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08 November 2024

Europe - Formerly known as Groupe Novelty-Magnum-Dushow, the European provider of technical solutions for the event and rental staging market has announced its rebranding as Groupe Novelty.

The move, which includes a new logo and fresh corporate identity, positions the rapidly expanding Groupe for further growth and underlines its position as a 360° provider of technical services in France and on a global scale, says the company.

"Our new name, Groupe Novelty, unifies our diverse stable of specialist businesses and sets the stage for further international expansion,” says Jacques de La Guillonnière, founder and president of Groupe Novelty. “With over 40 years of experience and hundreds of thousands of events under our belt, all of our companies already enjoy an extremely strong reputation in France and abroad; with this rebrand, we want to shar

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08 November 2024

UK - QuickLink, provider of multi-camera video productions and remote contribution solutions, has announced the expansion of its reseller partner network, providing additional support and benefits for partners through its new Certified Partner Programme.

As part of this initiative, QuickLink also introduces a new Reseller Locator platform, enabling customers to easily find authorised QuickLink partners.

The new Certified Partner Programme introduces two tiers, gold and platinum. These two tiers provide QuickLink partners with access to a comprehensive set of resources, training, and promotional opportunities.

Through the programme, QuickLink partners can access an extensive array of technical, marketing, and sales tools designed to enhance their expertise and expand their business opportunities. The programme offers exclusive training session

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06 November 2024

UK - IPS has expanded its inventory of EXE Technology hoists with further investment in EXE Rise D8+ with an additional 40 1,000kg and 12 2,000kg double fall chain hoists, considerably expanding their EXE rental stock.

IPS, based in Milton Keynes, is a leading trade hire supplier to the events and production sector, offering extensive rental supply in staging, rigging, lighting, video, sound and power to a wide cross-section of clients nationwide.

Having increased its EXE Rise D8+ fleet in April with 1,000kg and 500kg units, the company has seen an upsurge in demand via its trade hire team with enquiries from its customer base, especially for the 1,000kg units. EXE has played an integral role over the summer season on some of IPS’s biggest projects and festivals across the UK, which have seen the full deployment of EXE hoists IPS now stocks. 

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06 November 2024

Austria - The Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG) will participate in the bi-annual MEET (Messe für Eventtechnik und Theater) show for event technology and theatre, held at Messe Wien in Vienna 6th - 7th November. The WSDG team will not only host a booth (F2, Hall D) but also present an educational lecture as part of the event’s official programme.

As an international trade fair for event technology featuring a specialist conference for events and theatre, MEET blends technology and art with over 80 exhibitors. This event presents the latest innovations in event technology and provides a valuable platform for discussion among theatre and event managers.

WSDG's Dirk Noy along with Mario Reithofer will be available throughout the two-day event, where they will meet with clients, partners and industry professionals to discuss ongoing and future projec

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05 November 2024

UK - UKEvents, the umbrella organisation of the UK’s events industry, has announced the findings of its anticipated UK Events Report 2024. The report, compiled by Great Potential Consultancy, highlights the industry’s critical role in the economy, generating £61.653bn annually and affirming its resilience following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Covering a wide range of events, including corporate, public, and charity sectors, the UK events industry has proved itself to be a vital economic driver, contributing not just financially but also culturally and socially. As the nation continues its recovery, the industry is paving the way for future growth and innovation.

Key findings from the report include:

Corporate events such as conferences, trade shows, exhibitions and product launches, generating £33.6bn.

Leis

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05 November 2024

Hammer Blow - Theatres across the country are braced to absorb yet more costs under Labour’s first Budget in office, with large tax rises labelled another "financial hammer blow” for pinched organisations. Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves’ increase to both national insurance for employers and the national living wage has left theatre buildings saddled with potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds more in annual expenditure.

Curve chief executive Chris Stafford told The Stage: "While we actively support increasing the national living wage, this rise in cost alongside the hike in national insurance payments is another financial hammer for theatres and producers. Based on very early projections, the Budget will hit our bottom line by at least £350,000 next year. This is on top of the money we will need to allocate to implement Martyn

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04 November 2024

UK - Later this month, Chauvet and its family of brands will take part in Light24 (Light Expo, London) which is built around the theme Step Into The Light. The company will be at the expo to showcase a wide range of solutions that will not only invite visitors to step into the light, but also create and control it in myriad ways, by doing things like using advanced graze and cove fixtures, outputting up to 48 universes from a rail mounted system, and much more.

The entire Chauvet family of brands will be on display at Light24 booth 45, with much of the emphasis being placed on the latest lighting and control innovations from Iluminarc, ChamSys and GeNetix.

The Chauvet booth will offer demonstrations of products like The Logic line of interior architectural lights from Iluminarc. Featuring streamlined form factors that will fit beautifully in

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01 November 2024

USA - The METalliance (Music Engineering & Technology Alliance) has announced that WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group) has become the newest pro partner of the organisation and the first recording studio designers to be invited as a member. Pro partner membership is limited to companies that have shown the ability to manufacture and distribute products and services that meet the organisation’s professional audio standards.

The METalliance's George Massenburg commented: “WSDG’s incredible legacy of innovation and excellence in recording studio design speaks for itself. They embody all of the core traits inherent to the mission of the METalliance and we are thrilled to include them in our organisation. All of our Pro Partners must be unanimously agreed upon to be included, and with WSDG that was an incredibly easy decision to reach.”

“All

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01 November 2024

USA - Pliant Technologies has announced the appointment of a new manufacturer’s representative, RTSales, which covers Puerto Rico, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“RTSales will represent Pliant’s entire suite of innovative, professional wireless products, including its CrewCom and MicroCom intercom lines, along with its complete line of headsets and accessories,” says Gary Rosen, vice-president of global sales, Pliant Technologies. “We look forward to expanding our sales in these territories with the RTSales team of seasoned sales and support professionals.”

For over 40 years, RTSales has earned a reputation as an effective and efficient resource for pre-sale technical support, purchasing and procurement, sell-through support, and after-the-sale service and technical training. With offices

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31 October 2024

Europe - Avolites has announced three new distributors in key European countries – Austria and Norway, plus Serbia and the other Balkan countries of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania.

Avolites’ managing director, Paul Wong, commented: “We have been working hard to boost our distributor network with new strategic partnerships worldwide and are thrilled to warmly welcome these three new distributor partners in Austria, Norway & Serbia and The Balkans. They will enhance our commitment to users in Europe and the Balkans and continue our strategy to strengthen the Avolites brand’s global presence.”

In Austria, Signal, a Robe distributor for several years, is taking on the Avolites distributorship. “Distributing Avolites really makes sense regarding turnkey solutions where before we could only offer lig

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31 October 2024

USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has selected AudioPros, LLC, as its manufacturer’s representative to serve the Northeast territory. AudioPros currently represents EAW throughout New England and Western NY and has now expanded to Metro New York.

“EAW is constantly innovating and bringing to market high-quality solutions that meet the needs of clients throughout the professional audio community,” says Alex Shillo, AudioPros principal.

“For over 40 years, EAW has been a leading manufacturer of speakers in our own backyard,” says Andrew Shillo. “EAW’s innovative approach to professional sound reinforcement has made them an industry leader worldwide. EAW’s passion and drive aligns with our own philosophies, we are excited for the opportunity to provide our services to new dealers.”

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30 October 2024

Malaysia - Void Acoustics, a leading innovator in cutting-edge audio solutions, has partnered with Motifv8 Sdn Bhd as its exclusive distributor for Malaysia.

Motifv8 Sdn Bhd is a specialist team of audio and lighting experts delivering AV solutions to Malaysia's market. Founded in 2016, the company has completed several high-profile projects in premium hospitality – a growing sector in Malaysia.

Working across a wide range of sectors, Motifv8’s clients include places of worship, stadiums, entertainment, education and many more.

Alex Skan, managing director at Void Acoustics, said: "We’re excited to officially appoint Motifv8 Sdn Bhd as Void’s exclusive distributor in Malaysia. Motifv8 has built an excellent reputation, and we are confident that their team will drive Void’s solution out into this dynamic market.”

Fedrick Lu

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29 October 2024

Canada - GLP has appointed DataVisual Marketing as its new Canadian distributor. The move was formally announced at the recent CITT conference and trade show in Saskatoon.

To underpin this move, DataVisual recently appointed Rob Deslauriers as its first vice-president of strategic growth. With a sales background in rental staging and concert touring spanning more than three decades, he says: “I’ve been a part of just about every major entertainment lighting manufacturer throughout my career.

“From my perspective GLP is completely in line with our visual offerings. Although everything today is about ‘visual’ rather than pure lighting, this is the first company we’ve represented from a lighting background.

“What excites me about GLP is their commitment to quality and some of the uniqueness of their products, which is paramount in

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29 October 2024

UK - The much-anticipated James Eade Rigging Power Systems training course, in partnership with EXE Technology, returned mid-October, leaving participants inspired and empowered with new skills to tackle rigging challenges in today’s demanding live entertainment sector. The event drew rigging and technical professionals from across the country, all eager to deepen their expertise and experience of rigging electrical systems using the latest technology.

The 2024 Rigging Power Systems course, hosted at Rigging Team’s HQ in Stevenage on 10-11 October, boasted a sell-out event attracting delegates from various sectors of the industry and as far afield as Tahiti.

Running for the second year, the course was developed by Matt Millward, head of automation at Area Four Direct UK and chartered engineer James Eade, who has a wealth of industry knowledge in

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29 October 2024

UK - Stage Electrics Group has been named one of the UK's Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work For in 2024 by Best Companies, an independent authority on UK workplace culture and employee engagement. Its annual rankings are based on comprehensive, anonymous surveys that assess employee opinions across various factors, including leadership, personal growth, wellbeing, and team dynamics.

Achieving a 2-star Outstanding accreditation from Best Companies and a place on the Top 100 list signifies an organisation's excellence in ‘fostering a supportive and engaging workplace’.

Dave Coull, CEO of Stage Electrics Group, commented: "This achievement is a testament to the incredible effort our team has put into cultivating a company culture rooted in core values that promote collaboration and engagement. I am delighted that our team's feedback

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29 October 2024

Oasis on File - Thousands of tickets sold on resale websites will be cancelled by Oasis ahead of their upcoming reunion tour. The band’s promoters, Live Nation and SJM, have told BBC File on 4 that it will cancel more than 50,000 tickets for the band's UK dates listed on secondary platforms. It said that all invalidated tickets will be made available again through the official seller, Ticketmaster, at face value.

There were 1.4m tickets on sale when Oasis announced their UK tour in August, but more than 10m fans from 158 countries joined the queue. Within hours, thousands of tickets appeared on resale sites at inflated prices. When tickets for the 2025 Oasis reunion tour went on sale, fans were told they could only purchase tickets at face value through Ticketmaster or resale partner, Twickets. The band's promoters said this was done in order to c

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28 October 2024

Australia - TDC (Technical Direction Company) has been awarded Production Company of the Year and Event Supplier of the Year at the 2024 Australian Event Awards and Symposium held on Wednesday, 23 October 2024 at Le Montage, Sydney.

"We are deeply honoured to receive these awards," said Michael Hassett, managing director at TDC. "This recognition by the industry and judging panel reflects the passion, creativity, and dedication of our team, who continuously push the boundaries of what is possible in the event space. Every project we deliver is a collaboration with talented individuals – our clients, partners, and incredible crew – who make the impossible possible."

This year, TDC has led ambitious and high-profile projects like Dream Circus at Luna Park, which won the award for Best Achievement in Design with Artists in Motion utilising advanced

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24 October 2024

UK - Moving from his original shop in Hanwell, West London, Jim Marshall took over the current Milton Keynes factory site in 1966. A few steps away from the main building was the social club, now repurposed as the Marshall Studio complex. Adam Beer joined the company in October 2020 as studio manager and oversaw the whole refurbishment project, designing the studio, then, a few years later, turning the disused theatre into a live venue.

“Marshall reached out when they decided to make their own recording studio for the Marshall Record Label artists,” Beer recalls. “The opportunity to build something from scratch was exciting. I chose how the space sounded, filling it with the best equipment available, but as a former live engineer, it was the theatre that really caught my attention. That part of the project was on the back burner for a while, but we had

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24 October 2024

UK - TSL has announced that it has added the Martin Mac One to its stock list. A compact moving head, the Mac One is a beam, wash and eye-candy fixture, capable of producing robust, vibrant aerial effects, seamless transitions and engaging visual effects. With its Fresnel lens that transforms any stage, the Mac One is suitable for concert, touring, TV sets, theatre, corporate events and more.

“The versatility of the Martin Mac One makes it a great fit for our clients across the live events spectrum,” says TSL. “It’s already lined up for an upcoming project, and we can’t wait to see the impact it will make on future shows.”

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23 October 2024

Europe - Lightware Visual Engineering has announced an innovative technology collaboration with Genelec, integrating the Lightware Automated Room Automation (LARA) platform with Genelec’s Smart IP PoE loudspeaker family.

By enabling system integrators and AV professionals to easily integrate Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers and subwoofers with Lightware products, users benefit from precise control over essential audio functions such as power management, volume control and mute functions. The solution is particularly valuable in corporate environments where audio quality and ease of use are paramount and eliminates the need for third-party control systems.

The new driver not only simplifies the setup and configuration process but also allows for real-time monitoring of loudspeaker status, providing critical information such as firmware version, zone ID

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23 October 2024

USA - Las Vegas-based full service technical production company 3G Productions has invested heavily in Kinesys automation equipment – including Elevation drives, Kinesys Vector control, DST trollies and tracking truss, which is compatible with the Kinesys Elevation system, together with Libra Cell load monitoring systems, Kinesys Array PD-ES power distros and other infrastructure, much of which has been acquired in the last year.

“The Kinesys system is rock solid and does exactly what it says. It’s known for both innovation and practicality, while being accepted widely as an offering of a premium automation solution,” stated 3G CEO, Keith Conrad.

In 2021, the company embarked on a substantial investment plan to ensure that their audio, lighting, video, and rigging equipment featured the latest, best, and most appropriate technologies to offer

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22 October 2024

Europe - Showlight 2025 is offering a sponsorship scheme for a number of students and recent graduates of university, college or school courses related to lighting for the performing arts, events, broadcast, film and architecture.

Say the organisers: “We are now inviting international students to apply for placements which allow free of charge entry to Showlight 2025 in Dijon, France from 19-22 May 2025. At least 30 places are up for grabs, and you’ll need to be available for the entire four days as they will be packed with special events you won’t want to miss.”

All students get to enjoy the full Programme of Papers, admission to the accompanying exhibition of major lighting equipment manufacturers between Papers Sessions, the networking opportunities of the daily morning and afternoon tea breaks and lunch, as well as a place at one of the C

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22 October 2024

Tourist Tax - Bosses at Royal Opera House and Shakespeare’s Globe are among more than 300 business leaders calling on the chancellor to axe a so-called ‘tourist tax’. Alex Beard of the ROH and Stella Kanu of Shakespeare’s Globe have added their signatures to a letter appealing to Rachel Reeves to reintroduce tax-free shopping for tourists ahead of this month’s budget.

Business leaders, including those who run department store John Lewis and make-up giant Charlotte Tilbury, claim the tax is deterring some two million foreign visitors from coming to the UK, thereby diminishing their spend on British products, hospitality, and culture.

The letter reads: "In 2021, in the aftermath of the pandemic that had hit businesses like ours hard, the then chancellor Rishi Sunak scrapped the tax-free shopping scheme for tourists that had existed for decade

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21 October 2024

Canada - LEA Professional has announced its partnership with Quebec-based AV distributor SFM.

SFM will now offer customers LEA Professional’s award-winning Network Connect series of professional amplifiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity.

"We share the same goal as our customers – to exceed expectations, and we are constantly seeking partners who uphold these standards," said Sami Midani, director of business development at SFM. "LEA has an exceptional and extensive technology catalogue that will bring variety and strength to our Canadian customers."

"Canada is a key area of growth for us as we enter a new year," said Scott Robbins, VP of sales at LEA Professional. "This partnership will enable us to tap into SFM’s established network that has been growing for nearly 50 years. We are closing out