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UK - VDC Trading has made a number of new appointments and implemented a re-structure of its London-based team. Designed to offer more streamlined services to clients in the UK and overseas, the new approach centres on customer experience.
Cain Cookson has been appointed to the role of senior relationship development manager, heading up the UK pro-active sales team. With over five years’ B2B sales experience, Cain combines commercial expertise with technical capability, having achieved a first--class honours degree in Audio and Music Technology from the University of the West of England.
Herpreet Kaur Sing has taken on the role of customer service manager, with responsibility for delivering the highest level of customer service to VDC Trading’s growing international client base. With more than three years’ experience in pro-audio sales, Herpreet is also a

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Diversity Programme - Improving diversity and protecting local authority funding are at the forefront of UK Theatre’s business plan for the next four years. The plan from the membership organisation, which sets out its objectives for 2017-2021, describes its aim to improve the diversity of theatre and the performing arts as “a significant priority”. The organisation commits to working with Tonic Theatre, Equity and other stakeholders to publish a planning tool for the casting process in order to improve diversity on stage.
It will also establish a ‘board bank’ of professionals from black, Asian and minority ethnic, disabled and low socio-economic backgrounds to assist organisations in addressing the diversity of their boards. Another focus in the business plan is addressing the increase in live-to-digital theatre. The industry body promises to negotiate a st
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UK – Supporters and trustees of Backup - The Technical Entertainment Charity - gathered in London on Monday evening to help raise the profile of the charity’s new name and logo in entertainment industry. Around 80 guests attended the event, which included live entertainment from Jay Johnson.
Backup exists to provide financial support to technical professionals working in live events, theatre, TV and film, helping them to get back on their feet when their lives are disrupted by illness or injury to themselves or to family members. Previously known as Behind The Scenes UK, the charity changed its name to Backup in 2016.
Backup’s chairman, John Simpson, welcomed guests to The Hospital Club in London’s Covent Garden, which generously sponsored the event. He reiterated the purpose of the charity by highlighting some of its achievements to date. “We have helped a n

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USA - The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) celebrated their upcoming ride through Southern California with a raffle and live auction to benefit Behind the Scenes during the USITT Conference in St. Louis last week.
Sales of raffle tickets, some key donations, and sales of BTS and LRLR-branded swag raised over $15,000 for the charity. The LRLR 2017 ride, dubbed the Avocado Adventure, starts on 16 June in Escondido, CA. The riders cover all their own expenses so everything they raise goes to the charity. Sponsor a rider today at www.behindthescenescharity.org/lrlr.
Festivities led off with the traditional kazoo parade led by Bill Sapsis and USITT executive director David Grindle and many of the LRLR. Following the parade, BTS Pledge-a-Product partners InCord (Orchestra Pit Safety Netting Systems) and ETC (irFR and aRFR application for iOS and Android devices) presented chequ

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Unlimited Fines - Online touts who bulk buy tickets and sell them for inflated prices will face unlimited fines under government plans. An amendment to the Digital Economy Bill means it will be illegal to use "bots" to bypass limits on the maximum number of tickets that can be bought. Tickets purchased by bots can appear on secondary websites at prices many times greater than their face value.
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spokesman said the profiteering was "simply not fair". High profile artists such as Adele and Ed Sheeran have previously criticised the touts and asked their fans not to buy tickets from secondary sites. Last month, resale site Viagogo was accused of "moral repugnance" for selling tickets to an Ed Sheeran Teenage Cancer Trust gig for up to £5,000. And an £85 ticket to see Adele at the O2 in London last year was reportedly being

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South Africa - DWR Distribution has been appointed Littlite agents. Littlite was represented in South Africa for many years by Tadco’s Simon Oates, who recently made the decision to pass the brand on to DWR. A large stock order is coming soon, and DWR is running a competition where three people will have opportunity to win the Littlite Anser Lampset 18 “Goosneck and Dimmer integrated into chassis.
Littlite products are made in Michigan, America, and the range of task lamps are not only suitable for sound and lighting consoles, but can be used as map lights, desk lights, lectern lights, microscope lights, inspection lights and reading lights.
“We initially wanted to order Littlite task lights from Tadco for our DiGiCo console users,” explained Duncan Riley of DWR. “In true Simon Oates fashion, he opted to rather make a phone call to Littlite and ask if the b

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Stagecraft - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has received 11 Olivier Award nominations, which makes it the most nominated new play in Olivier history. The musical Groundhog Day, which begins on Broadway this month, has picked up eight nominations. Glenda Jackson receives her first nomination since 1984 following her return to the stage as King Lear. Her leading role at London's Old Vic last year was her first stage appearance for 25 years after giving up acting for politics in the early 1990s.
Groundhog Day competes in the best new musical category against Dreamgirls, School of Rock and The Girls. Jesus Christ Superstar, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, receives six nominations, including best musical revival. "In a year of global change, the nominees for this year's awards demonstrate London theatre's ability to chal

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USA - TMB has issued the following tribute to its first employee Tommy Stephenson who sadly passed away this week . . .
“TMB fondly remembers our first employee, Tommy Stephenson, the loudest man in show business.
“After a record breaking stint as PA for Greg Lake (of ELP fame) Tommy joined TMB around 1984 (who kept track in those days?). He transformed the fledgling organization from Two Men in a Bedroom to Three Men and a Dog. Tommy’s primary role then was, and always remained, Confusion Analyst, but his early duties also included cable coiler, driver, shipping/receiving expert, and ace booth builder (specializing in the afternoon shift). Later, in the spare time between his ongoing confusion analysis, he grew to become TMB’s Sales Manager. His heavy focus on confusion was the origin of TMB’s famous Rule Three: “Do Not Believe A Word Tommy Tells You.” I

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USA - Susan McGuirl, the Head of North America Entertainment, Entertainment Division, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, has accepted an invitation to join the Behind the Scenes Foundation Board of Directors.
Susan has been in the insurance industry for over 25 years holding various leadership positions in both claims and underwriting. Allianz Entertainment is the largest entertainment insurance writer in the U.S. focusing on providing specialized insurance solutions for the entertainment industry
Upon accepting the appointment, Susan commented, "I am honoured to serve on the Behind the Scenes Board of Directors. BTS’ dedication to the entertainment industry is important and necessary in serving those who need our help and support."
Rick Rudolph, the chair of the Behind the Scenes Foundation, welcomed Susan to the Board saying, “We are extremely honour

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UK – A piece of distro equipment stolen from a site in East London recently is being sought by its owner, The Technical Department Ltd. The item is a DT12 - Type 12, 63A/3-phase to 2x32A/3-phase box (pictured). As the photograph shows, the item is clearly marked on the top with ‘TYPE 12’.
It is believed that the item was stolen by an opportunist thief, and that it will reappear for sale on the market. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the equipment is asked to contact Jerry Singleton at The Technical Department jerry@thetechnicaldepartment.com.
(LSiOnline)

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Off The Wall - Roger Waters has said he would consider performing on the border between the US and Mexico as an act of defiance. The veteran Pink Floyd frontman and bassist has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump's plans to build a security barrier along the Mexico border. In a rare public appearance alongside drummer Nick Mason, promoting the forthcoming Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition at the V&A Museum, the two former Pink Floyd members discussed their new exhibition as well as what would happen when Donald Trump visits the UK. "I'm quite sure if President Trump comes to this country there will be an enormous taking to the streets," Waters said. "I think we would see demonstrations in London bigger than any demonstrations than have ever been seen."
Profiteering - Secondary ticketing website Viagogo has been criticised for "profiteering

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UK - Almost 370 of the UK festival and outdoor event industry’s leading suppliers and organisers attended the Festival Supplier Awards to celebrate and applaud the 2017 winners on Thursday 26 January.
Now in its third year, and settled in to its home at the Hurlingham Club, the awards recognise companies who work tirelessly to deliver great events, many of whose efforts often go unseen.
Amongst the awards presented were accolades for Best Stage, Best Power, Best Temporary Structure, Best Toilets/ Waste Management, Best Concession/ Bar and Best Sound, along with gongs for Best Production Team and Best Festival Support Service.
The full list of awards presented and the winners is:
Best Concession / Bar: Peppermint Bars, Bestival
Best Festival Technology Provider: TOURtech, Lollapalooza
Best Crowd / Pit Barrier: Actavo Events, London Stadium

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No Surprise - Reports from the US suggest Donald Trump is struggling to find A-list stars to perform at his inauguration. When President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, he was serenaded by Beyonce and Aretha Franklin. During his stay in the White House, he's had audiences with the likes of Rihanna, James Taylor and Kendrick Lamar.

According to US news website The Wrap, Trump's inaugural committee is scrambling to find stars who are willing to play at his swearing in ceremony on 20 January 2017.

"They're calling managers, agents, everyone in town to see who they can get and it's been problematic," an unnamed source told the site. Grammy-winner John Legend, who has been a guest of the Obamas several times, says he is "not surprised at all". "Creative people tend to reject bigotry and hate," he told the BBC. "We tend to be more liberal-minded. When we see somebod

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UK - The contents of the internationally-renowned Fountain Studios in Wembley, north London, will come under the hammer after the recent final of the 2016 X Factor brought the curtain down on 90 years of film and broadcasting history.

The studio has been sold to property developers, and sound and vision equipment, lighting, scenery and memorabilia are all being offered in an online sale between 30 January and 7 February. The sale is being organised by auctioneers Charterfields (www.charterfields.com) and a viewing day is being held on 1 February.

Among the broadcast equipment for sale are Sony HDC cameras, pedestals along with various control units and pan and tilt heads; vision mixers; sound desks and microphones; lighting desks and a large quantity of hoists and pantographs.

In addition, there is also a selection of scenery and drapes, dressing room furniture,

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Second-hand Probe - Websites that sell second-hand tickets are to be investigated by the competition regulator in the UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe follows an initial review of the four main secondary ticketing websites - Get Me In, Seatwave, StubHub and Viagogo - that aimed to ensure they improved the information they provided about tickets on their site.

There are concerns that if information is not clear, people are at risk of being turned away at the doors because of restrictions placed on some resold tickets. The CMA said one website was not fully complying with their undertaking and it was "actively pursuing" it to ensure its obligations are met "in full".

The watchdog said its wider investigation would result in enforcement action if providers fall foul of consumer protection laws in areas such as clear seller information. It was also checkin

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USA - Bandit Lites once again participated in the Angel Tree Christmas assistance programme. Started in 1975 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Angel Tree began with the simple idea that under privileged children also deserve a visit from Santa Claus. Making their wishes on paper angels that adorn trees in local malls, food stores and businesses, patrons are encouraged to choose a child's wish list and make their Christmas dreams come true.

Bandit's director of philanthropy Allison Burchett, controller Shay Simpson and HR coordinator Cori Link combined their efforts to orchestrate the day of giving across multiple Bandit Lites locations. Bandit provided each team member the opportunity to choose an Angel, where gifts ranged from the practical, such as jackets and shoes, to the ever wished for toys and games. Shop Foreman Erich Hudgens graciously spent the day shuttling groups of Ban

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UK - Current RMS reports having had a "huge year" in 2016, with major feature releases on display at multiple shows in the UK and US, as well as significant team growth, enabling its team to provide more support to customers worldwide.

To end 2016, the company has revealed a brand new feature, ready for users to have a play with over the Christmas holidays . . .Users can now Clone or Copy & Paste Opportunity Groups across different jobs, which is useful when providing kit for a job with multiple rooms or venues. Rather than having to use the Product Picker to select the same item across multiple jobs, users can now select 'copy' next to the item and paste it onto a different job.

Current RMS will be seeing in 2017 with over 2,100 rental experts onboard, across 1,300 cities worldwide. Major feature releases such as; Simultaneous Scan, Organisation Discounts and a new Costin

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World - As the LSi office closes for the Christmas break, we would like to wish all our readers a very special holiday and a happy and prosperous 2017. We'll be back with more daily news here at LSIOnline in the New Year, kicking off on 3 January. Until then, have a great time - and thanks for reading . . .

The LSi team.

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Happy New Year - Our normal daily news service will now resume after the Christmas break and we'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all good things for 2017!

Northern Culture - A musical, Humber Bridge, a 14th-Century masterpiece, a circus in a cemetery and the Spiders From Mars will be part of Hull's year as UK City of Culture. The £32m programme will take over streets and venues throughout 2017. Hull will celebrate famous local figures including poet Philip Larkin and director Anthony Minghella. And it will put the spotlight on unsung heroines like 1940s and '50s boxing champion "Battling" Barbara Buttrick and pioneering musician Ethel Leginska.

Hull 2017 director Martin Green said, "Women's stories come through. It has traditionally been a male-dominated city, quite patriarchal. But we have found at every turn new stories about women." Hull C

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UK - John Young, former head of technical services at Ambassador Theatre Group, has partnered with Gallowglass Training to produce a 'Top 20' suite of training courses for on-site operational staff.

Taking up the role of head of training at Gallowglass Training, Young has compiled a suite of both statutory and technical skills training courses covering all levels of responsibility - from basic Manual Handling to the flagship IOSH Managing Safely four-day course for managers and supervisors.

A specialist trainer in venue and production management, Young has been leading the advisory group working towards the Creative Venue Technician Trailblazer apprenticeship framework, designed for budding technicians in the live performance and screen industries.

"There's been a surge in demand for training from companies wanting to upskill their people and ensure a safe working envi

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USA - When ESTA learned it would be losing a long-term source of revenue, the association faced the loss of almost a third of its income in 2017. The immediate impact of this is to endanger the survival of ESTA's ANSI-accredited Technical Standards Program (TSP). The ramifications of this would be enormous to the entertainment technology industry. Upon hearing of the situation, Ford Sellers, senior product manager at Chauvet Lighting, commented, "The work that is done by the TSP is indispensable. It is central to our industry...In fact, it is what makes us an industry, instead of just a bunch of individual projects."

The rallying cry went out from the volunteer leadership of ESTA and members of the Technical Standards Program, "Everyone in the industry benefits from the TSP and everyone needs to step forward and fund this critical program to keep it alive." The standards creat

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Europe - Intellitix, global RFID cashless payment and access control specialist, has acquired a controlling stake in Netherlands based LOC Pay Systems.

LOC Pay Systems supplied 200 festivals and venues across Europe in 2016 with its token-based payment system and will continue to operate from its head office in Lochem, Netherlands, retaining its 13 full time employees under the management of CEO Roland Wassink.

Intellitix has grown organically to date, aiming to provide cashless RFID environment to 500 events in 2017. The acquisition of LOC Pay Systems, which until 2015 was a division of LOC 7000, marks the first time Intellitix has expanded by acquisition.

Serge Grimaux, Intellitix CEO states, "There is a great synergy between our companies in our approach to delivering the best possible, practicable Access Control and Payment Systems to events. The acquisition of LOC

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Going La La - Hollywood musical La La Land has broken the record for the most Golden Globe Awards, winning seven prizes. It won every award it was nominated for - including best musical or comedy film, best director, screenplay, score and song.

The ceremony featured several references to Mr Trump - not least when Meryl Streep launched an attack on the US President-elect while accepting the Cecil B Demille award for outstanding contribution to entertainment. Streep referred to Trump's mocking of a disabled reporter and said, "Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose." The Golden Globe Awards, which are run by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, honour the best in TV and film from the past year.

With or Without You - U2 will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal

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UK - Award-winning technical event production company Hawthorn has recorded a 25% increase in turnover to £18m in its last financial year (July 2015-June 2016).

Since the acquisition of technical production house Anagram in 2013, the company has embarked upon an ambitious five-year growth plan to increase its turnover from £11.3m to £20m by July 2018. Hawthorn is on track to achieve this in 2017 - its 30th anniversary year - one year ahead of target.

To support this growth, the company has seen a significant investment in its people and training, with a 16% increase in employees, rising from 129 in June 2013 to 162 in June 2016; by 7 December 2016, the employee count had already risen to 187.

Key factors contributing to the company's continued expansion since 2013, says the company, include:

Investment in the in-house sales and marketing team and

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