Switzerland - For nearly four weeks this past summer, the Swiss town of Vevey on Lake Geneva came alive when one million visitors participated in the 12th Winegrowers’ Festival. The Fête des Vignerons takes place once in a generation and pays homage to century old traditions of wine-growing. Recognised by UNESCO on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the celebration unites an entire region of winegrowers with the local community.
The highlight of the festival is Le Spectacle, a three-hour show performed in a temporary arena featuring 5,500 amateur actors in costume, 1,000 choral singers, and hundreds of musicians. To ensure a flawless performance, the audio team selected the Shure Axient Digital wireless system and PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring system

Cambodia - ABA Bank head office recently acquired Martin lighting equipment from Harman Professional Solutions, in collaboration with Bright & Eternity Co, to achieve maximum visibility and enhance the architectural features of the building.
Located in the centre of the capital city, Phnom Penh, along one of the busiest roads - Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, ABA Bank’s head office witnesses thousands of people pass through every day. The bank and the head office building has overseen a major phase of growth and development, comprising of several rented buildings, a mix of back and front-line offices, and exclusive executive spaces for the top-management. Also, contributing to the landscape of the city is the bank’s contemporary façade made of a mixture of vertical louvers and corrugated box panels.
“The challenge at the ABA Bank’s head office was to highlight a

UK - Success is serving the independently owned, 1,700 cap Electric Brixton well, a two-step refurbishment programme refining the venue’s image and functionality.
LED fixtures light the building’s front wall, which has been resealed and repainted, amplifying the Electric’s standing on Brixton Hill.
Through the doors to the main space the second room wall has gone, improving sightlines and bringing more flexibility in terms of operating the area. It also makes for a much larger bar stage left and quicker service.
An LX console front of house, with additional motors above stage and across the room, and new fixtures, gives LDs easier access to the venue’s lighting equipment and more capacity to shape the image of a performance/club.
Production manager, Tom Cull, comments: “This is all brand new, state-of-the-art equipment. It was about improving the
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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

USA - As one of this year’s most anticipated Broadway musicals, Moulin Rouge! The Musical has captured the hearts of critics and audiences alike. Its performances and production design combine to create an extravagant experience thanks to the talent on and off the stage - and, in part, to the power of Eos.
“ETC’s products are why we can make this show happen,” says lighting designer Justin Townsend. “There is just so much data - nothing else could have driven the show.”
Most people are familiar with the 2001 motion picture, a stylistic spectacle from the mind of Baz Luhrmann, so it was important to the musical’s creative team to make something that both honoured the film and stood out for itself.
“We didn’t want to just recreate the movie,” Townsend says, “but try to create a live Moulin Rouge experience.” The over-the-top scenery b

South Africa - A recent technical upgrade at Joburg Theatre includes four Robert Juliat Cyrano 2500W HMI followspots which have been installed for use in the 1000+ seat Mandela Theatre.
The complex’s largest auditorium, The Nelson Mandela Theatre, regularly sees over 75% of capacity audiences and remains open a minimum of 50 weeks in each year. In the past decade, it has hosted many hit shows, including William Kentridge’s acclaimed interpretation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, the West End and Broadway musicals West Side Story, Chicago, The Color Purple and Spamalot and top-of-the-line global touring shows, such as Le Grand Cirque, Lord of the Dance and Brazouka.
Joburg Theatre is also the permanent home to Joburg Ballet, Jill Girard and Keith Smith’s Peoples Theatre Company, and one of the country’s most

Europe - Björk has kicked off the European portion of her critically-acclaimed Cornucopia tour deploying a d&b Soundscape Immersive sound system as the show scales up dramatically from its debut in New York’s new arts centre, The Shed, to a run of largescale arena dates including London’s O2 arena.
Cornucopia is Björk’s most elaborate stage production to date, incorporating stunning visuals, intricate stage movements and a fully integrated immersive sound design. Cornucopia’s sound was designed by Björk and FOH sound engineer John Gale, supported by Southby Productions, and Steve Jones from d&b, utilising the d&b En-Scene object-based mixing and En-Space room emulation software, running on the DS100 system processor and a comprehensive d&b KSL speaker system as an integral part of the concert performance design.
“Bjö

Mexico - Atlona, a Panduit company, has appointed Grupo ABSA as its commercial AV distribution partner across a broad swath of Mexico, covering 14 major metropolitan regions including Chihuahua, Guadalajara, Juarez, Mexico City, Monterrey and Tijuana.
Grupo ABSA will focus on growing Atlona’s brand recognition and market share with a large community of IT and networking consultants and integrators that increasingly require networked AV solutions for end user projects.
“There is a unification of many different platforms on IP networks that is taking shape, and Atlona will play a fundamental role in how our customers transition AV operations to the network,” says Carlos Garcia Ramirez, commercial director for Grupo ABSA. “With solutions like OmniStream for audio and video distribution and Velocity for networked control, Atlona brings in the systems intelligence a

UK - PLASA has launched an audio mixing competition, with pro audio prizes at stake.
The contest, which runs until 13 January 2020, is open to sound mixing enthusiasts and professionals alike. It is a continuation of the Stage to Studio initiative held at the PLASA Show 2019 that saw emerging artist VC Pines perform live while being recorded by sound engineer Jamie McEvoy.
There are two categories - Best Original Mix and Best Alternative Mix - with the winners set to receive prizes provided by Genelec and Shure.
To obtain the original multi-track files, participants need to complete a short form on the PLASA Show website and email their final mix to info@plasashow.com. Each entry will be judged by representatives from Headliner and Sound on Sound magazines, Genelec, Shure, Miloco Studios, PLASA and VC Pines himself.
To find out more

APAC - B-Tech AV Mounts, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of AV mounting solutions, has appointed Jenny Li as its new director of operations for APAC with immediate effect.
Based in B-Tech’s office in Ningbo, China, Li first joined the business in 2013 as a salesperson, whilst also providing valuable input into the manufacturing, supply chain and logistical procedures of the business. Excelling in her role, she went on to become sales manager for APAC, working closely with B-Tech teams and customers across East and Southeast Asia, playing a crucial role in establishing the company as a leading brand in the region.
In her new role as director of operations (APAC), Li will be responsible for all operational procedures across B-Tech’s existing China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam facilities as well as continuing to oversee sales throughout the re

USA - Brompton Technology’s Dynamic Calibration is a new technology that enables LED panels to achieve a higher brightness and wider colour gamut than is possible with legacy calibration techniques, while maintaining uniformity. Dynamic Calibration is the enabling technology for Brompton HDR, as well as new, performance-enhancing features such as PureTone and ThermaCal.
“Commonly used calibration methods achieve uniformity by sacrificing both brightness and colour gamut, forcing every LED to match the dimmest and palest LEDs in the entire screen. Once calibrated, this is used for all content over the entire life of the panel,” explains Brompton’s CTO Chris Deighton. “However, with ever-increasing demand for better image quality without increased cost, such sacrifices in performance can no longer be justified.”
Brompton’s Dynamic Calibration takes ‘a re

Europe - Laserworld has introduced EL-300RGB, a diffraction effects laser suitable for use in small to medium sized rooms.
EL-300RGB has a multicolour white light laser system that creates a multitude of projection dots or beams through haze and fog. Due to its special optics, the power of the laser system is distributed evenly to the dots, making the laser safe for audience scanning whilst the laser beams remain visible.
The laser system can be controlled via DMX, but can also run in standalone operation or be triggered by music and linked as master and slave with two or more units. The colour and effects rotation in the EL-300RGB can be controlled from the digital display or via DMX to select specific colours. Rotation can be selected from slow to fast to suit any occasion, or remain static.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Claypaky has introduced Reflectxion, a new moving mirror that promises up to 99% reflectance without chromatic aberrations.
Featuring a 390 by 280mm surface, Reflectxion can redirect beams of light from any stage light with the same intensity as it receives them. The unit offers 540° pan and continuous tilt movement at adjustable speeds.
Using the same omega clamp hanging system utilised in all Claypaky luminaires, this compact moving mirror can be used virtually anywhere on or off stage in any working position, says the company. For control, the unit uses only six DMX channels and pan and tilt resolution are both 16-bit for precise movements. The unit’s onboard LCD menu system is very user friendly and makes addressing and setup simple.
(Jim Evans)

USA - Elation Professional launched Magmatic, a new brand of atmospheric effects, at LDI 2019. Designed, engineered and exclusively distributed by Elation, Magmatic products encompass a range of haze and fog machines with the Magma and Thermatic series, atmospheric snow machines with the Polar series, and CO2 cryogenic simulation effects with the Rocket series.
To complement all of the special effects machines, Elation has developed a complete line of specially formulated effect fluids called Atmosity. Also available is an IP65-rated series of UV LED lighting products in the Prisma series.
“We have long had a vision that stems from a strong demand from our customers around the world to create more advanced atmospheric products designed for professional users, products that are easy to use and hard to break, and that is exactly what we are doing with Magmatic,” sta

USA - At LDI 2019, High End Systems introduced the SolaHyBeam 3000 automated fixture. With a feature set designed for beam control, aerial effects and raw power, the flagship luminaire has all the elements to cut through the haze and shine brilliantly in the world’s largest venues, says the company. Powered by an efficient White Light LED engine, SolaHyBeam 3000 features a large front aperture and optimised long throw optics for ‘superior light output throughout the fixture’s wide zoom range’.
Automated lighting product manager, Matt Stoner, comments: “We are so excited to have the SolaHyBeam 3000 added to our family of ultra-powerful premium quality fixtures. The SolaHyBeam 3000 specialises in a fantastic narrow 3.1° beam, turning its massive output and dazzling front lens into a powerful narrow beam. Whether used as a long throw front light (yes it has framing s

Germany - Thomas Gottschalk once again gathered a who's who of ‘80s cult stars at the TUI Arena in Hannover for Gottschalk's Big 80s Show. Performances by Kim Wilde, Paul Young, Thomas Anders, Marc Almond and many more could be experienced on the set's four show stages, with the concert broadcast by ZDF.
Lighting cameraman / gaffer for the production was Michael Donecker. Frank Hofmann - better known as FH - from Scan Design Berlin was responsible for the show lighting design of a production that lasted for several hours. FH, who developed a penchant for lighting design early in life, today works predominantly for TV productions. He notes: “I wanted to create a vintage look that could be interpreted in a modern way - that is, to imitate the looks of those days but using modern technology.”
The set itself was dominated by video elements. A huge LED display

The Netherlandds - For over 25 years, Story Event Engineering has been a reliable reference point for event and location organisers in the Netherlands, with a portfolio ranging from large outdoor festivals through corporate events, to theatre tours and intimate classical concerts.
The company recently invested in Outline’s Newton multi-source audio processor which combines ‘WFIR’ filtering technology, multi-format audio signal routing, simultaneous multiple standard conversion and digital signal synchronisation in a single 1RU chassis.
Martin van Kouwen, sales specialist at Ampco Flashlight Sales, Outline Newton distributor for Benelux, comments: "Outline’s recently-developed Newton is a ground-breaking product for advanced audio processing, which, due to its characteristics and quality, is ideally suited to audio professionals who place great importance in qua

South Africa - AV and Beyond, a full-service technical events supplier, has recently invested in an L-Acoustics Kara professional sound system, purchased from DWR Distribution.
Over the past six years, the AV and Beyond team has successfully serviced a wide range of corporate and entertainment events for an impressive list of high-profile clients, establishing a reputation for excellence, customer service and creative brilliance in the process.
Company founder and MD, Warren Freidin, explains that AV and Beyond aims to provide clients with comprehensive turn-key technical solutions for their events. The company has built its service offering around the client’s needs and has all of the skills and resources at hand so that clientele can use a single service provider for a seamless eventing experience.
“AV and Beyond is a rapidly growing company and, having co

USA - Rhett McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln Neal III (Rhett & Link) have been blazing a trail with their mix of music and comic antics. Their routines include ‘rap battles’ that feature unlikely antagonists, such as the Wright Brothers vs the Mario Brothers and Leonardo Da Vinci against The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Lighting this pair of comedic musicians on tour requires a design that is powerful enough to accent punch lines and ballyhoo moments, while still serving up softer, subtle looks that create theatrical moments for sketches. This is precisely what the design team of Rebecca and Bryan Hairston delivered for Rhett & Link when they stopped at the iSaenger Theatre in New Orleans recently. Helping them were a group of Chauvet Professional Maverick, Rogue and Ovation fixtures supplied by See-Hear Productions.
“Everything came together for us at th

USA - At last week’s LDI 2019 tradeshow in Las Vegas, Prolights unveiled a new logo, brand design, and website.
The rebrand marks the beginning of a new era for the Italian lighting manufacturer, which exhibited on a dedicated booth at LDI for the first time.
Prolights’ logo features a prism design and ‘has been reduced to its essential elements, adding the yellow touch which represents the colour of the light’. A dedicated website (prolights.it) was also launched, offering a modern look and intuitive browsing on any platform.
“The new brand design marks the start of the new era for Prolights,” comments Fabio Sorabella, managing director. “By formulating new content and with new products, the brand is undergoing an essential transformation towards a future with higher technological contents and the internalization of our company. Now is the right t

USA - ETC continued its commitment to caring for entertainment technology professionals in need by presenting a cheque to Behind the Scenes during LDI for $23,628.98. This represented the most recent proceeds from the company’s iRFR and aRFR (Radio Focus Remote) applications. Since the launch of the iRFR in 2009, ETC’s mobile app sales have now generated over $390,000 in donations.
The iRFR and aRFR mobile apps enable convenient, touchscreen-based remote control for Eos family consoles and controllers. You can learn more about the apps from the ETC website and download them from the iTunes or Google Play stores.
“We never imagined that this app would provide such continuous support to Behind the Scenes. ETC is grateful to all the people who have supported the Eos platform and purchased this app over the years,” comments Wendy Orfan, marketing communications m

USA - The winners of the second annual Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA) ceremony have been announced.
The event, which took place at The Joint in The Hard Rock Hotel on Friday, 22 November, saw almost 400 industry professionals celebrate the creative talents of lighting and video designers.
Following an indoor drone display courtesy of Verity Studios, 26 designers were "knighted" for their work on productions in the Theatre, Live for Broadcast and Concert Touring & Events categories. These awards were followed by the presentation of the Paky Lifetime Recognition Award created by co-headline sponsor Claypaky.

The 2019 KOI-USA winners are as follows:

Theatre
The Notch Award for Projection Design: Roma Flowers for A Bon Coeur
The ETC Award for Dance: Brandon Stirling Baker for Reflections
The Al

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