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South Africa - The first Discovery Graduation Ceremony 2012 was held recently at Vodaworld at Vodadome, Midrand, put together by events company, Edith Unlimited.

Edith Venter, a long-time client and owner of Edith Unlimited, who is known for her charity and high profile events, asked MJ Event Gear to provide the full technical. The in-house occasion was attended by 260 people and awarded Discovery staff who had completed various forms of training.

"The event went wonderfully smooth," said Theo Rood, production manager from MJ Event Gear, who as part of his pre-production work also tested the venues' LED pillars and projectors prior to set-up to avoid any unforeseen hiccups.

The venue, tables and chairs were draped in white and looked stunning as Robe 600 LED fixtures washed them in colour. "Edith Unlimited rely completely on our creativity when it comes to lig

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UK - The power of visual design in performance is at the centre of a new exhibition created by Edge Hill University students. An innovative selection of work will be unveiled on campus to mark the first ever graduate degree exhibition for those on the BA (Hons) Design for Performance and BA (Hons) Visual Theatre courses.

Launching on 20 May, the work has been designed by the students to showcase how their ideas can shape the creative outcome of theatre and other environmental surroundings.

Imaginative creations on display will include life drawings, costumes and various stage designs which reflect the skills students have developed on their degrees. The exhibition is also a way for students to showcase their talents to potential employers.

Lauren McGowan, who is in her third year on the Design for Performance programme and has led on the project, said, "It is the first

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UK - Bristol-based event production company SXS was recently commissioned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to provide sound and full technical production for the royal unveiling of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. This followed a £50m restoration project as a result of fire damage to the 143-year-old clipper back in 2007.

SXS were tasked with constructing (and dressing) a dais stage, while the PA was provided by the company's new Martin Audio W8LM line array system supplied by dealers, LMC Audio.

The production company deployed a total of 12 W8LM Mini Line Array enclosures in two hangs, with two W8LMD Downfills at the base of each hang. This was driven by Lab Gruppen FP series amps and controlled using XTA DSPs.

Attended by both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the launch took place at the Cutty Sark Gardens and the event included a 90-strong symphony orchestra and a

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USA - Richard Pilbrow, founder of Theatre Project Consultants (TPC) and one of the world's leading theatre design consultants, will give the keynote address at the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (NATEAC) in New York City on July 22.

The conference, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, July 22 and 23, 2012, promotes communication between the architects, engineers, consultants, and manufacturers responsible for designing and building new theatres and renovating existing performance facilities in North America.

Pilbrow will speak at the conference's opening session on July 22 at 9:30 a.m. at the New York Hilton Hotel, 1335 Avenue of the Americas. The session is open only to registered attendees. To register for the conference, visit www.nateac.org/register.htm.

Early in his career, Pilbrow was selected by Laurence Olivier to be the lighting designer

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Russia Trussing and staging manufacturer Prolyte Group is exhibiting at the first edition of the P+S Moscow, held from 16-19 May. Together with the support from distributing partner MF Group, Prolyte Group kicks off her presence at this exhibition offering a mix of products, support and seminars.

At the exhibition Prolyte Group is showcasing a broad selection of its products, including new products like the H40R truss, PreRigTruss and the LiteConsole.

During the exhibition Prolyte Group will present two seminars. Marc Hendriks, technical director, will present a masterclass on the ProLyft Hoist on Friday and will also present two build up sessions for an MPT roof on Thursday and Friday.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Orbital Sound is planning a compelling product line-up of international brands on Stand No: 33 at ABTT 2012 (Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London, 13-14 June) - including the first UK showing of the recently launched Clear-Com HelixNet all-digital intercom platform. Among the latest additions to Orbital's comprehensive portfolio will be the new Yamaha CL Series mixers, the d&b audiotechnik V-Series loudspeakers, and the Shure Axient radio microphone system.

Based on Clear-Com's advanced I.V.Core Technology, HelixNet is designed to break down the conventional barriers between intercom technologies, combining exceptional audio quality and network flexibility with cabling simplicity and system intelligence. Clear-Com products are distributed exclusively in the UK by Orbital.

Orbital's sales director Tom Byrne comments, "Although we all use analogue wired communication

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USA - Tannoy, Audica, Lab.gruppen and Lake will be exhibiting together again at InfoComm 2012, taking place between 13-15 June at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

InfoComm 2012 will see a number of firsts, with Tannoy demonstrating its new VLS Series passive column loudspeakers for the first time. VLS Series is the first Tannoy product to incorporate FAST (Focussed Asymmetrical Shaping Technology).

Visitors to the show will also get an exclusive first opportunity to find out about Tannoy's new VSX Series subwoofer line - being unveiled in the demo room.

Leading the charge for Lab.gruppen will be its latest install-centric amplifier range, E Series, which was previewed at last year's InfoComm, well in advance of its official launch. Lab.gruppen will also exhibit its PLM Series (which incorporates Lake Processing technology) alongside the Lake LM 44 (another debut at InfoComm)

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USA - Three new sessions have been added to an already stellar line up of speakers due to take the stage at PLASA Focus: Nashville, a new style of regional event taking place, for the first time, at The Nashville Municipal Auditorium, on 11-12 July 2012.

Joining other exhibitors, such as Clay Paky, Barbizon Lighting, Robe, and Martin Professional, PLASA Focus: Nashville is proud to announce the recent additions of 4Wall, Drape Kings, The Light Source, Interspace, IATSE, SeaChanger, Techni-Lux, and ZFX, to its growing floor plan.

As well as the raft of exhibitors on show at PLASA Focus: Nashville 2012, visitors can also learn, first hand, about how those new products are best put into practice. Kicking-off the exhibitor demo sessions is Niclas Arvidsson, of Wireless Solutions with a unique introduction to the world of wireless lighting control, including Wireless DMX, RDM and m

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UK - "When one of the UK's biggest TV shows sets up in your back yard and say they need to equip the largest lighting rig that's ever been seen on prime time TV....it would be rude not to help them out." Says ELP project manager Barry Denison with a wry smile on his face.

He continues. "It's been brilliant having The Voice based here at Elstree as we've been able to instantly provide LD Mark Kenyon and his head rigger Dave Morrell with all the gear they need right from our Elstree office. We worked closely with them on-site throughout the whole process, from creating technical drawings during the planning process right through to supplying extra components on actual show days."

ELP were involved even before The Voice UK came to Elstree. The show was broadcast in three stages. The first stage involved blind auditions from BBC TV centre where co

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UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light is enjoying a busy spring-to-summer season supplying new theatrical productions, as the West End defies the predictions that it would suffer in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

Recent openings include Long Day's Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre, starring David Suchet and Laurie Metcalf with lighting by Mark Henderson; two acclaimed transfers from the Chichester Festival Theatre, Sweeney Todd also lit by Mark Henderson and the double bill of South Downs and The Browning Version lit by Neil Austin; the Neil Simon comedy The Sunshine Boys starring Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths at the Savoy Theatre, also lit by Neil Austin, and The Duchess of Malfi at the Old Vic, lit by James Farncombe.

The Old Vic's production of Noises Off has transferred to the Novello, lit by Paul

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UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) will use the opportunity of its forthcoming Theatre Show (13-14 June), to present a seminar discussion on the future of industry training, at London's Old Truman Brewery, on Wednesday 13 June, 12:45pm-2pm, in the venue's Seminar Room. Speakers include: Robin Auld, operations director, National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural; Chris Parry-Jones, head of Gallowglass Training; and, Bryan Raven, managing director, White Light.

Throughout the last year, the Association has continued to develop and promote its Technical Access Passport (TAP) - launched at the ABTT 2011 Theatre Show - a scheme that creates an online repository for verified training, skills, insurance and other professional information.

Now, with TAP gaining weight within the industry, the second phase of the scheme is ready to start. Industry trainers will

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At The Cinema - The farewell concert by Irish pop band Westlife is to be screened live to cinemas in the UK and Ireland and across Europe. The group, who announced last October they were splitting after 14 years, are set to bow out with a final concert at Dublin's Croke Park on 23 June. The event will be screened at more than 200 cinemas in nine countries including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Norway. There are also plans to screen the gig in Australia and South Africa. The band, whose 14 UK number ones include 1999 hit Flying Without Wings, have sold more than 44 million records worldwide. Organisers said tickets for the 23 June concert sold out in minutes, leading them to schedule another date at the Dublin venue on 22 June.

No Show - Lady Gaga has cancelled a concert in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, citing security concerns after protests by religious groups. The s

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UK - At The ABTT Theatre Show, the team from Philips Vari-Lite will be on hand to show off its recently launched, super bright range of Spot and LED Luminaires and catch up with end users and dealers.

The Philips Vari-Lite team will present a showcase from the latest1500W platform of Spot Luminaires, launched earlier this year at Frankfurt ProLight and Sound. They include the VL3015and the VL3015LT, as well as the VL3515 Spot luminaire. With the VL3015 andVL3515 Luminaires, Philips Vari-Lite has substantially increased light output while maintaining the popular features of existing Vari-Lite fixtures.

"The VL3015, VL3015LT, andVL3515 Spot luminaires each use an OSRAM 1500-watt short arc lamp," explainsDavid March, director, European sales for Philips Vari-Lite. "The VL3015LT,Vari-Lite's first luminaire developed specifically for long throw applications,also feat

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UK - Hot on the heels of its success at PLASA Focus Leeds and ProLight and Sound, Frankfurt, the team at Philips Entertainment Lighting is gearing up for yet another high-energy trade event in the form of the annual ABTT Theatre Show in June.

Philips Selecon and Philips Strand Lighting promise to deliver "an exciting showcase of pro-lighting products". These include the recently released PLCyc1 LED, which combines LED source technology with an asymmetrical reflector, which delivers consistent light distribution without having to compromise performance with spreader lenses.

Visitors will also be able to examine the benefits of the LED Studio Panel, a variable colour temperature soft light that, by using a mixture of amber and white LEDs, offers a range from 2,700K up to 6,000K and draws just 60 watts. Powered via a PowerCon connector from the mains or a four-pin XLR t

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UK - Over 80% of floor space for PLASA 2012 has now been filled with many companies eager to exhibit for the first time. Joining companies such as pro audio manufacturers Allen & Heath, Avid, Bose, CUK Audio, Funktion One, KV2 Audio, Martin Audio, Midas, Roland, Sennheiser and Yamaha, will be:

EMD SA is launching the new Stagg SMSDP700 digital powered speakers and Stagg Pro Lighting range as part of its expanding Pro Audio range. UK sales manager Tom Robinson adds,"After 16 years of growth in the musical instrument market in the UK and 45 years of experience in distribution throughout Europe, EMD hope to introduce Stagg Pro Audio & Lighting products to a wider market."

F&P Media Group is planning to showcase its new Diamond Wide Lens 8mm LED Curtain described by CEO, Uri Fouzailov as one of "the lightest display systems in the market today".

Cornered Audi

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UK - PLASA are proud to announce the Sponsors for this year's event at Earl's Court from Sunday 9 - Wednesday 12 September.

Platinum Sponsor is Robe Lighting, the Czech Republic-based manufacturer of moving lights and digital lighting products. General manager, Josef Valchar, is looking forward to PLASA 2012. "It is a very exciting time to be involved in lighting manufacture with the increasing convergence between the mediums of lighting and video into one integrated visual tool. Environmental concerns and the importance of developing energy efficient and sustainable technology for the future is also starting to shape our industry. These and other issues are already influencing our future plans and R 'n' D at Robe - which continues along the proactive and innovative path that has made it a market leader."

Gold sponsor Martin Professional is celebrating its 25th anniv

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UK - The third Annual PLASA Rigging Conference takes place London 2012 on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 September 2012 at the Earls Court Conference Centre in London.

Confirming that the PLASA Rigging Conference maintains a truly international profile, this year's key-note speaker, Roy Bickel, one of the original 'Disney Riggers' from the USA is followed by speakers from both sides of the globe.

Looking at Ground Supported Structures will be Malcolm Richards, a chartered structural engineer with extensive experience in all forms of entertainment industry structures. Supported by a panel representing manufacturers, suppliers, consultants and designers, Richards will be looking closely at the safety and science of the ground supported structure especially in the light of last year's tragic events, both in Indiana and in Europe.

New Zealand rigger and structural engineer, Nick Barnf

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South Africa - For the fourth consecutive year, AV Unlimited were commissioned by VWV as the preferred technical supplier for the SAB Marketing Sales and Distributors Conference. This annual event was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

An estimated 1 600 people, all South African Breweries internal staff, attended the convention, business sessions and the new brand experience - a networking area where delegates gather after various sessions. Here all SAB brands were displayed in an exhibition-type fashion and complemented with lighting and background music.

AV Unlimited arrived in Cape Town on Sunday and the set up had to be complete by Wednesday for rehearsals. The event was hosted on Thursday and Friday.

Guillaume Ducray, joint partner at AV Unlimited, says the biggest challenge was rigging 99 points in 48 hours. Having worked on the gig on numerous oth

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USA - There's a grandMA2 in the house for Wicked, the Broadway musical about the untold story of the Witches of Oz. The long-running show at the Gershwin Theatre recently switched to a grandMA2 full-size console for lighting and special effects control.

"It was time to replace our previous system due to its age, and it made sense to update to a grandMA2," says Brendan Quigley, show electrician. "All of the Wicked shows worldwide are on the grandMA platform, so it was our turn to move up. The grandMA2 is proving to be both agile and rock solid."

Quigley notes that reliability is critical for a production that does eight shows a week and more than 400 performances a year, not counting rehearsals. "The previous control platforms were approaching 20 years old, so it was time to ensure that we had a stable system moving forward. We need

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USA - In the last few weeks PLASA Focus: Nashville 2012 has gone from strength to strength as new exhibitors and new seminar speakers join the party. Now the second regional event to be held in North America, PLASA Focus: Nashville 2012 takes place on 11-12 July, 2012 at the Municipal Auditorium, in Nashville, TN. and follows in the wake of the successful PLASA Focus: Austin, held in February 2012. The show will also run prior to the annual Summer NAMM event, bringing together industry professionals from around the world.

PLASA Focus is proud to announce the addition of several new exhibitors to join the already packed exhibitor hall, including lighting specialists PixelRange; connectivity problem solvers Link USA; support system gurus Applied Electronics; and lighting-design software giant CAST. They will share the floor with other industry trailblazers such as Clay Paky,

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Australia - After Aussie rock legend Cold Chisel's rapturously received best-of arena shows of last year, they played a few intimate shows at venues such as the Festival Hall in Melbourne where sound engineer Greg Rosman utilised the in-house JBL VerTec PA system.

Not exactly big news except Rosman had a powerful new weapon in his arsenal - JBL V5 VerTec presets courtesy of the new Crown VRACK, a complete amplifier management rack system solution. The VRACK features three built-in Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers, immediately providing an easy-to-configure, plug-and-play solution that eliminates the need to build amplifier racks.

"The VRACKS have made a big difference to the sound of the VerTec," commented Greg Rosman. "They allow us access to the new JBL VerTec V5 presets and with V5 it's like having a new VerTec system all over again.

"The VerTec V5 DSP

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Ireland / UK - Irish electronic act, The Japanese Popstars, selected an Allen & Heath ZED-420 USB mixer as the permanent mixer in their tour set up.

"Allen & Heath is a music industry stalwart and well trusted by many producers and performers. We have previously used the MixWizard with great results, one of which was our first BBC Radio One live performance as part of 'In New DJ's We Trust', so you could imagine our excitement when we got our hands on the ZED-420," explains band member, Gary Curran.

The Japanese Popstars have toured with the ZED mixer for the past year, playing many gigs and festivals ranging from Glastonbury to the Secret Garden Party and more recently the ZED accompanied them on tour with Orbital, which included a gig at the Royal Albert Hall.

"The mixer has been fantastic for the way we set up our live performances. We make use of the mixer

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UK - Mt Pro Ltd will be exhibiting at the ABTT show at the Old Truman Brewery in East London this month. On show on stand 65 will be a selection of professional audio and LED lighting products developed by MilTec (UK) Ltd.

"We have been very busy over the last year, developing new products and expanding the ranges of existing products," said David Faulkes, sales director. "We have also extended our manufacturing base to include Germany."

One of the products to be featured at the show will be an LED cyclorama wash. Based on the powerful LEDHead Batten2, it uses 18x8W quadcolour LEDs and high quality optics to give an even wash of light over 4.5m high when mounted only 1m from the cyc.

Other new LED products include two new wireless uplighters with adjustable pan and tilt and the Ad-cover system, designed to colour and brand any make of battery uplighter.

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UK - Having just reported its best month of trading ever, Ambersphere Solutions is preparing to exhibit at the ABTT Theatre Show, taking place at the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, London on 13-14 June.

The ABTT exhibition will provide a platform for visitors to see the recently launched, time-saving battery powered LED GlowUp fixture and the feature packed Alpha Spot QWO800 from Clay Paky.

"We are delighted to be showcasing these products to the theatre industry at ABTT," comments Glyn O'Donoghue, MD of Ambersphere Solutions. "Our experienced team will be on hand throughout the show to demonstrate the myriad features of these phenomenal products, and answer any questions visitors may have."

The new A.LEDA LED moving head range will also be on display. This is "a sophisticated alternative to a traditional washlight" but offers all the benefit

  1. ShowTex demos Acoustic Baffle at ABTT
  2. Exhibitors gear up for ABTT Theatre Show
  3. Chauvet Professional at PLASA Focus: Nashville
  4. White Light at ABTT 2012
  5. Doughty debuts latest developments at ABTT
  6. City Theatrical debuts Moving Light Assistant
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