Norway - Barco reports that entertainment equipment rental company AVAB CAC selected 17 Barco's event projectors and 100 MiSTRIP creative LED strips to support the Nobel Peace Prize Concert on Sunday, 11 December. This year's edition was co-hosted by Helen Mirren and Rosario Dawson and featured artists such as Evanescence, Ellie Goulding, Jill Scott and many others.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the world. Every year, the ceremony takes place on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, and is followed by the Nobel Peace Prize Concert the day after. Featuring an international selection of musical artists and celebrity hosts, the concert honours the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The concert is held every year at the Oslo Spektrum Arena in the centre of Oslo. The customized three-tiered stage was able to host 50 singers and musicians a

UK - The fourth annual PLASA Focus: Leeds event launches today with a new website and a sold out floor-plan. The leading event for audio, video, lighting and staging technology in the north of England will be held on 17-18 April 2012, at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

Long-standing exhibitors such as White Light, Martin Audio, Martin Professional, J&C Joel, Shure, Avolites, Stage Electrics, Robe, Sennheiser, Hawthorn Theatrical and Clay Paky have been joined by a raft of new exhibitors, including Bose, d&b audiotechnik, LSC Lighting Systems, Midas, Topdeck Stage Systems, Pete Smith Inspections, JoeCo, Amber Sound, Audio Logic, English Braids, Experience Lighting, Isophase Audio, The Lectern Company, Showtex, Smoke Factory, CLD Distribution, ADB, Wirelessled.co.uk and Total Solutions.

Packed aisles and major UK product debuts have firmly established PLASA Focus as an unmi

USA - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Focus: Austin 2012 Professional Development Programme, a two-day programme of free educational seminars and workshops, running alongside PLASA Focus: Austin, on 22-23 February, 2012.

The programme has been designed by some of the industry's leading names and presents an opportunity for visitors to broaden their specialist knowledge and contribute to discussions about innovative projects and techniques, say organiser PLASA Events.

"Giving people the opportunity to develop their professional knowledge is key to the success of PLASA Focus: Austin 2012," comments PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths. "We're creating an opportunity to talk about the choices behind major projects in the region, from the Austin City Limits studio and The Long Center for Performing Arts, to seminars as broad and far-reaching as the use of lightin

UK - Flight case manufacturer 5 Star has supplied well over 1000 cases to West Midlands-based AV rental specialists Central Presentations (CPL) in the last seven years, which have ranged from audio equipment, 19" racks, projector, plasma and LCDs and video production cases.

5 Star's Keith Sykes says: "Clients like CPL are invaluable. They are extremely busy year-round, their work is always varied and interesting and they are constantly expanding the equipment and rental stock, all of which needs flight casing for on-going road work. Consequently, we are involved in supplying a full range of standard and special cases."

The latest CPL 5 Star case project has involved a custom designed set of road cases for CPL's newest series of 'fly away' portable video production units (PPUs).

This is a smaller PPU specifically designed to service the proliferation of project

UK - Mike Glover of Essex Sound & Light (ESL) has spent 2011 engaged in installation projects as far afield as Delhi and Spain - but he saved one of his best creations for a nightclub right on his own Southend doorstep.

Chameleon has been a landmark venue since it first opened as Mr. B's Discotheque in the mid-80s. The venue subsequently underwent many iterations and corporate ownership changes before falling into demise following the collapse of CanDu Entertainment three and a half years ago.

As a result, enterprising local entrepreneur Dick De Vigne (whose eponymous 500-capacity Dick De Vigne's nightclub is the lynch-pin of the burgeoning Warrior Square scene nearby), snapped up Chameleon on Lucy Road from the receivers.

Not only does Lucy Road provide the traditional nightlife heartbeat of Southend but De Vigne also owned this place previously (first as Discotheque Buzz a

UK - Audio Light Systems has completed the AV installation in the Moffat Auditorium at the National Museum of Scotland as part of the £46m epic transformation.

The auditorium which was originally a 1950's screening cinema was fully refurbished & modernised. It now houses an 8m screen, Christie Digital HD10K-M high definition projector which is fed via a Analog Way SME100 seamless switcher. An Allen & Heath iDR system processes and controls the audio from Tascam & Bluray systems.

The Extron & Crestron systems provide easy end user control with an 8.4" WIFI Touch screen.

"Our museum portfolio has increased dramatically in the last few years. We are very proud of our workmanship which leads to repeat business as attention to detail is incredibly important in these environments," says Stephen Dishon, project engineer at Audio Light Systems.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Since being signed by Green Hippo Ltd, their exclusive distributor for Germany and Austria, B&K Braun, have had a very successful year boosting Hippotizer media server's presence in this market.

In recent months an increasing number of production companies, technicians and designers have started to use and spec Hippotizer media servers, with high profile shows, such as the German X-Factor utilizing the technology.

In an effort to raise the media server's profile even more and provide extended training options to the region, B&K Braun recently organised a three day training event in conjunction with Green Hippo, which took place 6-8 December.

The training sessions were held at B&K's new training facility and consisted of two full day's basic training and a third day of advanced HippoSchool, aimed at professionals from the industry.

Led by Green Hippo's head of tra

UK - Following the announcement yesterday (20 December) of Westminster School's purchase of Lawrence Hall from the Royal Horticultural Society, organisers of the ABTT 2012 Theatre Show moved swiftly to announce the event will be transferring to a new venue.

The Show's director, Roger Fox, spoke to assure both exhibitors and visitors that the 2012 Show would be going ahead, explaining: "This announcement has come as a surprise to us today and at a time when planning for the 2012 Show was well advanced. Discussions to secure an alternative venue are already in progress, which we see as also an opportunity to offer improved facilities for our exhibitors and visitors."

At present it is unsure if the Show's previously published June 2012 dates will be available at an alternative venue, but all effort is being made to avoid changes to the timing of this important annual ev

UK - Projection artist Ross Ashton of London-based The Projection Studio was invited back to Caerphilly Castle in Wales - by popular demand - to recreate his Illuminata digital art son et Lumière.

The commission - for which Ashton also designed the large format projection system used to bring the work to life - was from Cadw - the Welsh Assembly Government division responsible for preserving and promoting the history and heritage of Wales.

The 2010 event was the first time that an entertainment spectacle of this genre had been commissioned for a Cadw historical monument, and proved such a massive success that they decided to repeat the experience for three evenings this year.

Ashton's 20-minute work depicted the history and stories of the castle, accompanied by a special audio track produced by sound artist Karen Monid.

Working at Caerphilly Castle again was a &quo

South Korea - The Gaya Theatre in Seoul, South Korea, recently hosted a spectacular hologram performance called VR BreakOut.

Zenex Wave, a Korean design and production company, used Medialon Manager Show and Media Control Software with an iPad to give a chance for the audience to enjoy and experience a 3D world of virtual reality on stage.

The performance is a musical and dance story about prisoners who lead a routine life, isolated from the outside world, and dream of freedom through a mysterious Bi-guep (a book with supernatural power), which happens to fall from the sky.

In VR BreakOut - selected for the 2010 Virtual Reality Content Support Project of Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), Zenex Wave applies holograms to a commercial stage for the first time in Korea, realizing virtual reality on the stage by combining technologies like 3D projection mapping

Ukraine/USA - Lightconverse 3D Show Platform Version 52 continues to provide a powerful photo-realistic solution for integrating and visualizing multiple show related disciplines in real-time, including lighting, video (in and out), 3D Mapping, laser, pyro, water effects and moving objects.

Among the most anticipated features in this release of the ESTA/PLASA Award-Winning (2009, 2010 & 2011) software are its integration with VectorWorks 2011/12 (PC & Mac), providing the ability to do your design and paperwork in VectorWorks before exporting directly to LightConverse in order to see your work truly come alive; a real-time live object tracking system, which allows performers and objects such as moving set pieces and video screens to be automatically followed by moving fixtures and projectors during their movements on stage, and an increase in fixture capacity to 1,536 devices wit

The Netherlands - projectiondesign will use Integrated Systems Europe to highlight how their innovations are integrated in today's visual solutions for collaborative working.

"Recognising the increased adoption of AV into IT systems, projectiondesign's stand this year focuses on demonstrating several live and real-world demonstrations of product compatibility with leading 3D visualization and collaborative working examples that are already widely in use all over the world. We understand that today's businesses see the value in faster, better, and more well informed decision making and these examples will allow visitors to see, feel and touch enhance their effectiveness" says Anders L°kke, marketing director at projectiondesign.

"Our projection display products meet the ever increasing and challenging needs of a highly detailed and clear image. The wide range

Germany - Hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier, AKA Fanta 4, just concluded their latest sold-out arena tour with a set, lighting and visual design by Gunther Hecker. The tour culminated in a spectacular home-coming performance by the band at Stuttgart's Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle.

Hecker - one of Germany's most innovative designers - worked in close collaboration with Marc Lorenz, who looked after all the LED screen and video elements, to create the show and specify the equipment. It has been acclaimed as one of the best stage presentations of Die Fantastischen Vier's long and eventful career which has put German hip-hop on the map. The 14m wide circular stage was built with a combination of Lite Structures' standard and custom products. It featured four 5m thrusts, each at 90 degree intervals around the stage.

Above, it was crowned by four circular trusses at 8, 10, 12 and 1

USA - Two of Elation's most innovative new NAMM 2012 introductions are in the video realm: a flexible LED panel that can bend around dimensional surfaces to create curved video walls, and a DMX-512 moving head video camera that can project images of people and objects in a room or dance floor onto a video wall or TV.

Also new is Elation's RGB LED pixel tape, which can be affixed to the edges and surfaces of any object in moments to highlight it with a dramatic border of changing colours.

As far as lights themselves go, Elation will be showing "plenty of remarkable fixtures" including the Opti QA Par, an RGBA color-mixing LED par can that features the company's Quad Color Technology, in which four colours - red, green, blue and amber are combined into each LED source for superior colour blending.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Electrosonic has successfully upgraded some of the key audio-visual components in the Scottish Government's Media Centre at St. Andrew's House in Edinburgh. The Centre has the facility to run presentations, record proceedings and relay images to an adjacent room.

Electrosonic's Edinburgh office refreshed the essential presentation equipment in Media 1 (seating 70), Media 2 (a small briefing/meeting or overflow room), a preparatory Green Room supporting Media 1 & 2, a back projection room (for main control and video routing equipment), and a control room (housing video preview and audio equipment). The original equipment was installed around 12 years ago and overdue a refresh.

Carolyne Thomson, Scottish Government project manager, was very happy with the work carried out by the Electrosonic team. "They listened carefully to what we wanted to achieve and they came up w

Hong Kong - Lighthouse will supply four LED screens to the new Macpherson Indoor Stadium in Hong Kong, which will bring enhanced community facilities to the city's area of highest population density.

Located on the edge of Mongkok - which, according to Guinness World Records, has the highest population density in the world - the new venue will replace the previous Macpherson Indoor Stadium, which plays an important role in the development of youth recreation in Hong Kong.

The existing venue has been demolished as part of a programme of redevelopment, which will see it and the surrounding area replaced with a residential complex and the new sports venue, expanded to hold 2,500 spectators.

As part of Media-Go Engineering s successful AV tender bid, for which Lighthouse was chosen as LED screen partner, two sets of 6mm resolution screens, each measuring 5.12m (w) x 2.4m (h), an

USA - Xantech provided the core technology systems that enabled the 'strength and conditioning' training room at United States Naval Academy's Ricketts Hall to become an advanced state-of-the-art facility.

As part of a technology upgrade, AV systems integrator DSL Sound of Hagerstown, Maryland, installed a Xantech control system consisting of the WIC1200Web Intelligent Controller, two CWTC10Wireless Touch Controllers, CSPLCD64Gin-wall touch panels and a host of IPRS232XtraLink IP modules.

The network-based Xantech components provide full control over the weight rooms' new AV systems, which include an HD Video Matrix system by FSR, 16 55-inch LG plasma monitors that makeup five zones of video, and an extensive audio system throughout the facility, featuring the BiAmp Nexia networked digital audio processor. Xantech's IPRS232 units enable network control of the RS232-based LG mo

USA - Milestone AV Technologies has announced that Steve Durkee has been promoted to the newly created position of president - commercial products. Durkee will now oversee both the Chief and Da-Lite brands at Milestone and all associated sales, marketing, and product development efforts. Most recently, Durkee served as president - Chief & Sanus products for Milestone.

Durkee's's new role is coupled with Milestone's alignment into separate commercial and consumer customer-oriented global product groups. This alignment will allow the organisation to focus on the specific customer needs of these two distinct market segments. Supporting both of these new product groups are unified finance, supply chain, and manufacturing organizations.

"We're very excited to unite two of the best market-segment-leading brands in the commercial AV market under one experienced leader," sai

Europe - Pixled has been appointed as the official distributor for LED display manufacturer Radiant's Linx range of products in key European countries as of 1 January 2012.

For almost two years, Pixled and Radiant have been involved in an on-going 'co-development' agreement, with Pixled selling Radiant's 'L-Series' Linx products badged as Pixled F-37L / F-30L, etc.

For continuity, Pixled has now renamed its four current L-Series products to carry the same name. The Pixled Linx-18 / Pixled Linx-25 / Pixled Linx-30 and Pixled Linx-37 all have the suffix 'by Radiant'.

Pixled's general manager Bart Van der Beken says, "We're delighted with this official appointment which recognises that Pixled has the right contacts, resources, infrastructure and mind-set to take the Linx brand forward. In the past 12 months we have sold high volumes of this very lightweight, ultra-flexible

UK - The education, simulation and training industry is proving to be profitable for specialist image processing, warping, scaling and processing equipment manufacturer, Calibre UK who this month has added Simulation Displays, a division of Paradigm AV, as its channel partner for Europe.

Simulation Displays will supply Calibre UK products to integrators and solution providers in the simulation, education and training industry.

Fresh from attending the I/ITSEC show in Orlando, FL, Greg Jeffreys, MD at Bedford, UK-based Simulation Displays says, "We've brought in Calibre UK as our image scaling, warping and blending technology offering. Their technology is highly regarded for its accurate, powerful and reliable performance creating a perfect product partnering to complement our offering of screens and projection based equipment that meets the requirements for collaborative

UK - The PLASA 2012 free registration website is now live. Show organiser PLASA Events expects around 6000 visitors to take advantage of the special free registration offer over the next 48 hours, with early bookers saving £20 on the standard ticket price for this year's PLASA Show, which takes place at London's Earls Court on 9 - 12 September 2012.

All previous PLASA Show visitors have been sent the special offer via email, and free registration for new visitors is now live at www.plasashow.com.

"We have been offering free registration for early bookers for the past three years and each year the number of registrations soars," comments events manager Sophie Atkinson.

"PLASA 2012 will be the first show to take place after the London Olympic and Paralympic Games and it will be a celebration of our industry's contribution to this summer's events. We'll be

UK / Hong Kong - The latest addition to Calibre's dedicated partner programme is Hong Kong-based Cosmovision. The specialist integrator and supplier will provide HQView processors, scalers switchers, scan convertors to businesses in the China and Hong Kong audio visual market.

Already hitting the ground running, Cosmovision recently supplied HQView320 to the Macau Science Museum for a large video wall exhibition display.

"For this application, we were searching through the Calibre UK product line and found HQView 320 to be a perfect fit. It processes signals up to 1080p to create a high-resolution image. The geometry correction, warping function and edge blending is utilised to create a soft edge blend and seamless projection display wall," says Philip Yeung, director Cosmovision.

"The addition of Calibre UK HQView to our product portfolio complements our exis

UK - The Jungle Group, one of the UK's leading post production facilities, has announced its investment in two Flame systems and 12 Fairlight mixing consoles, as part of a studio refurbishment programme across its three sites in Soho. Thanks to swift competitive finance from Azule Finance, The Jungle Group has upgraded its facilities with the latest technology, through a six- figure part finance deal, enabling the company to build on its already impressive status in the UK post-production industry.

Established in 1994, The Jungle Group has built up a client base of some of the world's biggest brands, advertising agencies and broadcasters. In order to maintain its position as a leading post production facility and present some of the finest facilities Soho has to offer, The Jungle Group enlisted the help of Azule Finance to allow it to quickly enhance its offering.

Graham Ebbs,

UK - Green Hippo have announced the start of what the Wood Green based company is hoping will prove to be a successful and on-going internship programme throughout 2012 and beyond.

As of September 2011, following a successful PLASA 2011 tradeshow, Green Hippo embarked on its internship programme by welcoming Suzy Casserley into the technical support team. Studying a BA Hons Degree in Lighting Programming at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, Casserley is involved in demo kit testing, technical support and the HippoSchool training sessions.

"My time at Green Hippo has been an amazing opportunity for me. I feel that I have gained a lot of practical knowledge and experience that I couldn't acquire solely in an educational environment." she reports. "I have also had the chance to network extensively and I have made some valuable industry contacts which

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