Germany - Theater Erfurt is synonymous with sophisticated musical theatre, enriching the cultural scene of Germany's Thuringian state capital through operas, musicals, and concerts performed by the Erfurt Philharmonic Orchestra. Built in 2003, Theater Erfurt is recognised as one of the most modern venues of its kind in Europe, offering immersive sound and excellent sightlines. It has recently enhanced its 800-seat main venue with the addition of an ETC ArcSystem Pro LED lighting system.
Previously, the theatre's ceiling was adorned with ETC Source Four PAR fixtures that utilised traditional incandescent lamps to provide a warm and uniform light. However, in a bid to promote sustainability and energy efficiency, Theater Erfurt’s technical director opted to replace these older luminaires with modern LED technology. This change promises to bring a new level of efficiency to the theatre's lighting system.
“Our team actively participated in the task at hand and presented various innovative technical solutions," says Mathias Meyer, head of TAL Chemnitz, who assisted with the project and supplied the lighting package. After careful consideration, the decision was made to opt for the ArcSystem Pro Four-Cell Round LED lighting system from ETC, controlled via a wired DMX connection. ArcSystem Pro Four-Cell Round are high-output, smooth-dimming luminaires for medium to long throw illumination. The circular luminaires have several suspension options and include the option of Fade to Warm technology that mimics an incandescent look.
According to Meyer, the

USA - All of it Now (AOIN), a virtual art department and in-camera VFX integration solutions provider, never shies away from pushing the boundaries of creativity. Coachella 2023 proved to be the perfect canvas for their latest artistic endeavour, which involved crafting augmented reality (AR) experiences to captivate one of the most demanding audiences on the festival circuit.
AOIN turned to Stage Precision’s SP software, a powerful data and control management software they had used before, but now hoped to deploy on a much grander scale.
As the sun rose on Coachella 2023, AOIN faced several challenges. The project brief included enhancing the main stage livestream broadcast to create a new augmented reality platform for artists including Gorillaz, Bad Bunny and Blackpink.
As a central component of Coachella's 2023 marketing campaign, Coachella introduced the "mirage effect", an interstitial element that combined real-world objects with digital elements, a task undertaken within Unreal Engine's real-time compositing pipeline. To achieve this, AOIN collaborated closely with Nexus, and stYpe's team to develop a custom compositing solution.
"The Coachella project was challenging because we had to manage a large amount of content as well as send out a large amount of data to trigger specific events and effects,” recalls Berto Mora, CTO at AOIN. “This difficulty was compounded by the fact that we were working with multiple teams, which created logistical programming challenges."
Amidst the challenges, SP by Stage Precision emerged as th

China - Renowned Hong Kong singer and actor Jacky Cheung kicked off his latest tour on 9 June at The Venetian Macao Cotai Arena in Macau. The Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour not only signifies the 10th solo concert tour of his career but also marks the superstar’s first large-scale event after celebrating his 60th birthday.
The current world tour, extending into 2024, has already broken records by selling over 109,000 tickets for the Cotai Arena and hosting 11 shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium - a feat unprecedented among any previous artist in a single leg of a concert tour in Singapore. DiGiCo Quantum5 consoles and a KLANG immersive monitor system for the tour were provided by Rightway Audio Consultants (RAC), DiGiCo’s official distributor in China.
At the project's outset, the RAC team offered support in system design, setup, and decisions about the mixing console to be used, as well as the connectivity of the KLANG system. It was during this phase that they recommended to use the Quantum5, which comes equipped with the latest features, allowing engineers a greater space to create outstanding results.
Located in The Venetian Macao, on the Cotai Strip, the 15,000-capacity Cotai Arena was opened in 2007 and is known for hosting international televised awards shows and concerts with artists like Mariah Carey and Shawn Mendes. It is the largest single indoor event venue in Macau and one of the best-equipped integrated indoor multi-purpose exhibition and performance venues in Asia.
For the Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour, the s

Germany - Top international electronic dance music acts, along with 65,000 ravers, again transformed the former Pydna missile base in the Hunsrück area of Germany into one of the hotspots of the European EDM scene. Gerdon Design has been providing the Nature One festival with creative designs for over 10 years - and this year was no exception, with designer Marek Papke’s team again responsible for the event’s open-air floor.
Numerous pyramids, which formed part of the set construction, and the unbridled light output from 64 GLP KNV Cubes played a key role in maintaining all-round consistency for this largest open-air floor of the festival.
“As a design element, the pyramid already existed at Nature One in 2019,” notes Papke. “The pyramids, which were originally made as a special construction, were still available and everyone involved wanted not only to use them again but to develop this theme on a much larger scale. The result was a production design that was extremely coherent in its language and did justice to the technical and industrial look of the event.”
There were 16 smaller pyramids at both stage left and right, with four much larger pyramids on the stage itself, while a huge inverted pyramid hovered over the dance floor, containing a strobe pod (others contained a total of nine KNV Cubes). When viewed collectively, all pyramids revealed a consistent line, with the tips each equipped with a KNV Cube. While the smaller pyramids contained only one KNV Cube, the larger ones were each topped by a matrix of 3 x 3 Cubes - and thus ha

UAE - The Adam Hall Group reports a successful LD Systems day in Dubai. Together with the LD Systems sales partner Pro Lab, the global event technology manufacturer staged a one-day partner and customer event at the Pro Lab headquarters on 7 September. The highlight was the first hands-on demonstration of the LD Systems MAILA system in the United Arab Emirates.
After an introduction of the Adam Hall Group and its long history in the field of event technology, Viktor Wiesner, senior product manager, pro audio, guided the numerous attendees through the constantly growing LD Systems portfolio, followed by a detailed product demonstration of the MAILA (Modular All-Round Intelligent Line-Array) system by LD Systems field application engineer Jens Kleinhuis.
In general, LD Systems and Pro Lab placed a lot of emphasis on the intensive exchange between existing customers and potential interested parties and the LD Systems team from product management, product development and technical support.
After the MAILA live sound and touring solution, the focus was on LD Integrated Systems products for the AV fixed installation sector. In addition to the Questra planning and management software, visitors were given a detailed overview of the constantly growing LD Systems Install portfolio of loudspeakers, mixing amplifiers and matrix processors. The LD Systems Day was rounded off by the accompanying audio tools and stand solutions from Palmer and Gravity.
"The LD Systems day was a complete success," says Markus Jahnel, COO Adam Hall Group. "Together with our s

UK - Shure commissioned global market research firm, IDC, to conduct a comprehensive study that investigates the hurdles organisations are facing as they implement hybrid working. The paper, based on over 600 interviews across multiple countries, including the UK, emphasises the IT community's concerns about the audio quality impacting effective communication and collaboration.
"From an IT perspective, implementing a successful hybrid work strategy isn’t just about software; it's about making sure your hardware - especially audio equipment -meets the standards your employees need to excel," says Rob Smith, senior director, system sales, Shure.
"Our research finds that UK organisations are at the forefront of hybrid work adoption in Europe, yet there's a clear gap when it comes to providing high-quality audio solutions, which affects everything from meeting engagement to overall productivity."
UK-focused data reveals that although businesses are adopting hybrid work models more readily than their European counterparts, they are grappling with issues like poor communication and low attention levels during virtual meetings. IT professionals point to insufficient audio equipment as a core challenge.
Smith elaborates: "For IT leaders, the task is straightforward but crucial: invest in professional-grade audio equipment. This is the foundational element that enables effective communication and equitable meetings, ensuring that everyone - whether at home or in the office - can contribute meaningfully."
When compared to global metrics, the UK

USA - Aura the Robot will permanently reside in the grand atrium of Sphere in Las Vegas. Serving as the venue’s ‘spokesbot’, Aura will interact with guests at the venue, and serve as an integral part of The Sphere Experience featuring Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth.
“Hello, humans. While I understand the most complex concepts of math and science - you remain a mystery,” said Aura. “Your emotions, your humour and your relationship with technology require further study, so you must visit me at Sphere. I am excited to meet you and introduce you to the future of live entertainment at my new home.”
Developed using advanced technology in robotic mechanics and artificial intelligence, Aura is among the most expressive and life-like humanoid robots in the world. Five Aura robots will greet guests from the moment they enter Sphere, putting her lifelike facial expressions and mobility on full display.
“Aura’s role at Sphere marks a truly innovative application of robots, providing guests from around the globe with an opportunity to move into the future of entertainment and interact within a new technological frontier,” said David Dibble, CEO, MSG Ventures, a division of Sphere Entertainment. “Our vision with every aspect of Sphere is to transform the way people experience live events, and with Aura we are pushing the boundaries of how robotics can be used to enhance our guests’ journey through the venue.”
Alongside human lab technicians, Aura will welcome guests ahead of events at Sphere and serve as a

USA - The Legacy Arena in Birmingham AL stands 10 stories tall. It’s also spacious, with an oval floor that measures 24,200 sq.ft, but earlier this summer, the big venue, which has hosted concerts by Grammy-winners, the Davis Cup, and other marquee events, took on the aura of a warm, soul-enriching space, when it served as the site of Church of the Highlands Motion 23 Conference.
An immersive and inviting production design by the church’s creative director, Brian Worster, and broadcast-lighting director Griffin McCravy, along with the rest of their team, set the stage for this intimate setting in the 17,000-seat arena.
“This is a student conference born out of our local church’s youth ministry,” said McCravy. “Although the conference has grown over the years to become an arena event, we always want it to reflect this vision. With this goal in mind, we built a rig and design that could be big and impactful; but we also made things feel incredibly small at times. The design of this year’s flown rig was essentially the same linear design of truss as in the past, but at multiple heights.
This allowed us to make a lighting design look a certain way, but then we also added the higher elevation trusses, so could make the design look larger and smaller, as needed.”
McCravy and the lighting team accomplished this with the help of over 145 Chauvet Professional fixtures, including 82 Maverick MK3 Profiles, 36 Color Strike M motorised strobes, eight Maverick Storm 2 BeamWashes, eight Maverick Storm 3 BeamWashes and 12 Rogue R2X Washes.

UK - BeamZ Lighting enjoyed a busy three days at the PLASA Show in London, showcasing its technical lighting solutions.
“We would like to thank everyone who visited our beamZ booth at the PLASA Show in London. Our innovative, affordable lighting solutions fascinated industry professionals and set new standards in lighting technology,” said Mario Velders, CEO of beamZ Lighting (Tronios).
“Our presence at the PLASA Show was nothing short of spectacular. We unveiled our latest lighting marvels, leaving attendees spellbound. One of the stars of the show was the Ignite300LED 300W BSW, a powerful beam/spot/wash LED moving-head fixture that is ready to revolutionise live events and stage productions.”
The StarColor200, the latest addition to the StarColor family, a wall wash fixture known for its extensive colour spectrum and versatile control options, also took centre stage and received accolades from lighting designers and rental companies for its adaptability in creative lighting projects and architectural installations.
“We are very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive responses we received at the PLASA Trade Show,” continued Mario Velders. “Our team has worked tirelessly to develop these innovative lighting solutions, and the enthusiastic reception from UK industry professionals validates our efforts. We are excited to see our products making a significant impact in the world of entertainment and professional lighting.
“The successful participation in the PLASA Show reinforces our commitment to pushing the boundaries of

UK - Music Support, the charity that provides help and support to anyone who works in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction, has announced a new partnership with The Christopher Meredith Foundation (CMF), enabling them to grow existing provisions and develop new programmes which support music industry peers and their loved ones.
The partnership includes funding which will contribute towards three key areas across three years:
Funding or part-funding qualifying beneficiaries to receive the treatment they need, including counselling, psychotherapy and residential addiction treatment.
Developing Music Support’s ‘Safe Hub’ backstage at festivals, a space where artists and crew can take time out or speak to a Mental Health First Aid trained individual. Thanks to the partnership, the charity has already run Safe Hubs this summer at Splendour festival in Nottingham and Boomtown festival in Winchester.
Developing complementary programmes for families and friends (including colleagues) who are supporting loved ones struggling with problematic drinking, drug use or other addictions. This includes new online resources and a workshop developed by addiction experts with lived experience.
Addiction is a complex illness that not only affects the person who is dependent; it also has a profound impact on their loved ones. While they play a crucial role in supporting their loved ones, family and friends can often be overlooked with very limited support available to help them navigate the journey and look after their ow

Philippines - The Adam Hall Group continues to expand its international distribution network. With immediate effect, Joint Venture Audio Visual and Lighting will take over the exclusive distribution of Adam Hall Group's own brands LD Systems, Cameo, Gravity and Palmer in the Philippines.
Joint Venture Audio Visual is a corporate merger of several companies, including full-service provider Systech Lighting and Controls. Under the umbrella of Joint Venture, Systech will represent the AVL brands of the Adam Hall Group in the Philippine market.
"We are pleased to add one of the largest event technology manufacturers in the world to our distribution portfolio with the solutions of Adam Hall Group," explains Oliver C. Yulo, president Joint Venture Audio Visual Lighting. "Since the end of the COVID pandemic, the APAC region has been one of the fastest growing markets ever. Together we will implement numerous interesting projects and further increase the awareness of the Adam Hall Group brands in the Philippines."
Glenn Lin, business development manager, Asia Pacific adds: "Joint Venture is the leading distributor for the AVL sector in the Philippines. With separate subsidiaries for MI/Retail, Install and Hospitality, the large team offers ideal conditions to perfectly match our diverse portfolio to the different target groups."

Venezuela - A new cigar bar and restaurant in the Venezuelan capital Caracas aims to deliver a premium experience to discerning guests, from the moment they walk through the door. The Robusto Bar combines high-end dining and cocktails with an extensive selection of cigars in a luxuriously appointed venue that includes a lounge, humidor and VIP room.
Central to creating a sophisticated ambience is a Nexo ID Series sound system installed and calibrated by local distributor Sun Music Pro, who were also involved in the acoustic treatment of the spaces.
“The client needed a high-quality audio system, as the premise was to create a premium experience in every way, starting with its selection of cigars, cocktails and dishes, through to the environment created by sound, architecture, furniture and lighting,” says Sun Music Pro commercial manager Valeska Grüber.
“The Nexo ID Series system is very powerful and discreet and does not interfere with the aesthetics and concept of the venue.”
The team at Sun Music Pro were assisted at the design stage by Nexo’s Roberto Tschopp and Hely Chirinos, using NS-1 software to configure the system and predict coverage.
Powered by Nexo DTDAMP4X1.3 4-channel amplifiers with processing from Nexo DTD controllers, the system at the Robusto Bar comprises of 10 x ID24s set to 120°-60° HF coverage in the main lounge, supplemented by six IDS110 subs. A pair of ultra-compact ID14s covers the humidor, with a further four ID14 and two IDS108 subs in the VIP room.
Commenting on behalf of the Robusto Bar,

India - In late March, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) opened its doors in Mumbai, ushering in a new era of creativity in a city renowned for its Bollywood influence.
This multidisciplinary arts centre boasts a 2,000-seat theatre, two intimate performance spaces and a four-storey Art House. To mark its grand opening, a three-day celebration blended musicals and international art exhibitions, including India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination. This exhibition celebrated the global influence of Indian design on fashion, with the help of 128 Genelec 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers.
Overseeing the project was Mumbai-based technology and acoustic consultancy firm, Munro. Their mission was to craft a soothing auditory landscape without compromising audio quality, while ensuring the seamless integration of the loudspeakers into the background and their continuous operation for 12 to 14 hours daily.
"We work extensively on projects where new ideas are explored for culture and entertainment," explains Kapil Thirwani, audio and acoustic consultant at Munro. "We were called in mid-January 2023 to explore possibilities of adding an immersive sonic experience to a fashion exhibition for the NMACC launch. The concept was the influence of India and its fabrics and handiworks on the world of fashion against a backdrop of world music with subtle Indian influences, with 15 zones playing different tracks to build the soundscape."
India in Fashion wove together India’s colourful relationshi

Italy - Prolights products illuminated the second edition of I Venerdì di Ercolano, a culturally enriching initiative promoted and commissioned by the Ente Parco Nazionale degli Scavi di Ercolano (National Park of Herculaneum Excavations) and the Italian Ministry of Culture. This project seamlessly transformed the evocative route into an enthralling journey through the culinary annals of ancient Rome, enriched by the innovative lighting setup crafted by Prolights.
The lighting rig was installed by Artemia, a system integration company, under the stewardship of project managers Lucio Sabatino and Alessandro Limongiello. The monumental setup featured approximately 500 Prolights products, including Smart BatPlus, SmartBattenQ, ArcPar 7, and LumiPix 16H. These devices gracefully bathed the wide expanse of the Herculaneum excavations.
The Artemia team, satisfied over the results achieved, remarked: "We take immense pride in this project and the resoundingly positive feedback it has garnered. Prolights' products played an indispensable role in bringing our original vision to life, and we are gratified that the Italian Ministry of Culture recognised how our lighting design enhanced the archaeological splendours of the Herculaneum site."

UK - Stage Sound Services, who offer full production and equipment services from their 50,000 sq.ft HQ in Cardiff, were recently tasked to support Freshwater UK, a marketing and events agency, with the technical realisation of this year's Unite the Union Policy Conference in Brighton.
The Policy Conference is the main decision-making body of the union, held every two years and made up of around 700 lay members from Unite's 19 sectors and 10 regions and equality structures.
One of the visual highlights of the conference was a 24m wide AV Stumpfl Vario projection screen.
“A key requirement for this year’s conference was a large 'super wide screen', to provide a flexible format for conference images, screen relays and presentations, as well as to achieve a modern fresh look,” explains Stage Sound Services director Phil Hurley.
The Vario frame concept follows a modular system approach, to make it extremely easy to adapt a projection screen's size. Robust plug-in elements are used in addition to extension elements, so that the frame can be scaled to the exact dimensions required by a particular project.
A slightly shorter build time for this year’s conference was easily compensated for, due to the Vario screen system’s great ease of use: “For the previous conference we had used a traditional truss system with a wrap-around front surface. I estimate that the Vario screen, which was fifty percent bigger than the one we previously used, took only half the time to rig and fly.”
Eight Panasonic RZ21K projectors were used to dis

Czech Republic - Named after Uffo Horn, an important native of Trutnov who greatly influenced the culture and politics in the region in 19th century, the Social and Cultural Centre of the Trutnov region has been serving the community since the end of 2010. This multifunctional facility provides a cultural space for a variety of events including theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions, conventions and balls.
One of the centre's standout offerings is the vibrant and diverse programme of international festival, Cirk-UFF, which takes place at the turn of May and June each year. Given the diverse range of performances hosted at the venue, it was essential to maintain a flexible layout and adhere to touring standards to ensure seamless transitions between events. DiGiCo's Czech distributor, Pro Music, supplied and installed the specialist audio setup, which includes SD12 and SD9 consoles, as well as the ‘invisible heart’ of the system, the 4REA4 engine.
“With such a wide range of performances, from dramatic theatre shows, with elevated seating to flat-floor rock concerts, the SD12's compact size, impressive power, and flexibility make it the ideal console for the venue," says Petr Šťásek, audio and IT specialist at Pro Music. The console's DMI slots allow for connectivity with a wide range of formats, making it a versatile choice for live post or FOH positions.”
The SD12 is connected via Dante to both the stage boxes and 4REA4 engine. “To ensure seamless connectivity of all audio and control signals from the various systems, including D

France - The much-anticipated League of Legends EMEA Championships (LEC) took place 8-10 September at the Sud de France Arena in Montpellier.
The popular e-sports tournament took place in front of a packed arena and was streamed live online, reaching peak viewing figures of over 650,000 during the final matchup between G2 Esports and Fnatic, which saw G2 take the win.
TSL provided the lighting package for the three-day event, working with head of production Ben Vignola from 1 Up Productions and lighting designer Mat Stovall on behalf of ConCom inc.
A broad range of TSL’s fixtures were utilised from manufacturers such as Ayrton, SGM, Robe, GLP, Martin and more. Over one hundred Ayrton Perseo Profiles were used to provide audience illumination as well as effect lighting.
TSL’s ever popular Robe Spiider enabled programmers Eric Barth and Zach Matusow to ensure that all players had strong keylight as well as provide eye candy effects via the fixture’s in-built flower effect.
Acting as backlight behind the players’ platforms and used to dramatically shape the stage were SGM Q8 DualSource Strobe / Flood / Blinders. Additionally, 50 Robe MegaPointe made sure that all beams in the show were razor sharp, punchy and crystal clear.
TSL also provided the control system, consisting entirely of grandMA3 Full Size consoles utilising data distribution via a network of Luminex Luminode 12 and Gigacore 16xt switches. Taking advantage of the Luminode’s “DMX Redundancy” feature alongside a dual redundancy fibre optic loop made sure that

Germany - intoPIX and Lawo have announced that .edge users can now benefit from the intoPIX TICO-XS codec to encode and decode JPEG XS-compressed streams.
As the media industry increasingly leverages the benefits of IP-based remote and distributed production workflows, the challenge it faces is pushing a relentlessly growing amount of data through a fibre optic pipe with a fixed bandwidth while preserving broadcast-grade quality.
Support for the lossless JPEG XS compression technology in HD, 3G and UHD video-format resolutions will allow users of Lawo’s .edge Hyper-Density SDI/IP Conversion and Routing Platform to encode, process and decode compressed SMPTE ST2110-22 IP streams.
Lawo’s aim is to provide broadcasters with the ability to leverage compressed streams as and when required in order to accelerate high-quality distributed content creation. JPEG XS support for .edge is a licensable option that relies on Lawo’s edge-computing and software-licensable infrastructure strategy. The ability to encode and decode JPEG XS right at the IP network’s edge means that uncompressed streams no longer need to travel to a processor somewhere on the (increasingly vast) SMPTE ST2110-based IP network, and on to their destination, thus saving bandwidth. The .jpegxs option for .edge was officially launched at IBC 2023.
JPEG XS delivers broadcast-grade compression ratios of up to 30:1. This makes it ideal for WAN-based IP networks where bandwidth is typically limited, while the number of camera feeds and video streams keeps rising. JPEG XS (ISO/IEC 21

UK - TV, broadcast and event lighting rental specialists, Version 2 Lights has announced a management realignment to support its continued growth.
Day-to-day operational responsibilities will be assumed by technical manager Sam Crook, warehouse manager Darren Gale, general manager Emma Gale and rental manager Joe Marter. This will form the Version 2 senior management team, who will take on ownership of daily operations at V2 HQ.
Crook and Marter have been well-known industry figures, and long-term trusted collaborators for nearly two decades both at Version 2 and the previous blueprints Aurora Lighting and London Light. The company also reports that Emma Gale has recently accepted the responsibilities of company secretary.
Founder, Nick Edwards will return to a key account role, project managing and supporting LDs, producers and production managers who will draw upon his experience. Edwards will work in tangent with Marter’s rental team comprising of Simon Perrott, Ollie Perry and recent recruit Stamatula Malfas.
Edwards will continue to lead the strategic vision for the company, which continues to benefit from the long-term support of its main shareholders Nick Edwards and Nigel Wray, both of whom have made significant capital investments in the company by way of share capital and directors’ loans.
An enthused Edwards comments: “Our commitment is to the UK TV, broadcast and event market. I’m a firm believer in David Hieatt’s coined phrase “Do One Thing Well. It's Enough”. Having built the company into a market leader in

USA - The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the organisation that oversees Bluetooth technology, has announced the completion of Bluetooth Networked Lighting Control (NLC), the first full-stack standard for wireless lighting control. By offering standardisation from the radio through the device layer, Bluetooth NLC ‘enables true multi-vendor interoperability and mass adoption of wireless lighting control’.
"The establishment of globally available wireless standards has always been a key landmark in enabling connected device ecosystems to achieve their full promise. Wireless lighting control is no different," said Andrew Zignani, senior research director at ABI Research. "Bluetooth NLC expands the supplier opportunity by instilling buyer confidence and peace of mind, increasing the likelihood of adoption, and unleashing the lighting control market's total potential."
Bluetooth NLC will also bring benefits to lighting buyers, including true, multi-vendor interoperability, ease of deployment, and greater scalability.
"The impact of the Bluetooth Mesh standard on the wireless lighting control landscape has been truly transformative. Bluetooth NLC is the last missing link required to achieve global interoperability in wireless lighting control," said Rafał Han, CEO of Silvair. "We're excited about how it will benefit the market and shape the future of the lighting industry, allowing components from different vendors to work seamlessly with each other. At Silvair, we believe in staying at the forefront of innovation with a strong emphasis on s