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UK - The PLASA 2012 free registration offer ends in just under 48 hours! Over 9,000 people have taken advantage of the free registration offer for this year's PLASA 2012, taking place at Earls Court in London from 9 - 12 September. Register before midnight on the 29th February and save £20 on the standard ticket price.

All previous PLASA Show visitors have been sent this special offer via email, and free registration for new visitors is live at www.plasashow.com

(Claire Beeson)

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South Africa / UK - Two female members of the South African Roadies Association (SARA); Nomsa Ndlovu (26) from Zola, Soweto and Nonhlanhla Bonongo (28) from Emdeni, Soweto - will join SARA president Freddie Nyathela in attending The National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural (NSA) Annual Industry Conference 2012, which takes place at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester on 6-7 March 2012.

The Conference will bring together professionals from the Creative and Cultural industries from all over the UK, to discuss how to work better in collaboration with young people and education, and explore the real return on investment in skills, and what impact this is having on the sector. John Hayes MP (Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning) will be the keynote speaker, and he will be joined by some of the most influential figures from the creative and cultural se

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UK - Black Light reports that it has significantly expanded the storage and warehouse capacity at its West Shore headquarters in Edinburgh by 50%. This move will allow the company to enhance its hire and sales stock and will boost its capacity to serve its customers.

"This exciting development shows that we are really bucking the current economic trend and growing strongly," says Black Lights head of company development, Phil Haldane. "This is all part of our push to continually improve our service delivery, while still keeping the company friendly and approachable. We are really excited at the new opportunities this opens up for us."

The expansion will see the company move into a third unit at the West Shore Trading Estate, where it has been located for the past two years. The new premises comprise over 4,500sq.ft of warehousing and will give the company a

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Qatar - Three TV studio tents were installed by TechnoPro llc, with lighting equipment from PR Lighting and trussing from Litec for Doha TV, for the Qatar National Day 2011 celebrations at Darb-a-Saai, Doha.

As the National Day TV channel, Doha TV took up its makeshift studios in Darb-a-Saai which were used to broadcast a special set of programmes, by hosting individuals who had significant roles in Darb-a-Saai activities.

They constructed the high impact lighting rig around 22 x PR Lighting XL 1200 spots, 20 x PR Lighting XL700's, and 46 x PR XLED 590 (each head containing 90 powerful LED's).

TechnoPro, one of the major suppliers for Qatar National Day, has been servicing the technical needs of the Qatar National Day Organising Committee for three consecutive years now. This includes professional LED screens, lighting equipment, audio equipment, truss structures and power d

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UK - Lighting and sound rental company Entec supplied lighting production for three high profile shows at London Fashion Week - Paul Smith, Mulberry and Moschino. A projection system and media server was also provided for Paul Smith, and all three projects were once again managed for Entec by Adam Stevenson.

Paul Smith featured the largest lighting rig and was the biggest space, staged in the Lawrence Hall of the Royal Horticultural Halls in Victoria, central London. It also accommodated one of the largest audiences of the whole event. Entec has supplied lighting for Paul Smith's LFW shows for at least the last eight years, working with several different lighting designers in the process.

Lec Croft was Paul Smith's LD for this season (and also last), who has an illustrious LFW history dating back to the late 1980s. The creative brief this time continued on from the summer coll

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Australia - Newcastle's Ausgrid Stadium (formerly Energy Australia Stadium), home to the Newcastle Knights, has undergone a dramatic facelift with the redevelopment of the Western Grandstand. This facility provides Newcastle and the Hunter Valley with a sporting facility to rival any across the country.

The Stadium boasts yet another stadium audio system, designed and implemented by The PA People, using the proven formula of JBL Application Engineered loudspeakers with weatherised treatment for external use (WRX) as well as JBL Control Contractor 29AV and 25AV products. All speakers are driven by Crown CTS amplifiers fitted with the latest Crown DSP card - Crown IQ PIPUSP4/CN. Overlay processing and control is via BSS London BLU systems.

Loudspeakers for the stands consist of six clusters of spaced elements mounted close to the leading edge of the roof and a quantity of fill-s

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Belgium - LumenRadio was recently part of the celebration of Belgian city Turnhout's historic water tower and its status as the 2012 Culture City of Flanders.

Brick water towers used to increase water pressure were once a common sight in lower laying areas of Belgium, but Turnhout's massive 38m high tower is now the only one of its kind remaining in the entire Flemish region of the country. The tower was granted landmark status in 1987 and has become a visual focal point for this city located about half way between Antwerp in Belgium and Eindhoven in Holland.

Philips has more than 1,700 employees in Turnhout and its headquarter is located in Eindhoven about 40km away. As gold sponsor of Turnhout's status as 2012 Culture City of Flanders they enthusiastically embraced the idea to make the tower, with its central downtown location, into a colorful beacon and anchor site for the

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France - Games developer Electronic Arts (EA) has been using DPA 4061 miniature omnidirectional microphones for foreign dialogue recordings for its Battlefield 3 title.

"Part of our job consists of taking over and overseeing the foreign dialogue recordings for most of the games published by EA," explains Fernando San Nicolas Serrano, from EA's Central Development Services in Madrid. "We've recently been using the DPA 4061 on dialogue recordings for Battlefield 3 in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Russian and Japanese.

"The DPA 4061 was our first choice for the motion capture scenes dubbing, recreating as much as possible what was done on the mocap stage in the original version, with the 4061 mounted on the talent's forehead. We were striving to improve the quality of the actors' performances by allowing them to move more freely, inst

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UK - Backstage Academy has announced the last few remaining places on its Stage Pyrotechnics course on Monday 5 March.

The one-day course is one of a few approved by The Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians and completion of the course will assist with membership of the association, by allowing one year's free membership upon joining.

The course, which provides an overview of different pyrotechnic devices, their uses and the relevant health and safety, is delivered at Backstage Academy in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The day culminates in students helping to produce a pyrotechnics display in the LS-Live studio, a 17,500sq.ft space that is normally used for the production rehearsals of internationally recognised touring artists.

Backstage Academy will also be running the following courses in March: ProTools 101 course - 5 March; Vivien Basic - 15 March; Vivien Advanced - 16 Mar

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Germany - Over 200 Robe moving lights were used by lighting designer Manuel da Costa on the first series of the Voice of Germany (VOG) reality talent competition, recorded at Studio Berlin and produced by Schwartzkopff TV.

Da Costa needed a lighting rig that would give him ultimate flexibility, and again chose Robe to be at the core of this, based on his past successful experiences with the brand.

The 98 ColorSpot 1200E ATs were the backbone of the system. These, together with 98 ColorSpot 2500E ATs, 31 ColorWash 1200E ATs and 16 ColorBeam 2500E ATs were all picked for their intensity and power.

"The reliability, light output and colour are excellent." he states, "The movement is also really quick and I really like the smooth dimming of the ColorSpots."

While the ColorSpots picked out the set architecture, the Washes functioned as audience back-l

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South Africa - With no fewer than 24 channels, SuperSport, a subsidiary of the MIH Group, is the leading sports broadcaster on the African continent. Its programming, which can also be seen in neighboring sub-Saharan countries, includes sporting events from all over the world, broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To meet not only the present but also the future expectations of its viewers, SuperSport recently invested in a new HD outside broadcast truck: the OB6HD, a high-end vehicle in every respect and one with exceptional capabilities, thanks to the lavish array of high-tech equipment on board, not least among which are its 28 high definition cameras. The design and implementation of the installation was the work of Sony PSE (Professional Solutions Europe) at their premises in Basingstoke (UK). SuperSport's new reference vehicle will be used primarily for the live tra

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Germany - Peavey Electronics is teaming up with Martin Professional to sponsor the popular Agora Stage at this year's Musikmesse in Frankfurt (21-24). Peavey and Martin will be providing a complete audio and lighting setup for both Agora stages during the entire four-day trade fair.

The Agora Stage, a large festival tent, is the exhibition's main performance space with live entertainment throughout the show. On Thursday evening, 22 March, Peavey and Martin will be holding a special Agora Stage event with entertainment including The Alex Skolnick Trio and the Peavey All Stars.

Peavey's commercial audio division will be supplying all the audio for the Agora Stage's setup, from the mixing desks to front-of-house PA and monitoring system. The gear that will be used includes the Peavey Versarray 212, which is powered by Crest Pro amplifiers and controlled using the companies Media

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UK - Matrix UK Solutions has announced its formation with Smile AV, the long-standing technical solutions company. Both companies recognised the change in market and client demand, with a need for their companies to supply a full spectrum of skills under one roof, Smile AV will now support Matrix with all their technical elements.

Jamie Gaskins, founder of Smile AV comments, "This is a fantastic opportunity for both businesses and our respective clients, we are now able to offer our clients a greater spectrum of skills and knowledge, which will in turn provides a more streamlined project."

Jamie Gaskins now forms an equal partnership with existing directors Matt Phillips and Grant Mitchell.

(Jim Evans)

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Arts Funding - Investment by businesses in the arts has dropped to its lowest level for seven years, despite a government drive to encourage philanthropy. Companies gave £134m in the financial year 2010/11, according to Arts and Business, which compiled the figures. That is £10m down on the previous year and the lowest since 2003/4. But overall investment in the arts, including money from private donors and trusts and foundations, rose by £28.5m to £686m, Arts and Business said. The charity, which aims to connect cultural organisations with donors, said individuals gave £382m in 2010/11, up £23m on the previous year. Investment from trusts and foundations rose from £155m to £170m.

Anarchy In The UK - The Sex Pistols have signed a record deal with Universal, it has been announced. An "expanded and repackaged edition"

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UK - The Clore Studio Upstairs is, as the name suggests, upstairs at the Royal Opera House. This versatile venue is used as both a ballet rehearsal studio and as a performance space in its own right with its own programme of workshops, events and small-scale performances for audiences of up to 200. It offers a 'laboratory' environment in which independent artists, small-scale companies and Opera House personnel can experiment and collaborate. An APG MX1 sound system has recently been installed by APG's UK sales partner, Red Square Audio.

RSA's Paul Nicholson explained that Martin Adams, head of sound at the Royal Opera House, had been looking for a solution for the Clore Studio for a while. "Martin wanted something that would deliver high quality speech and light music program material across the whole of the audience seating area, which occupies the full width of the room,

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UK - Chaos Visual Productions worked with the fashion glitterati, providing the LED screens and catwalk projection and effects for this years' London Fashion Week, and London Fashion Weekend, at Somerset House.

The 4.48m wide (Barco Olite) screen situated in the stunning neo-classical courtyard of Somerset House, showed live streaming from the catwalk shows and highlights from London Fashion Week events and interviews.

Chaos worked with Bacchus and other contractors to streamline the systems used to broadcast the catwalk shows from other locations on the main courtyard screen, "Last year we were faced with every catwalk show from all the other LFW locations bringing us the edited video of their show in a completely different format, sometimes we'd have bags full of USB's all holding different formats all needing to be uploaded and shown on the main screen straight away -

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USA - FocusTrack, the production lighting documentation system, and SpotTrack, its companion programme for recording followspot cues, have had a long involvement with the hit musical Billy Elliot in London, Australia, New York and on tour around the USA. Now that involvement is continuing with the new, faster-moving US 'tour 3' of the show.

Designed once again by Rick Fisher, working with associate LDs Dan Walker and Kristina Kloss, the new tour has downsized the rig in order to allow it to be set-up more quickly on that road while retaining the overall look that won Fisher a Tony Award for his work on the show in New York.

The adaptation to the new rig used FocusTrack as the reference point to previous productions: the software held a photographic record of every focus of every lamp in the show, and also every individual cue in the show. This information could instantl

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UK - Martin Audio is making its groundbreaking and award-winning Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) technology available to a wider range of touring and installed sound applications, in a smaller and lighter version, with the release of the new MLA Compact - formally launched during two days of demos for industry specialists at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo this month. This keenly anticipated system will make its world trade show debut at next month's Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt.

Incorporating the same principles that have made the MLA such a game-changer on the international touring circuit, MLA Compact delivers this cellular technology to a wider range of applications that do not require the full power and throw of the full-size MLA, or where a smaller, lighter system is required - such as medium-scale touring and fixed installations.

Director of sales, Simon Bull

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UK - At 6.51am on Monday, 23 January an artificial sun rose over Trafalgar Square in London- an hour before the first appearance of the real sun. Then once the real sunset at 4.33pm, the artificial one kept going for another three hours - giving Londoners a total of four extra hours of sunlight on the day that psychiatrists describe as 'blue Monday'.

The Trafalgar Sun was created by public art group Greyworld, in conjunction with Tropicana's Brighter Mornings campaign. The lighting equipment for this dramatic project was supplied by entertainment lighting specialist White Light, who also provided a demo/rehearsal space and equipment to the Greyworld team over the project's six-month development period.

As Greyworld's Andrew Shoben explains, that timescale included everything "from re-assuring Transport for London that the sun wouldn't blind taxi drivers in the area to the

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UK - On Friday 22 June a group of intrepid motorbike riders hailing from all sectors of the entertainment technology industry will set off from the Royal Albert Hall in London for a four-day open-air tour of England's green and pleasant A-Roads.

Their mission? To raise as much money as possible for industry charity The Theatrical Guild (TTG), the only charity dedicated to looking after the interests of backstage and Front of House personnel.

"2012 marks the third First Night Riders event and we're hoping to make it the most successful and fun ride yet," says organiser David Edelstein, who is a keen biker and managing director of stage engineering company Triple E. "It's important that we value the help charities like The Theatrical Guild provide. TTG is the only charity in the UK available to anyone who works, or has worked in theatre - backstage or front of hou

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Germany - LumenRadio recently helped to put some additional shimmer on the Thier-Galerie, a new upscale shopping and entertainment centre in Dortmund. Its sleek and elegant design, with a four-story glass covered house-within-a-house as an architectural centrepiece, has raised the bar for design and innovation in such public spaces.

When time came to add something special for Christmas the task to develop and implement a concept that could take the already glittering interior to the next level was given to Jens Graube from Straight Technical Solutions GmbH. No less than 8,000 super-sized golden Christmas ornaments would take centre stage and a compliment of designer Christmas trees and decorations would complete the picture. The entire installation was lit by an assortment of Litecraft AT3 LED and Robe Robin 300 LEDWash fixtures, all supplied by LMP, providing the necessary tool

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UK - IT & AV rental company DB Systems has achieved an ISO9001 accreditation following an audit by independent certification body ISOQAR. The ISO9001 accreditation means that DB has met internal standards for quality and that these standards meet internationally set guidelines.

DB's operations director, Mark Danvers, who led the project to get the accreditation, said, "The ISO9001 is recognised as a mark of quality, which we achieved following a rigorous independent, internal and external audit.

"DB has always been a rental company that strives to provide a first class service. The accreditation shows all our customers that we have a proven quality management system in place. It also demonstrates that we are committed to providing a quality service and willing to work towards improving efficiency.

"Additionally, I think this accreditation helps enhance our app

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Ireland - Production Services Ireland (PSI)'s Dublin branch kicked off 2012 with the supply of full lighting production, trussing and associated rigging for two high profile TV series - Take Me Out (Ireland) and Family Fortunes - both recorded at the Helix Theatre, Dublin City University.

Andrew Leonard, lighting designer for both shows worked closely with console programmer and live visuals operator Peter Canning from High Resolution Lighting. PSI's project manager was Ciaran Tallon, and it was the first time that Dublin and Belfast based PSI has been involved with either show.

The series producer was Billy McGrath, and the production company in both cases was Sideline Productions for TV3. Twenty episodes of both shows were shot in two two-week slots, with a two-day changeover in-between, and the sets for each production were designed by Anita Barrett.

For

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UK - After using two rented Yamaha M7CL digital mixing consoles on a trio of highly successful concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra last year, British songwriter extraordinaire Paul Carrack was so impressed that he and his production team felt it was time to move on from their existing analogue sound rig. They went straight out and purchased a pair.

Having recorded the album A Different Hat with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carrack squeezed the entire orchestra into the Royal College of Music's 400-capacity Britten Theatre for the sold-out concerts. Playing such intimate shows meant that space was at a premium, so a pair of Yamaha M7CL-48ES consoles was employed for mixing front of house and monitor sound.

"Because of the way we work, we like to carry our own audio system with us," says Carrack. "Previously we had an all-analogue rig, but w

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  2. CP Sound equips Dorsia with JBL
  3. New Technology Showcase at Central
  4. Kinesys appoints Danish distributor
  5. DBN control solution for Whitworth gallery
  6. European RDM and sACN Developers Conference and Plugfest
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