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UK - Orbital Sound’s dedicated education division, Training Plus, recently put 40 aspiring sound engineers through their paces during an intensive hands-on learning experience in Edinburgh, just ahead of this year’s Fringe Festival.
Training Plus created a special course, Fringe Fundamentals for Sound, designed to provide an immersive learning experience for participants keen to hone their sound engineering skills. The majority of the trainees immediately went on to join the enormous cast for the challenging Fringe Festival, involving over 50,000 performers in 3,000 different shows staged in more than 250 venues.
Fringe Fundamentals for Sound caters for students seeking a comprehensive understanding of Fringe Theatre sound production, setup and operation. Over a total of four days, the class of 2023 were guided through hands-on workshops, theoretical

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Building Concerns - The Royal and Derngate theatre in Northampton has closed for the rest of the month following the “unfortunate discovery” of RAA concrete in its infrastructure. It makes the venue the first major theatre to be impacted by the crisis involving reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which was used to build schools and other buildings between the 1950s and mid-1990s.
The government has described the concrete as “a lightweight form of concrete”. The concrete has since been found to be at risk of collapse, with schools across the UK having to close because of the potential danger. In a statement, the Royal and Derngate said: “Due to the unfortunate discovery of RAA Concrete in our buildings, Royal and Derngate is temporarily closed. During this closure period, entry to the building is prohibited, and all performances and events during Septembe
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Saudi Arabia - Fully established as a legal entity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, global crewing specialist Showforce, a division of the Spendlove Group, has announced ambitious plans for expansion in the country. The company has opened an office in Riyadh with business development manager Zachariah Smith relocating to spearhead the operation.
Initially accompanied by experienced members of the Middle East operations team, Smith will lead the charge in bolstering local crew numbers, growing its talent pool and securing new clients.
The office will deal with all enquiries and bookings along with recruitment, training and accreditation to ensure that the impressive standards of service that Showforce is globally renowned for are maintained.
Showforce’s chairman and founder Ian Spendlove comments: “KSA presents us with an exciting opportunity for growth. The

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UK - The winners of this year’s PLASA Awards for Innovation were announced last night at PLASA Show at Olympia London. The awards, run in association with LSi magazine, are respected industry-wide for celebrating future-focussed technology that improves safety, efficiency and performance through new methods and materials.
40 products were entered this year, with the judges ultimately awarding eight products, including one highly coveted Gold Award. This year’s judging team comprised 12 independent technical specialists from a wide array of backgrounds, chaired once again by chartered engineer and LSi columnist, James Eade.
The winning products and judges’ comments are listed below:
Astera, PlutoFresnel: The judges said that the versatility of this battery powered Fresnel-come-profile is unmatched and it will

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UK/USA - For the last 15 years the JL-Group’s (JLL) DNA has been synonymous with a commitment to client service, strong values and pushing boundaries in the ever-evolving world of technical production across the television and event industries.
Phil McMichael, JLL commercial director says; “As our clients business needs evolve, we evolve and so following the delivery of multiple successful Stateside projects in partnership with our Agency, Corporate and Television clients we are delighted to announce our full-time expansion into USA.”
JLL’s first US office will be a new hybrid working hub opening on Madison Avenue, New York and will serve as the base for new team members, the existing UK team, a meeting point for our clients and a collaboration space with strategic event delivery partners.
JLL has also announced its first strategic partnership with Eagle

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UK - Le Mark Group is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. It all began in September 1983 in the kitchen and garage of the family home in Alconbury, supplying a range of self-adhesive tapes to the Arts Entertainment TV and Movie industry. The company was run by Stuart and his ex-wife Linda Gibbons as joint MDs.
The company grew and evolved, moving several times until finally settling in their current location at Houghton Hill Industries.
By the 1990s the product range had grown to include custom, and award-winning products, such as their much sought after dance floors. The familiar 90s TV shows such as; BBC TV’s Top of the Pops, Morecambe & Wise, Play Your Cards Right - all used Le Mark flooring.
Blankety Blank termed the phrase “a shiny floor show’ using Le Mark’s Studiotak peel clean stage floor covering.
The comp

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UK - Classic Gear Live (stand A78) at this year’s PLASA Show, running from 3-5 September at London’s Olympia, offers a unique opportunity to get hands on with some of the lighting and audio products that have shaped our industry, from the 1973 Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon PA to the pioneering Vari-Lite Artisan console and VL2 and VL4 moving lights that featured in the band’s shows a generation later; from the unique cutaway lighting fixtures that graced Strand Electric’s famous West End showroom for years to the prototype and unique rep version of CCT’s Silhouette spotlight that shook up the fixture market; from the MMS memory lighting control that introduced the level wheel to the world to the custom mixing console that brought Cadac into the world of theatre.
But equipment is nothing without people, and Classic Gear Live will also offer an opportunity

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Australia - Bamm Bamm Wolfgang, a music and audio post-production facility in Sydney, has opened a PMC-equipped Atmos mixing room that is catering for a wide variety of immersive audio projects, from film and television programmes through to advertising, games and music.
Established in 2017 by sound designer, music producer and composer Adam Alexander, Bamm Bamm Wolfgang is housed in the Viking Lounge complex.
“Our multi-purpose production/mix suite was designed and built from the ground up by Paul Stefanidis, whose vision and execution has resulted in one of the finest sounding rooms in the country,” Adam Alexander says. “The boutique nature of our studio allows us to provide music and post sound services with the integrity and quality expected of a 'craftsperson'.”
The decision to upgrade to Dolby Atmos was taken almost by default. The facility had alr

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USA - With more than 19m monthly listeners on Spotify, plus over 300m streams of his song Last Last alone, Nigeria’s Burna Boy - née Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu - is by all counts a major international success.
In July, the Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer became the first African artist to headline a US stadium concert when he drew more than 40,000 fans to New York’s Citi Field to celebrate his 32nd birthday. But that wasn’t an isolated incident; he’s packing massive venues around the world on his latest Stadium Tour, sonically reinforced by Solotech, who are supplying a DiGiCo Quantum338 and two Quantum7 mixing consoles, one of which is loaded with a DMI-KLANG module for immersive in-ear monitor mixing.
Burna Boy doesn’t do anything on a small scale, evidenced by the swarm of musicians and singers that surround him onstage.

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UK - Bronx-born ‘King of Bachata’ Romeo Santos played a sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena earlier this summer, transforming the venue into a vibrant Latin music club.
The show was the only London stop in Santos’ Vol. 3 World Tour. Adding to the dynamic vibe that resonated throughout the arena was a collection of 84 Chauvet Professional fixtures.
Bigabox Productions managed (and supplied full) production for the show. “We called upon our friends at Encore Audio London and DMX Productions for audio, lighting and rigging support and solutions,” said Bigabox’s Dean Graves, who served as production manager. “The team of experts was complemented by the services of pyro master extraordinaire, John Wilson. Nyfield designed the original show, which was modified for O2 by assistant PM Tom Cull. It was a very memorable show.”
“Everything flowed s

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Italy - On 28 May 2023, Magnifying the Beauty, a Cartier show designed and directed by Lulu Helbaek and Simone Ferrari, was held at the Salone dei Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, in front of a select audience of 600 people with entertainment from guest artists Ellie Goulding and Celeste.
Lighting designer, Pasquale Mari, assisted by Gianni Bertoli and programmer Mattia Carli, was responsible for lighting the evening’s events, set within the historic confines of the Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of the Five Hundred) amid the statues and paintings of Italy’s largest public hall.
Mari chose to illuminate the statues and highlight the grand architectural elements of the room using 40 award-winning Robert Juliat Dalis 860 cyclorama lights which he floor-mounted just 1m away from the painted walls and sublime statues, transforming them into a beaut

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USA - Heart WeHo is a 1,500-capacity venue making it one of the biggest nightclubs along Santa Monica Boulevard in the ‘heart’ of the ‘Rainbow District’. The club is operated by Rocco’s, which is part-owned by Lance Bass, former singer with N Sync.
New York based integrator Global AV Group successfully fulfilled the brief for a high energy, high SPL club system boasting definition and clarity. Global AV’s owner Jason Ojeda explains that “Void checked all the boxes as the perfect solution for this venue.” He continues: “With the club’s focus on electronic music and Void Acoustics’ world dominance for sound systems in this genre, it was a self-evident collaboration. We were simply deploying the best of what Void Acoustics offers.”
Global AV Group has worked with Void Acoustics for over 15 years and is well-known for their obsessive attention to d

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Austria - Situated amid Austria's picturesque wine country, the Mörbisch Lake Festival is a cherished celebration of culture and performing arts. The location has been a regular event for nearly 20 years and each year draws thousands of festival-goers.
The festival's centrepiece is a floating stage that appears to levitate above the tranquil waters of Lake Neusiedl. This stage is integral to the festival experience. As dusk falls, and lights shimmer on the water, the stage morphs into an enchanting spectacle that captivates all who witness it. This year, the mesmerising ambiance of Mörbisch has been elevated further through collaboration with L-Acoustics.
Over the past 20 years, this venue has evolved from a simple site, into a vibrant centre for performing arts. Transitioning from opera to musicals, it now hosts productions such as this year's Mamma Mia! and

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USA - Lighting and rigging company, TSL has prioritised increasing and improving the stock of rigging supplies within their inventory this year.
New investments which have already arrived are the EXE Rise D8 + 350kg and 500kg Chain Hoists, with the EXE Rise D8 + 1000kg and 2000kg LV Single Fall Chain Hoists on their way. These hoists are the most up to date and comply with European regulations.
TSL’s new 2000kg hoists boast a single chain (single fall) configuration, which means they are a lot bigger and more powerful but the main benefit is that the chain can be used without fear of getting it entangled which is an improved safety feature.
More Doughty frames and a range of truss have also been purchased to increase stock availability.
Sam Tamplin, TSL managing director says: "We're committed to developing our rigging capabilities by investing in the r

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USA - Expanding its reach across the USA, punQtum has appointed California-based distributor JB&A to address the North American market.
Founded back in 1996 by Jeff Burgess and his brother Greg, JB&A provides advanced technological solutions for projects from beginning to end. The company works to find vendors and manufacturers that make the best technology in their industry, and punQtum is the latest company to be added to its growing roster of brands.
Nicholas Smith, VP of technology at JB&A said: “Intercom systems are a key component to every production, and Riedel has the most respected and well-known name in the industry for communications. When Riedel tapped us to build and manage the channel sales for punQtum, we jumped at the opportunity to work with a product line that has the potential to be a game changer in the production space.
“JB

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UK - Audiologic has announced an exclusive distribution partnership in the UK with Fohhn, Germany based creators of audio systems for professional applications, effective from 1 September 2023.
Beyond a catalogue of over 100 models of loudspeakers, Fohhn's intelligent system amplifiers and digital tools contribute to their distinction. Each component, from software to hardware, is crafted within Fohhn's German headquarters, in Nürtingen.
Fohhn’s Beam Steering Technology allows for precise control of sound dispersion via a simple mouse wheel. Fohhn's commitment to customisation extends to a rich array of options, from special colours and enclosure lengths to weather protection and bespoke builds.
Uli Haug, sales and marketing director of Fohhn, comments: "Our partnership with Audiologic opens up a whole new era of possibilities. Combining our expertise with A

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USA - ESTA has announced a team of nine ETCP recognised trainers as the recipients of the Frank Stewart Volunteer of the Year Award for service in both 2022 and 2023:
Bennett Brian (Reed Rigging, Inc.), Tyler DeLong (DeLong Rigging Solutions), Brent "Mickey" Henry (ETC), Shane Kelly (DePaul University), Rebecca Knipfer (ETC), Ed Leahy (The Chicago Flyhouse, Inc.), Verda Beth Martell (DLR Group), Tracy Nunnally (Vertigo), and Patrick Stewart (ETC), whose father is the award's namesake. These trainers tirelessly volunteered around their busy schedules to plan, design, and deliver a curriculum for the Midwest Rigging Intensive (MRI) two years in a row.
“Being recognised by ESTA for doing MRI is one of the highlights of my career thus far,” said DeLong, whose company, DeLong Rigging Solutions, is a sponsor. “I support MRI because it is a unique event driven by a gro

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UK - The British Drivers Club chose Prolights solutions to illuminate the VIP locations during the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit. A.C. Entertainment Technologies, the official distributor of Prolights in the UK and an official sponsor of the club, supplied and installed a sophisticated lighting system that left both the A.C. Entertainment Technologies team and the British Drivers Club satisfied.
The main event took place at The Farm, the circuit's largest venue, which hosts a 30m x 30m marquee, terrace, and gardens. To ensure perfect lighting both during the day and in the evening, A.C. Entertainment Technologies carefully selected the most suitable Prolights products:
For the indoor lighting of the marquee, they used 20 EclSoft LinearIP, four Astra Profile400, eight Astra Wash7Pix, and four EclPanel TWC. The internal stage was enriched with four Astra

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UK - Experienced lighting designer Anthony Hazelden has made the journey from classic theatre to high-octane dance raves effortlessly, his generic stage lighting of yesteryear now replaced by next generation hybrid LED strobes, including GLP’s new JDC Line 1000.
For a recent EDM concert within Cardiff Castle he not only provided a cutting-edge floor package for headliner Fisher, for whom he was LD, but the generic house rig for the support acts. This included Luther star Idris Elba and Arielle Free.
Hazelden had known most of these artists from working with them on other projects around the world and had known the production manager for the Cardiff Castle show, James Dutton, from High Scream Productions in Ibiza.
Mindful of the high-speed approach of Australian dance DJ Fisher within a historic venue, Dutton and Hazelden conceived their design for the sh

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Hungary - Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the launch of Lightware Academy, its new free certified e-learning resource for students and professionals at every level who have a thirst in specialising in the AV market, and gaining or advancing their knowledge of the entire industry.
Based on Lightware’s core principles of openness and knowledge-sharing, Lightware Academy is open to everyone - customers or not - and provides industry-leading content curated by a breadth of seasoned professionals in the area.
Participants can enrol in more than 10 courses, organised into three core categories:
Traditional AV: Focused on the use of hardware components, such as audio and video cables, switchers, and matrixes, to transmit and switch audio and video signals between devices.
AV-over-IP: It involves the processes behind sending audio, video, and other si

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UK - Britannia Row Productions supplied L-Acoustics PA systems across four of WOMAD’s stages: Open Air, Saddlespan, Siam and Taste the World, on behalf of Judgeday Productions Director, Dave T.
The Open Air Stage is the second festival environment in which Britannia Row has deployed the new L Series L2 system, following exceptional results at Soho House Festival.
System engineer Sergiy Zhytnikov worked across the Open Air Stage. It boasted main hangs of L2, K2 stacked on the platform for side coverage, KS28 subs in a cardioid configuration across the stage, and A15s for front-fill.
He comments: “As WOMAD is a world music festival, artists perform a variety of different genres including indie rock, nu jazz and downtempo, Indian funk and so on. Both the guest engineers and the production team were very happy with the L2’s results over the weekend, from consis

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UK - Backup is once again the lead charity on the #WeMakeEvents Support Hub at this year's PLASA Show. The #WeMakeEvents Support Hub brings together multiple charities and organisations that have been playing an integral part in supporting the industry.
The team will be on Stand A80 (part of the #WeMakeEvents Hub) to offer support, raise awareness of mental health and help remove the stigma that surrounds it. Trained mental health first aiders from Backup and Music Support will be on hand to provide advice and information for anyone who wants to talk, either for themselves or for someone they want to signpost to get industry help, throughout the show, with PLASA also bringing in EventWell to provide a specific Wellbeing and Safe Space for anyone who needs immediate help at the show.
On Monday 4 September at 11.30am in Seminar Theatre 3, Backup will also host a session

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The Netherlands - Obsidian Control Systems has announced that Controllux BV has been named the exclusive distributor of Obsidian products in the Netherlands. The agreement, which went into effect on 1 July, 2023, covers Obsidian’s full range of lighting control products, including the company’s growing range of Netron data distribution devices.
Founded in 1968, Controllux is a leading full-system integrator for professional lighting and operates in the key markets of theatre, broadcast & film, entertainment, and architectural. The company has grown over the years to add audio and architectural lighting to its portfolio, evolving into a one-stop-shop for system integration.
Controllux distributes a wide range of brands and is delighted to have added Obsidian Control products to its offerings. “As we’ve transformed from a sales company to a full support sys

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UK - When Birmingham Festival 2023 took place from 28 July - 6 August to mark the one-year anniversary of the Commonwealth Games, JA Productions (JAP) delivered all event, site and operations management on behalf of organiser Birmingham City Council.
Building on the Commonwealth Games’ legacy, a cultural programme of entertainment was curated by JAP’s programme partner Opus with tens of thousands coming to Birmingham’s Centenary Square to enjoy local and international art, culture and entertainment.
A key consideration during both the planning and delivery phase was minimising the event’s environmental impact. JAP set out a sustainability strategy for Birmingham 2023 that took its own plan and objectives, along with the findings post Commonwealth Games into account.
Sustainability goals set for the event included a clear commitment and ownership from its
  1. High Res and Brompton celebrate seven years
  2. Roxx Cluster blinder lights Smukfest audience
  3. Showtec shines on castle in Billybird Park
  4. Chauvet Rogues rock with Breaking Benjamin
  5. Holoplot puts Polestar in the fast lane
  6. ATG and Preevue expand View from Seat service
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