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Production Resource Group (PRG) has announced an expansion of its audio operations in the Las Vegas market. The West Coast Audio Group has relocated its concert touring inventory and assembly operations from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The Los Angeles-based audio sales staff remain at their current Cohasset Street location in Burbank. Sister company Fourth Phase Burbank (formerly Production Lighting Systems and Production Arts West) will join them in late October. Inventory to support the local corporate theatre, television and special event market, as well as technical service also remains in Los Angeles.As the expanded audio operations in Las Vegas required additional space, ProMix/Electrotec Las Vegas is in the process of relocating to the PRG facility at 6050 S. Valley View Blvd, already the home of Entolo Las Vegas (formerly Scenic Technologies) and Fourth Phase Las Vegas (formerly Ci

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Strand Lighting's 300 Series console has recently been turning up in some unusual venues - including controlling the lighting in the middle of a road between France and Italy, and in an aircraft hanger in Germany! These were the locations at which singer Jessye Norman performed The Sacred Ellington, her concert of the sacred music of Duke Ellington, during September. As well as the legendary opera singer, the production features a pianist, a four-piece jazz combo and six-piece brass section drawn from England and America, a string quartet from Russia and a 12-strong gospel choir - plus a highly theatrical lighting design from British lighting designer Jenny Kagan. Kagan's involvement began with a production at the Barbican Concert Hall in London during the summer of 1999. There she used a Strand 530 console to control the Barbican's conventional rig and additional Martin MAC500s and High

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Southwest Sound & Light have announced that hey will be organising and hosting the Southwest Sound & Light Show on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th January 2001, from 10am to 8pm both days. The venue is the Clubhouse at Golden Sands Holiday park, Dawlish, Devon, and admission will be free. Organiser Paul Goody said: "The event will be of interest to all people involved in the leisure industry - with clubs, pubs, holiday centres, leisure centres, bands, DJs and karaoke. Visitors will be able to see and try the latest in amplifiers, mixers, loudspeakers, microphones, CD players, mixing kits, effects units, harmonisers, lighting effects for stage and club and large screen video." Call Paul Goody for further information: 01626 890806

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The PSA (Production Services Association) has launched a new service to help companies in the industry trace stolen equipment. The site is intended for use by the whole industry and is not restricted to just PSA members. To have stolen equipment added to this list, the following details should be emailed to Marco Van Beek at mvanbeek@supporting-role.co.uk: 1) Manufacturer. 2) Description. 3) Model Number/type. 4) Serial Number. 5) Date Stolen. 6) Area Stolen. 7) Contact Name. 8) Contact Number. 9) Crime reference number (this will not be shown on the website). The PSA is also happy to add links to specific web pages that deal with stolen equipment, if this information is submitted elsewhere.

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Built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1685, the Royal Hospital in Chelsea is a retirement home for old soldiers - the famous Chelsea Pensioners. The London landmark was an unusual venue for a technically sophisticated son et lumiere show, 'Men in Scarlet', commemorating its 300 year history. The Hospital itself acted as the projection screen, and backdrop for the light show, while the soundtrack was presented in surround sound. Manning the 48-input Midas Heritage console for a week of shows was Huw Richards, for many years the FOH engineer for Oasis - which some might say was ideal preparation for mixing a soundtrack of great British battles. He and his system techs Iain Reinhold and Jonathan Hitching battled torrential rains to present a soundtrack so accurate and realistic that one member of the audience suffered a heart attack. SSE Hire of Birmingham provided a predominantly NEXO Alpha sou

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Are you a lighting student eager to visit the only International Colloquium on Entertainment Lighting? If so, Showlight 2001 may be able to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime! Exhibitors at Showlight have the option to sponsor one entertainment lighting student, to enable people at all levels of the profession to attend and participate. The essence of Showlight is to encourage attendees to talk, discuss ideas and mix with some of the top names from theatre, television, film and architectural and themed lighting, and the list of exhibitors encompasses some of the top names in the industry, including DHA Lighting, ETC Europe, Strand, White Light and Wybron, with confirmed speakers from the worlds of themed entertainment, television and outdoor events. For further details contact Ruth Rossington, Showlight 2001, telephone +44 (0) 1323 418401.

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Sister companies Christie Inc and Christie Digital Systems Inc plan to form one company under the name Christie Digital Systems. The merger, expected to be finalised in April next year, will create one company dedicated to providing projection solutions for cinemas, conference centres, large venues, the rental and staging markets, and the emerging digital cinema marketplace. Under the new organisation, Christie Digital Systems Inc will maintain headquarters in Cypress, California and Kitchener, Canada. The company will continue to operate regional sales and marketing offices in Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore, the UK and the US. Manufacturing operations will be based in California and Canada.

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Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS), the international staging and structure specialist, is helping to bring international stars De La Guarda to audiences in Las Vegas for the first time. ESS has built the 18m high structure using ESS' successful Tower Systems that will house the acrobatic extravaganza. The $1.2million contract is the first major contract to be completed by ESS' new US office based in Austin, Texas. ESS Inc was formed in May this year when Edwin Shirley Staging took over the operations of Upfront Inc. ESS' staging will help bring the show to life with a 30m x 20m x 18m high structure. The structure forms part of the Rio Hotel complex in the heart of Las Vegas and will remain there for three years, the duration of the show. The production, called 'Villa Villa' is the same show that was performed to great acclaim in London's Roundhouse last year and still playing off Broadway in N

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The world-famous Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) has re-equipped its five-studio recording complex with DAS Monitor 6 close field monitors throughout. The order for 13 units includes the upgrading of studio 2 to full 5.1 surround sound production capability. The new Monitor series from DAS Audio marks the company's return to the studio market after almost 30 years of exclusively designing and manufacturing sound reinforcement systems.

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Current Events International, a technical production company offering lighting, audio and production management services, equipment rentals, and systems integration, has relocated and expanded its San Francisco facility. The company has moved to a larger facility in Oakland, occupying over 17,000sq.ft of office and warehouse space. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, Current Events International is an award-winning technical production company with full service facilities in San Francisco and Washington, DC.

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G-E-T.com, the UK's trading portal for the entertainment industry, has formed a strategic alliance with Navigator Systems. The collaboration is seen as an opportunity for both companies to develop an integrated internet trading platform, utilising a combination of Navigator System's HireTrack Eclipse package and G-E-T's product-led internet search engine. G-E-T users sourcing equipment through the portal will benefit from faster, targeted product searches. Companies subscribing to G-E-T will be given the option to batch upload their equipment to G-E-T's search system via HireTrack with minimal inputting required. G-E-T will also benefit from the addition of Navigator's customers to its database. The ultimate aim of the alliance is to help companies market their rental equipment to the hire market by developing a fast, industry-targeted search and product request platform.

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The annual LDI Show has just finished its run at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas and early reports suggest that this was a busy and successful Show (more show news in the next few days). One of the highlights of the event is the annual awards presentation which took place on Saturday, October 21. The Wally Russell Award for lifetime contribution went to San Miller, chief executive officer and chairman of Rosco Laboratories. Miller is the only person ever to be named both a Fellow of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Having graduated from Brown University in 1954, Miller served in the US Army until 1956, and acquired Rosco in 1958. The Best Widget Award went to American Harlequin for its new storage bag. In the design categories, the Lighting Designer of the Year Awards are divided into three areas.

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After several months of negotiations, Stagetec (UK) Ltd has been awarded the entire technical equipment supply and installation contract for the Zion Arts Centre in Manchester. The installation includes a lighting system with Compulite Micron 4D console, the new CompuDIM 2000 digital dimmer racks, Robert Juliat and Selecon luminaires fitted with Compulite colour scrollers, a sound system with Nexo speakers, Crown amplifiers and Allen & Heath mixing consoles, a full AV system with projection screens, digital projectors and monitoring equipment, curtain tracks and a communication and paging system. The project is funded by the Arts Council and is due to open towards the end of November. The project specification has been drawn up and will be overseen by technical consultant Steve Curtis from the Green Room in Manchester.

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The industry rumour-mill has gone into overdrive following the news of the arrest of four individuals in connection with irregularities at the Dome. The arrests came part-way through Scotland Yard's investigation into fraud allegations at the Dome and followed scrutiny of the way in which contracts were awarded. According to a report on the Financial Times' website on October 14, the arrests were to do with the procurement of a contract by a south-east London lighting maintenance company, and focused on a number of individuals working at the Dome. PLASA Publishing contacted both Scotland Yard and the NMEC, but both refused to comment, the latter only willing to say that its internal control system had identified the irregularities and the matter was now in the hands of the police.

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Cheshire-based Federal Signal has opened its first London office. Based in Tapping Street in Docklands, the new office provides a regional marketing and sales base to support Federal Signal's strategy of designing and developing voice alarm systems based on its Millbank range. The company, which works for London customers such as the London Underground, has recently launched a range of new products under the Millbank brand. These include the multi-zone broadcast voice alarm system Verifire, Talisman III dynamic audio induction amplifiers and Ultima II integrated PA amplifiers. Area sales manager Darren Morgan will head up the London operation.

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At the close of the LDI exhibition on Sunday evening at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, the show was being hailed as the biggest, busiest and most successful LDI yet. In addition to its regulars, the show boasted no less than 65 first-time exhibitors, while the visitors were out in force. Speaking at the LDI Awards ceremony on Saturday evening, LDI's Jacqueline Tien said that with more than 12,000 visitors through the doors, LDI 2000 had already outstripped last year's visitor total, with a day left to run.

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The Ministry of Sound is to stage a 12-hour New Year's Eve Party at the Millennium Dome. The event will take place in the buildings around the Dome including the adjacent Skyscape structure dubbed by many the Baby Dome. Just under 40 DJs will be there on the night alongside chart act Artful Dodger. In preparation for the event, the Dome itself will close at 6pm on December 31 with a final performance of the Central Show.

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During the recent PLASA Show, Zero 88 held a competition to win special 'silver edition' versions of its Elara and Alcora desks. The winner of the Alcora was ex-Rose Bruford college student, Ianto Guy who correctly identified that Zero 88 was founded in 1972. He was one of a number of students who benefited from using the desk during his studies. Zero 88 has supported the college's lighting design course through the donation of control desks since 1998, and is continuing its commitment by donating its latest Illusion 240 console in November. Guy now runs his own company in Powys where he provides education on lighting issues to amateur groups, small theatres and schools. He also acts as a consultant to National Lottery Grant winners. Ianto Guy is pictured receiving his Alcora desk from Claire House and Cheryl Ryan of Zero 88.

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London is to have its first new producing theatre since the National Theatre opened in 1976. Hampstead Theatre has won a major £9.85 million capital grant from the Arts Council of England for a new landmark development, the total cost of which will reach £15million. The Theatre's currrent building, a portakabin erected in 1962 to last 10 years, is nearing collapse and work on the new venue, which will be sited close to the existing theatre, is about to commence. Designed by Bennetts Associates, the new theatre, which will open in late 2002, will be translucent, with an adaptable elliptical aditorium.

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This was the request given to Vertigo Rigging by production company Action Time TV for a special edition of Celebrity Auctions recorded at London Weekend Television! The chosen three - hard to pick from Vertigo's team of suave, slick, and ultra cool riggers - were Ken Mehmed, Paul Darby and Dave Brierly. Donning DJ', bow ties and an air of sophistication, they descended onto stage via a smooth, stylish abseil from the studio roof - half way through the show - which was presented by Sean Bean. Earlier in the day, the Vertigo Bonds - more practically clad, rigged their abseil lines in the roof, plus some custom-fabricated 'Boson's' chairs, constructed in the Vertigo workshop. The latter were fixed up in the roof to enable the Bonds to sit and wait for their cue in comfort. The feat was performed flawlessly, followed by a round of Martinis - shaken not stirred to ensure the Bond myth was f

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The contents of the world famous Hacienda nightclub in Manchester - scene of early shows by Madonna, Oasis, U2, Take That, Boy George and the 'Madchester' bands - are going under the hammer at a unique auction for charity. The lots include the revered DJ booth and interior designer Ben Kelly's hazard-striped steel columns. The venue for the auction, which will take place on Saturday November 25 at midday, is the nearby Richard Conrad building. Viewing will run from 10am to 4pm on Friday 24 and from 10am to midday on the day itself. In addition to the auctioned lots, pieces of the dance floor, coloured tiles and even bricks from the building, will be sold off at nominal sums. All proceeds from the event will go to the Greater Manchester Community Foundation which works with disadvantaged young people in the city. New owners Crosby Homes are redeveloping the Haçienda site and two neighbou

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Presentation Services Ltd (PSL), the corporate and exhibition event specialist, has launched a new e-commerce internet site called PSL Direct. Visitors to the site will find everything from the latest video/data projector to plasma flat screen technology.

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Keith Dale has announced that he is to represent Group One's Elektralite brand of lighting control products outside the US. Dale, who recently left Celco, has a long association with Group One, who were previously the US distributor for Celco products. Group One, based in Farmingdale, New York, is the US distributor for Clay Paky and Pulsar, Celestion, XTA Electronics, Cadac and SPL of Germany. Elektralite manufactures universal lighting controllers for live and fixed installations, including the CP100, the CP10XT and the new CP20. Dale will develop the brand awareness of the Elektralite product outside of the US. More news on the venture is expected in the near future.

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PAI held a demonstration of exterior lighting techniques at Llanelli's Diplomat Hotel, on Thursday 26th October. With product from Griven, Studio Due, Martin, Enliten and Pulsar, The PAI Group (consisting of PA Installations, Vaughan Sound Installations and PA Technologies) demonstrated a wide range of exterior lighting effects that can be produced to highlight buildings and draw attention to the 'Brands' in residence. Technical Manager Andy Bonehill commented: "With the range of product on show we can demonstrate how even small buildings can benefit from an exterior lighting installation. The Mini City's from Studio Due are excellent value for money colour changers, whilst the Griven 'Kaleido' provides real punch from a relatively small unit. We are also using Martin Professional Mac 500 for moving image GoBo Projections mounted in an ECO Dome and a Martin Professional Ext 600 floo
  1. Osram Sylvania Online
  2. ILMC Unveils Conference Dates and New Team
  3. B2B Music Online 2000
  4. Vari-Lite Completes European Deal
  5. Broadway's The Lion King Roars into BLMC2000
  6. Con Men Try Again
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