Robe - Leaderboard - 27 Aug25 - Jan26
ISE 2026 - Banner - Oct 2025

Business

Details
USA - Solotech has announced the completion of the acquisition of Nashville-based Morris Light & Sound.
Martin Tremblay, president and CEO, Solotech, comments, “Our joint capabilities enable us to significantly strengthen our footprint in the US, and much more in Nashville, to the benefit of all our clients. It also provides assurance of our unrivalled readiness to our clients in the live productions industry, signals our enhanced ability to offer compelling innovative services and solutions when activities resume after the global crisis ends. We continue to grow based on long-term relationships and delivery excellence to propel our footprint locally, nationally and globally.”
Solotech will leverage its current systems integration experts and resources in the area and all over the United States, as they already design, develop and integrate some of the most adv

Details
UK - This month, two industry collectives have mounted new initiatives to raise awareness of the live industry’s ongoing battle to stay afloat and to raise much needed funds to allow industry charity Backup to continue in its mission to help those in need.
For the whole of the month of March, #WeNeedCrew’s new initiative #moveforcrew is challenging people to walk or run 31 miles in their local area. This is the equivalent of 50 times around the perimeter of Wembley Stadium, which it has chosen as the focal point for the challenge to symbolise how much we are all missing live events and music.
#WeNeedCrew, which was started by Karen Ringland and Alice Martin, knows that treating mental health issues should be even more of a priority now. #moveforcrew’s aim is to raise vital funds to pay for therapy sessions for those in need and connect our community with certifie
ISE 2026 - Banner - Oct 2025

Details
Germany - Messe Berlin has announced that the Stage|Set|Scenery trade show will not take place as planned from 15-17 June 2021 and there are currently no plans for it to return as an event.
"With Stage|Set|Scenery, we have been trying since 2015 to establish an international industry meeting place and cross-trade exchange at Berlin for those who otherwise work behind the scenes to ensure perfect staging," said Dr. Martin Buck, head of travel and logistics at Messe Berlin. "Despite positive developments, the event unfortunately fell short of expectations."
He continues: "We deeply regret this decision. However, in these economically challenging times, we unfortunately had to make this decision, since Stage|Set|Scenery is unlikely to achieve necessary results this year or in the years to come. On behalf of the Stage|Set|Scenery team, I would like to thank our partners,

Details
Sri Lanka - Brainchild of music enthusiast, microbiologist and entrepreneur Chathura Masinha, Pearlbay is Sri Lanka’s newest studio complex and creative hub. Providing recording and production services, education and equipment retail all under one roof, it is also home to the country's first Audient ASP8024-HE console.
The British analogue desk serves at the heart of the commercial studio doubling up as a valuable educational tool and is heralded by Chathura as “a much needed upgrade to our music industry”.
Originally starting out as a standalone recording facility, Pearlbay Music Studio continues to offer a comprehensive, bespoke service tailored to the needs of the individual. Headed up by COO, musician and New York Institute of Audio Recording-trained audio engineer, Ranga Dasanayake, the studio quickly caught the attention of young, Sri Lankan artists. “We

Details
Germany - publitec has added the Christie Griffyn 4K32-RGB high-performance projector from Christie to its rental fleet.
The Griffyn 4K32-RGB is Christie’s first projector to offer new digital convergence to give users the ability to select red, green, or blue individually and adjust each colour by remote control, for easy picture-perfect image alignment that saves time and money. In addition, the Griffyn 4K32-RGB has an integrated metal frame, which makes it possible to mount the projector in the rental area without separate rigging accessories.
Jens Richter, publitec managing director, comments: “The Christie Griffyn was a convincing winner in a direct shoot-out with comparable projectors from other manufacturers. In particular, in terms of brightness, colour space, sound level and price, we could see clear advantages for our customers. It will replace the popul

Details
UK - ETC dealer Black Light has supplied new High End Systems gear through the ETC Rent programme for Leith Theatre’s latest venture in Edinburgh: Live in Leith.
Live in Leith will be taking place at the Leith Theatre from 20 March with musical performances from different artists being broadcast live in a series of digital gigs.
The performances will be lit by 24 TurboRay fixtures which were supplied by Black Light who act as an official rental hub for the ETC Rent programme. The automated fixtures are a part of the High End Systems’ Effects family and are designed not only for wash and aerial effects, but as a powerful hard edge beam with special pixel-mapping effects.
Field project coordinator at ETC, Matt Cowles, comments: “ETC Rent gives local venues, rental companies and creative designers access to some of the latest fixtures from ETC

Details
UK - PMC is marking its 30th anniversary by opening PMC Studio London, a Dolby Atmos music mixing suite that will be used to demonstrate the company’s professional loudspeaker products, particularly those suited to this immersive audio format.
Based in a former piano factory in Islington, PMC London reflects the company’s long-standing relationship with Dolby and its determination to further the development of Atmos in a music mixing context. This new facility, which joins other PMC audio suites in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville, will give artists, record labels and recording professionals the opportunity to experience Dolby Atmos music mixing and discover the full extent of its creative possibilities.
This ground up project was carried out in conjunction with acoustics consultants JV Acoustics.
PMC’s commitment to the Dolby Atmos format dates back to

Details
World - Showlight has announced the first sponsors of Virtual Showlight, the one-day online event taking place on 25 May.
Planned in celebration of the enduringly popular quadrennial lighting conference and networking event that was due to take place this May in France, Virtual Showlight aims to bring lighting professionals together online for a day of engaging papers, discussions, networking opportunities and break-out sessions from the comfort of their own homes.
Sponsors of the event so far include headline sponsor Robert Juliat, plus ACT Lighting Inc, Altman, ARRI, Ayrton, Claypaky, Copper Candle, ETC, Robe and Vectorworks. Virtual Showlight is also supported by media partner LSi, and by LSA.
“Sponsorship of Virtual Showlight offers a unique opportunity for sponsors to connect with clients and industry colleagues whom they have not seen for many months,

Details
UK - Specialist recruitment agency SER Limited has committed to donate 10% of its event industry placement fees to Backup, the technical entertainment charity.
Established in 2004, the Blackburn-based company works with clients of all sizes throughout the UK and internationally, covering sectors including audio visual and lighting, plus building controls, machine tools, construction, mechanical and electrical, fire and security, telecommunications and more. SER says it is dedicated to understanding all parties’ situations when recruiting, taking time to understand why vacancies have arisen, why the candidate is open to the opportunity and the motivators, ambitions and goals of both the client and the candidate.
Kate Booth, SER’s AV and events recruitment consultant, comments: “I was aware of Backup pre-coronavirus and had attended a previous fundraising event hel

Details
UK - The British Standards Institute has published the five-year review of BS 7909, with comments from the public sought until 26 March.
The standard gives recommendations for the management, design, setting-up and operation of temporary electrical systems using low voltage AC electricity, for the entertainment and similar or related industries. It gives guidance on matters of common interest to producers, production companies, event organizers and managers, freelance people, facilities and services hire companies, equipment hire companies, equipment manufacturers, electrical consultants, electrical installation contractors, distributors, suppliers of electricity, venues, local authorities and those responsible for safety.
End-users are encouraged to submit their comments on the proposals during the review period. All comments will be examined by the standard development

Details
UK - Sustainable events agency and consultancy, Legacy Events, is set to launch its new marketplace on 13 April.
Legacy Marketplace’s mission is to connect and empower anyone who wants to "create successful, sustainable events and facilitate a positive change in the world. It will include everything needed for a successful sustainable event, in one place".
According to Legacy, the UK events industry emits 1.2bn kg of CO2e every year. However, events are hugely important for evoking positive behaviour change, with 43.1% of audiences stating that they had changed their behaviour as a result of green initiatives or ideas they had discovered at festivals.
Abena Poku-Awuah, founder and managing director of Legacy comments: “We’re so excited to be launching Legacy Marketplace for the events industry. The platform is a modern way to deliver sustainability without

Details
UK - A new ranking developed by Leeds-based events specialist AYRE Event Solutions reveals the events capitals of the UK, with London taking the top spot.
The new ranking is based on the number of large event facilities in the city, successful Business Event Growth funding applications, the number of major events held in the location, percentage of corporates and associations which chose the location for events and finally the total number of events related jobs available in the area.
Unsurprisingly, with 60 large event facilities across the city, London takes the top spot across all metrics but is closely followed by Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. The top 10 locations in the UK for events as revealed by the new study are: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Leeds, Belfast and Brighton.
AYRE managing director, Chris Ayre

Details
UK - Focusrite Group is launching Optimal Audio, a commercial audio brand that will join a stable that also includes Focusrite and Focusrite Pro, Adam Audio, Martin Audio, Novation and Ampify.
The new brand will be introduced to the market on 20 April in a virtual event, for which interested parties can register here.
“It’s a rare privilege to create a brand from scratch,” comments Focusrite Group CEO, Tim Carroll. “The commercial audio sector has grown consistently over the years, and even during the pandemic has been more robust than many. We expect that momentum to accelerate in the coming months, so we feel that the timing is perfect for the introduction of Optimal Audio.”
He adds: “Taking a considered view of the commercial audio sector led us to conclude that it

Details
To Safely Go - Pilots to assess how small and large-scale events can reopen safely are being launched by the government, which is describing the work as “crucial” for getting venues such as theatres reopened in June under the roadmap. The government said it was working with event organisers and local authorities to get “fans safely around a dozen events this spring”, as part of the previously announced Events Research Programme.
The ERP will provide “key scientific data into how small and large-scale events could be permitted to safely reopen”, the government said, in line with getting venues - including theatres - reopened without social distancing no earlier than 21 June. Major events already lined up for the pilot scheme include the World Snooker Championships, at the Sheffield Crucible, and the FA Cup final at Wembley.
The World Snooker Championships at

Details
Denmark - Sound recordists and production sound mixer Jono Cary has switched to Bubblebee Industries’ Sidekick in-ear monitors because they are “so comfortable that they can even be worn underneath headphones”.
“Comfort is such an important factor, especially when you have a long day ahead of you,” he says. “Sidekick fits into my workflow perfectly and makes monitoring the IFB feed when doing ‘lives’ so much easier. I’m able to wear the earpiece all day without any pain or discomfort.”
Designed to be virtually invisible, Bubblebee’s Sidekick in-ear monitor features a micro driver solution where the driver fits invisibly in the ear canal, eliminating the need for acoustic tubes outside the ear. This gives it a small and lightweight footprint and makes it a popular alternative to earwigs. With this IEM in place, the sound crew, presenters and talent

Details
UK - Brixton Village Market, purchased over two years ago by new owners, Hondo Enterprises, has since undergone a series of renovation projects with the most recent, a sympathetic rejuvenation of the lighting system. The Brixton Market team turned to Bristol-based Fineline Lighting for a system that met the diverse needs of the space whilst maintaining the integrity of the Grade-II listed architecture.
Brixton Market is a traditional market by day and the place to go for foods from around the world. At night, the space transforms into a popular nightlife hub, drawing in the locals with restaurants, rooftop bars and a bar playing jazz music.
The lighting system, however, was inflexible and did not meet the diverse needs of the space. Brixton Market’s general manager, Diana Nabagereka, explained, “The lighting had always been a problem across the two covered markets

Details
USA - Ferri Lighting Design & Associates (FLDA) recently equipped CNBC Studio B with a complete Martin LED lighting rig for optimal on-camera looks and increased energy efficiency.
When anchor Shepard Smith joined CNBC in July 2020 to host The News With Shepard Smith, the network took the opportunity to completely renovate its 3,600sq.ft Studio B set. The new set is dominated by two massive LED video walls, including a five-panel display opposite the host’s desk that can be used to show multiple video feeds for remote guests and correspondents or combined to display one large image.
Additionally, the centre screen can be moved up to 17ft away from the wall via a motorised arm to draw focus to a specific element. In order to complement the light from the displays with precisely-calibrated illumination and reduce electricity costs, CNBC opted to replace the

Details
Australia - Stanley, a new Cantonese restaurant on the waterfront of Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves, has complemented head chef Louis Tikaram’s mix of locally sourced cuisine, with a Martin Audio sound system.
The restaurant needed help with designing and implementing an audio system that delivered high quality and balanced audio across the two-storey venue, both indoors and out. It also needed a single touch point that would be simple to operate by any member of staff, depending on the atmosphere required, with automatic control to provide specific level adjustments to comply with their licence.
So they turned to locally-based Ampd Electronics to create the appropriate aural environment. Designing, modelling and confirming layouts prior to installation, they were able to deliver a custom, high quality selection of Martin Audio components, based around the CDD (Coax

Details
USA - Palm Beach Opera has brought joy to Florida’s classical music fans with an innovative opera festival with nine days of performances at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. The socially distanced event was the company’s first outdoor, open-air festival which implemented a variety of measures to ensure the safety of performers, crew and audience members alike.
With the outdoor venue not providing the perfect acoustic environment expected at operatic performances, a sound reinforcement system was required to ensure the audience could get the full enjoyment of the event. Sound design for the event called on Point Source Audio Embracemicrophones for every principal performer - allowing each to “self-mic” to observe COVID-19 protocols.
“Every principal got their own microphone,” explains sound designer, Paul Bevan, who has previously used

Details
UK - For Kent-based production rental company, Limelite Lighting, taking delivery of two new QC-Check electrical testing workstations from Data Strategy at the end of February 2020 just as the industry began to wind down into a global Covid-19 lockdown, could have been a mis-timed event. However, the versatility of the product and its ease of use enabled Limelite’s directors to turn the situation to take full advantage of their investment in product safety, warehouse organisation and logistics.
The ability to commission QC-check workstations remotely – which has enabled customers as distant as Australia and the UAE to benefit from the safety testing system – ensured that Limelite Lighting’s QC-Check workstations, including the robust and rapid testing power of Out Board’s PAT-4 Test Processors and CAB-5 Cable Test modules, were up and running within 12 hours of del

Details
UK - Lance Show & Publications Limited, organiser of The Showman’s Show has confirmed that the event will be held at Newbury Showground from 20-21 October 2021. The government setting out a roadmap to steadily ease the current lockdown and a tentative date of 21st June for all restrictions to be lifted has provided a much-needed boost to the outdoor event sector and prompted a string of exhibitor bookings, say the organisers.
Johnny Lance, event director of The Showman’s Show said: “The unveiling of the roadmap was the positive news that we’d all been waiting for. As publishers of the Showman’s Directory, we’ve seen a surge in event organisers getting in touch to confirm dates for their 2021 events and we’ve been busy updating the website. It’s also been wonderful to see so many high-profile events receiving national media coverage as they announce that t

Details
Sweden - The impressive, airy Kulturhuset Spira (Culture House Spira) is a seven-story glass-and-wood structure on the banks of Lake Munksjön. Leading Swedish architect firm, Wingårdh, designed the structure that houses four stages and hosts a progressive programme of music, theatre, dance, and children’s programming, as well as serving as the headquarters for the regional Smålands Music & Theatre team.
Spira translates as ‘grow’ or ‘aspire’ and this spirit infuses the team at Spira’s desire to remain at the cutting edge of technology. When they recently embarked on an upgrade to the venue audio system, they opted for L-Acoustics Kara II.
L-Acoustics was the first and final choice of sound system for Spira. When the centre opened its doors to audiences in 2011, it was with a Kara system and it has served well in the intervening years. However, demand

Details
UK - When London’s Adelphi Theatre re-opens later this year, it will do so with a new flying system. The refurbishment – stage one of three has involved a complete replacement of the fly tower hemp sets and a new front loading 42 set double purchase counterweight system.
With all theatres across the country having spent the last 12 months in the dark, LW Theatres and Nederlander who jointly own the Adelphi, has taken the unprecedented circumstances as an opportunity to carry out a programme of work across several of its venues. And with no shows or audiences, this has allowed for refurbishment to take place uninterrupted so that once theatres can open their doors, they can do so freely and start recouping lost revenue immediately.
Martin Skelton, technical and building services manager at The Adelphi said: “Phase one has seen the Unusual team come in to initially

Details
Denmark - DJ and music producer Martin Jensen has played a series of livestream concerts in unexpected, innovative locations around the country including Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium, aboard Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Niels Juhl and aboard historic paddle-steamer Hjejlen, atop the Camp Adventure nature reserve forest tower in Rønnede and amidst Copenhagen’s famous Illum department store.
At the heart of ensuring that all concerts on this tour were visually and sonically engaging experiences was lighting designer Mathias Skall Hansen from Frontsound.
For five of the seven shows, Mathias specified and used quantities of different Robe moving lights – MegaPointes, Spiiders, BMFLs – which were supplied by Nordic Rentals.
Mathias has been using Robe products consistently in his lighting designs for the last six years. “They are very powerful with good c
  1. Help Light It In Red share the love
  2. Brompton helps XR Studios get creative
  3. Mavericks and Rogues light Best of Both Worlds
  4. AREA15 gets immersive with Spacemap Go
  5. Genelec provides sound at Stockholm’s Hotel Rival
  6. #WeMakeEvents launches ONETWO texting fundraiser
Page 163 of 1813

Latest Issue. . .