Robe - Leaderboard - 27 Aug25 - Jan26
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USA - ESTA has released six documents for public review on the TSP website. The publications are free to download and read, with comments due by 21 March.
E1.26, Entertainment Technology - Recommended Testing Methods and Values for Shock Absorption of Floors Used in Live Performance Venues sets out the energy absorption requirements for floors in venues used for live performances, and the methods for testing them. This document is to be used in conjunction with all applicable local building codes and requirements. The existing American National Standard is being considered for reaffirmation.
E1.36, Model Procedure for Permitting the Use of Tungsten-Halogen Incandescent Lamps and Stage and Studio Luminaires in Vendor Exhibit Booths in Convention

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USA - Organisers of the New World Rigging Symposium has announced the 2022 edition of the event will take place online on 5-7 April. The symposium will carry nine ETCP education renewal credits for re-certification, and the admission cost is $99.
“We’ve turned the table on the ever-popular session featuring some of the industry’s top structural engineers - Bill Gorlin, Dan Louis, Miriam Paschetto, and Jeff Reder,” say the organisers. “Instead of getting to ask your questions, they are going to tell you the things they want you to know. There was so much we’ve given them two sessions to cover subjects such as ballast, wind speeds, site safety, codes, AHJs and why things don't always stay the same.”
Paul Sapsis will walk attendees through a complicated custom flying system designed for a concert and DVD shoot at the Wembley Stadium - from concept to implem
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Belgium - ChamSys has grown its business in Benelux in recent years, with more programmers and designers choosing the company’s products for festivals like Reverze, as well as at clubs and on tours. In response to this demand, the company has joined forces with AVL, its long-time distributor in the region, to form ChamSys Benelux.
The ChamSys product line is now available for sale in Belgium directly from the company’s affiliate, Chauvet Europe BVBA (ChamSys Benelux). In the Netherlands, ChamSys will continue to be distributed by Aukes Theatretechniek, with the support of ChamSys Benelux behind them.
Industry figure Luc Buytaert of AVL has joined ChamSys Benelux and will be the primary contact point for the company in the region.

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Massive Losses - Commercial theatre companies including Ambassador Theatre Group and HQ Theatres have revealed losses they incurred to March 2021, with theatre closures leading to 90% falls in revenue in some instances. Cameron Mackintosh Limited suffered pre-tax losses of £16.2m to the end of March last year, with the company’s turnover tumbling to just £20.8m. This is down from £206.7m in 2020.
The organisation, which operates eight West End theatres blamed the “disappointing trading results” entirely on the pandemic and warned that conditions remained “challenging”. It said a “consistent return to pre-pandemic audience attendance levels will take time to rebuild”, as domestic visitors, workers and international tourists return to London.
According to the accounts for International Entertainment Holdings Ltd, the parent company of ATG, the group saw

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UK - Audio consultancy and networking experts RH Consulting (RHC) has been counting networked audio products and licensees since 2013 in an effort to chart the adoption of audio networking in the pro audio, AV and broadcast markets. The latest report, available here, covers all the major protocols and, for the first time, networked video and control products that use AES70, SDVoE and ST 2110 among others.
The last 12 months have seen a complete overhaul in the way RHC conducts its research and even closer collaboration with relevant industry trade associations and manufacturers. Consequently, the 10th edition of the report is the most comprehensive and accurate to date.
The statistics show that quite clearly that the number of networked AV products contin

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Slovakia - Martin Audio’s long-term Czech and Slovakian distributor Rock Centrum has sold a Wavefront Precision line array to local rental company, AudiologicPRO. A relatively young company from the city of Martin, AudiologicPRO has had experience of Martin Audio technology and has been growing rapidly, with its reputation spreading throughout both the Czech and Slovak markets, in all performance sectors.
According to Rock Centrum’s Peter Foldvari, joint partners, Branislav Gombarský and Tomáš Hruška, wanted the manufacturer’s latest line array series as they believed Martin Audio’s optimised line array technology to be the best available.
“We conducted a few demos at our Czech base in Prague and invited them,” he reports. “We then had long discussions about which system they needed, as they already had experience with legendary systems such as W8, W

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UK - In a career spanning more than 40 years, professional audio veteran Danny Kitainik has seen, done and heard it all, providing sound engineering services at countless high-profile festivals, events, tours and West End theatre shows, alongside running a successful AV installation, hire and events technology business. When the time came to invest in a new rental sound system at UK-based Serenityaudio, the company’s owner knew exactly what he wanted.
“For us, it’s all about delivering big festival sound and production values at smaller, often community-based events” says Kitainik. “The decision to go with Nexo was a combination of build and sound quality, reliability, aftersales support, performance, ease of operation and cost. There are so many benefits that it was an easy decision to make. We didn't even try to A-B systems before we committed to take the Nexo r

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UK - Green Hippo has welcomed Midwich as a new distributor for Green Hippo products, particularly the full range of Hippotizer media servers, across the UK and Ireland.
Frithjof Becker, EMEA sales director, Green Hippo by tvONE, comments: “We are excited to announce our relationship with Midwich for fixed installation projects in the UK and Ireland. Our goal is to continue developing the growth of Green Hippo product lines within the install market. With an award-winning solutions provider like Midwich, we can’t wait to see the next set of impressive projects.”
Robert Phillips, video processing specialist at Midwich, adds: “Midwich are delighted to partner with Green Hippo to offer their leading range or media servers to customers looking to incorporate real-time media playback, 3D mapping and visualisation into their projects. Green Hippo works perfectly with

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USA - Just north of San Francisco, on a rural 10acre ranch in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, Prairie Sun Recording Studios has been steadily recording some of the biggest names in music since 1980. From The Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana and Journey to Nine Inch Nails, Wu Tang Clan and Tom Waits, numerous Grammy Award-winning records have been tracked, mixed, and mastered at this former chicken hatchery repurposed four decades ago by Mark ‘Mooka’ Rennick as a recording complex comprising three well-appointed studios.
For 10 years, this same site has also served as the headquarters of Prairie Sun Live, a live sound reinforcement and rental company that Mooka has led with the same passion, expertise, and commitment to great gear that has made his recording business a success.
First started in 2012 with an Adamson Y10 line array and Lab.Gruppen PLM amps purc

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USA - UK manufacturer Optimal Audio has continued to expand its distribution network by appointing Exertis ProAV as a distributor in the US.
Part of the Focusrite Group, Optimal Audio manufactures a one-stop solution of control, amplification and loudspeakers for small to medium-sized commercial installations, with a focus on supporting multi-zoned venues.
Exertis’ ProAV division offers a complete range of products and systems for corporate, education, retail, hospitality, government and house of worship customers.
Lee Stein, Optimal Audio vice president America, notes: “We’ve made tremendous strides in expanding our global footprint through distribution agreements with strategically placed partners around the world. The appointment of Exertis ProAV in the United States represents another major step forward in this expansion. Exertis’s expertise in specia

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USA - Anaheim-based BCT Entertainment has invested in a large complement of Ayrton Diablo fixtures from ACT Entertainment, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor in North America.
“We have expanded our lighting inventory with the purchase of our first Ayrton fixtures,” says BCT’s owner, Brian Longhofer. “We had a gap in small-format fixtures with framing capabilities, and the Diablos checked all the boxes.”
ACT Entertainment introduced Longhofer to the Diablo fixtures, which he later saw at LDI. “We considered other fixtures, but ultimately decided on the Diablos because of Ayrton’s name recognition, the fixture’s feature set, and its high quality compared to its price.”
He expects the Diablos to be used primarily for corporate events, where their small format is especially desirable. “Unlike concerts where lighting is part of the show, corporate cl

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China - L-Acoustics has reported that counterfeit ARCS II loudspeakers had been seized and destroyed following an investigation carried out by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC).
Working in conjunction with the GACC, L-Acoustics provided information to determine the authenticity of the suspicious products; those were later seized and dismantled at a recycling facility. GACC officials were present at the premises to attest that the stock had been destroyed and the materials - recycled, reports L-Acoustics.
The manufacturers of the counterfeit products were prosecuted as part of the L-Acoustics Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force's mission “to eradicate fake products”. “We thank the Youyiguan Customs team and our local counsel, Wanhuida, for their cooperation,” comments L-Acoustics legal counsel Laurent Ostojski. “This is

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Brit Awards - The 2022 Brit Awards take place at the O2 Arena tonight, with Adele, Ed Sheeran, Dave and Little Simz leading the nominations. All four artists are up for the night's biggest prizes - artist and album of the year - alongside Sam Fender. It will be broadcast live on ITV, and on YouTube for viewers outside the UK.
Last year's Brit Awards took place as part of the government's pilot scheme for the return of live events. COVID restrictions necessitated a mixture of live and virtual performances, with artists like Coldplay, The Weekend and Elton John appearing on tape.
This year, organisers have vowed to "keep everything in the room" - even when that meant scrapping a planned performance from US star Doja Cat, after members of her team tested positive for COVID. As a result, tonight's performances are exclusively coming from British artists - including all fiv

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UK - Reflecting the transition the company has embarked on since coming out of lockdown, Entec has started the new year with both new branding and image, including only their third logo change in 50 years.
Commenting on the repositioning of the company under its new ‘Entec Live’ moniker, chairman Nick Pendleton stated that Covid had given them the opportunity “to pause, reflect and decide.”
He explains: “After celebrating our golden anniversary in 2018 and buying our warehouse, we started to formulate a bold plan to make the next 50 years even better. Part of that was refreshing our look and feel.
“We felt that we now offered far more than just sound and light, which seemed too restricting, and we wanted to get recognised for the full production and streaming we now offer. While we are proud of our heritage we have clear vision of the future.”

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UK - SLX has launched a new website and logo as it undergoes a complete rebrand. This follows a successful 2021, in which the Bristol-based hire and events company doubled its workforce and added more than 2,000 lighting fixtures to its stock. The rebrand is intended to reinforce the business’ brand identity and outline its core values.
The new website emphasises SLX’ all-in-one approach to event production and its ability to handle all aspects of design, equipment hire and delivery. The site also contains detailed case studies of the company’s past work in broadcast, theatre, sport, corporate and experiential.
The rebrand further underscores SLX’ commitments to sustainability and social values, which include making the SLX warehouse completely energy self-sufficient, providing suppo

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USA - The DALI Alliance (DiiA), the global industry organisation for DALI lighting control, has revealed the winners of its prestigious DALI Lighting Awards 2021.
The awards recognise the best use of DALI lighting control applications and solutions across the world, with an international judging panel of lighting designers, lighting magazine editors, and representatives from global lighting organisations picking the winners.
Victorious in the Commercial/Professional category is Helvar for its work on ‘The Spine’, the new headquarters in the north of England (Liverpool) for the Royal College of Physicians. Here, a fully addressable DALI lighting control system ensures optimal user experience and excellent light quality, including defined light levels for the biophilia aspect of the project. The building seamlessly combines artificial and natural lighting to create a

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Spain - Cycling enthusiasts have raised more than €6,000 for entertainment technology industry charities after riding along a 400km stretch of the Spanish coast for BikeFest Spain 2022.
Cycling from Valencia to Barcelona in just three days, a team of 10 industry professionals overcame challenging mountain terrain en route to the final destination - Fira de Barcelona, where the now-postponed ISE 2022 tradeshow was set to take place earlier this month.
For the riders, the arrival was bittersweet - although a small group of industry colleagues had gathered to celebrate the team’s achievement, the exhibition centre stood empty.
But their efforts have raised €6,000, and donations continue to come in. The funds will be split between industry charities Backup in the UK and the AAA Foundation in Spain.
Organised by #WeMakeEvents in partnership with PLASA, A

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UK - Saracens rugby club has announced a new partnership with Version 2 as its official lighting partner. Version 2 will be supporting all three teams in the Saracens Group - the men, women and mavericks. Their strap-line ‘Shining a light on Women’s Sport’ shows how in tune the two organisations are with the passion to develop the game. Their logo will be prominently featured on the Mavericks’ dress as their lead partner, and also visible on the women’s rugby kits as their principle partner.
Saracens CEO Lucy Wray comments, “We have got to know Nick and the team at Version 2 and it has been great to see how passionate and proactive they have been in their approach to getting behind our women’s teams.
“As an organisation, we are really energised and excited about both our women’s teams and how we can give them the best possible environment to be the b

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Italy - Optimal Audio, part of the Focusrite Group, has named Sisme as its exclusive distributor for Italy. Sisme has operated in the Italian market as an importer and distributor of leading audio and video brands since 1967.
Raf Willems, head of sales and channel marketing EMEA at Optimal Audio, comments: “From day one, Sisme has been an excellent fit for Optimal Audio. They are a very reputable distributor, and only work with a select number of brands that fit their criteria. Their experience and professionalism combined with a thorough knowledge of the Italian market convinced us that Optimal Audio will be a great success in Italy.”
Claudio Bugari CEO of Sisme, adds: “We strongly believe that the range of easy to install, well-integrated and user friendly products designed by Optimal Audio exactly meets the requirements of our system integration partners op

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Europe - Shure has partnered with Crestron to support the upcoming Crestron Next Road Trip Europe, a tour with a mobile experience centre that will visit 38 stops in 19 countries. The truck will provide every attendee with a safe environment in which they will be able to get hands-on, one-on-one demos of the most recent audio technology from Shure and Crestron.
The mobile experience will cover Shure and Crestron’s collaborative conferencing technology as well as the whole Crestron ecosystem of solutions for hybrid workplaces, classrooms, government organisations and more.
Crestron Next Road Trip Europe will tour Europe from March, to offer dealers, partners, and customers all over Europe an opportunity to experience the latest innovations in audio technology from Crestron and Shure.

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UK - Following a two-year hiatus, PLASA Focus Leeds will return to the Royal Armouries from 10-11 May, with free registration now open.
Across the two days, visitors will be able to see products in action and gain insights from industry leaders. And with two years of catching up to do, the 2022 edition of the show will serve as a vital crossroad for the live events, entertainment and installation industries.
Spanning two halls, the showfloor is home to 150+ brands from the worlds of audio, AV, lighting, rigging and staging. Each exhibitor is set to present their most popular products and solutions, including several new releases and debuts.
PLASA says more and more exhibitors are coming aboard, with initial highlights including show spo

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On The Beach - The BBC Concert Orchestra will take up a three-year residency in a seaside town to "raise aspirations". Its arrival in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, is due to a collaboration with the charity Orchestras Live and arts organisations in the county. The aim was to "provide learning pathways and improve people's wellbeing", the charity said. It will run workshops in every primary school in the town and hold a free schools concert.
Part of the Create Yarmouth strategy, it hopes to encourage students to get creative with music. “The programme aims to raise aspiration, provide learning pathways and improve people's wellbeing through collaborations with world-class musicians, digital artists, producers and arts managers”, an Orchestras Live spokeswoman said. Pop-up performances in public spaces, as part of a Heritage Action Zone, will also be held.
Pride Restor

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UK - Creative Technology received the Best Screen Supplier award at Festival Supplier Awards 2022. The company won the award for the delivery of the I-mags at Reading and Leeds Festivals 2021.
“We’re extremely proud to have been recognised as Best Screen Supplier for the delivery of Reading and Leeds Festivals 2021. The hard work and long hours these events required from the ground up should not be overlooked and this award is for every person who pulled together to make them happen,” says Nick Knowles, project manager at Creative Technology.
“Coming out of a dormant period for the music industry this summer had many challenges, one of which was the screen requirement for Reading and Leeds main stages. Having added a second main stage to each site, we doubled the amount of screen required across the same weekend.
“In previous years, we had worked meticu

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Germany - Rental and dry hire service specialist NicLen, headquartered in Dortmund, has made a major investment in Robe moving lights - with a three-figure quantity of Fortes and iSpiiders delivered by Robe Germany which is now available from current rental stock.
The NicLen CEOs Nico Valasik and Jörg Stöppler comments: “Fortes are appearing increasingly frequently on event and artist riders and requests for this fixture have increased substantially this year since the product was launched. We ensure that our clients have the very best tools at their disposal to help achieve spectacular results.”
The Niclen team were impressed generally with Robe’s Transferable Engine (TE) LED technology which is at the core of the Forte and see it a key feature for a busy rental facility. The NicLen crew also like the colour mixing, zoom range and the overall light and image q
  1. tvONE and Green Hippo embrace local tradeshows
  2. Clear-Com heads to PL+S Guangzhou
  3. ETC CUE conference scheduled for 17 February
  4. Optimal Audio appoints Canadian distributor
  5. The Week in Light & Sound
  6. Unusual de-rigs six-tonne museum piece
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