Mexico - Hermes Music México, authorised dealer for Wireless Solution in Mexico, has recently completed an architectural lighting project in the Santa Fe district, Mexico City.

Hermes supplied PR Lighting fixtures to light up Paragon Tower, a 151m high hotel, all with LED sources. "The client wanted to enhance the building itself on a permanent basis", explained Ricardo Segura de la Cruz, lighting specialist for Hermes. Controlling the data were WhiteBox F-1 G4S series units, which complemented PR Lighting's capability to use W-DMX.

"As the exclusive distributor for PR Lighting in Mexico we can tie both brands in different projects, and guarantee that our customers get the best of both manufacturers. And by not having to run cables, we saved a lot of the budget in not having to create a new infrastructure just to run data", said Ricardo.

The project used two Whi

UK - Lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment has invested in new Barco 30K projectors which immediately went out on two tours, one being UB40 - featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey - for which Colour Sound supplied a projection system, LED screens, lighting equipment and crew.

The UB40 tour's show design was a collaboration between Bryan Leitch and Jamie Thompson from creative practice MIRRAD. Jamie was also out on the road operating the lighting alongside Francis Clegg from MIRRAD who co-ordinated and ran the video elements live.

Large format projection is an area that Colour Sound has been considering for some time. The company has already invested steadily over the last five years in LED screen and has its own proprietary BT brand.

MD Haydn Cruickshank (H) commented, "Projection was a logical next step to complement the growing amounts of di

UK - Pearce Hire has announced a significant investment in Studio Due floodlight fixtures the WS200/M. The deal with Studio Due, finalised at last week's PLASA Focus Leeds, confirms an initial order as part of a rolling investment by Pearce Hire in LED technology.

Having traditionally specified 400W coloured MBI fittings for outdoor architectural lighting requirements, Pearce Hire has spent considerable time researching the most appropriate LED replacement and has chosen the Studio Due WS200/M which meets the company's 'green' working practice credentials on several levels.

The initial outlay in these products reflects the continuing commitment Pearce Hire has to provide cost effective and sustainable project management for their extensive range of customers with outdoor events.

"The investment in these products is the start of what we anticipate will be an on-going re

USA - As a freelance lighting designer Craig Rutherford, Blueshift Design, enjoys finding new and creative ways to draw both the audience and the musicians on stage into the design experience. In his latest creation, he was asked by the team behind country music icon Alan Jackson to develop a dynamic production design for the Still Keepin' It Country Tour. Wanting to use a full complement of lighting and video, Rutherford turned to Nashville-based Elite Multimedia to provide the touring support that could help him highlight one of country music's most decorated artists.

"This is my second tour with Alan and in this design I really wanted to spread the lighting rig out to most advantageously utilize the complete lighting and video production package," began Rutherford. "We also needed to be cognizant of arranging the physical layout of the rig to best give the show a compelling

South Africa - Callum Sutherland, a student from St Stithians Boys College, Johannesburg, was 13-years-old when he joined the school's technical crew and soon thereafter, sat alone behind a Martin LightJockey with a little more than 15 minutes to programme a couple of cues for his very first event, a talent show. Skip a few years and he recently purchased six Robe Robin 300 LEDWash fixtures from DWR Distribution, which he used as part of the rig when lighting Brescia House School's matric dance in May.

With the theme, A night under the stars, Callum used six Robin 300 LEDWash units, three Robin 300 Spot Classic, Chauvet fixtures and Martin M-PC lighting software to create a moonlit ambience for the memorable evening. "I used the spots with a prism to create stars and the Robin 300LED Wash units to wash the room evenly. A hazer created a misty fill in the room, and parca

UK - Last week saw the Theatre 2016 Conference take place in Central London. Bringing together over 1,000 delegates from across all areas of UK theatre, it was the largest event of its kind and the first time since 2005 that the sector has come together for a major industry-wide conference. With its reputation as the leading lighting supplier to both West End and UK theatre, White Light (WL) was asked to provide the production support. Yet rather than supply the lighting equipment, the company was approached to provide the entire AV support.

Theatre 2016 took place from 12-13 May and was held across three West End venues: The Piccadilly, Lyric and Arts Theatres. The programme looked at new challenges facing the industry and what organisations needed to do to ensure future success. Bryan Raven, WL's managing director, comments, "This is the first time that a theatre conference

UK - The CPL team (Central Presentations Ltd) led by Lee Gruszeckyj delivered stage design and full technical production for the 2016 annual conference for accounting specialists, Tax Assist, staged in the Caernarfon Suite at Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales.

CPL has provided sound, lighting and video for the event for the last few years, and seen it grow in size and a commitment to production values. The most successful elements of last years' event - also the company's 20th anniversary - were taken as the starting point for this year's stage and set design - and combined with some new components to keep it looking fresh and interesting for the 400 guests.

"Flexibility was the key," states Lee, together with being able to set up quickly and efficiently. A hybrid approach to the design ensured a slick transition from conference session in the afternoon to full-o

Australia - Hamer Hall is a premium concert hall venue, home to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and one of the five main performance spaces at Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, of which it is the largest indoor space with a seated capacity of 2464. It features a diverse variation of live entertainment, staging over 300 shows a year.

Built in 1982, Hamer Hall was fully refurbished in 2013 which included a full technical upgrade and updating of the lighting rig, a project specified and overseen in part by Bernie Manchee, head of lighting. The whole rig was automated for the first time as they purchased 22 X Robe MMX spots and 10 LEDWash 600s among other fixtures.

These were the first moving lights to be installed across the Arts Centre Melbourne complex. The Robes were delivered by Australian distributor, the ULA Group, and helped replace a large rig of conventionals

Portugal - Production Resource Group (PRG) is working with entertainment design software developer Vectorworks, Inc. to ensure a seamless Rock in Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Rock in Rio festival collaboration between PRG and Vectorworks will demonstrate the realisation of workflows using ESP Vision software to previsualise each lighting designer's concept. PRG, now in its 13th year of working with Rock in Rio, is supplying lighting technology and all related rigging for the festival.

"We started working with Rock in Rio back in 2004; during this time, we were able to supply lighting and video technology at festivals in Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Las Vegas and Lisbon," said Christoph Hahnl, senior account manager at PRG. "This year's festival marks the 30th anniversary of Rock in Rio, and we are excited to be on board."

Now owne

UK - ETC has announced the expansion of its European marketing team with the appointment of Katherine Walmsley as marketing communications specialist. The newly created position reflects the company's commitment to Europe and its continuing growth across the region.

Katherine, who is based at ETC's London office, will be a familiar face to many. Since joining the industry in 2010, she has held various marketing roles at Litestructures, Prolyte Group and Chauvet. Prior to this, she gained experience in both marketing and sales positions across the wider entertainment sector.

In her new role, Katherine will collaborate on a variety of marketing communications projects with colleagues from ETC Ltd, ETC GmbH, ETC Italia SRL, and ETC Inc. She will also work with ETC's regional sales teams and dealers on PR and marketing initiatives throughout Europe and the Middle East.

"Ov

UK - Since 2001, Siyan has been servicing the live music industry with quality lighting fixtures. That means a regular reviewing of stock and updating of the rental inventory. MD Nick Valdez was looking to fill a gap in the 'big spot' category.

"These days there are so many options on the market that we look very carefully at what is on offer before making a final choice. There are many factors to consider but I think that quality of the optics is one of the primary reason we opted to invest in the Clay Paky Scenius. It has a very even flat field and the lamp characteristics enable it to produce strong colours right across the palette."

Siyan's customers are predominantly from the touring, festival and one off concert sectors; part of the decision to purchase the Scenius was driven by client request as Valdez explains, "Designers that work in the live music market tend to

UK - It was all hands on deck as Richard Martin Lighting (RML) joined lighting designer Lee Allen for the new series of Swashbuckle fort Cbeebies.

Filmed at dock10 Studios, this show for two-to-nine-year0old children sees The Swashybucklers pitted against the crew of the Scarlet Squid.

The lighting is fun, energetic and totally fit for a show that has been referred to as 'pre-school pantomime Crystal Maze meets Funhouse'. Lee Allen has incorporated a mixture of units including the old salt Stage Zoom 1200s, VL1000TS, VL3000 Spot and the MAC Auras.

(Jim Evans)

USA - LED video display manufacturer PixelFLEX has announced that Cornerstone AV has been brought on as its newest production rental partner for its award-winning line of LED video technologies.

Based in Orem, Utah, Cornerstone AV works on live events across the United States and they have purchased FLEXCurtain HD 6.25mm LED video wall systems to incorporate into their rental inventory.

"We have been working with LED video walls for a few years now so when I had clients start requesting LED walls that could be set-up and torn-down more quickly without sacrificing HD quality, we took notice of the FLEXCurtain HD," says Dave Schnitker, Cornerstone AV. "I really like the size of the panels and I think PixelFLEX did a great job of designing the header bars so that they are very easy to work with in the linking system. As a rental partner, they went all out to get us the produc

UK - Inspired by The Beggar's Opera by John Gay, The Buskers Opera is a new musical currently running at the Park Theatre in North London. Written by Dougal Irvine, it stars Olivier Award-winning actor George Maguire and is set in London in 2012 as a group of street performers gather in protest against the over-priced, corporate games.

Alongside the performances, the production company is working closely with local homeless charities as a means of engaging them with theatre. With its strong reputation in all types of theatre, WL is supporting the production by sponsoring the lighting equipment.

The show has opened to rave reviews, with The Stage calling it "the best and most original British musical score since Bend It Like Beckham". Neil Marcus, one of the show's producers, comments, "We are delighted with the response so far. We've been workin

Belgium - What is now known as 'the old K3' exited their career as the most successful girl band in the history of Benelux finishing a 122-date sold-out concert tour that finished on 8 May at Antwerp's Lotto Arena, having sold over 450,000 tickets in six months ... complete with lighting design and video content delivered by leading Belgian visual design practice, Painting with Light, led by Luc Peumans.

Concluding a remarkable 17-year career of music, TV, movies, musicals and numerous other associated projects, Karen Damen, Kristel Verbeke and Josje Huisman double headlined the show with 'the new K3' - Marthe De Pillecyn, Hanne Verbuggen and Klaasje Meijer - who were selected by a national TV competition in Belgium in late 2015 to ensure that the K3 concept, managed by production company Studio 100, continues to delight their enthusiastic audiences.

Luc and his team have

The Netherlands - DJ, music producer and international superstar Armin van Buuren launched his new Armin Only spectacular at Amsterdam Ziggo Dome - Armin Only Embrace - once again uniting the technical and creative team that delivered the Armin Only - Intense world tour in 2014.

Central to the energy, excitement and emotion of the four-hour trance extravaganza in Amsterdam were 162 Robe moving lights - a megamix of Pointes, LEDWash 600s and LEDBeam 100s - among other fixtures crafted into the visual landscape.

The world class production values demanded by the show were supplied locally.

This was one of the practical starting points for the lighting department, comprising LDs Marc Heinz and André Beekmans (The Art of Light) who created the design, and Armin's long term lighting director on-the-road, Michael Seeverens also from The Art of Light. Marc, well known f

Germany - Lighting designer Thomas Gerdon of gerdon Mediadesign has used an Elation Professional lighting package to light artist performances on the German television programme Verstehen Sie Spa

UK - The top-rated fantasy drama show Game of Thrones is back for another series and with such a large fan base it has its own companion series, Thronecast, which Richard Martin Lighting (RML) has helped to light again, assisting lighting designer Iain Davidson.

Aired every week after the main show, Thronecast sees Sue Perkins and Jamie East host interviews with members of the cast and crew, interaction with the audience and social media alongside analysis of the previous episode and a preview of the next episode of Game of Thrones.

The rig comprises Robin LED Beam 100s, Sharpy Wash 330s and, much like Jon Snow to Westeros, the VL4000 Spots have made a welcome return to the rig.

The VL4000 Spot boasts 33,000 lumens and features a quiet Studio mode outputting 25,000 lumens, which is ideal for a show such as Thronecast, allowing big imp

Belgium - The garrison town of Leopoldsburg in Belgium was the setting for the large scale promenade theatrical spectacle De Groote Rappel, directed by Luc Stevens and featuring a large community cast from the city telling the story of two world wars, with the final act played out in a quadrangle in front of a prominent army barracks.

Lighting was designed by Michel Jacobs, a freelance LD with a track record of lighting more unusual or offbeat performances and a penchant for less commercial sectors, and Timothy Haesevoets from Leopoldsburg City Theatre.

The two both agreed that Robe moving lights - specifically BMFL Blades and DL4Ss were the way forward to light this challenging scenario.

Of 14 x BMFL Blades, eight were positioned along the front of the grandstand seating, with six at the back up on the third floor of the building pointing out and down through t

UK - The 8th Edition to PLASA Focus Leeds was once again a hit with the entertainment technology industry, welcoming record numbers of brands and a 9% increase in visitor numbers from 2015. The launch of the new Pavilion enabled the sell-out event to attract more new technology products to the show floor and saw the show appeal to even more buyers with the 2016 edition welcoming more than 2,600 attendees.

Christopher Toulmin, Director of PLASA Events comments: "The feedback from the show so far has been extremely positive, with a large emphasis on the quantity of business achieved. PLASA Focus Leeds had £425million worth of visitor spending power registered to the show, cementing its importance as a must-attend event for the region."

This point is reinforced by Bridget Kaur, J&C Joel's UK?sales rep for the south, who comments: "The show has been busy, as always. We'v

Sweden - Visual production expert FIX8Group was part of the team operating the stunning video content for all 43 competing acts as well as pop megastar Justin Timberlake's performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 (ESC 2016).

The 61st edition themed 'Come Together' was held at Stockholm's Globe arena and hosted by last year's Swedish champion M

UK - Nestled on 23 rolling acres in one of the most picturesque regions of the US, the 700-seat New Covenant Fellowship church offers its members plenty of opportunities to worship, bond and enjoy life outdoors. There is the community garden, a community playground for children and a restful area where people can sit and read. Recently, as the church celebrated its 20th anniversary, its members complemented the natural beauty of their surroundings by enhancing the appearance of their building's interior with help from a collection of 30 LED fixtures from Chauvet Professional, supplied by The Design Oasis.

The fixtures were installed throughout the sanctuary as part of a project "to bring the church into the 21st century," said LD Justin Casey of Helm Projects, who designed the new lighting system. Casey revitalized the interior of the church by replacing its old ellipsoidals w

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