UK - Star Hire (Event Services) Ltd is launching Star Ice - a new outdoor temporary ice rink solution for the UK which comes with a guarantee that the rinks will freeze and stay frozen. Numerous event managers and councils who have encountered problems with other rinks have turned to Star Hire for assistance to counter the problems experienced with other rinks such as melting ice (which leads to rink closure and thereby loss of revenue), and suspect substructures.

Star Ice has been formed in partnership with European-based I.M.R. - a company with wide experience in the installation of ice rinks in Europe. I.M.R.'s cooling technology is highly efficient and has been proven to work consistently, even in the extreme temperatures of Dubai. The third partner in the consortium is power and temperature rental leader Aggreko, who will supply the chiller units, generators and boilers (for melting the ice).

Technical director Roger Barrett told us: "The new technology guarantees that the ice will stay frozen and therefore that the rinks will stay open. In addition to the technical and operational experience within the consortium, all of the logistical and health and safety issues connected to the installation of a Star Ice rink will be covered for clients." Star Ice is running a 24 hour helpline for clients.

(Ruth Rossington)

UK - Saturday 8 March saw Manchester’s production community uniting to show their support for peace, on the occasion of the ‘Don’t Attack Iraq’ event organized by Manchester Coalition Against the War. Consisting of separate marches from the North and South of the city, together with one from Salford, the event culminated with some 12,000 people converging on a rain-soaked Albert Square to hear a packed programme of speakers, plus acoustic performances from Elbow and Josephine Oniyama.

The event was managed by Jon Drape Event & Production Management, with production management and trucking provided by Andy Stratford at Walk the Plank. With a budget of just £50 to cover fuel, Jon and Andy appealed to Manchester’s production supply companies to come up with the goods, a call that was met with overwhelming support.

So it was that Manchester Light & Stage supplied the stage and roof, while Fox Staging handled the disabled viewing and delay platforms and 8 by 4 dealt with the front of stage barrier. Generators were supplied by Grange Power, with mains distribution and lighting from DBN Lighting.

PA was a combined effort, with Audile supplying control and monitors, STS supplying the main Turbosound Floodlight system, Rocky’s supplying the HK Audio delay system, and Audio Alliance and Tube contributing ancillary items. In addition, Noisebox supplied an EV Deltamax system for the overspill venue at Great Northern Square.

Crew and site management were provided by Alex Knight at Handball, while Sarah Rowland from Nine Lives Productio

Greece - Jack Morton Worldwide has been appointed producer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the next Olympic Games, to be held in Athens in 2004. Jack Morton will support Dimitris Papaioannou, the concept creator and artistic director of the Games’ Ceremonies.

Dimitris Papaioannou said: "Jack Morton Worldwide has an impressive track record and I am looking forward to working with them. We are all very honored to deliver the Ceremonies celebrating a special occasion: the return of the Games to their birthplace."

The appointment was announced by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (ATHOC) this week after a seven-month bid process, which involved agencies from within Greece and throughout Europe. The European office of Jack Morton, based in London, led the bid with an international team most recently responsible for the successful production of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for both the Salt Lake Paralympic Games and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in the spring and summer of last year.

Lois Jacobs, executive vice-president and regional director, Europe and Asia-Pacific, said: "We are delighted by the appointment and excited about working with Dimitris Papaioannou, a leading artistic influence within Greece."

(Lee Baldock)

UK - The eighth annual CEDIA UK Expo will be held in Brighton between 24 and 26 June, 2003. According to the organizers, it will feature a wealth of new exhibitors from the security and lighting industries, as well as established leaders in the residential entertainment systems and home automation markets, and will occupy 25% more floor space than last year’s show.

The seminar programme is expanding as well, and includes the introduction of CEDIA certification examinations for technicians and designers, developed by the UK Education Committee from a structure successfully employed in the US. Manufacturer training will also be integrated with the seminars to ensure that theory and practice are perfectly complemented. Extra curricular activities include the Chairman’s reception for invited guests on the night of 24 June and the Expo party the following evening.

The smooth running of the largest CEDIA UK Expo to date will be improved by the introduction of extensive on-line registration in March 2003 and the services of the official Brighton and Hove Accommodation Bureau, which can be contacted by calling +44 (0)1273 292626.

(Ruth Rossington)

UK - This year’s Association Day will return to the historic setting of Coombe Abbey Hotel, near Coventry.

The Association Day is a key event in the PLASA calendar, and, in addition to featuring the AGM, will also include business-related sessions, together with plenty of opportunity for networking with other members. Invitations will be going out to PLASA Members in the next few weeks, and further information will be posted on the PLASA website

China - China's biggest entertainment technology exhibition will be staged in Beijing for the 13th time from 16-19 May 2003, is expected to be 30% larger than the 2002 event, which itself featured more than 25,000sq.m of exhibit space and attracted 448 exhibiting companies and 55,408 trade visitors.

To date, CALM Expo has opened inroads for many international manufacturers and local companies to network and build businesses in the rising Chinese market. With the accession of China into WTO, the positive cultural directions revealed in the recent 16th Chinese Communist Party Congress and the prevailing reforms in China's performing arts and entertainment scene, such upbeat market forces inevitably increase the awareness of cultural developments across China and sound out immense business opportunities for the industry.

Recognizing the importance of industry advancements across China and in ardent anticipation of the 2008 Olympics Beijing and the World Expo Shanghai in 2010, CALM Expo 2003 gears up enthusiastically to accommodate this growing demand for the market.

CALM Expo receives heavyweight support from its joint organizers, CTEA (China Theatrical Equipment Association), CCPIT (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade), IIR Exhibitions and the China Technology Market Management & Promotion Centre. CTEA is an influential national body for the theatrical equipment industry in the People's Republic of China with an extensive network of 300 members that include research institutes, provincial, regional and municipal theatrical organizations. Its me

USA - It's not just about products, you know. Financial news from Mackie, the launch of Apogee Lighting and company transfers all dominated the show. Phil Ward reports.

The news came not at the official press conference, but several hours later when public notification was green-lighted by shadowy figures on the other end of mobile phones. New senior VP of marketing Ken Berger - returning to the EAW fold - clearly expected to announce the deal at the conference, but was forced to play out a double act with PR manager Kyle Ritland, as ink failed to dry on remote contracts. Still, the sigh of relief come 5.00pm, and official confirmation, was almost louder than Behringer's hairy metal duo on the next stand.

Berger's appointment was one of many 'people launches' in a show more crowded with new executives than new toys. At Soundcraft, Andy Trott lived up to his name and covered a lot of exhibition ground as the new MD with responsibility also for BSS, Amek and DAR. His predecessor at Amek, John Oakley, meanwhile ran out in his new Klark Teknik strip, having been transferred from Manchester to Kidderminster.

The lighting industry gets a pretty good look-in too, thanks to the DJ sector, and not to be left out of Anaheim's flurry of musical chairs, John Adams popped up at the International Audio Group (IAG) as the new president of Apogee Lighting (further details, page 41). Nobody missed the serendipity of his arrival from totally unrelated Apogee Sound, but Adams himself was looking forward. "I'm managing the whole chain - R&D, manufacturing and sales channels.

UAE - The Middle East's sound and lighting industry is expected to be worth $1 billion a year in three-to five years time, according to Matthew Griffiths, CEO of the Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA), the leading international association for the industry. He was speaking in Dubai at the first Pro Audio Light Middle East (PALME) trade show, an event officially endorsed by the organisation.

PLASA's own research into the global market indicates that the sound and lighting sector generates $20 billion a year worldwide. "With so much construction and so many major events in the Middle East, we anticipate that the Middle East will grow to be worth $1 billion a year. The sector is already worth that a year in the UK and the Middle East can certainly match this given the level of activity here.

"This is a dynamic part of the world. It isn't afraid to be loud and proud - PLASA likes that and our industry likes that. The key is that sound and lighting technology sector isn't simply about entertainment - it is also very relevant to the large range of construction and architectural projects. The same technology that is used for live performance is being adapted and applied in shopping centres or sports stadiums, and safety-specific technology is also being developed - sophisticated voice alarm systems, for example. That's why the growth of the sector applies to all countries in the Middle East: there is massive growth in construction in Dubai, for instance, allied to which the area in general is attracting events of international standing - the F

UK - Event services supplier ARB and international temporary utility supplier Aggreko announced a strategic alliance at the 2003 Event Show in London. Since being acquired by the CSS Stellar Group Plc, ARB has implemented significant restructuring and expansion plans, focusing its various services into specialist divisions to offer clients improved service in all areas.

Aggreko is a world leader in the supply of temporary power, temperature control and oil-free compressed air services and has a track-record of successfully supporting events such as the FIFA 2002 World cup, numerous winter and summer Olympic Games and the 2003 Ski Championship in St Moritz.

This exclusive partnership will see the complementary strengths of both combined to deliver total power, cooling and technical solutions to events of all sizes and type throughout Europe. "The opportunity this link presents for ARB and the CSS Stellar event services division as a whole, is to work on larger scale and international projects that will require considerable support and infrastructure," explained ARB commercial director Steve Kilby. "The alliance with Aggreko means that we can combine our core skills of service delivery and technical expertise, with Aggreko's significant project management, project delivery capability and purpose-built power and cooling rental fleet - the largest in the world."

Aggreko event services manager, Ian Cotterill added: "This alliance cements an already strong relationship that both sides have worked hard to establish, and our complementary stren

UK - This week, the Total Production 2003 Awards were once again held in the Monarch Suite at the Hilton Metropole in London's Edgware Road. Among the evening's highlights was the appearance of Motorhead frontman Lemmy as guest presenter for the first three awards.

Over 1,200 voting forms from readers of Total Production determined the results of 16 of the 20 awards, which were variously sponsored by Rock-It Cargo, Midas, Klark Teknik, Star Hire, Martin Professional, Clay Paky, Barco, High End Systems, Shure, EFM and Chapman Freeborn.

Damon Albarn, the Blur and Gorillaz frontman made a special appearance at the lectern to pay a heartfelt tribute to tour manager Terry Coyle, who tragically died whilst on the road last November. "I'll always be looking for Terry for his support and guidance," said Albarn. "He was a good friend to me and to many people in this room tonight, and I owe so much to him." Over £3,000 was raised on the night for the Terry Coyle Fund (which was set up to aid his family) with many guests pledging to make sizeable donations direct to the Fund after the event.

The production team was headed by Andy Cotton of TAO Productions, who 24 hours beforehand won the Event Organiser of the Year Award at the TESA Awards in London. Assisted by his ever-present sidekick Jo Thompson, Cotton's major challenge was to defy late load-in access (seven hours later than last year!) to the Monarch Suite and smooth the path for a speedy set-up.

Pulsar Light of Cambridge and Richard Martin Lighting combined forces to provide a truly exce

China - Music China, the international trade fair for musical instruments and services (15-18 October 2003, Shanghai) will this year be joined by ProLight+Sound Shanghai. At the same time, the organizers have announced that the show will include a British Pavilion, organized in conjunction with the UK's Music Industries Association (MIA) and Trade Partners UK.

The second Music China event is already generating great interest from manufacturers and so far over 120 companies have been confirmed as exhibitors or have made serious expressions of interest, say the organizers. The exhibition will be joined by a new international exhibition in China for the professional audio and entertainment lighting industry, ProLight+Sound Shanghai. ProLight+Sound Shanghai will be positioned as a professional marketing platform for manufacturers of sound production, broadcasting and recording equipment, lighting, laser technology and special effects for the entertainment industry, stage, studio and event technology, and pro audio and lighting-related computer hardware and software. "Holding these two fairs together will have double impact, providing a unique exhibition platform for the MI and pro-sound and lighting industry," states Cordelia von Gymnich, vice-president at Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Lightpower, one of Germany's leading lighting distributors, has announced that it has cancelled its participation in this year's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt (5-8 March). The reason given for the withdrawal is the bad timing of the show. Lighpower's statement says: "We regret this decision, however . . . when a trade show is planned concurrent with a national holiday and preparations for the Cebit trade show overlap, then we, as well as other exhibitors, come across some serious coordination problems. This simply means that over 40% of our clientele shall not show up because they will be tied up at the same time with their own service activities during the Cebit show projects and Carneval activities. More than 1000 event technicians will be working at the Cebit."

At a press conference at ProLight+Sound last year, Lightpower - a long-standing ProLight+Sound exhibitor - revealed that they had cancelled their involvement with the Showtech exhibition, which is staged biennially in Berlin, and would from then on be putting their support completely behind the Frankfurt exhibition. This, and the fact that the dates of the ProLight+Sound 2003 were already known at the time, make this latest announcement something of a surprise.

At the same time, Lightpower has said that it will be hosting its third series of open days at its Paderborn headquarters from 26-28 March.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - A regional meeting of the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) is to be held at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama on Wednesday the 22 January between 5.30 and 8.00pm. The Conference Room in the Alexander Gibson Opera School has been booked and the meeting is being hosted by David Ripley, the Academy production manager and ALD member. Opera 1, a Ravel Double Bill, is on stage in the New Athenaeum (the main house) and there are also concert halls and a studio that members can have a look around, depending on production schedules.

No agenda has been set, but one of the main intentions of these regional meetings is to give members the chance to meet up and discuss issues about lighting and the lighting industry. It could also be an opportunity to talk about future regional meetings and how the ALD can help support them. A meeting in Bristol came up with several suggestions that the Association hopes to develop and ideas from the other end of the UK would be welcomed! Another possible area of discussion is CAD: David Ripley has been involved in the new CAD Standards in association with the ABTT and also runs the cad4theatre.org.uk web site.

If you would like to attend, please contact the ALD at the address below.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Applications are now being accepted for the first Lighting Masterclass held in London by Selecon on 21, 22 and 23 March 2003. Selecon is very proud to have Rick Fisher and Chris Parry to lead this unique event. Places on this first Masterclass are limited, and the aim of the event is to expand delegates' lighting craft with the assistance of two giants of the lighting industry, both working in different parts of the globe, bringing a wealth of experience to the debate. The Masterclass will be a hands-on lighting workshop held in a theatre environment.

The event is aimed at people working within the entertainment lighting industry who have experience in lighting or re-lighting shows; theatre electricians, technical assistants or similar grades within the industry.

The three-day Masterclass will use the 'Light Lab', a system used by Chris Parry at The University of California, San Diego where he is Professor and Head of the Graduate Lighting Design program. This is a practical hands-on laboratory and will enable delegates to create lighting states set by Chris and Rick, which will then be critiqued by them and the other delegates. This event is a colloquium/workshop and not a manufacturer's exhibition.

Places on this first Masterclass are limited to 24 in total, so a short CV will be rewuired. Details of the cost and how to apply can be found at the web address below.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - The APRS starts its 2003 programme with a seminar co-hosted by the DTI for all manufacturers and service providers who are interested in exporting goods or attracting overseas clients to UK facilities.

The event, postponed last year because of the Tube strikes, has been re-scheduled and re-designed to provide a broader exploration of exporting in general with a special focus on the fast-expanding Indian and Chinese markets. India has the largest film industry in the world and a significant proportion of domestic producers are now looking to enhance their production values in the hope that more Indian-made films are viewed by western cinema audiences. In the past, India has proved to be a challenging market beset with tariff and other bureaucratic barriers, however the World Trade Organisation rules mean that tariffs will be removed by 2005 and so now is the time to establish new partnerships, joint ventures and find distributors.

The prospect of China creating a digital TV infrastructure in time for the Olympics in 2008 is a fresh incentive for a number of UK-based hardware and software specialists. Part of a strategy that focuses principally on film and TV production markets, the APRS has worked with Trade Partners UK to identify countries where the UK Embassies and Consulates have special assistance programmes designed to help existing players and introduce companies in the creative industries new to overseas trading.

Trade Partners UK, the China Britain Business Council and Business Link will be contributing to the open, half-day seminar (which will coi

The Event Show 2003 (28-30 January, National Hall, Olympia) will see leading event professionals come together to provide a unique forum of workshops, advice clinics and seminars. Over 250 companies will be on hand to help, as well as leading professional organisations such as TESA, NOEA, BECA, and PSA.

The main programme involves a series of high profile speakers. On 28th January, Brian Blake, MBE presents a talk on ‘The do’s and don’ts of getting a licence.’ Blake has been responsible for the technical aspects of public entertainment licensing within Westminster for 27 years, and has covered a wide range of events, including outdoor concerts in Hyde Park, and the Queen’s Jubilee, where he was responsible for public safety and contingency planning.

On the 29th January, the focus is ‘Spotlight on Local Authorities.’ Sponsored by NOEA, the seminars cover a variety of practical issues such as police support, licensing and booking procedures, as well as more intuitive ideas such as the long-term visions of London County Council. Andy Cotton of TAO Productions will present a session on ‘The Key things you need to know’ when organizing an event and offer advice on ‘What we want from suppliers.’ Cotton comes with impressive qualifications after working in the live music industry for 15 years and outdoor event management for 12 years, prior to which he managed The Commitments. Cotton has produced a diverse portfolio of events ranging from Bristol City Football Club Stadium Gig, to the Abbey’s Classical P

You have until 12 January to visit the most exciting event in theatre design for years, the 2D>3D show at Sheffield’s Millennium Galleries. If you can, you should allow a whole day for your visit - I could have used a week to roam the tightly packed exhibition space, reading every label, browsing every sketchbook and scanning every storyboard in this fascinating display.

More than 150 set, costume and lighting designers, plus a distinguished band of theatre architects, are showing some of their best work produced over the last three years. Organizers Peter Ruthven Hall and Kate Burnett have prepared an excellent catalogue of the show (available from SBTD at £18), replete with sumptuous colour illustrations, but the very 2D nature of the book explains why you should, if at all possible, see the real 3D thing: the catalogue has a careful sketch from Nancy Surman of her costumes for The Duchess of Malfi at Salisbury Playhouse: the show adds the costumes themselves, superb examples of the meticulous making that followed the designs. The catalogue prints some delightful, Erté-like sketches from Paul Farnsworth for the showgirls in his Royal Festival Hall Follies. The show has the set model too, showing how cleverly (and economically) he converted this fifties function room into a very convincing derelict Broadway theatre. You’ll find Malcolm Morley’s first gentle watercolour visualization of the Theatre Clwyd Amadeus: his exhibit has the full story (right down to the flying plan) of the many changes that occurred before its final visualization.

Even befor

L&SI’s series of industry networking events got off to a flying start on 10 October when 58 delegates joined the PLASA Media team and the technical production crew at the London Palladium for a backstage tour of the world’s most technically-advanced musical production, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

After a welcome drink in the Palladium’s Cinderella Bar, delegates were welcomed to the theatre by L&SI editor Ruth Rossington, before being given a fascinating potted history of the site and the venue by theatre manager Nick Bromley. Following this, the delegates were split into groups to begin the behind the scenes tour, which took in the automation control position, the lighting control room, the lighting rig, FOH sound desk, the under-stage engineering and the radio racks, plus a chance to view the amazing car itself, built by Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd. At each point, delegates could talk to the operators or designers, as well as the equipment and service providers, about their role in the production.

Following the tour, delegates were given the chance to observe from the stalls the stage reset for the evening’s performance, before retiring to the Cinderella Bar once again for food and refreshments. To top off the day, the delegates stayed for the evening performance of this impressive musical production.

L&SI was joined at the event by representatives of companies who played key roles in the production, including Autograph Sound Recording, Stage Technologies, Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd and White Light. Manufacturers including Sennheiser, High End Sys

Could LDI capitalize on the renewed focus on business demonstrated at PLASA just a few weeks earlier?Ruth Rossington headed to Vegas to find out.

With PLASA providing a much needed fillip to the business, the question everyone wanted answering about LDI was whether it could pick up the baton and continue where PLASA left off. Well the jury’s marginally out on that one - certainly, the first day got off to a blistering start, but there were definitely times when things felt quiet on the show floor. That said, all the exhibitors I spoke to reported good levels of business and that’s the only yardstick a trade show should be measured by.

Much of the product on display had already made its presence felt at PLASA, but there were some real innovations and some noticeable trends. The undiminished homage to all things LED continues, to the point where Ellen Lampert-Greaux, part of the LDI team, was volunteering a rename of the show to LEDDI. Acolyte’s small lanyard LED flashlights stole the show for me and pretty quickly became a collector’s item.

Lighting being the mainstay of the show, there was plenty of news and plenty of new product.

Not only has A. C. Lighting added audio to its already sizeable inventory, but in a move that will presumably give it greater control, it’s acquired an interest in Spectrum Manufacturing Inc, the Canadian company responsible for the manufacture of the Chroma-Q range, for which A.C. is the exclusive distributor.

A.C.T Lighting (formerly A.C. Lighting Inc) was there under its new identity. Garnered under its

The World Rally Championships were recently staged in Cardiff, and Stage Electrics was on hand to provide significant resources over a number of key sites for this major sporting event.

The Network Q Rally started on the 14 November and was timed to coincide with the switching on of Cardiff’s Christmas Lights. The main high street in Cardiff was closed to traffic from 10am, and there then followed a race against time to ensure all of the production was in place by 5pm. Stage Electrics provided main stage lighting on a Star Hire Mk1 Stage, as well as lighting to other areas.

The biggest focus of the Rally for spectators was the Super Special Stage, hosted in a purpose- built arena in Cardiff’s Docks. Stage Electrics powered the majority of all site services, as well as all spectator and emergency lighting. A total of 24 generators supplied through Power Electrics of Bristol were provided for the event offering the site over 2000Kva of power.

The final day of the Rally saw two major events taking place, with Stage Electrics providing all lighting required for the televised finish of the rally in Cardiff Castle. The cars were driven into the castle in darkness flanked along the pathway by 100m of Arcline Strobe Tube. Lighting was also provided for the two-storey winner’s podium, positioned in front of the Castle’s Main House and Keep. Both of these buildings were lit by the new 2kW OptiVision Metal Halide fittings and 1800kW Arena Vision spotlights.

The second major event that day was a launch, only confirmed two days earlier, for the new sponso