Robe - Leaderboard - 27 Aug25 - Jan26
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USA - Avnu Alliance recently hosted an international plugfest in Boston, MA. Avnu members came together and tested their respective silicon platforms and products together. Tests included new additions to the TSN ‘toolbox’ such as the recent revision to 802.1AS (IEEE 802.1AS-2020). Learnings and results are informing further development of Avnu test plans.
The plugfest included four Avnu member silicon companies: Analog Devices, Intel, NXP Semiconductor, and Texas Instruments. Also present were companies with end devices using TSN, including professional AV companies Adamson Systems Engineering, L-Acoustics, and Meyer Sound, as well as test equipment supplier Keysight.
Members were able to connect their platforms and devices in different configurations following a plan that was structured prior to the event to ensure optimum coverage and use of the time. The mix o

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UAE - From October 2021 until March 2022, Expo 2020 in Dubai welcomed and hosted 192 participating countries to be a part of the journey. The long-awaited event was focused on ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ which was to be explored through the themes of sustainability, mobility and opportunity, with each of these themes having its own district.
In 2018, Woodroffe Bassett Design was approached to work as the lighting design consultant on Expo 2020 by Tareq Ghosheh, chief events and entertainment officer - events and entertainment. Adam Bassett (founding partner) led this process which quickly drew in a wider team of specialists from within the WBD family.
Simon Fraser, of Ptarmigan Integration, worked with Adam to provide technical systems design consultation. John Coman supported Adam through the design process as his associate.
The initial brief
ISE 2026 - Banner - Oct 2025

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Germany - d&b audiotechnik has been honoured as one of the top 100 most innovative, medium-sized companies in Germany. The TOP 100 award recognises innovative output and the innovation potential that lies within the company.
The assessment process judges small- and medium-sized enterprises for: innovation-friendly senior management, climate of innovation, innovative processes/organization, outward looking/open innovation, successful innovations and entrepreneurial response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"To what extent is a company focused on innovation? How consistently do its structures follow this goal? With TOP 100, we examine this," explains Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke, the scientific director of TOP 100. "The most innovative medium-sized companies receive the seal. It shows that they are excellently equipped to meet future challenges."
d&b, which employee

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Europe - Pixotope Technologies AS has acquired TrackMen, a provider of turnkey solutions and products in the field of 3D camera and object tracking.
Over the next several months, TrackMen solutions will be rebranded to become Pixotope Tracking whilst the whole TrackMen team will be integrated into the global Pixotope organisation, with Thorsten Mika and Hendrik Fehlis leading the team in Cologne where the acquired company is based.
“We are incredibly proud to announce the integration of TrackMen solutions into the Pixotope product portfolio,” says Marcus Brodersen, Pixotope CEO. “Camera tracking is reported as one of the major barriers to the adoption of virtual production. The native integration of TrackMen's powerful tracking into Pixotope's end-to-end VP solution will make Virtual Production accessible to more users by leveraging the technical expertise of Tra

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UK - disguise has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise Innovation for its excellence in extended reality (xR) and virtual production innovation.
disguise xR provided technology that allowed its user and partner community to continue delivering spectacular productions in a virtual setting.
First established in 1965, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the UK. The awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses which are leading the way with pioneering products or services.
The award comes two years after disguise xR’s first major application by disguise partner and xR pioneers XR Studios, for Katy Perry’s memorable performance at the American Idol 2020 finale. Since then, the demand and potential of xR has ‘skyrocketed’, in response disguise have accelerated their business towa

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UK - Remote followspot and performer tracking solutions manufacturer Follow-Me has announced a new partnership with entertainment technology distribution company, Entedi.
Stocking the complete range of Follow-Me products, Entedi will provide stock, demo systems, technical knowledge and sales experience for the UK and Republic of Ireland. Meanwhile, London-based Collaborative Creations will continue to provide business development, technical support and training for Follow-Me within the new structure with Entedi.
Marc van der Wel, Follow-Me general manager, explains: “With Entedi we add to our network a strong and proactive partner with a proven track record, further developing the crucial UK and Irish markets for us.”
Entedi MD, Cally Bacchus, adds: “Clients are looking for a remote control system which provides the reliability of a manual setup, with no

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UK - Hearing accessibility systems specialist Ampetronic has received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of the company’s sustained growth in international trade.
Employing 50 people, Ampetronic is based in Newark, Nottinghamshire, and has been trading since 1987. Its mission is to bring intelligible sound back into the lives of people with hearing loss by improving the quality of installed hearing access equipment. The company produces a wide range of electronic products for hearing accessibility, primarily audio induction loop systems that can deliver sound direct to hearing aid users.
Julian Pieters, MD of Ampetronic, comments: “I am delighted Ampetronic has been recognised again with this important award. Particularly with the challenges of the last couple of years, we are proud to have sustained long-term strong growth in our export markets. It i

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World - Japanese transducer manufacturer Audio-Technica will mark its 60th anniversary this year with a series of events that will celebrate A-T’s commitment to analogue sound.
Company founder Hideo Matsushita developed the first AT-1 cartridge on 17 April 1962 with the aim to bring the warmth of analogue listening to a wider audience. He was inspired by the depth of emotion he witnessed at vinyl listening sessions organised during his tenure at the Bridgestone Museum of Arts in Tokyo.
The success of the AT-1 and the AT-3 enabled him to expand the business, opening an HQ in Machida, where the company continues to operate today.
In 1974, Audio-Technica started producing headphones, adding microphones in 1978. When Kazuo Matsushita, son of Hideo, became president in 1993, the business continued to expand, opening offices throughout the world and developing produ

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Mandela Musical - A new musical about Nelson Mandela has been announced as part of the Young Vic’s summer to autumn season. The London theatre has also announced a series of events called Taking Part 25 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the theatre’s engagement programme.
Mandela, which tells the story of the South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, will run from 28 November to 4 February. It has a book by Laiona Michelle, music and lyrics by Greg Dean Borowsky and Shaun Borowsky, and is directed by Schele Williams with choreography by Gregory Maqoma. The musical has been developed in partnership with Nandi Mandela, Luvuyo Madasa and the Mandela family.
Family Matters - The final four dates of The Addams Family UK tour have been cancelled, with producers blaming the ongoing impact of Covid-19. The musical is still due to visi

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UK Lighting and rigging supplier TSL has added 32 of Martin’s new VDO Atomic Bold hybrid creative LED fixtures to their rental inventory. TSL is the first rental house in the UK to do so, according to the manufacturer’s UK distributor, Sound Technology.
The Martin VDO Atomic Bold is a versatile creative LED hybrid fixture and the newest addition to the VDO Atomic family. It includes a wide range of functionality to support a myriad of applications and can be used as an audience blinder, strobe light, creative LED pixel-mapping surface, eye-candy effect light and stage wash - all in a single, compact fixture.
Including many of the benefits that made its sibling, the VDO Atomic Dot a popular hybrid fixture, the VDO Atomic Bold retains the same interlocking mechanics, same cabling and a similar look but is a larger fixture with higher, full colour output to offer li

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UK - In preparation for the upcoming summer season, Adlib has increased its rental inventory of Harman's JBL Professional VTX A Series line array system, with an additional investment in more VTX A12 line array elements, together with B28 subwoofers and Crown V-Rack power. All have been supplied by Harman’s UK distributor, Sound Technology.
Specifically, an additional 16 x VTX A12 dual 12” line array elements takes Adlib's A12 inventory to 64 boxes, with 24 of the new B28 dual 18” subs. The investment also includes additional Crown VRacks comprising Crown iTechHD 3x3500HD power amplifiers.
Adlib's original investment in JBL VTX A Series came in early 2020 - shortly before the pandemic struck the UK. Speaking at the time of that original decision, Adlib's Dave Jones comments: “The (JBL) platform has moved forward considerably in terms of the mechanical aspect,

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UK - Digital specialist Stabal Media has launched a new film recording studio and performance venue in London that the company says is carbon neutral.
The Stabal Studio is based in converted 250 year-old barns that have been re-purposed with music and sustainability in mind, reusing all of the original building material and structure in the process.
Eco-friendly strategies help the studios to be carbon neutral. The heating system works sustainably with geothermal energy and electricity which is generated by ground and air source heat. Productions being made in the studio complex are adopting the concept of sustainability. Stabal Studio has invested in its own kitchen garden and offers carbon calculator reports for all recordings and events.
The facility forms part of Stabal Media’s wider vision to promote sustainability within the entertainment industry. In 20

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UK - Leading lighting design and rental house Siyan has invested in additional rental stock of Martin by Harman’s creative LED family of products, supplied by Martin's UK distributor Sound Technology.
With an existing large rental inventory of Martin VDO Atomic Dots and VDO Sceptron, Siyan’s stock has been expanded with the addition of a large quantity of Martin’s VDO Fatron fixtures plus 50 new MAC Aura PXL moving heads.
Tom Grant, business director, Siyan, commented, “With its large face, high output and selection of versatile internal FX, the MAC Aura PXL fixture fits perfectly into our inventory alongside our stock of other LED wash fixtures and suits a wide range of applications across our core markets - concert touring, festivals and events.”
The MAC Aura PXLs have already been in action with Siyan supplying The Kooks UK Tour 2022, where the PXLs

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Canada - The Screen Industries Research and Training (SIRT) Centre at Sheridan College is one of Canada’s leading Technology Access Centres (TAC), dedicated to research, applied learning, and innovation in the screen industries. Located at Pinewood Toronto Studios in the heart of the city’s entertainment district, SIRT is a premier destination for film, television, and gaming professionals to test and validate emerging technologies and new workflows.
One of SIRT’s main roles in the industry is to explore emerging trends to encourage innovation and technological advancement. For the past several years, SIRT has been prioritizing virtual production for film and television, working with some of the country’s top studios including Pixomondo and Spin VFX on research and validation. A key area of focus is on in-camera visual effects for productions filmed in LED volumes.

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UK - Lighting rental and production management company, Limelite Lighting has become one of the first in the UK to take stock of Claypaky’s new Tambora batten.
Matthew Mountier, director at Limelite Lighting comments, “We have recently purchased the new Claypaky Tambora Batten to replace our outgoing LED battens. As a dry hire and production supplier for TV, events and theatre, we needed a product that was adaptable for a range of applications and that offered creative possibilities.
“We knew we wanted an LED batten that had dynamic pixel mapping and motorised movement. Having extensively researched various batten products by comparing the specs, costs, and availability, we decided the Claypaky Tambora Batten was the most attractive option for us.
“So far we are delighted with our decision, and we are already receiving positive feedback from lighting d

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Olivier Awards - A stage adaptation of Life of Pi and a revival of the musical Cabaret were the big winners at last Sunday's Olivier Awards. It was a celebratory night for theatre at the Royal Albert Hall as the stage industry celebrated a year in which performances resumed after lockdown.
Cabaret stars Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley won acting prizes while the show was named best musical revival. Life of Pi, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel, was named best new play and scooped several technical prizes. Cabaret's success at the first Olivier ceremony since 2020 follows a sell-out run for the show which saw London's Playhouse Theatre transformed into the Kit Kat Club.
Best set design went to Tim Hatley for Design and Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell for the puppets for Life of Pi; Best lighting design was awarded to Tim

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UK Leading lighting supplier Neg Earth Lights havs made a significant investment in Martin’s new MAC Aura PXL multi-source LED wash with the addition of 100 units to their rental inventory, supplied by Martin UK distributor Sound Technology.
The Martin MAC Aura PXL is a workhorse LED wash light capable of multiple source pixel-mapping. Its 141 Aura backlight pixels and 19 main beam pixels are all independently controllable. In addition to DMX, Art-Net and sACN, the fixture can be controlled by Martin´s P3 protocol for setup and programming and allows a rig of fixtures to deliver cohesive content that blends together with video content on panels or creative LED products. You can blend seamlessly between console and media input sources via the P3 mix channel.
The MAC Aura PXL's new attractive facia and an increased output of the Aura backlight allows the PXL to creat

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Europe - Prolight Concepts Group has added Robolights IWB components to its product portfolio. These modular installation solutions are now in stock and ready to ship directly from the Prolight warehouse.
The new addition “bolsters our product offering in the stage, theatre and installation sectors”, says Prolight.
Robolights’ Julian Baycock comments: “Robolights are delighted that Prolight will be distributing our products, their ethos of holding stock on the shelf for same day dispatch allows installers to access the product range without delay.”

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Canada - German audio network and interconnectivity specialist DirectOut Technologies has appointed Contact Distribution as its Canadian distributor.
Jan Ehrlich, CEO and sales director of DirectOu, explains the decision. “Our clients, designers and users as well as our engineers, support staff and products all strive to offer the absolute best in the audio industry,” he says. “Our global partners carry on that ideal and Contact’s 34-year history of servicing the top of the North American pro audio and broadcast industries is a perfect match. Contact’s expertise in digital audio networks and fibre-based solutions is exemplary and the ideal basis to take Prodigy and our entire portfolio to the markets they were created for.”
Bill Coons, director of Contact, adds: “DirectOut products and the people behind the brand are in the rarified air where very few ma

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UK - Dry Hire Lighting, a rental specialist based in High Wycombe, has seen an uptick in business as the industry starts returning post pandemic, all positive news which has fuelled a recent investment in five Robe RoboSpot remote follow systems and 32 Robe Spiider LED wash beams.
The company is seeing a demand for various Robe products, reports business development director Rael Hancock, who joined the company September 2019.
“Spiiders are a ‘go-to’ fixture for so many scenarios,” comments Rael, and for the same reason, the RoboSpot investment was also seen as solid, and one of the most popular and user-friendly remote follow spotting solutions on the market.
“We’re driven by market demand and ROI. Additionally, the relationship we enjoy with Robe UK and the technical support is excellent - another major plus when considering an investment.”

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Germany - Adam Hall Group will be present at the Messe Frankfurt exhibition centre for Prolight + Sound 2022 from 26-29 April, with separate booths for its Cameo and LD Systems brands. These booths will showcase new products from Adam Hall Group’s extensive event technology portfolio. In addition to new Cameo fixtures for stage, theatre, architecture and broadcast usage, visitors can look forward to ‘a pioneering sound reinforcement solution from LD Systems’.
LD Systems comes to Prolight + Sound with one product. Just ONE product – and yet so much more! At its booth (located at Hall 11.0 #A21), the pro audio manufacturer will present the next milestone in its brand history: a scalable system that ‘sets new standards in user-friendliness and flexibility in the professional rental market’.
With the new OTOS H5, Cameo (Hall 12.1 #B24) is directly addressing t

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USA/UK - ESTA and PLASA have announced the release of an updated Version 2.0 of the International Code of Practice for Entertainment Rigging (ICOPER), which is available as a free download at www.esta.org/icoper or www.plasa.org/icoper.
Submissions from the international rigging community were received in response to a call for comments in late 2021. The document’s authors, Nick Barnfield (New Zealand), Tiny Good (Australia), Chris Higgs (UK), Ed Kish (United States), Bill Sapsis (United States), and Roy Schilderman (The Netherlands) praised the commentors for their thoughtful consideration and the obvious expertise they brought to the task.
Chris Higgs notes, “Each comment was discussed at length in our zoom calls, which were facilitated by Lori Rubinstein from ESTA. Some comments acted as a catalyst, causing us to rethink and rewrite the language in the code, wh

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USA - This week, Main Light officially opened its new facility in Nashville. The new 70,000 sq.ft. Main Light, South shop - under the direction of Main Light CEO, Randy Mullican - is located at 12630 Old Hickory Blvd, Antioch, TN. Locally, Main Light, South will be led by account executive Cathie Berbena Lloyd and operations manager Jim Gregory. This new facility is the company's third location, joining Main Light, East in Wilmington, DE and Main Light, West in Las Vegas.
Berbena Lloyd was a long-time client of Main Light over the years. On the opening, Berbena Lloyd wants Main Light’s clients to know that “we are all about customer service and that having clients taken care of as efficiently as possible is our prime directive at Main Light. We understand that our customer partners are putting their trust in us, and we always want to deliver in the best way possible.”

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UK - The Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers wound up its 20th Anniversary ISCVEx event at Coombe Abbey Hotel and Country Park near Coventry on 23 March.
Held annually by the Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers, ISCVEx is open to members and non-members and is a mixed programme including a manufacturers and distributors exhibition, networking and seminars events.
The programme is preceded by ISCVE's annual general meeting and members’ day on which this year saw the appointments of Neil Voce as president and Jim Smith as vice-president of the Institute, both for a term of three years.
The members’ day this year also included a seminar from guest speakers Dr Mike Edwards and Mr Harry Coade of Sound Matters, titled Listening, for a better world: using sound, and the art of listening, to create a brighter future. Th
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