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MixArt Ltd from Russia has been named Allen & Heath Distributor of the Year for 2002. The award is given each year to the distribution company which has done most to the support the brand and its customers in their territory. A special plaque was presented to the president of MixArt, Dmitriy Modin, during a dinner held for Allen & Heath's distribution team at Langans Coq d'Or restaurant in London during the recent PLASA show (Earls Court Exhibition Centre, 8-11 Sept 2002).

MixArt are based in Moscow, with a satellite facility in St. Petersburg and plans for another in Siberia. Allen & Heath's sales and marketing director, Bob Goleniowski, explains why MixArt was chosen to receive the award: "Rather than just looking at overall sales figures, we consider criteria such as the way that

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Five weeks after lighting the ninth annual Kerrang! Music Awards at the London Hilton, Fourth Phase London was again contracted to work for Kerrang!, this time at Pontins Camber Sands Holiday Centre! Kerrang!'s first live music 'Weekender' was a three-day festival of music and extreme sports. Kerrang! hand-picked the hottest new talent to perform day and night for the three days and alongside the 40 plus music acts were many other activities including skate displays, go-karting and a night club open till late to entertain the 3,000 rock fan guests.

Claire Sampson of So Just Add Water contracted Fourth Phase to supply lighting for two stages, plus production crew. Amongst the lighting rig were Martin Mac 500s and 600s, Clay Paky Stage Scans, Molefays, L&E MiniStrips and Source Four PARs, all of which was controlled by two Flying Pig Whole Hog II desks, one for each stage. Paul Cook was

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Martin Professional is putting the finishing touches to its new Asian manufacturing facility in Zhuhai, China. As a result, production is on schedule to begin at the start of the next year. Henrik Larsen will be Martin’s general manager based at the facility. He told us: "After nearly five months of work and a tremendous commitment from our staff, it is great to see the factory materialize. The first production line will be ready for operator training before the end of October and the offices will be ready by mid-November."

Production management for the factory is already in place, and the challenges of opening up a manufacturing facility in China have been smoothed by the hiring of a Customs Clearance Administrator. Larsen and his team will be hiring a further 30-40 employees in the coming months. "We are aware that local development and sourcing is necessary in o

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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

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The highly anticipated season of Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon enjoyed a stunning opening at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Thursday 17 October. The lavish musical first graced London’s West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane over ten years ago, and has been played in theatres around the world making it one of the most successful musicals in the history of musical theatre.

Creating the touring version of such a large scale musical has required the innovative and dedicated work of many disciplines. Stage Technologies, having worked on numerous Cameron Mackintosh productions in the past, such as The Witches of Eastwick, Oliver! and the Netherlands production of Miss Saigon, were pleased to have been asked to rise to the challenge once more and provide the stage automation for the tour.

The show itself is highly automated and Stage Technologies ha

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A new dance venue - called ‘The Locomotion’ - has opened its doors in the Dutch town of Zoetermeer. The new 2,000-capacity discotheque is equally suitable as a venue for live performance, and its sound system takes both applications into account. The owners and Electric Audio BV, the Dutch Electro-Voice distributor, decided in favour of an extensive Electro-Voice system. After a three-day installation period, the test run was a great success: "Our customers were enormously impressed with the combination of very high sound pressure levels and a complete absence of distortion," remembers Axel Nagtegaal. Then it was the turn of the disco people to test the power reserves of the system. "They, too, were highly enthusiastic - above all about the unbelievable bass kick. One sound engineer even commented that you could blow dry your hair with it!"

The equipment

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Norway’s broadcaster NRK has ordered six RMS2020 radio mics for a bizarre new reality TV programme. Loosely speaking a cross between Big Brother and Fame Academy, the new show features 12 elderly contestants who will be ‘locked away’ in a ‘culturehouse’ in a remote part of Norway and challenged to write, produce and stage a cabaret show in 10 weeks. The film crew will, of course, be on hand to capture all the trials and tribulations and ego clashes which ensue. Audio Ltd mics were chosen because they are discreet and reliable for virtually any situation.

(Lee Baldock)

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For the filming of ‘Chicago,’ Miramax's reconceived film version of Bob Fosse's hit Broadway musical, director Rob Marshall called on two of the renowned theatrical lighting designers - Peggy Eisenhauer and Jules Fisher - to light the musical numbers. To light the film's detail-specific musical fantasy sequences and transitions, they chose Vari*Lite Series 2000 automated luminaries.

"The central core concept is that the musical numbers take place in different theatrical environments," Eisenhauer explained. "There is a contrast between the real-time scenes and the 'fantasy' musical numbers. All of the lighting in the film was achieved in a wonderful collaboration with the Cinematographer, Dion Beebe. In addition to lighting the musical numbers Jules and I collaborated with Beebe on many of the transitions between reality and fantasy."

Eisenhauer and Fis

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Eastbourne Youth Radio is planning its second broadcast next month, following the success of last year’s 24-hour broadcast, which involved over 1,000 young people and around 50 community and business organizations in the Eastbourne area. Similar projects have since been launched in other parts of the country.

The EYR website received thousands of hits and significant media coverage was gained for Eastbourne and the many participants including links with BBC Southern Counties, Sovereign and SouthernFM radio stations. Bolstered by this huge success, Eastbourne Education Business Partnership is working on arrangements to run EYR again for 36 hours on 28-29 November 2002. Programmes will contain a mix of live and recorded interviews, local performance work and music. In particular, EYR will help to raise awareness of SRB6 ‘Pooling our Resources’ and other community proje

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Renkus-Heinz Inc is now providing the professional sound reinforcement industry with a unique on-line tool for searching and configuring RH products - the Web Configurator, which replaces the previous, standalone Renkus-Heinz Configurator software package. Available free from RH, this is designed to help RH distributors and audio consultants in choosing available options for each type of loudspeaker and cluster, as well as amplifiers and loudspeaker controllers. With a wide range of options available for most Renkus-Heinz products, it makes pin-pointing the precise solution simple and efficient.

The Web Configurator’s on-line database stores complete standard specifications, available options and full performance data for every RH product, plus AutoCAD drawings for all products, along with polar plots, architects and engineers’ specs, downloadable product PDFs and full spec

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Liverpool based sound specialist Adlib Audio Ltd report that they’ve had a very busy few months. The company has recently purchased a Nexo Alpha system which, combined with their JBL Vertec line array system, ensures that their stock caters for a wide range of requirements. Tours out with Adlib this year include Atomic Kitten, Gomez and The Coral, plus have Groove Armada shows coming up, not to mention US big boys the Fun Lovin’ Criminals. With Dave Kay (FOH) and Paul Roberts (systems tech) out on the road with Mercury Award Nominees The Coral and soon heading to the US, Adlib look set for an equally busy winter.

(Lee Baldock)

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A place to unwind and have fun, as if you were at home: that’s the idea behind Salò’s new Absolut - the most renowned and exclusive nightclub on Lake Garda, Italy. The lake has always been an ideal setting for nightclubs, but quality took a turn in summer 2001, when Massimo and Giampiero Gallina took over the club, creating its distinctive character, for which much of the merit goes to art director Ezio Arnaboldi.

The interior is furnished with comfortable sofas and couches, alternated with loungers and dark wood tables, which set off the numerous white cushions, large lampshades and huge ashtrays. Clay Paky’s Mini Scan HPE and Tiger CC lighting fixtures embellish the dance floor with colour, graphic patterns and varied effects. Colour also takes the centre stage outside: the outdoor Clay Paky CP Color 150-E colour changers create a cosy atmosphere in the relaxation

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Derek Power, the former general secretary of BADEM, died on Tuesday 22 October. As General Secretary of BADEM (the precursor to PLASA) at the end of the 1970s, he gave a collection of disco equipment manufacturers the self-belief to take their wares onto an international stage, and knock on the right government doors for funding and subsidy. He forged links with the British Overseas Trade Board, organized the first export missions, and as exhibition organizer, put the early BADEM Shows on a firm footing. Sartorially dressed in pinstriped suit and bowler hat, he had a fierce legal brain and wore the persona of the diplomat. This was hardly surprising. For 29 years, Power was a regular army officer, active in various parts of the world, including Korea in the 1950s. Gaining an army exhibition scholarship to Oxford, he read Equity and Jurisprudence, and on retirement planned to go to the Ba

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From 10-13 October, Moscow was home to Russia’s largest music trade fair. ‘Music Moscow 2002’ attracted visitors and exhibitors from all over the world. One of the highlights was provided by Ruton S - the Russian distributor for Electro-Voice, with its dynamic yet business-like presentation.

As well as introducing visitors to a whole series of products drawn from the current Electro-Voice range, such as the Eliminator Double, the Eliminator kW, the EVID speaker and the new Co-11 and Re510 condenser microphones, the team, led by Gregory Ronin, had laid on a rock band, ‘The Vinyl Steam Locomotive’, whose powerful sound quickly established them as one of the biggest draws at the show. The band - all dedicated EV users - were showcasing the EV Eliminator Double and Eliminator kW enclosures, as well as the new Fri-2082 monitors. This allowed music dealers as we

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Beijing Bei Ao Grand Cultural & Sports Events Company of China cooperated with Martin Professional recently in providing a large number of intelligent lights for the ‘928’ Beijing Concert. The ‘928’ concert featured the foremost singers of the year from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Aside from the lighting system, Bei Ao was also responsible for the entire production for the concert, including sound and staging. The event was very successful and received a rapturous response from both the audience and the media.

With a 50,000-strong audience at the Beijing Worker's Stadium, Bei Ao used more than a hundred of Martin’s MAC series moving head fixtures, including MAC 2000, MAC 500 and MAC 600s, hung on the curved trussing system above stage and projecting innumerable changes of lighting and patterns onto the stage and set.

(Lee Baldock)

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The acclaimed MH4 console now has an option for LED bargraph metering, Soundcraft has announced. The new meter bridge option has 16 LED meters that display all auxiliary/group outputs (particularly useful in a monitor situation to show all monitor send levels simultaneously) and can be switched to read matrix outputs. The mix left, right and centre outputs are shown on VU meters.

The MH4 has won many admirers for its easy-to-use multi-purpose functionality, which makes it simple to configure the console for use of FOH or monitor duties, or as a single desk fulfilling both tasks. Since its launch earlier this year, the Soundcraft MH4 has won many friends, including an appearance on two stages at the Montreux Jazz Festival, touring around Europe and on the recent series of Big Brother in the UK. The MH4 has also found favour in many large churches in the USA.

(Lee Baldock)

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MC2 Audio’s distributor in India, Performance Audio India Pvt Ltd, has installed sound systems powered by MC2 Audio amplifiers in two of Mumbai's newest clubs - Mikanos and Velocity. Velocity is situated in the Tardeo district of Mumbai and comprises the main Velocity club area, a 'retro' lounge called RPM, the Bollywood restaurant and a private members lounge. The club caters for all preferences from a quiet dinner to a night of non-stop dancing on the 1,000sq.ft dance floor.

The brief for Rustom Pavri, director of Performance Audio India, was to equip the venue to handle the wide mix of music, from rock and pop to techno and country. This he achieved using Turbosound Floodlight speakers powered by MC1250, MC750 and MC450 amplifiers with T1000 amplifiers being used for the Turbosound TCS-35. Pavri says: "Since we installed the system, everyone has been very impressed with t

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Jands Electronics’ Event 4 range of lighting control consoles is now shipping with the latest version of its V5 operating system pre-installed. The Event 408 and 416 models, which comprise the Event 4 range, are compact, competitively priced hybrid consoles designed to control both conventional and automated lighting fixtures. Currently favoured for live event and conference applications, the Event 4 can now be used in professional theatrical and multi-purpose applications where the new V5 feature set now excels.

As part of Jands' continued development and improvement, the latest release contains many operational enhancements as well as bug fixes for the Event Operating System. New enhancements of particular merit include: an increased palette size of fixtures, positions, beams, and groups, from 20 to 60; a live palette function, offering 'real time' use over a present time perio

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Coe-tech/Robe UK, exclusive UK distributors for the fast growing Czech moving light brand Robe, has supplied Dublin-based distribution company Aquarius with a large quantity of Robe intelligent lighting fixtures for Lacey’s, a 1500 capacity club at the Carrickdale Hotel, Dundalk, Republic of Ireland.

This is the first Robe installation in Ireland since Northampton-based Coe-tech took on the UK and Irish distribution in July this year. The lighting rig for the newly revamped club was designed by Wayne Winstanley and installed by the Carrickdale’s own technical team led by Brian O’Keeffe. The space consists of a large, single multi-purpose room that’s also utilized as a Sunday carvery and occasional restaurant. It is also used as a venue for a miscellany of events including business conferences and weddings - and the lighting scheme was required to be as versatile

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A significant new provision has recently been inserted by the Government into the Employment Bill on flexible working.

There will be a new statutory right for employees with at least 26 weeks’ service who have parental responsibility for a child up to six years (18 if disabled) to request flexible working (e.g. changes to working hours, time or place of work etc) and for the employer to have to consider it.

This is only a right to request flexible working, not to be given it, but a strict timetable will apply for a meeting to discuss it, a reply to be made and a right of appeal. Acceptable ‘business reasons’ have been set out for the request to be rejected, namely . . .

- additional burden of costs

- detrimental effect on employer’s ability to meet customer demands

- inability to organise work in employee’s absence

- detrimental effect on qualit

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Lighting companies trading on the Internet are being warned to keep a watchful eye after a number of businesses in the industry have seen their Internet traffic unlawfully directed to a rival’s website.

The warning comes from commercial law firm, Taylors, who successfully helped a leading Lancashire-based lighting manufacturer win a legal battle against their competitor who had unlawfully placed meta tags on their website so that customers searching for their rival’s products would be directed instead to their own. Further investigations by intellectual property lawyers at Taylors also revealed that the website contained 15 meta tags for other rivals’ sites.

Elaine Hurn, managing partner at Taylors said: "Some unscrupulous companies have been including meta tags giving the names of their competitors, so that when the competitor’s name is searched for, the

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ESTA (the Entertainment Services and Technology Association) presented its 2002 Eva Swan Award to Bill Groener, north-east regional vice-president of PRG, for his remarkable service to the Association over many years. The award was presented at ESTA’s Annual Dinner on Thursday, 17 October in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the LDI show.

The Eva Swan Award is presented to a member who has contributed exceptional efforts in time, expertise and personal resources on behalf of ESTA and who has been instrumental in shaping and promoting the direction of the Association. The 2002 Award was presented by Paul Vincent of Vincent Lighting Systems (a former Swan Award winner) who commented: "Bill became involved with the development of the Technical Standards Programme in its early days. Through his work on the Budget Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee, Bill helped raise funds t

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