USA - Theatre Projects has announced the addition of Gena Buhler in the new position of head of new business development, North America. Joining from the Wheeler Opera House (Aspen, CO) where she served as the executive and artistic director, Buhler brings over 20 years’ experience in event production, venue management, operational logistics, festival and program development, and relationship-building of critical partnerships.
She will lead the business development team in North America and will act as a key member of the strategic planning team, offering timely and expert advice on project needs, feasibility, early project visioning, and other business planning
“Gena’s a great addition to our team,” says Daniel Ordower

China - JBL Professional has introduced JBL CV1510 and CV1610 passive surface-mount speakers, the newest models in JBL Professional’s CV1000 Series of pro-grade install speakers for the China market.
The CV1000 Series brings JBL’s tour-tested fidelity and performance to restaurants, hotels, retail spaces and other commercial applications. Like all CV1000 models, the CV1510 and CV1610 feature a precisely designed crossover, quality plywood cabinets, built-in protection circuitry and a distinctive, elegantly contoured enclosure design. Pair the CV1510 and CV1610 with other CV100 Series loudspeakers and subwoofers for scalable solutions for any installed scenario.
“When we created the CV1000 Series, we aimed to offer versatile solutions for A/V integrators looking to design premium audio experiences for restaurants, hotels, retail venues and other commercial spaces,

Czech Republic - Colours of Ostrava is usually the largest multi-genre live music and performance festival in the Czech Republic and one of the most popular events on the European festival calendar, offering 22 stages of diverse and vibrant entertainment across four days in mid-July. It is staged in the raw industrial environment of the former Dolní Vitkovice (DOV) steelworks – now reimagined as an important cultural and heritage centre – near Ostrava in the north-east of the country.
This year, like all European festivals, it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and rescheduled for 2021.
However, with the government allowing gatherings of up to 1000 people after 22 June, it seemed that compact events could become feasible, and so ‘NeFestival’ (NoFestival) was planned as a much smaller event at the same site to bring the spirit and essence of Colours
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Indochine X PixMob Fan Immersion

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's - 40 thousand LED pixels on a ceiling!!! Indochine's whirlwind tour transports fans to another level of the live experience - immersing them from floor to ceiling with PixMob's X4 wristbands, and an LED ceiling made entirely of its NOVA Minis! With the vision of Indochine's creative team, PixMob used its LED fan-technology to turn attendees and venues into an ocean of effects, and a starry sky of LED magic. Très très cool!

Read more about the Indochine tour in the latest issue of LSi

Italy - Backed by radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi himself, RAI has a long history of being in the forefront of broadcasting.
This summer, RAI wrote another chapter in its history when it broadcast its first TV series from an audio and lighting company’s warehouse. Enrico Fumasoli and the team at Fumasoli Audio & Lights Rental made this possible by converting a section of their facility, which was idle because of the COVID-19 lockdown, into a broadcast studio, complete with advanced cameras and audio gear, as well as a lighting rig anchored by eight Maverick MK2 Spot and 20 Maverick MK2 Wash fixtures from Chauvet Professional.
Patrick Iavarone created the lighting design for the eight-part RAI TV series, which featured the versatile Bonne Soirée, a musical ensemble that covers everything from traditional folk genres to rap. “The aspect I gave to the Bonne Soir

Austria - An Audient Nero has joined songwriters and producers, Felix Brunhuber and Florian ‘Flo’ Fellier in their newly opened Wilderness Studios, nestled in the Austrian Alps. Realising a dream to establish a studio with “the best sound imaginable”, the boys have taken inspiration from the natural beauty, vast forests and vertiginous mountains of their homeland to create a “creative oasis”.
Together they are ‘Wild Culture’ and have clocked up over 80m streams across all the usual platforms (YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud). As such, they know exactly what they need to put together their own “unique, high quality productions” and reckon now is the time to share their inspiration with the wider world.
Carefully specifying their audio gear to suit the 33sq.m main studio space, their experience as artists has helped them curate the perfect area for v

USA - Virginia’s Southard Audio recently overcame the challenges of lockdown when it deployed its new Martin Audio WPS system for the first time, helping the congregants of Harrisonburg’s Divine Unity Church to move outdoors for a special, socially-distanced service.
The event marked the first time that the company was able to use its WPS system, which recently joined the large format WPL system that Southard Audio has been using for a year.
Founded by Mike Southard in 1980, Southard Audio is known as a leading events specialist in Virginia and beyond. “We do large events throughout the Eastern US and a little bit into the Midwest,” explains managing partner Jason Misterka. The company has also long benefited from a working relationship with Soundworks of Richmond VA – the two became the first WPL owners in the world when they each purchased 24 WPL cabinets,

Belgium - AV specialist Swing has invested in Shure’s Microflex Complete Wireless (MXCW) system, becoming the first AV company in the country to purchase MXCW in what it considers ‘increased demand’ for a system that can offer ‘outstanding audio quality’ as businesses in the region plan to return to work following the easing of Government restrictions post lockdown.
Established in 1990 by CEO Danny De Letter, Swing, is one of the country’s leading AV specialists, with experience across the sales, rental, projects and events sectors.
Forty-eight wireless stations have been purchased by Swing for sales or rental.
De Letter said: “We anticipated the increased demand for a conferencing system with outstanding audio quality. Easy to set up, intuitive to use, with todays added value for remote communication. We are completely convinced because it’s comp

USA - New York City’s El Museo del Barrio’s multipurpose theatre has added a Robert Juliat Topaze followspot to its rejuvenated lighting rig during its extensive renovation.
4Wall was the lighting integrator for El Teatro which was meticulously restored in 2018 and reopened early in 2019. Originally called The Heckscher Children’s Theatrer, El Teatro was built in 1921 and boasts a Landmark-Quality interior with a series of 30ft murals and stained-glass roundels. It was the original home of the Joseph Papp New York Shakespeare Festival. The theatre seats approximately 600 and is a venue for museum-hosted performances and rental events.
The restoration included an upgrade to the theatre’s lighting plot, which included Robert Juliat’s Topaze, an economical yet full-featured followspot with a 1200 W MSD source. The fixture’s long lamp life and low running costs

Germany - Cube Entertainment in Rostock selected Claypaky Mini-B fixtures for the Forest Showcase with psytrance DJ Morten Heuer at the Housersten electronic dance music club tour in northeast Germany. Due to Covid-19, this year’s Houserasten events consisted of videos and livestreams targeted to fans instead of in-person shows at clubs in various German cities.
Cube Entertainment supplied the lighting and sound gear for the nighttime Forest Showcase, designed the set and handled the video production and postproduction. “The design was simple, but a bit futuristic,” says Fabian Schikorr, Cube’s owner and an event technology specialist. “We had the idea of building a little truss cage on the ground and illuminating that. In the middle of the cage there was the DJ stand with his platform, monitoring system and DJ setup.”
Cube chose eight Claypaky Mini-B fixt

France - Once again BroaMan and Optocore network devices were deployed to maximum effect at this year’s Grand Concert de Paris spectacular.
The event coincides with France’s National Day (on July 14). And having scaled new heights last year with the solutions and I/O capacity provided by the two German partner brands - creating an immersive environment for Radio France, with 152 Optocore preamps and MUX22 IVT / MADI connectivity - this year technology contractors GB4D went even further. Working once again for Radio France, they set up an elaborate optical broadcast network topography on the Champ de Mars in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, but with the location eerily empty other than for technicians.
“Playing without an audience due to COVID-19 was certainly weird,” stated GB4D owner, Gilles Bouvard. “We felt really alone without the 500,000 spectators!”

Qatar - Atlona has appointed Trident Technology Services as its manufacturer’s representative across the Middle East and Africa, effective immediately. Trident will focus on growing Atlona’s increasing demand and market share with a large community of ICT professionals that now require networked AV over IP solutions for enterprise-level projects.
A long-time Panduit representative, Trident is among the largest sales and marketing representatives for global ICT manufacturers in the MEA region, with four corporate offices and localized sales and support channels in key metropolitan areas. Trident’s team of sales, marketing and technical engineering experts support a broad community of ICT systems integrators, distributors, consultants and end users - many of which find themselves needing IT-friendly systems to serve modern AV environments.
“We have watched the ev

Sweden - Hippotizer media servers from Green Hippo were used recently to drive the visual content for a production of Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni, staged amid the COVID-19 pandemic to an empty Berwaldhallen concert hall in Stockholm.
Directed by British operatic tenor Andrew Staples, the production was conceived and produced under COVID-19 restrictions, with the necessary social distancing for all crew and performers. Instead of playing to a live audience, the performance was broadcast on the Berwaldhallen Play channel, in partnership with Medici TV.
To look after the creation, management and delivery of the production’s video content, set designer Bengt Gomér contacted Stockholm-based PXLFLD, a specialist in visual design and a long-standing Hippotizer user. Their team, led by Anders Granström, quickly created a visual breakdown of the script and an in-d

UK - LEA Professional, manufacturer of pro-audio amplifiers with cloud- and IoT-based technologies, has announced a partnership with Blue5 Technology to serve their growing presence in the EMEA region.
Blue5 Technology was founded recently by David Budge, who has over 20 years’ experience in the pro audio industry with previous roles at Harman and Bose, working in the European, Middle East and African markets.
“AV customers across all verticals are seeking specialized solutions and are moving away from institutionalised corporations towards entrepreneurial, dynamic partners with market-proven depth. LEA Professional is a global player in AV but retains the entrepreneurial culture and customer focus. It is exactly the right partnership AV customers need in these times of change,” said David Budge. “LEA Professional has the ability to be agile and they’re not h

Italy - On Saturday 1 August, the first concert of the Musica in Giro was held behind closed doors at the Verdi Theater. The format, created by Luigi D’Amico, was in collaboration with Stefano Zaccaria VP global sales & marketing of K-array, who were the main supporters of the initiative, along with Toyota Material Handling Italy, Simai, and Tab Italia.
Maestro Beatrice Venezi, directed the Orchestra della Toscana, in the execution of her first album My Journey- Puccini's Symphonic Works, published by Warner Music Italia.
At the opening, D’Amico explained that following the difficult period in which the world is living due to the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus, the purpose of Musica in Giro is to give a little contribution to return to some sort of normal, offering people entertainment in compliance with anti-assembly rules. The project - cont

UK - ISCE has renamed and rebranded as ISCVE Ltd - The Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers.
Says the organisation: “Recognising the diversity of our members and the markets they operate in, along with the convergence of technologies, the Institute has undertaken this identity and name change to embrace the wider scope, skills and sectors of our members and supporting members.”
ISCVE president, Helen Goddard states, “We recognise that audio without visual, in today’s markets, is a little like tea without biscuits, you rarely see one without the other.
“So while it is important for us to continue to embrace members and market sectors of our origins, we also welcome with open arms, members who are working within additional disciplines, skill sets and technologies and our brand identity has been changed to reflect that.
“Training

UK - Grassroots campaign initiative #LightItInRed is part of the 11 August ‘Red Alert’ day of action being organised and coordinated by #WeMakeEvents and PLASA.
Red Alert is also being supported by numerous companies, professionals, organisations and other individuals and practitioners working in the entertainment technology industry and performing arts sector.
The Red Alert campaign’s goal is to get the live entertainment and technical production sector in front of politicians, specifically those in the exchequer and at the DCMS (Department of Culture Media & Sport), the latter as the industry’s representatives at parliamentary level.
The reason is to demand urgent financial help for the sector and its substantial support infrastructure … until mass gatherings can return.
The industry is on the brink of collapse following no work or cashflow

UK - The #WeMakeEvents campaign has progressed into the ‘Red Alert’ phase, with planned activities set to take place across London and other major cities in the UK on the evening of 11 August.
The initiative will raise the alarm for the live events and entertainment sector, which has been badly-hit by the pandemic, resulting in countless event cancellations.
The campaign reports that the disruption of the summer season alone has affected over 600,000+ jobs in outdoor events. Meanwhile, a campaign survey revealed that redundancies in the sector are already happening, with 15% of businesses stating that they plan to make redundancies during August and 70% reporting that they could be forced to do so by the end of 2020.
The campaign warns tha

USA - Area Four Industries Direct America has recently received new stock of Prolyte products for immediate availability. This initial stock includes truss and accessories for the 30/40 series trusses, an array of hardware and accessories, and the popular LSU Ground Stack LED wall support system.
The Verto truss and other Prolyte products will be arriving in the coming weeks as Area Four Industries Direct America continues to ramp up efforts to expand the presence of Prolyte in North America.
“In spite of the obvious challenges this year, we have continued to receive multiple requests for products and we are excited that we are now able to fulfil those requests,” said Prolyte business development director, Keith Bohn. “With stock available near both coasts, we are able to more efficiently manage the demand throughout the country.”
Prolyte products are in

France - After two years of technological design and an alignment of production with market requirements, Verlinde has announced the widening of its range of Stagemaker electric chain hoists dedicated to the entertainment industry.
The new Stagemaker SL5 and SL10 models with their load capacity of 500 kg to 1000 kg (1 fall) and 2000 kg (2 falls) integrate Verlinde's latest technological developments: innovative design, toughness and enhanced power ensuring faultless reliability while complying with international standards, says the company.
From the first model with its reverse-purchase block system launched in 1975 Verlinde's Stagemaker range has enjoyed popularity worldwide in the entertainment industry and show business.
Boasting an entirely ergonomic design, Stagemaker hoists are fitted as standard with double brakes, retractable handgrips and protective rubb

Italy - Pro audio manufacturer dBTechnologies is launching the latest member of the Vio family: a compact three-way active line array system equipped with two 10” woofers and one coaxial MF/LF compression driver. It is billed as “a compact PA system able to deliver astonishing power and impressive SPL alongside the most harmonious and consistent audio performance”.
Vio L1610 is a three-way active line-array system, entirely equipped with neodymium components.
Each Vio L1610 acoustic engine is driven by a Digipro G4 Class-D amplifier module featuring 1600 W RMS along with the latest developments in dBT’s amp technology.
The system takes advantage of a one-of-a-kind low latency processing resulting from its powerful DSP featuring linear phase FIR filters.
The Digipro G4 amp comes with a modular slot for expansion cards: as a default, Vio L1610 is

UK - Like a ghost ship at bay, the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury stood eerily silent when Rob Sangwell and his team from Fineline Lighting visited in early July.
In its isolation, the stage served as a metaphor for the state of the live entertainment industry, believed the Fineline team. This led them to select it as the site of their Light It In Red display.
“We wanted to do something big and we considered many local landmarks, but the pyramid stage was the best choice, because it is such a recognizable structure,” said Sangwell. “Plus, in its current form, with no stage deck or sheeting, it’s very representative of the state of our industry today. The Pyramid Stage is a steel skeleton waiting for the talented crews and companies who usually descend on the site in June to transform it into the spectacular production space we all know and love. We knew that if

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