be delivered by the utilisation of a GPU accelerated codec, HAP, which dramatically speeds up the decoding elements of the process. This technology is in line with the latest existing 4K media servers, including those coming to the market. The new MediaMaster 5 with optimised decoding also offers enhanced surface control and superior rendering, which was recently demonstrated working in conjunction with nine ArKaos 4K media servers on the latest series of Dancing on Ice in Germany.
Poland/UK - LED display manufacturer Unilumin has announced a new stock centre relationship with Poland’s Visualsupport to service the Eastern Europe AV market. Kraków-based Visualsupport will now hold increased Unilumin stock, supplying equipment and support for corporate events, festivals, exhibitions and concerts. The Eastern Europe stock centre operator Visualsupport boasts an experienced team of producers and multimedia technicians and supplies a range of leading technology solutions. With the agreement, Visualsupport now stocks over 500m² of the Unilumin UpdadIII 2.6 LED panel, which benefits from a modular design and quick assembly. "The Unilumin Upad III P2.6 is well designed and very reliable product that Visualsupport has been using for over three years for a range of projects,” comments Michał Płocienniak, CEO of Visualsupport. “We are delighted
USA - Business development specialist Jeff Meyer has joined AV solutions integrator OSA International (OSA). An industry veteran, Meyer has 35 years of experience in live sound and video for corporate events. Based at OSA’s Las Vegas office, he will be responsible for developing new business relationships and expanding sales of LED technology. Meyer joins from Video Equipment Rentals (VER), where he worked business development and account management since 2010. Prior to that, he spent over 23 years at Creative Technology (formerly Media Control). Meyer joined Media Control as a sound engineer and warehouse technician in 1987. He then became a project manager in 1990 and went on to take up the roles of operations manager and subsequently, general manager. (Jim Evans)
UAE - In January 2019, The AFC Asian Cup returned to the UAE for the second time since 1996 and - for the first time - the month-long tournament saw 24 teams take part. It is the largest sporting tournament the UAE has ever hosted and took place over eight stadia across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain and Sharjah. Over 5,000 volunteers were on hand to ensure the event ran smoothly, taking on various roles from operations and logistics to media management and hospitality. Creative Technology (CT) supplied perimeter LED for five of the eight stadiums that were dotted around the UAE on behalf of client, Sports Logistics. Each stadium had 252m of S10 perimeter LED around the ground which was used to display advertising and sponsorship content throughout the games. CT’s project manager, Darko Rosenberg explains: “The team has been travelling up and down the country mo
Germany - LED display manufacturer Absen has appointed Kern & Stelly Medientechnik as its official distributor for Germany and Austria. The agreement was announced at ISE 2019 in Amsterdam. Kern & Stelly, part of the Midwich Group, is a large AV solutions distributor based in Hamburg. Leon Ye, regional director DACH at Absen, comments: "With Kern & Stelly, we have found a dynamic partner with whom we share a common strategic alignment in the LED market. Together with the team of experts from Kern & Stelly, we can provide individual advice and personal support for the specialist trade partners. We are looking forward to the cooperation." As well as signalling the next step in Absen’s European expansion, the partnership is also in line with Kern & Stelly’s ambitions to diversify its own product range to include flexible LED walls and a greater ran
Italy - Claypaky has announced its commitment to ArKaos’s Kling-Net protocol, which will now be embedded in its newest HY B-EYE product line. Giovanni Zucchinali, Claypaky’s product portfolio manager, explains: “As the current and future requirements of lighting and visual design are so dynamic and fast-moving, lighting designers, programmers and operators need the most flexible and creative tools at their fingertips. We see a strong trend for one of those future developments being moving heads and pixel fixtures increasingly working in conjunction with video content.” The new Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 and HY B-EYE K15 recently introduced to the market, are supplied with ArKaos Kling-Net as standard and already included in the firmware. “This new and interesting feature greatly expands the already rich effects of the HY B-EYE range, making it an even more
UK - Notch, the visual creation tool for interactive motion graphics, is set to incorporate ray tracing into the software's realtime workflow as part of an upcoming March release (0.9.22). The news was announced at NotchCon, the inaugural Notch conference held in London in January. Ray tracing, an advanced graphics rendering technique that has long been used for non-realtime rendering, provides realistic lighting by simulating the physical behaviour of light. It is the foundation of visual effects used in movies and TV and will provide a ‘significant jump’ in visual precision directly inside Notch, says the company. Matt Swoboda, founder of Notch, comments: “At Notch, we’re committed to making software for content creators that is flexible and scalable. We enable people to realize their creative ideas and improve their workflow, through the power of rendering i
Europe - Belgian AV solutions provider AED Display has recently announced its decision to invest in AV Stumpfl's new Pixera media server software and hardware. With a total of six full-spec Pixera two media servers, six Pixera one servers and 10 Pixera mini player units ordered at this year's ISE 2019 in Amsterdam, AED Display will soon be able to allow its customers to choose from more than 45 AV Stumpfl media server systems, making the company the world's largest provider of AV Stumpfl media servers. AV Stumpfl CEO, Fabian Stumpfl, comments: "As a long term partner, AED was one of the first companies to understand the potential of our new next-generation media server system Pixera. We are very happy that AED customers will soon be able to discover the world of Pixera for themselves. The Pixera roadmap for the near future is very exciting and we are looking forward
UK - German broadcast manufacturer Lawo has opened a subsidiary in the UK. Pre-sales and systems engineer Kadhim Boyd, solution architect James Walker and sales managers Olivier Hough and Devin Workman will form the core of the UK team. “Lawo is investing heavily in the UK as part of a drive to keep up with increasing activity and opportunity in the area of IP processing and distribution, and management of IP-based media workflows,” explains Craig Newbury, director of sales and operations, UK & Ireland, who is heading the new team. With his roots in IT development engineering, engineer Kadhim Boyd has extensive experience at Snell, including responsibility for management of and training for larger projects involving control and monitoring systems across the world. Before taking up his new role of solution architect at Lawo, James Walker worked as
Sweden - Dataton unveiled the WATCHPAX 60 series of media servers at ISE. With the latest processor technology under the hood, robust exterior and redundant power supply as standard, the new rack-friendly series is suitable for demanding applications such as live events, attractions and broadcast installations. “We gathered feedback from key users during the design process to produce a plug-and-play media server series that would not only meet, but exceed, requirements for the toughest show environment,” says Lars Sandlund, Dataton CEO. “The dual power supply, range of models, SDI bi-directional connector options and fastest discs in the market all ensure that even the most complex shows are delivered flawlessly.” The new 2U media server will be available in three models offering from four up to 12 outputs and support for uncompressed video playback. Each model
UK - Dinosaurs come to life in an updated version of the theatrical event, Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular (see LSi November for a production report). Originating in Australia in 2007, and on the road for many years, the production is a $20m-dollar production which recently received a massive technological update in mechatronics, visuals, lighting, and the latest in realtime tracking. The high-tech upgrades are provided and managed by UK-based company, Sonalyst, owned by Rory Madden. Sonalyst provides all the lighting, rigging, sound and communications. They also provide their technical expertise to be sure to use the appropriate equipment needed to solve any issues and improve the performance of the s
UK - AED’s Luxibel Expo Tools range makes its UK debut at the AED Customer Night events this week, alongside a spread of new kit covering sound, lighting, rigging, display and accessories. The AED UK Customer Nights will be held on Wednesday, 20 and Thursday, 21 February at the company’s UK office, from 4pm onwards. On both nights, visitors can enjoy the best local brew and curry whilst experiencing Luxibel’s Expo Tools. The Prolyte range, the new Show Lift AED-SL18 - an automated motorised tower lift that can be controlled by DMX - and the AV Stumpfl Pixera range will also be on show. “In this fast-paced industry, it’s important for us to inform our customers about the latest products, technologies and services,” says AED commercial manager, David Baker. “It’s a great occasion for our customers to meet the AED team in person and to discover our A
The Netherlands - German fibre network associates Optocore and BroaMan combined their resources at the recent ISE 2019 expo in Amsterdam as part of the portfolio of brands distributed in the Benelux by the Ampco Flashlight Group. The stand was busy as it was visited by both recognised customers from the integration, event and broadcast sectors as well as newcomers seeking further information. Optocore showcased its new Festival Box, reporting high interest from both distributors and rental companies. The Festival Box allows all protocols to tunnel over the same fibre, with hot-swappable SFP optical module transceivers providing different conversion options to add massive savings in time and cabling to multi-act festival bills. As applications engineering manager, Maciek Janiszewski says: “While festival sound engineers can transport whatever signal protocol th
The Netherlands - ISE 2019 saw LED video processor manufacturer Brompton Technology showcase its new Tessera Processor Software for the 4K SX40 processor, demonstrating its enhanced feature set that follows the easy-to-use style of its intuitive user interface, as well as giving its customers a preview of its forthcoming HDR capabilities. The SX40, Brompton Technology’s highest-ever capacity processor, offers support for full 4K screens at 60Hz with 12 bits per colour output, a zero-latency up/down scaler that matches the source to the screen, plus all of Tessera’s industry-leading processing features such as ChromaTune colour correction, On Screen Colour Adjustment (OSCA), and more. By updating the SX40 to the latest software, users can now access a suite of handy new features such as Panel On Screen Display (OSD), Processor Redundancy, 90 degree rotation and Chin
UK - Attracting over 1000 attendees, the Women in Data conference features addresses from high-profile speakers plus a range of supporting events. Held within the grand surroundings of Central Hall Westminster, London, the event included presentations, development sessions and an exhibition, designed to inspire the WiD community. Technical production specialists LFPS collaborated closely with the client and production manager Dave Parker to design the look and feel of the entire event. Providing a complete production package covering both equipment and logistics, LFPS supplied lighting, audio, video, rigging and staging. Working to precise schedules beginning with a 6pm time slot for overnight load-in and build, the team were ready for rehearsal at 6am, with everything in place ready for doors open at 9am. Commenting on working with LFPS, WiD co-founder Roisin Mc
Saudi Arabia - Golf’s European Tour made history this year when it took its tournament to Saudi Arabi for the first time in its 47 years. The event took place at the Royal Greens golf course in King Abdullah Economic City on 31 January and ran until 3 February. Creative Technology (CT) were on hand to deliver all video aspects of this event on behalf of clients European Tour and IMG. CT’s head of sport, Steven Purkess explains: “CT was contracted to design, engineer and fabricate eight bespoke LED structures, a big departure from the standard scaffold support structures traditionally used at golf events. “The complete design and engineering service provided by CT not only included the design for each LED structure but also the foundations. The physical structure fabrication process was split across the CT group, and once delivered to site CT also instal
Germany - The roots of Rock gegen Rechts (Rock Against the Right) go back to the rise of Britain’s Rock Against Racism movement in in the mid-1970s. The 30 April,1978, Rock Against Racism concert in Victoria Park in East London was a seminal event that, by 1979, had inspired the first Rock gegen Rechts festival in Frankfurt, Germany. Thirty-nine years later, Rock gegen Rechts was once again heard in downtown Frankfurt, in a one-day festival staged in the city’s famed Opernplatz. The audience enjoyed the advances in live sound since the 1970s as they listened to the day’s music and messages delivered with power and clarity by Linea Research amplifiers. Nearly 90 organisations were involved in the event. Its patrons included vice presidents of the Bundestag Claudia Roth and Petra Pau, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt Peter Feldmann, and other city officials. Thirteen musica
USA - Global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks has announced its fourth annual Vectorworks Design Scholarship is now open for entries. The scholarship enables undergraduate students and recent graduates to gain professional recognition by sharing their work and win up to $10,000. “The Vectorworks Design Scholarship is an incredible opportunity for up-and-coming designers to promote their work and win funds to support their future endeavours,” comments Alice Lowy, marketing programmes director at Vectorworks. “We look forward to seeing what these up-and-coming designers think up next.” To apply, eligible students must submit their best individual or group project and answer three questions. A panel of judges will evaluate submissions based on design integrity, originality, the effective use of computer technology and communication of
The Netherlands - Pro Display completed a major project in partnership with Integrated Systems Europe, LANG AG, Panasonic, Tenfeet and Green Hippo to bring the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel to life. Pro Display supplied 392 pieces of its Projection Mapping Film which were installed across 25 storeys of the hotel’s glass façade. Throughout ISE 2019 the film was used as a canvas alongside Panasonic’s powerful PT-RZ31K projectors to advertise exhibition highlights and the potential of projection mapping technology. The impressive 25-storey hotel boasts 650 rooms and was developed following a tender process by the City of Amsterdam and the RAI that began in 2014. This ambitious display required input from a range of experts in order to successfully complete the project which was managed by LANG, hire and production specialists. They called on 14 of Panasonic’s PT-R
