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UK - JHS has announced its appointment as exclusive distributor for Kustom amplification, offering new lines from the amplifier brand with a legacy dating back to the early ‘60s, when company founder Bud Ross introduced first Kustom amps and cabs.
Today, Kustom caters for a diverse range of musical styles including the new KMOD20 1 x 8" combo, packed with a host of cab sims/24 on-board presets and believed to be the world’s easiest-to-operate modelling guitar combo. New lines also include the Sienna Pro Series of acoustic guitar combos.
JHS managing director Dennis Drumm comments: “JHS are delighted to rekindle their decades old partnership with Hanser Music Group, the owners of the Kustom brand since the mid-eighties. Kustom’s reputation is legendary, always recognised for an innovative, feature rich and value led approach to product design, backed up by a ve

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UK/Israel - Loudspeaker manufacturer Funktion-One has joined forces with Ko Team as its distributor for Israel.
Following a meeting at ISE in early February, the conversation between Funktion-One’s director of business development Bill Woods and Ko Team’s Keynan Oz continued, with the partnership being finalised remotely due to travel restrictions.
“After the show, we all agreed that Ko Team are the right company to work with in Israel and take the brand forward,” recalls Bill. “I was scheduled to visit Tel Aviv in early March but as the Coronavirus began to inexorably spread, I cancelled my flight and my appointments. After about a month, it became clear that trying to plan a visit was pointless, so the handshakes and onboarding had to be done virtually.”
Though the distribution partnership is new, Keynan’s connection with Funktion-One goes back
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UK - As part of the Let Music Live initiative, 400 freelance professional musicians from all parts of the industry will perform in Parliament Square and Centenary Square, Birmingham today, shining a light on the need for targeted support for freelance musicians and all those who work in the arts and entertainment sector.
They are also joined in solidarity by the Musicians’ Union, The Incorporated Society of Musicians, The Musicians’ Answering Service, Emily Eavis, Jools Holland, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Dan Smith of Bastille and more.
Conducted by renowned director David Hill in Parliament Square, the freelance musicians will perform a short section of Mars from Holst’s The Planets before standing in silence for two minutes. The 20% of the piece that they will perform represents the maximum 20% support that freelancers receive from the government throug

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UK - The Backup Pumpkin Challenge is back again and it’s an excuse to unleash your creativity in aid of Backup. The challenge is a competition to help raise awareness of the charity in a fun and creative way. Individuals, companies or teams are encouraged to take part. All you need is a pumpkin, your design and any props or tech you want to incorporate to bring your design to life.
Participants are asked to promote this competition on social media channels.
The Backup Pumpkin Challenge consists of five categories: Best overall design (judged by panel); Best use of tech (judged by panel); Best Design by Future Creative* (judged by panel); Most overall likes (on Instagram); Cutest Fur Baby Pumpkin Pic (most overall likes on Instagram).
Due to competition being open to anyone and anywhere, we will not be giving away any big prizes, but we will contact winners to s

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UK - Britannia Row Productions director Bryan Grant has written an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the live events industry faces critical point.
“During the past 40 years, Britannia Row Productions has been privileged to have provided equipment and technicians to many major concert artistes including Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Robbie Williams, Simply Red, Mumford and Sons and Harry Styles,” writes Grant.
“And, live events such as Her Majesty’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees, Live 8, the Barcelona and London Olympics, the Rugby World Cup and FA cup finals.
“We currently employ around 70 staff and 100 freelance people, with most of our staff currently on furlough.
“As well as providing the most state-of-the-art equipment, we supply audio engineers and technicians, and over the years, both our company and many o

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UK - Prominent live events industry campaigns and trade bodies have formed a taskforce to better communicate the demands of the UK events industry to the government.
Three campaigns have aligned to form the new body: the PLASA-initiated We Make Events along with Let the Music Play and We Create Experiences. They are joined by three trade organisations - the Business Visits and Events Partnerships (BVEP) which represents the conference, exhibition and outdoor events sector and is hoped to liaise directly with government; the UK Live Music Group which represents the UK’s live music industry, and PLASA.
Simon Hughes, chair of the BVEP comments: “Many different industry sectors will be looking to government for additional help and assistance in the next few weeks, alongside the more public/corporate targeting with the narrative of confidence and expertise. So it will be

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China - ROE Visual has announced a series of short online ROE Academy training sessions to offer its clients and AV technicians easy and quick ways to update their LED knowledge.
The so called crash courses will be held in both EU and US time zones and feature training on processing technology as well as interactive Q&A sessions. These online sessions will allow you to ask anything you need to know about LED technology, processing technology and types, bug fixing or your specific project requirements, says the company.
Lecturers Victor Kortekaas (pictured), Tim Hamberg, Mike Smith and Neil Abel are all seasoned AV technicians who will explain and clarify all the critical aspects and pitfalls of LED and processing technology.
Continuing its ROE Academy events online, ROE Visual has looked into ways to transform the ROE Academy training and other knowledge ses

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Germany - Symetrix has appointed Eckersdorf-based MediasPro as its exclusive distributor for Germany.
“We are pleased to partner with one of the top audio DSP manufacturers. Symetrix´s renowned DSP technology complements our current products and will certainly increase our power of impact in the commercial integration market. Symetrix products are known for excellent audio and reliability which suits our current product portfolio and mode of operation,” comments MediasPro CEO Joachim Schwarz.
For over 20 years, MediasPro has been a leading supplier of modern, intelligent audio systems. Led by CEOs Joachim Schwarz and Michael Voessing, the company specialises in paging and evacuation systems, room acoustics, conference solutions, processing and networking of control signals, to rack assembly, training courses and technical seminars, and research and development. M

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Japan - Adamson Systems Engineering, together with its exclusive Japanese distributor, ReWire, has announced Osaka Onken as its latest S-Series partner in Japan. With its substantial investment, Osaka Onken now boasts the largest S-Series inventory in the country.
“Wanting to significantly boost our offerings with an investment in a high-end, sub-compact loudspeaker system, we invited several very reputable loudspeaker manufacturers to demo their products in late 2019,” says Tatsuo Yamamoto, President and CEO of Osaka Onken. “It was immediately clear that Adamson’s S-Series was the top choice in terms of performance, and we’ve only grown more confident in that decision based on the support we’ve received from Adamson and their colleagues at ReWire in the time since.”
The new system comprises 48 sub-compact S10 two-way, full range array enclosures, 16 comp

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UK/Ireland - Audiologic has announced that it has signed up to a wider exclusive distribution partnership with Ecler that will now include Ireland and Northern Ireland, alongside its existing territory in the rest of the UK from 1 October.
The new extension of this partnership will bring about an even closer and more dynamic relationship from two leading organisations that have worked together, sharing the same values, for more than a decade. It also closely follows the successful appointment of Andrew Matthews as business manager for Ireland (and Scotland) back in August.
“Audiologic have proven to be a very strong industry and customer-focused partner, becoming a key ally for the successful development of Ecler in mainland UK,” says Jan Pages, area manager for Ecler. It has a great team of amazing people that have a highly detailed and practical understanding o

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Europe - General Device Type Format (GDTF) founders MA Lighting, Vectorworks, Inc and Robe lighting have transitioned the GDTF website to VPLT - the German Entertainment Technology Association. This migration will ensure a compliant platform for the exchange and future development of GDTF, which offers manufacturers and users a better way of planning and controlling complex productions from design to implementation for an event.
“On behalf of the three founding companies, we are all more than pleased to move the GDTF website under the roof of the VPLT, an independent association,” said Gerhard Krude, managing director of MA Lighting Technology. “This step is actually underlining what was always the intention of the original website, which is a barrier-free entity for serving the entire ligh

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UK - In response to this COVID-19 crisis, WOMAD and the WOMAD Foundation have announced a new funding opportunity, The Training and Professional Development Bursary Scheme aimed at festival production crew and artists.
The foundation has also launched a fundraising appeal to raise more funds for people who need help. For further details, eligibility criteria and on how to apply for a bursary or to donate to the WOMAD Foundation and help the people who make events, visit www.womadfoundation.org
WOMAD and the WOMAD Foundation are concerned by the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the arts sector in the UK and the thousands of people who have lost a year’s work and are without income for the foreseeable future.Very few have benefited from government support packages, WOMAD notes.
The foundation says in a statement: “At WOMAD, we know as well as a

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World - In a collective show of solidarity, live events professionals from all corners of the world held peaceful demonstrations to once again raise awareness of the dire effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and its workforce.
The #WeMakeEvents #StandAsOne Global Day of Action held yesterday, 30 September, was the single largest coordinated global event to take place since the campaign launched in the summer.
Just as with the regional events that preceded it, the demo saw thousands of cultural buildings being lit up in red, whilst the #WeMakeEvents and #LightItInRed hashtags trended on social media.
Campaigners have continued to push for state support for an industry that’s been unable to resume sustainably due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. After more than six months of uncertainty, the future of a once-thriving sector and its workforce has

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UK - Event industry professionals are taking part in a 1,500km bike ride across England to raise awareness of the issues faced by the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dubbed The Survival Tour, the ride will take place 3-18 October and take a circuitous route from Newcastle to London, passing more than 50 UK venues and festival sites along the way.
Money raised will go to the charity Backup, supporting entertainment technology professionals in need of support - find out how to donate via JustGiving.
Respectful of the UK government’s ‘rule of six’, the ride bubble is comprised of Steve Reynolds and Mike Trasmundi, who work at Loudsound, along with Mark Ward, Harry Ford and Tyler Cole-Homes of Proper Productions. They are inviting other indust

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Spain - Arista Corporation, manufacturer of AV extenders, matrix switchers, AV MultiViewers, and related products for the AV installation and professional audio markets, has announced the appointment of Zero DBS of Cabra, Spain as the company’s first European sales representative. Zero DBS commenced representation of Arista products in September 2020.
Zero DBS is well entrenched in the concert sound / event productions market segment, as well as both the mobile and fixed recording markets, and the Pro AV installation business. Sales, consultation, and training are important areas for the company to ensure customers get the best possible value for their investments. Juan Antonio Cuevas is the company principal.
Reflecting on the new arrangement, Cuevas says: “We are delighted to be representing Arista in our country. Arista’s E-Vocal Dante products offer a compreh

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China - Adam Hall Group has welcomed Speaker Electronic (Jiashan) Co as an exclusive distribution partner in China.
Effective immediately, Speaker Electronic (SE) will take over exclusive distribution for all brands of the Adam Hall Group in the country, including LD Systems, Cameo, Gravity, Defender, Palmer, and Adam Hall.
The announcement was made at a press conference with more than 200 invited guests from audio associations, large event companies, and the ME sector. Connected online for this occasion were Michael von Keitz, chairman of SE, and Markus Jahnel, COO and managing director of the Adam Hall Group, as well as members of the German team.
Speaker Electronic and the Adam Hall Group’s relationship began in 2006. The Chinese subsidiary Speaker Factory is German owned and has been an important supplier for the Neu-Anspach event technology company since

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World - The #WeMakeEvents campaign has been ramping up activity in order to highlight how the global live events industry urgently needs to get back to work. Over 30 million people in 25 countries would usually work in the events industry, but with social distancing measures in place, there is no possibility of a financially viable return for the foreseeable future.
Over the past weeks, events have happened around the world - including in the US, Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, Spain and the UK - to raise awareness of those impacted in the event supply chain, from manufacturers, production companies, catering, transport, security and others, to the huge freelance community that works within the industry.
The majority of the industry has had no income since the beginning of the crisis in March, and with a global second wave of COVID-19 imminent, a date to return to w

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Restart Act - Bandit Lites’ Michael T. Strickland has called for action to save the live events industry. Strickland writes: “We are an $877bn industry with over 10m people, and we are 100% shut down. We are not the stars, but we are the 10m people behind the scenes. Many of the companies we worked for are gone. More go under every day. Something must be done now.
“The live event industry has been pushing to pass the Restart Act for months. Most national media have not carried our story and we are unsure why. We pray they carry this story. The Restart Act as part of the next relief bill is the only thing that will save all of the live events industry. No other Act will save us all. If the Restart Act is not passed by 1 October, over 70% of our industry will face extinction. That means when you want a concert, movie, play, trade show, conference, special event, wedding

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Jordan - Sennheiser conducted an in-depth training on high-quality audio capture for 15 of the region’s leading social media influencers in Amman, Jordan. The session was hosted for participants of the latest season of Sadeem, the largest competition for influencers in the Arab world, and focused on how Sennheiser’s portable lavalier mics and headphones can be best utilised accurately capture and master audio for engaging digital content.
Sadeem encourages the region's top influencers to achieve their creative potential through the use of the latest technologies. The popular show attracts millions of views across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other leading social media platforms. In this third season, Sennheiser has collaborated to be the show’s official audio partner and intends to utilise this as a platform to draw attention to the v

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Europe - Technological Innovations Group (TIG) has opened two of its new series of Experience Spaces - in Frankfurt and London. These spaces will welcome integrators, consultants, specifiers and end-users and showcase TIG's ecosystem of AV, UC, IT and control solutions in a safe and socially-distanced way.
The Experience Spaces will serve to demonstrate how TIG's brands work together to form bespoke bundles that ‘match the client's exact brief, and help integrators deploy fully integrated, tailor-made and future-proof smart spaces in a wide range of environments including corporate, retail, residential, hospitality, education and healthcare’.
The locations of the new Experience Spaces were carefully chosen for their ease of accessibility and central positions in both Frankfurt and London.
Guests can book their personalised visit with one of TIG's experts by

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UK - PLASA's National Rigging Certificate assessments have resumed following a postponement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Assessments have already been delivered successfully earlier this month at Unusual Rigging's HQ in Bugbrooke with stringent COVID measures in place. These measures are under constant review and will reflect the current government guidelines moving forward.
Robin Elias, NRC Centre manager at Unusual Rigging, comments: "We are pleased to be able to resume our NRC assessments once again and to report back that those which have run to date have been extremely successful with feedback from candidates extremely positive."
He adds: "Our main priority right now is to reschedule dates for all those who had their assessments postponed due to the pandemic and to ensure they get the opportunity to complete their assessments. However, we know that the NRC cer

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UK - PLASA, the lead association for the events and entertainment technology industry, has announced PLASA Online 2020, a programme of free online content running from 12 to 16 October. Designed to provide industry professionals with the knowledge and confidence needed to navigate the COVID-crisis and prepare for what’s next in live events and entertainment, the week-long online event will consist of a curated selection of keynote talks, panel discussions, product presentations and technical sessions. Thought-leaders and business experts will address the most pertinent issues such as the COVID crisis, Brexit, technological innovations, and safety regulations.
Additionally, leading brands from audio, lighting and AV will present their latest products and solutions, including: Adam Hall, DiGiCo, ETC, Highlite, Signify, Sound Technology and Vectorworks. “These sessio

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UK - The Guildford School of Acting has successfully integrated the ABTT Bronze Award into the programme of its BA Theatre Production degree course. Students will now have the opportunity to gain not only a Bachelor of Arts degree, but to also achieve the accredited ABTT Bronze Award (SCQF Level 7). This partnership further supports the commitment “to bridge the gap between industry and education” in the GSA Theatre Production course.
Mig Burgess, ABTT Trustee, lighting teacher and newly appointed Theatre Production Programme Leader has spent her career at GSA working closely to forge strong industry links, organising a variety of projects and events that link her students with manufacturers, hire companies and industry bodies. She comments: “I am so proud and excited to formally announce the integration of the ABTT Bronze Award into the core teaching of our production

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USA - With the recent increase in online and broadcast delivery of a near limitless array of information, entertainment, and social information, the AES Show Fall 2020 Convention’s Broadcast and Online Delivery Track will examine key technologies and applications while taking a look back at broadcast history and a look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.
The session Practical Tips for Using Digital Audio in a 2110 Facility will offer in-depth expertise on IP Architecture and the SMPTE ST 2110 media networking protocol, of which the Audio Engineering Society’s AES3 and AES67 standards are key components, as well as related technologies and workflows.
Track sessions of historical importance include Pass the Mic which will celebrate this year’s 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting and its innovations with host John Holt, and A Century of
  1. We Make Events reacts to Sunak’s Winter Economy Plan
  2. Vectorworks to host first Virtual Design Day
  3. Multi-Media’s virtual studios prove popular
  4. Harman Pro India launches TechKnow Chats
  5. Creative Production Group acquires Dobson Sound
  6. Coda plays key role in Restart-19 experiment
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