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UK - PLASA has announced the launch of a major new industry survey designed to help guide the Association's future development of technical qualifications for the industry.

PLASA is carrying out a survey of employers and technicians across both theatre and live events in the UK in relation to the further development of qualifications and are calling for participation from employers and technicians in the live events and theatre sector. It is hoped data will emerge on how many technicians are working, both employed and freelance, and in which areas of specialism - and it will assess the appetite of the industry for further vocational qualifications beyond the National Rigging Certificate.

Matthew Griffiths, CEO of PLASA said: "This is an essential piece of research for the entertainment technology sector that will be vital in setting PLASA's skills planning over the coming

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Shipping Bulletin - Sting's musical about shipbuilding in the North East of England has found a home on Broadway. The Last Ship, which is inspired by the singer's own childhood, will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on 30 September. The cast will include New York stage star Michael Esper and Irish singer and actress Rachel Tucker. It will also star fellow North East star Jimmy Nail, who Sting has previously said "gave me the courage to carry on" with the project. "He said 'this is very important, you have to do this, this story needs to be told,'" the musician told BBC News.

Sting has already released an album called The Last Ship, with music that will feature in the show. The musical will be directed by Joe Mantello, who has won two Tony Awards, for musical Assassins and stage play Take Me Out.

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UK - Fisher Productions has hired two new heads of departments to help further the company's continued growth.

Fisher's relationships with venues form a key part of their business and the expanding event production company have built a new Venues Team dedicated to planning and delivering events for this sector.

Rebecca Harris joins Fisher as general manager for venues, bringing 18 years events industry experience with her. Rebecca's career spans across agencies, catering and venues and her previous roles include positions at Hospitality Line, Concerto Live, Harbour & Jones, The Hempel and The Royal Society.

On joining Fisher Productions Rebecca says, 'Having admired Fisher throughout my career I am thrilled to now be part of the Fisher team and look forward to working with all of Fisher's 70 plus accredited venues."

Graham Winn joins Fisher as head of technical servic

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USA - CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) has announced a new modularised format for its EST (electronic systems technician) training courses to provide new and experienced installers with a more manageable training schedule which doesn't require too much time off site.

This restructure sees the EST1 Boot Camp and EST2 Technical School courses split down into more specific modules, each lasting one day and ending with an examination. As a result, the length of the units are reduced, meaning that installers can focus on a particular topic of interest and complete it in one day, eliminating any disruption to project work.

"Our education programme has been going from strength to strength over the last year as we have introduced a range of new courses" says Matt Dodd, education director of CEDIA Region 1. "However, we know that it can be

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Canada - CAST of Toronto has launched The CAST Forum at http://forum.cast-soft.com. The forum is open to everyone and aims to serve both CAST product users as well as the entire entertainment & event production community, it is not just about CAST products. Forum members can post projects, ask questions, get technical support from the Community or just browse to see what others are doing.

The Forum is meant to bring members together regarding everything from design and programming for lighting, multimedia, audio, to new technologies, to working in other countries, to sharing tricks of the trade, and leveraging each other's knowledge and experiences.

CAST president Gil Densham explains, "We want the forum to focus on the important issues; the collaboration of creativity + artistry + technology, from the design process to execution to wildly successful projects. This is not

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Record Breakers - London's major commercial and subsidised theatres have reported their 10th consecutive year of record box office takings, with more people visiting theatre in the capital in 2013 than ever before. Figures published by the Society of London Theatre - whose membership includes the 52 principal commercial and not-for-profit theatres in central London - revealed that gross box office returns rose to more than £585m, up 11% on 2012; attendances also increased, by 4%, up to 14.6m

According to SOLT, the results were down to the popularity of the shows on offer, with theatres reporting an improved percentage of tickets sold across the year. Average theatre capacity achieved was 72.7% in 2013, up from 69.21%.

Closing Number - Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical, Stephen Ward, will close in the West End following a run of less than four months.

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UK/India - FaitalPRO has appointed Andrew Richardson to manage OEM sales and area sales in UK and India.

Andrew has an extensive background in the audio industry, having spent the majority of his recent career working in managing the distribution and sales of audio components.

In his most recent role he managed technical sales and knows perfectly well the products Faital makes and sells.

Andrew states, "After visiting FaitalPRO factory premises in Milan and Cremona, Italy, I immediately realized what I wanted to do. Actually, after experiences with other manufacturers in other industries, With FaitalPRO there are already many customers that are familiar with the brand, so what I have to do is just to increase the amount of people that know about these marvellous products, build on the relationship and look to new customers which are now not completely familiar with Fait

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Germany - Following a period of significant growth d&b audiotechnik has created a new department for market research. The Backnang based team will be led by market research manager Henning Kaltheuner who joined d&b at the beginning of December 2013.

Kaltheuner is well known in the industry; his professional career included 10 years at audio rental house Padco in Köln, before establishing the boutique pro audio specialist Teqsas, which Kaltheuner ran successfully for five years before moving to Yamaha Commercial Audio where he joined the product planning department in Japan. This was followed by three years at Riedel Communication as head of product management before joining d&b.

A Graduate of Köln University with a Masters degree in Psychology, Kaltheuner is the first to admit his qualifications and experience might appear at odds with his new role. "But in fact the two

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UK - Audio-Technica has announced the appointment of Alex Jann to the position of UK product and training specialist, with particular responsibility for DJ and recording-related products from Audio-Technica and Allen & Heath (distributed in the UK by Audio-Technica). The new role will see Jann working alongside Audio-Technica's dedicated team of sales managers, further strengthening the company's commitment to the highest standards of customer service.

Jann has worked in MI for more than a decade - with Andertons, Tascam and inMusic featuring on his CV - and has long experience as a techno and house music DJ and producer. As such he brings real understanding of the challenges facing MI retailers, as well as in-depth product knowledge.

"I'm very excited to be joining Audio-Technica," says Jann, "and I'm looking forward to supporting dealers with everything from s

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UK - Chauvet Professional has announced it has become Corporate Supporter of the Theatres Trust. Chauvet Professional will also provide further support to the Trust as sponsor of the delegate lunch at this year's Theatre Trust Conference, scheduled for 28 April, at the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds.

The Theatres Trust is the National Advisory Body for Theatres, protecting theatres for everyone. Operating nationally in England, Scotland and Wales, the Trust promotes the value of theatre buildings and champions their future.

General manager Michael Brooksbank commented, "As a manufacturer, we feel honoured to play a role. Theatre is the backbone of the entertainment technology industry and a natural symbiosis already exists. Having come to understand in greater detail and recognise the work of the Trust, allegiance and community support became a natural next step for C

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UK - The International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference 2014 formally opened bookings for the June event this week.

ITEAC 2014: The Future of Performance Spaces - The People, The Places, The Technologies, has recorded its highest pre-registered delegate interest in the Conference's history and has been inundated with ideas for papers & content from those interested in contributing from around the world.

The opening delegate rate has been held at 2010 prices for those registering early for ITEAC 2014. Further discounts are available to members of OISTAT (International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians), the ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) membership and members of its Partner Organisations.

Developing themes for the fourth three-day quadrennial conference, being held at the University of London's Senate H

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UK - Qdos Event Hire, was appointed to provide cabins, luxury toilets and waste tanks to the BRIT Awards for the third year in succession.

The contract was awarded by Brit Awards Production Ltd and saw Qdos supply their cabins for use as production offices and hospitality areas for backstage and the after-show party. They also supplied a range of their luxury toilets to support the existing facilities in-house at the venue. In addition they to installing tanks for catering waste.

The 2014 BRIT Awards, widely regarded as the biggest event in the British music industry's calendar, was held on 19 February 2014, held at The O2 Arena in London, with James Corden presenting. Big winners on the night included the Arctic Monkeys and One Direction.

Nigel Brice, CEO, Qdos Event Hire said, "This is the third year that we have been involved with the BRIT Awards and I'm delighted to

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Belgium - Glenn Roggeman (CEO AED group) cut the ribbon for the opening of the AED studios in the presence of numerous prominent guests from the political as well as corporate scene.

In August 2013, the Eurocam Media Centre - formerly known as the Alfacam Studios, changed ownership after the acquisition by the AED group.

On 1 October, Glenn Roggeman officially started phase 1 of his master plan, "the update" of the studios. During the last five months, neither cost nor effort was spared for this prestigious project. Today, many waste containers, renovations and innovations later, determined entrepreneurship already shows its result.

Sixteen studios, of which five have been fully fitted with the most recent lighting-, sound- and video equipment, having as target audience, the TV- and event industry.

Seven Studios were equipped with Technical ceilings (Trusses and

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UK - A collaborative event industry skills initiative, formed in 2010 by Delta Sound and White Light, welcomes Metro Broadcast and The Royal Albert Hall to the 2014 undergraduate programme. The growing initiative is an educational programme for stage technicians at the UK's leading universities and theatre schools aiming for a career in live events. The initiative helps prepare students for work and provides an opportunity to gain valuable insights into the industry offering advice on production planning, project management, creating a CV and interview tips.

The initiative reaches out to students of RADA, Central School of Speech and Drama, Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Mountview Academy, Rose Bruford College and the Guildford School of Acting.

This project was originally created by Delta Sound's projects director Lee Dennison, and Head of Events at White Light, Stuart Cr

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Welcome Home - The Liverpool Everyman theatre has re-opened after being rebuilt at a cost of £27m. The Everyman became famous in the 1970s for launching the careers of actors like Bill Nighy, Julie Walters, Pete Postlethwaite and Sir Anthony Sher. Its rebirth comes as Liverpool City Council plans to cut its culture budget by 50% by 2017, although the council said the Everyman would be protected. The first production on the new stage will be Shakespeare's Twelfth Night starring Matthew Kelly and Nicholas Woodeson, which opens on 8 March.

Kelly and Woodeson are returning 40 years after being part of the illustrious Everyman company of the mid-1970s. The talent at that time also included actors Bernard Hill, Jonathan Pryce, Alison Steadman and Trevor Eve, writers Alan Bleasdale and Willy Russell, singer Barbara Dickson and poets Roger McGough and Adrian Mitchell. The t

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UK - PLASAtechnical announces that the RDM and sACN Developers Conference and Plugfest returns for 2014 and will take place on Thursday 24, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 April, in the UK, at Gatwick Manor, London Road at Lowfield Heath, just south of Gatwick Airport.

The Developers Conference provides a European forum for manufacturers, designers, consultants and prospective users; and aims to ensure that the adoption of these new standards achieves desired levels of interoperability and reliability.

Conference sessions will cover the understanding, implementation and use of the published E1.20 and E1.37 RDM standards as well as the E1.31 sACN standard. Other projects in the current PLASA Technical Standards Program such as"E1.33 : RDMnet" will also feature.

In all, three new Control Protocol projects were proposed at the recent PLASA meetings, held in January in Dalla

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UK - Leisuretec Distribution has announced a number of staff changes and additions. As of February 2014, Cliff Dounting has taken over the reins from Mike Henden as Managing Director. Dounting joined Leisuretec in November 2007 as Operations Manager and became Commercial Director in July 2008. He comments: "it genuinely is an honour to become Leisuretec's Managing Director, a position of great responsibility that I take very seriously. We have a fantastic team with a very positive outlook of providing excellent technical and commercial support with a great service with a smile. Of course this is all possible by having some wonderful suppliers who are like our friends and we have great strength of partnership providing some of the best brands in the world. I'm very proud to be part of it".

Mike Henden comments: "With Leisuretec's continued development over the last

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USA - LightParts Inc. has appointed industry veteran Sean McCarter to fill the newly created position of sales manager. Sean previously held the title of repair coordinator at LightParts, after a long tenure with High End Systems. In his new role, Sean will be responsible for all inside and Internet sales activities at LightParts, including parts and equipment sales, both new and used. Sean can be reached at sean@lightparts.com

Robert Mokry of LightParts says, "Sean was a great hire from day one. He walked in the door knowing the gear, customers and manufacturers. Customers love dealing with Sean, he gives great phone! Seriously, we look forward to Sean heading up our expanded sales efforts."

McCarter adds, "After ten years of business, LightParts has a broad customer base and a terrific team of people in our shop. I look forward to expanding that customer base

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Rich Pickings - Taylor Swift has returned to the top of Billboard's annual list of music money makers, a title she held in 2012 only to relinquish last year to Madonna. The 24-year-old earned $39.7m (£23.8m) in 2013 from a combination of music sales, royalties and touring, according to the trade publication. Country star Kenny Chesney rose three places to second place, while Justin Timberlake came third. Rock acts Bon Jovi and the Rolling Stones round out this year's top five.

Homecoming - Hit musical Book of Mormon is due to play Salt Lake City for the first time next year, near the location of the Mormon church's headquarters. It will run from July to August at The Capitol Theatre, less than half a mile from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' flagship temple. Written by South Park's Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the show pokes fun at two naive m

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South Africa - Johnny Scholtz, has joined the DWR Distribution sales team. Johnny is a well known and respected lighting designer and has worked on various corporate events in Africa.

He initially joined the industry after completing a sound engineering course. "In fact, Peter Rieck, a friend of mine from high school, introduced me to the industry," recalls Johnny. Peter was working for MJ Event Gear at the time, and Johnny joined the company soon after. He stayed at MJ for 11 years, working himself up the corporate ladder and falling in love with lighting along the way. Johnny also freelanced for a couple of years thereafter.

"Now I'm on the other side," he says. "It's a new challenge in my life, and a time for moving and growing."

Says Duncan Riley from DWR, "I have always enjoyed Johnny's easy going nature. It has been great to see his t

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UK - Push The Button Ltd (PTB), the specialist electrical contractor for the entertainment industry, has recently completed the creation of a new backstage artists lounge for the Barbican Concert Hall in London.

The Concert Hall, part of the Barbican Centre, is the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, and also hosts a wide range of other concerts, productions and events. "The existing backstage area that greeted those performing at the Hall was quite cold and uninviting," comments PTB's Nick Ewins. "It needed some TLC to provide the welcoming and relaxing atmosphere that the great artists who play here deserve before and after a concert."

PTB was selected by the Barbican to explore how lighting might be able to help transform the existing space. The company presented a number of options to the Barbican Centre, aiming to create a versatile lighting system

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Stones Cancel - The Rolling Stones have cancelled the first date of their Australian tour after the death of Sir Mick Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott. The celebrated US fashion designer was found dead in her New York flat on Monday, in an apparent suicide. The British band were due to play in Perth on Wednesday. Their promoter said no further information was available. They are scheduled to play five more concerts in Australia. The next is due to take place on 25 March in Sydney.

Monty's Off - The West End version of The Full Monty is to close after five weeks, two-and-a-half months earlier than planned, due to poor ticket sales. The play, which was adapted from the hit 1997 film about hard-up Sheffield steelworkers, opened on 20 February and was due to run until 14 June. But its last performance at the Noel Coward Theatre will now be on 29 March. Producers David

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UK - With the programme for Theatres Trust Conference 14: Community Theatres in place, and a strong line-up of contributors confirmed, including Stephen Williams MP, Peter Stark OBE, Chairman of Voluntary Arts Network, and Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chairman of Arts Council England, momentum is building as delegates take advantage of the generous Early Bird delegate rates.

This year the annual conference is taking place on Monday 28 April 2014 in Leeds, at the famous Grade II* listed City Varieties Music Hall. Early Bird delegate rate runs to Friday 28 March. The community theatres conference is co-locating alongside PLASA Focus: Leeds, the popular regional entertainment technology trade show that runs the following day at the Royal Armouries on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April.

Mhora Samuel, Director of The Theatres Trust sa

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USA - Wireless audio manufacturer RF Venue has released the RF Optix RF to fibre optic conversion system, a powerful new tool for mainstream wireless microphone users that expands the possibilities of antenna distribution and wireless audio design.

"RF Optix brings technology from the world of broadcast and IT into the reach of church, school, and theatre wireless users," says CEO Chris Regan. "Integrators, tour managers, and church technicians are now able to do things with fibre that would have been way out of budget, or downright impossible, with coaxial cable."

The RF Optix system leverages the low cost, lossless characteristics of fibre optic cable over the expensive, fragile, lossy characteristics of coaxial cables. Fibre cable runs thousands of feet long are possible with negligible in-line attenuation, so antennas can be remoted in venues far away f

  1. SMBox stage management suite now available
  2. Focusrite name Damian Hawley director of global marketing and sales
  3. New guide to safe events launched
  4. Britannia Row Training offers individual option
  5. Gallowglass opens Middle East base
  6. The Week in Lighting & Sound
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