UK - Louise Jeffreys, the Barbican's Director of Arts and ABTT Chairman, was honoured along with her Barbican colleague Toni Racklin, the venue's Head of Theatre, at the Empty Space... Peter Brook Awards 2014. Together they accepted the Peter Brook Special Achievement Award for turning the Barbican Theatre into the most important international arts centre in London for foreign companies.

Louise Jeffreys, Director of Arts at the Barbican said: "I am absolutely thrilled that Toni Racklin and I have been presented with the Peter Brook Special Achievement Award.

"At the Barbic

UK - With new exhibitors and new speakers being announced every week, there will be plenty for visitors to see at the Glasgow SECC for the inaugural PLASA Focus Glasgow event, which takes place on 2-3 December 2014.

New exhibitors announced this week include Adlib Audio and HDPro Audio, Orbital Sound and FBT Audio UK, who will join the all-star list of exhibitors already at the show - including Robe, Ambersphere, White Light, Avolites, Chauvet, AED, Sennheiser, Bosch, NL Productions, JHS ProAudio, Warehouse Sound, LMC Audio, Polar Audio, Black Light, Trusslite, Total Solutions Group,

UK - Behind the Scenes UK, the newly launched charity that aims to provide financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are ill or injured, is calling on companies and individuals to send their annual Christmas cards via Card Aid this year.

Card Aid has been helping charities increase their funds from the sale of their Christmas cards for over 30 years and John Simpson, Chair of Behind the Scenes UK, believes proceeds from the sale of Christmas Cards via the Card Aid Website will really make a difference to Behind the Scenes which only launched in the UK in Oc

USA - PLASA Events has announced the partnership with Show Ready Events, an event planning and management organization, who will assist with the 2015 PLASA Focus shows in Orlando, Florida and Kansas City, Missouri.

"We are delighted to be working with Steve Krawic and his team at Show Ready Events. From our very first meeting, Steve showed an immediate and insightful understanding of our events and the industry that PLASA represents. We are confident that we have found the right partner to succeed in Show Ready Events who will join our other partners in playing a significant part

Back on Song - The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall has reopened to visitors and live music performances after completion of part of a £14m refurbishment. Originally designed by Liverpool architect Herbert Rowse, the Grade II-listed building first welcomed audiences in 1939 but was closed in May for a revamp of the main concert hall and auditorium. Changes to the concert hall are the first part of the overhaul of the interior, due for completion next summer.

Wembley Bound - Ed Sheeran has announced plans for his biggest solo concert to date at Wembley Stadium on 10 July 2015.

UK - Pulsar moved into its present Cambridgeshire premises in the latter part of 2002. It was also at this point they installed LED lighting on the front of the building, confident in its reliability, longevity, and durability. Twelve ChromaPanels were installed on the South-facing front of the factory building in May 2003 and have been running 24/7 ever since, with an additional 21m of ChromaStrip 2 installed the following year.

Fast forward to today and the original ChromaPanels printed with the Pulsar name have clocked an impressive 11 years 5 months of continuous activity - actual

UK - UK-based event safety consultancy Stagesafe reports the Health and Safety Executive's announcement that CDM Regulations will be enforced on the events and entertainment industry from April 2015.

The news was confirmed at last week's meeting of the Joint Advisory Committee on Entertainment (JACE) at the HSE in Westminster. The following report was produced by Michael Anderson and Lee Holloway, members of SAGE (Safety Advisors Group in Entertainment):

"This was an unexpected turn of events as it had appeared earlier this year that a "BEA" (Business Engagement Asses

UK - GMG Network has announced the launch of its new website. An updated design and more detailed information offer visitors to www.GMGNetwork.co.uk a better user experience.

The website demonstrates a sleeker design and greater information on GMG's services and the team's background and experience.

The update is all part of GMG's belief that the company will continue to grow and develop, always listening to their clients and investing in constant improvement.

"It is important to us that when clients visit our website they get an understanding not only of the services GMG can

South Africa - The two leading organisations representing the audio visual industry in Southern Africa, SACIA (Southern African Communications Industry Association) and the TPSA (Technical Production Services Association) have merged so that they can present a stronger front to clients and associates, and a louder voice to government.

"We've merged in order to represent our industry more effectively in engagements with government and regulatory bodies - and in order to better serve our members," says SACIA CEO, Kevan Jones.

While SACIA members are responsible for fixed aud

Qatar - Nicolas Kyvernitis Electronics Enterprises (NMK) reports successful roadshow seminars in Doha and Oman.

The NMK Roadshow that took place in Doha, Qatar on 10 November 2014 and in Muscat, Oman on 18 November 2014 attracted a varied audience from systems integrators to end users. The attendees could choose to attend either morning session or afternoon sessions. The total number of the attendees reached 84.

NMK product specialists teamed up with the manufacturers' representatives to deliver the presentations and product demonstrations. Due to the variety of products on show, th

China - London-based theatre consultancy practice, Theatreplan LLP has announced its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region with the opening of Theatreplan (HK) Ltd in Hong Kong. The new practice, which is already operational, is being managed by Theatreplan's senior consultant, Robin Auld. The move follows the company's success in securing the contract with the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) to provide theatre consultancy services to deliver the Freespace Black Box Theatre in the burgeoning West Kowloon area of Hong Kong.

According to Theatreplan partner, Dave Ludla

UK / USA - PLASA's month-long elections to determine positions on its European and North American Regional Boards, together with its central Governing Body, concluded at midnight on Wednesday 19 November. Companies and individuals from PLASA's worldwide membership voted in the elections, which were conducted via a secure online poll.

There were four positions available on the European Regional Board. Ed Pagett of Panalux was elected for a second term as Chairman, Peter James of Shure Distribution as representative to PLASA's Distributor members and Malcolm Burlow of Highlite was voted

UK - The British Entertainment Industry Radio Group (BEIRG) has expressed its disappointment and concern regarding Ofcom's decision to remove Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) users from the 700MHz band of radio spectrum. Ofcom's decision is a real danger to some of the UK's most important cultural, social and economic events. Instead, this spectrum will be allocated to Mobile Network Operators.

The regulator's decision will mean that radio microphones and other wireless audio devices key to the UK's thriving creative industries, including West End and regional theatres, coul

Perfect Day - One Direction topped the winners list at the American Music Awards, taking home a total of three prizes. They were named artists of the year and also took home album of the year and favourite pop/rock album. "This has been a real perfect day... America feels like a second home to us," said Liam Payne. Katy Perry, who did not appear at the ceremony in Los Angeles, also won three awards, including one for best single for Dark Horse featuring Juicy J.

High Society - Maria Friedman will direct a revival of High Society, as part of the Old Vic's

UK - Get some audio cheer this festive season with DiGiCo's 12 Days of Christmas and treat yourself to the chance of winning 12 DiGiCo gifts.

For your chance of winning, all you need to do is visit DiGiCo's Facebook page at facebook.com/DiGiCo.Official.

The fun starts on the 1 December and finishes on the 12th, with a prize to be won each day. To be in with a chance of winning a prize, make sure you follow these simple Rules of Engagement:

•To enter the competition, click on the competition Tab

• En

Millennium Money - Wales Millennium Centre has claimed to have sold £100m worth of tickets since its opening a decade ago. The centre, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, has released an impact report revealing that 13.5m people have visited the centre, and more than three million attended its theatre. Artistic director Graeme Farrow said: "Wales Millennium Centre has made a tremendous impact over the past decade . . . Over the next decade we will surprise people more regularly and throw open the doors to all the spaces within this amazing site and let the air in

UK - Applications are being sought by Rose Bruford College for its Junior Ready Steady Light 2015, a lighting design competition which offers teams the opportunity to win an amazing prize - to chance to redesign the architectural lighting of the National Theatre on London's Southbank.

Philips and the Society of Light and Lighting continue to sponsor Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance's hugely successful Junior Ready Steady Light competition for 2015. Rose Bruford College aims to attract eight teams from state schools, further education colleges and art organisations worki

UK - London-based theatre consultancy, Theatreplan LLP has announced the appointment of two new partners to the practice. With appointments that took effect from 1 October, Michael Atkinson and Paul Connolly join current partners, Roger Fox, Dave Ludlam, Clive Odom, Mathew Smethurst-Evan and John Whitaker.

Atkinson first joined Theatreplan as an associate in April 2014 where he designed the stage and working light control systems as well as dimmer engineering for the Copenhagen Opera and a range of other venues. A renowned lighting technology expert whose career has taken him from maj

UK - Behind the Scenes UK, the newly launched charity that aims to provide financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are ill or injured, is calling on companies and individuals to send their annual Christmas cards via Card Aid this year.

Card Aid has been helping charities increase their funds from the sale of their Christmas cards for over 30 years and John Simpson, Chair of Behind the Scenes UK, believes proceeds from the sale of Christmas Cards via the Card Aid Website will really make a difference to Behind the Scenes which only launched in the UK in Oc

Beatle Drive - The Beatles musical Let It Be will return to the West End next year, to run at the Garrick Theatre. It will replace The Scottsboro Boys at the Garrick, where it also played earlier this year. The show will run there from 28 February to 27 September. The production will then embark on its second national tour in October 2015, which will visit more than 30 cities. The show's producer, Jamie Hendry, said, "Now in its third year, Let It Be continues to draw crowds and delight audiences around the world. Its return to the West End for its fourth seaso

UK - Calling all event professionals! Drapes and rigging specialists Blackout have launched a social media campaign to support Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day, and they need your help to raise funds for the cause.

Blackout will be donating up to £1,000 to support the charity initiative which aims to Make the World Better with a Sweater. The team got together for a festive-themed photo shoot, featuring Christmas jumpers, props, and a festive star cloth backdrop. The photos are currently being shared on Twitter and Facebook, with £2 donated for every re-tweet

UK - Amp Pack Cases and Packhorse enjoyed a successful PLASA show at Excel London in October. Both companies were showcasing their wide range of innovative cases and received a fantastic response.

John O'Neill, Founder of Amp Pack Cases, commented: "The show was a very successful event and we received a great response for our products. As well as showcasing our range of Amp Pack cases we were exhibiting the Packhorse range, which also witnessed a great deal of interest from potential clients. We very much enjoyed the show, meeting new and existing customers and are definitely pla

USA - The Behind the Scenes Happy Hour, hosted by PLASA, was the biggest pre-LDI party of the year, with over 400 guests attending. Twenty-three sponsors donated towards the event, and all proceeds were able to go to the Behind the Scenes charity, totalling over $18,000.

Event co-chair Steven Way, President of ALPS, said, "Our entire committee was very pleased with the new 'happy hour' format for this PLASA event. Our sponsors really stepped up, allowing us to expand the food and drink offerings, reach a wider audience of industry professionals and as important, present the Behin

UK - Flightcase Warehouse (FCW) is pleased to announce the achievement of ISO9001 accreditation.

"By demonstrating and verifying our compliance to the requirements of ISO 9001, FCW are actively advertising the company's commitment to quality, traceability and continual improvements," said FCW's Sam Austin.

ISO 9001 promotes the development of continual improvement, customer satisfaction and traceability through the implementation of various management system processes.

"ISO9001 accreditation will drive Flightcase Warehouse forward and assist in constantly improving

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