UK - ITEAC, the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference presented by the ABTT, has announced that booking is now open for its sixth edition taking place over 19-20 September 2023.
Booking is now open to take advantage of limited Early Bird tickets available for Full London Delegate Two-Day Tickets at the discounted price of £650 +VAT. This ticket includes attendance at the in-person London event at the Savoy Place, the global engineering hub of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), as well as access to the online platform during and for up to 12 months after the event. Once early bird tickets are taken, tickets will be available at £680 +VAT.
ITEAC will for the first time engage with participants across global time zones, combining online connectivity with hubs in London, Brisbane, São Paulo, Hong Kong and beyond, with participation from these and other cities, ITEAC will achieve a truly worldwide conversation.
Theatres across the world are engaging with the event's three themes of: Environmental Sustainability, The Digital Revolution and Serving Communities
With international contributions from Paris to Bogota, the debate will draw on global experience and a broad and diverse range of perspectives.
Registration for early booking notification already exceeds the capacity of the in-person London event. Those wishing to attend are urged to book as soon as possible.
The support of sponsors has been vital to the success of every edition of ITEAC, 2023 is no exception. TAIT will again be founde

Germany - Prolight + Sound 2023 closed with a significant increase in visitor numbers. More than 27,500 professionals from 113 countries attended the trade fair for the entertainment technology industry from 25-28 April 2023, say the organisers.
Current topics such as the implementation of sustainable events or the increasing demand for specialists and young talents were discussed - in this regard, the Prolight + Sound conference programme offered future-oriented approaches and solutions. Following the end of global travel restrictions, it was the first opportunity for many industry participants to visit the show since 2019. This is reflected in the high internationality of the event: Half of the visitors came from outside Germany, say the organisers.
Over four hundred and fifty exhibitors from 34 countries participated. “The event industry is back,” says Wolfgang Marzin, chairman of the board of management, Messe Frankfurt. “The past four days have left no doubt about that. Together with the industry, we have taken action to promote the business. We are continuing on this path and investing consistently in the event. The high level of satisfaction on both the exhibitor and visitor sides, and, above all, the impressive internationality, provide a strong basis for further growth in all product areas - and thus for the successful future of Prolight + Sound.”
At the product presentations in the exhibition halls, there was a clear trend towards IP-based connectivity of lighting, sound and stage technology components. More and more, these can be

Germany - The global entertainment technology industry is back in Frankfurt. From 25 to 28 April, 457 companies from 34 countries will present solutions for events, productions and visitor experiences.
For the first time since 2019, Prolight+Sound will take place without global travel restrictions. As a result, the show has seen a significant increase in internationality: 56 percent of exhibitors come from outside Germany. In close cooperation with associations, companies and other partners, Prolight+Sound offers a programme that is geared to the current challenges facing the industry. Professionals will receive valuable inspiration on energy- and resource-saving events, personnel development in times of high demand for skilled workers and more gender equality in the event industry.
“The event industry is recovering and the confident underlying mood is being transferred to Prolight +Sound, which, together with the industry, is back on course for growth,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president and chief executive officer, Messe Frankfurt. “Jointly, we are looking to the future – with a lot of positive energy, but also with respect for the tasks ahead. In close cooperation with the sector, we create a place at Prolight+Sound where great ideas for the business of tomorrow are born.
“We anticipate four days full of innovative technologies and creative solutions. And we are particularly looking forward to an emotional reunion with our colleagues in the global event industry.”
Demographic change is already having an impact on the personnel situ

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries from 9-10 May, and alongside the friendly show floor, visitors can attend back-to-back seminars and workshops, led by respected industry leaders.
Seminar sponsors: Vectorworks, the programme sponsors, will present two sessions on their market-leading solutions – Vectorworks ConnectCAD will walk attendees through audio-visual workflows, then Production Design for Sky Sports Boxing’ will unpack the full design journey for a major TV event.
Lighting content: Lighting professionals can gain both creative and technical insights at the show. Renowned lighting designer Durham Marenghi will present Lasers as Light, showcasing his work on the Leeds Year of Culture Opening Ceremony, the World Cup Opening Ceremony in Qatar, and the 'hidden' New Year's Eve celebrations in London.
Elsewhere, ETC will present The Balance of Power, sharing considerations for new LED fixtures and how power control infrastructure could save your show.
And White Light will explore the huge issue of sustainability in venues, along with representatives from Leeds City Varieties, Royal Court Liverpool and Storyhouse Theatre in Chester, who will each discuss their recent lighting upgrades.
Plus, ChamSys will run workshops throughout the show, allowing visitors to get hands-on with pro consoles, learning about MagicQ, Timecode & Audio Timeline, and group-based programming. Plus, lighting designer David Howard will demonstrate how to set up a show file for live busking.

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the latest addition to its annual ABTT Awards, the ABTT Award for Environmental Sustainability.
The award will be presented to someone who over the past 12 months has made a significant contribution to furthering environmental sustainability within the theatre industry.
The award will sit alongside the established ABTT Technician of the Year Award and Award for Emerging Excellence which recognise the achievements of individuals both starting out and well-established in their backstage careers.
The ABTT Awards are one of the Association’s flagship events which this year will take place on Wednesday 7 June Alexandra Palace and the ABTT would like to extend an invitation to those in the industry to attend the ceremony and Theatre Show social, which will take place following the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show.
The ABTT Awards to take a moment to acknowledge those people making a difference to our Industry and this year and the ABTT are excited to be celebrating even more amazing people in the industry with the introduction of their newest award.
The ‘Award for Environmental Sustainability was created following the ABTT’s push in recent years towards reduce their carbon impact pursue a greener and more environmentally friendly industry.
ABTT event manager, Elysia Moore says: “The ABTT is proud to introduce an award to recognise those who have made a significant contribution to furthering environmental sustainability within the theatre industry. Thos

Germany - Prolight+Sound is further expanding its range of products and topics for the 2023 event. With the new Future Walk, the show (25 to 28 April 2023, Frankfurt) will offer an interactive area with an experiential character, which will present innovations around networked systems for event technology and broadcast applications.
The focus is on network-based processes that will permanently change the industry in the coming years: from remote production to device-independent workflows and on-demand infrastructures. In addition, the Kamera Hub will celebrate its premiere at Prolight+Sound. It is a central contact point for TV cameramen, presenting innovations in moving image production in specialised exhibitions and inviting visitors to talks and workshops.
To realise the new special areas, Prolight+Sound is cooperating intensively with partners from the industry. The Future Walk is being created under the professional direction of MakePro X, supplier of high-performance control consoles for media technology in the network age. Other partners and exhibitors in the area include key players and specialised suppliers such as ARRI, Broadcast Partners, Nebucast, Netorium, On Hertz, Panasonic, Teltec, Troikatronix, Universe and Zoom. The German Association of Camera Operators (BVFK) is responsible for the Kamera Hub.
Covering more than 250 square metres, Future Walk offers five different stations where visitors can experience the systems distributed in the network in action. In addition, cross-system and cooperative networking will be demonstrated at al

USA - The Behind the Scenes booth #11730 at The NAMM Show will enable visitors to learn about its Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative, receive valuable information to post in the workplace, and attend brief presentations to learn about available tools and resources, Mental Health First Aid training, and hear about one person’s journey from the depths of depression to helping others.
Three 20-minute presentations will be offered in the booth each day of the show, all focused on mental health. Steven Michelman, owner of EPS (Entertainment Project Services) will speak about his mental health journey. Learn how industry pressures and previous trauma led to severe anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation and learn where and how he found help. He’ll share what his journey taught him and the response he got when sharing his story with his family, employees and clients.
BTS principal trainer, Bryan Huneycutt, will provide an introduction to Mental Health First Aid, a skills-based training course that teaches how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. MHFA takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations, teaches how to listen non-judgmentally and give reassurance, and how to refer a person to appropriate resources. Attendees at any of the sessions will automatically be entered to win one of four free admissions to a Mental Health First Aid virtual training at a savings of $125.
BTS executive director, Lori Rubinstein will provide an overview of the many tools and resources av

UK - The Showman’s Show will return to Newbury Showground, 18-19 October 2023 with an extended format as organiser Lance Show & Publications launches a party on the Wednesday evening. The Showman’s Supper will be held onsite within a permanent building at the showground.
Event directors Jeremy and Johnny Lance comment: “In the last few years, the number of exhibitors and visitors expressing their desire for some form of social event at the end of the first day of show has grown to a point where we decided we needed to do something about it.
“The timing of the show is certainly a factor; it’s at the end of the season which is perfect for getting together and we’re known for being a social bunch. Also, if you’re making the journey to the show then having a reason to extend your visit and catch up in a relaxed setting definitely makes sense. We’re really excited about hosting the first of what we hope will be many Showman’s Suppers.

UK - For the first time this year, Pro Integration Future Asia (PIFA) will include a UK Pavilion, to showcase products and services from UK-based companies. Furthermore, to help reduce exhibition costs, 6-square-meter stands in the UK Pavilion are now available for only £1,500 (originally £2,550).
Taking place in Singapore from 26-28 June 2023, PIFA attracts 6,000+ visitors from 20 countries. And the huge array of exhibitors specialise in production tech, leisure attractions, unified comms, smart homes, and staged events.
In addition to a 6sqm stand, UK Pavilion exhibitors will have use of a shared lounge to conduct meetings. Exhibitors will also be invited to a drinks reception hosted by PLASA and the Department for Business & Trade, providing an opportunity to meet key buyers in the region. Both PLASA and the DBT will be onsite throughout the show to offer support, ensuring exhibitors have everything they need.
This special rate for the UK Pavilion will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis and is limited to only a small number of companies. To be eligible, applicants must have never exhibited at PIFA before and be based in the UK. To find out more and apply, please contact PLASA’s sales manager via jamie.mould@plasa.org or +44 (0)1323 524133.

USA - Meyer Sound has announced an expanded presence at the 2023 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, bringing additional personnel and resources to showcase products and technologies for the touring, recording/post-production, and immersive audio markets.
This year’s NAMM Show is scheduled as a one-time-only springtime event, with exhibits from 13-15 April. Meyer Sound can be found on the show floor at exhibit space #17215 (ACC North Level 2).
“Meyer Sound is coming off a record-setting year in 2022, and we will be working hard to continue that success in the coming months,” says senior vice president John McMahon. “We are building momentum across the board - in tour sound, cinema, and post-production and installed sound. Since NAMM has expanded its scope well beyond musical instruments, it has become an ideal trade show for connecting us with all those markets.”
A highlight of the demo room will be an immersive sound system controlled by the Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool. Featured products will be the new Milan-certified ULTRA-X20 loudspeaker and USW-112P subwoofer, the first point-source loudspeaker and subwoofer to incorporate a Milan AVB network endpoint in the loudspeaker cabinet. Also on hand in the demo room will be the ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeaker as well as the LINA very compact linear line array loudspeaker, the Leopard compact linear line array loudspeaker, and the 900-LFC compact low-frequency control element.
Demo sessions will be held during the even hours from 10am to 4pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10a

Germany - Hall 11.0 Stand C06 at this year’s Prolight+Sound will see L-Acoustics highlight Soka, SB6i and SB10i subwoofers, and X4i, solutions that provide audio in locations that require ‘ultimate discretion to allow the design space to shine’.
Launched last year, Soka is a breed of loudspeaker that combines line source technology with a sleek aesthetic. Soka integrates nine 3.5” MF drivers and three 1” HF transducers to impart a wide 140-degree horizontal coupled with a highly controlled 26-degree vertical directivity. Soka and the latest SB6i subwoofer (both displayed as in-wall solutions at the show), are an ultra-shallow 3.9 inches/99 millimetres, designed to be easily enclosed in-wall or discreetly mounted on-wall, yet are capable of astounding power and bandwidth. Soka can also be combined with the SB10i subwoofer (displayed as on-wall) and is ideal as a main music system in residential, commercial, luxury, and hospitality spaces.
Completing the range of solutions tailored to the needs of installation applications will be X4i (again displayed as on-wall), a powerful yet superbly unobtrusive and highly weatherised coaxial loudspeaker for installation applications.
The latest LA7.16i amplified controller, meanwhile, surmounts the limitations of current high power amplifier configurations used in most installation projects and significantly improves flexibility and efficiency, especially in multi-channel scenarios, by offering an unprecedented 16x16 architecture in a 2U chassis with seamless Milan-AVB redundancy. Each of the 16 output

Germany - Funktion-One’s R&D team will lead a demo day being hosted by the loudspeaker manufacturer’s distributor for Germany at Movie Park in Bottrop. The event, which takes place on Friday 21 April and is open to audio and event professionals, will deliver a detailed showcase of Funktion-One’s Vero VX and provide an opportunity to listen to the recently launched Evo X.
Funktion-One: A Day in the Park will take an in-depth look at Vero VX, hearing directly from Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews, product support/live sound engineer Will Wright, and acoustic design engineer James Hipperson. The programme will explore the Funktion-One design philosophy and the technological breakthroughs that steered the development of both Vero VX and Evo X. Attendees will have an opportunity to get involved in a Vero VX system design and set-up, followed by soundcheck and performance with a live band.
Funktion-One Germany’s Benedikt Koch said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Funktion-One R&D team to Germany for this special event. Vero VX is a game-changer for live events. In terms of audio performance, there’s nothing in its category that comes close. It is extremely efficient, which means fewer speakers, fewer amplifiers, and reduced energy requirements.”
Since its launch in 2019, Vero VX has found appreciative audiences around the world. From one of its earliest outings at Gottwood Festival in the UK, to AVA Festival 2022 in Belfast, to the very recent deployment for Resistance at M2 Club (part of Miami Music Week 2023), Vero VX has earn

USA - From 13 to 15 April, the NAMM Show will open its doors to visitors from across the globe, who traditionally value the many educational opportunities the show offers in addition to the product showcase.
The Sennheiser Group will put a spotlight on immersive audio in demo room 17400, presenting the latest production tools and technologies from Sennheiser, Neumann, Dear Reality and Merging Technologies. As a partner of NAMM’s TEC Tracks, the group will send immersive audio experts to the TEC Tracks Keynote Panel, and host presentations on immersive production in its own demo room 17400. In addition, Neumann will unveil ‘an exciting new product’.
Immersive audio best practice presentations will be delivered by industry veterans Michael Romanowski, Eric Schilling, Leslie Ann Jones and many more. Between the engineer presentations, guests will be able to experience product demos in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 set-ups and will get insights into immersive production workflows.
The demo room features an immersive set-up with Neumann monitors and subwoofers (KH 420, KH 310, KH 150, KH 870 and KH 750). Stereo pairs of the KH 420, KH 310, KH 150, new KH 120 II and KH 80 will be available to demo stereo mixes. Merging Technologies have their Anubis, Hapi and Horus interfaces integrated into the set-up.
At the back of the demo room, additional products that facilitate immersive productions are presented, such as the Sennheiser AMBEO VR Mic, the Neumann KU 100 binaural head and the Sennheiser MKH 800 TWIN, which provides the output signals of its du

UK - ISCVEx 2023 was held last week at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry, and it was a great success! Attendees were treated to three seminars, an exhibition showcasing the latest industry developments and a networking evening with dinner and a live band.
Held annually by the Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers, ISCVEx is open to members and non-members. Events kicked off on Tuesday 21 March 2023 with the ISCVE members’ Day and AGM, followed by an engaging presentation from Alex Krasnic. Attendees were joined by others later at the networking dinner and party, which lasted late into the night.
Wednesday saw seminars where some industry experts discussed topics including emerging technologies, new business models, trends in customer experiences and more. A number of formal presentations were made to new supporting members and fellow members throughout the day and the exhibition provided attendees with an opportunity to learn about new products and services available in the industry, providing a chance to engage directly with those who presented their offerings during the event.
“It’s been years since I’ve attended the exhibition and this year has made me realise what I’ve been missing: relaxed environment where you can catch up with industry friends and see lots of new products, superb presentations from knowledgeable peers about interesting subjects, and a free lunch too! Looking forward to 2024 already,” comments Paul Dougherty, managing director for Blaydon Communications.
“ISCVEx 2023 was as always, an exce

UK - Now celebrating its 21st year of business, British loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics will be returning to the Royal Armouries this May for the 2023 edition of PLASA Focus Leeds. EM Acoustics will be taking full advantage of the northern edition of the UK’s largest entertainment technology show to unveil the new, ultra-compact R5 loudspeaker. The R5 joins EM’s flagship Reference Series of low profile, ultra-high quality full range point source loudspeakers possessing extraordinarily flat frequency and phase responses.
“The R Series has proved spectacularly popular. A smaller box is a logical and welcome addition, in response to phenomenal customer demand,” says EM Acoustics brand manager, Greg Clarke. “As with the rest of the Reference family, the R5 offers high-quality point-source audio, exceptional headroom and wonderful musicality. The smaller form of the R5 expands the use case of this outstanding loudspeaker range, giving designers and engineers an extended and highly malleable product ecosystem.”
The R5 will be on show for the first time at PLASA Focus 2023, an addition to a family of loudspeakers already favoured in high-profile environments including West End theatres, live music venues, touring events and a broad range of installations. EM Acoustics director of operations, Mike Wheeler, looks forward to the show: “We’re delighted to be back at PLASA Focus, connecting with our clients and collaborators. This is a big year for EM, as we celebrate 21 years of the brand, launch the R5 and look forward to many other exciting p

UK - Event crewing specialist Showforce has announced that Becky Meers has been promoted to the role of head of operations UK & Europe. Becky will oversee the account management, crew management and operations functions for Showforce’s UK and European business.
Having joined Showforce’s Liverpool office in 2010 as an account handler, over the last few years, she has ran point on some of Showforce’s largest accounts and projects including Creamfields North and South, Cannes Lions, Glastonbury, Platinum Jubilee and The 150th Open.
The announcement follows the news that the company’s Liverpool office has been expanded as so many international events head to the city this year. The Showforce team is readying itself for a busy period as Eurovision fever grows and the build for the 151st Open beginning. Showforce’s Liverpool office has built an excellent reputation and its key crew chiefs and crew are regularly called on to assist with projects all over the UK and internationally.
Commenting on the promotion, Gemma Charity, group managing director said: “As a company that is only as good as our people, we pride ourselves on nurturing and investing in talent. Becky’s rise through the ranks is a real success story and I couldn’t be prouder of her taking this next step in her career. She has proved herself to be extremely capable in even the most challenging of circumstances, always remaining good natured and calm under pressure.”

Italy - Taking place between 2 and 4 April 2023, Music Inside Rimini is the only show in Italy dedicated entirely to audio, video, lighting and control technologies for music and entertainment. Rooted in the nightclub market and the vibrant nightlife of Rimini during the 80s and 90s, Music Inside Rimini is an annual event which attracts global exhibitors from professional audio, lighting and entertainment brands.
Wharfedale Pro will be exhibiting at Music Inside Rimini for the first time this year. The British manufacturer will focus on its latest product developments, which will be showcased in three separate demo spaces.
Simon Godfrey, sales director at Wharfedale Pro, comments, “We’re particularly excited about attending Music Inside Rimini as we’re going to be able to physically demonstrate a wide range of products. It’s one thing choosing a product from a catalogue, but hearing our technology in person is even more powerful.”
In the Live You Play area, a live band will be performing on a ‘shoot-out’ stage, with professional, powerful sound played through Wharfedale Pro’s new WLA-1A Active Line Array System. On the other hand, the Wharfedale Pro Column Demonstration area will be dedicated to showcasing the new Isoline-AX series of portable active column PA systems.
Finally, Immersive Audio demonstrations will be taking place in a third area. Here, Wharfedale Pro will be demoing their GPL series loudspeakers and DP-F series amplifiers using TiMax Soundhub to create an immersive listening experience. The Wharfedale Pro team w

UK - Backup has officially declared Kartfest -The Village Fete, open! Tickets are now on sale to the live events industry’s big day out.
Now in its eighth year, Backup is delighted that Kartfest will be returning to Sandown Park for its biggest event yet. “With our fantastic headline sponsor, Chauvet, we are building a big old fashioned Village Fete to give everyone a great day out,” says Backup vice chair and the event’s organiser, Lee Dennison. “Our judges will be out in force scoring the best dressed stalls, our cake bake competition and the best fete game. We are all looking forward to apple bobbing, hook the duck and smashing the rat.”
Backup is also delighted to have 5 Star Cases officially sponsor the Flight Case Relay, which is longer and faster than last year’s race. “We so looking forward to seeing the budding Linford Christies warming up on the day,” adds Lee.
A major focus this year on the Wellbeing Hub, which will see Music Support, The Lions Barbers Collective and Music Industry Therapist coming together to provide an educational and support space for everyone attending.
There will also be a multitude of food offerings at the Village Fete, with a mixture of Mediterranean, Italian and Asian street, and the Mr Whippy Van will be there, so there will be plenty of choice for all. To help this great food go down, Big Drop Brewery and Signature Brew will be selling their ranges of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, alongside other crafters.
Big beats will be flooding the Fete with the DJ Adam Fabulous, plus the

USA - The DALI Alliance (DiiA), the global industry organisation for DALI lighting control, has revealed the winners of its DALI Lighting Awards 2022.
The standard of entries within each of the eight categories was exceptionally high, and the awards recognize the best use of DALI lighting control applications and solutions around the globe. The international judging panel of lighting designers, lighting magazine editors, and representatives from global lighting organizations picked eight projects as well-deserved winners.
The winner in the Architectural & Entertainment category is Tridonic Middle East, for its work on the Expo 2000 entry portals in Dubai, UAE. The lighting system used dynamic colour mixing to provide the desired effects in the vast portals, which are 21m tall, 30m long, and 10.5m wide. DALI was used due to its advanced dimming and daylight sensing features, interoperability, and its ability to reduce maintenance costs.
The Healthcare & Education award went to Delmatic, for its work at University College London (UCL) Hospital in London, UK. DALI lighting management systems extend throughout the hospital’s 34,500m2 building, which comprises six floors above ground and five below. The energy-efficient DALI system manages and monitors around 17,500 DALI assets, and incorporates comprehensive DALI emergency light testing and monitoring.
Synapse Wireless triumphed in the Industrial category for its work on the Uline Store C6 project in Ontario, California. Lighting for the 1m sq.ft warehouse is all controlled from a sing

UK - Backup is delighted to announce the much-anticipated date for this year’s Kartfest, and Thursday July 6th is the day to get your best tweed, flowery dress and, if you’re so inclined, Morris Dancing regalia, ready for the Kart-Fest Village Fete.
Tickets will be on sale from 0900hrs on Monday 20 March and it will be very much first come first served. “After an unprecedented demand last year, we are also restricting one Kart per team to make sure as many companies can attend,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “We are also placing much more of a focus on the activities on the day for those not racing, so we’re delighted to let you know that the theme for this year will be the good old British Summer Village Fete.”
There will be lots of fun to be had for racers and non-racers alike. More updates will be announced over the coming weeks, so make sure you not only book your Kart but also your spectator passes as well. There will be plenty for everyone.
Watch out for the ticketing details on our social channels on Monday 20 March!

UK - On Saturday 25 February, the hello stranger UK Festival of Performance Design, curated by Dr Kathrine Sandys and Lucy Thornett, launched with its inaugural event at the Edinburgh College of Art.
The festival, which runs through to April, brings together a mix of artists and designers from 13 different regions and countries across the UK, in order to showcase the best in contemporary performance design. The entire programme is free to all and includes exhibitions, performances, talks and workshops, providing an exciting opportunity for members of the public from across the UK to engage with design, through locally curated and created installations and exhibitions on their own doorsteps.
The hello stranger series of events are led by a team of locally based designer-curators who have been tasked with activating public spaces within local theatres and other public-facing cultural venues. The events take stock of the last four years of performance design in the UK and pose important questions about where we are headed, with each looking at these wider cultural questions through a unique, regional lens.
In considering the future of practice, a key element of hello stranger focuses on sustainability, and sustainable practice is centred throughout the Festival with purpose-built event and exhibition spaces created from locally sourced re-claimed and re-purposed materials.
The UK Festival of Performance Design forms part of the hello stranger: national exhibition of performance design 2019 – 2023, which has been curated by Dr Kathrine Sandys

UK - Following the successful formula first introduced at the recent ISE 2023 show in Barcelona - whereby non-attendees could share, remotely, the same product launch experience as those who made the trip to Barcelona, Martin Audio has laid out its stall for a similar online experience in advance of its biannual open days. These will take place at their High Wycombe HQ, the difference this time being that the visitor experience will take place within the company’s newly refurbished facility.
“The international launch of our new Torus 8 in Barcelona was very much an experiment in the way we presented new products to both the market and the media,” said director of marketing, James King. “Fortunately both the real-world attendance at our booth and our demo room, alongside the number of logins and catch-up replays to the two streamed events fully vindicated our decision and far exceeded expectations.
“It therefore makes perfect sense to repeat the successful formula to combine our celebrated UK Open Days with a curtain raiser online Special Launch Event, a week before.”
The online event is scheduled for 12 April, when, as previously, separate sessions are scheduled for 8am and 4pm (GMT). The Open Days then take place on 18-19 April where visitors can experience the entire suite of new products previewed a week earlier at the online event.
In addition to the Torus 8, along with its matched flown cardioid SXCF115 subwoofer, products from Focusrite Group partners, Linea Research, Focusrite Pro and Optimal Audio will be on view. The prese

UK - Crew network and entertainment industry research and insights company Entourage Pro has published a report based on members’ feelings and predictions for the year ahead.
In conjunction with technical industry measurement, and with input from the global freelance crew community, manufacturers, rental houses and key industry stakeholders from the live entertainment sector, The Industry Report 2023 has sought to provide some context around members hopes, fears and considerations on topics such as the cost-of-living crisis, mental health, diversity, prediction, industry sentiment and pay.
Over 1000 respondents took part in the survey, providing a comprehensive and detailed sample range for the purpose of the report.
“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to industry bodies, crew members, suppliers, manufacturers and the wider music industry,” says Entourage Pro director, Joel Perry. “Whilst there are some concerns for the year ahead, there is also a feeling of optimism. Areas such as education, people value, exploring new ways to build relationships and to undergo training, etc., are being brought to the forefront of attention and from this, as an industry, we are ready and able to react.”
“We’ve published results as they’ve come into us and remain impartial,” adds Entourage Pro co-director, James Stanbridge. “As we measure the industry in more detail moving forward, in terms of kit, market share, venues, and trend, we hope that this direct approach is helpf

USA - The Long Reach Long Riders and Behind the Scenes will host their annual fundraising raffle at the USITT Conference 16-18 March in St. Louis, MO. This year’s raffle will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Long Reach Long Riders annual charity motorcycle ride. The Riders, who have raised over $1,000,000 for charity in their years of touring, will be riding 3-9 June in sunny Southern California.
The Behind the Scenes Boutique will also be open for business during the show featuring an assortment of industry-themed holiday decorations and the famous Long Reach Long Rider T-shirts and kazoos.
The booth will feature the Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative which provides tools and resources to support entertainment industry workers and promote mental health and psychological safety. Posters with information on suicide prevention, bullying and harassment, alcohol and substance abuse, and more will be available.
Tickets for the raffle are an affordable $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased at the Behind the Scenes booth #821 throughout the show. Winning tickets for nine regular prizes and one grand prize will be drawn at 1pm on Saturday, the final day of Stage Expo.
The prizes, provided by generous donors, are: Grand Prize, Spotlight with Renderworks from Vectorworks; Ghostlight from Altman Lighting; American Express Gift Card from Barbizon; Event Safety Summit 2023 Registration from the Event Safety Alliance; Nespresso CitiZ Espresso Machine with Aeroccino Milk Frother from IA Stage; ETCNomad Education E