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25 September 2024

UAE - West Midlands-based event design and production agency Taylex Group has announced its strategic expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This international expansion marks “a significant milestone for Taylex Group”, aiming to “bolster its support for existing clients while tapping into new opportunities in the dynamic Middle Eastern market.”

Recent Taylex projects include delivering the Media Oasis event in Paris hosted by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Media within the Pavilion at Place Vendôme, plus the installation of the Saudia Arabian Ministry of Sport Pavilion in the Rome-based Saudi Village through HQWS.

Lee Forde, general manager at Taylex Group UAE, brings over 30 years of industry knowledge to the expansion, with a track record including being former general manager of Creative Technology Middle East.

“I’m th

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24 September 2024

Spain - The initial phase of Gran Canaria Studios, one of Europe’s largest virtual production stages to date, has been completed, offering an environment for international content producers looking to “leverage Gran Canaria’s film location incentives”.

Located on the 1,200sq.m stage 1 of the Gran Canaria Platos studio lot, the virtual production infrastructure has been designed and delivered by ARRI Solutions, integrator Video Cine Import (VCI), and ROE Visual. The Economic Promotion Agency of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) commissioned the studio to accommodate both independent and high-end national and international productions.

“The film industry is one of the region’s economic pillars; we are very committed to the development of this industry on the island and Gran Canaria is spearheading efforts to become a leading hub for TV and film,” stat

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24 September 2024

UK - Assembly is right at the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and an integral part of this celebration of arts and culture.

The 2024 event saw Assembly – one of the largest venue operators at the Fringe – operating 26 venues featuring over 240 diverse shows embracing multiple entertainment genres, with lighting managed by Martin McLachlan, Assembly’s Festival Fringe head of lighting since 2018.

This year, McLachlan specified an abundance of Robe moving lights for several of Assembly’s key venues.

The Assembly Festival Fringe operation involves over 90 technical staff (covering sound and stage management in addition to lighting) over a six-week period, which includes two weeks of build and rehearsal before the three-and-a-half-week festival. McLachlan, together with a small team of four, oversees the house stage lighting and cre

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24 September 2024

USA - One of the more unusual events in Soundworks of Virginia’s busy summer concert schedule was the recent show at the spectacular Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, NC, when the Flaming Lips performed Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots live in concert.

Referring to the title of their latest album, the psychedelic band played two distinct sets. After performing the album faithfully from front to back, they followed up with a typical concert set from their general repertoire. The long-serving band held the stage throughout, with no support act.

Hired by the venue (and working with the band for the first time), Soundworks brought with them Martin Audio’s WPC line array. Nestled in a grove of stately pines, and owned by the town of Cary, Koka Booth Amphitheatre is different. “It seems they cleared just enough of the forested area to plunk do

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23 September 2024

The Netherlands - After successfully transitioning from conventional static lighting to dynamically versatile LED fixtures at Rijswijkse Schouwburg Theatre in Rijswijk, Ronald de Blecourt, head of stage technique, reflected on the satisfactory outcome.

“When you know what you’re looking for and you are lucky enough to have a great team, the full trust of your management board, and of course the means, all you have to do is find the right fixtures,” he reflected. “The new LED lighting from Elation has allowed us to create more visually attractive productions and has enhanced the entire theatrical experience.”

The path to finding those ‘right fixtures’ had its own story. Following several not-entirely satisfactory fixture demos, de Blecourt was contacted by Bert Schmeits, key account manager Benelux for Elation Europe, who believed that E

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19 September 2024

UK - Serious Stages wrapped up a successful summer, providing stages and site structures for BBC Radio 2’s Party in the Park concert in Moor Park, Preston, 6-8 September.

More than 60,000 fans enjoyed artists featured on the Serious TZ 25m roof main stage for two days, included Sting, The Pet Shop Boys, The Manic Street Preachers, The Sugarbabes, Sister Sledge, Travis, Paul Heaton and Snow Patrol. The stage was designed in collaboration with clients Festival Republic and the BBC, creating a striking performance area. It was flanked by goalposts carrying PA speakers and giant LED screens, with extensions for a DJ platform, stage right, for Radio 2 DJ sets between bands, with a total frontage of 55m.

Serious also installed the stage platform in the tented Radio 2 stage, which featured DJ sets on Friday night and throughout Saturday and Sunday, along

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19 September 2024

UK - L-Acoustics has unveiled HYRISS (Hyperreal Immersive Sound Space), a groundbreaking audio solution set to redefine how we experience spaces through sound. HYRISS represents a paradigm shift in design, elevating the role of audio to match the importance of visual aesthetics in creating truly immersive, emotionally resonant environments.

In an era where visual design often takes centre stage, HYRISS elevates the ambiance of our most cherished living and gathering spaces by making sound an integral part of the environment. This innovative system combines L-Acoustics' cutting-edge hardware, software, and services to create adaptable, high-quality sound environments suitable for a wide range of applications, from luxurious residences and yachts to high-end hospitality and corporate settings.

"For too long, the audio experience has been secondary to v

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18 September 2024

USA - Hard Rock Casino Rockford has just celebrated its grand opening, marking the second Hard Rock project to incorporate 1 Sound loudspeakers. 1 Sound was introduced to Hard Rock for the Hard Rock Times Square Hotel performance venue in New York City, where 1 Sound’s Mono + Stereo MS34 loudspeakers were distributed in the venue along with floor subwoofer, FSUB45s, in the banquettes, and SUB310s around the dance floor.

Executive principal consultant, Tom Knauss of NV5, explained how that deployment “met the ‘holy grail’ goal and then some”. After years of planning and about two years of construction, the 175,000sq.ft Hard Rock Casino in Rockford is now open, and the first thing you will hear walking to the front entrance is ‘the classics’ playing from 1 Sound Cannon C6s at the front of the building.

All 1 Sound loudspeakers are outdoor

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17 September 2024

UK - One of the most unlikely gigs Birmingham’s Utilita Arena (The NIA) has ever hosted – and certainly one of the loudest deployments of a Martin Audio line array in the company’s history – was the recent charity concert, dubbed ‘1000 Lights’.

Organised by local promoter and studio owner, Jack Davis, 1000 musicians came together, divided into five categories, to honour the life of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, whose final gig had been in Birmingham prior to his suicide in 2017.

By setting up the Uprawr Mental Health Foundation, Davis’ aim was to bring people together as part of a large-scale event. Thanks to the volunteers, and willing support from service providers – including Martin Audio partners 22live – he did just that, raising £135,000 for the Foundation, offering free mental health counselling (the musicians themselv

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17 September 2024

Poland - With a coveted Prix Versailles win under its belt, the Muzeum Historii Polski (The Polish History Museum) has succeeded in its goal to grab world attention in order to present the country’s history. The award highlights the world’s most beautiful public and commercial buildings, but the appeal of the Polish History Museum is more than skin deep.

Serious in its pursuit of visitor engagement and experience, the museum wanted the highest levels of immersive suspension and chose the submission by ESS Audio, Polish distribution partner for TiMaxSpatial, to be the implemented audio integrator. Two TiMax SoundHub spatialisation engines were deployed separately across two performance venues to create sophisticated object-based soundscapes rendered by the platform’s exclusive dynamic delay-matrix processing.

The museum is just one of several si

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17 September 2024

Namibia - Founded in 1919, Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group is one of the largest privately owned companies in Namibia, operating across various sectors including food and beverages, fishing, retail, property development, hospitality, and leisure. The group is known for its commitment to innovation and sustainability and for contributing to Namibia's economic development.

Stage Audio Works (SAW) Namibia recently completed the integration of a modern AV system in the group’s executive boardroom at the O&L Centre in Windhoek. This upgrade aimed to update both the boardroom's aesthetics and technological capabilities, ensuring effortless virtual communication and an enhanced meeting experience for both in-person and hybrid delegates.

“We were approached by the client directly, as we have a long-standing relationship built upon past projects,

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13 September 2024

UK - Northern England music venue, Sage Gateshead, now rebranded as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, underwent an audio refurbishment to coincide with its reopening, culminating in the introduction of an additional two SD12 all-purpose digital mixers to its inventory of consoles from DiGiCo.

Not only does the acquisition mark the venue’s transition to DiGiCo consoles in the two main halls but, following an overhaul of the cabling infrastructure to provide MADI across The Glasshouse’s performance spaces, the versatile SD12 models can deliver a variety of functions from various mix positions.

Located on the south bank of the River Tyne, the architectural award-winning building is one of the UK’s leading music venues, hosting a mix of high-profile classical and contemporary productions for the last 20 years, as well as a vast music-m

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13 September 2024

The Netherlands - The Schouwburg theatre in Lochem, eastern Netherlands, has selected 40 Source Four LED Series 3 luminaires, 12 High End Systems Halcyon Gold and 18 SolaPix 7 automated fixtures to upgrade its space.

ETC dealer Ampco Flashlight Sales delivered the fixtures to the theatre, which houses 400 seats for a variety of performances including cabaret and cover bands.

The venue originally housed tungsten lighting and following European legislations – which ban the use of halogen lights in the long run – decided to make the move to LED. Schouwburg’s team found that in comparison to their original tungsten lights, the addition of the Halcyon, SolaPix and Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures made a huge difference in saving power. The selected fixtures have been placed above the main stage, on the sides of the stage as well as above the audien

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13 September 2024

Portugal - Billed as a ‘destination hotel’, Immerso, Ericeira’s first five-star hotel, is a relaxed retreat away from the world’s hubbub but close to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. Since premium audio forms a crucial part of the overall visitor experience, the Immerso team turned to Genelec’s 4000 Series installation loudspeakers.

Guests at Immerso can indulge in a range of wellness activities including sunrise and sunset yoga and pilates sessions on the beautiful wooden deck overlooking the valley.

For the audio system, the hotel owners contacted local Genelec distributor, Garrett Audiovisuais, on the recommendation of well-known music producer and composer Elvis Veiguinha, who was responsible for developing the hotel’s sound identity. “Elvis has known us for more than 30 years,” explains Garrett’s Raul Fernandes. “He introduc

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12 September 2024

UK - Located in Cookstown, Northern Ireland and founded in 1970, and supplying Nexo for over 40 years, Rea Sound has grown to be one of the largest professional audio-visual distributors, installer and design companies in the country.

An expert team with over 200 years of combined experience helps customers across Northern Ireland and Ireland create better audio-visual experiences in a wide range of venues including churches, most recently the First Broughshane Presbyterian in the large County Antrim village of Broughshane.

“The First Broughshane Presbyterian has recently undergone a significant renovation and, as a beautiful, listed building, the traditional aesthetic in the church and halls has been meticulously preserved,” reports Rea sound director Roger McMullan.

“Building on our long-standing relationship with the church, we were

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12 September 2024

UK - The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is making waves in the West End with its UK premiere of Fangirls, an award-winning Australian musical that has taken the theatre world by storm. This groundbreaking production features an L-Acoustics sound system that delivers exceptional audio quality to this major West End debut.

Written by Yve Blake, Fangirls explores the passionate world of teen fandom through the story of a 14-year-old girl infatuated with the lead singer of a world-famous boy band. The show, which blends hilarity with powerful messages about feminism and the often-underestimated capabilities of teenage girls, demanded an extraordinary audio system capable of recreating the electrifying atmosphere of a large-scale pop concert within the intimate setting of the Lyric.

To meet this unique challenge, award-winning sound designer

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11 September 2024

USA - The SC4 Fine Arts Theatre at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Michigan, faced an urgent need for a lighting upgrade due to an outdated system that had been in use for decades. Japheth Boivin, director of integration at Mercury Sound & Lighting, an AV solutions company that had previously installed a video streaming system and digital signage for the theatre, spearheaded the lighting design for the renovation and chose Elation KL and Fuze series luminaires.

“The main impetus for the project was that the previous system was failing on all fronts due to its age and obsolescence,” commented Boivin, who says that the previous mix of conventional PARs and ellipsoidals dated anywhere from the ‘60s to the ‘90s. “They wanted a technology upgrade to something more reliable, more capable, and more versatile.” 

The 300-sea

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11 September 2024

Portugal – Alfalite has announced a major installation at Nestlé Portugal, which has installed an art LED screen from the brand at its Lisbon headquarters. This project marks a milestone in the integration of technology into the corporate spaces of the multinational.

In the Multipurpose Room of Nestlé's offices, a total of 72 Alfalite UHD FinePix AlfaCOB 1.8 panels have been installed, forming an impressive 7.20 x 2m screen. This advanced LED solution offers advanced image quality, providing sharp and precise visualisation, suitable for presentations as well as the projection of informational content during corporate events. The screen integrates seamlessly into the modern design of the facilities, adding significant value to Nestlé’s work environment.

The project was made possible through collaboration with GTC – Sistemas Digitais de Video,

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10 September 2024

Germany - The Hamburg Congress Centre (CCH), one of Europe's most historic convention facilities, has completed a five-year renovation that marries the latest technology with sustainability. Central to this transformation is the installation of the L Series line source array from L-Acoustics.

Built in 1973 and protected as a historic landmark, the CCH has long been a cornerstone of the European convention scene. The recent renovation, led by consultants Graner + Partner, aimed to modernise the facility while preserving its rich heritage. "It makes a huge difference to be able to deliver the very highest quality to our clients – from the architecture to the audio," says Dominik Schenke of Graner + Partner. "The L-Acoustics L Series breathes new life into the building and opens up endless possibilities for its future."

The installation of the L-Acous

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10 September 2024

UK - Kiss Me, Kate has made a much-anticipated return to the London stage at the Barbican Theatre. Starring Adrian Dunbar and Broadway legend Stephanie J Block, the show tells the story of two fraught ex-lovers who may or may not still have feelings for each other and who are forced to work together on a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew.

Directed by Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher, this latest revival features a lighting design by the multi-award-winning Don Holder, who approached White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, to supply his lighting rig.

Having originally been performed on Broadway back in 1948, Kiss Me, Kate first appeared in the West End in 1951 and has subsequently been revived countless times over the years. One of the most recent revivals was the Drama Desk Award-winning 2019 Broadway reviva

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06 September 2024

Denmark - Hotel Cecil, a well-known venue in Copenhagen, has recently completed an audio renovation project. This enhancement with a Midas HD96 –24-CC at the centre of the upgrade aims to better serve the diverse range of events hosted at the 350-capacity venue, which includes music shows across various genres including rock, pop, metal, jazz, and stand-up comedy.

On Fridays and Saturdays, the venue transitions into the nightclub Cecil AM, featuring curated lineups of local and international DJs. Managed by Bremen Teater, Hotel Cecil is known for its outstanding acoustics and art deco-inspired interior design, providing a unique atmosphere for its events.

The venue’s broad event schedule presented significant challenges in maintaining a consistent and functional front of house setup. The audio system needed to be versatile enough to accommodate t

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06 September 2024

South Korea - The Hongcheon Culture and Arts Centre serves the South Korean city of Hongcheon-gun. Opened in 1995 the centre comprises a theatre, small auditorium and exhibition space, and stages a wide range of events including concerts, plays, musical theatre, lectures and presentations.

The centre recently decided to upgrade the audio provision in its 500-seater theatre and engaged Seoul-based specialist Soundus to install a state-of-the-art Coda Audio system to meet the brief. Established in 1994, Soundus imports and distributes world-class audio equipment as well as offering audio-related solutions including system design, installation and tuning.

A Coda Audio CiRAY system was chosen for the venue, designed by Soundus sales manager Beomki Jo: “The Hongcheon Arts Centre is a multipurpose venue that stages a wide variety of events, so the soluti

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06 September 2024

Italy - One of Milan’s leading luxury hotels and part of the Lugarno Collection, Portrait Milano offers guests quintessential Italian hospitality at an address in the heart of the city. Housed in a former Archiepiscopal Seminary dating back to 1565, Portrait Milano is third in the Portrait Collection. Opened in December 2022, the 73-room property recently underwent a large-scale integration of an audio system from fellow Italian brand, K-array.  

“At Portrait Milano, they required a solution that would blend seamlessly with the stylish interiors but provide moderately high SPL,” explains Alberto Gaetti, project support specialist at K-array. “We worked closely with systems integrators, A3 System and Next Domus, to design and implement a system that would complement the guest experience at this luxury hotel.”  

In total, the project enco

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05 September 2024

UK - Specialists in AV and IT integration, Tateside, has announced the opening of an updated showroom space at its London-based headquarters. The space will showcase a wide array of advanced technologies for collaboration and meeting rooms, providing clients with a real-world environment in which to explore and experience the solutions offered by Tateside.  

"Our investment in this new demo space underscores our commitment to building trust and credibility," says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. "The showroom allows our clients to witness, firsthand, the capabilities of different technologies in various configurations and use cases, and also acts as a functioning workspace for our team to test and experiment with these technologies themselves." 

The demo space features a mix of technologies from leading brands, set up in multiple conf