UK - Working with the Society of London Theatre, XL Video supported the Olivier Awards 2015 with MasterCard with the supply of video screens, media servers and control systems in two London locations, and once again sponsored the award for Best Set Design.

This is the fifth consecutive year XL Video has been involved in the video production for the awards.

The red carpet event took place on Sunday 12 April at the Royal Opera House and was followed by a televised highlights show on ITV later the same night. The full highlights package is available on ITV Player - www.itv.com/itvplaye

South Africa - Wild & Marr will be hosting a Shure product seminar at the APSO Training Facility in Isando, Johannesburg in May. Various sessions will take place over four days between 5-8 May 2015 and be conducted by staff from the Shure MEA office in Dubai.

"We are excited to host this event that will cater for various vertical markets for System Integrators, Retail and the Professional Audio markets," says Andrew Sorrill who is sales and marketing manager for Shure distributors Wild & Marr.

"Shure continuously strives for perfection in our product offering to the m

UK - An illuminated sculpture which features two up-cycled Star Wars craft is now on display in an exclusive public exhibition in Manchester's Spinningfields district.

Designed as a collaboration between lighting specialist, Andrew Gibson of Tyson Lighting and Vinny Smith of Northern Backdrop Interior Design, Heavy Petal has been fashioned from retro Raleigh bicycles which have been used to create the X Wing Fighter and TIE Interceptor from the iconic movies.

This innovative design installation, recently showcased in science, culture and technology magazine, Wired

USA Lighting designer Justin Kitchenman of FadeUp Design Group and the team at Elite Multimedia were impressed with rising country music artist Cole Swindell when he opened for superstar Luke Bryan last year. They were in a good position to appreciate this emerging talent, since Kitchenman was the LD on the tour and Elite provided its lighting and video package. So when Swindell announced his current Ain't Worth The Whisky tour, they were eager to put together a lighting package, which is precisely what they wound up doing in colourful fashion with some help from 44 ÉPIX Strip 2.

Spain - Equipson has agreed to acquire the fabrication business developed by Fantek, the Spanish manufacturer that specialises in truss structures and lifting towers. Says Equipson, "This acquisition results in an implementation of the know-how of Fantek, aligned with the corporate strategy of Equipson, as the company has been making big efforts to differentiate its divisions in clearly separated areas: audio, lighting and lifters. The addition of the industrial activity of Fantek will reinforce the lifting solutions division."

With this operation, Equipson incorporates a ne

UK - XL Video once again contributed video production to The X Factor Live 2015 tour - six weeks around UK arenas showcasing the considerable talents of the 2014 X Factor TV series finalists - including popular runner up Fleur East and winner Ben Haenow.

XL supplied ROE MC-7T and MC-18T Hybrid LED screens in XL's custom touring frames, cameras / PPU, Catalyst media server playback, a large Barco Mi-Strip scenic feature, projection and crew for the colourful, animated megamash of 30 major musical numbers, which was performed by eight artists and 11 dancers to sell out aud

UK - With entries for the 2015 Event Technology Awards now open, organisers have announced an opportunity for innovative businesses to impress the industry with the launch of a new People's Choice Award.

The Favourite Event Technology Supplier award, for companies that have developed an innovative technological solution which can be used to deliver, monitor, analyse or improve events, will face a public vote before gold, silver and bronze winners are revealed. Potential applicants need to demonstrate how their solution benefits the sector and why the industry should vote for them.

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China - Continuing from the success of last October's show, Prolight + Sound Shanghai will return to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from 14-17 October 2015. In 2014, the fair provided a business platform for 500 exhibitors and 24,017 visitors from 88 countries and regions.

Fiona Chiew, deputy general manager for Messe Frankfurt Shanghai Co, comments: "We conducted an industry survey last December and the result reviews that the participants expect and recognise the show as an effective means to reach international markets such as Brazil, Germany, India, Korea, Russ

Germany - Robe enjoyed another mega busy and successful Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt, with the launch of 10 new products and four hyperactive days on the booth in Hall 11 at the Messe exhibition centre.

This was preceded by Robe's sixth biennial International Distributor Conference, staged a day ahead of the exhibition at the Dorint Hotel Frankfurt Niederrad, and attended by over 150 Robe distributors from around the world. The conference detailed the company's growth trajectory over the last two years, highlighting the trends and outlining strategies for the next five years and b

USA - LA band Maroon 5 has kicked off their World Tour 2015 with two grandMA2 full-size consoles controlling lighting and video elements. Maroon 5 launched its World Tour 2015 in Dallas and will finish in Auckland, New Zealand. The tour is in support of the band's fifth album, V which was released last year.

LeRoy Bennett, the production designer for the tour, has branded the stage with strong 'V' motifs, inspired by the album artwork, incorporated into the trussing and transparent set pieces. Lighting and video create a dynamic, constantly changing environment on an arrow-shap

UK - Nexo has announced that Orbital Sound is to become the UK's full-service Main Dealer and Approved Rental Partner for Nexo sound reinforcement technology, carrying in-demand systems such as STM Series and GEO M6 in its hire stock.

The appointment of Orbital as the UK's Main Dealer, offering sales, installation, rental and service, is a key stage in Nexo's on-going process of restructuring and refining its sales channels in the UK to reflect the changing landscape of this influential market. "The addition of a company like Orbital with its heavyweight status has allowed us to

USA - Back in 1782, George Washington consented to have the small 'College at Chester' renamed in his honour. More recently, the students and alumni at Washington College (the tenth oldest in the US) have been showing their appreciation for this gesture by throwing a giant annual party in honour of the first president. This year's George Washington Party may have been the most colourful ever, thanks in no small measure to a dynamic lighting display created with a collection of Legend, Q-Wash and COLORado fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

Massimo Didonna of Partners in Sound (New Yor

Germany - The three-day International Stage Technology Conference takes place in Berlin from 9 to 11 June 2015. The international conference organised by Deutsche Theatertechnische Gesellschaft (DTHG) comprises 130 events. Topics will include theatre planning, scenography/design, make-up, international projects, exhibition design and museum technology, media technology and sustainability, safety, stage technology, sound systems and lighting. Simultaneous interpreting into English and German will be available at the events.

On 9 June, Brigitte Zypries, Parliamentary State Secretary at

UK - Welsh Indie rock band Catfish & The Bottlemen recently played two sold out shows at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire to finish a successful run of shows around the UK. LD Scott Galloway provided the sparkle for the tour using an Avolites Tiger Touch II.

Galloway created a "compact but punchy" show using a package from Nitelites, including six Chauvet Slimpar Pro's, four Martin Atomics, eight 2-cell blinders, and eight Clay Paky Sharpys.

Though he has toured with Avolites consoles since 2012, this was Galloway's first show using the Tiger Touch II. He had to be creative wi

USA - As part of its commitment to helping students succeed, global design software developer Nemetschek Vectorworks has launched the 2015 Vectorworks Design Scholarship programme. Students from across all design disciplines around the world are encouraged to submit their best individual or group work by Monday, 31 August, 2015 for the opportunity to win up to $10,000 USD.

The submission process is simple; students submit their best project, which may include work completed for a class assignment, and answer three questions, each in 150 words or less. An esteemed panel of judges will

Norway - The Norwegian Military Tattoo is held biannually in the Oslo Spektrum, attracting military marching bands and performing teams from all over the world, including Norway's armed forces, His Majesty the King's guard band and drill team. With more than 20,000 spectators in the audience, the event is televised and broadcast on Norway's national television station to more than a million viewers.

Bright Norway, formerly AVAB CAC has been involved with the event since the first tattoo held over 25 years ago, supplying full technical services including lights, audio, video, staging a

UK - With seven major shows from the Bill Kenwright Ltd stable hitting the UK touring circuit in as many weeks, the early part of 2015 disappeared in a blur for sound designer Dan Samson. One of the shows involved the first tour in over a decade for Jesus Christ Superstar. Also on the schedule was a large scale new production of The Sound of Music - with both shows involving sound equipment supplied by Orbital Sound.

The preparation for both shows took place at Orbital Sound's Brixton facility, involving detailed system planning, build and testing prior to the tours goi

UK - For the Tate Britain installation on May 1st at 6pm, AUDINT and Traction Sound will be presenting an infrasound / ultrasound / sound and video installation based on the 'Martial Hauntology' vinyl / book / print project released on AUDINT records in late 2014. A projection of the animated film produced for Side A of the vinyl - named 'Delusions of the Living Dead' will accompany an immersive wave formed installation that is designed to be felt as much as heard.

A screening of the film will also premiere in the Tate auditorium followed by a discussion at 7.30pm. Hire and install co

Canada / USA - Kling & Freitag Americas Inc, a new distribution company based in Montreal, Canada, is to take on exclusive distribution rights for premium German loudspeaker brand, Kling & Freitag, throughout Canada, the USA and Mexico with effect from 1 April, 2015.

The company was founded by Vaino Gennaro, formerly of Sennheiser Canada where he was in charge of Kling & Freitag distribution, and Susanne Seidel who has held top management roles within a number of technology-driven corporations, including Sennheiser and DPA. Gennaro will occupy the role of general manager with Seidel p

UK - After a competitive tender process, The Broadsword Production Group has announced that it has been awarded a three-year contract to The Science Museum as a production supplier. With a diverse range of interactive galleries, located in the heart of South Kensington, the award-winning Science Museum offers a wow-factor backdrop for corporate events.

Matt Green, Broadsword's Sales Director, led the tender process and is excited about the opportunities at The Science Museum. He explains: "It is a bespoke venue, visually stunning, with a unique mix of the modern and traditional.

Theatre Critic - Andrew Lloyd Webber has claimed a number of West End theatres are "not fit for today's purpose" and should be replaced. The theatre impresario said many venues have uncomfortable seats because people are now generally taller. He went on to criticise poor views in gallery seating, saying it was left over from "a class structure we don't have any more".

Speaking at the London Press Club Awards, where he was named Londoner of the year, Lloyd Webber said, "I believe that London would be a more vibrant place if we allow a more flexible use of theat

USA - Georgia's Savannah Music Festival has selected Meyer Sound systems to reinforce all four of its principal venues for the first time, including the largest Trustees Theatre and Lucas Theatre. The exceptional audio clarity has prompted positive reviews amongst local press, including Connect Savannah.

"With the help of Meyer Sound's new loudspeakers, [the Trustees Theatre is] the best sounding room in town. Enough kudos can't be given; when Taylor Goldsmith hit his first note, it was like the room collectively gasped in wonder at the mix," writes Anna Chandler of <

UK - UK alt rock band Fightstar - critically acclaimed for their distinctive sound and experimental blending of numerous metal genres with orchestral and others - celebrated their 10th anniversary by playing five high profile shows dotted around the country, culminating in a gig at London's Brixton Academy, with a Robe moving light rig designed by Will Dart.

Ahead of the shows - spread out over three months and starting at the Forum in London - Will received a list of bullet points from the band about what they did and didn't want to see in the show.

Coincidentally, this happened to

UK - Artists including Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line, Lee Ann Womack and Lee Bryan took the stage at London's O2 for the 2015 Country to Country music festival (C2C) in March, making use of many channels of Shure wireless microphones and in-ear monitoring systems.

As its name suggests, C2C is an international multi-day festival of country music, the result of a collaboration between live music promoters SJM Concerts, entertainment group AEG Europe (developer and operator of London's O2) and the USA's Country Music Association (CMA). From its beginnings in 2012 as a two day-eve

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