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South Africa - DWR will host Hippotizer training and workshop on 17 and 18 March in Johannesburg.
Hosted by Dylan Jones, the course will cover a range of topics including Hippolauncher, Output Manager, Media Manager, Visualizer, Pinbridge, Multi-Controller, DMX control, Timeline, Videomapper, Pixelmapper and Shape. 
Attendees are requested to bring a Green Hippo Server or Play Software on PC, Server Accessories and a valid ID.
The course will be held at DWR, C1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew. The cost is R1,800 and includes a light lunch and refreshments. To book, please visit this website.

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USA - The Long Reach Long Riders and Behind the Scenes will host their annual fundraising raffle at the USITT Conference 2-4 April in Houston.
This year’s raffle will celebrate the 17th edition of the Long Reach Long Riders annual charity motorcycle ride. The Riders, who have raised over half a million dollars for charity in their years of touring, will be riding 20-27 June on the A River Runs Through It tour through four states around the upper Midwest with route highlights in and around the area known as the Driftless.
The Behind the Scenes Boutique will also be open for business during the show featuring an assortment of Behind the Scenes swag and Long Reach Long Rider T-shirts and kazoos.
Tickets for the raffle are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased at the Behind the Scenes stand #222 throughout the show. Winning tickets for nine regular pr

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USA - Winners of the ESTA’s Members Choice Awards 2020 were announced on 19 January at the Design Studio stand during the NAMM Show.
The annual awards see ESTA member exhibitors nominate new products and ESTA member attendees voting via an electronic ballot to determine the winners across two categories - Gadget and Equipment.
The winner for the Gadget category is The Light Source for The Mega-Coupler Grounder. In The Equipment category, there was a four-way tie. The winners are: ACT Lighting for the Ayrton Diablo, Applied Electronics for Video Wall Truss, The Light Source for The Gym Light Cage, and TMB for the ProPlex FOH Friend.
(Jim Evans)

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Australia - The Australasian Lighting Industry Association (ALIA) has abandoned plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary, opting instead to raise money for the Australian people and wildlife affected by the recent bushfires.
ALIA has set up the ALIA FireAid Auction, an online auction where gear donated by lighting solutions manufacturers from across the globe will be auctioned online. All money raised will benefit the Australian Red Cross and the RSPCA’s National Bushfire Appeal. Bidding is only open to Australian residents due to shipping costs.
“A big thanks must also go to the Australian distributors who are tasked with getting the gear to the buyer. It couldn’t have been done without them,” says ALIA.
The association is still accepting equipment donations

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UK - AV solutions distributor Tukans has been acquired by CUK Audio, a specialist solutions distributor serving the AV, installation, live and MI markets.
Tukans will continue to operate as an independent company from its base in York, whilst logistics, accounting and IT for the group will be consolidated at CUK Audio’s East Kilbride headquarters. The operational change will enable the best use of resources throughout the group and enable both teams to better support their client base.
Stuart Thomson, managing director, CUK Audio, comments: “A few years ago, as CUK Audio started its transition into supplying video products, I realised that Tukans would be a great fit with us, and I’m are delighted that Yvonne [Womersley] and Andrew [Popely] shared my vision and could see how this acquisition would benefit both companies.
“The acquisition substantially enh

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USA - Illumination Dynamics (ID) has announced the transition of its Los Angeles headquarter from San Fernando to a new location in Santa Clarita. The new, 67,639sq.ft facility is located at 21335 Needham Ranch Parkway, within sight of the 14 Freeway and just a few miles from Interstates 5, 405, and 210. As such, it allows easier access to the film industry in the Santa Clarita Valley, while still remaining just a short distance from Hollywood.
The new facility is the first building to be completed in a new industrial park, surrounded by extensive landscaping, walking trails, and bike paths. Key features of the building include 30ft ceilings, a large demo room, centralized loading docks, ample staff and customer parking, a large canopied work area, and an exclusive private parking lot for trucks and generators.
“We are excited about moving to our new facility in San

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UK – AV equipment hire company Expression Events has made a major investment in Luxibel’s B PAR180RGBW fixtures for its range of projects, including festivals, corporate and architectural.
The team, headed up by Lewis Richardson, arranged a shootout to source a bright, IP-rated, multifunctional PAR fixture for its expanding outdoor architectural and entertainment portfolio.
“We trialled most of the other brand fixtures during the shootout and Luxibel came out on top for each element we were looking at: build quality, brightness, size, weight, functionality and of course price point,” says Richardson. “It was an easy choice.”
The B PAR180RGBW is made up of 12x 15W LEDs in a 25° angle, offering high saturated colours and smooth dimming. It is one of the most powerful RGBW LED pars on the AV market.
“Our clients can rely on the fact they will b

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Canada - APG Media Group has announced the opening of a new 15,000sq.ft Canadian corporate headquarters just outside Toronto.
Comprised of executive offices, training and testing centre, full line product experience centre, quality control lab and a massive warehouse, the new headquarters will provide the growing videowall rental and distribution company with the space it needs to accommodate projected growth, according to APG Media Group president David Weatherhead. The company is also in the process of expanding its inventory and service offerings at its U.S. headquarters in Orlando, Florida.
“Our rental and distribution businesses are growing in both Canada and the United States,” Weatherhead said. “The investments we are making in both headquarters facilities represents a tremendous opportunity for APG Media Group to bring to market the many new and exciting

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Singapore - AV Stumpfl has announced the Singapore based company Total Solution Marketing as its new Pixera media server distributor for Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, ahead of this year's ISE exhibition in Amsterdam.
The products and services provided by Total Solution are used for entertainment events and performing arts venues such as concert halls, theatres, large scale ceremonies, corporate events, product launches, schools, convention centres, galleries, public spaces, house of worship applications and museums.
Total Solution Marketing deputy sales director Terence Yee comments: "With so many different media server systems available on the market, we were very curious in 2019 to find out more about this multi award winning system called Pexera. Our engineers quickly identified the great potential of this new and exciting platform. One particularly i

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UK - Featuring some of the leading names in the industry, Stage Electrics is welcoming over 20 manufactures, to the SS Great Britain, Bristol on Wednesday 29 January, to demonstrate their latest products.
This event offers an opportunity to speak directly to manufacturers, discover the latest products, and network with others in the industry. The three educational seminars are now fully booked but additional spaces may become available on the day on a first-come-first-served basis.
With free entry, this event will run from 2:00pm until 7:00pm with drinks being served from 5:30 pm.
www.stage-electrics.co.uk/about-us/events/showcase-2020/

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USA - High End Systems has announced that the 2020 Hog Factor USA competition is open, with teams now able to register to participate in Phase One. First held in 2015, High End Systems’ Hog Factor Collegiate Lighting Programming Competition has become a premier lighting programming contest in the United States and across the globe.
Hog Factor USA Phase One is an open competition and consists of each team providing a performance lighting piece, programmed on a Hog or on Hog 4 PC, which can be downloaded free of charge with a special demo version of Capture visualization. Once performance piece submission closes on 15 June, 2020, the top three teams will be selected by 15 July, and Phase Two will see these teams in programming a performance lighting piece based on High End Systems’ 2020 LDI booth design. These teams will then be invited to perform their shows live at LDI

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South Africa - Rental company MGG, one of the earliest Clear-Com FreeSpeak users in South Africa, has invested in an additional six FreeSpeak II Digital Wireless Beltpacks from DWR Distribution to cater for the technical communication at last year’s Afrikaans is Groot, a large-scale music production hosted at Time Square’s Sun Arena in Pretoria. MGG also upgraded its Clear-Com licence and is now able to run 25 comms on a single base station.
Mark Gaylard, owner of MGG, recalls buying his first comms system some 15 years ago. “We bought six Prosound Commpac beltpacks and they are still working and doing gigs,” he states.
Gaylard started investing in Clear-Com six years ago. “The gear is reliable, robust and a game changer. The greatest advantage is the wireless system which enables everyone to move around freely and talk to each other as often as needed, no c

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USA - Sound Decision Productions (SDP) Event has recently added a Coda Audio AiRAY system to its inventory. The Muskego-based company has taken delivery of 20 AiRAY boxes and 12 SCP subs, reports Coda Audio USA.
SDP Event has been in business for more than 25 years, servicing regional clients in Milwaukee, Illinois and Michigan, as well as undertaking national tours in support of a wide variety of artists. Mark Hartzell, CEO and head of systems engineering, first experienced Coda when he trialled a HOPS8 system on a handful shows in October. He then witnessed AiRAY for the first time at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on the Fantasia tour in November.
Hartzell then took the opportunity to trial six AiRAY enclosures and four SCV subs, as he describes: “We were hopeful that what we were going to hear lived up to the science that appeared so impressive on paper. It made

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USA - Harman Professional Solutions will present two masterclasses at The REACH campus at the John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts in Washington DC on 12 February. The programme is sponsored by JBL Professional and Soundcraft in cooperation with the Kennedy Centre.
FOH engineer Brad ‘fixintogetmixin’ Divens will speak at both events. In addition to currently working as FOH engineer for Enrique Iglesias, he has also engineered for Linkin Park, Garbage, Cyndi Lauper, HIM, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Mötley Crüe, Jane's Addiction and more.
During his Building the Mix masterclass, Divens will discuss and demonstrate his approach to putting together a live mix, including technical topics such as the basics of input gain, EQ, compression, plugins and routing, as well as creative concepts regarding the audience and the artist. He will deconstruc

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USA - Audio, video, lighting, staging and broadcast company Panavid Inc. has recently invested in Brompton Technology Tessera SX40 LED processors and XD Data Distribution Units to work in conjunction with its new 1.5mm ROE Visual Sapphire LED display.
Located in New Jersey, New York City, and Dallas, Panavid has more than 40 years of experience of providing first class integration and production services to both domestic and international clients. The company has recognised the ever-increasing demand for increased pixel density and higher resolution in LED screens for live events and art installations, as well as an increasing level of interactivity. It is the first production house in the world to invest in the latest, ultra-fine, ROE Sapphire, along with two Brompton Tessera SX40s and four Tessera XD Units.
“Our mission is to provide our clients with the most qual

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Family Tradition - Emily Eavis has been named a Godlike Genius by the NME, in recognition of her "outstanding contribution" to the Glastonbury festival. She will receive the title at next month's NME Awards, 24 years after her father Michael won the same prize. "I remember being at the NME Awards when I was 16 and being so proud to see my dad named Godlike Genius," said Eavis in a statement. "It's a huge honour to be given the same award all these years later."
The award comes as Glastonbury gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary this summer. Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift have already been named as headliners, while Diana Ross will play the Sunday afternoon legend slot, but the rest of the line-up is still under wraps.
Foundation Grants - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has awarded 16 grants totalling more than £225,000 to organisations includin

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South Africa - Fogtech, a Johannesburg-based rental and technical supply company, has purchased 140 Absen PL3.9 Lite LED panels from DWR Distribution.
Established in 2007, Fogtech initially specialised in Fogscreens alone. By 2010, the company expanded to include AV and video to their service offering and, soon after, started to deliver turnkey technical solutions for events, including lighting, audio and AV. The company has a reputation for being a friendly yet professional team, who deliver well-maintained gear to events and for cross rental purposes.
A practical and hands-on owner, Garth O’Kelly of Fogtech, comments: “LED is an amazing product and has revolutionised our industry, but it can be finicky. We looked at different brands and felt that Absen had refined their product to accommodate our working style. One of the biggest decision-makers was the after-sa

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South Africa - Nexo has provided P12s, LS18s and a NXAMP4X4 MK2 sound system to the South African Roadies Association (SARA). The gear will be used to bolster the technical production skills training of South African youth.
“The sound system equipment received will greatly enhance SARA’s training programmes and equipment; sustain training, skills development and SARA’s on-the-Job training programme in the event, technical and production skills sector for years to come, and also have an indelible impact on the lives, careers ambitions and dreams of young South Africans,” explains SARA’s president Freddie Nyathela. “SARA extends its profound appreciation and gratitude for the support and vision of Nexo.”
(Jim Evans)

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South Africa - DWR Distribution is inviting companies and individuals based in Johannesburg to attend an L-Acoustics demo to be held at Pirates Club in Greenside on 5 February.
This will be an open day, and visitors are welcome to visit any time between 11:00 and 15:00, where demonstrations will be held on the hour, every hour. The focus will be on the L-Acoustics Kiva II.

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USA - German audio technology and solution company d&b audiotechnik has opened a new office and training centre in Signal Hill, California.
The facility is the second in the country for d&b, which is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina. With the two bases, the company can address both coasts with dedicated teams and resources.
“Accessibility to our growing base of customers and partners in the US is critical,” comments Amnon Harman, CEO of d&b audiotechnik. “In the audio business relationships are paramount and this new facility demonstrates our desire to build strong, long-term partnerships with both the audio technology and broader entertainment community.”
The facility’s training centre enables the d&b US team to deliver comprehensive Soundscape demonstrations and education seminars and will be available for existing and poten

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USA - At NAMM 2020, Adamson Systems Engineering announced a suite of training and education initiatives to take place throughout 2020.
These include a US roadshow; increased delivery of the company’s Applied and Advanced Certification training programmes; and the Winding Roads education series, designed to introduce secondary- and post-secondary school students to the potential career opportunities in pro AV and live production.
The Winding Roads Education Event Series, in partnership with the AVIXA Foundation, will provide students in Toronto, Canada, and the surrounding area with insight into live production, performance, and the music industry. Through the initiative, hundreds of individuals will have the opportunity to see professional AV installations and touring systems, get hands-on with state-of-the-art equipment donated by industry leaders lik

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Switzerland - Winkler Livecom of Switzerland has added 200 Elation Professional KL Fresnel series luminaires to its inventory.
Winkler, based in Wohlen, near Zürich, is one of the largest full service companies in Switzerland, handling virtually all aspects of exhibition, corporate and public events from initial idea to execution. Since its founding in 1996, Winkler has often employed Elation lighting in its broad portfolio of projects, but the KL Fresnel acquisition marks the company’s first purchase of Elation gear.
“We continue to replace our bulb-based static lights with LED versions and invited several distributors to a shoot out here at our facility,” recounts Frank Burghardt, head of sourcing at Winkler Livecom. “Elation’s Swiss distributor Cast came with the KL Fresnel 4 and Kl Fresnel 6 and in the end it was the price vs performance ratio of the KL

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USA - Bandit Lites has launched into 2020 with a sizeable purchase from Chauvet Professional, including Maverick MK3 Spots, COLORado Solo Battens and Rogue R2X Washes.
The Maverick MK3 Spot has already proven itself to be a pillar in designs as it has been featured on Mark Carver’s design for the 2019 Dove Awards, Seth Jackson’s design for the Hillsong Worship/Casting Crowns/Elevation Worship Tour 2019, Jason Aldean Kitchen and Rooftop Bar special show, Julien Reux’s design for the 2019 Sasha Sloan Tour and Jerry Holcomb’s design for the 2020 Winter Jam Tour.
“When I learned Chauvet was building the MK3 series, I was very excited to see them jump into this market,” explains Bandit Lites director of technical services Jake Tickle. “The Chauvet Maverick MK3 Spot has all the horsepower needed to take full advantage of its full feature set. This fixture wil

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USA - Coda Audio has confirmed the sale of a range of systems, including its flagship AiRAY, to two leading production companies in the USA. Eastern Stage Productions (ESP) of New York and Technical Entertainment Services (TES) based in Florida, have both made significant investments in Coda’s technology.
The two companies enjoy a close relationship, often working together on major productions and combined to provide a Coda system for the Stereo Bloom Stage at the recent EDC Orlando.
Bill Danilesyk of ESP comments: “The high fidelity of the sound is amazing with the real game-changer being the DDP driver. You get the same amazing fidelity from the Coda system as you would from the highest quality hi-fi systems - getting that at much higher outputs blew my mind right away. You listen to music you’ve heard one thousand times and all of a sudden you hear new things.
  1. Solotech launches online AV store
  2. JPRO to distribute AMX in New Zealand
  3. Fisher Hires invests in Portman Mini LED
  4. Gabisom expands Outline Newton inventory
  5. DTS celebrates anniversary with new look
  6. Prolights appoints distributor for Hong Kong
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