Business

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UK - Blackout, an immersive installation designed by Mig Burgess to raise mental health awareness, will be presented at the PLASA Show from 15-17 September at Olympia London.
After an initial run at Guildford School of Acting earlier this year (see LSi June 2019), the project, which fuses cutting-edge technology, art, theatre and education, will visit the tradeshow as it gears up for a nationwide roll-out.
Blackout aims to give visitors a rare insight into the mind of someone with bipolar II disorder by utilising light, sound, video and vibration, creating a sensory journey into the mind of a bipolar II patient who transitions through a hyper manic and manic low episode.
The experience has been created for a s

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UK - Lighting console manufacturer ChamSys is opening new headquarters in Southampton’s Brooklands Courtyard.
The facility features a multi-line manufacturing centre, which will enable the company to build its MagicQ Stadium and MagicQ Compact consoles simultaneously. Also inside are storage and dispatch warehousing area, R&D facilities, service department and customer training area along with a dedicated repair centre, two training rooms, and a pre-visualisation suite for visiting programmers.
Chamsys, which is celebrating 15 years in business this year, is officially opening the new HQ with an event on 2 September - contact the company on openhouse@chamsys.co.uk for details on how to attend.
“The new headquarters reflects our dedication to maintaining the highest quality standards as we grow,” comments C

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Germany - Active Blue, a Bremen-based service provider for lighting, sound and event technology, recently acquired several components of the Vio system, dBTechnologies' most powerful PA system.
The Bremen-based company is using equipment from the Italian PA manufacturer dBTechnologies for the first time. The purchase includes 20 VIO L212, 20 S218 SUB and 20 L208 modules.
Active Blue has been in operation for 30 years and since and is active Europe-wide. The company is increasingly active with corporate events and conferences, concerts, parties or cultural events. The aim of purchasing Vio components was to expand the stock of large PA systems and to respond even more flexibly to customer wishes. All equipment has to meet the highest standards. After extensive market research, they decided to take a closer look at the Vio system at the dBTechnologies stand during Prolig

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Early Closing - Peter Pan, the opening production at the Troubadour White City Theatre in west London, will close nearly two months earlier than planned, producers have announced. Sally Cookson’s devised adaptation of the JM Barrie novel began performances at the theatre in July and will have played for just six of the scheduled 14 weeks when it closes on 1 September.
A statement from the producers said: “The production received acclaim from critics and a hugely positive reaction from audiences, however due to ticket sales, we have reluctantly taken the decision to close in September. We’d like to thank our wonderfully talented cast and creative team for all of their hard work, as well as the audiences who have enjoyed the production.”
The production is the first show to play at Troubadour White City, one of two new theatres that were launched last month

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USA - Delicate Productions of Camarillo, California has taken delivery of a large stock of Ayrton Khamsin LED profile luminaires.
“The Khamsins are our first Ayrton fixtures,” says Joe DiCarlo, director of operations at Delicate Productions. The investment came after an enquiry by the lighting director of rock band, Tool. “Lighting director, Mark ‘Junior’ Jacobson, a long-time client of ours for concert tours, was looking for an LED source profile fixture for the anticipated Tool tour. That started us on the path of exploring these types of fixtures.
“Multiple manufacturers sent us demo units and we staged a shoot-out, with Brad Nelms at ACT Lighting supplying the Khamsin fixtures.”
Khamsin stood out from the other fixtures for a number of reasons according to DiCarlo and Angelo Viacava, lighting operations at Delicate Productions. “Khamsin prom

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Bahrain - Event design, technical and scenic production specialist Maestra Group has opened a base in Bahrain and announced a new partnership with the Ritz-Carlton resort and its 43,000sq.ft conference and exhibition facility.
As the resort’s exclusive event partner, Maestra will oversee all technical aspects of the new Arena facility, which offers a full set-up and capacity for large banquet receptions and global conferences.
Maestra’s Tom Clements comments: “We are extremely excited about this new venture and to be involved in such a high profile and incredibly well-designed event space. For Maestra Group, this is a logical expansion of our work in Dubai, and it will also be the first step in some strategic expansion plans for Maestra Group in the Middle East.”
“As Bahrain becomes a global destination for premiere conferences and events in the region

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Mexico - Adamson Systems Engineering has appointed Pro Audio Comercializadora, a division of Hermes Music, as its exclusive distributor for the Mexican market.
“Pro Audio Comercializadora has been in the professional market for several decades, and in that time, we’ve watched Adamson become a market leader in terms of innovation, product performance, and brand profile,” comments Raul Carlos Uriegas, director of Pro Audio Comercializadora. “The development of their various patented and proprietary technologies over the years makes it clear Adamson is proud and passionate about the audio industry, and that’s exactly the kind of company we want to partner with.”
Based in Mexico City, Pro Audio Comercializadora will work in close collaboration with Adamson’s Canadian headquarters to develop educational programming, provide client support, and propel further g

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UK - The ALD has launched the ALD Awards for Excellence, a scheme aimed at students and recent graduates that replaces the annual Michael Northern Awards.
The ALD says the new format “better reflects” the association’s growing representation and introduces a restructured prize fund, with three categories instead of four.
Rory Beaton, head of the ALD’s Working Group for Awards, comments: “The awards have grown in stature and, like most things, need a firm foundation from which to grow further. With the consolidation of naming and prize structure, The ALD Awards for Excellence have a strong and flexible framework to shape them for the future.”
The awards are now open for submissions to current students studying in the UK, recent graduates (2017-present)

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UAE - The Protec Group’s Dubai branch has started investing in Robe moving lights, including BMFLs, Pointes, MegaPointes, Spikies and RoboSpot systems.
The purchases have been spearheaded by Protec’s head of lighting, Aaron Russ.
The company delivers full technical production solutions across entertainment, leisure and commercial sectors - from corporate presentations to music festivals - throughout the UAE, Middle East and UK / Europe.
Russ explains that it was a case of the right product at the right time with Robe. Obviously, they had other moving lights in stock up until this point, but the first batch of 96 Pointes were sourced to replace a competitor beam light product, together with 48 Spikies on the same order.
Then in 2018, for opening ceremony of the Qiddiya Theme Park in Riyadh, KSA with a design by US-based LD John Featherstone of Lightswitc

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Costa Rica - Obsidian Control Systems has appointed Luces y Sistemas as its exclusive distributor in Costa Rica. Under the terms of the agreement, Luces y Sistemas will provide full support for the entire Obsidian line of hardware and software lighting control solutions.
To introduce the brand to its customers, the San Jose-based company is holding a two-day Onyx training event on 20-21 August at its facility in Tibas, providing a basic and advanced look at hardware and software. Those interested in attending should contact info@lucesysistemas.com for more information.
“Our goal is to provide our regional market with a diverse range of popular control and programming products under the DMX protocol, a project that we have been working on for years,” comments Luis Ricardo Sanchéz, president of Luces y Sistemas. “The decision to support our clients by di

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UK - Theatres Trust, the national advisory public body for theatres, has confirmed programme details of its 2019 conference - Centre Stage - artist and audience at the heart of theatres to be held on Tuesday, 15 October at the Battersea Arts Centre in London.
Conference 19: Centre Stage will look at theatres from the perspective of the people they are there to serve. It will ask how to ensure that the needs of artists and audiences sits at the centre of theatre buildings.
Plenary speakers include celebrated sociologist and urbanist Professor Richard Sennett, who chairs Theatrum Mundi, a network of artists, critics and scholars who explore the relations between stage and street, Rebecca Holt, Battersea Arts Centre and the architect who worked on its recent restoration, Martin Lydon, Haworth Tompkins. David Micklem, 64 Million Artists, Hannah Fox, Derby Museums an

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Switzerland - Ayrton has appointed menzi ebz of Horgen to its international distributor network.
From 15 September, menzi ebz will exclusively distribute and support the full Ayrton range of LED lighting fixtures across all three language areas of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Clients can still contact Ayrton’s current distributor, cast Switzerland AG, until the end of 2019.
To introduce the French lighting brand to its customers, menzi ebz is holding an open day at its head offices on Tuesday, 17 September, with members of the Ayrton team also attending.
Marco Menzi, CEO of menzi ebz, comments: “We aim to have the industry’s leading brands in our portfolio and pride ourselves on working closely with our customers with a focus on service and support. For this reason, we consider the partnership with Ayrton a perfect match. Ayrton is a

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South Africa - Technical equipment supplier Stage Effects has acquired 24 Robin 600+ LEDWash fixtures from DWR Distribution.
Theo Papenfus, the owner of Stage Effects, explains that when he was contracted for two long-running events it made more sense to purchase new gear than to hire in additional equipment.
“We were hunting for a mid-range fixture and thought that the Robin 600+ would be a good investment,” he says. “When shopping around we found that cross rentals would be much easier if we went for the LEDWash 600 or the 600+. International riders are very demanding when it comes to quantities and lighting designers regularly specify the medium range washes.”
“The Robin 600+ is small, compact, powerful and lightweight saving on truck space due to four units fitting into one small flight case.”
(Jim Evans)

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UK - The Television judging panel for The Knight of Illumination (KOI) Awards has revealed the 2019 shortlist for the Television category.
The judges were television editor for The Times James Jackson, critic for FT Weekend Susie Feay, art director and production designer Fleur Whitlock, lighting director John O'Brien, lighting designer and programmer Ross Williams, and television critic for The Guardian, Lucy Mangan. The meeting was led by lighting designer and longstanding KOI chair, Stuart Gain of the Society of Television Lighting and Design (STLD).

The shortlist is as follows:
The DTS Award for Events
Philip Brines for Proms in the Park Belfast 2018
David Gibson for BBC Football World Cup 2018, Russia
Tim Routledge for Stormzy at Glastonbury 2019

The Altman Lighting Award for Small Producti

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UK - Flightcase Warehouse has acquired London-based case manufacturer ABS Cases. The acquisition came into effect on 1 August and will see all manufacturing being transferred to Flightcase Warehouse’s head office site in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
ABS Cases has built a global portfolio of clients over the past 30 years, from corporate giants to leaders in the entertainment industry. The company’s reputation has been built on the back of client recommendation and has seen ABS Cases grow into a respected UK flightcase manufacturer.
Sam Austin, managing director of Flightcase Warehouse, comments: “The Flightcase Warehouse acquisition of ABS Cases complements our overall offering whilst strengthening our hand in the production and live events marketplaces. Combining the manufacturing processes of our two brands, Pro Flightcase and ABS cases, we will continue

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UK - PLASA has announced its line-up of seminar sessions in the run up to the PLASA Show 2019 (15-17 September, London Olympia).
In collaboration with top industry figures and brands, the programme will feature an array of creative achievements as well as advice on salient industry issues.
Pro audio journalist and consultant Phil Ward will lead a panel of industry figureheads - Chris Hill from Wigwam, Jim Griffiths from Vanguardia and Steve Jones from d&b audiotechnik - in ‘Equal rights for audio!’ They will assess how live performances, including the recent Spice Girls reunion tour, can neglect audio in the rush for spectacular video, lighting and set design.
Moving from concerts to theatre, Shure will present the future of audio for theatre productions, in association with Curtain Call. This panel will explore how the advancement of microphone technolo

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UK - The shortlist for the Theatre category of this year's Knight of Illumination (KOI) Awards has been announced.
The KOI Awards are dedicated to celebrating British and international lighting and video designers for their work in the UK. The KOI theatre judges, each serving a two-year term, are all leading UK critics. Neil Fisher, deputy arts editor of The Times and Tim Bano, lead critic of The Stage, both made their KOI judging debut. Louise Levene, dance critic for the Financial Times returned for the first year of her second term while Zoë Anderson, dance critic for The Dancing Times, opera critic George Hall and Britain’s longest-serving theatre critic Michael Billington completed the final year of their time on the Theatre panel. The judging was once again expertly overseen by founding chair of the theatre panel, critic and broadcaster David Benedict.

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Tax Relief - Nearly 3,400 productions benefitted from £78m worth of theatre tax relief last year, new statistics show. This represents a £1m increase on the total figure paid out in 2017/18, however the number of individual productions benefitting from tax credits increased by 13% in the same period.
Theatre tax relief, which was introduced in 2014, allows touring shows to claim back 25% on eligible costs. All other productions can be reimbursed for 20%. In the first year of the scheme, £15m was paid out, rising to £46m in the second year and £77m in 2017/18.
Statistics published by HM Revenue and Customs for 2018/19 reveal there were a total of 930 claims, representing 3,380 productions, of which 950 were touring and 2,430 non-touring. A single claim can request tax relief for multiple productions.
Financial secretary to the treasury, Jesse Norman, said:

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UK - Martin Audio has announced the latest in its series of product open days, which have been running twice a year since 2017 at the company’s High Wycombe HQ.
The latest programme will run over five sessions spread across three days, on 17 September (at 10.00am and 2.00pm), 18 September (at 10.00am and 2.00pm) and 19 September (at 11am).
The event is aimed at existing distributors, dealers, integrators, rental partners and sound engineers as well as potential new customers wishing to gain in-depth understanding of Martin Audio’s platforms and at the same time take advantage of plenty of listening time in relaxed surroundings.
Many new products will be showcased for the very first time and tours of the factory and refreshments will also be provided. The demonstrations will include: the full line up of Wavefront Precision line arrays including the new WPS; s

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USA - Sensaphonics has announced the launch of its fully redesigned website. Still located at www.sensaphonics.com, the new site features a modern design with enhanced shopping functionality. Visitors will notice a more streamlined approach, with intuitive navigation, straightforward product information, and fresh graphics throughout the site.
“We have some really exciting new products coming out in the near future and, frankly, our existing website couldn’t really do them justice,” notes Sensaphonics president, Dr. Michael Santucci. “With this new design, our company mission of saving hearing in the music industry is blended seamlessly with clear product information for a much more intuitive user experience.”
(Jim Evans)

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UK - Gatwick-based lighting hire company Fisher Hires has made a significant investment in IP-rated Luxibel B Par 180 RGBW LED fixtures.
Rob Baker, head of hires at Fisher Hires, says the company was looking to upgrade its existing stock of LED pars, but required a cost-effective solution that would fit in with its high-end branded inventory. Fisher Hires, as part of Fisher Productions, is a Royal Warrant business, awarded the accolade in 2000 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as ‘Suppliers of Lighting and Production Services’.
“The Luxibel B Par 180 ticks all the boxes - IP-rated, bright, simple to use, lightweight and slick enough for the eye,” says Rob. “What sells is reliable kit that can be trusted to do its job, and although Luxibel is not yet the best-known brand, we let the light do the talking. It has paid off as they are now attracting retur

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UK - The judging panel for The Knight of Illumination (KOI) Awards has revealed the 2019 shortlist for the Concert Touring & Events category.
Having received a record number of submissions - up 25 per cent from the 2017 Awards - the judges had to choose just a fraction of the entries to put forward for the shortlist.

The 2019 Concert Touring & Events shortlist is as follows:

The MA Lighting Award for Club
Hayden Borgars for Fever 333
Sherry Coenen for Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster
John 'JP' Partridge for Metronomy

The disguise Award for Video Content
Tom Colbourne, Rob Sinclair & Blue Leach for Kylie Minogue
Adam Young and Finn Ross for Years & Years
Paul Kell for Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

The Vari-Lite Award for Stage
Tom Campbell fo

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Europe - High End Systems has opened the ‘new and improved’ High End Systems Knowledge Management Site (KMS) for users to get solutions for specific issues faster.
Available at www.support.etcconnect.com/hes, the KMS houses over 2,000 support articles created over the years, including hundreds of new articles produced just in the last few months. Whether you need a quick fix or a detailed tutorial, the KMS gives you a database of solutions that you can search on your own time. And, with the ability to capture questions in real time, High End Tech Services can also get answers out more quickly to help others with similar problems, says the company.
The KMS has a wide array of content available for both High End Systems and ETC products.
(Jim Evans)

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Myanmar - KV2 Audio products have recently been introduced to a new region thanks to an investment from Myanmar-based firm Htat Wah Win Trading Co.
The company presented KV2 Audio in a joint presentation with Shure Microphones at the Shangrila Hotel in the country’s capital Yangon last month. The event was attended by around 200 invitees and featured presentations from KV2’s Dave Croxton and Angus Davidson, who handle sales and technical support respectively for Asia Pacific.
Thura Aung, managing director of Htat Wah Win Trading Co, first heard KV2’s products on demo in China and was impressed by their compact size and sound quality. Aung’s company imports various products into Myanmar and he had started to investigate the pro audio market. “While we had plenty of choices with a wide range of lower cost Chinese manufactured products, I was really looking for
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  6. The Week in Light & Sound
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