Business

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China - The Prolyte Group has opened a new office in Guangzhou.
The premises provide capacity for manufacturing, warehouse, sales, and customer service. It operates alongside Prolyte Asia Pacific, the company’s base in Malaysia.
The Prolyte Group has also announced Guangzhou trussing manufacturer Eagle Group as a ProLyft distributing partner, working alongside Prolyte’s long-established partner in China, Trinity Technology.
Ralph Stockley, Prolyte's chief business development officer, comments: "Prolyte continues to see a trend worldwide for the needs of shorter lead-times. Our new offices and production facility in Guangzhou has been strategically located to satisfy the demand for ProLyft products in China and allow for quicker delivery times through Asia. Factors, such as tax benefits, the strength of the Chinese economy and the proximity to the port of Gu

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USA - ESTA and USITT have announced the sponsors for the 2020 New World Rigging Symposium, taking place 31 March to 1 April in Houston in conjunction with the USITT Conference and Stage Expo.
Returning as the platinum sponsor for the third year is Stage Rigging, Inc. a diversified theatrical rigging company that provides a full range of specialised rigging services on a global basis for tours, corporate and special events, and expositions.
Chris Schmidt, vice president and general manager of Stage Rigging, comments, “When I started my career in rigging little did I know that by working for Stage Rigging, one of the first to focus only on arena rigging, I had access to the some of the industry's most respected and innovative professionals to bounce ideas and ask some of the most basic questions. The New World Rigging Symposium is the perfect place for both seasoned r

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USA - The Sound Reinforcement Track sessions at the AES New York 147th Audio Engineering Society International Pro Audio Convention (16-19 October at the Javits Centre) will offer “insights for sound professionals of today and tomorrow”, say organisers.
“This year, we have once again gathered top industry experts and manufacturers at the pinnacle of live event production and sound reinforcement to share their hard-won knowledge,” comments AES New York sound reinforcement chair, Henry Cohen. “From foundations of systems design, to the latest in the science and technology of audio perception, the AES New York Sound Reinforcement events offer unprecedented access to the latest from the industry’s top researchers and gear designers, as well as the engineers that exemplify best practices in the craft of sound reinforcement.”
The AES New York Sound Reinforceme

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Europe - Adam Hall Group’s Experience Centre has won an Iconic Award for Company Building.
Designed by M&P Architekten and Stilbruch United Designers, the Neu-Anspach-based building functions as an open space for both employees and business customers. Unveiled in 2018 (see LSi July 2018), it features a showroom, a large auditorium for live shows and product demos, a restaurant, the Adam Hall Academy, various measuring rooms, test rigs and development laboratories, and 3D prototyping facilities.
Alexander Pietschmann, CEO and managing director of the Adam Hall Group, comments: “Our goal for the Experience Centre is to give more people the opportunity to implement their creative ideas in a modern

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USA - The American Crane & Safety and Reliable Design Services were approved this month to become ETCP Recognised Training Programmes. The courses that participate in the programme present an opportunity for ETCP technicians to get a bulk of their education credits in one place, as these training opportunities count one point per hour of attendance.
“I am excited to say that ETCP now has almost 20 Recognised Rigging Training Programmes that provide relevant courses for those who need renewal credits. Perhaps the most important thing ETCP has brought about in our industry is a sincere interest in training. Adding these two training opportunities only furthers that mission,” says Tim Hansen, ETCP council chair.
American Crane & Safety’s Entertainment Rigging Courses is designed to provide participants with the ground-rigging basic knowledge of inspecting r

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World Record - Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour has been named the highest-grossing tour of all time, breaking a record set by U2 that had stood for eight years. Coming off the back of the chart-topping album of the same name, the Divide tour began in March 2017, and will have encompassed 255 shows when it finishes with four homecoming gigs in Ipswich later this month. So far it has grossed $736m (£607m), breaking U2’s record of $735m, with 12 dates still left to play.
It has also been named the most attended tour of all time: when it finishes, more than 8.5m people across 43 countries will have seen Sheeran perform, breaking U2’s record of 7.3m.
Writing on Instagram, Sheeran said: “Thanks so much for each and every one of you who have come to a show. 12 shows left, will never forget it.” Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp told Pollstar, who amassed the tour data: “W

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Portugal - Audio Stage has made a major investment in speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers from the Portuguese manufacturer NEXT-proaudio. The new equipment further expands the company’s extensive inventory of audio gear.
NEXT-proaudio reports that this is one of the largest sales in the manufacturer’s history, comprising 32 LA212x, 28 LA122A, 16 LA122.v2, 38 LAs418G, 12 LAs118A, eight LAs418A, four N-RAK 80, two N-RAK 40, 16 LAm114xA, 12 LAm115, four PXL118, two PXH64, two PXA8001, eight PFA15, eight Matrix M8, eight Kubix K5, two HFA118sHP, two HFA112, two HFA112s and two HFA206p.
“This purchase enable us to bring the very best audio support to the large variety of shows we manage. This top-of-the-line equipment opens new opportunities for us, from small to big events”, says Audio Stage’s founder Paulo Baixinho, “Our collaboration with NEXT-proaudio goes b

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UK - Stage Electrics has been appointed as the UK distributor of Ultratec Special Effects, a large-format pyrotechnic effects manufacturer.
Stage Electrics has already invested £10,000 worth of initial stock and will be stocking a range of large venue pyrotechnics from the company. “We believe having a comprehensive range of Ultratec on the shelf in the UK is what our customers need to support their shows. We’ve chosen a range of stock, including a variety of professional mines, comets and gerbs from 20ft to 200ft,” comments Paul Roughton, national sales manager at Stage Electrics.
“We are looking forward to working alongside Ultratec and building a strong partnership,” continued Anna Western, sales director of Stage Electrics.
(Jim Evans)

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UK - The upcoming PLASA Show (15-17 September, London Olympia) will enjoy "huge support" from the pro audio industry, with more brands debuting at the tradeshow and an increased number of live demos also taking place, PLASA has announced.
Among the companies supporting the show are L-Acoustics, Coda Audio, d&b audiotechnik and Void Acoustics. The PLASA Show has also doubled the amount of audio demonstrations on offer with the inclusion of three Audio Lounges and a new live feature, Stage to Studio, held in association with Sound on Sound and Headliner magazines.
PLASA MD Peter Heath comments: “PLASA has worked hard over the past few years to make the show an essential destination for all things audio. As a result, we are confident that this year’s show will inspire professionals working across the audio industry.”
Among the brands

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UK - Green Hippo welcomed 18 of its most advanced Hippotizer practitioners to its latest UK ‘super user’ event in July.
A regular fixture in the Green Hippo diary, the event was hosted at the Leeds office of Hippotizer dealer A.C. Entertainment Technologies, giving the product team an opportunity to bring these leading Hippotizer experts up to date with the latest features, developments and initiatives. Additionally, it provides a forum for the exchange of highly-informed feedback and ideas from those working most closely with Green Hippo’s technology in a broad array of show environments.
“We run these events every six months or so,” says Tom Etra, senior technical sales manager at Green Hippo. “They are incredibly useful, both for us and our users. They’re an open forum for discussion and feedback with users who know our products inside and out.
H

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UK - A respected sound engineer will record and mix live performers to demonstrate the intricacies of mixing and capturing live sound as part of a new initiative at the upcoming PLASA Show (15-17 September, Olympia London).
Running from 3pm on Sunday 15 September, and Monday, 16 September, Stage to Studio - organised by PLASA alongside Sound On Sound and Headliner Magazine - will feature Simon Todkill, chief engineer at London’s Miloco Studios, who has worked with the likes of Kanye West, Matt Corby, Hiatus Kaiyote, Charli XCX, Movement and The Griswolds.
Todkill will offer advice on his techniques, microphone choices and placements, step-by-step mix decisions, as well as insight on how to maximise multi-track recordings.
After the sessions, the audio stem files will be made available to the audience and a competition will launch, inviting people t

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India - Powersoft has named Preeti Trading Corporation (PTC) its distributor for South West India.
The company supports various commercial projects in the region, with its core customer base consisting of small and medium-sized enterprises that sell and install audio equipment for use in commercial, governmental, corporate and public buildings.
“India is an extremely important market for Powersoft,” says Varun Mahesh Jagger, Powersoft’s Europe, India and Africa account manager, distribution. “We see great potential there for strong and consistent growth across all verticals. PTC has been appointed to reinforce that vision. It has a strong dealer network, and a consistent record of moving with the times. We see them as a partner who has taken and continues to take risks in order to come out on top.”
Kammal Dhingreja, chairman managing director at PTC, ad

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Greece - Effective today (5 August), Sirius Sound & Lighting Systems is the exclusive distributor of RCF for Greece.
A newly-established company, Sirius Sound will seek to create “a solid and long-term business relationship with its customers and support a nationwide network.” The company is also focused on training and seminars in Italy through the RCF Audio Academy, where targeted seminars are conducted by specialists.
RCF sales manager Massimo Bruni, comments: “We selected Sirius Sound in view of the high technical qualification of their managers, which will help RCF consolidate its primary role in the Greek market.”
Sirius Sound & Lighting Systems sales manager Giannelos emphasises the importance of collaboration with a specialised team of experienced AV engineers in being able to provide high-quality technological solutions using RCF tools.

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UK - Four events sector businesses have been merged into a new full-service company called Star Live.
Live events equipment supplier Star Events, event management agency Mobile Promotions, brand partnership agency BluePeg and staffing business Beautiful Minds - all owned by entrepreneur David Walley - will adopt the new name and brand identity with immediate effect, while founders of the four companies will form part of Star Live’s senior management team.
The merger was preceded by the recent acquisition of Star Events in July. All four businesses have been acquired by Walley within the last 18 months.
“This is a logical and exciting step for us,” comments Walley, Star Live CEO. “We have brought together four market-leading companies with a clear vision - to

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China - Since it was founded 21 years ago, Cellosound has grown to become the premier audio production company in Guangzhou, the city at the heart of the most-populous metropolitan area in mainland China. An Alcons Audio LR28 system is the latest addition to its inventory, bringing HiFi-quality sound at concert SPLs to Cellosound’s biggest events.
Cellosound was founded in 1998 with a used DDA mixing console and a couple of small PA systems. As the Chinese economy started to rapidly expand in the early 2000s, the company’s customer base grew and Cellosound has regularly upgraded its rental inventory.
By late 2018, its customer base had grown to the point where a high-end solution for major events was needed. “Our customers were requesting a system for touring and EDM events and we knew that, to continue our growth and development, we needed a complete, large for

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UK - The end of May saw Brompton Technology complete two one-day training courses at the new Manchester HQ of visual technology specialist FIX8Group.
The course was led by Brompton technical support specialist Sarah James and attended by both local Brompton partners and locally-based freelancers, who were taken through the fundamentals of operating the company’s state-of-the-art T1, S4, M2 and SX40 LED processors and XD data distribution unit.
With screens and rigging provided by Manchester-based Brompton rental partner A to V, Sarah took the attendees through the processors’ easy-to-use interface, as well as giving them hands on experience with handy features such as ChromaTune colour correction, On Screen Colour Adjustment (OSCA), Dark Magic for colour smoothing in low brightness conditions, On screen display (OSD) and Genlock.
Neil Trenell, creative dir

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USA/Europe - ETC has formally acquired the ArcSystem, BlueSystem and CueSystem product lines from UK lighting manufacturer GDS.
Effective today (1 August), the US company assumes the global manufacturing and distribution responsibilities for the three ranges, which it used to manufacture exclusively in North and South America since 2015.
The agreement was first announced in December 2018 and signalled ETC’s intentions to expand its influence into the architectural lighting sector.
David Lincecum, ETC vice-president of marketing, comments: “Bringing these family lines into the ETC fold allows us to reach more parts of the world with ETC’s quality architectural lighting solutions and unmatched customer service. With this expansion, ETC increases venues’ access to bea

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UK - A group of industry colleagues are set to cycle 100 miles across the UK to Olympia London on 14th September (Saturday) to raise money for the entertainment industry charities Backup and StageHand.
Organised by PLASA and the Production Services Association (PSA), the initiative follows on from the success of last year’s bike ride, when industry representatives rode from Chippenham in Wiltshire to London Olympia on the Saturday before the PLASA Show.
This year's challenge will follow a similar route, starting at Chippenham's Premier Inn and finishing at Olympia. Those interested in taking part should contact PLASA's Nicola Rye (nicola.rye@plasa.org).
Peter Heath, PLASA MD, comments: “Th

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Cultural Affairs - Nicky Morgan has been appointed culture secretary by new prime minister, Boris Johnson. She replaces Jeremy Wright in the role, which he had held since July 2018. Morgan, who is MP for Loughborough, said her appointment to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport was “an enormous privilege” and described it as a “fabulous role”.
She said: “DCMS’s dynamic and much-loved sectors are at the heart of what makes the UK a great place to live, work and do business. They are our global calling card, encouraging investment, driving innovation and making the UK a country people around the world want to visit. I will be working hard to make sure the future for our world-leading sectors is a bright one.”
Morgan campaigned to remain in the European Union before the 2016 referendum and is a staunch opponent of leaving the EU without a deal

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South Africa - Puleng Maponyane, the director of Ventso Productions, has recently purchased a DiGiCo S21 and D Rack from DWR Distribution.
The purchase was followed up with one-on-one training presented by Kyle Robson from DWR. “The training not only strengthened my knowledge, but Kyle showed me some advanced options that have really solidified my investment in the console,” says Maponyane. “I have admired Kyle’s work for many years now and having him teach me some of the more specialised actions has been really cool, he really knows his stuff.”
“Puleng’s work ethic and attitude is amazing,” adds Robson. “He is a talented young man and came in wanting to know more. The S21 is a perfect match for Ventso Productions, and with this kind of passion, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
(Jim Evans)

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UAE - Reliability was a major factor for Middle East rental and production company MediaPro’s large investment in Robe moving lights earlier this year, according to sales and marketing manager Jinesh Nair.
When it came to making a decision about expanding the moving light inventory at their Dubai HQ, the vital parameters included engineering quality and versatile features as well as an increasing demand from international lighting designers requesting Robe products.
This all led to the purchase of 86 Spiider LED wash beams, 76 MegaPointes and three RoboSpot systems complete with the BMFL FollowSpot LT (long-throw) fixture with integral camera, which has been especially designed for large arenas and stadiums. These are the first of these special BMFL followspots in the UAE.
MediaPro’s initial relationship with Robe dates back to 2006. Established in the UAE in

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The Netherlands - Smile Licht En Geluid Utrecht BV is a busy design and technical production company based in Utrecht.
The company has recently purchased 12 Robe VIVA CMYs and 32 LEDBeam 150s - to assist in the creative illumination of a wide range of events.
The company was founded in its present format by Remko Vossen in 1998. The name already existed, however Remko took it from a disco based operation to a full-blown professional production facility which has become very well known locally and across Benelux.
Smile supplies lighting, sound, AV, staging, and expertise to the events sector and has a reputation for imaginative flair and offering innovative technology and high standards of excellence. They have just moved into a large and spangly new warehouse and office space in Lage Weide, in the west of the city of Utrecht.
These were the first Robe movin

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UK - Technical production company Maestra Group has launched a scenic division. Based at Maestra’s London HQ, Maestra Scenic will offer services including CNC, carpentry and joinery, fabrication and engineering, painting and finishing as well as integration of other technical detailing - such as lighting, video or audio - into scenic fabrication projects.
The new division will employ a team of 20 full-time staff, who will be led by director of production Mark Davies, former director of technical operations at the National Theatre and sales director at Stage One Creative Services.
Davies comments: “The goals for good scenic companies are about meeting and then exceeding client expectations in all aspects - quality and build, finishing, being on-budget and ease of installation. It is essential to have the right people and processes all working harmoniously and with

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USA - Theatrical sound reinforcement and installation company Masque Sound has announced the launch of its Production Services division (MPS). The newly created division provides equipment rentals and production services for live and recorded events for clients outside of Masque Sound’s Broadway theatre productions business. MPS serves shorter term events such as concerts, TV shows, corporate presentations, galas and a range of special events.
The idea of creating MPS began when Masque Sounds’ Matt Dale and AJ Nittoli were providing production services and equipment for a Meyer Sound demonstration in South Carolina. In between system tunings, the duo discussed the possibility of Masque Sound providing services like these as a separate business entity. The concept took off from there, and it is becoming a major growth area for the company.
Masque’s Production Ser
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