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Rigging / Staging

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UK - The festive period is a busy time for the riggers at Unusual. The team certainly has its hands full with Christmas lights being hung in Regent St, more than 20 pantomimes taking place across the UK and a big Christmas musical on the West End.
Based on the Hollywood hit movie starring Will Ferrell as Buddy, Elf opened at London’s Dominion Theatre on 15 November for a limited eight-week run, with production manager Stuart Tucker bringing the Unusual team on board to handle the rigging requirements.
Stuart commented: “This is quite an involved show from a rigging perspective as the venue is actually quite tight for space. With everything from drift ladder beams off fly bars for lighting and rigging for flying pieces overhead to Kinesys, storage hoists, front of house trusses for snow machines, etc.”
With drawings completed by Unusual’s Emily Egl

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UK - Focusrite plc has announced the acquisition of UK-based Sheriff Technology Limited, trading as OutBoard, the company behind both TiMax immersive audio solutions and OutBoard stage rigging motor control products and PAT4 enterprise electrical safety testing. They will join the Audio Reproduction division of the Focusrite Group alongside Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, and Linea Research.
Founded in 2001 by Robin Whittaker and David Haydon, OutBoard is a UK-based company specialising in innovative entertainment technologies, which it sells globally. Operating under two sub-brands - TiMax and OutBoard - its products are vital for professionals in the audiovisual industry, particularly in live performances, event management, and the rapidly expanding sector of immersive sound experiences.
TiMax are pioneers in immersive sound, specialising in innovative audio and show co
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UAE - In November 2023, aviation companies and organisations descended on the new Dubai World Central aerotropolis for the biennial Dubai Airshow.
The 645,000sq.m site, which features a purpose-built 42,870sq.m exhibition hall - about the size of seven football fields welcomed some 1,046 exhibitors from 60 countries and drew a trade attendee intake of 60,692. Such a massive event required an equally massive amount of rigging, with Tarsus Group contracting Unusual Rigging and Engineering to handle the task.
“In total we provided more than 900 rigging points - 750 of which are hoists, along with more than 2000 metres of truss”, said Unusual rigger, Khalid Ali. “The 2023 airshow has broken all records for us, with only the 2009 event coming close in terms of scale.”
URE has been contracted to provide the rigging for both the Dubai Airshow and MEBAA for over

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UK - Celebro is a global broadcast TV company that rents out production and studio space around the world. All studios are located in prime city centre locations in Washington DC, New York and London - and all boast quality broadcasting equipment, including a wide range of kit from Doughty Engineering.
The London studio recently moved to a new location - from Portland House near Oxford Circus to the old Hospital Club in Covent Garden. And, because the team are such big fans of Doughty, they decided to take all their kit with them.
Wesley Dodd, CEO, Celebro explained; “We have always had Doughty rails as part of our system and in Portland House, the ceilings weren’t particularly high so they did the job. However, in our new location, there was already an amazing Doughty Lighting Rail which was put in by the previous owners. This was essentially made from Doughty sca

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UK - Hosted in the Heineken Suite at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate stadium - the Stage Electrics Showcase will feature more than 25 of the leading manufacturers of lighting, audio, rigging, pyrotechnics and special effects. The showcase on 25 January presents an opportunity for visitors to get hands-on experience with the latest products from exhibitors, and to discuss their needs with representatives from all the brands.
The Stage Electrics Showcase is free to attend, registration is now open. Delegates who sign up to attend the Showcase before 20 January, will be eligible for free car parking at the venue (normally £7.50). The showcase is open 2pm-7pm, with a seminar from Prolyte planned for 1pm. A pyrotechnics display will take place during the event, with the opportunity to discuss your pyrotechnic needs with the team from Le Maitre.
Stage Electrics sales director,

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Slovakia - HOF has announced Adam A Syn as its new sales partner for Slovakia. Adam A Syn was founded in 1990 and has many years of experience in the distribution of professional event technology. The company works with TV studios, theatres and congress halls, and more.
Dagmar Pastorkova, CEO of Adam A Syn, says: "We offer top products from well-known brands. We are impressed by the innovative and high-quality products of the MLT Pre Rig Truss series from HOF, which save a lot of time and space."
Edwin Duivelaar, export & sales manager at HOF, adds: "Adam A Syn is a major player on the Slovakian market. I am sure that the HOF products will be a successful addition to their existing portfolio and will help the company to be even more successful." Adam A Syn will mainly distribute the MLT Pre Rig Truss series.

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UK - Prolyte is set to collaborate with long-standing partner Stage Electrics, one of the UK's premier Prolyte suppliers, for two exclusive campus events in Glasgow and Birmingham this January.
Prolyte and Stage Electrics invite industry professionals to join these insightful events, helmed by Prolyte's expert, Eric Laanstra. With over 23 years of expertise, Prolyte's seasoned product manager, promises a profound exploration into the intricacies of rigging, trussing, and staging.
The Glasgow event takes place 23 January 2024 at RCS Glasgow; Birmingham’s venue is MAC Birmingham on 24 January.
Both events will feature a comprehensive lecture, offering attendees profound insights into Prolyte's cutting-edge rigging solutions.
These events present an opportunity for those seeking rigging or trussing solutions for their venues or to learn more about their curr

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UK - TAIT has announced plans to open a central London base in early 2024 at Tileyard London in the heart of King's Cross. This new office follows the trajectory of TAIT’s extensive growth both in the UK and globally.
TAIT’s current UK locations include super-factories, equipped for heavy entertainment engineering, in Wakefield in West Yorkshire and Haverhill in Suffolk, as well as training and R&D facilities in Hampton.
Born through strategic acquisitions of Stage Technologies, Delstar, Brilliant Stages and Kinesys, TAIT’s UK based team have played a key role in some of the most notable live experiences of the last 45 years, from the flying car in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the Royal Opera House to the Rolling Stones; the Olympics to Outernet.
TAIT’s global team across 20 offices, work together to deliver live experiences across concert tourin

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UK - Global investment group CDPQ has acquired a minority stake in Solotech. The goal of this transaction, which represents the largest investment in the company since 2013, is to support Solotech’s acquisition and organic growth strategy to expand its presence in various markets and create more value for its customers.
“With this investment - the largest in the last decade for Solotech - CDPQ will support the company in its next growth stage. Aligned with CDPQ’s priorities, this means not only shifting activities into high gear, but also facilitating the company’s global expansion and promoting its audiovisual and technological know-how,” said Kim Thomassin, executive vice-president and head of Québec at CDPQ.
“CDPQ’s commitment is a gauge of confidence in our business model, and their financial investment will allow us to seize new business

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Germany - Movecat, specialist in the field of stage automation technology, has announced its change of name to Moveket.
This decision is a direct response to the continuously increasing worldwide demand for stage automation solutions with the highest safety standards in the entertainment sector, says the company. The resulting global expansion of Moveket GmbH has led to increasing trademark challenges, which have been resolved by the change of name.
The suffix ket in the new company name stands for Kinetic Entertainment Technologies.
"The change of name is an important step in our strategic development. It underlines our commitment to first-class products, services and future product innovations that meet the ever-growing demands of our customers," says Peter Streicher, managing director of Moveket GmbH.
“Moveket remains true to its values and will conti

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Germany - The HOF team continues to grow with technology expert Tim Otte joining.
Tim has been working in the field of event technology for many years and has extensive industry, sales and user experience. Many people will recognise him from these activities.
Tim is already very familiar with HOF's portfolio. He joins HOF as sales manager and will work on both national and international accounts.

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USA - The first ever Power Trip music festival was considered epic before it even took place. Six of the world’s best known heavy metal and hard rock bands gathered to play on one stage, and 4Wall, Paradox and Elation had the honour of lighting the event.
Metallica, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Tool (subbing for Ozzy Osbourne) all played at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California, 6-8 October, where up to 80,000 fans gathered each day. Power Trip marked the first concert in seven years from AC/DC.
Some 80 Proteus Maximus, 18 Proteus Excalibur, 84 DTW Blinder 700 IP and 80 DTW Blinder 350 IP luminaires from Elation, were all used by the lighting design team at Paradox Production and Design and 4Wall Entertainment, led by 4Wall account executive and production manager Dallas Gaspar. 4Wall also supplied additional lighting packages for the I

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UK - MCS Rental Software, provider of rental management solutions, has announced the launch of a new, innovative feature that will ‘revolutionise the way customers pick equipment to hire’.
The new feature introduces checklists to the picking process, as part of the pre-delivery inspections (PDIs), allowing users to perform comprehensive equipment assessments. This feature includes the ability to add specific notes for the picker(s), prioritise certain tasks for faster processing, and the creation of custom checklists. The checklists are versatile, supporting tick boxes, drop-down lists, as well as photos.
Nick Thomson, sales director at MCS Rental Software, explains, "We're excited to introduce our ground-breaking pre-delivery inspection feature. It's all about elevating efficiency and empowering our users to enhance their operational processes. With specific not

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USA - With fellow General Device Type Format (GDTF) and My Virtual Rig (MVR) founders MA Lighting and Robe Lighting, global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks has announced that DIN SPEC 15801 officially recognises MVR as an open standard for the entertainment industry worldwide.
"The accomplishment of DIN SPEC 15801 marks a significant milestone in the continuous evolution of GDTF and MVR, as well as the overall advancement of the entertainment industry," said Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar. "Since its inception, MVR has made remarkable progress in meeting the needs of manufacturers and designers through a standardized approach to data and 3D model exchange. This latest recognition further proves our unwavering commitment to unifying the entertainment industry and equipping professionals with the necessary tools for success."
Developed to facilitate inte

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Denmark - Motor Stage Automation (MSA) is a company that loves challenges. So Christian Vigsø and his team were delighted to be asked to design a bespoke flying runway solution for a recent massive show by popular Danish hip hop phenom Suspekt, for their only live appearance this year - at Parken stadium in Copenhagen.
In the process, MSA devised a new modular quick assembly touring product - M:CAT - which is now available exclusively from MSA, a fresh and innovative Danish enterprise working internationally and specialising in the art of designing and delivering stage and show automation and movement elements.
Christian was initially approached by Suspekt’s lighting designer and set designer Johnny Thinggaard and their production manager and show director Jonas Friis, who wanted a flying 45m walkway to enable the band to traverse between the Main and B stages thro

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Europe - HOF will reduce the prices for standard truss by up to 15% as of 1 November 2023. This affects the truss systems HOFKON and HOFFORK (with the exception of the MLT series). The prices of the HOFKON 290-4 series in black will also be reduced by up to 15%.
This price reduction is a reaction to the current easing on the procurement market for raw aluminium. Both the HOFKON 290-4 series and the HOFKON 290-4 Black series are currently available from stock.
Dennis Klostermann, Co-CEO at HOF, says: "The last few years have been challenging for all of us in the industry due to the pandemic and the associated supply chain issues. We are very pleased that the current market situation allows us to pass on the more favourable procurement prices for raw material to our partners. We look forward to a continued successful collaboration."

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USA - Mary Lou Figley is retiring from Stageco US at the end of this year. Mary Lou has successfully led Stageco US for over 31 years. During her 31+ years of service with the company, Mary Lou was instrumental in the success and establishment of Stageco US in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the satellite office in Manheim, Pennsylvania.
“It was essential for Mary Lou to find a replacement whom she felt could take over the reins and help grow the US marketplace,” says Stageco. “During that search, the leadership team and Mary Lou selected Micah Catterson.
Micah is an experienced executive leader focused on revenue growth, operational performance, and delivery excellence on a global scale. Micah will provide strategic leadership for Stageco US by working with the executive leadership team to establish long- range goals, strategies, and growth plans.
“Stag

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USA - PRG (Production Resource Group) has appointed Ariane Coldiron as senior vice president, corporate events. Coldiron will head the corporate events division, reporting directly to PRG CEO Stephan Paridaen.
Coldiron was most recently SVP, brand experience at Freeman where she worked for nearly a decade. As SVP, she drove the company’s highly successful agency business, developing and implementing go-to-market and long-term strategies while managing a large and complex portfolio of accounts including industry giants like Google, SalesForce, Sage, and HP. She also held tenures at experiential agencies Jack Morton, InVision Communications, and TBA Global Events.
“Ariane’s extensive industry experience has uniquely equipped her for success in this key role,” said Paridaen. “She is a well-known and much-respected figure in the corporate events space, with lon

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USA - Offering increased thickness and weight capacities, ADJ has upgraded the selection of safety cables available as part of its Accu-Cable range. With a focus on strength, reliability, and value, the new safety cables are designed to offer ‘complete peace of mind for all professional lighting and production applications’. The TÜV approved range features three different weigh loading options, which all share the same robust and practical design.
Safety cables are an essential component of any entertainment technology installation, which ensure protection for equipment and personnel. They are used to add an extra layer of security when equipment - such as lighting fixtures, atmospheric generators, and speakers - are rigged at height. A safety cable will ensure that a piece of equipment will not fall to the ground - causing damage and potentially injury - should its pri

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South Africa - CS Productionz, a company that specialises in conferences, corporate productions and exclusive events, has expanded its equipment inventory to accommodate its busy schedule.
With offices in both Durban and Johannesburg, the company recently made an investment in Prolyte StageDex and a Beavis II 32A 3-Phase Distro from DWR Distribution.
Clyde Shunmugam initially founded the technical supply company back in 2009 in Durban, and the opportunity to continuously meet new people and to learn from other industry professionals to fine tune his own service, has kept him passionate. He playfully hints that the delectable cuisine offered at every event is undeniably an added perk!
The company’s initial purchase from DWR included Prolyte totem truss pieces and Clyde is delighted to now expand his offerings with the addition of 10 black coated StageDex (2m x

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Australia - The SRS Group and Showtools International have announced their mutual partnership has been extended to grant Showtools International exclusivity to distribute all SRS Group brands including the SRS Rigging range of products for Australia.
"Having established the SRS Power and SRS Lighting brands as reliable and affordable products for the Australian market over the last two years, it was a logical step to include SRS Rigging so we are able to distribute and promote the entire SRS Group portfolio from under one banner," comments Showtools International managing director Robert Runko.
"SRS Group make great products that are industry-focused and deliver performance far superior to other products on the market, they are designed with a high degree of understanding and innovation, built tough to handle the rigors of life on the road and backed up by an amazing w

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Spain - ETC distributor Stonex selected ETC stage machinery and lighting to complete the Lekuona Fabrika Cultural Centre in northern Spain. Prodigy P2 hoists, QuickTouch+ controls as well as ETC luminaires were selected for the project.
Based in Errenteria near the north coast of Spain, the Lekuona Fabrika is a multifunctional cultural venue which frequently hosts exhibitions, festivals, productions and more. The venue is a 613m² open-plan flexible space that can be divided into three rooms offering up to six different configurations using movable walls and retractable seating bleachers.
Due to coastal laws the Lekuona Fabrika has a height restriction as it is located next to the river. In addition to this, its technical director and creator of the project Javier Cruz explains: "There is also the issue that we lose even more height because of the movable walls that cl

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Europe - Showgear, an all-round supplier of stage essentials, expendables and accessories, has introduced its biodegradable confetti, ‘transforming celebrations into eco-conscious experiences’.
In a world where sustainability is paramount, Showgear’s new biodegradable confetti allows revellers to celebrate with a clear conscience and to elevate their events while minimising their environmental footprint.
The new biodegradable confetti proudly carries the respected TÜV OK-biodegradable SOIL certification, assuring users that it will completely decompose in the soil, leaving no lasting environmental impact. In addition, the confetti is flame retardant and meets the stringent DIN4102-1 Class B1 safety standards, ensuring that celebrations are both stunning and safe.
Made from top-quality tissue paper, Showgear’s biodegradable confetti blends contemporary

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Europe - The new ByB Boost your Booth System from HOF is designed for exhibition booth construction, showrooms as well as stores or shops with high demands on appearance and flexibility.
The assembly of the ByB Boost your Booth System is ‘very easy and fast and can be done by two people’.
Lighting technology and other equipment such as screens or advertising banners can be positioned flexibly and precisely.
The ByB Boost your Booth system offers space-saving transportation. An exhibition booth of 5x5m, for example, can be easily transported in an estate car.
The square pipes are hollow and can be used to run cables invisibly through the pipes. The head has a rear cable exit. Catalogues or a laptop can be placed on a storage table and cables required can also be run invisibly through the hollow square pipes from the storage table.
The grid system
  1. Wentex transforms RAI for Cisco Live 2023
  2. PLASA Show 2023 makes triumphant return to Olympia Grand Hall
  3. HOF debuts Monobloq rigging system
  4. Cody James lights Yellowcard with Chauvet
  5. Howard Eaton wins prestigious Gottelier Award
  6. Showforce announces plans for growth in Saudi Arabia
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