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02 July 2024

Airport Music - Heathrow Airport has launched a live music stage. Based in Terminal 5, the first show featured performances from acoustic rock band China Bears, folk singer-songwriter The Halfway Kid and R'n'B artist Olivia Nelson.

Heathrow said those performing on the stage have "access to an audience bigger than Glastonbury", as it expects 30m passengers to travel through its terminals this summer. "The Heathrow Introducing stage isn't just about providing entertainment, it's about propelling careers to new heights," said Karoline Komolafe, of music events company Sofar Sounds, which has partnered with Heathrow. "It's a game-changer for those aiming to break into the industry, especially with festival season at its peak, offering exposure to execs travelling through.

Heathrow director of services Tonia Fielding said: "We're proud that we're providi

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25 June 2024

UK - PLASA Show, the UK’s international event for live entertainment technology, will take up residence under the roof of Olympia London once again from 1-3 September 2024.

Free registration is now open, providing 5,000+ visitors unlimited access to 200+ global brands, a packed educational programme, and endless opportunities to get up close and hands on with the latest generation of professional products.

Featuring a who’s-who of the live sector, the vibrant show floor is 10% bigger than last year, with exhibitors still signing up for stands. PLASA Show welcomes back Robe as headline sponsor, along with an impressive raft of manufacturers, distributors, and service providers. 

Lighting professionals can meet all the big names, including Beamz, Chauvet Professional, Claypaky, ETC, GLP, Goboplus, Highlite International, Prolight, Lumos Li

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25 June 2024

UK - We are sad to announce the death of Mick McManus, who has died at the age of 73. Although he left the sound and lighting industry many years ago, Mick was among the founding fathers of what became known as the disco industry, during his time as a director of pyro and effects giants, Le Maitre.

Jerry Gilbert writes, “An outrageous, larger than life character Mick generally kept the first generation of disco troops upbeat with his non-stop volley of jokes.

Like so many, Mick started as a DJ with Roger Squire’s agency, where he was booked out as ‘Barry Martin’ to avoid confusion with the popular wrestler of the same name. He first came into contact with sound and light manufacturers during his time at Wing Disco Centre in Bromley, the popular retailer.

He also ran Croydon-based Tulip Music with his colleague and lifelong fr

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25 June 2024

Economic Boost - The UK's newest film and TV studios have fully opened. Shinfield Studios near Reading, boasts 18 sound stages, including two of the biggest in the country at 43,000 sq ft and has already attracted major feature films and TV series. Situated alongside the M4 motorway, the site was given the go-ahead by planners in 2021 and has opened in stages over the past two years.

Its US owners say the studios should provide an economic boost with major films typically requiring productions crews of three to 500, including skilled technicians and craftspeople. The studios have already played host to the latest Ghostbusters film where one of the sound stages was turned into a New York street, complete with the iconic firehouse.

It has also been providing a site for home grown productions. Occupying one of the sound stages at the moment is a film of

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24 June 2024

UK - As we approach the UK General Election on 4 July, The Power of Events is eager to understand the key event industry issues influencing #EVENTPROFS at the ballots. “We believe your audience can significantly contribute to this crucial discussion by engaging with us on the Event Industry Insight App,” says the group.

“From Monday 24 June to Friday 28 June, The Power of Events is conducting a lightning-fast pulse check on the Events Industry Insight App as part of our ongoing testing of the app - it will take less than a minute to complete. The insights gathered will help understand the priorities and concerns impacting the UK Events Industry and will be shared publicly on Monday 1 July.

“By promoting this pulse check, you will be helping the industry gain a strong understanding of the issues most influencing event professionals and their o

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19 June 2024

UK - Creative climate non-profit Julie’s Bicycle, host of festival industry project Vision: 2025, is collaborating with 10 local authorities and more than 60 festivals to test how a Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) can be adopted nationally.

Vision: 2025 chair and Shamabla Festival director Chris Johnson states: “I’m very proud that our industry is making the environment a key priority to deliver more sustainable festivals in the future. I’m surprised that we’ve heard so little about environmental issues during this election campaign so far, given the scale of the climate emergency we’re in. I hope our pioneering sector can continue to highlight and inspire positive actions to make a significant difference for future generations.

“The Green Events Code of Practice has been developed to avoid a lottery of expectations across England

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18 June 2024

Sponsorship - Barclays has suspended its sponsorship of all music festivals staged by promoter Live Nation in 2024, including Download, Latitude and the Isle of Wight. The move comes after several acts pulled out of the events in protest at the bank's investment links to arms companies that trade with Israel. Artists including country singer CMAT, metal band Ithaca and comedian Joanne McNally all withdrew from planned slots this summer.

A spokesperson for Live Nation said: "Following discussion with artists, we have agreed with Barclays that they will step back from sponsorship of our festivals." The bank signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Live Nation in 2023. It is understood that the suspension does not apply to the full term of the contract. The development comes after more than 100 artists boycotted Brighton's Great Escape Festival in May over the

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14 June 2024

UK - The highly regarded PLASA Awards for Innovation are now open for entries, ready to celebrate the best new products across pro lighting, AV, audio, staging and rigging.

Organised in association with LSi, PLASA’s market-leading magazine, the awards celebrate innovative products from across the live entertainment technology industry that demonstrate a new style of thinking, improve technical practice or safety, introduce new materials or techniques, or offer a new commercial advantage.

Each successfully entered product will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts who have the authority to present up to eight awards of equal standing, one of which can be upgraded to a Gold Award for an outstanding new product. Last year, Brompton Technology scooped Gold for their Tessera G1, with Coda Audio, Funktion-One, Robe Lighting, Aste

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12 June 2024

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians’ Annual Awards took place on Wednesday evening, 5 June, after the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show 2024 at Alexandra Palace, London

The evening started with drinks served outside the Londesborough Room before attendees took their positions, filling all the seats leaving standing room only, to celebrate those people and products making a difference to the industry.

Ted Moore, director of Rental Services, said of the Awards: “TAIT are really proud to be here once again to sponsor the ABTT Awards, which I truly believe is one of the best award presentations anywhere in our industry. We wish all the nominees good luck and give congratulations to whoever the winners may be.”

The five highly sought after Awards for Lighting Product, Sound Product, Engineering Product, ‘Widget’ and Stan

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11 June 2024

UK - Big Church Festival, Europe's largest Christian and gospel music event, made history this year by powering its main stage with green hydrogen for the first time.

Hosted on the Wiston Estate in West Sussex, this annual gathering brought together over 30,000 attendees from across the UK and beyond to worship alongside some of the world's most renowned Christian artists and the only emission from powering the headline acts was water.

Diesel generators, long used in the events industry, pose significant environmental and health risks due to their emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. By transitioning to green hydrogen power, Big Church Festival has taken a proactive step towards mitigating climate change, cutting air pollution, reducing noise and safeguarding the well-being both of event workers and of local communiti

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11 June 2024

On The Campaign Trail - Academics and campaigners have warned that a Conservative Party election pledge to close "rip-off" degrees could damage the creative sector and access to the arts. Their concerns follow Rishi Sunak’s recent pledge that the Conservatives would scrap university degrees deemed to equip graduates with "poor" job prospects if his party was re-elected on 4 July.

The Conservative Party said that closing the "worst-performing" degrees could save more than £900 million by 2030, with the money set to fund 100,000 apprenticeships per year instead.  Although the government has not said which courses are threatened, campaigners and university lecturers have expressed concern that Sunak’s commitment would further damage arts education and, as a result, weaken the arts sector as a whole and make it "the sole preserve of the privileged".

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07 June 2024

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) and British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) has announced the launch of a resource dedicated to fostering good physical health for backstage practitioners in the theatre sector.

The initiative champions healthy practices for backstage workers in the theatre and live production sector, where over 70% of the workforce identify as freelance workers. The two organisations, which have been collaborating since 2018, launched an infographic at the ABTT Theatre Show in London on 6 June.

Drawing on the ABTT’s deep understanding of the sector and BAPAM’s clinical expertise in health and wellbeing, the infographic uses the mnemonic S.T.A.G.E. C.R.E.W. Each letter highlights key actions workers can take to maintain physical health and well-being and minimise the risk of injury or chr

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06 June 2024

UK - BioPak has announced its collaboration with Live Nation UK, offering a deal for all traders and crew caterers at its UK festivals and outdoor concerts this summer.

The initiative is in line with Green Nation, Live Nation’s global sustainability arm, which sets out sustainability goals for all Live Nation-owned and operated venues, clubs, theatres, and festivals. Their primary targets are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and phasing out the use of single-use plastics. As part of this ongoing commitment, all items used must be either reusable, renewable, certified compostable, or, if unavoidable, made from at least 30% recycled content.

The deal gives traders and crew caterers a discount on compliant, certified compostable foodservice packaging at any Live Nation UK or Festival Republic events between May and August 2024.

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04 June 2024

Carbon Footprint - In 2021, Coldplay announced a 12-point plan to cut the carbon footprint of touring by 50%. Now, they've given an update on their progress, saying the first two years of their Music of the Spheres tour saw a 59% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared with their previous world tour.

They have used things like a dancefloor that generates electricity when fans jump up and down and have cut down on air travel. They have also revealed that seven million saplings have been planted as part of a commitment to grow a tree for every fan attending the shows.

"As a band, and as an industry, we’re a long way from where we need to be on this," they said in a statement. "But we’re grateful for everyone’s help so far, and we salute everyone who’s making efforts to push things in the right direction."

Among the devel

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29 May 2024

UK - The Production Services Association (PSA) has announced the election of Liz Madden and Tom Rees as co-chairs of the council. Both Liz and Tom have been active council members of the PSA for a long time and bring a wealth of knowledge to the role. Their joint goal is to increase direct support for members and further evolve industry representation, education and awareness of the business of technical production across the live events industry ecosystem.

Liz Madden commented: “We are looking forward to working with both council members and members to continue the growth and development of the PSA. The live industry faces ongoing challenges, and we will continue to provide support to members and the industry as a whole. Skills shortage is currently a key issue for the industry, and we are working on a training and education programme to address this.”<

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29 May 2024

UK - The Web3 Music Association (W3M), a new music industry trade body facilitating industry-wide research and development, has announced its official launch and manifesto. 

W3M brings together entities from the music, finance and technology sectors to ‘collaborate, explore and harness advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and mixed reality’.

Leading W3M are president & CEO Sergio Mottola, a business leader with expertise in finance, advanced technologies, and international regulation frameworks, and Charlie Rapino, record industry veteran and currently VP of A&R and communications at Artist First, who has been appointed vice president. W3M’s executive vice president of music, Giulia Maresca, chief of staff and Katy Campbell, EVP of ecosystem, are also joining the leadership team.

W3M’s advisory bo

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28 May 2024

UK - boxxtoff is a new flightcase design and manufacturing company based in Manchester and part of the tube uk community. It is a fully autonomous operation producing ‘practical bespoke casing solutions for all types of production related kit’.

Dave Peacock – well-known on the Manchester flightcase scene – heads up the new enterprise, bringing around 35 years industry experience, contacts and an inventive approach to case making.

After a successful career and running several businesses, Dave took a break from the world of flightcasing and joined the team at tube uk two years ago.

Dave initially offered to make a couple of ingenious cases for tube’s Pioneer CDJ kits as a bit of a side hustle, which proved to be “simply fantastic products designed by someone who knows exactly what those using them need to make life simple and keep e

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28 May 2024

UK - The Fly By Nite team and the wider industry has been paying tribute to the company’s founder and managing director David Coumbe who passed away, aged 68, on 17 May after a short illness.

“David’s passing has come as a huge shock to the Fly By Nite team and the wider live events and touring community. We would like to thank all those who have reached out over the last few days to offer their condolences at this sad time, the outpouring of love and support we have received from across the industry has helped us through this difficult period,” says the company. “David was a much-loved colleague and highly respected leader, whose vision helped to build the foundations of the company’s long-term success.”

Since its foundation in 1989, Coumbe had grown Fly By Nite into one of the world’s largest music production and logistics businesse

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28 May 2024

Technical Academy - Producers of West End musical Moulin Rouge! have launched a technical academy for 15-25-year-olds as they open the door to the show’s backstage world for the second year running. Both initiatives respond to concerns from arts organisations about skills shortages in the industry, particularly in offstage roles.

The inaugural Get Technical! Academy, a free 10-week "immersive technical programme" beginning on 2 July, will allow young participants hands-on training in lighting, sound, automation, stage management and working as part of a backstage crew. Participants aged 18 plus will also be offered an additional extra week to meet members of the company management team to "explore the soft skills needed to launch their technical theatre career".

Meanwhile, the Get Technical! event, piloted last August, will be reprised on

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22 May 2024

UK - LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), which represents 16 live music industry organisations has launched a comprehensive survey of freelance professionals working in the UK live music sector.

Produced in partnership with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum, Powered by Freelancers - The Live Music Edition 2024 was commissioned to help understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of the freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry.

Over 1,280 live music freelancers contributed to this survey with 87% of respondents stating that “freelance work provides my primary income”.

The UK’s live music industry generated £5.2bn in 2022 and the summer of 2023 showcased a post-pandemic resurgence for much of the sector, despit

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22 May 2024

UK - It is 10 years since Backup headed to Daytona Sandown Park for the first ever KartFest, and every year it got bigger and better. Last year the event was re-named and re-imagined as the Backup Village Fete. Fun and games for everyone abounded and a record amount of money was raised for Backup to continue its good work.

This year’s village Fete takes place on 11 July at Daytona and is proving very popular with more and more companies getting involved and joining the biggest industry day out there is. With the focus on the fete, there are many options for companies and individuals attending. You can buy single day passes through to fete stall pitches or, for the ultimate in turn up and go, a VIP ‘Manor house’ package with everything already built including a VIP bar, DJ and located right in the middle of the action. 

The Backup Parish Counci

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21 May 2024

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returned to its home at the Royal Armouries on 14 and 15 May, with two packed show halls, a bigger-than-ever seminar programme, and record-breaking attendance figures.

This year’s PLASA Focus Leeds saw a 19% increase in attendance, with a strong visitor profile on par with previous shows. 1/5 were company directors, owners or chairs, equally representing audio, AV, lighting and staging tech. This year saw 1/5 students too, over double last year’s figures, signalling a strong future for the industry.

Matt Wiseman from MDG Fog UK says: “As a company, we’re now 10 years into the journey with PLASA Focus Leeds being a key date in our UK diary. Each year we have experienced more footfall to our stand and especially this year. The quality of visitor was again noticeably higher and we expect to see another re

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21 May 2024

UK - Duncan Bell (formerly of Autograph) has just completed a fundraising trip for industry charity Backup, cycling off road from Appleby, Cumbria to Middleton, Derbyshire and covering 185 miles of the Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and Peak District.

Friday brought the last 37 miles from Hayfield to Middleton Top, nr Matlock. “This final stage marks not only the end of this week’s endeavours, but also the end of the Great North Trail, an 800-mile route that started in Cape Wrath, NW Scotland that we started in 2021 and completed in three stages,” says Duncan.

“I’d like to raise anything we can for Backup Tech to helps those in the entertainment world who need help at any difficulty stage in their lives, career or family. We have a modest goal of £2k that I’m sure we can exceed. Please give what you can.”

Donations can be made

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21 May 2024

Damage Limitation - The UK risks "self-inflicted economic and diplomatic damage" if it does not take action to strengthen its creative industries, a new report has warned. To combat this, the report has made a series of recommendations, including the creation of a ‘soft-power council’ representing "the diversity of British talent" in government and "making requisite changes across the visa system to ensure it is fit for purpose for the creative industries".

The report has been produced by University of the Arts London and Erskine Analysis and is designed to "examine the critical role of the creative industries as a source of economic growth".

Entitled Keeping the UK’s Creative Industries Globally Competitive: a Playbook to Protect Our Future Prosperity and Security, the report calls the creative industries "both a huge strength and in