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UK - The We Make Events campaign has said that the economic relief actions announced by the UK chancellor Rishi Sunak are set to provide “a measure of relief” for the live events industry, but increased restrictions would likely mean that few businesses will be able to trade viably during the next half a year.
The chancellor launched the much-anticipated replacement of the furlough scheme - the Job Support Scheme - which will see the government pay 22% of the wages of workers who are able to return to work for at least a third of their normal hours, in a drive to prevent mass redundancies. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme was also extended, as were several loan schemes and the VAT holiday for hospitality and tourism.
The campaign organisers say in a statement: “We welcome the announcement of the new job support schemes in the UK, which will provide a

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USA - Global design and BIM software provider, Vectorworks is inviting users to its global Vectorworks Design Day on Tuesday, 6 October. This virtual event is geared toward designers in the architectural, interior architecture, landscape and entertainment industries and will educate customers on the new Vectorworks 2021 features, while providing access to a variety of live and on-demand presentations and discussions.
This year, attendees can expect a welcome presentation from Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar, where he will share the direction of development and deliver a keynote that covers product strategies centred around the theme of this year’s release Simplicity to Design the Complex.
“The global COVID-19 pandemic has altered the lives of many, which is why we are taking this opportunity to bring Vectorworks Design Day to our users in a virtual format,
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South Africa - Whilst South Africa has just moved to Level 1 allowing events for up to 250 guests indoors and 500 people outdoor, technical supplier Multi-Media has utilised the past few months to establish a virtual platform for the future and something that can be expanded upon with the new eased restrictions while adhering to strict safety protocols.
Multi-Media has seven virtual studios based in Johannesburg and Cape Town, which have opened doors for businesses and financial institutions, to continue communicating with their audience during this time. The multi-purpose studio spaces have been used for live events, virtual events and broadcasts (complete with customised 3D virtual sets) and product launches. In addition, Multi-Media has partnered with Century City Conference Centre (CCCC) in the Western Cape, to create additional virtual space.
Event planners and bu

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India - Creating a new platform where customers can learn from the AV industry’s leading professionals, Harman TechKnow Chat by Harman Professional India is a series of virtual, fireside chats that celebrate key contributors, projects and products across the industry.
In addition to speaking with consultants, integrators and other renowned AV professionals about their journey in the industry, HarmanTechKnow Chat will include product demonstrations and highlight noteworthy projects and case studies that feature Harman Professional solutions.
"Harman has been at the forefront of engineering audio solutions for the professional, consumer and automotive markets for decades,” said Aditya Todi, senior director of sales and marketing for Harman Professional Solutions, India and SAARC. “Continuing the same pioneering spirit, we're introducing Harman TechKnow Chat - a me

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UK - The Creative Production Group, owner of Reading/Manchester-based Visions, has announced the purchase of the London-based sound reinforcement company - Dobson Sound Productions.
Dobson Sound Productions works with a wide range of artists and venues on events from small, intimate dinners through to large festivals delivering high-end systems into a wide variety of live environments.
Chris Norman,CEO, comments: “We have always looked at opportunities to expand our service to our clients and have been keen to have a base in London. We intend to keep Dobson Sound Productions at its historic location in Deer Park Road, Wimbledon where David Lewis, Bill Woods and key members of the team will be on hand to look after customers. The acquisition allows the group to significantly expand its stock holding of sound equipment with a specialist audio provider, it also allows

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Germany - Restart-19 is an evidence-based scientific study conducted by the University Medical Center, Halle, in conjunction with regional government, aimed at investigating the coronavirus risks associated with staging major cultural or sporting events in indoor arenas. The project has received almost a million euros in funding, a measure of just how desperate the situation facing the future of such events has become. The principle aim of the study was to determine which technical and organisational actions can most effectively minimise the risk of infection.
Comprising several sub-projects, the most visible element of Restart-19 was a large experiment conducted in the Leipzig Arena, featuring singer Tim Bendzko and his band, where 1,800 audience members attended to participate in different real-life simulations of the concert experience. Every measure was taken to ensure

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World - Creative Technology (CT) has recently launched a new website. Since joining the NEP group three years ago, the CT business world-wide has expanded significantly through a combination of organic growth, acquisition and re-branding of regional businesses and is now operates from 24 inventoried locations across 15 countries.
The new website built over a 12-month period provides a consistent look, feel and messaging while allowing a high degree of local customisation for CT’s evolving global structure, says the company.
At launch there are dedicated new sites for US, UK, Middle East and Spain including multiple language options on the Spanish site.
In the coming weeks Asia Pacific, Northern Europe, Ireland, Germany and Holland will be added each with dedicated sites focusing on relevant local service offerings and market sector activities and significant

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UK - Shaun Pearce, MD of Pearce Hire, is actively lobbying the government, as are many throughout the sector. He is asking for urgent government intervention. Specifically the continuation of SEISS (self-employment income support scheme) for those individuals working in the industry, continuing furlough support for employees and extending rates relief to event hire businesses (most of which are SMEs and owner-operated like Pearce Hire).
Pearce and his management team were looking forward to a record year in 2020, recruiting another four permanent members of staff with typically, over 70 seasonal freelance technicians being employed. Pearce Hire was on the cusp of rolling out its busiest summer season ever when the government shut down the economy and everything came to a grinding halt. “The impact was immediate and disastrous for us,” says the MD.
As an event pro

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Urgent Call - A third of musicians are thinking about leaving the industry altogether, as the sector’s union makes an urgent call on government to protect its talent. One in three professional musicians are set to quit and find work elsewhere as a result of the pandemic, a newly published survey from the Musicians’ Union has revealed.
With the majority of live venues still closed and both the furlough scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme entering their final months, the MU is warning the pandemic could spell the end for many professional musicians’ careers. Its research found the majority (88%) believe the government has not done enough to support musicians during the COVID-19 crisis.
Of those musicians covered by furlough and SEISS, 87% will face financial hardship when support stops next month. A third did not qualify for government assistance at al

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UK - Responding to the effects of COVID-19 on their business, Johnny Palmer, managing director of SXS Events, promptly rebranded his Bristol-based company to Pytch, and constructed The Virtual Venue in one of the empty warehouses on the industrial estate in Brislington which he owns.
“We rationalised that the world was in chaos, and in any case our old name was a mouthful. Our industry is full of three-letter acronymed companies, so we came up with Pytch instead.”
Explaining the ethos, he says, “We are here to share messages and create memorable experiences. We decided the broadcast model was better, so I built TV studios.” This includes a 12m x 15m main stage and a Green Room.
Aside from attracting new business Pytch also has a number of clients on retainer in the corporate, conference and exhibition sectors. “We knew we had to deliver something serio

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USA - ADJ is offering lighting pros the chance to win one of three prizes simply by using their ADJ fixtures as part of a Halloween display and tagging the photos or video on social media.
With the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting live events and large social gatherings all over the world in 2020, it’s ADJ's aim with this contest to spread cheer and evoke a creative spark in lighting designers and haunt enthusiasts as we all celebrate Halloween in the ‘great outdoors'. With outdoor events becoming more prevalent, such as: pumpkin patches productions, drive-thru haunted houses and live music events, this is a an opportunity for lighting designers to share their creation and win prizes.
Entries could be a Halloween project you’re creating for a client or you could simply use your ADJ lighting, video or effects equipment to decorate your own yard, front porch or home

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Europe - CLF Lighting has announced the appointment of Licht Produktiv as second distribution partner in Germany. Licht Produktiv is an all-round distributor that serves its customers with quality brands and high service in all disciplines in the entertainment industry.
Licht Produktiv has a 15 year history of being a truss and stage products distributor. Later on, audio products were added. Director Nico Bruder says: “We received a lot of requests for high quality lighting products.”
Director René Haarseim continues: “Too many times we had to say no to our customers. From now on we can fulfil our customers’ needs to buy quality lighting products at Licht Produktiv, with the service they are used to."
"From the first moment that we talked, it was clear that CLF and Licht Produktiv have a strategic fit and the strong ambition to grow", says Martijn Gerard

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South Africa - It’s a step in the right direction for the live events industry in South Africa as the country is scheduled to move to Level 1 of the risk reduction strategy implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19, this week. The eased restrictions will allow up to 500 people for outdoor gatherings, a maximum of 250 people for indoor gatherings and a max of 100 people for funerals, while the existing restrictions on sporting events remain in place.
The news has been met with mixed emotions. For six months, the live events and technical production industry has been unable to work due to the ban on gatherings made on 15 March. Movements such as #LightSAred and the #Flightcasemovement have organically grown to represent, to government, thousands of people who have had no income during this time. Companies have retrenched or have been forced to let staff go, while many other

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UK - The #WeMakeEvents campaign aims to raise awareness around the current plight of the live entertainments sector and its urgent need for financial support if it is to support the COVID-19 crisis.
Last month, it was announced that it would be steered by a collective of industry trade bodies, businesses and freelancers; all working in collaboration with each other. Over the past few weeks, the team has continued to build momentum around the campaign, working endlessly to rally the government for much needed support.
Following last month’s Day of Action which saw buildings across the UK lit up in red as a show of support, the #WeMakeEvents team has been busy capitalising on the extensive media coverage and attention this received. One of those involved is White Light’s managing director Bryan Raven, who comments: “The Day of Action was vitally important for our

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UK - London venue The Clapham Grand has announced its first post lockdown shows for 2020 with a special re-opening party with Frank Turner this Friday & Russell Howard, Jimmy Carr, The Vivienne, Louise Redknapp, Baga Chipz, Jimmy Carr, Courtney Act, Crystal Methyd & more coming up.
The Clapham Grand is one of 135 grassroots music venues to receive emergency funding as part of the Government’s £1.5bn Culture Recovery Fund.
To coincide with a number of confirmed shows, the Clapham Grand has this week unveiled the reopening of its top balcony, which has been closed for 15 years – not in use since Oasis last played at the venue. The newly refurbished area will increase the post-lockdown capacity of the venue by 100, taking it to 400 (these numbers are reduced from 1250 due to physical distancing), bringing the venue back to its original Victorian glory.

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Spain - The organisers of Integrated Systems Europe have announced new dates for the recently-postponed tradeshow.
Instead of 2-5 February, ISE 2021 will take place on 1-4 June at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona.
“The decision to reschedule the exhibition from early February came after a period of consultation with exhibitors, the venue and local authorities,” comments Mike Blackman, managing director Integrated Systems Events. “In recent weeks we have been working closely with the venue and local suppliers to ensure that the move can take place as smoothly as possible.
“From our many conversations, it is clear the industry can’t wait to get back together doing business face to face and we are committed to delivering an engaging and safe in-person ISE in 2021. The postponement of the event to early June provides additional time for the industry to adapt a

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USA - Take1 Insurance has announced a new strategic underwriting partnership with OneBeacon Entertainment, a member of OneBeacon Insurance Group.
According to Take1 Insurance executive vice president, programme director and lead underwriter Scott Carroll, the new partnership enables Take1 to offer its customers a greater range of rental and staging insurance options for event service firms, event planners, producers, promoters, along with options for film and television production, short term or annual special events, those who tour and even the insurance needs for loan-out corporations.
“Take1 will do everything within our power to make sure that our customers never have to take their chances by offering the very best available coverages and our new partnership with OneBeacon enables us to do that with a specialty solutions carrier focused on entertainment customers

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UK - Version 2 Lights has announced  the completion of an equity investment deal with Nigel Wray and his team.
This significant investment represents a milestone step in Version 2’s strategic plan to grow its position within the UK production community through an expanded equipment inventory and enhanced company infrastructure, says the company.
"We are delighted that Nigel has chosen to join us at this important stage in the evolution of our company,” says Nick Edwards, managing director of Version 2. “Nigel has an incredibly strong commercial background working with high profile names such as Domino’s and Saracens. His considerable business acumen which, importantly for us, includes a solid understanding of our industry, makes him an ideal partner. His involvement will allow us the scope both to build our equipment offering and to further develop our range o

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USA - Volt Lites co-founders Matthew Shimamoto and Harrison Lippman and Lulu Creative director Michael Zinman of Zinman Company have launched the 3by3 Space on the premises of entertainment production services company Volt Lites in Burbank.
The three partners have created a safe stage for the COVID-19 era that’s equipped with a trio of lighting, video and xR capabilities. Sixty-four active Claypaky Mini-B LED moving lights comprise the workhorse fixtures for the space.
“We wanted to create a safe space that would allow people to get back to work and stimulate them to think out of the box,” says Shimamoto. The 3by3 Space has already been used by rock band Bush to shoot Quicksand with Augmented Reality, the Black Eyed Peas shooting Feel the Beat for Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, the iconic Temptations reprising their greatest hits for

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South Africa - As the city slept during the Covid-19 lockdown, a deserted building in downtown Johannesburg became a beacon of hope for musicians. Urban Sessions 2020, an amalgamated project by Militia Broadcast, technical supplier Stage Effects and Smack Entertainment for audio, created a studio for musicians to livestream concerts to their fans. To date, over 150 performances have been hosted in this space.
Erik de Bruin of Stage Effects explains that as early as May 2020, Militia Broadcast, Stage Effects, and Smack Ent knew they had to do something to survive the strict lockdown in South Africa as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They managed to secure an empty warehouse at Thabo Mpelo Studios in Johannesburg and converted it into an intimate environment with a bit of a nostalgic feel, giving viewers at home the impression that they were part of a rehearsal or jamming s

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USA - One of the growing trends in entertainment lighting the past few years has been the increased use of UV light in productions of all kinds. On Thursday, 17 September at 11:00 a.m. CEST, the next Elation Coffee Break sees Alistair Smyth and Frederik Afif take a closer look at the Prisma line of advanced UV LED lighting products from Magmatic Atmospheric Effects.
This new generation of IP65 lighting is changing the quality of UV light projection while making it easier for designers and production houses to implement UV light into their projects. Because Prisma uses high quality, medical grade LEDs that emit UV light in the 365nm range, no visible light is emitted, meaning only the UV reactive material glows and nothing else.
The Elation Coffee Break is available on Elation Europe’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ELATION.Pro.Europe/live/. No registration is req

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Canada - When Canadian country star Brett Kissel announced the first of what would become eight sold-out Live at the Drive-In shows in Edmonton, AB on 13 and 14 June 2020, drive-in concerts were basically the wild west of what live productions might look like during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the four shows on each day, 180 vehicles spaced several feet apart filled the parking lot of the River Cree Resort & Casino. By tuning into 89.5 FM, fans heard the live feed from FOH through their car stereos and were invited to honk, wave, and even hang out of windows and sunroofs while staying in their vehicles through the hour-long performance.
Kissel had full reign over the stage with a big extension, while each band member was surrounded by Plexiglas partitions. That part may have been strange for the performers, but it wasn’t the most unusual aspect for the wider crew.

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Spain - Organisers of the Porta Ferrada Festival, staged on the Costa Brava, report that the fortnight of concerts has been hugely successful, playing to 95% capacity, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Audio production company BTM worked closely with Nexo to deliver the PA systems for the event, servicing new venues which had to be redesigned according to new festival safety protocols.
Now in its 58th edition at home in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, near Girona, the festival had to re-invent itself, presenting the new ‘Guíxols Arena’. Once the main stage of the event, this space had to take on the character of an auditorium, restricting capacity to no more than 800 socially-distanced spectators, divided between stalls and stands. Nevertheless, more than 10,000 tickets were sold, and 20 concerts were staged.
Girona-based audio rental house BTM Sound has serviced the Port

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UK - The ALD has announced that applications for its popular Sponsored Student Scheme for the year 2021 are open, and that also running alongside the scheme, for the month of September only, is a promotion targeted at the other individual membership categories, for discounted subscription rates for the rest of the membership year to March 2021.
The Sponsored Student Scheme is funded by ALD ccorporate members and is targeted towards students who have not previously been members, offering the opportunity of free ALD membership until the end of March 2022.
Membership within any category provides vital interaction opportunities and connection between established figures in professional lighting and video design, and the next generation of talented designers, programmers and technicians. Members also enjoy complimentary copies of the Association’s magazine Focus, a
  1. Integrated Systems Europe postpones until June 2021
  2. The Week in Light & Sound
  3. ASI Audio partners with Triple G Ventures
  4. Stardraw.com webinar gains AVIXA approval
  5. Absen wins China management accolade
  6. HES announces Hog Factor USA 2020 finalists
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