The Netherlands - Panasonic Visual Solutions division has launched a training programme exclusively designed for visual professionals, such as resellers, system integrators, AV rental companies and distributors.

The Panasonic training programme includes several levels to develop Panasonic visual product knowledge and gain special certifications.

Split between projectors and display (which have three and two levels respectively) Panasonic partners can engage in free online training sessions through the Academy portal to gain Visual Professional certification.

When Visual Professional certification is attained, face to face training is made available to gain Expert, and Advanced Expert (projector only) certification, which takes place at the Panasonic European headquarters in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Panasonic European training manager Siegmar Küll, said, "Greater product k

France - Award-winning French attraction Puy du Fou has become the world's first theme park to introduce a drone fleet with embedded intelligence to enhance the visitor experience.

France's second most-visited theme park (after Disneyland Paris) allows visitors to witness history being brought to life through over 60 shows - from the Vikings and Knights of the Round Table, to Richelieu's Musketeers and Gallo-Roman gladiator games.

The park's flagship show Cinéscénie - which, at over 23 hectares is also the world's largest night show - provides a look through the ages and utilises the latest advances in technology and artistry. It was for this show that the drone technology was created.

Nicolas de Villiers, President, Puy du Fou, says: "The team was searching for a way to incorporate new heights to Cinéscénie. We wanted to create the biggest c

Egypt - TIU opened its doors in November 2014, unveiling a new nightlife concept from three of Egypt's best-known operators and promoters. The new venue, which resides where Tamarai once stood, has brought a new direction to one of Cairo's most famous night time locations. With an emphasis on quality and with a desire to create the city's best clubbing experience, TIU's owners opted for a Funktion-One sound system.

Tamarai was one of the most well known venues in Egypt. It was admired for its glamour and exclusivity but as Egypt's political landscape took a seismic shift, the appetite for such attributes naturally subsided. Tamarai's owners, Ayman Baky and Ahmed Beltagy, in keeping with the general mood in the country, plotted new beginnings. The partners teamed up with Ahmed Ganzoury of ByGanz Events and drawing from a formidable pool of knowledge and expertise, the trio create

UK - Lighting designer Ewan Cameron joins an increasing list of LDs to specify Robe's new BMFL Spots. He caught the BMFL fever on UK rockers Status Quo's most recent 'Status Quo Live 2014' tour.

Status Quo's distinctive 'boogie rock' sound has earned them over 60 chart hits and a Brit Award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Music' in a career spanning 45 years. They are still going strong, with more energy than ever, delighting their very loyal original fanbase as well as at least two generations of new - and equally enthusiastic - younger Quo fans.

Ewan took over the LD slot at the end of 2013 when Quo's previous LD - almost as legendary as the band - Patrick Marks - decided to retire after 25 years in the 'hot seat'.

When it came to creating a lighting design for this tour, Ewan wanted to retain a continuity with some of the classic Quo aesthetics that Pat had evolved over

The Netherlands - Opened in 1887, Amsterdam's Koninklijk Theater Carré (Royal Theatre Carré) has played host to circuses, vaudeville, one-man shows, revues, plays, operas, operettas and musicals. Completely renovated in 2004, the venue has continued hosting a wide range of events to the present day. The ongoing demand meant a major upgrade of its audio system became necessary, with a Yamaha CL digital mixing system the chosen solution.

With a lot of main productions now running in the theatre for longer periods than before, the management wanted the flexibility to host smaller morning or afternoon productions on the front of the stage. This would allow two or more events to be run on each day - the main part of the stage containing the set for the evening's production being unused during the day.

"Koninklijk Theater Carré is one of Amsterdam's most fa

USA - Audinate is taking its successful Dante AV Networking World events on the road to six North America cites. These free, full-day events are geared toward anyone involved with the design and installation of networked audio systems, including design consultants, system integrators and sound engineers. The interactive sessions will introduce attendees to the benefits of Dante and audio over IP networking, showcase example Dante installations, and feature of a full afternoon of hands-on training.

The events are co-sponsored by Audio-Technica, Bose, ClearOne, Focusrite, Presonus, Shure, Symetrix, and Yamaha, and will feature products from these manufacturers during the hands-on training sessions and in a dedicated demonstration room. Participants to AVNW may also earn four CTS InfoComm RU credits.

The winter/spring sessions are scheduled for the following locations and dates:<

Sri Lanka - ARX's MSX series audio splitters featured prominently in the audio system for Pope Francis's recent overwhelmingly successful visit to Sri Lanka.

Mr Chaminda De Mel at Panadura based Creative Entertainment Pvt Ltd supplied the Audio System for the sea-front Mass in Colombo where in front of a reported crowd of over 1m people, Pope Francis canonised Sri Lanka's first Saint 17th Century missionary Joseph Vaz.

ARX's managing director Colin Park comments, "The supply and sale was arranged in late 2014 by ARX's Sri Lankan representative Mr Mohan Jayasuriya. Audio contractor Creative Entertainment utilised four units of MSX 32 TALL Active and one unit of MSX 48 Passive Mic / Line Splitters.

"The ARX splitters were used for broadcast & microphone splitting and for the signal distribution to the sound reinforcement system(s) providing an extensive area of cover

Australia - Rental provider Gearhouse Broadcast has rolled in nine Lawo mc2-56 audio mixing consoles, 21 x Lawo V__pro8 video processor units and a Nova73 HD router for the broadcast of the first big international sports event of 2015 - the Australian Open tennis tournament.

Traditionally, the tournament attracts the tennis elite to the 30 tennis courts in Melbourne Park where, from 11 o'clock in the morning till late at night, they fight each other for the prestige of victory and the €2.1m prize money that awaits the winners of the singles games. The finals will take place on 1 February in the Rod Laver Arena in front of an audience of 14,820 tennis fans.

Lawo staff went down under in order to support Gearhouse Broadcast in setting up and commissioning the Lawo systems. Of the nine mc²56 consoles, five are networked via a Nova73 HD to provide sound feeds for host broadcaste

UK - GDS, alongside project partners Haworth Tompkins Architects, Charcoalblue, White Light and Skelly and Couch, were closely involved in the refurbishment of the Chichester Festival Theatre in Sussex.

In refurbishing Chichester, it was essential to preserve the magic and warmth that had cast a spell over audiences for years, whilst at the same time replacing outdated and unsustainable technology. GDS was to address all aspects of auditorium and backstage lighting. The catenary lighting above the thrust stage at Chichester Festival Theatre lies at its very heart and soul and its upgrading, without any loss of original character, was crucial to the entire project.

GDS's award-winning LED ArcSystem was installed for all aspects of house lighting, including emergency lights (around 200 fixtures in total). In this case fully wired and dimming seamlessly from 100% to zero, this aw

USA - PLASA Focus: Orlando 2015 begins 17 February, and pre-registration is already hitting record-breaking numbers for attendance. Thanks to a showfloor filled with industry leaders, and the best industry professionals hosting educational seminars, pre-registration numbers are over 25% higher than PLASA Focus: Orlando 2013.

With numbers expected to increase significantly over the next three weeks, PLASA Focus is off to a great start for 2015. "We are thrilled to see such high numbers for pre-registration so far. The high quality of our exhibitors and talented panellists are proving to be of interest to attendees, and that's what we strive for with PLASA Focus tradeshows," said Laura Hoepker, sales executive for PLASA Events.

From 17-18 February at the Rosen Plaza Hotel, attendees can visit with over 60 regional and national companies, network with representatives, s

Australia - Light Tonight has launched on YouTube as a video news magazine for the English speaking professional lighting industry worldwide. The show runs less than 30 minutes, is "fast paced and loaded with news, reviews, interviews, techniques and equipment".

Produced by CX Network, the show caps 25 years industry publishing experience for the network which until now has produced publications and internet TV in Australia.

"When we started CX-TV in 2010, YouTube had a seven minute clip limit and was standard definition," CX chief Julius Grafton said.

CX Network established several successful internet TV shows, including Gearbox, CXtra and most recently The Hump. They have been broadly viewed on the website cx-tv.com and are specific to the Australian market, whereas Light-Tonight is intentionally global.

A team of presenters from

Germany - New Year's Eve on the Fan Meile in Berlin is the biggest Sylvester party in Europe, attracting well over a million visitors to the street party in front of the Brandenburg Gate. National and international performers on three stages put on a spectacular show that was broadcast live by ZDF. For several years, regular audio provider Auvisign has used Nexo PA systems for this prestigious event - this time, it was an occasion to push the new STM M28 modular line array into the limelight.

Taking everyone into 2015, the massive Sylvester party was attended by 1.2m visitors, entertained by Tony Christie, Katherine Jenkins, Annett Louisan, Howard Carpendale, Tokio Hotel, David Garrett and David Hasselhoff! As every year, it was enabled by key players Wohlthat Entertainment GmbH (production), auvisign GmbH (sound company) and Steel United Group (technical direction), reportingto

UK - XL Video supplied impressive 100ft widescreen projection and an IMAG camera system for the final three week arena tour of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.

XL Video's project manager was Paul Wood. He and XL have delivered the live video solution for all previous touring versions of Jeff Wayne's epic creation since its inception in 2006. Each time the video elements have become more prominent and dramatic in impact as the Martian invasion goose steps across the 'human' world.

Paul states, "It's been a great experience working on all the TWOTW shows and seeing the application of video grow along with the evolution of the whole show. It's a real case of the latest technologies being used wisely and appropriately to bring a classic story - still extremely relevant today - to life, ensuring that the presentation stays relevant and stimulating."<

UK - Following a triumphant UK and European arena tour in 2012, Live Nation and SJM Concerts announced that the tour of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds would return for the sixth and final time in late 2014, and RG Jones Sound Engineering were once again on duty.

'The New Generation' as it is now known, played to packed arenas throughout the UK and Northern Europe this winter but the tried and trusted team of Simon Honywill, FOH engineer, sound production company RG Jones, and Martin Audio's full catalogue of MLA (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array) components were once again on hand to create the soundscape.

Conducted by Jeff Wayne, the most ambitious production yet featured Liam Neeson in 3D holography, Jason Donovan as Parson Nathaniel, Westlife's Brian McFadden as The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist, X Factor 2005 winner Shayne Ward as the Artill

UK - A series of music insert packages with Welsh singing sensation Caryl Parry Jones and her band were recorded on the grounds of the St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, in South Wales recently. The Caryl inserts were recorded and packaged to be inserted into a variety of transmissions and programmes shared across BBC Wales and S4C broadcast. Boom Pictures and Alfresco TV produced the Caryl series, which engaged their regular lighting director Steff Jones onto the project.

As the packages were to be used and to be fitted in a multitude of formats and programmes, the brief was to keep it simple, and to create a "stripped back" cozy look, which was also unbranded.

The set consisted of a simple four towers of Barco Mistrip, rigged vertically, with even spacing between each. The Mistrip had been used to create low resolution abstract moving graphics in the

India - Audio Design has become one of the largest and most respected sound rental companies in India, providing audio solutions locally across India and internationally. The company provides a full range of high end staging solutions including sound, lighting and video equipment as well as stage structures for some of the biggest concerts and festivals in India and employs more than 100 professionals. Underlining its dedication to excellence is Audio Design's recent investment in a substantial L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker system.

Audio Design has been the preferred technical supplier to some of the most well known Indian and international artists, including Bryan Adams, Lady Gaga, David Guetta, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, Tiesto and Guns & Roses.

"Audio Design has grown into one of India's top touring live sound reinforcement companies," states Audio Design director, Mr.

Slovenia - Europe's first installation of the new Nexo Geo M6 line array can be found by a peaceful park on the shore of a Slovenian lake. In the Bled Festival Hall, the compact Geo M6 arrays look down on a venue originally built for grandmasters to play a World Chess Championship.

Bled has a long tradition of congress, and its elegant Festival Hall has hosted scientific and professional meetings, corporate and economic summits, and sporting and musical events. In its principal hall, capacity 500, MK Light Sound has just installed the Geo M6.

Dean Karov of MK Light Sound explains that his company impressed the venue management with the suggestion of a small array sound reinforcement solution which would be unobtrustive but offer smooth even coverage in the hall.

"We were asked to supply a system that would offer high speech intelligibility, even coverage and enough powe

UK - The Network Of Women In Events (NOWIE) is hosting its first 'drop in' style event at the forthcoming Event Production Show. On Thursday 19 February, NOWIE committee members are inviting any women working in the live events industry to join them from 12 noon in the bar area of the main hall for an informal get-together and lunch.Established in 2013, NOWIE hosts a regular series of networking events throughout the year and across the UK, typically aligning with major festivals or outdoor events and featuring a keynote speaker. The organisation's overall aim is to challenge industry clichés by encouraging women to share knowledge, offer support and training to those new to the industry and make new contacts."We've had a great response to some of our previous networking events, but wanted to try and reach a broader audience," explains NOWIE chairman, Zac Fox, who

UK - One of London's most famous places of worship, St Martin-In-The-Fields, has a long history of opening its doors to people from all faiths and walks of life - or indeed no faith at all. Welcoming 750,000 visitors every year to church services, events and music performances, a Yamaha QL1 digital mixing console is at the heart of its newly-upgraded audio system.

The church also occupies a special place in broadcast history, having made the very first religious broadcast, and it continues to broadcast to people around the world. Working with a knowledgeable partner to upgrade the church's audio system is essential to ensure such a variety of audiences are able to fully share in the church's mission. This is why, when the church put the project for a new audio system out to tender, SFL Group's extensive portfolio of worship installations meant that the company was a natural invi

UK - Broadcast graphics company MOOV has extended its services into outside broadcasting with a three year production deal with the Professional Squash Association (PSA) to provide production services for its World Tour events. The first event in the contract is the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, held on 16-23 January 2015 from inside Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

Nev Appleton, director, MOOV, said, "MOOV has 15 years' experience working in live sport productions, which has given us the invaluable insight that has allowed us to expand in to the production services sector. Winning the PSA contract demonstrates that we are a diverse and expanding business. Initially we will focus on similar-sized projects that require a streamlined, economical but high-quality production, but as we expand our experience and resources we will also look at bigger projects."

USA - The world's first 2mm convex LED video wall was installed by PixelFLEX in the new VIP Lexus Lounge at Nashville's nationally acclaimed and award winning Bridgestone Arena.

The Lexus Lounge was recently added to Bridgestone Arena to transform the VIP experience of visiting fans. The private 450-member club boasts the PixelFLEX FLEXUltra LED wall that is 47ft in width and 7ft in height behind the bar, displaying a panoramic, high definition view of Nashville Predators games and other entertainment events held within the facility.

"Our mission at Bridgestone Arena is to be the number one sports and entertainment venue in the United States, and the building of the Lexus Lounge and all that it encompasses fits right along with that," said Chris Junghans, senior vice-president of corporate development for the Nashville Predators. "As an entire space, the Lexus L

UK - dbn Lighting provided lighting, visual design and equipment for the most recent season of Manchester's famous Warehouse Project (WHP 2014).

Among the UK's most popular club experiences, a line-up including Richie Hawtin, Alesso, Annie Mac, Jamie XX, Fatboy Slim, Fac51 The Haçienda, The Martinez Brothers and literally hundreds more top artists, made the beats move and groove back at WHP's spiritual home, the Store Street arches underneath Piccadilly station

dbn's own WHP team was project managed by Pete Robinson.

The company has provided lighting design and equipment to the WHP phenomena since it first hit the scene nine years ago. The Store Street venue has a capacity of 1800 and the entire season from October to New Year's Day usually sells out in a matter of minutes.

The biggest technical challenge as always was getting all the production ready in the three hour ti

Brazil - UK based lighting designer Sam MacLaren was happy to be using Robe moving lights on his rig for two high profile back-to-back shows in Brazil which concluded the UK indie rockers Arctic Monkeys AM world tour, which had been on the road for 18 months.

Robe fixtures were supplied for the shows - Anhembi in Sao Paulo, an open air space famously utilized for their Carnival, and Rio's HSBC Arena - by leading Brazilian lighting rental company LPL, project managed for them by Erich Bertti.

Robe has been one of the 'preferred manufacturers' on the Arctic Monkey's rider throughout this tour which was originally designed by the innovative Paul Normandale, and has been lighting directed on the road by Sam.

Sam has also worked with LPL before - first on a Placebo tour and most recently at the start of 2014 with David Guetta.

"Knowing the high quality of the Robe products

USA - Emmanuel Baptist Pastor Wade Burleson described the results of Paragon 360's recent renovation project at his church in Enid, Oklahoma - by saying "Paragon hit a homerun with this one". To extend the baseball analogy a step further, one impressive result of that renovation is that Emmanuel Baptist can now make the transition from a traditional service with a choir to a band-led contemporary service in about the same time it takes Major League teams to complete one innings of play.

Springfield, MO-based Paragon 360 accomplished this feat at the 35-year old-church by adding new architectural elements and upgrading the audio, video and rigging system, in addition to installing an impressive collection of lighting fixtures from Chauvet Professional. As a result of these changes (and the hard work of church staff) Emmanuel Baptist is now able to change its sanctuary s

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