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02 July 2025

Germany - At the beginning of 2025, Patrick Rabus was tasked with handling the production design for a tour by Tim Kamrad, a young pop artist who is increasingly attracting attention with his electronic sounds and strong stage presence.

For almost the first month, Kamrad toured medium-sized venues in Germany. “The venues were deliberately kept intimate, but Tim’s presence has grown considerably since then – not least thanks to [his appearance as judge on German TV series] The Voice of Germany,” explains Rabus. “It wasn’t about appearing bigger than we are, but rather about shaping the stage in a way that does justice to his artistic ambitions and increased awareness – with depth, dramatic precision and moments of surprise.”

A key element of the design was a custom-made frame, accentuated with LED strips, that visually marked

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02 July 2025

USA - Christian radio station WJTL returned to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on 17 May for WJTL Fest – ‘a day filled with inspiring music, fun activities, and uplifting moments’. Stray Production Services brought its new Paragon LED profile luminaires for the event, and Stray’s Jon Boyer handled the lighting design.

“Because the event is outside on a mobile stage, during the day, and without haze, I needed a fixture punchy enough to make an impact but also diverse enough that I could create an artistic show,” Boyer stated. “It proved an ideal event for our new Paragon fixtures.”

As Stray’s outdoor event roster continues to grow, the company invested in the multi-award-winning Paragon M earlier this spring, choosing it as the new workhorse fixture for indoor and outdoor productions.

“Som

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02 July 2025

Europe - ETC has announced the new RigPOV camera accessory option, compatible with multiple automated luminaires from ETC. The RigPOV camera attaches directly to a fixture, streaming live video from the rig to Eos v3.3 and other third-party control solutions.

Automated lighting product manager Matt Stoner says, “With RigPOV, users get a new point of view from their rig. This view of the stage helps inform the design process, while reducing the need to operate heavy machinery in the rafters or constantly run up and down stairs to see the stage from the balcony.”

RigPOV uses NDI technology for reliable video streaming and low latency. Compatibility with Eos v3.3 as well as third-party manufacturers makes RigPOV an ideal tool for programming as well as remote followspot operation.

Customers can now place a fixture order for High End Systems

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02 July 2025

USA - Phoenix Fan Fusion three-day event drew a record-setting crowd of over 130,000 fans who filled the Phoenix Convention Centre to the rafters. John Garberson and his 30-person team at Creative BackStage set up the lighting, sound, and video for two general session rooms and 30 breakout rooms.

“Set up took three days, but we were able to strike the event in five hours, thanks to our awesome team, which included Matthew Breg, L1/ board op; Tyler Coan L2; Michael Morse L2; and Maxine Kichler rigging,” said Garberson. “There was a lot of coordination involved in doing this quickly and efficiently.”

In keeping with this mission, Garberson took steps to save time throughout the set-up process. For example, he decided it was cheaper and faster to bring in a self-climbing roof system, rather than fly the production for the big rooms. He explained

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01 July 2025

UK - TiMax Spatial Studios, based in London’s Tileyard, is the new HQ and studio space for TiMax. As the company celebrates the opening of its audio hub, TiMax can also announce its collaboration with Sonosphere. Together the two companies will provide a flexible, multi-purpose, immersive audio London hub to demonstrate, educate, promote and deliver immersive audio systems, workflow and content.

The suite offers a 26.4.6 TiMax mixing studio, featuring TiMax SoundHub and its powerful spatial audio and show control capabilities. TiMax Tracker D4 is installed with an eight-sensor system, and the studio also offers opportunities to work with TiMax panLab, as well as being configured as a 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos studio, which will be certified by Dolby in due course.

Completing the equipment roster are solutions from the wider Focusrite Group sister brands, i

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01 July 2025

Central Asia - Avail Distribution, an international distributor of professional AV technology, has added Martin Audio to its portfolio of AV brands, after reaching an agreement to handle the brand in key Central Asian territories. Initially this will include Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, with a later review further down the line.

Headquartered in Dubai, with offices in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, this strategic partnership reinforces Avail’s commitment to expanding its portfolio. Martin Audio’s systems - including portable, touring, and installed solutions - will now be available to dealers, system integrators, and rental companies across Central Asia countries through Avail’s regional expertise.

Pavel Shemiakin, business development manager at Avail Distribution, said: “We are proud to be a member of the Martin Audio family and bring

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01 July 2025

USA - Audinate Group, developer of the Dante media networking platform, has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Iris Studio Inc, a leading US company specialising in AI-powered, cloud-based camera control technology.

Iris offers a control-first video production platform that enables users to seamlessly manage cameras remotely, providing features like AI-driven auto tracking, real-time colour correction and cloud recording, all from a single, cloud-based interface. The Iris platform is brand-agnostic and is currently enabled on a wide range of PTZ cameras on the market. Beyond cameras, the Iris software platform is also applicable to a variety of AV products, including encoders, decoders, vision mixers and more.

The acquisition of Iris strengthens Audinate’s video platform capabilities while also accelerating its broader visio

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01 July 2025

South Africa - DWR Distribution has announced its appointment as the official Epson distributor for South Africa. The agreement was finalised in June, following a visit to DWR’s offices by Epson’s Lee Harrison and Darren Caithness.

To further strengthen the support DWR provides to both the system integration market and the rental and staging industries, the company also welcomes Timothy Wilson, who will officially join the team at the start of the month.

“I’m excited to have DWR on board as our distributor in South Africa,” commented Lee Harrison, head of video projector sales for Epson’s high-end projector range across Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa. “It’s a perfect partnership. Your strapline, ‘It’s all about the people,’ aligns with my philosophy. For me, it’s about working with people who can bring our products to lif

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01 July 2025

Monaco - Since 29 March 2025, the Mediterranean 2050 exhibition has been inviting visitors on a space-time journey into the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, showcasing its vibrant ecosystem while raising awareness of the environmental challenges it faces today and in the future.

One of the exhibition’s highlights is an impressive cachalot sculpture brought to life with interactive projections, powered by the Modulo Kinetic media server solution from Modulo Pi and the technical expertise of ID Scènes.

At the heart of the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the Mediterranean 2050 exhibition takes visitors on a journey through the past, present, and an imagined future of the Mediterranean Sea. Spread across more than 1,000 m², this new large-scale immersive experience celebrates the richness of marine heritage while raising awareness of press

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01 July 2025

Czech Republic - The Rock For People music festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in style with an impressive five-day event, an all-star lineup and an expanded capacity of 50,000 which saw a fully sold-out audience flock to the Park 360 site in Hradec Králové – a former military airfield dating back to the 1930s – approximately 100k east of Prague.

Technical production – lighting, audio, video, rigging – for the main KB and Tesco stages, plus the Europa 2 tent, as well as a number of smaller stages, was supplied by leading Czech rental company T Servis, which included over 300 Robe moving lights, around 75% of the total moving lights they brought to site.

Headliners included Slipknot, Linkin Park and Guns N’ Roses – the latter playing an extra show on day five – together with other rousing and standout performances by favo

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01 July 2025

UK/USA - Teddy Swims has blended country, pop, and R&B into a global success story, accompanied this year by his biggest live shows to date, including a sold-out arena run in the UK and setting a new attendance record at Manchester's Co-op Live venue. The tour is now in the US before the team returns to Australia this autumn followed by Asia and the Middle East.

Supporting the crew as they navigate larger spaces in all corners of the world on the I've Tried Everything but Therapy tour, Clair Global account executive, Justin Weaver comments: "I can't say enough about the brilliant individuals who strive day-in & day-out to give their absolute best; it shows in every live performance and at every venue."

FOH mixer Drew Thornton (Billie Eilish, Maggie Rogers) is the man charged with taking Teddy's radio friendly Number 1 hits and turnin

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01 July 2025

South Africa - Lighting designer Oliver Hauser first saw Joseph in 2017, and he recalls leaving the theatre humming its melodies long after the final curtain. The spirited score and choreography, intertwined with themes of hope and forgiveness, struck a chord.

Eight years later, he had the opportunity to light the 57-year-old musical himself, collaborating with Pieter Toerien and LAMTA on a fresh production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - directed by Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander at Theatre on the Bay, Camps Bay, running until 13 July 2025.

“The sheer joy of working with such a fantastic cast and production team was what made it for me,” says Oliver Hauser from HLDesign, who jumped at the opportunity when Niall Griffin, responsible for the set and costumes, reached out

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01 July 2025

UAE - Event crewing specialist Showforce has promoted several of its key team members in the Middle East as it looks to strengthen and expand its account management and operations departments.

Recognising and rewarding the contribution of long-standing team members Ann Dacumos, Ricky Holland, Diana Lucena, Haroon Nasir, Izceah Palmes and Amir Tufail, it puts the company in good stead as its business continues to grow throughout the GCC region.

Ann Dacumos steps up to head of account management – Middle East with direct reports Diana Lucena and Izceah Palmes both promoted to senior account handlers. Ann manages many of Showforce’s tier one clients on a day-to-day basis, including Coca Cola Arena, Dubai Opera, Creative Technology and PRG. In addition to maintaining strong client relationships, she works closely with the operations team to ensure th

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01 July 2025

Palace News - Plans for a new five-day music and arts festival at Blenheim Palace have been unveiled. Announcing the event, organisers said it would feature an "eclectic line-up of global superstars, award-winning artists, and emerging talent". The palace's chief executive, Dominic Hare, said the festival, which will first be held in summer 2026, "marks a new chapter" for the Unesco World Heritage site.

Earlier this week, Nocturne Live Oxfordshire revealed that, after 10 years, it would no longer be staging its outdoor music festival at the stately home. Having begun in 2015, Nocturne Live saw artists including Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie and Elton John play to crowds of thousands in the palace's courtyard. The event marked its final edition at the palace last weekend with performances from Nile Rodgers and Chic, The Corrs, Richard Ashcroft and Gary Barlow.

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30 June 2025

UK - With less than a month to go, the Fete stalls, Manor House and karting teams are all sold out, and Backup Tech’s Fabulous Village Fete is shaping up to truly live up to its name.

The Parish Council judges (LSi’s Claire Beeson, Stewart Hume from TPi, Chris Barratt from AAA, ABTT’s Elysia Moore and PLASA’s Peter Heath) are sharpening their pencils and refining their taste buds to pick the Best Fete Stall, Best Dressed Fete’r, Best Fete Stall Game, the Cake Off and Veg Off, plus winners will be declared for the Catching Flies (fly fishing) and Pheasant Shooting competitions.

There’s also the chance to enter the DJ Off, which is being held in memory of DJ Adam Fabulous and will be judged by DJ Asad, who will also be taking to the decks to entertain Fete-goers throughout the afternoon. Taking us into the early evening will be Fab Cab’s

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30 June 2025

USA - Speaking Rock Entertainment Centre has raised the bar for outdoor live entertainment in El Paso, Texas by installing a cutting-edge Elation lighting rig for its new outdoor stage. A cornerstone of the community’s live entertainment scene, the venue now features a 100% Elation lighting system designed to meet the demands of high-profile touring acts and large audiences.

Owned and operated by the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Indians), Speaking Rock is renowned for offering free live music performances, even for big-name artists like Cypress Hill, Incubus, and Rieleros del Norte, where crowds exceeded 20,000. With a commitment to community access and premier performances, Speaking Rock is a cultural hub for music, entertainment, and celebration in the American Southwest.

Speaking Rock previously held events using its own non-IP-rated lighting bu

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30 June 2025

Canada - Claypaky lighting, including Arolla Profile HPs, A.leda B-EYE K20s and Mini-Bs, comprised the bulk of the fixtures illuminating Gala Dynastie 2025 at Montreal’s Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts. Omnison in Montreal supplied the luminaires to lighting designer Steve Wary of SW Design Lumière for the televised awards ceremony, which celebrated black excellence across Quebec's arts, media and cultural sectors.

“Gala Dynastie has been held every year for the past nine years, and the production has grown and the resources have evolved over that time,” notes Wary. “The creative aspect is very important to this event. Beyond the more conventional moments of an awards ceremony, there is always a big introductory show interspersed with several performances by artists. A live band is also present on stage throughout the eveni

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30 June 2025

The Netherlands - Cpunt (CPoint) is a multi-purpose venue with several performance spaces in Hoofddorp right at the beating cultural heart of Haarlemmermeer in the Netherlands, just outside Amsterdam. Complete with two concert halls, a theatre, a flexible studio space and a library, it buzzes with a lively entertainment programme including theatre, music, art and various related workshops.

Lighting for the main of the two ‘popodium’ music spaces has recently been upgraded presenting an opportunity to get new moving lights onboard, which saw the addition of more Robe fixtures, a popular combination of eight LEDBeam 350s, 18 x Paintes and eight TetraX moving lights, all delivered by Robe’s Benelux distributor, Controllux.

Cpunt’s chief LX, Myron de Jong, has been working at the venue on and off for around 15 years, starting as a volunteer when

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30 June 2025

USA - The Tykeson Rehearsal Hall at the University of Oregon’s School of Music and Dance is a place where tradition and innovation converge. Built for the Oregon Bach Festival, the hall was designed with meticulous attention to its acoustics, making it ideal for early chamber music performances.

Since 2017 the hall’s analogue AV system served its purpose of capturing student performances and showcasing the work of world-class musicians. But as the school’s reputation grew and its audience expanded far beyond the physical walls of Tykeson Hall, its analogue infrastructure, tied to a single control room, could no longer keep up.

“We were really happy with the quality that we got from all of our analogue equipment," says Walton. "But we weren’t thrilled with the fact that we were tied down to just one place, or that it was a big hassl

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30 June 2025

Finland - PPDS has announced the installation of 800 hotel TVs, digital signage, and dvLED walls inside Finland’s advanced business hotel complex, the Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport.

Located immediately outside Vantaa Airport’s main terminal, the 12-floor multi-purpose Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport boasts 505 luxury guest rooms, a scenic rooftop cocktail bar, an à la carte restaurant, a gym, and heated outdoor pool.

The hotel also features a 21-room conference centre and plush 1,050-capacity ballroom.

The hotel’s owners, Strawberry Hotels – one of the largest hotel groups in the Nordics – turned to PPDS to support ‘the ultimate away-from-home digital experience’ for its hotel guests, while putting the complex on the global map for its advanced and interactive conferencing capabilities.

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