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14 July 2025

China - Rightway Audio Consultants (RAC) has been appointed Optocore distributor for China, Hong Kong and Macau. This marks a strategic elevation of the existing reseller partnership between the two companies, which has flourished for a number of years.

“It was a mutual decision to deepen cooperation, which aligns with the long-term mutual benefits sought by both parties,” stated marketing director, Nan Hu. “This will create broader synergies in the future.”

Hong Kong-based RAC has immediately set up a programme of Optocore demos and training for its customers and partners. However, it has long been familiar with the German fibre company’s tech as Eric Liew, RAC’s product director, explains: “We have successfully deployed Optocore in large-scale projects in the past, such as the Tianjin Grand Theatre – as far back as 2018/2019.”

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14 July 2025

USA - Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the grand opening of Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe. The massive, multi-day media event included coverage from NBC’s The Today Show, Access Hollywood, Telemundo’s Hoy Día, livestreams, influencer content and an array of international news outlets, which all relied on PWS’ expertise to stay connected and interference-free.

The newly opened Universal Epic Universe is the most ambitious theme park project in Universal’s history. Spanning over 750 acres, the park introduces entirely new lands, attractions and immersive experiences based on franchises such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe and Celestial Park. Universal’s Epic Universe, which

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14 July 2025

Belgium - 24 of ADJ’s high-output Vizi Beam CMY moving head fixtures took centre stage at the Stamp Outdoor Festival in Hoogstraten in early May, bringing sharp beams, saturated colour, and mind-blowing movement to the open-air dance event.

Rental and production company EQS Pro-Rent supplied and installed the lighting setup, specifically investing in the Vizi Beam CMY units to ensure the festival's lighting design would stand out.

Stamp Outdoor took place back in May and is known for its vibrant atmosphere and strong lineup of electronic music artists. For its 2025 edition, the festival welcomed a crowd of thousands for a high-energy weekend celebration of music and culture. To match the intensity and scale of the event, EQS Pro-Rent selected the Vizi Beam CMY for its immense output, lightning-fast pan/tilt movement, and the creat

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14 July 2025

USA - For the recent US leg of Coheed and Cambria's 2025 tour, lighting designer Ben Jarrett of Squeek Lights crafted a visual feast using Elation’s award-winning Paragon moving head as his primary spot fixture.

The Paragon M played a central role in shaping the visuals while supporting the band’s Amory Wars narrative, including the dramatic lighting of a full-sized inflatable character on stage. New Jersey-based Squeek Lights, a one-stop shop for stage lighting in the area, provided all lighting, video, and rigging for the tour.

The co-headlining tour with Mastodon, which ran from early May to 8 June, showcased 34 Paragon M fixtures – 24 mounted in two striking three-stick chevron truss arrays over the stage, and 10 on the downstage truss for frontlight.

“They’ve been amazing,” said LD Jarrett, who fulfilled a number of

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14 July 2025

USA - PK Sound, the robotic line array company, has advanced its longstanding partnership with Moonlight Productions, a production technologies provider based in Montana. Moonlight recently expanded its inventory of PK’s robotic line source technology with an investment in a new T8 compact line array system and complementary T18 intelligent subwoofers.

“PK Sound’s variable robotic coverage control remains an impressive and highly beneficial technology for our work,” says Moonlight co-founder Greg Ostrander. “Our rigging time decreases significantly when flying the arrays, and the ease of adjusting vertical and horizontal dispersion angles in real-time is absolutely key to the diverse list of applications and venues we handle. It’s also just a showstopper when clients see it in action for the first time, not to mention the high-fidelity audio and

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14 July 2025

UK - When Jake Staff began crafting custom looms and fly racks from his spare bedroom, he couldn’t have predicted the scale SA Touring would one day reach. Now operating from a dedicated workshop in Norwich, it serves clients across the UK including artists like Ella Eyre and Mae Muller, with Van Damme at the heart of its operation.

“Everything we use has to be the best - from the cables to the heat shrink,” says Staff, now managing director of SA Touring. “Van Damme is just the best on the market - it has a good aura in the industry. It doesn’t melt, it doesn’t shrink back - it’s reliable and consistent. Even the guys in the workshop can tell the difference.”

SA Touring became a limited company in 2022, after years of informal growth that started just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As the demand for custom cabling continued to grow, S

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14 July 2025

UK - Digital signage and integrated solutions specialist, Scala, has opened its new 142m² showroom in Central London, UK. Located a short walk from Angel underground station, the showroom will serve as a hub for technology demonstrations, partner meetings, and educational initiatives all supporting Scala’s presence in the UK and across the wider European market. The Scala London showroom was officially opened on the evening of the 9 July with a party attended by key integration partners.

“Scala technology can be found across London; in landmarks as well as transport hubs, banks and high-end retailers, so it feels fitting and tremendous to be opening a dedicated showroom in the capital,” said Harry Horn, general manager EMEA, Scala. “This is a dedicated space where we can share our latest solutions and collaborate with our partners as we wo

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14 July 2025

UK - Solstice AV senior account manager, Tanita Russell, will be swapping the comfort of her office chair and computer later this month, by taking on one of the UK's most gruelling 50km ultra marathons as she helps to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society.

Tanita, who joined Solstice AV – an international distributor of professional audiovisual solutions – in 2023, and a member of the AV community since 2012, has signed up for the now annual Boudicca Way 50km Ultra Marathon on 19 July, running through historic Norfolk villages and countryside, between Diss and Norwich.

“Alzheimer's is a profound challenge that touches us all,” explained Tanita ahead of her challenge. “It takes away not just individuals, but the cherished memories they have previously held so dear. Every step I take is not just for me, but for those affected by dementia.

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14 July 2025

The Netherlands - PPDS has announced the latest addition to its growing EMEA technical sales support team with the appointment of Fredrik Lundqvist as technical manager for the Nordic and Baltic regions.

Based in Stockholm and reporting to Jan Van Tieghem (director technical sales support, EMEA), Fredrik offers a broad spectrum of specialist technical skills and industry knowledge – global and local – to PPDS’ flourishing Nordics region. Previous roles include sales manager for hospitality, marketing manager for B2B, technical engineer for B2B, SmartTV manager for B2C, among others.

Fredrik will work closely with Jan in supporting pre- and post-sales activities in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.

Discussing his new role, Fredrik commented: “I am proud and excited to have joined the PPDS team a

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11 July 2025

UK - Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical opened in May at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre, and Unusual Rigging played a key role in preparing the venue for a high-impact production that celebrates the event that marks its 40th anniversary this weekend.

With just 10 days between the final performance of Mrs. Doubtfire and the load-in for Just For One Day, Unusual was brought in to deliver a complete rigging transformation - supporting a technically ambitious and visually bold show.

Written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, Just For One Day tells the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 Live Aid concert and how music united a global audience for one extraordinary day. Featuring songs from Queen, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, Madonna and more, the production pays tribute to the power of co

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11 July 2025

USA/Europe - To provide Janet Jackson’s Together Again tour with immersive and impactful visuals, lighting designer Eric Wade implemented a versatile and adaptable rig featuring the Martin MAC One fixture, produced by PRG and Crossfade.

As one of the most successful artists of all time, Janet Jackson has sold over 100m records in her multi-decade career and defined the MTV era with her impactful choreography and multifaceted sound. Beginning in April 2023 through October 2024, the Together Again tour marked Jackson’s first return to the road in four years and promised audiences across the world a prolific set featuring both decade-defining hits and fan favourites.

With a discography that pulls from a wide array of genres and influences, from new jack swing to hip-hop to pop, Jackson required a lighting rig that could adapt to an

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11 July 2025

Serbia - The first Avolites D7-330 and D7-215 consoles have arrived in the Balkans region – received by Belgrade-based Avolites distributor, Light & Sound Design (LSD) – where they will be in action with the team led by Milan Scepanovic.

LSD proactively distributes the full range of Robe Group brands – Anolis, Artistic Licence, LSC, and of Avo – across all the Balkans countries (Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania) and the Robe brand itself in Serbia, Bosnia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

LSD’s CEO Milan Scepanovic says, “It is great to have the first D7 models – to my knowledge – in the whole of southeast Europe. The consoles are powerful, flexible and portable and they look very cool. Given the general presence of Avolites here in the region, I think there will be plenty of interest in the D7 and we will be

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11 July 2025

GCC - ES:ME Group has announced a new collaboration with German manufacturer HOF, bringing the MLT Three pre-rig truss system to the GCC market. This strategic partnership enhances regional access to one of the most flexible and efficient rigging solutions available today, enabling faster deployment, improved safety, and reliable scalability for large-scale event production.

As part of the agreement, a selection of HOFKON and MLT Three units will be available through ES:ME’s local hubs in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and the wider region. The system will be integrated into technical planning and rigging strategies across a wide spectrum of events - from exhibitions and conferences to concerts, live broadcasts, and sporting productions.

“We’re excited to make this system more accessible to our regional clients,” said Markus Schmidt, COO of ES:ME G

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11 July 2025

France - A new Robe moving light rig has been installed in the 800-capacity Liquid Lounge main theatre space aboard the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship, which stages a host of large-scale production shows, themed performances, and other entertainment events. This was undertaken during an extensive refurbishment of the vessel whilst in dry dock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille in Marseilles, France, earlier this year. 

The lighting upgrade included the installation of 84 Robe moving lights – 40 x Painte Spots, 34 x LEDBeam 350s and 10 Fortes – into the venue and was overseen by the Carnival Cruise line fleet supervisor for lighting, Silviu Ardelean, and Carnival’s entertainment manager for lighting Alex Nelson. The project was coordinated for Robe’s Maritime division by global sales director for maritime, Tony Perez.

This combination of light

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11 July 2025

UK - An impressive collection of ChamSys consoles were deployed at Glastonbury 2025, handling all the demands made by a five-day festival spread across 900 acres, yet powerful, flexible and intuitive enough to help LDs conjure up some memorable moments.

At the head of the pack was the MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console, flagship of the ChamSys line that directly supports 400 universes without external processors and offers fully motorized faders and encoders with 42 playbacks.  Its potent features were put to use at the Woodsies Stage where Ed Warren powered shows by Four Tet and Lola Young with consoles supplied by LCR. Joe Beardsmore brought one of his own MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium consoles to cast an immersive mood for Tom Odell at the stage provided by Siyan and a floor package from Coloursound Experiment.

Over at the Circus Big Top, James Loudon made

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11 July 2025

Spain - Located in the city’s Raval district, The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) hosts exhibitions, debates, festivals, concerts, film cycles, courses and lectures around the core themes of the city and urban culture.

The CCCB features a variety of event, hospitality and learning venues including the Hall, a 730sq.m space with a capacity of around 400 people.

A recent public tender for a new sound system in the Hall required that it should be powerful and versatile enough to accommodate all types of performances without the need to hire in supplementary equipment. The contract was awarded to Barcelona-based event technology specialists Imesde who installed a Nexo system.

“The original tender specified a line array system from another manufacturer but, working with Nexo’s NS-1 system configuration and prediction sof

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11 July 2025

US/UK/Canada - ETC has introduced the talented students that are participating in the 2025 Fred Foster Student Mentorship Programme, hailing from the United States, Canada, and the UK. Through the programme’s online networking events, students will meet a wide range of industry mentors, building connections as they kick off their careers. ETC’s late Founder and CEO Fred Foster started the programme in 1999, recognising the critical role mentorship plays in any lighting professional’s career. Congratulations to the 2025 Fred Foster Student Mentees:

International Students

Aravindh (Aran) Baskar is a student at University College London, entering his final year. He has over 900 hours of experience in lighting theatre and music productions, working on a variety of projects from dance and drama to live

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11 July 2025

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the call for nominations for the Stephen Joseph Award 2025, as an ongoing tribute to Stephen Joseph’s contribution to our theatre culture.

This Award recognises innovative and inclusive theatre excellence in today’s British theatre and celebrates the variety of ways contemporary theatre and its practitioners continue to break new ground in engaging audiences.

Now open for 2025 submissions, a wide variety of practice is eligible including the ongoing work of a theatre company, a specific production, an individual theatre artist or director, or an innovative theatre building design or performance space.

Submissions are welcome from theatres, practitioners, or the general public as long as nominations are accompanied by suitable evidence.

In 2024, the Stephen Jo

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11 July 2025

Europe - Pharos Architectural Controls has announced the appointment of Teodora Marian as regional sales manager - Central and Southern Europe.

With her master’s degree in Nuclear Power Engineering and over 20 years of experience designing complex systems in both the UK and Romania – including more recently eight years specialising in lighting and control solutions – Teodora offers a combination of technical expertise and industry knowledge.

She has previously worked with respected industry names including Lutron, Enttec and Architectural FX, providing support to designers, integrators, and developers across the UK and Europe.

Teodora shared her enthusiasm about joining the team: “I’m truly excited to become part of Pharos. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great brands and professionals who have helped sh

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10 July 2025

USA - Walk through the front doors of Telemundo Centre in Miami, and the sound of JBL is everywhere. Literally. From the glass-walled atrium to the broadcast control rooms, post-production suites, and live event spaces, NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language division has built an expansive audio environment around JBL Professional’s end-to-end loudspeaker ecosystem.

That integration begins in the building’s most acoustically challenging space: the atrium. A visually striking but highly reflective all-glass venue used for premieres, town halls, and client events, the atrium required a solution that could deliver clarity without overwhelming the space.

“When coming into this project, we had to look at minimising energy in the space as it is all glass and very live,” said Robert Acito of Acoutech, the audio contractor for the installation. “We were