Robe - Leaderboard - 27 Aug25 - Jan26
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USA - VIP Production Northwest of Spokane, Washington, recently added Elation Professional’s Smarty MAX hybrid moving head to inventory and see the multifunctional light as an essential tool in what is shaping up to be a busy summer rental season.
The Smarty MAX is an extreme-output version of Elation’s 3-in-1 Smarty Hybrid with the same ‘smart’ lamp technology but nearly twice as bright and with more design features.
Triston Ward, live production department manager at VIP, expresses their rationale for selecting the Smarty MAX: “We chose the Smarty MAX because of its broad feature set and wide range of applications. When we saw them last year at LDI we were impressed with the brightness and what they had to offer. We do all types of events from large concert stages to smaller venues so fixture flexibility is very important to us.”
VIP Production Nor

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USA - Lighting designer Mike Swinford of UpLate Design loves new tech as much as he loves the chance to be the first to use it, so he was delighted when everything aligned for rental company Fuse to invest in the first Robe Footsie luminaires to arrive in the USA - which he utilised as a key lighting element for the 2023 CMA Fest.
The four-day festival is hosted by the Country Music Association (CMA) and recorded at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, in front of live audiences and broadcast on ABC a couple of months later, but this year the popular airing date was brought forward from its traditional August slot to 19 July.
Mike has lit the star-studded multi-camera event for the last 21 years. Being a massive televisual event as well as four days of live music for fans there in the venue, key lighting is critical to everything.
Thirty Footsie luminai
ISE 2026 - Banner - Oct 2025

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UK - Unusual Rigging will commence building works on a ‘ground-breaking’ new headquarters today, 26 July as part of its commitment to respond to the climate emergency.
The innovative project is set to see the company pave the way as pioneers - showing what can be done towards regenerative design within the built environment whilst also sharing the obstacles they face with the wider industry.
The organisation, known for its work on events like the Olympics, the World Cup and West End and touring theatre hit shows, says it is taking ‘a huge leap forward’ in their commitment to the circular economy.
The design for the new HQ and research building, on the company’s current site in Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire, takes all the economic principles of the circular economy and applies them to the new building.
Tom Harper, managing director at Unusual Rigging

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The Netherlands/Switzerland - ELC Lighting has announced the appointment of a new exclusive distributor for its award-winning ELC brand of DMX control and networking tools in Switzerland - Electric Claudio Merlo Lighting Equipment S.A. (ECM S.A.).
Founded in 1971 by Claudio Merlo, and based in the southern Canton of Ticino, ECM S.A. found success as a supplier of popular lighting brands, such as Coemar and Optikinetics, to the booming discotheque market. At the end of the 1970s, the business base expanded to include Swiss theatres. From its beginnings in rented garage spaces, the company has grown to employ 14 people and now serves the whole country from a modern headquarters and centralised warehouse, with branches in German and French-speaking Switzerland.
Welcoming the ELC brand to the ECM S.A. portfolio, managing director Lorenzo Merlo comments: “As a pioneer

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UK - Trade-only display and video specialist PSCo (part of the Midwich Group) is excited to announce the introduction of Barco projection. This expansion further increases its professional projector portfolio for live events and large venue use for rental and sales.
Whilst PSCo already offers a selection of impressive LCD laser projectors, the addition of Barco products represents a step into DLP projection technology, expanding the array of technologies available to rental partners. The enhanced offering gives partners more versatility and choice, as well as greater lens coverage and brightness output to meet the demand from trade partners.
PSCo are introducing the UDM-4K30 3-chip DLP, the lightest laser projector in the 30K lumen category, boasting a 27,000 lumens output and best-in-class 4K UHD processing as well as a wide colour spectrum and a robust tour-ready c

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Theatre in Education - Supporting theatre in education and recognising the importance of the art form in education are among a set of Europe-wide recommendations for policymakers to support the sector. The recommendations resulted from the European Theatre Forum 2023, which saw 200 representatives from the European theatre sector gather at JK Opole Theatre in Poland.
The event was organised by the European Commission with the aim of looking at how the sector can address key issues including mental health, the climate crisis and the potential impact of artificial intelligence. While they are primarily addressed to the European Commission, the guidelines are also aimed at national funders and policymakers. The European Theatre Forum included representatives from UK-based theatres in receipt of government funding, including the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh and the Young Vic in Lo

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Lithuania - This year was The Voice Lithuania 10th anniversary season, which is celebrated in style with a spectacular grand finale. The event was held at Lithuania's largest arena, Žalgirio Arena, located in Kaunas, the country's second-largest city.
The live show featured 10 talented participants vying for the coveted title, who were subsequently narrowed down to the top four contestants for the super finale. As The Voice Lithuania is one of the most significant and demanding projects on the country's events calendar, with an audience exceeding one million viewers, it was crucial to utilise top-notch equipment to ensure the seamless execution of the event.
Jurgis Stasikėlis, an independent sound engineer from Garsisc Sound Team, took charge of the audio and opted for a DiGiCo Quantum 338 console, provided by Sonus Exsertus, DiGiCo’s distributor fo

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Germany - Digital Signage Summit Europe (DSS Europe) celebrated its 50th edition at Hilton Munich Airport in Germany, earlier this month. A joint venture between Integrated Systems Events and invidis consulting, the summit attracted digital signage specialists from across Europe to explore this year’s theme: Engaging Experiences - Concepts, Creation & Content.
This year’s line-up of speakers, including experts from First Impression, Futuresource, Google, M-Cube, Trison, Visual Art and ZetaDisplay and spanning a wide range of sectors such as media, retail, and corporate, addressed the current market outlook and the impact of major trends.
Highlights included Dave Haynes, editor of Sixteen:Nine, and Mark McDermott, CEO at ScreenCloud, discussing How to get the message across to your employees and why agnostic software solutions that integrate with other s

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Italy - First Festival returned to the Fiera Del Mare, the spacious summer stage [70 x 120m] at one of Italy's most prestigious techno events, ranking among the top six in national importance.
Following previous sold-out events featuring artists like Nina Kraviz, Charlotte de Witte, and Richie Hawtin, the festival presented by RST Events treated the audience to a seamless 10-hour musical experience. The line-up included top international DJs such as Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann, CamelPhat (Dave Whelan and Mike Di Scala), Mathame (Matteo and Amedeo Giovanelli), and Fel (Giovanni Galvani and Alessio Lerma).
An essential element of the First Festival since 2013 has been the Outline sound system, installed by Show Technologies from Recco - Genoa
Alessandro Orlando, representing RST Events and a prominent figure in organising major events in Genoa over the past decad

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The Netherlands - For Live is a production design and rental company covering technical and scenic aspects for a diversity of live events - sound, lighting, video, rigging, décor and scenic - based in Amersfoort in the province of Utrecht, with over 200 Robe moving lights in rental stock.
The company was founded in 2014 by Ruud Van Den Berg, who has been passionate about the industry since he started DJ’ing seriously aged 12. For Live has become renowned for delivering dynamic multi-site sporting events and broadcasts and servicing a range of corporate and B2B clients and brand activations plus live televised and streamed events.
Starting with building up a ‘dream team’, For Live first invested in the human capital needed to work creatively and constantly, then started purchasing specialist technical equipment, a process that accompanied quick and steady growth

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USA - Sphere Entertainment Co has unveiled Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by Holoplot, an advanced audio system, which provides clear, individualised sound to every seat in Sphere, an entertainment medium opening in Las Vegas later this year.
Sphere Studios, which develops technologies and content, partnered with Holoplot to create Sphere Immersive Sound, a fully integrated concert-grade audio system that revolutionises immersive audio experiences.
U2’s The Edge said: “The beauty of Sphere is not only the ground-breaking technology that will make it so unique, with the world’s most advanced audio system integrated into a structure which is designed with sound quality as a priority; it’s also the possibilities around immersive experiences in real and imaginary landscapes. In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution, and a once-in-a-

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UK - Following significant upgrades to the Great Oak Stage in 2022, American Express presents BST Hyde Park relaxed comfortably into its new setting this year. The stage dominates the Royal Park - now firmly established, after once being considered ‘unworkable’ as a concert site, surrounded as it is by the well-heeled residents of Mayfair and Knightsbridge.
Much of this is because Martin Audio’s tightly controllable MLA PA array - the result of its advanced DISPLAY optimisation software - has been ever-present since AEG Presents took over the Park lease in 2013, making offsite noise pollution largely a thing of the past.
With system engineering back in the capable hands of Toby Donovan, who aside from last year has worked every BST, the site sound provided its usual exemplary experience for au

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India - Bhopal-based event equipment rental services provider, Phoenix Networks has recently expanded their existing inventory of with the acquisition of India's first Allen & Heath dLive Modular I/O Expander System.
As the first phase of investment, Phoenix Networks has acquired a single unit of the DX32 I/O with 32 input expander along with another unit of the DX32 I/O with 32 aux expander.
This purchase comes in tow with Phoenix Network’s investment into Allen & Heath’s flagship dLive S7000 digital mixing console and the DM64 Mix Rack; with the company’s successful acquisition of the entire system in total being facilitated efficiently and expertly by Sun Infonet - the official distribution representatives for Allen & Heath in India.
Animesh Mishra, director of Phoenix Networks, comments: “With the acquisition of the dLive S7000 digital m

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USA/Europe - Three-time Grammy Award winners Maroon 5 took off on a concise but intense tour this year. UK + Europe 2023 was the 15th concert tour by the band, who have also won eight Billboard Music Awards and all 27 of their BMI Pop Awards nominations, in support of their seventh studio album, 2021’s Jordi.
The tour began on 13 June in Lisbon, Portugal and travelled through Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, and France before concluding on 4 July in Birmingham.
But Maroon 5 also have a completely different live identity: their ongoing residency at the Dolby Live venue at Park MGM in Las Vegas, which they settle back into from 28 July through 12 August. On the road, they’re a stereo band; in Las Vegas, they arrive as an immersive experience through Dolby’s Atmos format. What stays consistent throughout is DiGiCo, the suite of audio cons

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Germany - Founded in 1982, schoko pro GmbH has developed into one of the largest event technology service providers in Germany in more than 40 years.
With its three units (Original Stars: event and media technology incl. streaming & conferencing, Mechanical Artists: stage technology, kinetics and special constructions, Digital Performers: software, media & digital networking), the owner-managed company covers all areas of expertise and proves that technology can be creative, and creative ideas work perfectly in technical terms.
In search of spotlights that can be used for the most diverse requirements due to their versatility, schoko pro recently opted for products from the Cameo portfolio.
The investment included Opus SP5 Profile Moving Heads, Zenit B200 Battery LED Outdoor Wash Lights and Zenit B60 B Battery IP65 LED PAR Fixtures.
"We had already

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Mexico - Prolific Norteño-Banda singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Edén Muñoz, who has had seven No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Regional Mexican chart, recently purchased a pair of Solid State Logic Live L550 Plus mixing consoles to handle front-of-house and monitor duties on his live shows. Muñoz, currently touring the United States with Banda MS, embarks on his first solo US tour beginning in August.
“The main idea behind purchasing these consoles came from Edén Muñoz,” reports the artist’s monitor engineer, Sergio Ramos. “He uses SSL in his recording studio and really likes the sound of the brand, which was the main reason for the purchase. We decided to go with the L550 Plus because of its large DSP power, ensuring we wouldn't encounter any processing issues when using the necessary plug-ins and stems.”
“We always knew the console's sound

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Denmark - The 51st edition of the Roskilde Festival, Northern Europe’s largest and longest-running celebration of music and the arts, wrapped in early July following seven days of the annual event’s distinctive blend of entertainment, artistic expression, and global citizenship.
This first year of the festival’s second half-century also marked the sixth year of partnership with Meyer Sound, and in 2023 four of the festival’s stages were powered by systems based around the new Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers.
“Roskilde is always aiming to improve the audience experience,” says Lars Liliengren, the festival’s head of production. “After day one of working with Panther, we have realised better coverage of the site, with more clarity, and a system that’s easier to work with.”
A complement of 141 Panther loudspeakers were deploy

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USA - Snoop Dogg’s current High School Reunion tour with Wiz Khalifa takes its name from the duo’s 2012 film Mac & Devlin Go To High School. The 33-city North American tour began 7 July at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and features plenty of classic hits, including a duet of We Dem Boys plus newer material.
The stage production supporting the tour also celebrates the past, present and future, combining some retro video looks with sleek contemporary geometric patterns and blazingly bright, colourful effects from 48 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M fixtures.
Production designer Justin Casey of HELM Projects, which supplied all the gear for the tour, approached this project with a narrative perspective that could reflect different phases of the two artists’ careers.
“I designed the rig around the concept of having a story board scree

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South Africa - DWR Distribution has announced that Neutrik and Rean stock is now available in its stores.
“Kyle Robson has been appointed the Neutrik product manager at DWR and it will be his mission to get the brand to as many users in the country as possible,” comments Robert Izzett, sales director at DWR. “In addition, DWR will appoint Neutrik distributors throughout South Africa to make accessibility that much easier for musicians and professionals alike. Our goal is to make Neutrik the connector of choice and we will strive to be as competitive as possible.
“When investing in expensive gear, a reliable connector and the right infrastructure should be a priority,” adds Robert. “One bad connector can bring your gig down. With well over 40 years of experience, Neutrik offers a wide range of connectors that are easy to assemble, simple to use, reliable a

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USA - Harvest Church held its annual Harvest Crusade evangelistic outreach on 1-2 July at a packed Honda Centre in Anaheim, California, and Elation Artiste series lights played a key role in creating a revival-like atmosphere for the 32,000 live attendees while helping to captivate over 200,000 who tuned in online.
This was Harvest’s first-ever crusade at the Honda Center, where attendees also enjoyed two nights of performances from award-winning Christian artists.
Chris Eguizabal, a seasoned Harvest veteran with 12 years of experience overseeing production elements for Harvest events, served as the production manager for the two-day worship experience. Throughout the years, they have frequently utilised Elation lighting on Harvest Crusade events, specifically the IP65 Proteus line as the event is typically held outdoors at Angel Stadium. However, for this year's in

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UK - ISCVE has announced the dates for its annual event, ISCVEx 2024, which will be taking place at Coombe Abbey on 19-20 March 2024. Attendees can expect ‘30+ exhibitors and distributors, thought-leading seminars, inspiring talks and more’.
Taking place in the Coombe Abbey Hotel, ISCVEx day one includes ISCVE’s Member’s Day, AGM and Networking Dinner whilst day two includes three seminars and exhibition.
Attendees also get the opportunity to network with other industry people from all sectors of the audio, communications and visual industries with more than 30 exhibitors and distributors in one convenient location.
"This year, in addition to our regular attendees and exhibitors, we saw increased engagement from audio visual companies showcasing their businesses at the exhibition and attending seminars," comments Ros Wigmore, ISCVE business manager.

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Turkey - Prolights fixtures illuminated the Fatih Kiosk located within the Topkapi Palace complex. The Türkiye National Palaces Directorate requested a new lighting system to enhance the visitor experience and showcase the treasures found within the palace, immersing visitors in the rich history and opulence of the Ottoman Empire.
The overall design of the project was crafted by Boris Micka (BMA) with whom Ada Bonadei (Studio VanCram) usually collaborates as a light designer. The lighting design follows the general directives of the exhibition project, which, apart from displaying the Topkapi Treasure, wants to encourage the contemplation of the singular architectural volumes in a space which, due to its shape and characteristics, has difficult general points of view. The display windows, covered with gilded mirrors, are transformed into kaleidoscopes that allow the vision

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Poland - National broadcasting organisation Polish National Television (TVP) S.A. broadcasts across 24 TV channels with creative production and programming covering every genre of broadcasting from news and sports to drama, soaps, talk shows and documentaries. It also produces its own series and movies together with an array of festivals.
The organisation has enthusiastically invested in Robe moving lights over the years with over 600 now in the inventory.
The first Robes to come onboard were 24 x Colour Spot 170s in 2005 - which are still working although not in daily use - and the latest were 32 x Esprites, delivered during the pandemic in 2021 by Robe’s proactive long-term distributor, Prolight. At the time, these were the first Esprites in Poland.
Telewizja Polski’s HQ is in Warsaw, with six studios and three spaces for films on a site that is currently

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Germany - In the early summer of 2023 Herbert Grönemeyer was persuaded to return to Germany’s arenas, having released his latest (and 17th) album Das ist los back in March. At 67 years old, Herbert Grönemeyer hops and prances about the stage and gives tens of thousands of fans two hours of entertainment, night after night.
For his latest tour, creatives Gunther Hecker and Rob Sinclair (Peter Gabriel, Madonna, etc.) designed an impressive stage, including a footbridge and B stage. Hecker, who has been part of Grönemeyer’s design team for years, staged this with a lighting rig that included over 220 fixtures from GLP, including impression X5 and X5 IP Bars.
The general technical service provider for the tour was satis&fy AG, while airformance design created the decorative elements that characterised the stage design in lightweight construction.
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