Switzerland - Art on Ice has become one of the most successful figure skating spectaculars in the world, playing to 70,000 spectators a year at venues across Switzerland. This year, this fusion of world-class figure skaters and an audio soundscape from equally world class singers featured 50 minutes of British singer-songwriter Leona Lewis's best-known tracks delivered through Sennheiser's new flagship Digital 9000 Series microphone system.

The system comprised an EM 9046 SU system unit, eight EM 9046 DRX, an EM 9046 DAO or EM 9046 AAO - depending on the console used and the consequent availability of digital or analogue inputs - two AD 9000 directional active antenna and two 10m GZL 9000-10 antenna cables.

SKM 9000 handheld transmitters were used for both Leona's main microphone, which Sennheiser UK had custom blinged to match her ubiquitous SKM 5200, and for her backi

Italy - The opening ceremony of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in the Fiemme Valley was an exceptional event, organised by Studio Festi, an Italian team specialized in large international outdoor events. Acrobats, dancers and climbers created a magical atmosphere in the already charming setting of Piazza Duomo in Trento.

The show was directed by Monica Maimone with the technical cooperation of Ezio Maffei and the highly experienced staff from his company, Maffei Service, based in Levico Terme. In particular, the lights were divided into two different blocks. The first block was devoted to white lights, which are essential for live TV, and the second to lighting effects and moving lights, with the task of livening things up and making the event even more exciting.

Marco Spagnoli was lighting director for white lights, while Mario Zanella took care of the effects and the

USA - Lighting designer Richard Neville used nearly 300 Robe moving lights into his design for the Main Stage of the 2013 Ultra Festival staged at Bayfront Park in Miami, which included 176 LEDBeam 100s incorporated into a custom stage set.

The six-day event is one of the highest profile EDM (Electronic Dance Music) events in the world. This year's line up over the two weekends included David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto and Avicii, closing with a performance by The Swedish House Mafia.

This is the first year that Sydney-based Neville, associate designer Alex Grierson and Neville's company Mandylights has designed for Ultra, brought on-board by the event's producers James Klein and Bruce Rodgers.

Neville is well known for his work designing lighting for EDM and stadium rave events across Australia, Asia and the Pacific Rim and he and Klein worked closely on the productio

UK - Technical production specialist Universal Event Productions (UEP) based in Tring, UK, is celebrates 15 years in the live events industry in style - by staging a two-day music extravaganza, Chilfest, on 5-6 July 2013. The event was instigated by UEP's MD Steve Butcher, and will also help raise money for two charities, the Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care (IRGH) and AWA - Women supporting Women against domestic violence.

The festival site will be Pendley Activity Meadow - owned by event sponsor Pendley Manor - with a capacity of 7000 for each of the two nights. The programme for Friday 5 July will include a line-up of contemporary pop artists including Little Mix, Loveable Rogues and Heather Small, while Saturday's 1980s themed evening will feature Tony Hadley, Howard Jones, Rick Astley, Midge Ure, Carol Decker and Hazel O'Connor.

All the technical infrastructure for Ch

USA - Back in May 2010, California-based lighting designer Matthew Shimamoto set up his rental company Volt Lites, with a view to addressing a number of different market sectors. Based north of Los Angeles, he quickly established the company in the international touring and corporate worlds, having subsequently worked on live TV shows, music videos and numerous special events.

As a designer, he had often used fixtures from GLP's LED impression range - but it was with the launch of the new impression X4 LED moving head that he took the decision to invest.

Volt Lites were quick to adopt the new head as Matthew Shimamoto confirmed. "Once [GLP president] Mark Ravenhill informed us that there was a new Impression available we immediately drove to GLP to evaluate and experiment with this fixture. We were so impressed with the performance that we decided to incorporate the X4s i

Canada - A.C. Lighting Inc., has provided an ArKaos A-30 media server for a recent TEDxYorkU think tank event at York University, Toronto. York University is one of Canada's leading interdisciplinary research and teaching universities, offering a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level.

TEDx is a series of events organised in the style of TED, a non-profit organisation devoted to "ideas worth spreading". It started out as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment and Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

The TEDx events program is designed to give communities, organisations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at a local level, sparking deep conversation and connections.

The TEDx events' celebrated format includes a suite of short, care

USA - The Family Church of McAllen, Texas (TFC) chose a Robe lighting system for its new 1400-capacity main worship auditorium. The Robe fixtures were specified by TFC's technical director Obed Castillo and supplied by Phil Rapp of Gear Systems Design from Edmond, Oklahoma, who partnered with TFC to supply and install the full technical production package for the new space.

The new larger sanctuary was the result of a much needed expansion to the existing premises to accommodate the popular and well-attended worship services. The stage systems for the new auditorium were designed for concerts and broadcasts in addition to the five weekly services. Currently TFC has a web-based ministry, but future plans include going to a multi-site format, so good broadcast lighting was vital to the final technical plans.

Gear Systems specified four Robin 600 LEDWashes, eight Robin 300 LEDWas

USA - The Production Resource Group (PRG) employed a large Outline GTO Line Array, MANTAS and Butterfly-driven sound system for the recent Andrea Bocelli performance in the BB&T Centre, the largest indoor arena in Florida.

The challenge for Outline and PRG was to transform the sonic space of this multi-purpose arena - principally used for live sporting events and with occasional music concerts - into a world-class symphonic hall capable of delivering the nuance and power of a Bocelli performance. Outline's exclusive Openarray-3D prediction software was employed to guide the installation of the system.

"I decided to specify Outline for Maestro Bocelli's 2013 US tour based on my first-hand experience with the GTO at the 2012 Worker's Day concert in Rome," said Bocelli's system sound designer, Andrea Taglia, who was tasked with the audio design for the BB&T Centre. &quo

USA - American alternative metal band Stone Sour and rockers Papa Roach are coheadlining a world tour, which features Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700s in a prominent role.

The bands began their tour in Europe last year, are currently playing dates across the U.S. and will finish in Australia. Stone Sour released its fourth album, House of Gold & Bones - Part 1 last fall and Papa Roach is hot off its eighth studio record, The Connection.

Lighting designer/programmer/operator Michael Smalley was a fan of the Alpha Beam 700 from the last tour he did for electronic musician Bassnectar. "I love the fixtures. They're a really punchy light," he says.

For the Stone Sour-Papa Roach tour Smalley is working with a "really clean stage with no backline - a big, white backdrop that communicates with color and patterns." He has positioned 12 Alpha Beam 700s on si

UK - Audio-Technica has released the latest in its series of endorser interview videos, this time featuring Rita Ora monitor engineer Stu MacAulay.

MacAulay has been using Allen & Heath's popular, compact GLD digital desk (distributed in the UK by Audio-Technica Ltd) for all of Ora's recent headline shows in the UK. During the interview he - and Ora's guitarist Jonas Jalhay - talk about the benefits of the desk's diminutive but powerful nature, the quality of the on-board processing and its faultless reliability during a grueling run of Academy-size shows.

Summing up his thoughts on the GLD system MacAulay says: "I've been using all of the available inputs and outputs on the desk and all of the on-board effects every night and there's been not even a glitch. It's a proper little workhorse and Rita commented that the on-stage sound is the best she's ever had during the UK

Belgium - Luc Peumans from Genk, Belgium based creative visual design practice, Painting With Light (PWL), designed lighting and set for the recent Dutch and Belgian touring version of So You Think You Can Dance, working for producers Albert Verlinde Entertainment. Peumans worked closely on the lighting design with PWL's Dimi Theuwissen, who was executive lighting designer for this project.

They referenced the basic lighting and set design to the hit TV programme, recorded at the Crown Business Studios (CBS) in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and noted for being a little bit different from the average glitzy ballroom replica setting.

Keeping some essential elements of dancehall like staircases and double decking stage set, this design adds a flourish of proto industrialism with the incorporation of two large factory style fans, lots of metalwork and some innovative lighting '

UK - Roland Systems Group (RSG) has announced the appointment of SCAN Computers as a dealer for both professional audio and video products. With their headquarters in Bolton, SCAN has a separate 'Pro Service' division which includes Pro Audio and Pro Video, serving clients as diverse as professional recording studios, schools, filmmakers and musicians.

SCAN has over 25 years of experience in providing PC based solutions to the audio and video markets and will focus primarily on supplying small format AV switchers such as the VR-3 AV Mixer, VR-5 AV Mixer & Recorder and V-40HD Multi Format Video Switcher, the VC-30HD Video Converter and the M-200i iPad Controllable Digital Mixing Console.

Taking advantage of the growth in the popularity of web-streaming, especially in the education sector, the expanding lineup of streaming-ready AV Mixers and Converters from Roland fit perfectly

UK - Laser safety specialist LVR has announced the availability of three new products intended for users of lasers that want to perform safe audience scanning for their clients.

"Ever since the early days of laser shows, this exciting effect has caused controversy due to the ease at which it has been possible to overexpose an audience with beams that are too intense, or spend too longer time crossing the eye, each having the potential to cause harm to eyesight," says LVR.

"In order to help operators overcome these problems, on 22 April LVR will be running a new advanced laser effect design and measurement workshop at The Kent Science Par, Sittingbourne. Attendees will be able to gain hands-on experience designing a range of different types of laser effects and will be showed how to ensure the emission levels are below the specified safety limits."

The wor

USA - Nestled in the iconic Nob Hill neighbourhood of San Francisco, the Masonic Centre has been a community gem since it was built in 1958 and has been available for public use ever since. In order to increase sound quality and reduce the in and load out time for events at the Masonic Centre, the Centre has made a significant investment to improve sound systems and loading operations with the purchase and installation of a new d&b sound system.

"The expectations for sound quality and the demands for loading shows in and out have changed over the years and we needed to change with the times," says Richard Gentschel, director of production at the Centre, "Installing a d&b audiotechnik system was the clear choice."

With an exhibition hall, meeting and event rooms and a three thousand one hundred and sixty five capacity auditorium, the centre works to keep the

USA - In November of 2008, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced that the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation would take over operation and programming at three Philadelphia ice rinks that were targeted possible closing amid the city's budget troubles. Snider founded the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and is chairman of Comcast-Spectacor which owns the Flyers.

With help from the Snider Foundation, the Scanlon, Laura Sims, Simon and, later, the Tarken ice rinks have received major renovations. The rinks are now fully enclosed, operate all year and include locker rooms and computer labs.

As part of the renovations, local AV contractor, Bruce Johnson of A.V. Rental Services, Inc., installed new sound systems with Community R1-94 loudspeaker systems. "The acoustics are horrible," Johnson said, "but the system is awesome. Everyone can understand the announcement

The Netherlands - The ultra-compact Coda Audio LA5 brings the quality and versatility of line array sound to smaller venues and events than is possible with most systems, says the company. "But its exceptional power and clarity also make it suitable for large shows." It's this versatility that persuaded Dutch rental company FF Entertainment-Proaudiotechniek to invest in the system.

Based in the town of 's-Hertogenbosch, north of Eindhoven, company proprietor 'Funky' Fred van Turenhout had become increasingly dissatisfied with the audio system he was using. He recently investigated a range of systems from various manufacturers and, via Coda Audio distributor Apex Belgium, found what he was looking for in the Coda LA5.

"I need a system that is active, powerful and compact, but still produces superb sound quality," he says. "After looking at several, I fo

USA - Billed as the world's largest live entertainment and exhibition event, the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - with rodeo and concert events known as RodeoHouston - is also one of Texas' largest charities having contributed over $330m to the state's youth since 1932. But ask any of those youth about this year's event and they'll likely rave on about Reliant Stadium's stellar three-week rodeo and concert series, which was heard via the world's largest L-Acoustics K1 stadium system provided by LD Systems, Inc.

From 25 February to 16 March 16, the 72,600-seat stadium hosted a nightly double bill of two hours of rodeo action immediately followed by an hour-long concert from a world-class artist. To be expected, the concert list included a long list of contemporary country music favourites like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean. But

South Africa - The much anticipated VW Golf 7 launch was recently hosted to South African dealerships over a two week period at Theatre on the Track, Kyalami and was beautifully lit by a range of Robe fixtures including Robin 100 LEDBeams. Satellite events were also held at Spier Wine Estate Conference Centre in Cape Town and at Zimbali in Durban.

Ogilvy South Africa, who form part of one of the largest marketing communications networks in the world, commissioned Kilowatt AV for the full technical support. Kilowatt AV designed a 40m curved screen set and then partnered with Dream Sets to manufacture and install it. Martin de Bruin of Revolution Inc took care of the lighting design.

"Theatre on the Track looked awesome, I have never seen it appear so big," commented Rhys Pughe-Pary, technical director at Kilowatt AV. The focus point was an enormous curved projection s

UK - Electrosonic will be hosting a 'Technology Day' on 16 May at the Hilton Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen. With over 16 leading technology companies participating, the free event is designed to provide visitors with an in-depth look at the latest audio-visual and video conferencing solutions for the oil and gas, corporate and control room markets.

During the Technology Day, a member of the Electrosonic team will guide each visitor through the exhibition, visiting each supplier in turn. Electrosonic's expert staff will be available to discuss the new technologies and how they can be integrated into any current facilities the visitor may be running.

Confirmed suppliers to date include Christie, Panasonic, Samsung, Revolabs, AMX, Polycom, Exterity, Ashton Bentley, Extron, Sharp, Steljes, Barco, Pufferfish, Crestron, Helvar, iiyama, Kramer Electronics, Onelan Digital Signage and Mul

China - Funktion-One's distributor for China, Hong Kong and Macau has hosted a special dealer event at Louis Steakhouse in downtown Panyu District, Guangzhou, to help support the launch of the new F1201 speaker. Business development director, Bill Woods, flew out especially for the event, which welcomed more than 150 dealers and customers from all over China.

Hosted by W Lee, owner of Hiroshi Technologies/Funktion-One China, the showcase saw demonstrations of a number of Funktion-One products, including: Resolution 2, Resolution 3, F218 Mk2, F101, F81, MB212 and, of course, the F1201. The grand surroundings provided the perfect backdrop and space for the guests to explore and interact with the products, and engage with company representatives - including product specialist, Chan Yu Hing.

Once the attendees had settled in, Bill Woods took to the stage and presented the story of

UK - AED Distribution has announced details of its first-ever High End Systems Test Drive Event, featuring the new Family of Hog 4 Consoles. As the UK master distributor of High End Systems, this event is part of an ongoing campaign to inform the UK lighting community about the latest innovative products from High End Systems who are now in their fourth decade and continue to deliver innovative products.

The Test Drive event, following hot on the heels of AED Distribution exhibiting at PLASA Focus in Leeds, will be held on Thursday 2 May from 2pm to 8pm and Friday 3 May from 10.30am to 2pm at the meeting rooms of the Theatres rust on Charing Cross Road in the heart of London's West End.

Attendees can expect to see the new Hog 4, Full Boar 4, Road Hog 4, Nano Hog 4 and related accessories. The consoles will be individually set-up with Visualiser Systems and also a selection of

Spain / Italy - Spanish manufacturer Equipson and Italian distributor RobeMultimedia have announced a new agreement for the distribution of WORK Lifting towers and DMX control systems of the brand (like LM 5) in Italy.

The distribution of lifting towers and DMX control systems completes RobeMultimedia's product range, which includes a top quality selection of professional lighting devices. For the Spanish manufacturer, this agreement is "a fantastic opportunity to increase its presence in the Italian market of professional lighting, taking advantage of the experience and professionalism of RobeMultimedia".

(Jim Evans)

UK - A compact FOH/monitor audio system, based around an iDR-32 iLive MixRack, is currently on the One Direction European arena tour with American popstar, Camryn, who is opening for the boy band on their sell-out 63-date tour.

Camryn's manager and sound mixer, Jeffrey Pringle, put together an efficient and compact system which consists of an iDR-32 MixRack brain fitted with a Dante network card and controlled by iLive Editor on a MacBook over WiFi. This provides 5 stereo in-ears mixes for the band, plus the main FOH mix. Latterly, Pringle has added a PL-10 remote controller as a failsafe against WiFi problems should they occur.

"I chose iLive for my touring system because it is a rack-mounting console that can be set up and controlled on a portable computer without a surface. Inputs can be split into multiple channels and run in layers to mix FOH and Monitors, and even t

Sweden - Hamburger Börs in the heart of Stockholm is one of the Swedish capital's most illustrious venues for live music, dinner shows and corporate events. Having existed in one form or another at the same location or another for nearly three centuries, the original venue was finally demolished in the 1970s during the expansion of the city's underground system.

A new venue was built on the same site and has continued to thrive, welcoming the likes of Sammy Davis Junior, Liza Minnelli, Tower of Power, Grace Jones, Rod Stewart and many, many more. Now part of the Wallmans group of dinner show clubs throughout Scandinavia, Hamburger Börs continues to host major international artists and prestigious corporate events.

When the time came to upgrade their reliable but aging FoH and monitor consoles, Hamburger Börs FoH engineer and head of sound, David Granditsky, had no hesitatio

Latest Issue. . .