UK - West Midlands UK technical production and rental specialists Central Presentations Ltd. (CPL) supplied the design and full technical production - video, lighting, audio, set - including a bespoke projection screen - and staging - for the 2014 TaxAssist Accountants' AGM. The event was staged in the Caernarfon Suite at the Celtic Resort & Conference Centre in Newport Wales, UK.

CPL's team was headed by dynamic project manager Jimmy Smith who was working to a brief that required a clean, contemporary conference environment for the daytime sessions, which would be quickly and seamles

UK - Over £2.5 million in seed finance has been released to fund approximately 400 new start-up businesses in London over the next 12 months. The cash, available through Start Up Direct, a direct delivery partner of the Government's Start Up Loans scheme, will help make the dreams of budding entrepreneurs in the capital a reality in 2014, as the hiatus in bank lending continues. The scheme is targeting the TV and Events sectors.

Start Up Direct, which has recently established a base in the heart of London's Tech City, is targeting talented individuals who wish to start a busines

USA - Designed for the professional touring and production market, the new EPT9IP LED video panel from Elation Professional checks all the boxes rental companies require in a professional, touring standard LED display. Elation will be showing the new LED panel at the InfoComm trade show 18-20 June in Las Vegas.

Featuring outstanding image quality, the EPT9IP is an ultra-bright 9mm pixel pitch LED panel with 4,096 3-in-1 LED pixels per panel (64 x 64). It incorporates the latest dot correction technology for superior color and brightness uniformity and delivers an impressive 5,000 nits

UK - The anticipation that preluded the sixth PLASA Focus: Leeds delivered everything it promised, with two-days of packed show floors and seminar rooms. A total of 2107 visitors flooded into the Leeds' Royal Armouries, drawn by a showcase of professional sound, lighting, video, trussing and staging companies, plus an education programme that spanned the industry's expertise.

A mixture of quality, variety and enthusiasm combined to create the unmistakable atmosphere that the show has become renowned for. "We really enjoy PLASA Focus," says Michael Brooksbank, European Genera

UK - Who wouldn't want to be in Leeds on a sunny spring day with all the delights of the PLASA Focus event laid out before you? As usual, long before the need for a mid-morning latte, the place was busy with visitors and exhibitors alike. Nowhere was busier than the d&b audiotechnik stand in the New Dock Hall where the three latest products were on display.

Mounted against a backdrop of vaulted gothic cathedral windows was the rather elegant xC-Series of column loudspeakers, comprising the 16C, 24C and 24C-E. Designed specifically to deliver the d&b System reality in those difficult r

UK - MilTec (UK) Ltd had another busy PLASA Focus show this year with a stand in the New Dock Hall and an audio demo room in the Holiday Inn hotel next door. Both positions were themed to promote MilTec's increasing British manufacturing base. Visitors to the demo room had the opportunity to try out a traditional Kentish ale or a G&T made with London dry gin.

As well as promoting fine British ale and spirits, the company also used the additional space to demonstrate their Blakite range of British speakers along with their own signal processing equipment. New products on show included

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USA - With just days until the doors open at PLASA Focus: Baltimore - taking place at the Reitz Arena, Loyola University, on 8-9 May, 2014 - exhibitors have been busy releasing details about the products they will have on display at their booths.

Philips Entertainment will be showcasing three new products - the NEO lighting control console, the SL NITRO 510C LED luminaire, and the PLprofile4 Universal Lens Tube Adapter. On Friday, May 9, at 1:30pm, as part of the free-to-attend Professional Development Program, a Philips Entertainment specialist will present "Meet Neo."

El

UK / USA - Trade-only AV specialist PSCo is offering AV and IT resellers and rental companies an opportunity to win an exclusive VIP trip to InfoComm 2014 in Las Vegas, 18-20 June. The competition kicked-off on 4 March and will run until 30 May. Three winners will be picked at random and announced on 2 June via the PSCo website as well as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook channels. To enter, simply visit www.psco.co.uk/infocomm

"InfoComm is an event that has been overshadowed by ISE in recent years, but the level of new and innovative technology on show makes it a must see event,&qu

UK - Electrosonic will provide corporate and oil and gas industries an in-depth look at the latest audio-visual and collaboration solutions at its Technology Day on 4 June at the AECC in Aberdeen. Over 30 leading technology companies are participating at this free event.

The event will give attendees a real insight into how state-of-the-art technologies can increase productivity and communication between teams, as well as how new collaborative technologies can improve business performance.

During the Technology Day, a member of the Electrosonic team will guide each visitor through t

UK - Lighting control expert, Artistic Licence, used the recent PLASA Focus show in Leeds to spread the word about DALI - a control protocol that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the architainment sector. Showing no favouritism, DMX also featured high on the list of talking points, with many visitors lingering to check out the prototype for nanoScope, Artistic's new pocket DMX tester.

Already well-known for its expertise in DMX/RDM and ethernet-based lighting controls, Artistic Licence has been quick to respond to a growing need for DMX/DALI conversion products and DALI tools. Wh

UK - Leading polymer specialist, igus UK, will be exhibiting its innovative range of cable management systems, flexible cables and bearings solutions for the theatre industry at the ABTT Show in London next month. Visitors to the igus stand will also see live demonstrations of its solutions as well as meet industry experts.

igus supplies a wide range of energy chains for the theatre and entertainment industry, enabling theatre technicians to easily manage cables, and the company's compact energy chains have proven particularly popular in lifts, stages and lighting rigs. The reliable e

UK - Hot on the heels of its UK debut at PLASA Focus: Leeds, Chauvet Professional has announced a day of hands-on introduction to launch the groundbreaking Chauvet Professional Rogue range of fixtures, to be held at the Leighton Buzzard premises of Leisuretec Distribution, on Tuesday, 13 May, 2014.

The four models of the Rogue series comprise two power output levels of moving head spot fixtures and moving beam luminaires. Chauvet Europe General Manager, Michael Brooksbank, illustrates, "Rogue is unique in offering such outstanding performance with so many features for its price.

UK - The Technical Theatre Awards, which celebrates the outstanding achievements of people working behind the scenes, has launched its 2014 'bigger, better, brighter' event with a call for sponsors and nominations.

The TTAs debuted at PLASA 2013 at London's ExCel to credit the often unsung heroes working backstage to make theatre magic happen.

With the guidance of TTA co-creators Ian Taylor and Olivia Dermot Walsh the event attracted immediate support from some of the biggest names and companies in the industry, including Philips Entertainment, PRG, and Triple E, all of which are sp

UK - Backstage Academy in Wakefield has a few places remaining on its Event Safety Passport (SPA) course this Monday 12 May.

The one-day training course is designed to provide those working in the live events industry with an awareness of health and safety issues whilst on site. Upon completion of the course delegates are issued with a passport style ID card, which is a nationally recognised qualification that proves the individual's competence regarding best practice and improves their employability.

The Safety Passport Scheme was designed by the Safety Pass Alliance (SPA) and the

South Africa - When the Youth Theatre Project, an innovative by PANSA, kicked off with a script writers course at the start of this year in the Eastern Cape, it was the start of a long list of other workshops, presented free of charge, to young people between the ages of 15 and 25.

The next upcoming course, a two day seminar on lighting, will be presented by David Limbert and Dave Whitehouse of DWR Distribution on 17 and 18 May 2014 at the Savoy Theatre in Adcockvale.

"A lot of work has gone into this project," said David Limbert, who is the head of the Eastern Cape Branch

USA - The OCA Alliance, a global consortium of companies developing the Open Control Architecture (OCA) as a media networking system, will demonstrate its flexible and robust standards-based open control of devices for the first time at this year's InfoComm, set for 18-20 June at the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

In booth C11547, the Alliance will exhibit some of the first products implementing OCA from its member companies with technical experts on hand to explain and present the technology.

"There has been significant work on the OCA control protocol to date, the InfoComm show

USA - The latest addition to the PLASA Focus regional event series is hailed a success, providing over 600 attendees with access to the latest entertainment technology and an impressive line-up of seminars delivered by industry experts.

Exhibitors have been speaking enthusiastically about the quality and number of people they saw at their booths. Frank Brault, industry product specialist at Nemetschek Vectorworks comments, "We met with all of the regional contacts we were hoping to connect with. It's been a fantastic show!" Phil Ion, director of CORE Lighting, adds, "We

UK - On Wednesday 25 June 2014, Oran Burns of d&b GB Education and Application Support will present an Electroacoustics seminar at UK Sales Partner, Orbital Sound's premises, located at 57 Acre Lane, Brixton, London, SW2 5TN.

Achieving intelligibility is the focus of the day for anyone wishing to broaden their knowledge and gain further understanding of the principles of electroacoustics for sound system design and engineering.

"Electroacoustics covers all the essential information in an entertaining way through visual imagery and practical demonstrations," explains Oran.

UK - Festival organisers, suppliers and event production teams are set to see their work officially rewarded this October when the inaugural Festival Supplier Awards are launched.

Designed to recognise the best suppliers to the growing festival industry, the Festival Supplier Awards will showcase the companies and individuals that help create some of the UK's most well-known and best-loved festivals. Twenty-four awards will be presented in total, with categories honouring all aspects of festival production from staging and safety to barriers and bars - together with a special award fo

UK - With new personal protection equipment (PPE) and chain bags added to its range, Unusual Rigging launched its first ever sales brochure at PLASA Focus: Leeds.

Known principally as a solutions and rental company, Unusual Rigging is also the sales partner for several companies, including Lyon, the leading provider of equipment for work at height and distributor for companies such as Petzl, Maillon Rapide and Beal, all well respected names in the industry. As such, the range of PPE products now available to buy from Unusual Rigging has grown enormously, encompassing body harnesses, h

UK - The latest creative stage luminaires from Philips Entertainment's four premier brands - Selecon, Showline, Strand Lighting, and Vari-Lite - will be on stand 55 at this year's ABTT at London's The Old Truman Brewery.

Following successful outings at Prolight + Sound and PLASA Focus earlier this year, Showline is exhibiting the SL NITRO 510C LED strobe, which adds full RGBW capabilities into the same compact size luminaire as the SL NITRO 510, while maintaining similar massive output, multiple zone control and continuous-on abilities.

Showline is also showing the SL WASH 350, a co

India - Come 3rd of July 2014 and the gates will be thrown open to welcome the trade and professionals to the Indian Industry's Premier Exhibition on Music Production, Entertainment & Events Technology - Indian DJ Expo 2014 - in New Delhi at the Pragati Maidan.

"The Indian DJ Expo was conceptualised after carefully analysing the steady growth in the entertainment and events sector with night life, dining, DJ gigs and music festivals becoming increasingly popular and in-demand in India, which has resulted in huge investments into DJ gear, sound, light and visuals," say organi

UK - Entertainment equipment engineering expert Triple E is celebrating its 30th birthday at ABTT by exhibiting a raft of new products, sponsoring the ABTT Awards, and hosting a competition to rig a motorised Unitrack system in the fastest possible time.

The company first attended ABTT in the same year it was founded - 1984 - and won the ABTT Product of the Year Award for its 'Loose Pin Hinge', used by everyone for scenery construction.

Three decades on, Triple E is inviting companies to enter a competition to rig a motorised Unitrack system in the fastest possible time, with the qu

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