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Europe - Panasonic has withdrawn from IBC 2020 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in September later this year. Instead, the organisation is focusing on supporting its partners and customers through its online initiatives, with the launch of its own Technology Experience Zone to help share expertise and information for the industry.
“It has been a very difficult decision. As much as we look forward each year to welcoming visitors at this important industry event, we must prioritise the well-being of our staff, partners and attendees,” states André Meterian, director of the Professional Video Systems Business Unit for EMEA.
“In the meantime, we will focus on creating additional activities and work with partners and industry leaders to continuously develop new content for our Technology Experience Zone, including live streaming, webinars, video podcasts and training.

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Australia - ClearOne has announced a new distribution agreement with Audio Visual Distributors (AVD), headquartered in Queensland Australia to represent ClearOne’s full line of audio conferencing, visual collaboration, and AV networking solutions.
"AVD’s experience in the AVIT Australia and New Zealand market is second to none with prime focus on customer service and support,” noted David Gledhil,l regional sales consultant, UK, Ireland, Benelux, Oceania at ClearOne. “ANZ is an important market for us and we are looking forward to working with AVD to serve our channel partners and customers in the region who will effectively offer full commercial and technical value from pre-sales thru post-sales support.”
"We are delighted to partner with ClearOne as a leader in voice and visual communications solutions for changing workspace demands,” stated Simon Fourie,

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UK - Ampetronic and USA-based Williams AV have announced a pan-European strategic partnership, as well as a distribution partnership for the UK and Ireland.
From 1July, Ampetronic will provide in-region technical and sales support for Williams’ European distribution partners and customers. Ampetronic will also provide European warehousing and logistics support to ensure rapid stock availability across the region for both Williams and Ampetronic product ranges.
In addition, effective 1 May, Ampetronic will become Williams AV’s exclusive distribution partner in the UK and Ireland, offering Williams’ broad product portfolio to its customers.
Ampetronic and Williams AV are both long-standing global champions for hearing accessibility, each of them leading their technology fields in assistive listening solutions. Ampetronic is a market leader in hearing loop tec

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USA - Operating within the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township, North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, offers a comprehensive educational curriculum as well as opportunities for participation in the performing arts.
The performing arts programme utilises two performance spaces highlighted by a 1450-seat theatrical auditorium. Theatre manager Shaun McIlquham recently integrated a new inventory of Siren Series LED Followspots from Altman Lighting.
“This is my second year teaching at NCHS and in our performance season we do four theatrical shows, a Junior spectacular showcase, and then we also assist the middle school with their annual production as well,” began McIlquham. “In our performance space, we are way overdue for a renovation as we still have the original dimmers from the 1960s. In a production a few years ago the lighting syste

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Australia - With a CV that spans everything from rock ’n’ roll to opera, Andrew Crawford (aka The Mix Wizard) has been revealing his mixing secrets to a global YouTube audience through his MixWizard Sessions.
In an ongoing video series that kicked off at the end of March, Andrew, from Allen & Heath’s Australian distributor, TAG, has already racked up almost 20,000 views and covered topics ranging from how to use SQ’s onboard compressor as a de-esser to setting up A&H mixers for live webcasting. There have even been guest appearances from Allen & Heath's MD Rob Clark in a run of four episodes where The Mix Wizard admirably matches up to Rob in a fierce compressor 'nerd-off'.
“In normal times my world is all about connecting with the audio community in Australia, and I’ve driven thousands and thousands of miles in the Ampervan to run SQ, Avantis

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USA - At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, Bethany Church in Baton Rouge published three ‘Quarantine Goals’ on its Facebook page. Like the three large white crosses that tower over its spacious grounds, the church’s statement left no doubt about its conviction or commitment. It read simply: ‘Calm Down, Get A Word, Stand Firm’.
The same one characterises the four virtual services Bethany is livestreaming every week. This is reflected in the visuals created for those online services, which are supported by a diverse range of lighting designs, from those featuring variety of colours and movements, to more subtle versions that rely on side and back angles. Chauvet Professional Rogue fixtures in the church’s rig are used to convey this range of powerful looks.
In a time of lockdowns, the church is taking a more basic approach to visuals. This is even reflected

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USA - On the 13 May edition of the Elation Hour (10:00am Pacific Standard Time), Elation service manager Gines Gines explores a critical topic for any lighting professional, Service & Support, and also take a closer look at Elation’s new atmospherics brand, Magmatic, with Magmatic product manager Anthony Velasquez.
Gines has served as Elation’s top service specialist for over a decade and on this episode will cover service/support topics like RMA’s, service centres, updates, warranties and more. Anthony will share insight into Elation’s new Magmatic brand of on-the-road tough atmospheric effects while reviewing the first innovations in the new product line.
The Elation Hour is a weekly virtual presentation that delves into the more personal side of product development and includes discussions with industry designers who share their experience across

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USA - For 45 years, Girls Inc. has dedicated itself to “equipping girls to overcome barriers”. This April, the Manchester, New Hampshire based organisation provided young women with a first-hand example of doing just that. When its usual, and very critical, spring auction at the local Marriott ballroom was pre-empted by the Covid-19 lockdown, the non-profit responded without missing a beat by moving its fundraiser online with the help of the Events United at Studio Lab.
Raising $175,000 from its “first annual virtual auction” Girls Inc. did more than acquire much-needed funds; it also provided an important lesson for anyone, of any age, in the value of persevering in the face of adversity.
Like all inspiring stories, however, the one behind this successful auction involved more than determination - it also required a lot of careful planning. For the Events Uni

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USA - To meet popular demand, Audinate has extended its online Dante webinar series.
This is an opportunity to officially obtain new Dante certifications, learn about Dante Domain Manager and ‘join interesting discussions on case studies and Dante design principles’ says Audinate.
Audinate is offering over 25 free online learning opportunities this month – some available in a variety of languages.
Webinar topics include: Dante Design and Case Studies, Dante Domain Manager, Dante Certification Programme plus previous webinar recordings. Visit: www.audinate.com

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Namibia - With more than a third of the world’s population on lockdown as countries implement measures to slow the spread of Covid-19, priorities are being thrown into sharp focus.
In Windhoek, Namibia, technical production and rental company dB Audio’s first concern was to ensure that its staff would be safe and well during the lockdown period which started on 27 March and was extended to 4 May by President Hage Geingob.
dB Audio is normally involved in a wide range of live events – from corporates to dance and music shows, experientials and awards presentations through to commercials. Namibia’s abundant and beautifully desolate desert locations and unspoiled coastline have long been a favourite for location scouts. Over the years, the company has been a steady investor in Robe moving lights.
But all live events stopped on 16 March when public gathering

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UK - VE Day was an event of particular significance for RG Jones, the oldest continuously trading independent sound company in the UK and one of the oldest three in the world. It is 75 years since founder, Reginald Jones, provided public address systems for the VE Day celebrations in London.
Reginald’s son Robin Jones took over the company after his father passed away in 1987. Robin, who was a long-standing and active committee member of the APRS, has been instrumental at curating the company history archives and has also been transcribing records from the sought after Oak Records; a highly collectable record collection created by RG Jones Studios.
Robin recently transcribed audio for a client from a 78rpm disc of the Loafers Dance Band, recorded by RGJ in March 1945 at a victory celebration dance at the old Epsom Baths (they boarded over the baths to turn it into a

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France - From today, 11 May, Nexo will gradually begin restarting its manufacturing operations in Plailly and Saint-Pierre-de-Côle. The return to normal service, in accordance with the guidelines of the French authorities, will involve adjusted working hours to meet health and safety protocols, and the current demand. Most of the company’s key suppliers have now resumed their own activity.
For several months, the Nexo team has been continuously adapting itself, staying proactive and agile in the face of the unprecedented challenges caused by the coronavirus. Jean Mullor, company CEO, states, “Our first goal remains the health of our employees, guaranteeing them a safe working environment and working practices that align with government guidelines and common-sense good behaviour rules.”
Nexo R&D, sales, engineering support, and administration teams will conti

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The Netherlands - Alcons Audio is to present a new series of online educational sessions, featuring industry names and special guests, beginning 12 May. Whether specialising in touring/production, installation, or cinema, this series will “delve into the latest technology, spark innovative dialogue, and expand the sound designer’s toolbox”.
Alcons’ online Go-To presentations have always been an essential part of the company’s USA communications for supporting engineers and consultants, training new dealers and providing information to potential customers. With the increased demand for online information, Alcons is now making these presentations available to a much wider audience.
Presented by David Rahn of Alcons Audio USA, with guest input from several renowned audio engineers, each webinar will be 30-60 minutes in length. The webinars will provide a detai

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South Africa - Carolyn Steyn, South African philanthropist, actress, founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day and Classic FM1027 radio host personality, has donated R100,000 (around £4,400) to the Feed Our Crew initiative established to help theatre and entertainment crew and freelancers who most need assistance.
As an accomplished actress, Carolyn was concerned about the welfare of the theatre crew, especially after the lock-down in South Africa was extended. The entertainment business has been one of the hardest hit industries in the country. When Carolyn saw a Facebook post by one of her friends, Debra Batzofin, theatre practitioner in the industry for the past 46 years, it ultimately enabled her to pay it forward.
“Carolyn immediately assisted me, and we were able to feed

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World - As much of the world remains on lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic, ADJ is aiming to inject a little fun into social distancing through its ADJ House Party Contest.
The company is encouraging lighting users to get creative for the opportunity to win ADJ prizes, including a pair of Focus Spot 2X moving heads.
The contest is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, who owns at least one ADJ lighting fixture. To enter, all you have to do is put your ADJ lighting equipment to use at home and post the photos or video on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter along with the hashtag #ADJHouseParty.
“What you do with them is entirely up to you,” says ADJ. “If you’re a lighting designer, you could set up a rig in your garage and program a timecoded lightshow. If you’re a DJ, you could use your fixtures to light up your next live-streamed set from your livin

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USA - After announcing an expansion of its Nashville site, lighting specialist Bandit Lites has completed an overhaul of its Knoxville world headquarters.
The premises have been revamped as a sales facility, with a renovated conference room, updated warehouse, and dedicated testing and demo areas.
Following a collaborative process of zeroing in how to make the intake, testing, and output most efficient, Bandit’s team devised a system that streamlined the process, with the entire front of the warehouse scoured, painted and sealed with painted lines to designate spaces for check in, prep’ and testing, and shipping.
The changes will accommodate the growth in sales and installations projects.
Knoxville facilities manager, Brad Hylton, comments: “Thes

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UK - For the first time in its 150-year history, the Royal Albert Hall will play host to a special concert behind closed doors. For the event, which will mark the VE Day 75th anniversary on Bank Holiday, Friday 8 May, international Mezzo Soprano Katherine Jenkins OBE will perform on the Royal Albert Hall stage to an empty auditorium. The half-hour concert will be streamed to audiences around the world via YouTube at 6pm BST and is the first performance of the #RoyalAlbertHome series to come from the Hall itself. It follows on from the singer’s successful at home lockdown concerts which have amassed over 2 million streams to-date.
This unique concert is made possible by funding from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, as part of #LondonTogether, and will be introduced with a video message from the Mayor. #LondonTogether invites Londoners to highlight great examples of positive

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Europe - On 27 April, L-Acoustics sales manager Tim McCall set out on a journey to ride 2000km from L-Acoustics headquarters in Marcoussis, France, to each of the companies in the group. He will return to Marcoussis on 11 May, in time for when the French Government is due to lift some of the current lockdown restrictions.
“The live production business has been hit hard by COVID-19, and individuals in this industry even harder. So to help our global crew family, I will be riding my bike on a trainer (so as not to break strict French lockdown laws),” says McCall. “My virtual route will start at L-Acoustics HQ in Marcoussis before going on to Keskatel and then Wenden, Germany and on to the L-ISA HQ in Highgate, London before heading south and back to Amboise, France before heading home to Marcoussis - a trip of around 2,000km and around 8,000m of climbing.”
McCal

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USA - Atlona will launch AtlonaComm 20, a month-long virtual tradeshow experience beginning 1 June on Atlona’s website. The online event will offer a schedule of product offerings, training and education experiences, and personalised meeting opportunities for customers, partners and other visitors.
AtlonaComm 20 represents Atlona’s proactive response to COVID-19-related event disruption, including the cancellation of InfoComm 2020, as well as general business travel and in-person sales visits. Atlona hatched its plans for an online event back in early March as the magnitude of the rapidly-evolving health crisis unfurled.
“We wanted to provide guests with a tradeshow experience that closely resembles the experience of being there,” says Ilya Khayn, CEO of Atlona. “We took a proactive approach in creating a virtual, interactive event to share our latest innovat

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UK - PLASA is calling for UK-based entertainment industry professionals from all sectors to write to their local MP highlighting the challenges the industry has faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The action forms part of the #EventsForTheFuture initiative, launched by the ABTT, PSA, PLASA, SOLT and UK Theatre, which aims to increase the visibility of the events and entertainment industries and campaign for further support.
To make it simple to contact their local representative, the organisations have created four letter templates suitable for businesses, employees, freelancers, and one-person limited companies. The templates are freely available to download on each association’s websites – head over to www.plasa.org/coronavirus-mp-letter-templates to downl

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Missouri Breaks - Missouri is the first US state to resume live events. The latest measure was included in Gov. Mike Parson’s Show Me Strong recovery plan, which also outlines how the state’s economy will begin reopening this week, Billboard reports. Large events and gatherings are no longer forbidden; residents will be able to attend concerts and go to movie theatres and stadiums, where “seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements”.
A Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services rep explained that concerts don’t have to follow the same capacity guidance as retail businesses. Still, concertgoers must remain at least six feet from each other. “There are currently no limitations on social gatherings as long as necessary precautions are taken and six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals and/or families

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Finland - Genelec is to donate a percentage of every sale of its new RAW loudspeaker range to the Audio Engineering Society (AES), for the remainder of this year. Additionally, Genelec will be funding 10 one-year AES memberships for those individuals whose lives have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
Genelec managing director Siamak Naghian comments: “To us, the AES represents the only serious forum for the development of audio, and the work it does for our industry is invaluable. In its pursuit of excellence and dedication to raising the bar in the industry, it is without equal, and our approaches have much in common. We will do everything we can to help the Society through the ongoing crisis, and this donation is just one way of showing our support and appreciation for this much-loved institution.”
Genelec will donate a percentage of each global RAW sale to

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USA - Obsidian Control Systems is presenting a two-part live webinar series, Onyx on Set, to show how Obsidian’s Onyx lighting control platform is utilised in motion picture and television settings.
Hosted by Obsidian Control Systems product manager Matthias Hinrichs, the series airs 7 and 14 May and will include in-depth discussion and expert advice from professional film and TV programmers Chris Chalk and Phil Shearer, both of IATSE Local 728 in Los Angeles, along with programming specialist Tommy Sullivan of North Carolina.
Part 1 will take place on 7 May, 10:00-11:30am PT and comprise a round table discussion exploring how lighting programmers on motion picture and television sets utilise ONYX on a daily basis and how the lighting platform supports them in thi

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USA - Sound designer Bill Chesley just got himself an EVO 4 audio interface for his new home studio space, where he continues to work on commercials for Walmart, Fedex, Nike and Guinness.
He decided to organise things ahead of the stay-at-home order announcement in New York State. “I’m in pretty close proximity to my actual studio, but thought I’d get a home set-up going in these unpredictable times,” he explains.
He co-runs the award-winning sound design collective, Henryboy with his wife, Kate Gibson where he uses an Audient iD22 audio interface. When considering a studio in their Brooklyn apartment, he was mindful of how much space he had to play with. “I gravitated towards EVO 4 because of its small footprint - it packs a lot of punch in a small space.” Which is exactly what he has to do now, with their multi-million dollar clients relying on them to co
  1. TSL shifts focus to remote requirements
  2. Feed Our Crew initiative gains momentum
  3. Harman announces mid-May workshops
  4. Astera assists with face mask production
  5. ALD Awards for Excellence 2020 to start imminently
  6. Ayrton appoints Bespoke distributor for South Africa
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