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Rigging / Staging

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UK - High Wycombe-based Pandemonium Productions was appointed by Brunel University to design, manage and produce its five-day graduation ceremony event. Returning to the Brunel campus after several years, eight ceremonies were staged in Brunel's internationally acclaimed Athletics Centre.

Pandemonium Productions' MD, Simon Garrett collaborated with Brunel University's event manager, Liz Thomas, from the outset. Garrett appointed Malcolm Birkett as production manager. Together they managed their team of preferred suppliers to tackle the challenge of transforming the Athletics Centre into a ceremonial auditorium environment, which complied with current DDA regulations.

Working with appointed set designer, Ian Fogden of IFD Design, Pandemonium configured a set that was sympathetic to the simplicity of the hall.

Custom built by Centre Stage, the modular stage boasted a curved fr

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Dubai - The Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre sits on the roof of the vast Mall of the Emirates, right alongside the indoor ski slope. DUCTAC, as it is universally known, features a proscenium arch and studio theatres designed to high specifications.

In 2005, Maltbury exhibited at the PALME show in Dubai. DUCTAC project managers met MD Philip Sparkes and a flexible package of Metrodeck was agreed for seating tiers in the studio space.

This equipment enables a range of layouts to be built so that the space can respond to the needs of future shows. The theatre and arts complex opened in 2006 and now runs a busy schedule of drama, dance and musical performances.

Gulf neighbours Doha College in Qatar managed a whirlwind purchase in February this year. New head of Drama Paul McCracken ordered a Maltbury Playhouse Staging Kit and within a month it was in Doha supporting a pr

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USA - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has completed the renovation of its 140 year old tabernacle building in Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah. Stage Technologies installed a 24-axes automated rigging and a 2-axis stage lift control system to enable the same high level of flexibility and safety as a modern performing arts venue.

Stage Technologies was responsible for overseeing the entire rigging installation at the tabernacle, working with Jacobsen Construction, McLaren Engineering Group, Pook, Diemont & Ohl Inc, Tomcat Truss, Conductix and AMC Fabrication.

Fourteen BigTow390 winches were installed to control lighting trusses and speaker clusters. BigTow290 winches were also installed to automate seven large chandeliers. This allows the chandeliers to be lowered to a safe working height to be maintained and cleaned.

Three BigTow200 winches are used to car

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UK - HSL Group Holdings is highlighting its diverse range of products and services at the show, plus the team's indomitable abilities to run a superlative bar and social area. This will be located just behind the Robe Show Lighting stand. The HSL bar is designed to be lively, interactive and fun, paying homage to the massive amount of industry business that gets processed and finalised "over a couple of drinks".

One of the fastest growing lighting and rigging rental companies in the UK, HSL services a host of entertainment sectors including theatre, live events, concert tours, festivals, television productions, corporate presentations and special events of all types. The last 12 months has seen an increase in activity in every market sector for HSL, the company reports.

HSL has large stocks of all the latest lighting technology - including moving lights, LED light so

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UK - Summit Steel has been appointed as the official in-house rigger for London's newest and highest profile arena, The O2. The Kent-based company reports that it tendered and won this highly valued contract, beating some serious competition. The company says its safety conscious and service orientated pitch impressed The O2, where Summit will be working alongside senior event technical manager, Q Willis and management company AEG.

Summit has already taken on Kate Smith as a dedicated administrator for all the O2 business, and will shortly announce the appointment of a new project manager. Summit's Jon Bray comments, "Obviously we're delighted with this result and appreciate all the hard teamwork that's gone into achieving it. We look forward to working with a venue of this calibre."

Summit will be responsible for the provision of all rigging services within the O2.

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Portugal The Benfica Stadium staged the official Declaration Ceremony of the contest to find the modern Seven Wonders of the World, with help from Stage One's automation control system, Q-Motion.

Stage One's technical director Jim Tinsley comments, "We had just three weeks to install 35 axes of aeriel automation, but are very proud of the fact that Q-Motion has advanced to a point whereby we could deliver the show requirements within such a tight timescale and with few problems."

(Jim Evans)

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UK - This year, for the first time, staging specialist Stageco was asked to work on two major concert series in Hyde Park, promoted by Live Nation. The Wireless O2 Festival featured 2007's only UK appearance by the White Stripes, while other headliners included the Kaiser Chiefs, Daft Punk and Faithless. The following weekend, Hyde Park Calling, sponsored by Hard Rock Café, featured Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith on consecutive evenings.

Stageco was specifically asked to improve the event's sightlines for both the audience and television cameras. The company came up with a novel solution. They sited the front of house mixing positions in low profile structures to the left and right of the auditorium, with lighting desk stage right and sound desk stage left.

The stage itself was a Stageco Boogdak roof system, which created a 18.6m x 14m performance area as well as height ab

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UK - The past 12 months have seen further growth into an increasingly varied selection of projects and markets requesting Kinesys products, says the company. High profile touring artists using Kinesys systems have included Genesis, The Killers, Keane, Snow Patrol, The Arctic Monkeys, Lionel Richie, Kylie and many more. Installations have included the Royal Albert Hall with over one hundred channels of positioning chain hoist control.

Highlighted at PLASA 07 are two newly launched hoist control products - Smart 8 and Sentinel - along with other innovations including Kinesys' K2 control software.

The Smart 8 expands on Kinesys' existing Power 8 product and offers full positioning facilities built into a standard hoist controller. Smart 8 allows fixed speed encoded hoists to be programmed and controlled from a single unit, offering cost savings over the traditional approach of a

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UK - Out Board will be showing the all new LV-Series Low Voltage Hoist Controllers and DV-Series Direct Hoist Controllers, plus new ergonomic RC handsets and accessories. Features include built-in phase detection and selection, integral E-Stop and linkable Remote Go and E-Stop functions.

LV6 and LV12 controllers are configured in multiples of three channels of control and power mixed on two or four Ceep (Socapex19-style) connectors, to match the widely-adopted standard established by Out Board's former CM Series controllers.

LV8 provides two sets of four-channels of control and power on separate male and female Ceep connectors respectively. New LV4 and DV4 units deliver four-channels each of low voltage or direct control via rear panel C-Form connectors.

Also on show will be the Savant fully-automated PAT and Cable Testing systems with database logging, including single-user

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UK - Risks come in all shapes and sizes in live music and The Event Safety Shop (TESS) had to be prepared for all eventualities when Genesis took a state-of-the-art set on tour this summer.

The event safety specialists were an integral part of the tour planning, working with Genesis's production manager, Wob Roberts, to draw up risk assessments and safety policies. They ensured that tour personnel adhered to the required standards and informed all international promoters of the safety information required by local authorities.

Two TESS safety officers, Jake Piper and Mike Herbert, were attached to the tour. "Although they acted as safety 'police' to a certain extent, they spent most of their time with the crew advising and helping them to work in a safe manner," said TESS director Simon James.

Perhaps the most dramatic off-stage moment of the tour was when lightnin

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UK - The R&A has awarded Arena Structures an extension of its existing contract to supply The Open Championship with course structures until 2011. The new contract starts in 2008, following the successful conclusion of the current contract at the 2007 event in Carnoustie this July.

Arena Structures has an impressive track record at UK golfing tournaments and this year alone will have supplied over 500,000sq.m of structures to the major UK golf events, from Wentworth to Loch Lomond to Celtic Manor.

Bespoke structures range from luxurious double decker hospitality suites used by corporate sponsors such as BMW and HSBC and VIP lounges,to more functional spaces such as press centres. Ron Smith, Arena Structure's projects director said: "We are delighted to be able to continue our relationship with The R&A and look forward to offering the highest standard of service at The Ope

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UK - During a two-day workshop (10-11 September) at PLASA 07, a Columbus McKinnon representative will discuss the proper use of CM Lodestar products. He will also lead participants in hands-on disassembly and reassembly of a one ton CM Lodestar motor and discuss maintenance and troubleshooting techniques.

A Tomcat Representative will discuss the basics of truss theory, use and design. The workshop will emphasise safety and usage. Demonstrations of load scenarios and truss inspection will also be featured.

(Jim Evans)

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UK Designed for schools, houses of worship, hotels, event organisers and more, IntelliStage Portable Stage Systems are billed as "the ultimate in portablilty and convenience". They consist of modular, lightweight platforms and risers that can be combined to create customised stages in various heights and configurations.

Easily assembled by a single person, each platform and riser are fastened together using an internal locking system and each platform can bear weight up to 185 lbs./sq.ft (900 KGS/sq.m).

Disassembly and storage are equally convenient. IntelliStage systems are available in kits with an optional compact storage flight case featuring integrated casters.

Platforms and risers are also available on an individual basis. Optional upgrade accessories like storage carts for larger systems and stage skirts are also available.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - A customised Kinesys motor control system has been installed into the Royal Albert Hall. The project was instigated by the Hall's rigging manager, Simon Frost, and was delivered in two phases. With over 360 shows a year staged at the Royal Albert Hall, Frost wanted to introduce additional layers of health & safety and extra flexibility to the rig, which used to work on a conventional up/down motor control system. "I have always liked the design and functionality of Kinesys equipment," he says.

With the hoists hanging over 130ft up in the grid, their movement is barely audible even during complete silence, rare when a show is being rigged. The view is obscured from most positions in the Hall, including the main control area, by an aluminium skin cladding the grid. Frost therefore sought "a tried-and-tested, foolproof system with all the safety features that wo

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UK - Sitting on an exposed outcrop of rock in what is now the heart of the modern day Scottish capital, Edinburgh Castle attracts tourists from across the world. And, as well as the castle itself, every summer thousands flock to the Castle as a focal point of the annual Military Tattoo.

Extensive temporary seating galleries are erected around the castle's Esplanade for the tattoo's spectators and, since 1991, advantage has also been taken to use the facilities for live concerts. 2007 saw two Castle Concerts taking place, Blondie with Echo and the Bunnymen on 13 July, followed by Pink two days later.

Star Events provided a 50ft SAM Stage with two fully enclosed, wheeled PA wings for the shows and, in a venue which combines very tight clearances with an ever-present horde of tourists, the Star Events crew were provided with a unique set of challenges.

"The Esplanade is su

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UK - Harlequin will be exhibiting its Flying Ballet Wagon at PLASA 2007, developed in conjunction with the German company, Hoac. Designed originally for Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam who needed to remove and set out their dance floor easily and quickly but were faced with an old ballet wagon, which required extensive manpower and time to assemble.

Harlequin Liberty sprung panels already in use at the theatre had proved popular with dancers, so the solution was to build them into a new mobile wagon, retained by a special system allowing them to be stored vertically in the fly tower, but also ensuring that they perform exactly as intended when horizontal on the stage floor.

See Harlequin at PLASA on stand D73.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - For around 1,800 BT sales executives at BT UK Global Services annual UK sales conference in July, The NEC in Birmingham called upon Blackout to provide 1,500m of long drop black-wool-serge drape, 2,000m of trussing, install the roof points and rig 200 motors through Halls, 10, 11 and 12. The event was project managed by Blackout's Ken Nock who has many years of experience managing the rigging for events at The NEC.

The whole venue had a 'Game-on' theme, which was designed and produced by marketing agency, George P Johnson. BT sales staff were in a blacked-out and immersive environment whereby each of the halls had the quality of an interactive game.

For the main presentation, a Musion 'Pepper's Ghost' screen was used to allow inter-play between live action, video and graphics and was visible to all areas of the auditorium. Blackout was responsible for rigging the 20 x 10m

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UK - For the first time, PLASA 07 is offering attendees the chance to register for both wysiwyg and Vivien workshops from Cast.

"Vivien is a most powerful, comprehensive software design tool available to meeting and event professionals, enabling users to produce a picture today of tomorrow's event," says a spokesman for Cast. "In this workshop at PLASA, you will learn how to create 2D room layouts, amazing virtual views, and spectacular, 3D photorealistic renderings for use in your eye-popping presentations." Using Vivien's Wizards and tools, attendees will quickly and easily design seating and table arrangements, pipe and drape, and video projection."

In the more advanced intermediate workshop, attendees will get a comprehensive look at inserting library items, applying textures, importing objects from third party programmes like AutoCAD and Google Sk

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UK - The act of releasing drapes and props onto a stage, called the Kabuki drop, which is used extensively in the theatre and events markets can now be undertaken remotely following the launch of the Electro Kabuki by Magnet Schultz, a market leader in the manufacturer of specialist solenoid actuators and mechanisms.

Superseding previous methods, which are unable to meet the requirements of load capacity, functionality and reliability, the Electro Kabuki has been developed following extensive consultation with the theatre and events industries, says the company.

The Electro Kabuki has been designed to reliably release weights of up to 50kg and is suitable for applications where the requirement is to discharge or drop drapes, dummies or cables on cue as a straight drop or at any angle. Also suitable for very light loads, the Electro Kabuki is supplied off-the-shelf with all ele

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USA - Theatrical engineer John Charles "Jack" Suesse died on 17 August following a brief illness. He was 64. For more than 30 years, Jack was associated with J. R. Clancy Inc, the oldest theatrical rigging company in the US, serving as president from 1986-2005. He then formed his own consulting firm, J. Suesse & Associates, and also served as a special projects advisor to Stage Technologies in London and Las Vegas. He was a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and was selected as a Fellow of the United States Institute for Technical Theater in 1993.

Jack worked on theatrical projects of all sizes across the world including the Peace Center in Greenville, SC, the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Chicago Opera House, and the United States Naval Academy. He had a long-standing concern for safety and served on the Ente

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UK - Blackout has developed a new variation of gabled truss, designed to allow users to make the most use of space inside temporary structures. The new product was used for the first time this year at Grant & Anthea's Summer Ball in a marquee at their home in Surrey in mid-July, and Blackout says it is confident there will be many more applications in the months and years to come.

"The ground support truss system followed the sloping roof line of the temporary structure as well as sufficiently supporting lighting and sound loads while not intruding on the space below. It can go right up into the apex of any interior space, such as marquees or converted barns and warehouses," explains Blackout managing director Steve Tuck. "This in turn gives event designers many more options in terms of where they position lighting, loudspeakers and other fittings."

In buil

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UK - International staging specialists Stageco provided the organisers with three identical main stages for shows on both sides of the Atlantic, for the second year running.

The company supplied its Classic 4-Tower Roof system, offering a 25 x 20m performance area to bands such as Basement Jaxx, Kasabian and The Killers in the UK and The Police and The Smashing Pumpkins in the USA.

This tried and tested stage design was introduced by Stageco 17 years ago and is still highly popular with production teams for festivals and touring throughout Europe: it was used recently for Metallica tour 07, and the German festivals Rock am Ring and Rock im Park. The V Festival stages were installed over a three day build and took just two days to demount, creating a consistent focal point at all the shows.

The European Stageco teams under the management of Dirk de Decker installed the main s

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China - The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai from 2-11 October 2007. The event will mark the first time the World Summer Games will be held in Asia, and only the second time they will be held outside the United States. In addition to almost 7,500 athletes, Special Olympics expects the Games to draw 40,000 volunteers, 3,500 event officials and thousands of spectators and journalists.

The Opening Ceremonies for the World Games will be produced by award-winning producer/director Don Mischer and take place in the 80,000-seat Shanghai Stadium.

Trinity Technology, responsible for the supply of technical equipment for the Opening Ceremonies, selected Prolyte Asia Pacific to supply Prolyft hoists for the rigging equipment. Over 260 hoists, in various types, are currently being installed in the new stadium. A crew of trained technicians organised by Pro

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Ireland - J&C Joel has designed, fabricated and installed seven movable acoustic panels in the main Curtis Auditorium at the prestigious new Cork School of Music.

The J&C Joel team led by Tony Griffiths, played an active role in ensuring that the 420 seat Curtis Auditorium has the flexibility to provide exactly the right acoustic environment for anything from piano recitals to full orchestral performances to vocal and choral works.

J&C Joel's biggest challenge was presented by their late appointment to the project. By the time this happened, all the AC, ventilation, heating ducting, drainage pipes, containment trays and other plant and services were already in place up in the plenum - the sound proofed concealed roof space above the auditorium.

This is where all the suspension and movement control equipment required for the seven panels had to be installed - comprising a com

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