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UK - The BPI/BRIT Awards have announced the donation of £54,000 to the COVID-19 Crew Relief Fund administered by Stagehand, the Production Services Association (PSA) Welfare and Benevolent Fund. The money will help Stagehand’s relief fund to approach £240,000, which will be invested in supporting live music and events professionals affected by COVID-19 restrictions.
The contribution from the BPI and BRIT Awards comes on top of £1.62m of BPI-co-ordinated funds donated earlier this year by the recorded music sector to charities and organisations supporting artists, managers and venues through the pandemic - bringing the total distributed to date to £1.67m.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI, BRIT Awards & Mercury Prize, comments: “Our industry is deeply interconnected and while everyone is feeling the pain of the COVID-19 pandemic in some way, no sector has fe

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UAE - Creative Technology (CT) was this year's official communications partner for the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon, which took place Friday 23 October at Dubai International Financial District. The event which saw more than 400 runners from over 40 countries take part was the first mass-running event to take place in the UAE since the start of the pandemic in March.
With a range of measures in place to ensure the safety of all participants, this year's marathon was able to have three different race categories ranging from 5km, 10km and 21km.
Adding to the event’s safety protocols, CT provided site-wide communication to support the event organisers across the 21km site. This enabled seamless communication between the event organisers and their teams while adhering to all social distancing parameters and guidelines.
The Mai Dubai City Half Marathon organisers
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USA - ETC has postponed any participation in traditional trade shows until July next year. “Out of concern for the safety of its employees and global community, ETC has announced that it will not participate in traditional trade show exhibitions until July 2021,” says a statement. “With the pandemic affecting many people’s ability and desire to travel, the company has instead decided to focus its resources on remote demos and online events.”
The statement continues, “A major part of the trade show experience is the chance to see the latest gear and get one-on-one face time with product experts. With this in mind, ETC has been hard at work converting in-house demo spaces throughout the company’s offices into studios for online product demonstrations. Customers may now use an online portal to schedule live, one-on-one demos of some of the company’s newest fixtu

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UK - Five event professionals encapsulated the trials and tribulation of the UK’s events sector on the Survival Tour, 3-18 October. Their 1,700km ride traversed over a hundred venues closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where the riders met the people who would have normally produced all kinds of events (insights into their journey can be seen here).
It was a bitter-sweet experience for the riders, both physically and psychologically, as Proper Productions’ Mark Ward explains: “Without any events to work on, we clipped our barely trained legs into our pedals, to highlight the dire plight of our industry. It was inspiring to bring together the venues and people along our route and hear tales of their personal circumstances and battles first hand. The support has been

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UK - Over the last five months, the #WeMakeEvents campaign has been raising awareness around the current plight facing the live entertainment sector and its urgent need for financial support if it is to survive the COVID-19 crisis.
With the introduction of tier systems and the continued local lockdowns, hosting live events has become even more difficult than before. The campaign is therefore continuing to make its voice heard with the next stage of its protest action - Survival in the Square.
Gary White, lead producer of #WeMakeEvents, comments: “The latest government support packages, although welcome, are not reaching those who need them the most and will only benefit a small group. Larger, more meaningful action needs to be taken and, until it does, we will still be here campaigning.”
From 26 October (Monday), Survival in the Square will comprise a series

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USA - Foo Fighters recently played the #SOSFest livestream with Brit Row providing the virtual remote mixing solution. Performing at West Hollywood’s Troubadour, the gig was streamed to fans on 18 October as part of a collective action weekend in support of independent US-based music venues.
A total of 35 artists - including Miley Cyrus, The Roots, Major Lazer and Leon Bridges - played in multiple venues in cities across the US and joined the Foo Fighters in raising awareness and funds to keep North America’s cherished independent concert venues from closing indefinitely.
Named #SOSFest, the three-day virtual music festival was created to support the Save Our Stages initiative and America’s National Independent Venues Association’s (NIVA) Emergency Relief Fund. NIVA’s YouTube hosted the festival, with individual sets also aired on artist channels.
Pri

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UK - Immersive experience specialists Technically Creative have formed a collaboration with five other creative experiential providers to launch the Vigilante Group. The newly-formed group specialises in advertising, film, experiential spaces and design.
The companies involved are Cod Steaks - design and build artisans focusing on museums and branded attractions; Burning reel - film production; Creep -a film, animation and visual effect postproduction company; Afew - designers and developers specialising digital experiences for the web; Arcadia - event specialists, and Technically Creative.
Marc Broadbent, founder and director of Technically Creative says: “I am so excited for the companies, including our own, that have come together to form this exciting new collaboration. The Vigilante Group showcases the culmination of the achievements by so many of the dedicate

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UK - PLASA Online, a virtual programme of talks, panels and presentations designed to help industry professionals navigate the COVID era, was hosted by PLASA last week.
Thousands signed up in advance to watch the specially-curated programme, which spanned business advice, industry insights, technical developments, and product presentations. For those wishing to catch up on any of the sessions, the full programme will remain online until 16 November - recordings from each session can be requested by completing a form.
The most popular session was an exploration of the 2020 Changes to Portable Appliance Testing Requirements with electrical expert and author of the new IET Code of Practice James Eade. In this session, Eade gave the viewers an overview of the recent chan

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UK - PLASA Online 2020, a five-day programme of business, technical and product sessions, kicked off yesterday and will run daily until 16 October. The week-long programme includes live key notes, panel discussions and training sessions designed to provide education, guidance and inspiration during these challenging times.
In light of challenges that have emerged in the COVID era, chartered safety practitioner and production manager Tom Goode will discuss event production in the new COVID environment. Joining him will be Karl Raw, Health and Safety Inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Dominique Perrissin-Fabert, Health and Safety Manager for the Royal Opera House, and Ben Stephen, Head of Operations & Production for the Albany. Together they will share how they have adapted workplaces and practices and will answer questions from the virtual audience. In

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UK - PLASA’s Managing Director Peter Heath spoke to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on Employment and COVID-19 on 6 October.
Alongside Horace Trubridge from Musicians' Union, Abigail Pogson from SAGE Gateshead and Julian Bird from UK Theatre, Heath gave evidence of the live events and entertainment sector is suffering and why the sector needs further government support. The session was broadcast on Parliament TV and is available in full here: //parliamentlive.tv.
During the introduction, Heath commented: “The events industry has been absolutely devastated, but the question is, can it survive? This is subject to how soon we can return to work and what support

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UK - From 12-16 October, PLASA is hosting PLASA Online, a five-day programme of curated business, technical and product sessions. Each session is designed to provide education, guidance and inspiration during this challenging time.
Several leading brands will present their latest products, including lighting brands Chauvet, Elation, ETC and Martin. Sennheiser will showcase their new range, and Adam Hall and Highlite will take a look at a variety of their products for both lighting and audio. DiGiCo will detail how they use Audinate’s Dante with their mixing platforms, Vectorworks will host a training session on event production and design, and Broadweigh will present case studies of their wireless load monitoring solutions being used in international shows and tours.
Business webinars are planned throughout the week: renowned economist Roger Martin-Fagg will outline

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UK - As part of Qdos Event Hire’s ongoing plans for growth and national expansion, it has opened an office in Glasgow with Jonathan Reid appointed regional manager. Reid, an event professional with 28 years’ experience in delivering temporary accommodation and welfare facilities, will be developing the business throughout Scotland and the north of England.
Vice-chair of NOEA Scotland with strong links to Portable Sanitation Europe (PSE) and regular involvement with the Event Industry Forum, Reid brings with a wide knowledge of events in the region.
Commenting on his appointment, James Thomas, managing director of Qdos Event Hire said: “Extending our reach nationally has been part of our long-term ambitions for the business for some time now. Jonathan’s reputation and dedication are very much aligned with Qdos’ commitment to delivering high quality products a

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UK - Started in Newcastle last Saturday, 3 October and finishing in London on Sunday, 18 October, five industry stalwarts (plus one driving the bus) will cycle between 80 and 125km per day, representing the UK tour season that never happened this year.
Stopping off at over 50 of the most iconic festival, tour and performance venues that have all been standing empty, dark and silent, since the start of lockdown, all in all the tour will cover over 1,500km.
The tour aims to raise awareness of the plight of the million-plus workers in the UK events industry, a sector regarded as the best in the world, to raise funds for Backup #WeMakeEvents’ chosen charity that provides help to employees, freelancers and their families suffering in the entertainment sector, and to kick off Restart, the next phase of the #WeMakeEvents campaign.
The five riders and driver of the sup

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UK - As part of the Let Music Live initiative, 400 freelance professional musicians from all parts of the industry will perform in Parliament Square and Centenary Square, Birmingham today, shining a light on the need for targeted support for freelance musicians and all those who work in the arts and entertainment sector.
They are also joined in solidarity by the Musicians’ Union, The Incorporated Society of Musicians, The Musicians’ Answering Service, Emily Eavis, Jools Holland, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Dan Smith of Bastille and more.
Conducted by renowned director David Hill in Parliament Square, the freelance musicians will perform a short section of Mars from Holst’s The Planets before standing in silence for two minutes. The 20% of the piece that they will perform represents the maximum 20% support that freelancers receive from the government throug

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UK - The Backup Pumpkin Challenge is back again and it’s an excuse to unleash your creativity in aid of Backup. The challenge is a competition to help raise awareness of the charity in a fun and creative way. Individuals, companies or teams are encouraged to take part. All you need is a pumpkin, your design and any props or tech you want to incorporate to bring your design to life.
Participants are asked to promote this competition on social media channels.
The Backup Pumpkin Challenge consists of five categories: Best overall design (judged by panel); Best use of tech (judged by panel); Best Design by Future Creative* (judged by panel); Most overall likes (on Instagram); Cutest Fur Baby Pumpkin Pic (most overall likes on Instagram).
Due to competition being open to anyone and anywhere, we will not be giving away any big prizes, but we will contact winners to s

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UK - Britannia Row Productions director Bryan Grant has written an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the live events industry faces critical point.
“During the past 40 years, Britannia Row Productions has been privileged to have provided equipment and technicians to many major concert artistes including Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Robbie Williams, Simply Red, Mumford and Sons and Harry Styles,” writes Grant.
“And, live events such as Her Majesty’s Golden and Diamond Jubilees, Live 8, the Barcelona and London Olympics, the Rugby World Cup and FA cup finals.
“We currently employ around 70 staff and 100 freelance people, with most of our staff currently on furlough.
“As well as providing the most state-of-the-art equipment, we supply audio engineers and technicians, and over the years, both our company and many o

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UK - In response to this COVID-19 crisis, WOMAD and the WOMAD Foundation have announced a new funding opportunity, The Training and Professional Development Bursary Scheme aimed at festival production crew and artists.
The foundation has also launched a fundraising appeal to raise more funds for people who need help. For further details, eligibility criteria and on how to apply for a bursary or to donate to the WOMAD Foundation and help the people who make events, visit www.womadfoundation.org
WOMAD and the WOMAD Foundation are concerned by the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the arts sector in the UK and the thousands of people who have lost a year’s work and are without income for the foreseeable future.Very few have benefited from government support packages, WOMAD notes.
The foundation says in a statement: “At WOMAD, we know as well as a

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World - In a collective show of solidarity, live events professionals from all corners of the world held peaceful demonstrations to once again raise awareness of the dire effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and its workforce.
The #WeMakeEvents #StandAsOne Global Day of Action held yesterday, 30 September, was the single largest coordinated global event to take place since the campaign launched in the summer.
Just as with the regional events that preceded it, the demo saw thousands of cultural buildings being lit up in red, whilst the #WeMakeEvents and #LightItInRed hashtags trended on social media.
Campaigners have continued to push for state support for an industry that’s been unable to resume sustainably due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. After more than six months of uncertainty, the future of a once-thriving sector and its workforce has

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UK - Event industry professionals are taking part in a 1,500km bike ride across England to raise awareness of the issues faced by the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dubbed The Survival Tour, the ride will take place 3-18 October and take a circuitous route from Newcastle to London, passing more than 50 UK venues and festival sites along the way.
Money raised will go to the charity Backup, supporting entertainment technology professionals in need of support - find out how to donate via JustGiving.
Respectful of the UK government’s ‘rule of six’, the ride bubble is comprised of Steve Reynolds and Mike Trasmundi, who work at Loudsound, along with Mark Ward, Harry Ford and Tyler Cole-Homes of Proper Productions. They are inviting other indust

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New Zealand - When the COVID-19 pandemic began to go global, the organisers of CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, scheduled for late July in Wellington, New Zealand, were searching for an alternative to cancellation. Division head for technology services, John Maizels, was already assembling a suite of publicly available tools like Zoom video and Discord chat rooms. But to stage a full virtual convention, they had to find a way to manage it with a globally distributed tech team.
“The key to operating as a team when you can’t see anybody is good communications,” says Maizels. “That meant finding an effective virtual intercom system. Looking at its flexibility and especially the fact that there is no limit to the number of users, VLink quickly became a critical element of the project.”
Maizels, a freelance broadcast engineer based in Sydney,

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World - The #WeMakeEvents campaign has been ramping up activity in order to highlight how the global live events industry urgently needs to get back to work. Over 30 million people in 25 countries would usually work in the events industry, but with social distancing measures in place, there is no possibility of a financially viable return for the foreseeable future.
Over the past weeks, events have happened around the world - including in the US, Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, Spain and the UK - to raise awareness of those impacted in the event supply chain, from manufacturers, production companies, catering, transport, security and others, to the huge freelance community that works within the industry.
The majority of the industry has had no income since the beginning of the crisis in March, and with a global second wave of COVID-19 imminent, a date to return to w

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UK - PLASA, the lead association for the events and entertainment technology industry, has announced PLASA Online 2020, a programme of free online content running from 12 to 16 October. Designed to provide industry professionals with the knowledge and confidence needed to navigate the COVID-crisis and prepare for what’s next in live events and entertainment, the week-long online event will consist of a curated selection of keynote talks, panel discussions, product presentations and technical sessions. Thought-leaders and business experts will address the most pertinent issues such as the COVID crisis, Brexit, technological innovations, and safety regulations.
Additionally, leading brands from audio, lighting and AV will present their latest products and solutions, including: Adam Hall, DiGiCo, ETC, Highlite, Signify, Sound Technology and Vectorworks. “These sessio

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South Africa - Known for working together as technical director and supplier on popular art and music festivals across South Africa like Innibos, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) and Aarkloop, Pieter Jan-Kapp (Kappie) from PJK Management and Christiaan Ballot of technical supplier Blond Productions took the road less travelled over the COVID-19 lockdown and established their own online platform, Platform ZA which went live last Friday.
Platform ZA, a digital pay-per-view channel, has opened doors and created work for over 200 people, ranging from actors, musicians, cameramen and technical crew. Kappie and Christiaan did not only create Platform ZA, but even the content thereof such as Stroom, a music programme featuring some of South Africa’s finest artists, cooking and lifestyle programmes, a fishing show and spectacularly, produced and filmed sitcoms and co

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USA - With the recent increase in online and broadcast delivery of a near limitless array of information, entertainment, and social information, the AES Show Fall 2020 Convention’s Broadcast and Online Delivery Track will examine key technologies and applications while taking a look back at broadcast history and a look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.
The session Practical Tips for Using Digital Audio in a 2110 Facility will offer in-depth expertise on IP Architecture and the SMPTE ST 2110 media networking protocol, of which the Audio Engineering Society’s AES3 and AES67 standards are key components, as well as related technologies and workflows.
Track sessions of historical importance include Pass the Mic which will celebrate this year’s 100th anniversary of radio broadcasting and its innovations with host John Holt, and A Century of
  1. We Make Events reacts to Sunak’s Winter Economy Plan
  2. Coda plays key role in Restart-19 experiment
  3. Eased restrictions boosts SA events industry
  4. #WeMakeEvents campaign continues to build momentum
  5. New ISE 2021 dates announced
  6. Integrated Systems Europe postpones until June 2021
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