Events

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UK - Similar to other musicians who had found themselves restrained by the coronavirus lockdown, five-piece UK band Mamas Gun, widely known for their album Golden Days, was struggling to find a way for all band members to play together remotely without latency or other issues. A solution was found in the form of Tin Pan Studio, which allows remotely based musicians to jam, rehearse, create, record and perform music together over the internet in realtime. Thanks to this innovative technology, Mamas Gun was able to deliver a successful live stream concert as part of the global #DontStopTheMusic music initiative by Sennheiser.
When the pandemic hit, Doug Hunt, live sound engineer and MD of Doug Hunt Sound & Light, had all his work cancelled, so he started looking for ways to help bands perform together remotely over the internet. “Like everyone else, I came up sho

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USA - The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has released preliminary details on the upcoming International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality (AVAR), set to take place in its own online virtual venue on 17-19 August.
The event will serve as a hub of innovation for the latest research in the fields of spatial audio and technology for virtual, augmented and mixed reality, with a focus on technical solutions and recommended practices in the field.
“The necessity to take AVAR 2020 fully online is ideally suited to the Conference content,” says Matt Klassen, chair. “Our attendees can plug in entirely, create an avatar and participate and interact inside a virtual environment. One of the primary advantages of holding the conference in VR is the very compelling nature of the 3D audio for small group conversations - a big step up from flat screen teleco

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UK - Technical event production specialists Sparq, part of the Saville Group has invested in Hirehop rental software.
The company recently adopted Hirehop as the rental software of choice to facilitate the comprehensive management of equipment and critical production assets. Operating on a global scale, the Sparq team identified flexible and powerful software to manage their inventory, productions and day to day operations were required.
After researching numerous systems, Sparq concluded that HireHop was best suited to their needs, due to its extensive and flexible range of features, intuitive ease of use and scalability, built around 24/7/365 cloud access.
HireHop’s director Keith Jacobs said, “It is an honour to have to have such a well-known, established and respected company join the ever-growing list of HireHop users.”
Rob Morrison, Client Dire

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UK - As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major impact on the events industry, organiser of The Showman’s Show, Lance Show & Publications Limited, has announced that the 35th edition of the event will not go ahead as planned this October. The Showman’s Show will return to Newbury Showground in 2021 on 20-21 October.
Jeremy and Johnny Lance, co-directors of Lance Show & Publications Limited have issued the following statement: “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our wonderful industry we have taken the extremely difficult decision not to go ahead with The Showman’s Show 2020 this October.
“Since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak we have closely monitored guidance and advice from the government and PHE and remained optimistic that we would be able to safely deliver the 35th edition of the show as planned.
“The new guideli

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UK - The Connecting Culture 2020 virtual conference and expo aims to bring together museum and heritage professionals from around the world, for two days of networking, insight, and learning, on 9-10 of September.
Free to attend, at this event visitors will have the opportunity to hear from industry leaders from the world of museums, heritage, and culture, learn about relevant technological developments and partake in discussions regarding future operating procedures post COVID-19.
The Expo at Connecting Culture boasts over 20 exhibitors. Networking with exhibitors is made simple, through 1-2-1 video calls, live text chat and exchanging virtual business cards. With on stand demonstrations and downloadable stand content, visitors can experience the latest products and services for themselves, from their laptop, tablet, or smart phone.
For more information regardi

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UK - Outdoor venues, including open-air theatre, opera and music venues, can reopen from 11 July and host socially-distanced performances, the culture secretary Oliver Dowden has announced this afternoon (9 July).
This will mean venues will be able to host performances for the first time in 115 days since they were forced to shut on 18 March.
"This is an important milestone for our performing arts, which have been waiting patiently since March," Dowden said. "We are taking various measures to make these places safe as they reopen. Venue capacity will be reduced and organisations will be encouraged to move to electronic ticketing to help Test and Trace. But our performing arts deserve an audience and they will be getting one."
He added that the government is working to usher audiences indoors as soon as possible and is funding scientific studies to find ways to mit

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UK - Last night (6 July), some of the UK’s most iconic venues and landmarks were lit up in ‘emergency red’ as part of the #LightItInRed campaign to draw attention to the critical condition of the live events and entertainment industry. A glimpse of hope was given to Britain’s arts industry on Sunday evening (5 July), as £1.57bn was pledged by the government – yet the supply chain behind the production of live events and festivals, including many freelancers, is still awaiting clarification as to what support they will be offered.
Unlike other industries, live theatre, outdoor events, concerts, festivals and performances have been unable to safely resume due to social distancing guidance and other restrictions. Many predict these events may not resume until 2021. The #LightItInRed campaign aims to draw attention to the

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UK - PLASA has responded to the UK government’s pledge of £1.57bn funding for the arts with the following statement from its MD, Peter Heath: “While PLASA is pleased to see the government deliver a generous rescue package to arts institutions across the UK, they have only addressed the tip of the iceberg. We hope that the government will announce further support for all the manufacturers, suppliers and freelancers who help make the UK a global leader in events.
“Theatres and venues are absolutely essential to the cultural fabric of the UK, however, they only represent the public face of a vast industry. Each arena concert, musical show, arts installation, or corporate event relies on a complex supply chain, often involving hundreds of professionals. To put on a single arena show requires an average of

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UK - After weeks of relentless campaigning, the British arts sector has been promised a coronavirus bailout worth £1.57bn.

The funding was announced late on Sunday evening, with the UK government stating it represents “the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture”.

The package includes:
- £1.15bn support pot for cultural organisations in England, comprising £880m grants and £270m loans;
- £100m of targeted support for the national cultural institutions in England and the English Heritage Trust;
- £120m capital investment to restart construction on cultural infrastructure and for heritage construction projects in England;
- extra £188m for the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland (£33m), Scotland (£97m) and Wales (£59m).

The news follows the government’s announcement of a roadmap to reopeni

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UK - PLASA has announced the postponement of the 2020 PLASA Show due to the COVID-19 crisis. The popular trade event was set to take place on 6-8 September at London Olympia.
The Association says in a statement: “It is with great regret that we announce that PLASA Show will not take place at Olympia London from 6-8 September this year due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and uncertainty regarding social distancing and lockdown policies. However, PLASA Show will return to Olympia London in 2021 from 5-7 September and we look forward to seeing you there.
“We hope that by the time PLASA Show 2021 comes around the industry will be restored back to full health and we can celebrate with a fantastic ‘come-back’ show, face to face. In the meantime, keep safe and in keep in touch. ”
Sophie Atkinson, head of events at PLASA, comments: “It is of cou

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Germany - The end of June saw Brompton Technology take part in one of Europe’s first face-to-face industry events since lockdown, the AV Innovation Days (AVID), organised and hosted by LANG AG at its LANG Academy in Lindlar.
Designed as an accompanying event for InfoComm Connected, LANG hosted the three-day fair with both new and familiar AV technologies on display, whilst adhering to strict hygiene and safety rules. Leading LED panel manufacturers showcased their innovative solutions, with Brompton partnering with INFiLED to demonstrate how its panels have benefitted from Brompton’s HDR solution.
“The event offered a perfect platform to discuss some of the key developments in the AV industry, such as the increased use of curved, or faceted, applications which are based on a variety of corresponding products. Also, the emerging trend of virtual LED studios inste

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South Africa - Play It Forward a new live show by South African rockers Oooth, was part of a dynamic live stream designed as a fundraiser for tattoo artists across the country and freelance technicians via #FeedOurCrew who have been left without any income during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The broadcast - on YouTube and Facebook Live - also included interviews, features and panel discussions, and was staged at SA rental company MGG’s Studio B facility, one of two such facilities at their HQ in Johannesburg, complete with a full Robe lighting rig.
Reaching around 6,000 fans, whilst Play it Forward was airing, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the following day tattoo artists and studios would be able to re-start their businesses. On hearing this news, they in turn made a collective decision to donate the proceeds to #FeedOurCrew, an NGO

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UK - This Saturday night, music fans will be able to dance the night away to over three hours of electronic music streamed online, all whilst helping industry charity Music Support raise vital funding.
Taking place from 9pm on 4 July, Warehouse Manifesto will be held at Production Park’s London rehearsal studio The Mill. The Mill, in association with lighting, audio and video specialists Subfrantic, has created a COVID-secure avenue for artists to generate online content during the crisis. Meanwhile, LiveFrom Events will bring the music to the masses via its HD streaming platform.
Tyrone Brunton, the gig’s project manager, comments: “The idea for Warehouse Manifesto came about after numerous conversations with Bullet from Production Park, as we were trying to get the core crew we have worked with over the years back together, with another project i

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UK - PLASA’s new campaign #WeMakeEvents has garnered a 'huge response' from the industry.
The campaign was launched last week in a bid to raise awareness of the negative impact the COVID-19 crisis on the live events industry.
A cornerstone of the initiative, the #WeMakeEvents video has so far amassed 20,000 views and 3,000 shares.
PLASA says that 1,000 industry professionals have signed their support for the campaign via its webpage, and key industry organisations and brands have also endorsed it.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Glastonbury Festival - cancelled this year due to COVID-19 - PLASA MD Peter Heath was promoting #WeMakeEvent

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UK - #LightItInRed is a UK based direct action lighting initiative that is scheduled to take place on the night of Monday 6 July 2020 to draw attention to the critical condition of the UK live event and entertainment industry and its need for special government support to see it through to re-starting.
Currently, unlike other industries, there is no set date for live events, shows, festivals and performances to restart after the Covid-19 shut down.
The #LightItInRed action was inspired by #NightofLight in Germany on 22 June, which saw over 9,000 buildings, monuments, structures, towers, landmarks, castles, offices, houses, spaces and places illuminated in ‘Emergency Red’ to raise awareness and grab the attention of the public and the government.
#LightItInRed initiators, Steven Haynes from Clearsound Productions and Phillip Berryman from The Backstage Theatr

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Germany - Stage|Set|Scenery is set to take place from 15 to 17 June 2021 on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. The event is co-organised by Deutsche Theatertechnische Gesellschaft (DTHG) and Messe Berlin.
“As a result of the coronavirus pandemic the theatre and event industry faces huge challenges. As we prepare for the topics at next year’s Stage|Set|Scenery we are closely coordinating with industry players and experts from the various sectors“, says Wesko Rohde, managing chairman of the board of Deutsche Theatertechnische Gesellschaft (DTHG).
“Our aim next year will be to build on Stage|Set|Scenery as a perfect interactive platform. It is particularly in times like these that we see how important a creative dialogue on specialist subjects is. The combination of technical creativity and artistic innovation has a stimulating effect and unites people to achieve a co

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UK - PLASA has launched #WeMakeEvents, a new campaign with the aim of amplifying the industry’s voice and gaining meaningful Government support. Central to the campaign is a video highlighting the vital role of supply chain companies along with the freelance community and the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic upon the live events sector.
PLASA is calling for people from across the industry to share the video across social media to give much needed exposure to the supply chain to events including production and rental companies, manufacturers and freelancers, to raise awareness of the need for longer term financial support.
In addition to sharing the video, PLASA has published two infographics illustrating the complexity of the live events supply chain and

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USA - Lighting for houses of worship will be the focus of The Elation Hour virtual presentation, taking place this Wednesday.
With the knowledge that dynamic lighting systems can positively impact the overall worship experience, houses of worship are finding success in growing their ministries through flexible stage and house lighting systems.
Those who tune in will gain insight into how dynamic lighting can enhance both live and broadcast worship from three houses of worship market lighting specialists. Hosts John Dunn and Bob Mentele will welcome Josh Holowiki from E2i Design, Griffin McCravy from Church of the Highlands, and Chris Eguizabal from Harvest Christian Fellowship for a special Elation Hour discussion about elevating the worship experience utilizing lighting and control technology.
The discussion will take place on Wednesday, 24 June at 10:00 a.m. P

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Europe - Sennheiser’s #DontStopTheEducation series continues with two Crew Call panel discussions.
A session taking place today, 23 June from 17:00 Berlin time / 16:00 London / 11:00 New York / 15:00 UTC will feature the live touring team of singer-songwriter Mahalia, whilst on 30 June, the team from Harford Sound will discuss how their production company adapted to the COVID-19 situation.
Also coming up in June is a new edition of the live RF Expert Round Table, as well as live webinars on pro headphones, multi-zone antenna systems and 8D audio.
In today’s session, Sennheiser hosts Andy Egerton and Tim Moore welcome members from the touring team of singer-songwriter Mahalia, nominee for Best Female Solo Artist at the 2020 BRIT Awards. Guests include Mahalia’s musical director and touring bass player Charlie Fowler, tour manager Carl Lewis, front-o

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UK - PLASA has announced the two winners of the Stage to Studio competition for the best mix, which launched following the Stage to Studio live mixing session at PLASA Show 2019.
Antonio Pannese from Italy has won Best Original Mix whilst Andrew Mansell from the UK was chosen as the winner of Best Alternative Mix.
Marc Henshall from Shure comments: “Antonio Pannese demonstrated the best use of dynamics, space, and frequency balance while also applying creative effects for a personal touch. As an alternative mix, few demonstrated the same creativity as Andrew Mansell, who successfully transformed the mix into a spectacular dub-delay style piece.”
VC Pines, the artist whose single Indigo was mixed for the competition, paired the two winners at random with their pro audio prize in a video posted on social media. It was revealed that Antonio won the Gene

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Ireland - Load cell company Broadweigh will support the Wires Crossed tightrope event in Galway, Ireland by supplying Monkey Rigging with the necessary kit to monitor the loads. The event, which was originally scheduled for August 2020, but has now been postponed due to COVID-19, is a European wide community participation project revolving around 'funambulism' - the art of tight-wire walking using a balancing pole. During the event, 400 tightrope walkers from all over Europe will cross the Galway River for a duration of 2020 minutes.
Andrea Mamolenti, founder of Monkey Rigging, comments: “Monkey Rigging is working with Andrea Loreni - the only funambulist in Italy on the measurement of the tightrope walker setups. We are also collaborating with him for the technical design of the preparations for the Italian team for the event. The kind donation of the Broadweigh kit will

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Europe - Planning for the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2021 tradeshow is “well underway” say organisers, Integrated Systems Events.
The 17th edition of ISE is set to take place at its new home at the Fira de Barcelona, Gran Vía on 2-5 February 2021. The exhibition centre plans to reopen for business in September. This will follow the successful completion of a collaboration with risk mitigation consultancy AON and the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona which will determine the specific security criteria for holding B2B events at the venue later this year.
Over 850 technology and solutions providers have already committed to participate at ISE 2021. Over 55,000 sqm of exhibition floor-space has been confirmed for nine dedicated technology zones. This represents a 5% increase on the total floorspace booked for the 2020 show.
A significant development for ISE 20

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UK - The damage across the UK culture, media, sports and digital sectors caused by the coronavirus outbreak has been laid bare in a government survey published this week.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has released the results of its Business Survey, showing the impact of coronavirus on organisations across the four sectors. The survey received 3,936 responses submitted between 23 April and 22 May.
Headline findings reveal the devastating impact of the pandemic on businesses, with more than a third (1,646) of respondents reporting their revenue has decreased by 100% year-on-year, whilst just 97 have seen an increase during the period.
In terms of how long businesses can continue to operate viably, the majority (1,156) of respondents selected ‘up to six months’, whilst 1,102 indicated that they could stay afloat beyond six month

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The Netherlands - Production company Spectrum AV has created a blank canvas studio in its warehouse that it is renting out to promotors who wish to host virtual dance festivals during the coronavirus lockdown. Featuring an impressive lighting rig, comprised of 68 ADJ fixtures, it allows the atmosphere of a high-energy DJ set to be captured and live-streamed for fans to watch in the safety of their own homes.
Established for over 15 years, Spectrum AV is a full-service lighting, video, audio and effects rental and production company based in the village of Udenhout, which is located between Tilburg and ‘s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands. Although the company supplies a wide range of clients spanning across the entertainment and business worlds, it has developed a particular niche in the EDM festival market.
With a business model designed to make life as easy as possi
  1. Meyer Sound Ultra-X40 earns accolades
  2. LEIF welcomes lifting of restrictions on live events
  3. DiGiCo’s Ask Us Anything goes to the theatre
  4. Martin virtual show exceeds expectations
  5. ALD AGM discusses future production options
  6. ROE Visual joins AV Innovation Days
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