UK - This year's Festival of Speed, the 10th anniversary event at the Earl of March's idyllic Goodwood estate, was dominated by a stunning structure built for Ford by Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS). Designed by Gerry Judah of Judah Design and turned into reality by ESS's Steve Colley and Graham Turner, the spectacularly sloping structure presented replicas of the three Ford GT40s which won the historic 1st, 2nd and 3rd place victory at the 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race.

"The project was all about 100 years of Ford," said ESS project manager Rob Smalldon, "and was one of the most challenging projects I've been involved with for some time."

From the ground, the structure rose 34m with a width of 25m. Edwin Shirley Trucking (EST) shipped in 217m of regular roof truss, 126m of LT Tower Truss, 604m of cabling and 102 bespoke purlins in a total of 16 trucks. The ESS tea

UK - It's being described as popular entertainment at its best, a show which reverts to 'a time when men were men and women were broads'. Frank, Sammy and Dean - The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas opened to rave reviews in June at the Strand Theatre in London. Just over a month later it has succeeded in breaking the theatre's box office records with more than 200,000 tickets sold so far. The show, produced by Flying Music, celebrates the talents of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin, who are immortalized on stage in this lavish production set in their favourite live venue, The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

LiteStructures was called in to build the stage set. John Roe, LiteStructures' sales representative said: "When Sean Cavanagh, the set designer came to us asking for something tough but attractive enough to keep up with the glitzy Las Vegas image, ClearDeck wa

UK - This year the education programme has been relaunched to meet the changing demands of the PLASA visitor and will be hosted by the PLASA Professional Development Programme (PLASA PDP), the Association's new training initiative. A full timetable is now online and taking bookings - check out the website below.

This extended educational platform will examine current trends and issues across the wide range of the industry and provide visitors with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and learn from the experts. The format has been revised with four different types of sessions - Technical Workshops; Business Seminars; Industry Seminars and Masterclasses.

Many of the sessions are supported by associations, trade bodies and publications and for the first time RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) are also supporting the programme. Their endorsement is clear recognit

Canada - In its ongoing effort to serve production and lighting professionals worldwide, TMB is expanding its North American presence with the opening of TMB-Toronto. The new distribution centre will provide a faster response and turnaround throughout Canada.

Lighting veteran and renowned fugitive from justice Mike Gillis will head the new location. Gillis has 20 years' experience in the Canadian lighting industry as a distributor and lighting company owner. Colin Waters, TMB CEO commented: "There's a lot going on up North, but that pesky border keeps getting in the way. This should solve that problem. TMB continues to grow, but all of us are more committed than ever to not forgetting where we came from. Meanwhile, we keep building a global network providing choice, support and service to companies who earn their living from entertainment production."

With locations

UK - LiteStructures will be unveiling much more than most other exhibitors at PLASA 2003 - as it will lift the lid on its brand new image and new website. LiteStructures' makeover comes during a period of expansion, which sees the company growing both in size and reputation. Managing director Adrian Brooks explains: "It was definitely time for a change. LiteStructures is going from strength to strength and we wanted to overhaul our image to reflect that."

While the LiteStructures logo is certainly different, visitors to the stand can rest assured that the company's products are still as stylish and reliable as ever, as Brooks explains: "The quality and service you'll get from LiteStructures is the same as before. The change of image simply brings the LiteStructures 'look' in line with the 21st century." Visitors to stand M40 will also be able to see LiteStruc

UK - Le Mark will celebrate its 20th anniversary with the launch of its new catalogue at PLASA 2003. After nine months in the design and production, the new catalogue will be launched on Sunday 7 September at the PLASA Show, Earls Court, and will include many new and innovative products.

This issue will reinforce Le Mark's reciprocal trading policy: the catalogue features exciting accessories from Apollo Design Technology Inc, City Theatrical Inc and GAM Products. For the first time, products from Le Mark's recently-announced production partner Tesa UK Ltd are introduced, including the new high heat-resisting Scroller-Tak splicing tape. "Le Mark offers an 'open house' on the day of the launch, with a Champagne toast at mid-day," says catalogue design co-ordinator Mark Gibbons. "It's been a tough time for many areas of the entertainment industry - we have worked ha

UK - Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale recently approached Maltbury to build a raked stage for the school. QES is a secondary school with specialist Arts Status and, as such, places great emphasis on the quality of its performing arts facilities. Peter Hooper, head of music at the school, gathered a selection of staff from relevant departments who sat down with Maltbury MD Philip Sparkes to discuss all available options. The result of this invaluable meeting was an extremely carefully planned package of equipment, which managed to accommodate a wide spectrum of requirements.

The choice was Metrodeck and the final total was forty 1m x 1m modules, triangles and quadrants. Sets of legs were added to give both flat and raked stages also bolt-on kick-rails and black serge drapes made up a package offering maximum versatility and ease of handling.

The first use of the equipm

UK - Wolverhampton-based Ra'alloy recently supplied Brighton Palace Pier with one of its Rapi-stage staging systems for promotional events scheduled throughout the summer months. Following its recent well-publicized fire, Brighton pier management had a very large repair bill and not much time before the peak influx of holidaymakers.

Ra'alloy's new Rapi-stage was seen to fit well with plans to promote the Pier. Copycat acts such as Queen, Shania Twain, Britney Spears and many more were scheduled to perform, aiming to encourage a full spectrum of visitors to the pier. The stage was manufactured in just four weeks and stands 25ft high and is clearly visible from the seafront. Face on the stage measures 50ft wide by 18ft deep.

The system was launched last year and is manufactured from aluminium and fabric. Rapi-stage is a fully integrated roof and deck system, therefore minimizing

Uk / Netherlands - T2, the truss safety product originally developed by Total Fabrications, is now also to be made and sold by the Prolyte Products Group, based in Holland. Speaking of this major collaboration, TFL's managing director Chris Cronin said: "Since T2 was first launched in 2000, we envisaged the T2 system as the new standard of safety for trussing with fall arrest and that it should be available from more than one major truss manufacturer. A separate company, T2 Systems Ltd, was established to manage the various patents, registered designs and trade marks that cover T2 and to license its production to suitable manufacturers in the industry."

"T2 systems are in use across the UK and abroad - including two major London venues. With work underway on an exciting new installation in the South West and a number of other UK-based projects, it is only natural

UK - Since moving into new premises earlier this summer, ARB has continued to expand. Three new members of staff have joined the team this August. The two new sales executives, taken on to develop ARB's diverse client base, are Stephen Brady, joining from De Boer, with his extensive experience in corporate events, hospitality and production areas; and Barry Clayson, who has two decades of production experience working in the outdoor events industry - including commentating at a range of country fairs and shows.

Cathy Lynn from NSR has also joined ARB as the new hire office manager. She will be responsible for enquiries and quotes and ensuring that hire operations out of ARB's Buckingham headquarters are managed efficiently.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

UK - After a very busy and exciting first six months under 'new' management, following the management buy-out in March, Hall Stage is exhibiting at this year's PLASA Show with a whole host of new products and services on display. After picking up a Product Award at the ABTT show in June, Hall Stage has now announced its exclusive UK distribution of the ASM Band Hoists and Genesis Control systems, which have been developed in Germany under the strictest safety guidelines in operation anywhere in Europe.

Phil Wells, Hall Stage director says: "We've been looking to develop a hoist system that met all of the stringent BGV C1 control stipulations and realized ASM . . . units get around every hurdle en route and perform superbly under our required specifications. They're virtually silent, vibration free and very quick, unlike most chain hoists; they don't need cable changes, like

UK - Receiving its world premiere at the Royal Opera House on 7 December, the opera of Sophie's Choice presented the opportunity for Triple E to design a new type of system for a travelling projection screen.

Composer Nicholas Maw was first inspired by seeing the movie and intended the opera to have a cinematic effect - fluidity accompanied by a certain realism. When Maw told designer Rob Howell that he had written one note to ring out with every mention of the Holocaust, the Olivier Award-winning designer decided there should also be one element in his treatment of Auschwitz that should be present in every scene, so that by the time the storyline arrives at the infamous camp, the audience sees it at its most complete, though it was there the whole time. He chose an angle - 16°: "I was looking at photos of Brooklyn taken in the '40s and photographs of Auschwitz a

UK/Netherlands - Het Muziektheater is one of the most prestigious theatres in the Netherlands and has an international reputation. The theatre offers residencies to the Netherlands Opera and the Dutch National Ballet and is home to the Holland Symphonic. The venue is both a producing and receiving house.

The Muziektheater has four stages, each one 16.2m by 13.5m in size: one principal stage on which the performance takes place, and three assembly stages, where the scenery can be set up or stored, with approximately 60 percent of the scenery pieces hanging in the fly tower.

Het Muziektheater has 102 fly-bars, each 24m long. Renovation of the venue began in 1997 when a mechanically operated flying system was installed. At that time the type of fly-bar used had several disadvantages, for example they were very heavy, they tended to flex laterally, and diagonal bracing could cause

UK - Rola-Trac laid 15,200sq.m of ground protection - the largest single system the company has ever laid in the UK - for Massive Attack's 'home town' concert in Bristol's Queen's Square. To mark the 100th date of their current world tour, Massive Attack returned to their home city of Bristol on Bank Holiday Monday, to play to a sell out crowd of 19,000 people in Queen's Square.

Promoters Metropolis Music brought in Nine Yards to manage the production located in one of Bristol's best-known landmarks. The site was obviously not designed for hosting concerts, so the production team liased with Bristol City Council and had to be especially considerate of their environment. Hence it was decided to cover the whole area with Rola-Trac to achieve effective protection.

Guy Wightham, Rola-Trac's project manager, had to plan and execute installation of the system. Site visits two weeks

UK - PLASA is emphasizing the importance of training development via the PLASA Professional Development Programme (PDP).The format for this year's education programme at the PLASA Show has changed to offer a wider choice with sessions ranging from technical workshops for technicians through to business seminars for freelancers and company start-ups.

The industry seminars have been expanded to cover a wide range of topics on current debates including 'Theatrical Fog - Knowing when Enough is Enough' and 'White Lighting versus Colour in Architectural Application'. Conversely the masterclasses will provide a forum for industry experts to share their knowledge. Speakers will include Brough Skingley from English Heritage on 'Lighting Up The Past - the Conflict Between Historical Accuracy and Modern Technology' and Bruce Jackson of Lake Technology on 'Sydney Olympics' Audio Design.'

Germany - For nine years now, in a factory not far from Leipzig, a company has been developing and producing stage chain hoists and chain hoist controllers that have come to represent the excellence of German manufacturing in theatres and entertainment complexes all over the world.

The ChainMaster story began with a request for help from the theatrical world. The need was for an electric chain hoist conforming to the VBG-70 standard which was in force at the time. (VBG is an accident prevention and insurance organization, and VBG-70 was drawn up to improve standards of safety in venues). At the time, there was no equivalent electric chain hoist system on the market, so ChainMaster's managing director, Frank Hartung, who founded the business along with his wife, Susanne, recalls: "That was all the incentive our team needed to develop the requisite system."

In the spri

UK - On June 28, Robbie Williams started one of this summer's most anticipated European tours. After skimming round Europe, as part of an 18-date, 10-country tour, he rounded it all off with three headline dates at Knebworth in the UK.

Most of the press surrounding the event focused on the awful travel experiences of many of the thousands of fans who travelled to Knebworth - 375,000 in total across the three shows - ourselves included. And let's face it travel chaos made for good headlines, as did the sheer number of people who were packed into Knebworth Park: this was not an event for anyone with a fear of crowds - 120,000 plus each night - although a large proportion of these stood no chance of actually seeing the star of the show directly.

However, it was the show itself that made the delays, travel headaches, expensive 'pints' of beer and enormous viewing distances worth i

Total Fabrications' 'new wave' is a striking new alternative to traditional aluminium truss and differs dramatically in several exciting ways. Firstly, innovative construction methods allow the use of new materials, including carbon fibre and acrylic. The carbon fibre, in addition to its high strength, can be printed prior to the tube construction, allowing textures, such as wood grain or corporate logos to be integral to the truss members. The acrylic version captures light and can provide dramatic lighting effects.

Secondly, as the structural web is formed from an extrusion, it can be cut into elaborate shapes. new wave comes with the patented OMNI connection system, a fully rotating unisex fork connector, allowing a wide array of reconfigurable two and three-dimensional structures. These can be assembled without the need for expensive custom fabrication. OMNI connectors also behave

Kinesys's Elevation 1+ variable speed controller has proved its worth on the recent Robbie Williams' tour. Existing hoists can be used with the system after a straightforward conversion, and can then be returned to a working inventory as standard fixed-speed hoists running from a traditional motor controller. The addition of an Elevation 1+ controller, however, allows them to become full variable-speed hoists with millimetre positional accuracy. Using CM Lodestar hoists, speeds from 0.5m to 21m per minute are possible, and a variety of other manufacturers' hoists can also be controlled. Lodestar conversions can range from a basic electrical conversion to the inclusion of dual silent brakes and multiple limit switches.

Kinesys - Stand R71

Le Mark has won a number of PLASA Awards for Product Excellence in the past, and the company is in the running again this year with the launch of Gaf-Fire, a product designed and engineered to reflect the needs of an industry which has become fully aware of its responsibilities concerning safety and the environment.

Gaf-Fire is the world's first ever matt black self-adhesive tape which is both self-extinguishing and flame retardant to the rigorous standards of BS 5867 part 2 1980 type B. Designed for use in both horizontal and vertical situations, it provides the 'missing link' in the industry's flame retardant armoury. It can be used for many types of applications within the entertainment industry since it provides a non-burn surface for stage, film, TV and concert productions.

On Sunday 7 September at 12 noon, Le Mark will welcome lighting designer Andrew Bridge to the stand to l

Stage automation specialist Stage Technologies has shown its new Saxis system for the first time here at PLASA. This is a complete single-axis automation control system and the latest addition to the company's range of control systems.

Compact in size, it can be plugged directly into a three-phase mains power supply and incorporates all the advantages of servo-motor control, being small, with precise and near-silent operation. With on-screen diagnostics, absolute position feedback, position readout, programmable speed and accelerations and speed override during cue run, the hand-held interface gives the operator complete control. Six preset positions and a Dead Man's handle also ensure that a production's automation requirements are executed seamlessly, accurately and safely.

Stage Technologies - Stand H20

Prolyte will be previewing ProTrac, an upgraded fly-bar system, designed for situations where a simple bar or ladder beam no longer meets requirements. For instance, if the uniformly distributed load needs to be upgraded from 300kg to 500kg and the point load from 40kg to 150/200kg, the normal fly-bar does not have the required strength. Therefore, the single round tube is often replaced with ladder beams, usually made from steel. ProTrac offers a better alternative than the steel ladder beams, thanks to its combination of an aluminium extruded square profile, underneath which a round tube of 60mm or 48.3mm is attached. Suspension points slide into the square profile and can be locked at any position, and flexibility comes from the fact that several lengths can be easily connected.

Prolyte - Stand F30

The PLASA Awards for Product Excellence were presented yesterday evening after the close of day three of the PLASA Show. With a record number of new technological innovations nominated this year, the judging panel had a tough challenge on their hands.

This year there were five awards categories and 79 nominations, generating £12,000 for PLASA'S nominated charities - Light Relief, PSA Welfare and Benevolent Fund and the Golden Lions Children's Trust. This system has been running for five years now and every penny of the entry fees is donated. To date this scheme has raised almost £45,000 for charitable causes.

The five product categories this year were Lighting, Sound, Stage Engineering, Software (a new category introduced this year), Audio-Visual, and finally an Award for the product with the most environmental considerations. The PLASA awards were presented by PLASA's Chairman, Da

>In addition to its new LED lighting systems, James Thomas Engineering also had on stand a new Minitower ground support system. Designed to work with JTE's Superlite and Squarelite truss, its 2 mm wall thickness is strengthened with robust diagonal plates whilst the tower features the same, reliable fork connecting system as Squarelite and Superlite. The external dimensions are only 19cm, making it extremely expedient in size and ideal for trade shows, conferences and retail applications.

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