Germany - During the Light+Building Fair in Frankfurt from 11-16 April Megaman, a designer, manufacturer and distributer of innovative, eco-friendly, energy saving lamps, demonstrated its passion in lighting at a state-of-the-art booth created by renowned lighting designer, Tino Kwan, and top interior designer, Kinney Chan.

Thousands guests from around the world visited the booth to enjoy the Life in Light experience, that exhibits Megaman's full range of eco-friendly products and innovative designs including the latest LED member - Megaman LED MR16 which was unveiled at the fair. The product capabilities in design applications have impressed the architects, interior designers, engineers as well as media and trade representatives.

Alongside the exhibition, Megaman also held a series of press and customer events including a press conference, a designer meet and greet, a

UK - PRG Distribution will be showcasing a wide range of entertainment technology at PLASA Focus next week, including the Philips Vari*Lite VLX, on stand number C18 in the Saviles Hall.

Demonstrations of the Vari*Lite VLX will be available on both days at stand C18 and are a not-to-be missed opportunity to see the VLX up close and personal. On Tuesday 27 demonstrations are at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm or on Wednesday 28th at 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

The stand will also feature other products distributed across the UK, Europe and the Middle East by PRG Distribution including Lycian, Seachanger, Pathway, Nila, Gekko Technology and GDS.

Visitors to the stand will also have the opportunity to enter a free prize draw to win a copy of the Lewis Lee book A Different Light which is a must-have for any lighting professional, wanting a unique and special photographic record of some of t

USA - Lighting designer Kyle Olson from Milwaukee-based Logan Productions used Robe DigitalSpot 7000DTs for the first time at the Milwaukee Urban League's annual Black & White Ball, staged at the Bradley Centre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Rigged above the event's main 40ft x 60ft Transformit Star Stage that was flown over the audience, the two DigitalSpots were utilised as an integral element of the lighting and visuals projecting onto a large screen surface above the audience. The evening also included a live performance by Philadelphia soul legends, The Stylistics.

The DigitalSpots allowed Olson to create a cost effective large projection surface above the guests, with the added bonus of utilising the DigitalSpot's LED module to add colour and depth to the other lighting and creating a "nice even wash".

Olson controlled the units from the lighting desk via Ar

Philippines - The First Philippine National Police (PNP) IT Exhibition has come to a close, and the LED screen provided by Lighthouse Technologies played a key role. The exhibition, held at the PNP Multipurpose Centre, demonstrates Lighthouse's commitment to support the Philippines' e-governance efforts as well as its continued rise in the Asia Pacific region.

The R16i/o 16mm 4.092m (W) x 2.304m (H) LED screen was installed at the main entrance of the PNP Multipurpose Centre. It was used to display important event information and visuals in clear, accurate colour, while a 2000:1 contrast ratio and 5000nits of brightness ensured excellent visibility even under direct sunlight. A seamless mechanical system made assembly and installation quick and painless, and minimal maintenance was required.

The exhibition, titled Transformation through Information and Communications Techno

UK - Wireless Solution Sweden AB is unveiling W-DMX Generation 4 during PLASA Focus: Leeds 2010 this week.The new G4 BlackBox is able to repair corrupted data and vouches for maximum security by running on dual band and creating a backup duplicate of the signal. This new standard is transparent and works with several protocols, creating extreme flexibility and reliability without need for additional controllers or software.Attendees will learn about how the new G4 product line brings innovative new features to the award-winning W-DMX line of products, including Adaptive Frequency Hopping technology for peace of mind when using other radio products, W-DMX invisi-wire and data-safe technologies for unparalleled fidelity, and support of RDM so units can be configured remotely with no fuss or cables. W-DMX G4 is the only product on the market to support the 5.8GHz band, ensuring that

UK - AC-ET has appointed industry veteran, Keith Hartley, as Northern service technician for the company's new Technical Services department in its Leeds office. The appointment is part of an overall expansion of its servicing facilities, which also includes increasing the existing servicing area of its High Wycombe office by over 50% and a doubling in size of its separate rigging motors servicing area.

This is in response to a major growth in AC-ET's servicing business to support the increasing range of product brands it stocks, as well as meeting customers' existing equipment needs. Despite 2009's challenging market conditions, the company has maintained its track record of trading profitably for over 40 years without any redundancies, and is currently enjoying a growth rate of over 10%.

As well as offering servicing and repair for many leading brands it stocks, AC-ET is an

Germany - GLP's new Volkslicht brings affordability without compromise to those wanting to make use of LED as a lighting source, but are concerned about the cost, says the company.

This 'People's light' uses 60 Rebel LED's (21 green, 21 blue and 18 red) to create a full colour palette from strong saturates to subtle pastel colours for shorter throw applications. The Volkslicht is small, easy to rig, weighs in at just 8 kg (17 lbs) and has a power consumption of just 180 watts.

It also features full range dimming, and a strobe effect, while the new Zoom version has motorized zoom optics from 10° to 26° light distribution.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Blackburn-based lighting rental company HSL supplied moving lights, LED fixtures, follow spots and generics for Ant & Dec's new Push The Button family challenge games show.

The first six-part series, produced by independent company Gallowgate, has just finished and proved a prime time Saturday night hit for ITV. Lighting designer was Tom Kinane, with whom HSL has worked on many previous projects. The programme was directed by Nikki Parsons and recorded at Pinewood Studios' S-Stage. HSL's project manager was Sean McGlone.

McGlone comments, "It's always good to work with Tom. His shows are imaginative and interestingly lit, he chooses his lighting instruments judiciously and gets the very best out of all them."

The set was designed by Dominic Tolfts. It was very wide with a series of gently curved lycra fins which also served as light-boxes around the sid

Satisfying Statistics - Music sales in the UK have grown for the first time in six years, according to music industry body the British Phonographic Institute (BPI). Revenue increased by 1.4%, bringing the total income for 2009 to £928.8m. Download sales provided the shot in the arm, rising by more than 50% to earn £154m, compared with £101.5m in 2008. "It's encouraging to see industry revenues stabilise and even show modest growth in 2009," said BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor. But he warned the market was still "constrained by competition from illegal downloads".

Sales of CD albums continued to fall in 2009, dropping by 6.1%. Digital income now represents over 20% of overall recorded music revenues, taking into account earnings from online downloads alongside mobile, subscriptions and advertising-supported services. An unprecedented 4.22 m

UK - PLASA Events confirms that PLASA 2010 is now over 75% sold - almost five months ahead of the show at Earls Court from 12-15 September. The latest figure coincides with the opening of its regional Northern show, PLASA Focus: Leeds 2010, taking place at the Royal Armouries today and tomorrow, which itself sold out last December and has over 2700 visitors registered to attend - some 20% increase on last year's show.

A key development for PLASA 2010 has been the enthusiastic return of major brands in both the pro audio and AV sectors, with a marked increase in the number of pro audio companies committing to stands.

One such company is Electro-Voice, exhibiting again after a one-year absence. Sean Maxwell, sales director at Shuttlesound, commented, "It's fantastic to be returning to the PLASA Show, a major international event where we see a huge number of our distributors

Belgium/UK - ArKaos has announced the appointment of White Light as exclusive UK distributor for the ArKaos range of show and lighting media server products.

ArKaos' product line offers software and hardware combinations that allow those working on shows of all scales (and budgets) to incorporate video, projection or LED control into their productions and integrate them with the show's lighting.

The range starts with the ArKaos Media Master Express software, allowing smooth integration of video into light shows, theatre productions and other performances. The ArKaos LED Mapper allows the video output to be mapped to drive LED panels. ArKaos' MediaMaster Pro brings uncompromised control to twelve layers of high-definition video, including LED panel output and DMX controlled. All of ArKaos' software solutions are compatible with both PCs and Macs.

For those preferring an integ

Poland - The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw has had its sixth floor theatre renovated with the help of ETC equipment. The building, which was a gift to the people of Poland from Russia 50 years ago, includes a number of theatres, museums and offices, and was for two years the tallest building in Europe.

ETC's Polish distributor Prolight installed a Congo jr control desk and 144 channels of SmartPack dimming in the theatre, which, according to its founder and director, Micha? ?ebrowski, promises to be a 'theatre without exclusion'. Unusually for Poland, the theatre is privately owned and run - in this case, its founder is also a famous Polish actor.

Prolight's sales director Rados?aw Zacheja says, "Congo is the most popular control desk in Poland, not just because it is easy to learn and use, but also because we translated the interface into Polish, making it the

Russia - Conventional and LED moving heads from PR Lighting have been installed in a restaurant / live entertainment venue in Siberia. Situated in Irkutsk city, Broadway has been equipped with 12 XL250M moving heads and six XLED590 wash lights.

The fixtures are truss mounted over the stage and dancefloor in this privately owned, 110-capacity venue to meet a design by Dmitri Volovik, Broadway's technical director.

PR Lighting heads were chosen for their reliability, since they would be operating seven days a week, and the fact that they met all the requirements to enrich a wide range of shows.

According to distributor Rostislav Serishev of Asia Trade Company the client liked their price/quality ratio and was impressed by the excellent flood effect of the XLED590 - which provides an extremely powerful wash under the command of a Martin Pro Light Jockey.

The distributors firs

South Africa - Gearhouse South Africa supplied full technical production - including lighting, sound, rigging, AV, stage, set - and crew for the high profile 2010 KORA All Africa Music Awards staged at the Palais de Sport in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa.

KORA Awards is the manifestation of an all-encompassing vision for Africa of the executive producer for the event, Ernest Adjovi and his dedication to overcoming the logistical demands of bringing a show of this scale to Burkina Faso.

It was the first time that the colourful K event had been staged outside South Africa. The show was directed for TV by Clive Morris and distributed via CFI (Canal France International) across Africa, France and parts of the US via 100 TV channels, as well as being enjoyed live by 3000 guests. David Bloch was stage director.

The Gearhouse team of 28 was project managed by Eyal Y

The Netherlands - The new Comscan LED System from American DJ puts the power of a complete light show of scanning colours and gobos in the hands of DJs and mobile entertainers - literally, says thye company. An easy-to-use LED lighting system, the Comscan LED System contains everything DJs and clubs need to create a roomful of high-energy visual effects in one compact package: two Comscan LED DMX scanners, one universal UC3 handheld remote controller, and the required DMX cable for linking the units together.

Driven by an advanced high-performance LED source, each Comscan LED scanner projects eight brilliant, dazzling colour/gobo combinations that scan across the room in wide, sweeping X-Y mirror movement. Featuring a 13° beam angle, the units can pan up to 166° and tilt up to 54°. Included are a variety of built-in lighting programs, a gobo shake effect, a strobe ef

UK - New regulations further protecting workers from the dangers of hazardous sources of artificial light came into force this week.

The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations meets a European Union Directive to ensure that standards are set and harmonised across Europe to protect workers from harm arising from exposure to hazardous sources of artificial light.

Some sources of artificial light, particularly UV radiation and light from lasers can harm the eyes and skin of workers and must be properly managed.

Workers in Great Britain are generally well protected from dangerous sources of light and the majority of businesses know how to manage the risks effectively. Therefore the regulations will mean few practical changes for most businesses, including those who are already managing the risks.

To help those businesses who are not already managing the ri

UK - Manchester-based DBN Lighting supplied an innovative lighting artwork, equipment and control for the week long opening event of the redeveloped People's History Museum in the heart of the city.

The £12.5m project includes the refurbishment of the existing Pump House and the construction of a four storey extension alongside it, with old and new buildings joined together by a spectacular glass walkway.

Event producers Walk The Plank commissioned DBN's Stephen Page to produce the concept and the work, which involved more than 80 individual LED lighting fixtures. These were strategically positioned in various locations inside the building, to be viewed externally by the public via a patchwork of windows on the river side of the building.

Walk the Plank completed the launch week's visual picture with the installation of a flame jet system on top of the roof, which work

UK - Working closely with renowned lighting designer, Liz Berry, students from Rose Bruford College alongside Hawthorn, tested to their limits some new lighting fixtures and designs which proved to be very illuminating. Liz Berry advised and encouraged the BA Lighting Design students to create innovative lighting infrastructures using the GLP Impressions alongside Alpha Spot 300s controlled via an Avolites Pearl Tiger. The bands commented on how the lighting really supplemented their own performances and were stunned by the punchy effects, and the lighting students found the equipment to be flexible and fun to work with.

Liz Berry and the students were delighted with this new collaboration. "The students were very surprised at the brightness of both the fixtures and learned a lot from using them in their shows," says Berry. "They were especially impressed by the I

Germany - e:cue lighting control makes video-to -light installations "easier than ever" with its Video Micro Converter DMX (VMC DMX). This compact device converts DVI source to DMX512 protocol for control of creative LED media installations.

One VMC grabs video signals of up to 4096 pixels from a DVI source and converts them to DMX channels, while multiple VMCs can be daisy-chained to convert an entire video via DVI signal for projects requiring more than 4096 pixels. The VMC features very flexible pixel mapping capabilities for demanding LED installations ranging from a few hundred to one million pixels.

Each VMC has an internal active DVI signal booster for repeating and boosting the DVI signal when multiple VMCs are clustered to control video installations greater than 4096 pixels. A default image file can be uploaded onto the VMC, using a PC, for display in the e

Denmark - The new MAC 350 Entour from Martin Professional is billed as "the most powerful and energy-efficient LED-based profile moving head fixture on the market to date". It marks a radical advancement in light output and quality compared to other LED profiles on the market, says the company. It is the direct result of a technology grant for the development of new LED technologies.

Light output is exceptional for an LED profile yet the MAC 350 Entour is highly energy efficient. It delivers 8,000 lumens of output from efficient 50 W white LEDs, an output greater than many larger and more expensive 250/300 watt fixtures.

The MAC 350 Entour houses eight easily interchangeable dichroic colours with split colour effects and continuous rotation. It houses six rotating and indexable gobos, all new designs that are easy to change. Beam angle is 25o.

The LED light sources

USA - After selecting Coemar lighting fixtures for alternative/funk party band 311's 2008 and 2009 tours, lighting designer/director Joe Paradise once again chose a complement of Coemar Infinity XLs and ACLs for the band's much-anticipated 2010 311 Day Concert.

The biennial event, which celebrates the band and salutes fans worldwide, was held at the Mandalay Bay Event Centre in Las Vegas on 11 March. The five-hour communal concert began in 2000 and has become a 311 tradition; this year fans could also tune into a live webcast.

"The show featured 68 songs, LED video and two laser tables; there was a lot of non-stop programming right up until the last minute," says Paradise who also programmed the concert and directed the video.

"I used 18 Infinity XLs as a wash on stage over the band instead of using a keylight," he explains. "I also used their effect

USA - A new Anolis LED landscape lighting project has been completed in the newly renovated Town Point Park in the heart of the city of Norfolk, Virginia.

The 2.8 acre waterfront park was recently regenerated by the City of Norfolk in a project aimed at enhancing the experience of visitors and residents choosing to spend their leisure time downtown. Norfolk is replete with a selection of restaurants, vibrant night life, aesthetically appealing residential and commercial buildings, historical landmarks and museums, with Town Point Park right at its core.

It is located right in Chesapeake Bay on the Elizabeth River with panoramic views of the surrounding cities, and is also the home of frequent festivals, events and concerts produced by the city's busy event planning organisation, Norfolk FestEvents.

The City of Norfolk called in Blue Steel Lighting Design from Virginia

USA - Barco reports that its Cyberlight 2.0 moving mirror lighting fixture is now on tour with acts including Alice In Chains, Bon Jovi, and John Mayer. Rooted in the legendary Cyberlight fixture of the 1990s, the Cyberlight 2.0 is a modern piece of engineering that merges power with speed and precision control. The Cyberlight 2.0's 30,000 lumens of pure light output is directed via an on-board high speed moving mirror with smooth motion at all speeds. Fixed and rotating Lithopatterns®, unique glass effects, and smooth CMY color mixing provide an infinite palette of colors and creative options for amazing lighting effects.

Mike Baldassari, production designer for the current Alice In Chains tour, Baldassari chose four Cyberlight 2.0's to backlight the four band members. By fitting the moving performers with tiny infrared trackers, the Cyberlight 2.0's can track the movement

UK - A grandMA2 full-size, a grandMA2 light and an MA NPU (Network Processing Unit) are on tour with the 2010 X-Factor Live arena show, which have been specified and are operated and owned by lighting designer Neil Trenell.

Trenell was asked to create a lighting and video design by the show's technical producers Production North. He worked closely with the show directors Annabel Hayden and Stacey Haynes.

When it came to visual control, "It was a completely logical choice as I know the system so well," he says. It's a large investment for an LD to make in consoles, but Trenell thinks it's one of his best moves ever, as he can always use his system of choice. This makes a big difference to how fast he can programme a show and consequently to how adventurous and imaginative he can be with the design.

The X-Factor Live lighting rig consists of five trusse

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