UK - With just six weeks to go, PLASA Show has announced the first wave of programme sessions, which include global brands and eminent thought-leaders from across the entertainment technology industry.
Taking place in Olympia London’s Grand Hall from 3-5 September, the show will feature 70+ keynote talks, panel discussions, live demonstrations, and practical training sessions - all of which are free to attend with an entry badge.
Lighting designer Tim Routledge will present his creative vision for lighting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in the UK. Ahead of his session, Tim comments: “I'm thrilled to be able to talk at the PLASA Show this year, and to share the journey my team and I had to create Eurovision 2023's monster show. It was a dream come true for me and an experience I will never forget. I hope that the story I tell will inspire others

Portugal - Europalco delivered a memorable event using Kuka robots for the truck and bus manufacturer Fuso to unveil the new eCanter, a light truck 100% electric. Prime Minister António Costa, Secretary of State for the Economy Pedro Cilínio, and company representatives were among the 150 guests.
Team4 relied on Europalco to organise the one-day event at Fuso's manufacturing plant in Tramagal, Portugal. It took two days and 20 dedicated audiovisual and structural technicians to assemble and programme an event that marked the commencement of the manufacturing of the new Fuso truck.
The Lisbon-based provider was responsible for the scenery, stage, audiovisual, automatic controls, and furniture. Europalco built an 8x4m LED wall that displayed the opening reel of the event.
For the unveiling of Fuso's new truck, Europalco designed a show to reflect modernity, nove

USA - Everything looks better in colourful light, even something as remarkably beautiful as a world-famous tourist attraction that draws some 34m visitors a year. LD Systems demonstrated that recently when it transformed the city of San Antonio into a glittering field of brightness and colour for the US Travel Association’s IPW 23 Visit San Antonio event.
Using large format video and lighting systems, the company worked its magic at 12 different locations throughout San Antonio from the Alamo Plaza to the city’s famed River Walk, which was recently named one of the five most beautiful sites in the USA.
From the diverse array of imaginative gobos that brought depth and life to familiar sites and walkways, to bold aerials that animated the sky overhead, to uplighting that colorised the sides of tall buildings, the LD Systems design added extra sparkle to the city fo

UK - Pearce Hire has announced the opening of its new warehouse in Peterborough. The new facility aims to streamline workflows and enhance the quality of services provided.
Located in the heart of Peterborough, the expansion from 17,000 to around 27,000sq.ft of floor space will not only help the business to grow upon its already extensive inventory of lighting, sound, video and rigging equipment, as well as its staging and power distribution systems but also offer more space to prepare and process equipment for different departments.
As projects started to increase after the COVID pandemic, it became evident that Pearce Hire began to run out of space. From storing, to manoeuvring and maintaining equipment, more space was needed to prevent staff from working longer hours, which in time, could have increased the risk of mistakes.
Designed from the ground up, this

Serbia - Founded in Belgrade in 2004, Lexington Band has played hundreds of concerts across the country throughout their nearly two-decade-long career, cultivating a large community of passionate fans. The group reached the height of their success with a massive concert at Stark Arena in March 2020, captivating an audience of 20,000 people.
As their popularity and concert attendance grew, the band’s members became increasingly interested in advanced audio equipment and its impact on sound quality. In pursuit of the ideal solution to meet their on-stage requirements and enable audiences to fully appreciate their music, they decided to invest in a Waves-enabled DiGiCo SD11 mixing console.
AVL Projekt, the DiGiCo’s Serbian distributor, was engaged to offer support and invited the band to visit their demo space in Novi Sad, where audio engineer Dragoslav Beljin, who ha

Japan - After cancellations had been imposed on Japanese outdoor festivals with the outbreak of COVID-19 - followed by restrictions (including masks to be worn) - finally this year all regulations were lifted, and large-scale rock festivals returned to the annual calendar.
Japan Jam 2023 was no exception. The event is held over Japan’s Golden Week holidays and sets out to honour the best rock music performed by domestic musicians. Artists are drawn from alternative, indie, metal and other rock music genres, and this year the festival saw a record number of participants.
But Chiba City Soga Sports Park, where Japan Jam takes place, is surrounded by heavily populated residential and commercial areas. And so with the lifting of restrictions, and requirement for a higher SPL to be reinstated, emphasis needed to be placed on tight noise control, to prevent sound from esca

Czech Republic - Sound Kitchen, now in its 15th year, recently took place as part of the Prague Quadrennial 2023. Held every four years - as its name suggests -the Prague Quadrennial is an international festival of theatre and stage design that celebrates the diversity of all theatre arts in a holistic and interactive way.
Sound Kitchen, as part of PQ2023, provides an opportunity for the audio-curious to perform their work and exchange ideas in an experimental and experiential, multichannel and immersive environment.
The collaborative exploration project is organised and co-curated by sound designer, Peter Rice, and Out Board’s Robin Whitaker, with support from a selected team of international sound designers, engineers and artists, as well as manufacturers, committed to the highest quality audio reproduction.
Invited to join the fold for this year’s Sound Ki

Japan - Inspired by Shogakukan’s NEO series of picture books, the Zukan Museum Ginza in Tokyo is described as an ‘experience-based facility’ that fuses the digital and the real. Zukan Museum offers an immersive and interactive journey to discover the natural world beyond time and space. Over 100 Genelec loudspeakers combined with cutting edge video technology help drive the experience where natural environments of forests and water are seamlessly connected for a magical journey through the world of living things.
"The museum faithfully recreates the ecosystem of the natural world, with different creatures appearing in each area, such as the forest, savanna, underwater, etc., where the act of observing and recording the creatures is interactive. For example, if you get too close to a creature, it will be startled and run away," explains Mr. Jun Fujiwara of invisi Ltd, w

Albania - Prolights fixtures created an enchanting atmosphere during the grand finale of Muza competition 2023. The project, conceived by the Union of Albanian Municipalities, aims to inspire young enthusiasts and professionals to ‘revive ethnographic elements in the world of fashion design’.
The grand finale, held in Tirana, brought together the different Albanian-speaking sectors, who showcased their extraordinary collections in a show that mesmerised the attendees. The event not only celebrated Albania's rich cultural heritage but also recognised the exceptional talent of its up-and-coming fashion designers.
ASLV Albania designed and created the lighting for this event and relied on ASLV, Prolights distributor in the area in an event organized by Kuadr Events.
The lighting system used for the grand finale featured the following range of Prolights fixtures

USA - American rockers Fall Out Boy released their first new album in five years in March, So Much (For) Stardust, and then kicked off their So Much For (Tour) Dust tour in style on 21 June, playing a 27-song set at a packed Wrigley Field. Lighting design is by Connor Sullivan of So Midwest, who is using Elation’s new Fuze Wash 500 on his tour design, along with Prisma Wash 100 lights from Magmatic effects. Lighting supply is by Upstaging.
The new album has been described as 'cinematic' and the tour’s creative directors Amber Rimell & Bronski of Tawbox, along with Connor, talked about doing something for the tour that was more storytelling and theatrical. The entire point, says Connor, just like the new album, “was to show separation and difference while also showing balance. We have our outward sides that we show the world and our inside that we keep

UK - HIVE has forged a strategic partnership with live experience and entertainment campus, Production Park. This partnership is based on the shared future visions of HIVE and Production Park - innovative technology with a reduced carbon footprint that is disruptive to the marketplace. Additionally, through this partnership, HIVE now has access to capital to support its growth and product roadmap.
HIVE and Production Park’s partnership will continue to strengthen through the sponsorship of HIVE products within Production Park studios & classrooms, whilst Kane Sargent, an ex-student of Backstage Academy at Production Park, has joined the HIVE team as a full-time support engineer.
“Production Park is where the industry comes together, and we’re thrilled that our technology has a place there,” remarks Mark Calvert, co-founder at HIVE. “It’s also important

World - Wharfedale Pro has recently hosted a range of training and education courses aimed at its global network of distributors. With partnerships in 88 countries worldwide, Wharfedale Pro believes in the importance of offering these trainings to ensure brand consistency and promote better deployment of its system solutions.
Over the past six months, along with many remote online sessions Wharfedale Pro has hosted in-person distributor training events in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, the Netherlands and Japan.
“It is important that we share our experience as a manufacturer and create an open and trusting relationship with customers,” explains Alex Lane, applications & solutions manager at Wharfedale Pro. “Training seminars are a fantastic platform to build relationships and learn from each other, as well as a tool for inspiring creative ideas.”

Philippines - Renkus-Heinz today has announced its partnership with AV distributor Qorsys AV Technologies to bring the Sound Solution to the Philippines.
Established in 2019 and based in Manila, Qorsys is a respected AV distributor that works to bring well-known AV brands to its customers throughout the Philippines.
“The Qorsys - Renkus-Heinz partnership is a natural fit, given our goal of becoming a well-rounded AV-centric distributor,” said Qorsys general manager, Ramon Borja. “Renkus-Heinz complements the other brands that we offer and allows us to enter into the high-performance and acoustically-sensitive environment markets.
“We view Renkus-Heinz as the leader in beam-steering technology, which no other brand can equal in terms of performance and reliability.
“Qorsys is purely a distribution organisation. This allows us to work with various

UK - At this year’s KartFest, the Village Fete saw Backup launch Are You OK?, a campaign aimed at raising further awareness of mental health throughout the technical entertainment industry.
Founded in the early 2000’s to provide financial support to technical professionals across sectors such as concert, live events, theatre, TV and film, Backup expanded its remit during the pandemic and has adapted its services to support colleagues not just potential facing financial hardship from physical illness, but their mental health and wellbeing.
The annual KartFest has been the most prominent and successful of Backup’s fundraising activities, bringing together karting fans and spectators alike to enjoy a fun-filled day, with this year’s Village Fete theme adding much to the enjoyment whilst raising money and much-needed awareness of their cause. Around 70% of the tech

Anti-War Revival - A revival of Oh What a Lovely War will mark the 60th anniversary of Joan Littlewood’s anti-war musical as it tours nationally from September. Produced by Blackeyed Theatre, the run will include three weeks at Southwark Playhouse Borough. It stars Christopher Arkeston, Rose Bruford graduate Tom Crabtree, Harry Curley, and Alice E Mayer.
The production is directed by Nicky Allpress with musical direction by Ellie Verkerk and movement direction by Adam Haigh. Allpress said: “I’m so thrilled to be directing this unique piece of theatrical history, having followed Blackeyed Theatre and their extraordinary work for many years.
“One of the most exciting things about Oh What a Lovely War is how universal, timeless, and ever relevant it is, and testament to the brilliance of the work is how it can bear endless reinterpretation. Our con

UK - Tateside, provider of technology solutions, has announced the launch of its Managed Services solution, which will offer ‘AV as a service’ (AVaaS) to businesses across various sectors. With a focus on optimising the client experience whilst meeting evolving market demands, Managed Services will provide both new and existing clients with comprehensive technology packages that cover the entire system lifecycle, from design and deployment through to long-term maintenance.
AV and IT as a service have gained significant traction in recent years. These services allow clients to purchase hardware, software, and support on a contract-based service, often minimising or eliminating upfront costs. Tateside’s Managed Services include full system design, installation, and maintenance by the London-based support team throughout the duration of an agreed contract term, which can

Italy - Meet Music Festival is an annual musical artists competition created by DJ producer, Luca Guerrieri who is also founder of Claps Records and DVS Records. Luca created Meet Music Festival with the goal of giving the opportunity for young talents, DJs, and some not yet established artists to perform in a real professional experience.
This year’s two-day event was held in Follonica at Casello Hydraulico and had six sponsors including Red Bull, Sounder, and premium loudspeaker brand, 1 Sound.
At this year’s Meet Music Festival, there were four contests in collaboration with Red Bull, Grey Cat Jazz Festival, Claps Records & Tartara and Higher Sound & Follsonica that highlighted four different genres of music, from deep house to Hip Hop and Trap. The jury was made up of professionals such as Renato Tanchis (A&R Sony Music) and Pierangelo Mauri (histor

USA - Martin Audio US has announced a two-day training workshop, specifically designed to familiarise customers and partners with the art of line array optimisation. This is achieved using its proprietary DISPLAY system design and prediction software, and associated Vu-Net control and monitoring software first introduced to provide advanced and unique control of its MLA multi-cellular PA.
The event will take place at the HQ of event technology specialists, Alford Media, 296 Freeport Pkwy, Coppell, TX 75019 on 3-4 August.
Supporting both MLA, the latest Wavefront Precision optimised line array systems and Torus constant curvature arrays, the course is aimed at everyone involved in design or deploying these systems. Attendees are promised in-depth training in system design, optimisation software, rigging and control - as well as refreshments throughout.
According t

USA - Kentucky is bourbon country, and no one takes that more to heart than the people behind Maker’s Mark. Their distillery on Star Hill Farm features an AV system driven by Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional.
The Maker’s Mark staff wanted to ensure their facilities reflect the world-class quality of the bourbon they produce. When retrofitting an employee break room next to the bottling lines, they contacted Alex Peake, project manager for JCA Media, to help equip the room’s AV system. “Their goal was to have background music playing all the time, except during meetings and presentations,” said Peake. “They wanted to be able to walk in, plug in their laptop, hit the presentation preset on the touchscreen, and go. Then hit a different pre-set at the end of the meeting to reset the room. And that’s exactly what we did.”
The background music

Europe - It’s been a busy year so far for lighting designer Tim Routledge, including crafting the production lighting design for Helene Fischer’s new LIVE 2023 arena tour collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, which is playing to sold out audiences across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland until the autumn, presenting an energetic collage of a 360° production, seat-edge acrobatics, and musical performance.
Cirque’s creative team led by Marie-Helen Delage approached Tim to work alongside show director Genevieve Dorion-Coupal and set designer Bruce Rodgers on this ambitious production.
The lighting rig utilises 56 x Robe iFortes, nine running on RoboSpot systems plus 116 x Robe Spiider LED wash beam moving lights, together with many other luminaires, all supplied by Solotech out of the UK.
Lighting director on the road for this fusion of circus, theatre

France - The Festival d'Avignon, an established international event for contemporary performing arts, has chosen Holophonix and Amadeus to re-equip the main presentation area at the festival, the Courtyard of Honour at the Palace of the Popes.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a venue for the Festival d'Avignon since 1947, the Courtyard of Honour had a major stage upgrade including technical infrastructure, a new 2000-seat bleacher area, a new stage, and new audio, video, and lighting equipment installed in 2021 - only the sixth renovation project since the Festival was founded decades ago.
“Under the growing influence of cinema, the work of actors on theatre stages has evolved considerably over the past 50 or 60 years. But if the actors are now almost always equipped with microphones, are we - as spectators - obliged to suffer the sound of voices whose depth, and sp

South Africa - Sennheiser South Africa recently concluded a series of successful technology workshops across South Africa and Namibia. The workshops took place in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Windhoek and aimed to educate customers and end-users about the transition from analogue to digital systems whilst highlighting the latest product developments from Sennheiser's digital wireless range.
The workshops catered to a broad audience, including rental and staging companies, sound engineers, theatre designers, production companies and AV professionals from the house of worship, higher education, corporate and hospitality sectors.
The events, led by industry expert and Sennheiser GmbH technical application engineer, Jonas Næsby, provided hands-on experience with Sennheiser products and a chance to connect with other industry professionals from across the region. Further, a

UK - Midwich has published its pre-close trading statement for the six months ended 30 June 2023, which includes the announcement of the acquisition of HHB Communications Holdings (HHB), a long-established supplier of specialist professional audio equipment, content creation products, and music technology.
Representing manufacturers such as RØDE, Genelec, and AVID from its three London locations, HHB joining the Group further develops Midwich’s offering in the strategically important broadcast, media, and entertainment markets.
Founded in 1976 and with 55 employees, HHB has built a name for itself in the broadcasting, media and entertainment market and has supported many notable postproduction facilities, film, gaming, recording studios, and broadcasters with its products used by the likes of Warner Brothers, BBC, Sky and Pinewood Studios.
Mark Lowe, managing

Turkey - Prolights Air 5Fans impressed the audience of the Hep Yeni Kal music festival with the performance of Mabel Matiz, a songwriter and pop musician who has quickly established herself as a major player in the Turkish and international music scene.
The festival took place at of Küçükçiftlik Park in Istanbul where Imagine Dragons, Elton John, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and Lana Del Rey have played.
Prolights Turkish distributor, Modern Elektronik, supplied Prolights devices to rental company SOLID Technical, the system integrator at Küçükçiftlik Park. In collaboration with the event planning agency Epifoni Events and the lighting designer Sinan Akbaş, a customised lighting system was designed and installed for the event.
For the stage lighting during the Mabel Matiz concert, a total of 48 Prolights Air 5Fan were used: half of the projectors were positi

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