USA - After a storied career in the entertainment industry, ESTA’s membership manager, Frances Thompson, will be retiring at the end of 2021. For over two decades, she has been a vital force in the growth of the association and a galvanizing presence at trade shows and events.
In 1996, Frances was appointed to the ESTA Board of Directors, after being a part of the Business Resource Group for several years. She then served as manufacturer director until early 2000, when she was appointed as an affiliate director. Around 2001, Frances joined the ESTA staff and has since held several titles.
On her retirement, Frances remarked, “I will miss engaging with members and staff. We are irreverent, creative, resourceful, opinionated, and uproarious. But most of my family and friends are as well, so I will be happy.”
As her successor, ESTA has appointed Laura Hoepker as its new programme manager for membership and events, effective August 17, 2021. Like her predecessor, Laura also has a long history in the entertainment technology industry. Previously, she was the marketing events specialist at Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. She also held sales and marketing positions with PLASA, before acting as a consultant to NAMM.
“I’m very excited about this new challenge,” Laura said. “I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and colleagues and talking about the tremendous value of ESTA membership and events.”

USA - Behind the Scenes reports that NATEAC, the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference, has made a $10,000 donation to support the work of the charity. NATEAC is a quadrennial conference which had been scheduled to take place in New York City last summer and was turned into a highly successful virtual conference held 20-22 July, 2021.
On presenting the cheque, NATEAC founder, Bill Sapsis, commented, “All of us at NATEAC are very happy to provide this donation in support of the terrific work the Behind the Scenes Foundation offers through its grants program and mental health initiative.” In 2016 NATEAC donated the proceeds from its conference dinner at Sardi’s to the charity. In 2021 the pandemic forced NATEAC to cancel the dinner but the conference organisers were determined to continue the support for BTS.
NATEAC’s mission is to promote communication between the architects, engineers, consultants, and manufacturers responsible for designing and building new theatres and renovating existing facilities in North America. It is also their goal to promote a higher level of interaction between these professionals and the end users of their facilities.
Lori Rubinstein, executive director of the Behind the Scenes Foundation, gratefully accepted the cheque, saying “NATEC represents a coming together of individuals from across our industry to share their expertise to create even better performance spaces that benefit those who work in and attend them. That ethos is kin to what Behind the Scenes represents–a coming togethe

UK - The live events sector is set to get a boost with a government-backed insurance scheme worth over £750m, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced yesterday (5 August).
The news comes after many months of campaigning by the events sector and the wider music industry for the introduction of such a scheme. However, it comes too late for many, with over fifty per cent of scheduled festivals – both large and small – cancelled or postponed.
The government has partnered with Lloyd’s to deliver the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme as part of the Plan for Jobs. The scheme will see the government act as a ‘reinsurer’ – stepping in with a guarantee to make sure insurers can offer the products events companies need.
This scheme will support live events across the UK that are open to the general public - such as music festivals and business events. It will cover costs incurred in the event of cancellation due to the event being legally unable to happen due to Government Covid restrictions.
A number of prominent insurers in the Lloyd’s market, including Arch, Beazley, Dale, Hiscox and Munich Re are supporting the scheme which will provide events companies with the option of purchasing cover from next month, alongside standard commercial events insurance.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “The events sector supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country, and I know organisers are raring to go now that restrictions have been lifted. But the lack of the right kind of insurance is proving a problem, so as the econo

China - Resulting from the heightened popularity and massive growth within the eSports industry, Tencent China and Riot Games recently joined forces to create TJ Sports, Asia’s first large-scale eSports remote production centre. As the eSports industry continues to expand across the globe, production companies are looking to streamline operator workflow.
Providing a technologically advanced, yet simple-to-operate control solution, TJ Sports selected TSL Products’ TallyMan Advanced Broadcast Control System to accomplish the management of large-scale video switchers, audio mixers and the AV matrix for its events.
“TSL enables us to produce more events that are more intensive and complex,” says Zhang Xuming, head of broadcast technology planning at TJ Sports. “The TSL TallyMan controller greatly reduces execution risk during production while improving the overall operator experience, and its price to performance ratio is extremely attractive. With TSL’s TallyMan, we have successfully accomplished off-site control of remote network production for major international events.”
With more teams, venues and cities involved in eSports, as well as an increase in overseas competitions, TJ Sports requires an advanced, centralized control system to carry out high-quality, telecast productions across multiple venues. With this multi-venue production workflow, flexibility of resource allocation and access to control are among TJ Sports’ top priorities when it comes to product selection.
With TSL’s TallyMan, TJ Sports can host centralised sc

UK - The partners behind 5G Festival have successfully completed the second set of trials to test critical aspects of the technology that will be used to deliver a music collaboration toolset and experience for artists, audiences and venues. The results will deliver the world’s first 5G powered hybrid immersive festival experience early next year.
The social and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the live music industry has been severe. 5G Festival is part of efforts across the sector to create innovative platforms for musicians and artists to write, rehearse and produce music despite geographical barriers, and deliver new, engaging ways for audiences to interact with live performances.
5G Festival will showcase creative talent blended with the power of advanced digital technologies, broadcast live directly to audiences at remote locations from world-leading venues, and producing novel immersive in-venue experiences. The recent trials built on the practical testing and research established during the first stage trials held in March 2021 with the aim of having artists collaborate from different locations to see how an immersive festival experience would work both in a venue and at home.
A new group called The Remotes - the most data divided band in the UK - was put together especially for the trials, led by musical director Kojo Samuel, who has worked with Stormzy, Jess Glynne and Dave. A collaboration of experienced session musicians, The Remotes rehearsed and performed from physically separate locations. A vocalist and drummer wer

UK - SES is moving from its Datchet base to a new facility in Colnbrook. Having continuously expanded over the last few years, SES has taken the decision to move to much larger facilities which will enable the company to expand further over the next few years.
“Our new home enables us to have all our manufacturing, design and production under one roof,” says group director Gordon Cooper, “and allows us to continue to develop industry leading products and facilitate customers’ requirements in a more efficient manner.
“The space that we will have will allow us to purchase our third CNC router, increase the number of production staff and increase stock holding of raw and finished goods. We will also have a separate R&D workshop, which allows us to increase the capacity of our already large test and inspect facility.”
SES is planning open house days customers and suppliers will be shown around the new building and introduced to the team.
The new address is: SES (Entertainment Services) Ltd, Unit 5 Air Hub, Arkwright Road, Poyle trading Estate, Colnbrook, SL3 0AA. Tel: +44 (0)17 5358 5050.

UK - Global event specialist, The Spendlove Group has announced the launch of THE Production TEAM. The new company will combine the skills and expertise that exist within the group to deliver a global event recruitment business.
Launched as the event industry makes a welcome return, THE Production TEAM will offer ‘a myriad of recruitment services to event management companies, venues and production houses operating within film & TV, events and theatre’. Offering complete transparency for both clients and freelancers with competitive rates of pay, all candidates will be vetted, pre-qualified and selected to fill job vacancies globally.
For UK clients interested in its contract recruitment services THE Production TEAM will renumerate employees, including sickness and holiday payments. This will also be the case in the Middle East, but the company will also facilitate visas for people out of country, whilst providing medical cover and insurance removing all the hassle from the employer. As a global operation THE Production TEAM will also be able to navigate the bureaucracy now attached to working in Europe following Brexit.
Spendlove Group founder and CEO, Ian Spendlove said: “This business is almost two years in the making, Covid-19 actually pushed back our original plans for the launch. We’ve subsequently had more time to build the foundations and as it turns out that, there’s now more demand than we were originally anticipating. We’re operating in a world where a senior production manager can be working from home and located anywhe

UK - On Saturday 4 September, a group of industry professionals will band together for BikeFest, a fundraising bike ride from SFL’s headquarters in Reading to PLASA Show at Olympia London. BikeFest aims to raise funds for industry charities and mark the return of live events and entertainment following 18 months of unparalled challenge. 

The organisers of BikeFest are calling for fellow cyclists to sign up and follow them on one of two routes: a relaxed 40-mile ride direct to London via flat roads and cycle paths, or a more strenuous 80-mile ride traversing the Surrey Hills. The two routes will cater for all levels of cyclists, from casual and commuting cyclists to serious road bikers. London-based cyclists are also invited to join for the last leg through the capital. 

All money raised will go to Backup, the technical entertainment charity. Backup will then channel the funds to Stagehand, Music Support, Acting For Others and #MakeItBlue. Each charity has been a dependable source throughout the pandemic, ensuring the industry’s workforce is recognised and supported. 

To join BikeFest you’ll need to make a one-off donation at least £50 which is payable upon booking your place. Places are limited to 24 cyclists per route, so it is recommended to book your place as soon as you can.  

BikeFest follows in the tracks of several fundraising bike rides to cross the finish line at PLASA Show. In 2019, ten cyclists covered 100 miles

UK - The Kingshakes, an old-school neo rockabilly band has kicked off its post-pandemic gig calendar. Van Damme cables have been at the core of every performance, most recently at the Hot Rod and Custom Car Show in Peterborough.
Formed in 2013 The Kingshakes are a three-piece ensemble, consisting of guitarist Andy Kandil, drummer Steve Clark and double bass player Dan Clark. Prior to the global COVID-19 outbreak, they played all over the world and across the UK.
Dan Clark explains: “I’ve been using Van Damme cables since I was in my teens. I was trying out lots of different equipment and found that all Van Damme leads and jacks were exceptional. Ever since that day, all of the wiring inside my double bass has been Van Damme. I’ve never used anything else because the brand has never let me down - the leads have never broken, and none of the ends have come loose. It’s been a great journey. I look forward to continuing that relationship well into the future and particularly when we’re properly back on the road.”
Over the last 18 months, the team of singer-songwriters have been focusing on writing their first album which is due to be released later this year. There are a wide range of performances scheduled in the UK for the rest of 2021 and the band hopes to start touring internationally again in 2022, with gigs in Italy, Holland, Spain, Germany and the USA on the agenda.

UK - The Scottish events industry is appealing to the Scottish government to provide a further financial boost and additional support to secure a safe and sustainable return of the sector devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Scotland’s Event Industry Advisory Group (EIAG) is recommending an extra £40m in re-start funding be made available along with a raft of other initiatives including continuation of the Job Retention Scheme on a flexible basis from this September to March next year.
The group warns that failure to act could cost the country its status as a world-class event destination and the sector’s associated £6bn annual visitor spend within the Scottish economy.
The EIAG, which represents the events and festivals sector, has been lobbying Holyrood through pandemic and earlier this year presented Scottish Government ministers with a submission detailing A Route Back to Scotland the Perfect Stage.
Now, following the proposed lifting of restrictions from August, the group has outlined detailed proposals in a white paper, Event Sector Stimulus Initiatives, aimed at creating a suitable environment to allow the safe return of the country’s globally-renowned sector.
Geoff Crow, director of events company 21CC Group, who leads the EIAG sector stimulus sub-group explains: “The sector has endured a devastating period of shutdown since March 2020. It has cost billions in lost revenue and many millions in hardship support, it has threatened the country’s entire event infrastructure, including Scotland’s vi

USA - The 2021 Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards are on sale now at the BTS Boutique. It’s important to let family, friends and colleagues know you are thinking of them and these unique holiday cards say it perfectly. They are also a personal and inexpensive way for a company to keep in touch with its customers and let them know “We are here and you are important to us”.
Sending a BTS holiday card helps spread the word about the charity and lets your recipients know you are supporting industry colleagues who are ill or injured as well as the BTS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative.
Cards are available in a variety of options: card packs of 10 with a standard greeting, personalized cards with a company logo and custom message, and electronic cards in multiple file formats and an array of price points starting at just $20.
This year’s cards feature a mix of new designs by Elektra Buhalis, Maureen Freedman, Ola Krazspulska, Robert Mendoza and India Smith. Returning is one of the all-time favourite designs by Melissa Pfeiffer.
Orders for printed cards will be taken until September 30, 2021 to arrive by late November. Electronic card orders will be taken until 17 December. View and order cards at www.behindthescenescharity.org/holidaycards.
Also available are industry-themed holiday decorations, from LED ghostlight Christmas trees and Hanukah menorahs to nightlights and tree ornaments.
For more information about

UK - The Neutrik Group has announced the launch of Rean, a global brand ‘marrying over 45 years precision engineering know-how with the group’s own dedicated state-of-the-art production facilities’.
Rean offers designers of audio, video and lighting products a comprehensive range of connectors featuring’ robust, high-reliability designs, that promise unrivalled cost-performance ratios, backed by a truly global supply-chain and experienced regional sales network’.
An extensive worldwide portfolio of connectors incorporates a full range of ’standard’ professional XLR, ¼” Jack, XLR/Jack combo, ethernet, power connector, 3.5mm, phono, DIN, and dual banana plug solutions, and the new Z Series of IP65 rated XLR and RJ45 ethernet connectors. These are specified for outdoor applications, resistant to water and dirt, and optimised for use in lighting and digital signage applications.
Neutrik Group CEO Chad Trevithick stated: “Rean enables the group to bring its engineering experience and expertise to focus on a new, much broader client base, enabling those customers to more readily specify quality connectors across a much wider range of product designs, offering the end user a performance connectivity solution, industry trusted and globally supported.”
Product is now available from stock, with the range set to expand significantly over the course of 2021.

Europe - German-based audio network specialist DirectOut and the Italian IT system provider Vivivaldy will use SRT for ViViD, a customized service that permits audio professionals to easily setup remote productions using standard internet connections.
The two companies have joined the SRT Alliance following the strategy of providing easy and reliable remote production solutions.
Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) is a free, open-source AV transport protocol and technology stack originally developed and pioneered by Haivision that enables the delivery of high-quality and secure, low-latency audio/video across the public internet.
Luca Di Chio, CEO of Vivivaldy, comments: “As Vivivaldy we’re proud to join the SRT Alliance to implement the open-source AV transport protocol into our VPN-routers. We think it’s a way to bring additional value to our clients. As the three pillars of ViViD are simplicity, low-latency, and reliability, SRT helps us to guarantee a steady, glitchless audio transmission to open new scenarios and possibilities to live and broadcast streaming events via public internet infrastructures.”
Jan Ehrlich, CEO of DirectOut, adds: “Reliability has always been an important principle for DirectOut. Our hardware is built to be solid and to grant high quality and the same concept stands for our AoIP implementations. The SRT Alliance follows the same approach of secure and reliable network transmission for maximum quality, so joining the alliance perfectly matches with our company goals.”
“With the SRT Alliance, Direct

Germany - Van Damme cables has announced that it has agreed a new MI-only distribution partnership with German audio industry specialist, Audiosteps.
The deal is designed to expand Van Damme’s reach in the German market through Audiosteps’ local expertise. The partnership will offer German customers support and availability of the latest products, including Van Damme Silver Series guitar cables, Starquad and Classic mic cables as well as the Blue and Black Series speaker cables.
Audiosteps.de was founded in 2018 as a website offering free tutorials to anyone wanting to learn more about the music industry. Professionals in the sector would live stream sessions on various topics including recording, mixing, mastering music production and distribution. It was initially very much a ‘hobby project’ but it quickly became a well-known platform used by German producers and engineers alike.
At the beginning of 2021, founders Andre Freitag and Christian Nelles decided to turn this successful initiative into a company. Later this year, Audiosteps.io will begin to offer musicians, producers and engineers both educational courses and an online shop where they will be able to purchase products from new and innovative pro-audio manufacturers such as Van Damme.
Andre Masterati Freitag commented: "I first became aware of Van Damme in 2019 through mastering engineer Andreas Balaskas. At the beginning of 2021 I was in need of a new cable solution for my mastering setup and contacted VDC London. I loved the signal quality and processing capabilities of