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01 October 2024

Dynamic Pricing - Oasis have announced they will ditch dynamic pricing for the American leg of their reunion tour, after it caused "an unacceptable experience" for UK fans. The system raises the price of concert tickets at times of high demand. When Oasis' UK dates went on sale, some fans were charged more than £350 for tickets with an initial face value of £150. The band faced significant backlash, and the UK's competition regulator launched an investigation into whether Ticketmaster breached consumer protection law.

In a statement announcing dates in the US, Canada and Mexico, the group's managers said they wanted to "avoid a repeat of the issues" faced by fans in the UK and Ireland. "It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate an

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30 September 2024

UK - Disguise, in collaboration with Bluman Associates and the European chapter of frame:work has announced Be Seen. Be Heard, a half-day event dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within the creative video and live events industries. The event will take place on 9 October at Bluman Associates, London.

Be Seen. Be Heard aims to be a catalyst for change, empowering individuals from all backgrounds to be offered the opportunity to be part of and thrive in the creative community.

The speaker line-up includes diverse industry voices including Disguise founder Ash Nehru, Production Futures CEO Hannah Eakins, Petok Productions founder Pembe Tokluhan, The Fifth Estate creative director Sarah Rushton-Read, FRAY Studio creative technologist Kira O'Brien, Bluman Associates owner Pod Bluman, frame:work director Sarah Cox, Disguise he

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30 September 2024

Australia - Clearlight Shows, the Australian distributor for Luci Della Ribalta, will be present on the Entech Roadshow, the tradeshow for AV and entertainment technology professionals. Starting next month, the roadshow visits Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

“Our distribution network has solid foundations, and for years we have been present in markets and areas far from our headquarters in Italy,” says Lisa Papi, managing director of LDR.

“Clearlight Shows does excellent work in distant Australia, and we are very pleased that they are participating in this event, which, as we interpret it, seems to develop a very interesting travelling format that will allow many important players and companies to get in touch with our products.

“We are certainly looking forward to some feedback after the event, confident in the exce

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27 September 2024

UAE – Dubai-based Flair Event Services designs and delivers full technical production for a range of projects – corporates, industrials, concerts, clubs, social events and more – throughout the UAE and across the Middle East region.

The team – currently nearly 70 full-time – also engages in consultancy work and is headed by managing director Sameer ‘Sam’ Rahman, who has been in the industry since he was a teenager. He started working in a theatre in Dubai when at high school as well as DJ’ing and running his own lightshows, initially with 12 PAR cans and plenty of imagination.

Sam is now also an award-winning lighting designer who has worked worldwide on a diversity of shows. He is Flair’s head of lighting – and responsible for all investments – as well as MD of the company, and is a big advocate for Robe.

Flair has a la

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27 September 2024

UK - Production Futures has announced the dates for its autumn On Tour events. They will take place between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday 15 October at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet and Wednesday 27 November at Production Park in Wakefield. That latter event will see the presentation of this year’s Production Futures Breakthrough Awards, where as well as receiving the kudos of being named a winner, successful nominees will benefit from direct contact with the sponsor of their award.

The events will enable young visitors to directly connect with representatives of Production Futures’ brand partners to explore employment opportunities in the production sectors. Both occasions will enjoy packed schedules including panel discussions, advice, workshops, special guests, networking opportunities and more.

Production Futures has also announced that

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25 September 2024

UAE - West Midlands-based event design and production agency Taylex Group has announced its strategic expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This international expansion marks “a significant milestone for Taylex Group”, aiming to “bolster its support for existing clients while tapping into new opportunities in the dynamic Middle Eastern market.”

Recent Taylex projects include delivering the Media Oasis event in Paris hosted by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Media within the Pavilion at Place Vendôme, plus the installation of the Saudia Arabian Ministry of Sport Pavilion in the Rome-based Saudi Village through HQWS.

Lee Forde, general manager at Taylex Group UAE, brings over 30 years of industry knowledge to the expansion, with a track record including being former general manager of Creative Technology Middle East.

“I’m th

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24 September 2024

Canada - CAST Group of Companies reports that it has been certified by Great Place To Work. The award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at CAST. This year, 85% of employees said it’s a great place to work.

"Great Place To Work certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience," says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the vice-president of global recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasises that certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that CAST stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees."

“We are thrilled to become Great Pl

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20 September 2024

UK - The Schools Engagement Programme, launched in January 2024 in the East of England region by The Power of Events with grant support from the EIF, has announced that Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has been confirmed as exclusive sponsor of the Edinburgh region. This now takes the UK roll-out to five regions alongside recently confirmed new regions Birmingham, Hertfordshire and the South Coast of England.

EICC’s support will enable The Power of Events, in partnership with local event professionals volunteering as schools ambassadors, to deliver an event industry showcase and overview of career opportunities to secondary schools & colleges across the Edinburgh region, starting in Spring 2025.

The Schools Programme has already attracted 200+ school ambassador industry volunteers across the four Nations willing to support the p

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20 September 2024

Belgium - EventCom is a specialist in the provision and rental of AV equipment based in Gembloux, in French-speaking Belgium, managed by director Thomas Richard.

The company has invested in a number of Robe mobile lighting products, including the newest iFORTES and Esprites.

EventCom has also just completed a new extension to their warehouse and offices, which will triple their operational space to 2,600sq.m of storage and 600sq.m of office space. This will allow EventCom to operate more efficiently and grow as planned over the coming years.

“Robe is the top brand right with an excellent range of fixtures and a great reputation for reliability and value,” stated Thomas, whose first purchase was 24 x MegaPointes in 2021 which have worked constantly ever since.

“Getting MegaPointes really did have that much impact, they were that

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19 September 2024

Europe - In the wake of a successful IBC show in Amsterdam, Lawo, developer of the Ravenna audio-over-IP technology, is pleased to welcome Norway-based Bridge Technologies as the latest partner to the growing Ravenna community.

The partnership represents not only Ravenna’s increasing importance in the field of audio-over-IP, but also Bridge’s commitment to the development of probes which support a full range of industry standards and facilitate monitoring of all kinds of broadcast networks, regardless of the infrastructure, standards or technologies upon which the network is based.

The collaboration saw one of Bridge’s VB440 probes in operation on the Ravenna booth at IBC 2024 as part of a next-generation audio production demonstration featuring S-ADM metadata transport over the recently released SMPTE ST 2110-41standard. Bridge also showcased

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18 September 2024

UK - Backup Tech has announced the latest Backup Ambassadors. Backup trustee, Koy Neminathan, has overseen the ambassador programme and is delighted to introduce Chris West, Lee House, Luke Edwards, Paul Jones and Amber Etra.

Ambassadors spread the word about what Backup does to the wider industry, encouraging companies to become Backup partners and helping individuals raise money for Backup through fundraising initiatives. Ambassadors also attend live activities, meetings and events, including the annual Backup Village Fete.

It is a great way to get involved with the charity and help get others involved, too. Chris, Lee, Luke and Amber explain why they decided to get involved with Backup and what they hope to achieve for the charity.

Chris West runs West Training Services and decided to become an ambassador to help ensure the future of the c

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18 September 2024

UK - Production Futures, the organisation founded to create opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop real careers in every sector of the production industries, has announced a collaboration with the Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers (ISCVE). The aim of the partnership is to strengthen industry links and provide clear pathways for newcomers in the sound, communication and visual engineering sectors.

As part of the ISCVE Early Careers Committee’s commitment to supporting the next generation of professionals, the collaboration will help to further bridge the gap between education and industry, offering links to ISCVE’s range of free and paid training programmes via the Production Futures platform, giving education partners and newcomers access to essential learning tools.

Jason Williams, early careers

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17 September 2024

UK - Celebrating its “best show for many years”, PLASA Show once again took residence in the Grand Hall of Olympia London from 1-3 September, demonstrating continuous growth - occupying 10% more floor space, welcoming a steady 5% increase in visitors and showcasing over 30 new exhibitors.

Despite an unexpected heatwave in the city and the extended summer festival season, visitor figures for Sunday - the event’s opening day - saw a 9.5% increase compared to 2023, while day two’s footfall also exceeded previous years, according to the show’s organisers.

The show floor welcomed a healthy cross-section of industry visitors, from entry-level professionals to senior leadership, with 15% more students visiting compared to 2023 and 79% of attendees declaring “influential purchasing power”. Key job roles of those in attendance included directors

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17 September 2024

UK - Entertainment technology distributor Entedi announced its partnership with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) at PLASA Show 2024.

Through this partnership, Entedi and RADA are set to ‘transform the training landscape’, acting as a hub for the entertainment lighting industry.

By providing in-depth demonstrations and specialist equipment training, Entedi will play a key part in ensuring that RADA’s delivery of lighting theory and the practical application of the latest technologies stays at the cutting edge.

Cally Bacchus, managing director at Entedi, comments: "We are incredibly excited to collaborate with RADA. This partnership represents a unique opportunity to nurture the future and current generation of lighting professionals by combining RADA's exceptional educational framework with Entedi's industry-leading technology an

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17 September 2024

Europe - The announcement of Showlight’s return next year (19-25 May in Dijon) created considerable interest at PLASA Show 2024.

Showlight’s organisers report that there was a healthy contingent of students enquiring about the subsidised student scheme and great interest in the introduction of afternoon workshops for 2025. Showlight is encouraging manufacturers, designers and students to put forward their ideas for more workshops. If you have a proposal, contact papers.committee@showlight.org

A large number of papers proposals have been received following the call for papers in June and more submissions are welcome. Remember to submit your ideas for consideration by the papers committee as soon as possible.

“The Programme of Papers is the heart and soul of Showlight and we want to be able to bring you the best and most entertaining topi

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17 September 2024

Off The Campaign Trail - Former US President Donald Trump has been found liable to pay damages to singer and songwriter Eddy Grant for using his song Electric Avenue without permission. It has taken Grant more than four years to sue the Republican candidate in this year’s presidential election in the US courts, over his 2020 campaign video that used a 40-second clip of the song.

The video was viewed 13.7m times before Twitter, now known as X, took it down. A federal judge in Manhattan ruled Mr Trump breached Mr Grant's copyright for his 1983 hit and is now liable for damages as well as paying for the singer's legal fees.

Grant's battle with the former President began in August 2020, when he was seeking re-election to the White House. On Friday, Judge John G. Koeltl rejected arguments from Mr Trump’s lawyers that the Twitter video was shi

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16 September 2024

UK - Offering considerable hands-on experience and the first steps into a technical career in the arts, applications are open again for Lighthouse Young Technicians, organised by Lighthouse Poole arts complex. It is a nationally recognised training course for young people aged 13-19 eager to get to grips with lighting, sound and stage management in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings.

“Since its launch in 2018, the Young Technicians course has proven to be a valuable, real-world route into a career in technical theatre,” says Charles Shenton, Lighthouse creative engagement producer.

Guided by industry specialists in a structured 12-week course, the budding technicians navigate all elements of technical theatre to gain the experience they need to pursue a future career, working alongside all technical departments in the build up to opening ni

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13 September 2024

UK - Elation has announced that Sound Technology has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Elation and Obsidian products in the UK and Ireland, effective now. In addition to its existing portfolio, Sound Technology will manage all aspects of Elation and Obsidian sales, service, training, and support in the region.

Located in Letchworth Garden City, north of London, Sound Technology is a leading distributor of high-profile brands in the professional audio, lighting, and MI retail sectors. The company is part of the Midwich Group, one of the largest specialist audiovisual distributors in the UK and Europe.

Marc Librecht, sales and marketing director for Elation and Obsidian in Europe, emphasised the partnership: “We are excited to have found a dedicated partner who can help us expand the Elation and Obsidian brands in this extremely importa

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13 September 2024

Vietnam - Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) Group’s Vietnam team recently hosted an industry meet and greet with Vietnam’s creatives at Revons Studio in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. The event, titled Spatial Visualisation, invited Vietnam’s top show designers, production directors, choreographers and technical directors to touch, experience and experiment using the BlackTrax real-time tracking and automation solution. 

Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) Group is a value-added event technology distribution network, with a regional coverage across six countries in South-East Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and certified BlackTrax reseller for the region. 

For this event the Group’s Vietnam branch chose to showcase the company’s solution package of BlackTrax integrated with multiple

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12 September 2024

UK - Sony has released new research into employers’ approach to sustainability in the media and entertainment industry in Europe. Titled Means & Mindset: The state of sustainability in the media industry, the report sheds light on how seriously the industry is taking steps to become more environmentally conscious.

The research, which was conducted using Sony’s own European contact database, was aimed at presenting a realistic view of the industry’s sustainability credentials, which included both positive changes already made, but also the barriers to further, more significant change.

The encouraging news is the research found that while only 40% of businesses cared about being seen as more sustainable, nearly three-quarters of businesses (73%) have implemented operational changes to reduce their environmental impact. The most actio

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12 September 2024

China - Brompton Technology joined INFiLED’s 15th anniversary celebration on 9 September at the InterContinental Dameisha Resort in Shenzhen. The event highlighted INFiLED’s role as one of the leading providers of LED display solutions and celebrated the long-standing partnerships, including the one with Brompton Technology, that have propelled advancements in the LED industry.

The anniversary featured a variety of activities, including speeches from INFiLED’s CEO and vice-president, along with testimonials from key business partners such as Brompton Technology, LANG AG, and RM Multimedia, highlighting their successful collaboration with INFiLED. The event also included an awards ceremony to honour suppliers, a showcase of notable projects from the past five years, and engaging performances prepared by INFiLED employees.

Elijah Ebo, Brompton’

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10 September 2024

UAE - Creative Technology Middle East (CTME) is based in the UAE, KSA, and Qatar, and delivers technical design, planning and production for some of the most ambitious and dynamic live events and system integration projects in the region.

Creative Technology has been steadily investing in new Robe moving light fixtures over the last three years, including the recent purchases of 24 x Fortes, 80 x LEDBeam 350s and four RoboSpot BaseStations with Motion Cameras.

The latest purchases have happened since CTME’s head of lighting, Sam Connolly, started with CT three years ago, and were driven by him coupled with the company’s previous experience with Robe moving lights, including BMFLs.

However, the time had arrived to update these with newer technologies. Before joining the team at CTME, Connolly enjoyed 10 years working in the region on inter

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10 September 2024

Dynamic Pricing - The UK competition regulator has launched an investigation into the sale of Oasis tickets, including the use of "dynamic pricing". The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating whether ticket-selling platform Ticketmaster breached consumer protection law. Dynamic pricing meant that, on Ticketmaster, where tickets to the reunion tour were originally sold, prices rose in line with demand.

The investigation will examine whether: Ticketmaster engaged in unfair commercial practices; buyers were given clear information to explain that the tickets could be subject to price rises; people were put under pressure to buy tickets within a short period of time. The CMA's probe follows widespread criticism of dynamic pricing over the past week from Oasis fans.

Many said they ended up paying significantly more than they expected for

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09 September 2024

USA - Texas-based rental and event production solutions company LD Systems has invested in 32 new Robe iForte LTX moving lights, purchased specifically to pair with their existing 14 RoboSpot remote follow spotting control systems.

“The iForte LTX is a proper ‘Swiss Army knife of fixtures’ – highly versatile and very robust,” commented LD Systems’ lighting operations manager, Nathan Brittain.

The company already has substantial quantities of other Robe products – Pointes, MegaPointes and Spikies – in its rental inventory which are in constant use on touring, concert, and festival systems as well as special events, spectaculars and one-offs, plus the RoboSpot Systems which up to this point had been working with BMFL LT fixtures.

Brittain explains that they were looking for an IP-rated high-powered moving light, especially for t