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UK - Greg Barker, the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, was given an illuminating illustration of the power of LED lighting when he visited Dartford last week.

During a visit to Suscon, the sustainable construction training and research centre at The Bridge, the Minister viewed the range of products offered by 8point3 LED, which has recently moved into offices at the centre.

"The Minister's visit was a great opportunity to demonstrate the quality of light produced by LED lighting and outline the dramatic energy savings it brings when compared to traditional systems," said Ashley Bateup, managing director of 8point3, which designs and manufactures bespoke fittings for its public and private sector clients at a plant in Belvedere.

"The Minister showed genuine interest in our products and seemed impressed by their environmental credentials, stating

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USA - Le Poisson Rouge (LPR), the multimedia art cabaret founded in 2008 by Justin Kantor and David Handler, recently carried out its latest upgrade - boosting the technical infrastructure with GLP's impression Spot One LED and G-LEC Solaris video curtain.

Located on the site of the historic Village Gate in New York's Greenwich Village, when the new owners took over the interior was completely redrawn, and John Storyk (of Walters-Storyk Design Group), the designer behind Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland Studios, helped design the room sonically.

The venue has since undergone various technical upgrades, including remotely controlled HD cameras, culminating in this latest investment, with the acquisition of 12 automated Spot One LED fixtures from 4Wall Entertainment Lighting, who have been providing LPR with high-level service for the past three years.

Said the club's director

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UK - SES were chosen to supply 11th Hour Events distribution package for their main fleet within a very short timescale. Being successful in gaining several high profile projects, 11th hour realised they were in need of heavy duty mains and having previously purchased the Power-Pro range of Power Distribution manufactured by the UK's leading manufacturer SES, placed a large order for a wide range of product.

Gordon Cooper from SES commented, "When we took the call from Andy, we knew due to the time scale this order would be a challenge due to our current commitments on other high profile projects, but we are used to working under pressure and did not want to let an important client down, we were very pleased to be able to gain the order and more importantly delivered 2 days early.

" It is always a great feeling when you get the call from the customer saying how pleas

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UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) will use the opportunity of its forthcoming Theatre Show (13-14 June), to present a seminar discussion on the future of industry training, at London's Old Truman Brewery, on Wednesday 13 June, 12:45pm-2pm, in the venue's Seminar Room. Speakers include: Robin Auld, operations director, National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural; Chris Parry-Jones, head of Gallowglass Training; and, Bryan Raven, managing director, White Light.

Throughout the last year, the Association has continued to develop and promote its Technical Access Passport (TAP) - launched at the ABTT 2011 Theatre Show - a scheme that creates an online repository for verified training, skills, insurance and other professional information.

Now, with TAP gaining weight within the industry, the second phase of the scheme is ready to start. Industry trainers will

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At The Cinema - The farewell concert by Irish pop band Westlife is to be screened live to cinemas in the UK and Ireland and across Europe. The group, who announced last October they were splitting after 14 years, are set to bow out with a final concert at Dublin's Croke Park on 23 June. The event will be screened at more than 200 cinemas in nine countries including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Norway. There are also plans to screen the gig in Australia and South Africa. The band, whose 14 UK number ones include 1999 hit Flying Without Wings, have sold more than 44 million records worldwide. Organisers said tickets for the 23 June concert sold out in minutes, leading them to schedule another date at the Dublin venue on 22 June.

No Show - Lady Gaga has cancelled a concert in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, citing security concerns after protests by religious groups. The s

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France - Dataton reports that its WATCHOUT multi-display and show-management software has been used as a core technolog yat a major new art installation in the south of France.

A collaboration between the town of Les Baux de Provence and the specialist French venue management company Culture spaces, Carrières de Lumières'('Quarries of Light') is a hi-tech re-purposing of the Carrières du Val d'Enfer- a network of abandoned chalk-mining tunnels close to the historic Provençal village.

With a subterranean feel, the Carrières de Lumières is a labyrinth almost 200m long that varies in height between 10 and 15m. In its newly re-invented form, the space provides the perfect backdrop for large-scale video projection- a place where visitors can view images close to or from a greater distance away, while the texture of the chalk surfaces adds further visual interest to whatever a

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USA - Community reports the retirement of Chris Foreman from his position as chief operating officer. Foreman came to Community in 2007 from Electronic Contracting in Lincoln, Nebraska and has held the position of VP/COO since 2008. Prior to joining Community, Foreman had also held positions at Altec Lansing, Panasonic and JBL.

"It has been a distinct privilege to be a part of this great company and I am proud of what Community has achieved during these difficult times," says Foreman. "I have enjoyed working with Bruce, Christine and John and the many talented employees at Community who have become my good friends. I and my wife Lynnelle look forward to a quiet time, to visiting our families and to considering the next phase in our lives."

(Jim Evans)

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Olympic Countdown - Sir Paul McCartney has confirmed he will end the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games on 27 July. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live he said "I've been booked," and added that he would be "closing the opening". A total cast of 15,000 will take part in the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies, to be watched by an estimated four billion people worldwide. The full line-up of the opening ceremony is yet to be announced. The opening ceremony is intended as a celebration showcasing the best of the host nation.

A performance by the former Beatle has long been rumoured, and in January he disclosed he was in talks about taking part. Sir Paul wrapped up the proceedings of Monday's star studded concert to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee , with a bass guitar specially made for the occasion.

Peace Plea - Madonna has kicked

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UK - A very busy start to 2012 has resulted in West Midlands- based video and AV specialist Central Presentations Ltd. (CPL) making substantial investments in its audio and AV departments.

In keeping with the company's commitment to premium brands and being able to offer its clients the most innovative technologies, the very latest Panasonic HD projectors have been ordered to add to hire stock, together with a range of Sony HD broadcast cameras plus d&b's compact T Series line array sound systems - all to service CPL's on-going live event work.

The inventory of HD Panasonic projectors has been boosted with the addition of the new Panasonic PT-DZ21K 3-chip 20K DLP projectors, which are among the first delivered in the UK.

CPL has also bought some Panasonic DZ770s - the 7K variant in the same range - so Panasonic HD projection solutions are now available in 7, 10 and 20K range

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UK - The Hire Company recently moved to its new 4,200sq.ft home in two units at Radar Way on Christchurch Business Park, Dorset and is holding an Open Day on Thursday, 5 July from 12 noon until 8 pm to highlight its expertise, equipment and suppliers.

The two offices in Christchurch and Bristol boast more than £2m in vision, sound and lighting equipment and a team of locally-based technicians with 60 years of experience between them

The team, headed by manager Scott Clarke, has enjoyed a record year, with back-to-back conferences in Manchester and Bournemouth and as well as being the Bournemouth International Centre's recommended contractor, also specialise in medical association conferences.

Clarke said: "Our move is helping us deliver an even more efficient service to our hire and conference customers. Our record turnover has seen continued investment in more eq

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UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced that Lawrence Waterman, head of health and safety, Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) & head of health and safety, London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), has agreed to present this year's John Watts Memorial Lecture, as part of the ABTT 2012 Theatre Show at London's Old Truman Brewery on Wednesday 13 June, 2:30pm, in the venue's Seminar Room.

Waterman, who since 2005 has not only been tasked with the challenge of weaving health and safety into every aspect of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games' construction works programme - venues and infrastructure - but also with the responsibility of transforming the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for its public opening in 2013-2014.

In Delivering Olympian Standards of Health and Safety, Waterman will explain how leadership, workforce engagement, heal

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UK - With more than a hundred exhibitors preparing for the first ABTT Theatre Show to be held at the Old Truman Brewery in East London, many are taking the opportunity to demonstrate new products to the technical theatre community. Visitor registrations have exceeded the previous two years, and the choice of the new venue seems to have increased the excitement of the Theatre Show, which will be celebrating its 34thyear on 13 and 14 June, say the organisers.

The ABTT 2012 Theatre Show has attracted exhibitors from all areas of technical equipment supply and service provision. The prominent sectors of sound, lighting, projection and staging equipment are joined by companies showing scenic materials, stage flooring, books, seating, cables, as well as support services to the live entertainment industry.

Show director Roger Fox said, "The ABTT Theatre Show really is a place to

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South Africa - Christie has announced the opening of a new office in South Africa - its first in the Southern hemisphere.

The setting up of Christie's new office in Africa, effective from 1 June, 2012, underpins the company's long commitment to the territory. This new office will provide facilities for demonstrations, customer and partner training, as well as inventory management.

The move has been in the planning for almost a year, and Dale Miller, Christie EMEA vice president, said, "Over the last three years we have been working to develop the right relationships to grow our business. As an organisation we invest heavily in training and believes this lies at the heart of quality service and support. So we look to the same commitments from our Partners."

He adds, "Just over a year ago Stage Audio Works put their service team through our advanced level servic

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UK - The annual Theatres Trust Conference takes place on 12 June at London's Stratford Circus venue. Four years after the Trust first addressed how theatres could become 'greener', this conference will explore which steps theatres are taking to achieve the triple bottom line amid rising energy costs, tougher building regulations, and even more difficult economic times. Conference discussions will also look at the challenges of theatres to provide a catalyst for social and economic recovery in the communities they serve as well as addressing the sustainability agenda.

ShowTex is a corporate supporter of the Theatres Trust and will sponsor the conference this year for the second time. According to ShowTex marketing manager Jessica Ballenger, "Our focus is shifting more and more towards products that take environmental impact into account as well as durable investments vs. sho

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Live Statistics - Southbank Centre in London is the leading music venue in the UK , according to new figures released by PRS for Music. During 2011, Southbank Centre, which consists of the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and the Hayward Gallery, held 422 musical events - attended by over a million people.

Robert Ashcroft, Chief Executive, PRS for Music said, "I am thrilled to see so many cultural centres featured in the analysis, from the newly opened Kings Place in London and The Sage in Gateshead to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester . These venues have very diverse and exciting programmes that appeal to many different audiences. It is an enormous accomplishment to run a successful live music space and in spite of economic challenges, the British live music scene is still strong."

PRS for Music, the organisation that collects

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USA - FocusTrack, the show lighting documentation system, congratulates lighting designers Jeff Croiter and Natasha Katz, winners of the lighting categories at this year's Tony Awards presented this Sunday, June 10th, in New York. Congratulations, too, to the other winners and nominees.

Jeff Croiter took the Best Lighting Design of a Play Tony for Peter and the Starcatcher, which also won Tonys for its set designer, Donyale Werle, its costume designer, Paloma Young, and its sound designer, Darron L. West. Croiter's co-nominees in the category were Peter Kaczorowski for The Road To Mecca, Brian MacDevitt for Death of a Salesman and Kenneth Posner for Other Desert Cities.

Natasha Katz collected the Best Lighting Design of a Musical Tony for Once, one of the eight wins from 11 nominations the show received. Set designer Bob Crowley, sound design

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UK - The award-winning wysiwyg previsualization suite from CAST Software of Toronto, Canada was part of the royal fanfare at the recent Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert, held at Buckingham Palace, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

The concert called for extravagant lighting, video projections on the Palace and of course, plenty of pyro. The star-studded line up included Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Stevie Wonder, Sir Tom Jones and Madness, among others.

Lighting designer Durham Marenghi sat at the creative helm with a tall order to fill, as the concert was attended by the Royal Family and broadcast worldwide. Not only did he have to provide stellar lighting for some of the world's biggest pop stars but he also had to deliver something that would prove equally gripping for the live and TV audience at home. To a

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UK - Christie has announced that UK distribution partner, Audio Visual Material (AVM), will add MicroTiles into their existing portfolio for the UK fixed AV installation market. AVM currently distribute Christie's full ranges of LCD, 1-chip and 3-chip projectors as well as Christie Spyder range.

The move is described by James Belso, Christie UK sales manager, as a "natural extension to the Christie range AVM already handle very successfully. They are consciously focussed distributors, have embraced the value of the Christie brand and established themselves as an extension of the Christie unit to their own extensive partner channel."

Joe Graziano, EMEA market development manager, MicroTiles, Christie, explains, "MicroTiles was first introduced into the market three years ago and in that time has established itself as the leader and pioneer within the new concepts

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Sweden - LumenRadio was last week honoured with a visit from the Swedish Ministers in The Commission on the Future of Sweden (Framtidskommissionen). Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Minister for Education and Science Jan Björklund, Minister for Enterprise and Energy Annie Lööf and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Göran Hägglund were the most prominent visitors. The purpose of the visit was to discuss how innovation, new technology and entrepreneurship can be encouraged and how Sweden can use new innovative technology like CRMX for energy savings and reliable communication.

The Commission on the Future of Sweden aims to identify major societal challenges that Sweden faces in long term towards 2020 and 2050. The Commission on the Future of Sweden is chaired by the Prime Minister and consists of party leaders in the government and nine individuals with differen

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UK - Edinburgh Lighting & Sound School selected Allen & Heath's MixWizard3 16:2 as the main training console on its new Production and Technology course, and an iLive digital mixing system was used for training purposes on one of the modules.

First year students on the year-long course have just graduated, and all 15 graduates have received job offers, including one student who has been employed by Autograph Sound, and is currently working on Damon Albarn's new Dr Dee opera.

"The Edinburgh Lighting and Sound School is delighted to be working with Allen & Heath as a training partner. Allen & Heath has a reputation for high quality products and we are pleased to have a relationship with a British company which has a personal touch and understands the UK entertainment industry," comments George Tarbuck, director at the Edinburgh Lighting and Sound School.

(Jim

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UK - Revolutionis the name of a West End dance show featuring some of the UK's finest commercial dance talent. Twenty hand-picked performers, fronted by Sky 1's Got to Dance judges, Kimberly Wyatt and Adam Garcia, performed on six consecutive Sundays (from 6 May - 10 June 2012) at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

The Show's futuristic storyline and hard hitting soundtrack required some big-impact lighting and visual effects. But how were the producers (Iron Sea Productions) going to achieve this when they could only access the theatre in the morning of each Sunday show? Not to mention the fact that a full lighting rig for the long running National Theatre production of One Man, Two Guvnors was already installed at the venue.

Cue lighting director Nigel Catmur and a well drilled ELP crew led by Mark Gardiner. "The technical and logistical challenges were t

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Europe - Equipment manufacturer Audient has once again joined forces with Prism Sound, to help present more of the popular creative and technical Mic To Master workshops which are being held in Germany this month. Focussing on recording techniques, mixing and mastering, visitors will have the chance to engage in discussion and learn expert tips and tricks of the trade from experienced audio craftspeople, including Echo award-winning producer, Alex Silva.

Participants will hear keynote lectures from creative professionals and top manufacturers, and Audient's very own Simon Horn will be discussing the concept of the 'ideal' recording process.

Adding even more value to the event, all registered attendees are automatically entered into a draw with the chance to win any one of a range of prizes including Audient's MiCO dual mic preamplifier with A/D conversion, with winners to be a

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UK - PLASA Skills have been asked to work with SOLT/TMA (Society of London Theatres/Theatrical Management Association) to help create a database of training currently offered within our sector. This information is to be made available to the theatre industry, but will also provide PLASA with a clear understanding of the training capability of our members which will be used to inform queries from those wishing to enter the industry.

Being part of this database will help increase awareness not only of training you provide, but also the wider services provided by the PLASA membership.

If you would like to participate, please enter the details of courses you provide on the document available for download at the web address below - and return to skills@plasa.org by Monday 25 June.

(Michele Enright)

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USA - The submission deadline for the fifth annual Rock Our World Awards is only weeks away, all nominations must be submitted by 1 July 2012. The awards, which recognise ground-breaking achievement by PLASA Members, were designed to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designers or integrators who apply it. The awards were originated by ESTA and are now expanded as a worldwide program under PLASA.

Submissions can range from the simplest problem-solving product to unusual or complex uses of technology to projects that highlight the collaborative nature of our industry. If you've seen something that's impressed you in the last year, now is your chance to tell the world. It could be a piece of equipment you worked with, something you saw at a trade show, read about in an industry magazine, or an event you experienced. It could also be something your com

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