Europe - January/February saw Universal Pixels (UP) providing the backdrop to Snow Patrol’s European arena tour showcasing their chart-topping eighth LP, The Forest is the Path.

UP supplied three upstage Roe V4ST LED walls with Brompton processing, Panasonic RQ35 projectors, Panasonic UC4000 & UE150 cameras and Disguise media servers – the album gave the sell-out tour a theme of growth and overgrowth. Roll drops coming in and out are among the unique production elements bringing an extra dimension to Atticus Finch and Flint Studio’s imagery in front of the band’s trademark projection and LED layers.

Snow Patrol are on the road infrequently, it’s six years since their last full production arena run, so confirmed dates foster considerable expectation. And the practised team behind the tour, from PM Robin Scott and show designer D

Hungary - Lightware has announced its commitment to fostering strong relationships with top technology companies through its alliance and ecosystem partnerships. These collaborations help to create dynamic and flexible professional AV environments. By integrating Lightware’s advanced signal management technologies with leading products from manufacturers of video conferencing, audio and control solutions, customers benefit from improved performance and ease of use, whilst systems integrators and AV professionals can be confident that the systems they are installing or specifying will work well together.

“One of our core values is our philosophy of open integration,” says Gergely Vida, CEO of Lightware. “This ensures our devices work effortlessly within existing AV infrastructures. Through our integration partnerships, we go one step further, strength

USA - Christie has announced the appointment of Sean James as executive vice-president, global sales & service, at Christie. In this new role, James will lead the sales function and continue to lead the company’s service organisation.

"Sean’s proven leadership, combined with his ability to foster strong, lasting relationships, makes him highly qualified to lead our sales and service teams," says Michael Phipps, president and chief operating officer, Christie. "His extensive experience in visual technologies and services, uniquely positions him to lead our new optimised operations to better serve our customers while ensuring long-term sustainability.”

With more than 28 years of experience at Christie, Sean James, who started his career as a field engineer servicing cinema equipment, was instrumental in developing support programmes and relat

Canada - Lighting a festival in a former power plant lends itself to electrifying images. The team at Onedot certainly thought so. They took this inspiration and flew with it during the three-day Lumen Festival that Produkt produced at New City Gas, a site that traces its roots back to an 1849 generating station.

The hard-edged venue in Montreal still bears witness to its industrial heritage, and the designers at Onedot smartly played on this evocative aura to create an intense, aggressive show that bristled with kinetic energy while supporting performances by Timmy Trumpet, Gordo, Adventure Club and other EDM stars.

Onedot's design team hung illuminated bars on kinetic winches down from the vaulted ceiling over the dancefloor. Crossing over the room, these bars added to the raw edginess of the performances, carving up the overhead space wit

Europe - PPDS, the global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary solutions, has announced the appointment of international AV sales director, Fabrice Penhoat, heading a new growth chapter in its French and African markets.

With an AV career spanning over two decades – 13 years of which have been devoted exclusively to Philips Professional Displays – Penhoat takes the newly created position of business director Philips Signage and dvLED for France, the French overseas territories (Dom Tom), and Africa, and will play a leading role in the development and execution of PPDS’ digital signage and LED sales strategies in this key region.

Based in Paris and reporting to Cesar Sanz, sales director for France and Iberia, Penhoat will, in his extended position, be responsible for the implementation and execution of PPDS’ accelerated

International - The latest issue of LSi is out now, and can be read online for free here.

Inside our new March issue, you’ll find Rob Halliday’s in-depth production report on Cirque du Soleil’s gravity-defying Corteo show, as it visits the Royal Albert Hall.

Plus, we bring you our bumper round-up of news from last month’s ISE, Barcelona and expected highlights from next month’s Prolight + Sound, Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, Steve Moles visits the new Design & Digital Arts building at Nottingham Trent University; Phil Ward learns how SSL’s System T is assisting with Sonosphere’s livestreaming projects; and Louise Stickland meets the largely Ukrainian crew behi

UAE - Events company SLS Production has made a strategic investment in INFiLED’s GX Series, adding 1,000 sq.m to its existing inventory of INFiLED’s GX Series LED displays.

SLS Production is known for its expertise in organising, managing and bringing event experiences to life. Having worked with INFiLED for three years, the company values the manufacturer’s reputation for providing reliable, innovative technology, with the latest purchase strengthening SLS Production’s commitment to providing high-quality AV solutions for live events.

“In the production business we need equipment that can perform under pressure while delivering stunning results, and INFiLED has consistently met our high standards,” says Edwin Cheeran, managing director at SLS Production Middle East.

“The GX Series has been on our radar for some time, and this i

UK - Lightware has announced that its UK office has a new collaboration with Paragon Projection, a key player in AV rentals for live event production. This partnership will significantly enhance the UK market’s access to Lightware products, enabling event production companies to leverage advanced AV technology for seamless event execution.

Through this partnership, Paragon will offer Lightware’s range of matrix switchers, extenders, and AV-over-IP systems for cross-hire and rental services. Paragon’s available stock includes high-demand products such as the MX2 series, HDMI20-OPTJ solutions, and UBEX extenders. As the partnership progresses, Paragon plans to expand its inventory in response to increasing customer demand, ensuring that production companies have flexible access to the best in AV technology.

This collaboration aims to address the

Finland - Setting the stage for some of the biggest rock acts on earth since 1970, the historic Tavastia Live Club in Finland has completed a major AV system upgrade, with Kramer’s award-winning Control and AVoIP signal transmission technology used to revolutionize all in-house digital communications and drive new experiences for music fans and VIP guests alike.

Kramer’s advanced range of multi-award-winning Kramer Control and AVoIP signal transmission solutions were selected to revolutionize the visual capabilities inside the Tavastia Live Club.

Opened in 1970, and located on the outskirts of Helsinki city centre, the 700-capacity Tavastia Live Club is a true bucket-list venue for music fans and musicians worldwide. Maintaining an old-school look and feel, the venue plays host to an almost daily lineup of live entertainment, ranging from local a

France - APG’s iX series speakers and Active Audio column speakers are at the heart of Videlio’s major AV overhaul at the Westfield Les 4 Temps (Paris) shopping centre.

Located in La Défense, the business district to the west of the French capital, and boasting more than 200 shops, 40 restaurants and a 16-screen cinema, Westfield Les 4 Temps is Europe’s largest shopping centre. The audio upgrade, undertaken by Paris-based AV specialist Videlio, was designed to fully immerse Westfield Les 4 Temps visitors in the environment by making audio an integral part of their shopping experience.

Stéphane Le Roux, head of digital media for Videlio’s specialist complex-projects division, Videlio-Scénotechnique, has been working with Westfield Les 4 Temps owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield for 10 years, overseeing maintenance of its existing AV systems and

UK - Glensound has joined the Avnu Alliance as a Milan Associate member, reinforcing its commitment to networked audio innovation. Announced during ISE 2025, this move aligns Glensound with Milan, an advanced interoperability protocol built on Audio Video Bridging (AVB), ensuring precise, reliable, and deterministic media transport over Ethernet.

Glensound says an increasing number of requests to use the company's products as part of a larger network drove the decision to join the Alliance. Glensound already offers products with Dante and Ravenna connectivity, demonstrating its expertise in networked audio protocols and its commitment to compliance across industry standards.

Milan has been widely adopted in live sound and touring markets, offering a robust and user-friendly solution that eliminates complex switch configurations while ensuring high-pr

USA - tvONE has announced the appointment of Michael Huth as Southeast regional sales manager in the United States and Oli Fritz as regional sales manager for the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).

Michael Huth’s appointment comes after Jonathan Begleiter, former Southeast regional sales manager, was promoted to the director of sales (NCSA) position earlier this year. Huth brings extensive experience from the projector, display, and direct view LED industry, having worked with leading manufacturers such as Panasonic, Vanguard LED, Salitek, and MAXHUB. His background also includes hands-on expertise as a technical video specialist with the Walt Disney World Company and in the rental & staging industry.

Oli Fritz joins tvONE with a wealth of knowledge in the AV industry, previously serving as a sales manager at Bosch, where he was r

Europe - Stage Precision launched its open Beta version of SP Grid, the next evolution of its technology, at ISE 2025. Designed to redefine how professionals create, manage and deploy digital experiences, SP Grid transitions Stage Precision’s core offering from a standalone software product to a comprehensive development, data management, control and integration platform, giving users the power to connect every element, every device, every data point seamlessly and in real time.

SP Grid is a no-code or low-code platform, aimed at simplifying the deployment of complex digital environments, providing a foundation for building, deploying and managing digital experiences of all sizes. The platform empowers system integrators, designers and developers to craft tailored solutions for spaces, studios and events.

“We have already received fantastic feedb

Germany - Absen celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated showroom in Mörfelden-Walldorf on Thursday, 27 February. The display area has been transformed to showcase a wider range of Absen’s LED solutions from its ProAV, AbsenLive, and DOOH product portfolios, offering an immersive experience.

Tania Zhao, vice-president and president of display business group at Absen, expressed his excitement, stating: “Our Germany base is a vital resource for our teams and we are delighted to unveil this newly renovated Absen showroom. This innovative space provides a unique opportunity to showcase our diverse product displays, from our wide range of market segments to our European customers and partners.

“The updated showroom will further support the regional sales team and continue to strengthen our efforts across Europe, with a more timely and ef

USA - Rogue Productions showcased the capabilities of its Rogue Servers, powered by Pixera (a media server software made by AV Stumpfl), during the co-headlining Sweat Tour featuring artists Charli XCX and Troye Sivan.

COUR Design, a Nashville-based creative content house spearheaded the tour's design. The production called for seamless integration of live camera feeds with dynamic visuals, precise synchronisation with music and lighting, and the ability to make real-time adjustments. These demands required a media server solution capable of balancing technical sophistication with user-friendly workflows.

Joe Vaughn from Rogue Productions explained: "COUR Design approached us with a clear vision for the tour. They wanted to push beyond the limits of traditional playback systems. While other platforms are fine for pre-rendered content, most l

Ireland - CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration and content digitisation specialist, has built a new green screen studio for TG4, the major Irish-language broadcaster based in Galway. The new facility, which has taken over an existing studio, will be used initially for weather and continuity, but the broadcaster is eyeing future possibilities around sport’s continuity and virtual production for children’s TV.

TG4 had been using a very small space for its weather forecasts, which was inflexible, impractical and quite uncomfortable for its presenters. Reorganisation of its facilities meant another studio became available and TG4 looked to the industry to convert it for chromakey.

In an open tender process, CJP suggested the maximum flexibility could be achieved with an L-shaped screen, 5m long on each side and to a height of 3m. The

UK - The latest creation from the team behind MEATliquor, BLOODsports combines the most enjoyable elements of sports bar and ‘dive’ bar into a nightlife spot in the heart of London’s Covent Garden. With a menu featuring classic MEATliquor dishes, the bar broadcasts live sports all day and night, followed by late-night horror movies, with elements of classic horror films woven into the bar décor.

Having worked with founder Scott Collins on AV system design, implementation and maintenance for the MEATliquor chain, London-based systems integration specialist, Tateside, was on board with the project from the outset.

“We’ve worked with MEATliquor for around five years, so we were enthusiastic to be a part of this new concept,” says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “You don’t find many sports bars around these days, and with i

Malaysia - The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) has made significant strides in advancing the nation’s film industry with its ICVFX Virtual Production Studio, a facility equipped with Brompton Technology’s Tessera LED video processors. Located in Ampang Jaya, the studio, which was upgraded last year, is now fully operational and serves as a modern facility designed to meet the growing demands of filmmakers and content creators in Malaysia.

Established in 1998, FINAS Studios has long been a cornerstone of Malaysia’s film industry. The complex features three studios for the use of film industry professionals: a flagship 790m² space and two smaller 97m² studios. In response to industry evolution, FINAS transitioned from its traditional green screen setup to a fully integrated Virtual Production (VP) system, enabling compatibility w

USA - ADJ Jolt Bar FX linear LED lighting fixtures and VS3 LED video panels created a vibrant and versatile backdrop for the first North American leg of Lawrence’s Family Business tour. The heavily themed shows utilised video content extensively, while the on-stage lighting was essential to the production design as well as for complementing the band’s high-energy musical performances.

Fronted by siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence, who have been writing and performing together from an early age, Lawrence is an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals.

In support of the band’s fourth studio album, also called Family Business, the successful

Belgium - For more than half a century global family business, Beaulieu International Group (BIG), has produced flooring material solutions. With a strong focus on providing sustainable choices, its aim is to ‘enhance the quality of living and working for every generation’.

Last year, the company decided to create an interactive experience centre at its Belgium headquarters. To achieve its aim, it called on the expertise of Ocular, a technology company specialising in immersive and interactive installations, to create a space that incorporates its diverse brands and brings them together as a cohesive whole. The centrepiece is a Leyard MGP Complete LED screen, used to introduce its solutions to visitors, and used as a presentation screen, or for events.

The team at BIG chose to build an interactive showroom because they wanted the people they inte

UK - A performer and songwriter of consistently fresh ideas, Craig David’s polished melodies and thoughtful lyrics gently insinuate themselves into your mind and then take up permanent residence. After 25 years he’s still doing it as he takes his anniversary tour around UK arenas, performing hits such as 7 Days and Rendezvous for his loyal fans.

Oli Metcalfe, the show’s designer and a man with a reputation for challenging himself, took the opportunity to reflect David’s innovative song cycle with some new tech and a fresh idea of his own. “For arenas it's a bijou design with some real-time video elements,” he says. “It’s cool stuff. I’m using Unreal Engine (Epic Games), console driven via NDisplay for workflow, effectively working 3D scenes with a virtual camera embedded.”

Figuratively placing your artist within

France - The city of Lyon (France) recently hosted the 47th edition of WorldSkills, an international competition that brought together nearly 1,400 young competitors from 66 countries, aiming to inspire youth through excellence in vocational skills. Held across several sites in the city, this global event welcomed 140,000 visitors and featured opening and closing ceremonies worthy of the largest sporting events, planned and executed by Groupe Novelty.

The WorldSkills opening ceremony kicked off in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron at a sold-out LDLC Arena, in front of 12,000 spectators.

Two Groupe Novelty companies, Novelty Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (Novelty AURA) and Alabama Média, handled all technical requirements for the event under the direction of Stéphane Simmat, technical director for the opening ceremony, and

Saudi Arabia - Riyadh is home to the biggest outdoor festival in the Middle East - SoundStorm.

Created by entertainment company MDLBeast, in December 2024, the event welcomed over 450,000 fans and 200 international artists - including Clair Global touring clients Eminem, Muse and Linkin Park as headliners, boasting an eclectic mix of genres.

Clair Global's contribution required coordination from multiple warehouses across four time zones, utilizing 150 worldwide crew from group partners Eighth Day Sound, ATK and AudioRent Clair. The audio team was led by Clair KSA regional manager Stuart Wright, and Eighth Day Sound's Owen Orzack, while Ethan Quint and Carlos Elizondo from the Clair Data Services team, led the IT, comms, and radio deployments for the entirety of the production site.

Reflecting on the festival’s most ambitious event yet, Stu

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries on 13-14 May 2025, bringing together the latest innovations and the brightest minds in live events, installation, and entertainment technology. The show will celebrate the people behind the industry, providing a unique platform for learning, networking, and hands-on exploration of cutting-edge technology.

With over 175 leading brands spanning audio, AV, lighting, rigging, and staging, the show floor will be brimming with groundbreaking technology and industry-first launches. Attendees can get hands-on with the latest products, connect directly with brand specialists, and build lasting relationships with industry peers.

Lighting professionals can explore leading brands including headline sponsor Ambersphere, alongside Avolites, ChamSys, Chauvet Europe, Entedi, ETC, GLP UK, Prolight, Robe UK, TMB, a

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