UK - The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opened in late July, with 4,500 athletes and over a million spectators expected to travel from all over the world to compete in 286 sessions across 11 days of live sport. Sports Technology (ST) the ’official large video screens & audio services provider’ to the Games, is providing a full turnkey technical solution from the design, through to delivery and operation of all LED screens, projection, audio, sport presentation, and the provision of major signal distribution infrastructure across the 15 competition venues supporting 19 sports and eight paralympic sports. ST was established in the UK in 2010 in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics as a specialist business focused on delivering AV and associated technology services to major multi-sport events. The business is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative Technol
UK - CPL co-ordinated and delivered staging, sound, video, lighting and other associated BTS (behind the scenes) infrastructure to Tropic Fest, a two-day festival style event staged in the grounds of the historic Chillington Hall in Staffordshire. CPL was working for production company Pandora Events and their end client, Tropic Skincare with a team led by Lee Gruszeckyj. They asked Star Events onboard to supply the 15m orbit stage on which all the performance action took place. The sound, lighting and video production design was based on the requirements of several artist riders from a lively line-up that included acts like Rob da Bank, Our Girl G, Queenz, Mr Motivator, Air Guitar Band, Magic of Marley, Twinnie, the Strictly Come Dancing Band with headliners Gok Wan, Bjorn Again and the Ministry of Sound Disco. This mixed line up meant that flexibility was essential
UK - Last week, Alexander Stadium was brought to life for the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Engaged by Birmingham Ceremonies (a Joint venture between Gary Beestone Associates and Done and Dusted), Creative Technology provided LED display technology and playback services for the show, working closely with Total Fabrications for the structural elements and BAFTA award winning artist and creative director Tal Rosner for the content. Centre stage on the stadium floor the ‘Bullring’ was made from a specialist outdoor and waterproof LED, created measuring over 260m in circumference, incorporating ramps for vehicle access in several locations and a seamless removeable section allowing larger scenic access including the massive mechanical bull. At one end of the stadium a massive telescopic LED tower incorporating 250m2 of CT’s flag
Australia - Irish playwright, poet and author Oscar Wilde and his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray tells a provocative and dreamlike story of a young man living in a Victorian-era England who relinquishes his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Under the direction of Kip Williams, artistic director of Sydney Theatre Company (STC), actor Eryn Jean ‘EJ’ Norvill plays 26 separate roles capturing the audience’s attention throughout a two-hour performance. To bring each role to life, TDC – Technical Direction Company worked with the team at Sydney Theatre Company to develop an on-stage technical solution for five moving LED screens and media server technology. “The Picture of Dorian Gray uniquely uses live camera, pre-recorded and display technology as part of the stage design. The amazing stagecraft was developed by Sydney Theatre Compa
UK - London's first permanent digital immersive arts experience, Frameless, will be opening in October in the heart of London’s West End. Frameless has partnered with projection technology provider, Panasonic, who will use the venue as their global flagship showcasing their projection technologies and large format displays. Creative Technology, have also been brought on board to deliver integration services for all video systems across the attraction. Using over 50 of Panasonic’s 3-Chip DLP laser projectors, the art projections inside the attraction will be delivered by 479m pixels and 1m lumens of brightness and colour, to give ‘a truly stunning image’ quality across all four immersive galleries as well as a fifth gallery dedicated to corporate and educational events. A second layer of audio immersion is achieved by 360-degree surround sound played over 158 l
USA - Michigan’s much-anticipated Electric Forest Festival returned for 2022 with an expertly curated line up of EDM stars, jam bands, dubstep heroes and multiple other genres. On the Sherwood Court stage, a massive 7056x2864 canvas of LED screens made up of 180m2 of Roe MC7 and 150m2 of YesTech MG7 featured visuals created by Observatory and powered by Hippotizer Tierra+ MK2 Media Servers. Notable on the Sherwood Court stage were US ‘heaven trap’ DJ duo Slander, bass-heavy Mersiv, and ‘chillwave’ pioneer Toto y Moi. Observatory’s brief was to create the scenic visual content for the Sherwood Court stage’s proscenium arch LED screens, and the upstage LED screen when there wasn’t a guest VJ or content supplied with the performer. The team was commissioned by Electric Forest organisers Insomniac events and Leisure Expert Group, on the back of a successful
USA - AV systems integrator and remote collaboration service provider Kinly has announced the reappointment of Vel Johnson as its managing director for the US. Johnson returns as Kinly’s US MD, having originally relinquished the position in December 2021 as part of his semi-retirement plans, after three years. Based in Kinly’s Cedar Knolls (NJ) corporate office – one of four on the east coast (Fort Lauderdale, Washington, New York) – Vel was inspired to return to Kinly following positive discussions with newly appointed CEO, Tom Martin, who revealed his growth and expansion plans for the company in the US market. Vel, leading the US team, will now develop and execute ‘a more business and culturally aligned go-to-market strategy to mirror that deployed in Kinly’s other global markets’ including Europe. Tom Martin, CEO at Kinly, comments: “W
UAE - Creative Technology (CT) has announce a further two additions to its live team in the Middle East. Joshua Spencer has joined the company as a crew operations manager. Joshua is responsible for the management of the crew bookings where he utilises his extensive knowledge on management of people to ensure every event has the right calibre of people assigned. Spencer comments, “I feel very privileged and proud to be able to call CTME my new home. It’s so evident to see that everyone here shares the same vision and dedication to maintain the highest level of service. I am excited to develop this team and be part of CT’s growing vision.” The company also welcomes Samantha Peltret who has joined as a projects co-ordinator. She has many years of experience within the Middle East and South Africa. Pelteret comments, “It’s so great to be a part of
UK - Immersive experience company Pixel Artworks has designed and created the immersive mindfulness experience Room to Breathe. Located in Outernet London, a new ‘immersive culture, media and music district’ at Tottenham Court Road, the sensory experience is based on the science of ‘box-breathing’. It aims to help anxious commuters and busy Londoners unwind and catch their breath throughout the day. This experience has been masterminded by Pixel Artworks, harnessing the healing power of digital light and pixel technology, with original music written by Matthew Wilcock and guidance from trauma and anxiety consultant Jayne Cox. Jayne comments: “Anxiety and stress often changes the way we breathe, with our breath often becoming rapid and shallow, resulting in heightened anxiety and becoming ‘stuck’ in a state of fight or flight. Learning and regularly impl
Europe - AV systems integrator and remote collaboration service provider Kinly has announced its entry into the DACH market, with the opening of offices in Germany and Switzerland. The latest expansion increases Kinly’s office numbers to 20, across 12 countries, with operations being established in Zurich, Frankfurt and Berlin. Kinly works with more 2,500 customers and is backed by a team of more than 1,200 employees across EMEA, Americas and APAC. Tom Martin, CEO at Kinly comments: “The DACH region is a thriving and growing market, and one which we have been looking to enter for some time. “As times change, many businesses are looking to deploy or evolve the way they operate. AV/ UC, meeting and collaboration technology requires a specialist skillset. Kinly’s approach is anchored in customer success. Instead of starting with technology, we cooperate to
UAE - Creative Technology Middle East has appointed Huw Godfrey as head of system integration. Huw has professional experience in AV across both systems integration and live events within roles that encompass the full project lifecycle, including engineering, project, account and operations management. He has provided leadership in the design and implementation of multiple simultaneous national and international projects to support accountability, building transparency and collaboration across the project teams. Over the years he has led teams on numerous high-profile projects including Bloomberg Walbrook Square, Russia World Cup, to the Palm Jumeriah launch party in the UAE. Godfrey comments, “I am delighted to be returning to CT at what is an incredibly exciting times for both the SI division and the business as a whole. There is such fantastic growth in th
UK - The Fish Society has been running for 25 years and is one of the UK’s leading online fishmongers. Having witnessed the online spike of a home cooking being filmed for YouTube and TikTok during the pandemic, the company decided to branch out and build a studio kitchen within their Guildford-based offices to deliver their own ‘how-to’ video content. “The team wanted a premium system with cameras used for recording and streaming live content and after going through various options, we mapped out a solution that was right for them,” recalls Flipside AV managing director, James Cooper. “When they mentioned Master Chef as their inspiration, I had a felling there would be a technical challenge that can often happen in a separated studio kitchen, but I think we mapped it out just right with the camera and mic positioning to get some good footage – it’s a
UK - PLASA and LSi are calling for nominations for this year’s Gottelier Award. The award recognises the invaluable contributions of the people behind the products, from pioneering product developers to creative R&D teams. Named after the late lighting designer and industry commentator Tony Gottelier, the Gottelier Award aims to recognise product developers who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of entertainment, presentation, or installation technology.
Launched in 2007, previous recipients include: Christian Heil (L-Acoustics); Alan Jacobi (Unusual Rigging); Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence); Anne Valentino (ETC); David Cunningham (Entertec); Pasquale Quadri (Claypaky); Jim Bornhorst (Vari-Lite); John Meyer (Meyer Sound); Terry Clarke (Klark Teknik, MC2 Audio); Fred Foster (ETC); Alex Cooper (Midas & Klark Teknik); John Stadius (Di
USA - Zenso has partnered with Audinate, developer of the professional AV-industry leading Dante AV over IP solution, to develop the first third-party software product that is designed exclusively for Dante users. DMeter from Zenso is a flexible level metering application for Dante networks that runs on macOS and Windows computers, providing instant views of up to 32 channels from anywhere on your system. Presets allow you to see vital groups of channels with a single click, so you can ensure that every participant in your Dante network is heard the way they should be. DMeter is built using Dante Application Library, which means that Dante connectivity is built directly into the application with no need for additional drivers or configuration. DMeter is free to use with 2 Dante channels and may be expanded to a full 32-channel complement via direct purchase from Audina
USA - For more than 40 years, Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, has delivered a comprehensive entertainment, media, arts, and emerging technologies education. The staff at Full Sail has always embraced the latest in AV technology for student learning, skills building, and supplying on-campus tools -including a campus-wide Dante audio network, which has become a regularly used platform within the university’s infrastructure. The university was an early adopter of networked audio in its educational offerings and as part of its studio and live productions. Over the years, as Dante became prominent within the industry, the university ultimately made a substantial investment in Dante-capable Focusrite RedNet equipment, solidifying Dante as the audio networking standard for the campus. “That was really our first big push into Dante, and from there, the platfo
UK - Brompton Technology has secured a growth capital investment from specialist private client alternative investments business, Connection Capital. Richard Mead, Brompton Technology CEO, comments, “We are seeing unprecedented growth in demand for our cutting-edge, robust, tour and virtual production-ready LED video processing products from our core industry sectors, as well as a lot of exciting potential for our technology to be applied to new markets. Whilst our focus on quality and dedication to customer service will remain the same, Connection Capital’s investment gives us the ability to scale up rapidly to meet demand and address the new opportunities that are presenting themselves.” “Brompton Technology is an excellent example of a successful business that pivoted, almost overnight, into virtual production for film and TV during the pandemic and is now
UK - Following some significant changes within their project management department earlier this year, Creative Technology (CT) has announced a further two additions to the corporate team in the UK. Georgia Williamson has joined the company as a project manager, with almost a decade of experience in this role and within the live events industry. The company also welcomes James Shirley who has joined as a senior account manager. James was most recently head of production for a large agency and has nearly 20 years’ experience working within the live events sector. “I am extremely pleased to bring on board two extremely talented individuals to the corporate team who bring with them invaluable insights and experience in adding to our client journey,” says Nick Askew, head of corporate events at Creative Technology UK. “Both Georgia and James join CT from diff
Germany - Industry forum AVnu Alliance hosted its first European plugfest in recent years at one of its Registered Test Facilities, GRL Laboratories in Karlsruhe, Germany on 16-20 May, 2022. Twelve AVnu member companies with more than 30 participating engineers came together to further develop and test TSN products and devices, along with new devices now able to be certified under the Advanced Milan Certification Programme. During the plugfest AVnu members continued work on the integration and validation of IEEE 802.1AS time synchronization test development, with the certification programme targeted to open for members this year. This work will lay the framework for time distribution, including media specific support for Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Plugfest testing also included the introduction of initial Wireless TSN test development over Wi-Fi, as well as the introduction
South Africa - ApexPro, distributor of professional audio-visual equipment for the sub-Saharan African region, has recently cemented a partnership with UK-based HH Electronics, manufacturer of professional audio from within the Headstock Group, UK. “We are extremely excited about our partnership with HH Electronics,” says ApexPro director, Justin Acres. “The entertainment, tourism, and live events sectors in Southern Africa are poised for a much-needed comeback following the restrictions on business imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. As new venues open, and those that survived the lockdowns look to attract new patrons, the demand for high-quality, low-cost, expandable professional audio systems is on the rise. We can’t think of a better manufacturer to fill this gap than UK-based HH Electronics.” Technical director at ApexPro, Mark Malherbe concurs, stating,
Sweden - From 14 May until 18 September, Verket contemporary art museum is host of the Avesta Art 2022. Among the installations available at the Swedish museum, Vivaldi. The Four Seasons offers an immersion in Antonio Vivaldi’s composition. Produced by Emotional Experiences and WhatWeAre interactive studio, the immersive show involves 12 Panasonic video-projectors, as well as four Modulo Player media servers by Modulo Pi used for projection mapping, and integrated control of video, audio, and lights. The immersive exhibition is a co-production of Italian companies Emotional Experiences & WhatWeAre interactive studio. The immersion relies on 10 PT-RZ770 and two PT-RZ370 video-projectors with ET-DLE150 and ET-DLE030 optics by Panasonic. The video-projectors are powered by four Modulo Player Standard media servers, each equipped with four ouputs. The media s
South Africa - Technological Innovations Group (TIG), which has over 120 dedicated Crestron sales professionals and offices including Experience Spaces in London, Brussels, Paris, Madrid, Milan, Frankfurt, Dubai, Oslo and Johannesburg, has appointed Wikus Botha as its new regional sales manager for Crestron's residential solutions in South Africa. Reporting to Steven Dullaert, director residential sales EMEA, Wikus has worked in IT, AV and home automation since the age of 17, and will bring his experience, industry knowledge and skills to the newly-created role. On his appointment, Wikus comments: "The best thing you can do in life is make the most of your skills and talents. I want to bring the very best version of myself to the best technology company in the world and assist our clients and partners to be the most successful they can be too."
Germany - When Doering creative agency contacted LEDcave about their ambitious plans to create alternative visuals for German singer, rapper, songwriter and producer Clueso’s new music video Mond (Moon) where he sings together with German-Turkish musician Elif, LEDcave had a stellar solution in mind. “We have been in conversations with Doering’s team for the past two years about various creative opportunities at our LEDcave studios across Germany,” says LEDcave’s CEO Thilo Strack. “When this music video project came up there was no time for ‘star gazing’ - we knew our Berlin studio would be perfect, both creatively and technologically, for what the teams had in mind,” As LEDcave’s most advanced VP studio, the 2,500m2 Berlin space features a giant LED volume comprising a curved LED wall measuring 40m wide by 6.5m high made up of LEDitg
UK - Pro Media Audio Video EU, part of the Clair Global Group, has promoted Tom Williams to associate director. Working closely alongside director Eddie Thomas, Williams will now take on more responsibility for the company’s future growth. Pro Media’s European arm has been strategically built up since its launch in Spring ’21 and with many integral project wins underway - from sporting venues to music destinations and retail activity - Williams will help to navigate the next phase of business. Williams, who brings a wealth of industry knowledge into his new role, comments: “This is a key time to be a part of Pro Media’s growth in Europe. Our team is expanding in anticipation of some very exciting work and I look forward to further developing what we started 15 months ago.” Director Eddie Thomas adds: “We’ve been building the brand at an impressi
UK - Dynamic projection specialists, Polestar Productions, has further invested in Green Hippo media servers, adding the new compact yet powerful Nevis+ to its stock. With 25 years of experience, Polestar Productions specialises in providing projection mapping, holographic projection and dynamic projection for all types of events, conferences, exhibitions, product launches, award ceremonies and more. Tony Gill, managing director at Polestar Productions comments: “We have been long time users of Green Hippo Media Servers, so know the software well, and have always been impressed by the flexibility they offer. The user interface makes it easy to create stunning visual displays. Green Hippo has always been the obvious choice for us – it ticks all the boxes.” He continues: “The new Hippotizer Nevis+ fitted our requirements for a compact yet powerful media server,
