UK - Bristol-based lighting and visuals specialist Fineline Lighting renewed their long term working relationship with Glastonbury - at least 24 years to date - and supplied lighting for the Acoustic Stage, Astrolabe Theatre, Cabaret and Circus venues and also the WOW stage in the Silver Hays dance area, featuring some of the best underground DJs.

Says MD Rob Sangwell, "We all love working on Glastonbury and imbibing the spirit of the festival, and are very proud of our history with the event. I have seen many changes over the years, all for the better. The excellent line-ups plus the clamour to perform and be part of the community makes it even more special."

Fineline has built up the décor element of the Acoustic Stage over the years and especially more recently to include lush red drapes, and masking around the stage and in the ceiling, which really enhance

UK - White Light has started in its role as the production service partner at Central Hall Westminster, the largest conference venue in Central London. Situated opposite Westminster Abbey and adjacent to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the venue features Europe's largest domed roof along with several other unique and flexible event spaces.

White Light's role will involve delivering the technical production for any event held in this historic location, whether these are concerts, corporate or private parties. Over the next year, White Light will be investing in new audio-visual and lighting equipment which will be permanently installed in a number of rooms; ensuring that every event can utilise the very latest technology. Along with these installations, White Light is also adding three on-site staff members so that every technical aspect will be covered.

Amongst those joi

UK - Microphone brand JTS Professional is to be represented in the UK and Ireland by FBT Audio UK, following the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement between the two companies, effective as of 1 July t 2015.

"JTS has always manufactured extremely high quality wireless and wired microphone products, hence the brand's ongoing popularity within the UK - one of the world's most discerning markets," commented FBT Audio UK managing director, Mark Parkhouse. "But with the next generation JTS wireless products that are now appearing, for example the UF-20 series and the forthcoming installation ranges, the time has now come to push JTS Professional to the next level."

The appointment marks the latest highlight in a 20 year friendship between Parkhouse and the JTS Professional brand, which he helped to originally launch into the UK market in the mid-1990s.

Switzerland - At the upcoming Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF), Leopard linear sound reinforcement systems will be heading a line-up of almost 400 Meyer Sound loudspeakers providing audio throughout MJF venues. 2015 will mark Meyer Sound's 29th year as an official sponsor of the festival. This year's headliners will include Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, and other festival veterans like Santana and Herbie Hancock.

Meyer Sound's history with the MJF extends back to the 1970s, when festival founder Claude Nobs and Meyer Sound co-founders John and Helen Meyer met and began a friendship that lasted until Nobs's passing in 2013. Nobs believed in the Meyer Sound philosophy to serve music without distortion, and in 1986, invited Meyer Sound to transform the festival's listening experience as the system provider.

"When we hear all the incredible musicians playing through our systems, and s

UK - Armed with an artic full of gear, Aurora Lighting Hire entered into the festival spirit to support lighting director Oli Richards and gaffer Sam Madden as chosen BBC broadcast partners during Glastonbury 2015.

With set-ups across the Worthy Farm site, the Aurora team took control of the studio and link interviews and, along with some welcome support from Barry Dennison at ELP, worked throughout the weekend to help keep things looking good during the BBC's extensive coverage.

Alex Pocock and Paul Evans handled the console operating duties, running Avolites Pearl Experts to maintain the look and feel of the broadcast. Meanwhile, in the studio area LD Oli Richards dressed the set using festoon and Mole Richardson Mole Fay's to both add a touch of tungsten warmth to the set and to provide added eye candy to camera. Martin Rush PARs provided a dash of extra colour and Aurora p

USA - Continuing their work with some of the world's highest profile EDM artists, XL Video worked with DJ/Producer Bassnectar to light up Colorado's legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater with an abundance of LED, as well as supply control systems and crew for two shows in late May.

This is the fifth year Bassnectar has played at the renowned outdoor venue and production manager, Marc Immerman, contacted XL Video to ensure the video for the show would match the spectacular surroundings.

XL Video's touring projects director, Gareth Jeanne worked with Bassnectar's team to specify over 300 tiles of XL's ROE Visual MC-7 high resolution LED for the multi-surface stage design.

Mimicking the shrinking perspective of the venue, LED columns were arranged each 2 tiles wide, and 9, 8, 7 and 6 tiles high on each side of the stage.

Surrounding the performers, a 16x8 tile LED screen was flown

UK - The University of Derby's College of Engineering has partnered with Cloudbass Limited to launch a new undergraduate degree in Broadcast Engineering and Live Event Technology.

The University of Derby is the first UK University to partner with Cloudbass Limited.

Based in the East Midlands, outside broadcast specialist Cloudbass Limited provided filming facilities and crew for the 2012 London Olympics. Previous and current clients include the BBC, BBC Sport, Eurosport and Sky Sports.

The BSc (Hons) Broadcast Engineering and Live Event Technology will start in September 2016. The three year course will prepare aspiring engineers for a career in broadcast engineering and live event technology by teaching them broadcast and engineering techniques, and developing their knowledge of sound technology, analogue and digital electronics.

The course will be taught at the Universit

UK - Sennheiser's Sound Academy is heading to White Light in Wimbledon, South West London on 15 July for its latest Wireless Mics and Monitoring Essentials courses.

The course, run by Sennheiser's Andrew Lillywhite and Tim Sherratt, is aimed at both new and existing users of wireless microphones and in-ear monitor systems, including sound engineers, designer and live event professionals, students, apprentices, sales people and AV technicians who want to further their understanding of the area.

The course will provide the skills and confidence to operate multichannel wireless systems, covering acoustics and electrotechnology, wireless mics and monitoring, antenna technology, microphone technology, frequency management and wireless monitoring.

UK - HK Audio is the new sound system of choice for the Baltic centre for contemporary art in Gateshead.

Baltic, which is the biggest gallery of its kind in the world, has no permanent collection, providing instead an ever-changing calendar of exhibitions and events that give an insight into contemporary artistic practice.

Baltic's River Terrace is a function room featuring an outdoor balcony that stretches out along the banks of the River Tyne and, to bring the venue's sound system up to 21st century standards, Newcastle's Rock Warehouse were called in.

Rock Warehouse promptly installed six of HK Audio's IL 8.1 loudspeakers, custom painted to discretely blend with the industrial décor of the venue. These were mounted on dedicated HK Audio MB 4 brackets and powered by three Lab.gruppen E 8:2 amplifiers, with the system providing great intelligibility at all volume lev

UK - Stage Electrics has been working with creative communications agency drp since 1998, so when the company was asked if it would support drp's 35th anniversary, it was more than happy to oblige.

drp boasts one of Europe's largest production facilities, housing eight fully equipped edit and studio suits, two film and photography studios, digital innovation studio, event catering and much, much more, so its 35th celebration was sure to be spectacular.

As well as an afternoon event at West Midlands Safari & Leisure Park for over 900 invited guests, drp threw an evening dinner for its team members, with 220 people enjoying a gala event in the park's tree top area.

"We threw everything at it," says drp's PR manager Ryan Curtis. "We wanted it to be bigger than Glastonbury!"

The evening included a seven-minute spectacular showcase of its work, for which Sta

UK - Lighting designer Rob Sinclair and programmer Louisa Smurthwaite used a Jands Vista L5 lighting console to deliver a memorable performance for Florence + The Machine's Friday night headlining slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival.

When Florence + The Machine were promoted to top of the bill just one week before the show, after an injury to Dave Grohl forced the Foo Fighters to pull out, Rob and Louisa were faced with the challenge of completely re-designing the show to incorporate the production values of a headliner slot - with only two extra days of production rehearsals available.

Willo Perron's innovative overall show concept and set design for the band's current How Big 2015 international tour, along with Rob's elegant lighting design, formed the basis for the Glastonbury performance's production values. The band's brief was to come up with a timel

The Netherlands - Stagelight is a leading Dutch technical production and rental company headed by the charismatic Jacco van der Heijden, and one of a growing number of Dutch companies investing in Robe's BMFL moving lights.

Walking into Stagelight's substantial HQ in Den Bosch is like entering the portals of some funky nightclub or restaurant destination, surrounded by gleaming metal reclaimed brick and restored wood surfaces, full of interesting proto-industrial shapes and objects, and optimised to allow natural light to flood into its rooms and workshops.

Jacco - who founded the company in 1987 - believes that a 'visual experience' should permeate all areas of working and living environments and so considerable thought went into designing a cool inspirational space where his team spend their office or warehouse time.

Stagelight first started buying Robe products in 2011 wi

Switzerland - At the upcoming Montreux Jazz Festival (MJF), Leopard linear sound reinforcement systems will be heading a line-up of almost 400 Meyer Sound loudspeakers providing audio throughout MJF venues. 2015 will mark Meyer Sound's 29th year as an official sponsor of the festival. This year's headliners will include Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, and other festival veterans like Santana and Herbie Hancock.

Meyer Sound's history with the MJF extends back to the 1970s, when festival founder Claude Nobs and Meyer Sound co-founders John and Helen Meyer met and began a friendship that lasted until Nobs's passing in 2013. Nobs believed in the Meyer Sound philosophy to serve music without distortion, and in 1986, invited Meyer Sound to transform the festival's listening experience as the system provider.

"When we hear all the incredible musicians playing through our systems, and s

UK - In April Durham Cathedral hosted Darkness to Light, an event of words and music, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen Belsen. The link to Durham? In 1945, the Durham Light Infantry formed part of the forces that liberated the camp.

Presented by InterOpera, the concert included readings by Dame Esther Rantzen, actor Kevin Whately, poetry recitals from Emma Hignett and first-hand accounts from some of those veterans who were present on the day of liberation. Musically, there was a broad range of performances: from the local, award winning, Reg Vardy Brass Band and a 120-strong choir to operatic excerpts sung by soprano Penelope Randall-Davis and tenor James Edwards. A specially commissioned piece by local composer Will Todd, with lyrics added by Ben Dunwell completed the evening.

The task of lighting this event, effectively, sensitively and

China - After months of negotiation, Prolight+Sound Guangzhou has nailed down its 2016 show dates. Being held from 29 February to 3 March next year, the show will be bigger and occupy the entirety of Area A in the China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou.

The show's organisers explained how decisions were made in close cooperation with the industry. "We talked to many exhibitors and visitors from the last show and received different opinions about the show dates, and we are highly committed to providing the best solution for everyone. Combining the comments and possibilities, we are happy to announce the new 2016 show dates and it will be held during the peak sourcing season of the industry," said Ms Fiona Chiew, deputy general manager for Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd.

The key focuses of the 2016 show are internationality and comprehensive product variety.

UK - The renowned PLASA Professional Development Programme will once again bring global experts together to share their insight and experience at the 2015 PLASA Show, which takes place at London's ExCel from 4-6 October. The first tranche of seminar sessions has just been announced, featuring a wide range of fascinating and thought-provoking subjects.

One of the PLASA Show's new initiatives for 2015 is a sector-specific zoned layout, which will make navigation around the show easier than in previous years. The show's seminars feature a similarly zoned theme, with sector-specific stages hosting over 150 speakers throughout the three days, highlighting case studies and advice on Lighting, AV, Audio, Broadcast and Staging.

The first 16 sessions have subjects ranging from high profile productions and technical best practice

USA - Zac Brown Band launched their Jekyll + Hyde North American stadium tour presented by BAI earlier this summer and will play nine stadium shows among many additional arenas and amphitheatres nationwide this summer. Production designers Louis Oliver and James Scott from Creative Outfit, Okulus worked with Special Event Services (SES) to provide Clay Paky Mythos, B-EYE K20 and Sharpy fixtures for the tour.

Zac Brown Band kicked off the tour, in support their album Jekyll + Hyde at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on 1 May. The band's Grammy Award wins include Best New Artist in 2010 and Best Country Album, for Uncaged in 2013.

With offices in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee, SES is marking its 28th year offering full production services, audio, video and lighting equipment. It has been providing lighting for Zac Brown Band for more than

Canada - The full programme of tutorials, workshops, demonstrations and paper presentations has been announced for the AES 59th International Conference, with an emphasis on Sound Reinforcement Engineering and Technology, taking place 15-17 July 2015, at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

A recent addition to an already exciting programme, Low-Frequency Control Workshop, will be held on 16 July in the Schulich School of Music's Music Multimedia Room (MMR), and co-hosted by Flex Acoustics. Using Flex Acoustics Inflatable Membrane Low-Frequency Absorbers, Niels Werner Adelman-Larsen of Flex Acoustics will demonstrate the effectiveness of passive acoustic absorption at low frequencies using a number of seven-meter-long inflatable tubes, some installed along the walls, but some "...installed where wall and ceiling meet since we get an enormous LF pressure build up th

USA - Clay Paky Mythos fixtures played a dual role at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum recently when they formed part of the new lighting truss in the lobby and enhanced the Induction Eve VIP party prior to the ceremony honouring new members. A.C.T Lighting, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Clay Paky fixtures in North America.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's mission is to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll. It gives voice to the stories of the people, artefacts and events that shaped rock and roll and made its impact felt around the world. The 30th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held in Cleveland's Public Hall; the Induction Eve VIP party at the Rock Hall was scheduled the night before the ceremony, which honoured Ringo Starr, Bill Withers, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan and other iconic artists.<

Chile - W-DMX by Wireless Solution Sweden AB recently set sail with W-DMX distributor Iluminacion Profesional Valook SA. based in Santiago, Chile. The Valdivia boat parade takes place annually in the south of Chile to celebrate the birth of Valdivia City. Over 150,000 visitors come to see the fireworks and spectacular boat parade over the Calle Calle River.

For the backdrop lighting of this stunning event, lighting designer Toni Amoros used 10 W-DMX WhiteBox F-1 G4 Transceivers to send signal to 45 Searchlight Xenon 4Kw placed on one side of the river with the console placed 350m away on the other side. On the fixture side of the river, the signal was then distributed over 1 km to all of the searchlights. Valook supervised and supplied all W-DMX equipment.

Francisco Yanez Valdivia, trainer & product manager for Valook explains, "This project would have been impossible wit

USA - Chicago-based Performance Lighting is another leading US company to recently invest in Robe - with the purchase of 30 x BMFL Spots and 12 x Pointes.

The busy design and rental facility supplies lighting to all sectors - from corporate and industrial to music festivals, concert tours, TV and theatre productions - and this year Performance celebrates its landmark 30th anniversary.

Performance Lighting's president Russ Armentrout emphasizes the fact that this is the first - but certainly won't be the last - Robe purchase.

CEO and company founder Douglas Peterson decided to invest big in BMFL after doing a light-metered shootout at his shop against well known 'competitor' products.

"In my opinion, the BMFL overwhelmed the others, and its feature set was so rich that I knew it could replace any light on any rider request, as well as be an awesome tool for my own LDs.

USA - More than 90,000 music lovers turned out for another weekend of music in The Woodlands at The Firefly Music Festival. Bandit Lites provided the festival lighting for the stages which featured performances by The Killers, Foster the People, Snoop Dogg, Paul McCartney, Morrissey, and Zedd.

"A part of The Killers' look is the use of truss spots on either side of the stage, instead of having fixtures downstage," said project manager Matt King. "For the rest of the bands, we needed to provide some downstage wash light. Dizzy Gosnell loaded a downstage truss with VL 3500 Washes to handle this task. Another addition that Diz made was to add fixtures above and below the video screens in the wings. This helped make the stage bigger and integrate the audience into the show."

Equipment for the main stage included VL 2500 Spots, Bandit 5x5s, Clay Paky Sharpys, GR

South Africa - The move to IP is arguably the biggest shift in recent film and broadcast history, making it a key focus at Mediatech Africa, set for 15-17 July at the TicketPro Dome at Northgate, Johannesburg.

While a new global survey has revealed that the transition to IP broadcast infrastructure will take up to 10 years to complete for the majority of broadcasters, local film and media producers and distributors are already considering what the move to media over IP will mean for their infrastructures.

Steve Alves, managing director at Concilium Technologies, says: "All the major innovations in this space right now are IP-based. But for many stakeholders, there is a major investment in analogue infrastructure to consider too. At Mediatech Africa 2015, we will showcase solutions to enable a hybrid environment that allow you to start moving to IP, and control and manage

UK - Lighting designer, Tim Routledge, has employed a quantity of Ayrton MagicBlade-R and MagicPanel-R LED fixtures on Take That's Live 2015 tour.

One hundred and twenty-eight Ayrton MagicBlade-R LED fixtures and 54 MagicPanel-R units play a vital role in Routledge's design where they form an inherent part of the rig, delineating the outlines of production designer Misty Buckley's creative set design and providing a spectacular and versatile backdrop to the band centre stage.

Creative director, Kim Gavin, devised a show that exhibits a high degree of theatricality with artists performing across a large multi-level main stage that loops right out into the arena. Routledge's brief was to produce a very theatrical look in keeping with the design but overlaid with a huge "pop punch". "The MagicBlades certainly gave me this," he says.

Routledge outlined the ou

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