LATEST ISSUE

As the calendar flips over into September, you’d normally find LSi/PLASA preparing to spend a busy few days supporting our industry friends and colleagues with their product launches, promotions and parties at the PLASA Show. This, however, is no ‘normal’ year. Instead, the team have spent the summer fighting for the industry’s survival as part of the #WeMakeEvents campaign. The resulting Red Alert day of action on 11 August was the culmination of an enormous collective industry-wide effort and saw peaceful protests throughout the UK raise awareness for the industry’s plight. You can relive the events of the day of action in our extensive coverage inside.

Also this month, Rob Halliday details the tests taking place at the London Palladium as LW Theatres stages a socially-distanced test gig in its quest to safely re-open its doors. Phil Ward presents a follow-up to April issue’s Dark Faders discussion with prominent sound designers and engineers on the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives and careers. Plus, we report on a number of productions that have taken place in the new, post-COVID world. From Wireless Festival’s virtual spin-off Wireless Connect, to the Ravenna arts festival, signalling a return for live events in Italy and Channel 4’s Formula 1 broadcasts - we speak to the technical teams behind each to see how they are adapting to new ways of working.

Education continues to find new ways to go ahead despite the setbacks of 2020, with the recent week-long a.LD Bootcamp testament to that. While in the Midlands, new industry-relevant college Resonance prepares to welcome its first batch of students. There’s plenty more to enjoy, of course, including technical reviews, product news, installation reports and our latest Landmark Lighting instalment, which this time charts the lighting of the Empire State Building.

LSi reports on the mass protest action that united UK event professionals in their fight for state support for an industry on the brink of collapse . . .

Mike Clark reports on the technical feat of Italy’s Ravenna Festival, which took place this summer amid stringent health and safety restrictions . . .

Rob Halliday discovers how the production behind Channel 4’s recent Formula 1 coverage adapted to proceed despite the threat of the coronavirus pandemic . . .

Regulars

LSi talks to rising star Olly Martin

Sphere of influence Phil Ward speaks volumes

The Shend Interrogates Carl Burnett

Restarting the industry

Thorough examinations and PPE

Bits, bytes and curves

Louise Stickland talks to Josef ‘Pepa’ Zenisek of SMART Production . . .

James Simpson predicts the shape of tech to come : UV-C lights