UK - Signify reports its successful collaboration with the National Theatre’s River Stage Festival. The River Stage, which provides a diverse range of free entertainment over a five-week summer season, once again benefitted from an array of the latest stage lighting products from the Philips Vari-Lite brand, including the new VL800 BeamLine.
Built outside the National Theatre on London’s South Bank, the River Stage presents diverse entertainment from visiting companies including Sadler’s Wells, HOME Manchester and music experimentalists, Nonclassical. Using the latest fixtures from the Philips Vari-Lite and Showline brands, lighting designer Huw Llewellyn was able to provide rich and varied lighting designs for the wide variety of performance styles.
“Without Signify’s support, we couldn’t do what we do with River Stage,” says Llewellyn. “Acts ranged from spoken word to bands, from contemporary dance to DJs, in direct sunlight and after-dark party moments. To be able to utilise the power, features and robustness of the Philips Vari-Lite VL2600s, the VLZs and VL800 BeamLines on the stage made it possible. We would never have been able to achieve the high quality of lighting without them.”
Amber Etra, product application specialist, says: “We are proud to support the River Stage Festival for the third consecutive year, helping to bring to life performances from a diverse array of acts during the British summer. The Philips Vari-Lite VL800 BeamLine’s bright and distinctive flat sheet of light brought dynamic movement

UK - Theatres Trust has extended the booking period for our Early Bird offer so you now have until Friday 24 August to take advantage of the discounted rate ( http://bit.ly/Adaptandthrive ).
Titled 'Adapt and Thrive', the conference, which takes place on 16 October at the Lyric Hammersmith, looks at new models for theatre buildings and new ways of funding.
Through a mixture of inspiring plenaries and lively breakout sessions, the conference will look at how we can ensure our theatres remain viable in challenging economic times and how we can continue to invest in renewal of our theatre infrastructure.
Joining Michael Ellis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism and Cameron Mackintosh, producer and theatre owner will be speakers from Bristol Old Vic, arguably the country’s oldest continuously operating theatre and Manchester’s Factory, probably the newest, discussing how they are adapting to new artistic and business models.
(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - After theatre De Blauwe Kei decided to move to a new purpose-built 650-capacity facility in the CHV Noordkade venue in Veghel, the theatre’s owners decided to be the first 100% LED theatre in the country.
Central to achieving this goal was an exclusively Chauvet Professional Ovation rig consisting of 20x Ovation E-260WW, 36x Ovation E-910FC, 4x Ovation F-265WW and 40x Ovation F-915FC fixtures supplied and installed by Stagelight.
“For the new location, the theatre was questioning whether it was still necessary to invest in traditional incandescent ellipsoidal and Fresnel fixtures,” says Robert Frijns from Stagelight. “We tried looking at what other theatres in the region had installed, but it turned out there were no 100% LED theatres yet in The Netherlands. De Blauwe Kei decided to go all in, and the results have been quite astonishing.”
By specifying the full selection of Ovation LED fixtures, the theatre ensured that cumbersome dimmer packs were no longer required to support the fixtures. Despite this, the fixtures retain the classic dimming curve of tungsten fixtures, thanks to Ovation’s advanced 16-bit dimming technology.
Positioned from above stage truss to the front and sides of the stage, the Ovation fixtures provide a wide range of looks for different purposes. The E-260WW and E-910FC fixtures, for example, were specified for their ability to provide a mixture of soft and concentrated wash effect lighting for the stage.
The Ovation F-915FC fixtures were specified for their ability to provide high-

UK - Academy Music Group enlisted the support of Liverpool based Adlib to co-design and deliver a touring specification audio system for its 2,000-capacity O2 Academy in Newcastle, one of the most active and vibrant live music venues on the UK touring scene.
This project was led by Academy Music Group’s divisional manager Steve Hoyland and O2 Academy Newcastle’s technical manager Nile Lines, with Adlib’s Andy Dockerty and Rob Crossland, who, together specified the Coda Audio PA system.
The main auditorium has a large space in front of the stage, with a raised bar area on the ground floor mid-way, that is situated underneath a balcony at the rear. One of the main goals of the new system was to ensure it provided a level of sonic experience to satisfy touring artists, offering a viable and attractive choice to bringing in their own productions.
For this venue, 20 x Coda LA12 line array speakers are configured as two main (left and right) hangs of 10, neatly forming an elegant arc from the existing PA points.
These cover the main room, underneath the balcony and the upper balcony positions perfectly – just from the two arrays – with four Coda G7 12-96s rigged under the balcony area.
The eight Coda SC8 sensor-controlled subs are positioned in a cardioid pattern under the stage to ensure as much low-end energy as possible is concentrated back into the auditorium. They are also neatly tucked away to maximise sight-lines for the audience.
For stage lip-fills, a pair of Coda Vi-Ray cabinets were added, with everything drive

USA - Federal Hill Commons, a 6.5-acre multi-use site just north of Indianapolis in Noblesville, Indiana, recently opened a community amphitheatre designed to hold any and every type of outdoor event. Professional production company and Elation dealer Stage Tech, Inc. of Indianapolis was commissioned to handle everything lighting on the project from concept and design to installation and programming and turned to Elation’s leading line of IP65-rated luminaires to realise the task.
“The nature of this installation demanded weatherproof fixtures so the IP rating was the first and most important criterion when compiling a list of options,” says Mike Trotta, owner of Stage Tech, Inc. “Elation has a wide range of IP-rated fixtures, so we were able to weigh the benefits of various fixture types and feature sets, knowing that any of them would be appropriate for the outdoor environment. The competitive pricing also ensured we could include enough fixtures in the inventory to provide an effective system within the client’s budget.”
Stage Tech chose to use 6 Proteus Hybrid fixtures, Elation’s multi-functional, IP65-rated arc-source moving head, along with 4 DTW Blinder 350 IP variable white LED blinders and 16 SixPar 300IP LED Par color changers. Lighting design was by Stage Tech’s in-house lead LD David Lapham.
Besides the IP rating, Lapham says the venue’s operator wanted the capabilities inherent in moving lights in order to add excitement to music events. “The Proteus Hybrid’s feature set allows for a high degree of flexibility fo

UK - Founded in 1830 in London, the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) is the leading centre for geographers and geographical learning. With over 16,500 members, the venue is home to a collection of more than two million historical items including maps, photographs, books, documents, paintings and artefacts.
The Society recently decided to upgrade its 750-seat Ondaatje Theatre.
Luciano Figueira, business development manager at the RGS, comments: “When we voted to invest in the theatre revamp, the sound system became our first priority. Most of the events we host are conferences, speeches and lectures, so we needed a solution that would help the speakers deliver their insights and bring the best in audio clarity, regardless of where the audience is seated in the theatre.”
The RGS commissioned integrator Plus 4 Audio to tackle the brief and the two organisations re-thought the entire sound system for the theatre before selecting the audio equipment. Plus4Audio opted for APG’s new Uniline Compact range, which had been recently introduced by the French loudspeaker manufacturer.
Plus4Audio managing director Stewart Chaney, explains: “The sound system had to meet a number of requirements. The RGS theatre welcomes presenters that aren’t always professionally trained, and as a result their speech output can be quite low. The historical dimension of the theatre and its layout were also major considerations. So we needed a sound system that would not only be compact and powerful, but precise and flexible enough to perform flawlessly regardless o

China - Top Plot International has landed a trio of nightclub audio installations in China, all featuring the Nexo STM Series modular line array system.
The projects use the STM Series modular line array, sets of M46 mains and B112 bass modules together with S118 subs. The STM Series main PA is supplemented by a secondary PS10 and PS15 system, and both are powered by racks of NXAMP4x4 amplifiers.
In Guangzhou, in Guangdong Province, The One Club is a large dance club in a warehouse-style setting that blends the appeal of a high-energy nightclub with a modern lounge. Meeting the technical specifications and other requirements to invite top DJs, The One Club has played host to world-class names like DJ Slushii, Adam Trigger, Wolfpack, Diego Miranda, Rehab, JP Candella, Tujamo, Tommy Walker and Timmy, with more slated to come.
The main dancefloor system uses three sets of M46+B112 STM modules per side, with 6x S118 subbass cabinets. A total of 28x PS Series loudspeakers and 20 LS18 subs are distributed around the venue. With high ceilings, spacious seating, central dancefloor and excellent air-conditioning, the venue also has a 300sq.m outdoor patio equipped with Nexo PS Series, where it can accommodate private parties and corporate functions.
In Jilin Province, 3000 km away, the opening of D.PARK brings a new level of nightclub entertainment to the city of Changchun. Top Plot International has installed the STM Series 6-set system, with clusters of M46+B112 left and right of the large DJ booth. Six STM S118 subs are ground-stacked along the f

USA - Effects Unlimited has recently completed the design and installation of a new sound system based around Community E Series column line source and point source loudspeaker systems for St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre.
St. Nicholas has been a landmark of the Wyoming Valley since the 1850s and the current neo-gothic church with its high vaulted ceilings and reflective surfaces was completed in 1887.
St. Nicholas turned to audio specialist Effects Unlimited to design a system that would deliver high intelligibility and complete coverage in the acoustically challenging space. Specialising in installation, as well as rental and live production services, Effects Unlimited is one of the largest providers of audio visual systems in the region.
Effects Unlimited designed the system using Community E Series loudspeakers, chosen for their audio quality, reliability and well controlled dispersion that allowed excellent coverage for the congregation, while substantially avoiding reflective surfaces.
The main system comprises six full-range ENT-FR high performance column line source loudspeakers. Its elegant slim profile also provided a good aesthetic solution that merged well with the church's interior architecture.
Six ENT206B compact column point source loudspeakers and four D SERIES DS5 high output, high quality surface mount loudspeakers provide additional coverage and fill, and two VLF208B dual 8-inch subwoofers extend the low frequency for warmth and music quality.
The system is controlled by QSC Q-SYS, with a TouchMix-8 digital

India - Munro Acoustics recently deployed an end-to-end Harman Professional Solutions audio system at the Flea Bazaar Café in the Lower Parel district of Mumbai.
Owned and operated by Impresario Group, the 7,000sq.ft café features 13 separate restaurants, a marketplace for local lifestyle brands and a bar that serves local beers and craft cocktails. The Flea Bazaar Café also includes a community performance venue that hosts stand-up comedy, plays, DJs and live music, and more. The space features a customised pulley mechanism that can quickly lift the tables and chairs to the ceiling and create extra space for audiences, as well as a van that serves as the DJ booth.
Impresario Group hired long-time audio partner Munro Acoustics to design an audio system that would complement the aesthetic of the Flea Bazaar Café and deliver even sound coverage in the highly reverberant venue. Munro selected a complete Harman sound reinforcement system comprised of JBL VRX line array speakers, JBL SCS Spatially Cued Surround loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and dbx digital signal processors.
“Integrating the system in a highly-morphable space such as Flea Bazaar Café was quite challenging,” says Kapil Thirwani, partner, Munro Acoustics. “We worked with the architects to make the subwoofers an integral part of the stage. The DJ plays through a van and we created a plug and play provision to disconnect the DJ van when not in use to free up the space for gigs.
“The venue was highly reverberant, and we faced some initial hiccups due to the complexity of

Australia - With soaring ceilings, cavernous naves, and smooth surfaces of stone or stained glass, cathedrals can present unique acoustics challenges. St John's Cathedral in Brisbane, Australia is no exception, having been bestowed the distinction of having one of the longest reverb times for a chapel in the southern hemisphere, ringing in at a whopping 7.2 seconds - delightful for Gregorian chants or pealing bells, but a sound reinforcement conundrum.
The solution was an L-Acoustics distributed 5XT system, installed in November 2017, which has since been providing the congregation with crystal-clear audio at the renowned Brisbane landmark, while preserving the architectural integrity and beauty of the heritage-listed structure.
St John’s Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Brisbane, which was created in 1859. Built as a mixture of French and English Victorian Gothic Revival styles, it boasts the only fully stone-vaulted ceiling in Australia. Adding to the reflective surfaces, the cathedral's internal walls are built of sandstone from Helidon, west of Brisbane.
“The interior is long and has some very excitable frequencies that occur in the strangest of places. It is stone-vaulted and there is nothing anywhere to absorb or diffuse the sound other than people and some timber carving,” explains Gerry Gavros.
“The new system also had to cater for the many different modes they run the cathedral in, with various congregation sizes and seating locations and orientations,” adds Gavros. “There are side chapels, altar areas, cho

France - Paris cabaret venue Moulin Rouge has invested in two DiGiCo S21s purchased through DiGiCo’s French distributor DV2.
The historic venue, based in Paris’ Pigalle district, opened on 6 October 1889 boasting chic interiors, large dance floor and picturesque garden resplendent with a large elephant statue.
In the spring of 2018, Paris sales and installation company Synoptic Broadcast provided the S21s - one as the main console and one as a backup - at the request of Moulin Rouge sound engineer, Bruno Ravary, who wanted to replace the existing desks with a compact format console that would fit into the amount of space available.
“I decided to change to DiGiCo simply because I went to a concert where a friend was using an SD10 and I liked the sound,” explains Ravary. “But we’ve also worked with the SD9 and SD11 for the recording of a TV Show, so we are familiar with the brand and for me there is no comparison with other product in terms of quality, size and price.”
Used for the Féerie, a show that features a troupe of 80 artists, including 60 Doriss Girls who wear 1000 traditional costumes of feathers, rhinestones and sequins, the S21 uses around 25 inputs and 15 outputs, and is plugged in to an Andiamo audio interface running in MADI.
“It’s a real pleasure to work on a S21,” adds Ravary. “We can work quickly and easily. It’s also great to have a DiGiCo UB MADI for when we want to do recordings.”
But what has really struck Bruno is the notable improvement in sound rendering.
“From the in

UK - O2 Academy Bristol is the latest Academy Music Group (AMG) venue to receive a complete new audio system design, specification and installation in conjunction with Liverpool-based Adlib.
Academy Music Group’s divisional manager, Helen McGee and O2 Academy Bristol’s technical manager, Mickey Spillane worked with Adlib’s John Hughes and Roger Kirby to specify an L-Acoustics Kara PA system.
The final design was based on offering all visiting artists a high specification, in-house system, as with other recent new audio installations within the group.
The main auditorium, at 24m wide and 14m deep, has an audience area split over two levels. The balcony, while offering excellent vantage points for a standing audience, places them relatively close to the stage, making this an interesting space to fill evenly with sound.
The positioning of the main PA arrays was revised with the assistance of UK Rigging, commissioned to co-ordinate the installation of new steelwork in the roof, optimising the weight loading and bringing the main left and right arrays in to around 11m apart, which is a lot closer together than the original PA hangs.
These main hangs each comprise of seven L-Acoustics Kara speakers in optimum positions to cover the downstairs audience, along with low frequency support from four SB18’s - two hung at the top of each KARA array.
Eight SB28 Subs, configured four a side, have been positioned beneath the main hangs and set into the stage, allowing prime arrangement without any compromise to audience stage sight-l

USA - Harman Professional Solutions recently equipped Princess Cruises Golden Princess with a full complement of Martin by Harman lighting fixtures.
Golden Princess is a grand-class cruise ship accommodating 2,600 passengers and 1,100 crew members. In addition to a main atrium, guest rooms, formal dining rooms, high-end restaurants, swimming pools, children’s recreation areas and a miniature golf course, the Golden Princess features multiple live entertainment venues.
The 1000-capacity Princess Theatre and two intimate show lounges host a wide range of live events including musical performances, Voice of the Ocean talent shows and major original productions including several created in partnership with Stephen Schwartz - Oscar, Tony and Grammy award-winning composer of Wicked, Pippin and Godspell.
Princess Cruises recently decided to update the ship’s lighting systems with new state-of-the-art lighting rigs. Derrin Brown, manager of production operations at Princess Cruises, consulted lighting designers Kelly Easterling, Eric Wade, Mathew Tunchon and Jack Mehler for guidance and support while planning the new lighting system. After careful consideration, Princess Cruises hired Silver Bullet Projects to install a full array of Martin by Harman lighting fixtures.
“Our previous lighting rig had seen its fair share of voyages and it was time for a major upgrade,” admits Brown.
Productions and events in the Vista and Explorer lounges benefit from the fully pre-mixed colours of MAC Aura XB LED wash fixtures

Sweden - Stockholm International Fairs and Congress Centre (Stockholmsmässan) is a expo and conference facility in Älvsjö comprising four halls, the longest of which stretches 365m, and a busy schedule of events.
The venue owns a substantial amount of rigging and production technology and has a full-time staff of 25 riggers, overseen - together with crew from all the other technical departments - by head of production Fredrik Zetterberg.
Over the last two years Stockholmsmässan has invested in 48 Robe moving lights - 36 x VIVAs and 12 x DL4S profiles, specified by Fredrik.
When he took up the post six years ago, his predecessor had identified the need for and had made the first steps towards purchasing their own moving lights to give them a fully flexible in-house lighting rig to support the diversity of shows and events being staged.
Fredrik followed through on this and specified that these should be Robe. His choice of brand was based on his many years’ experience of touring.
The first thing he actually did once appointed at the venue was to buy a substantial amount of trussing and ensure that a comprehensive rigging infrastructure was in place, after which they started looking at the best options for lighting.
Fredrik and his team used the 2016 LLB expo (a trade show for audio, video and lighting), as an opportunity to light the main bar area with a selection of different Robe fixtures, giving the chance to see and try out a few options in situ.
From this, a more refined moving light wish-list emerged which had an

UK - Harman Professional Solutions has been selected as the official audio supplier for Tottenham Hotspur FC at its new stadium.
The Premier League football club will soon be moving to its new 62,000-capacity home, which features a retractable pitch, cutting-edge video screens, a museum and club shop. To deliver an enhanced audio experience, Tottenham Hotspur has selected an integrated Harman Professional audio solution made up of JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplification, and a Soundcraft digital mixing console.
The installation includes 156 JBL VLA-C2100 loudspeakers, 54 JBL VLA-C125 subwoofers, 196 JBL AWC82 all-weather loudspeakers, 140 Crown DriveCore Install amplifiers, and more than 3,500 JBL Control Contractor speakers installed across the facility. Audio will be mixed on a Soundcraft Vi2000 digital console and monitored via JBL LSR 305 reference monitors.
Matthew Collecott, operations & finance director at Tottenham Hotspur, comments: “Harman Professional Solutions is an industry-leading provider of world-class audio solutions, and we are pleased to announce them as the official audio supplier for our new stadium.”
Chris Smith, vice-president (EMEA) Harman Professional Solutions, adds: “Tottenham Hotspur is one of the most historic and prestigious clubs in football, and Harman Professional Solutions is honoured to provide a cutting-edge audio solution at their incredible new stadium. Leveraging our industry-leading experience in delivering enterprise-level solutions at sports facilities, we are uniquely positioned

UK - The Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End opened in 1928 as one of the largest theatres in London. In 2017, it underwent a major refurbishment, aimed at enhancing many of its original features using modern technology, as well as meeting modern sustainability targets.
Theatre owners Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) wanted to completely replace the Piccadilly Theatre’s existing house light system with low-energy LED lighting, without detracting in any way from the theatre’s Art Deco heritage. This was to include emergency lighting throughout as well as provision for the recently restored dome ceiling, including new centre-piece chandelier. Integrator White Light was engaged to install the new system.
GDS supplied products from across its entire range to meet this extensive brief, including a number of bespoke special project items that avoided any compromise within the design.
In excess of 50 x ArcSystem 1 Cell 2700K (large and small) fixtures were used for downlighting and emergencies, whilst more than 25 x ArcLamp Golf Ball Clear 2700K were installed as wall lighting.
ArcSystem Decor LED strip (white and RGBW) was used throughout to light the dome, coving and rear windows.
The ATG Group, following GDS’s recommendation, asked top designer James Morse to design a new central chandelier that would sit well with the other Art Deco luminaires within the auditorium. Morse designed a large, three-tiered chandelier which met the brief to ATG’s satisfaction and Great British Lighting of Fleetwood duly fabricated the finished item.<

UK - De Montfort University in Leicester has recently undergone a major investment in their lighting and staging capabilities for one of their largest on-site facilities, The Venue. With the help of Stage Electrics, the university now possesses more trussing and some of the most up-to-date lighting kit available.
Created to host a wide range of events, The Venue is often used for music events, conference work, performances, and celebrations. As the university hold all their graduation ceremonies here, they can now give each graduate the moment in the spotlight they deserve.
The university has invested £5 into transforming the building. After installing a number of improvements including retractable bleacher-style seating and a full sound rig, they have now added the lighting equipment to truly showcase the capabilities of this space.
Stage Electrics were approached by the university to supply lighting and truss. “We have a long history with this client, so we were thrilled when they got in touch with us to upgrade their lighting and truss solutions” explained Andy Elsegood, Stage Electrics account manager “Knowing this particular venue is multipurpose I knew the client would require a very flexible solution.”
With lighting being a key part of this project, Andy arranged for the client to see a range of Chauvet fixtures. “The client already had several fixtures from Chauvet installed and were looking to add Hybrid type units to their rig, we worked with them to evaluate the options available” he commented.
Simon Cox, Cha

UK - Unique Venues of London has announced Borough Market as the newest member to join the association that this year sees it celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Borough Market is London’s oldest food market. The venue spaces are situated within the market itself, with the Market Hall and Three Crown Square offering event environments that can hold between 300 and 350 guests. Additionally, the Cookhouse offers delegates an open plan kitchen and dining space for intimate gatherings of up to 10 people, suitable for sit down evening events and photoshoots.
Rachel Pickles, events manager at Borough Market explains: “It’s not just the sheer quality of the food on offer that makes Borough Market special – it’s also about the place itself. As an iconic central London location and a distinctive venue space, Borough Market is thrilled to become members of UVL. We’re hoping this new relationship will enable us to extend our reach and with new networks to tap into we look forward to what the future holds.”
(Jim Evans)

UK - Inspiring the Future of Theatre is a Society of London Theatres and UK Theatre campaign in partnership with Education & Employers, to showcase the range of careers available in theatre to young people, and encourage and strengthen connections between schools and their local theatres.
A drive was launched in April to recruit industry ambassadors (particularly from off-stage roles) who will be matched with schools across the UK, taking part in events to lay the groundwork for young people to make informed and ambitious career decisions.
Industry professionals (no matter the job type or level) can sign up to be an ambassador. It is a straightforward process, and you will receive guidance and support from the campaign ahead of your school visit.
Already around 600 theatre professionals from artistic directors, costume cutters and lighting designers to producers, administrators and props masters have signed up to visit UK schools and introduce children to a diverse range of theatrical jobs.
On 11 July, the campaign is being officially launched with an event at a school in Scarborough. There will also be a nationwide social media campaign, with arts venues and industry professionals encouraged to use the hashtag #InspiringFutureTheatre to talk about the importance of theatre careers and education work, and share work they have already done.
(Jim Evans)

UK - HSL, technical partner for Hope Mill Theatre, has updated the lighting rig of the Manchester production space with a number of profile, Fresnel and flood fixtures.
Hope Mill Theatre, an alternative arts production space based at a former Victorian cotton mill in Ancoats, partnered with HSL two years ago. HSL undertook a structural survey followed by the design and installation of a trussing mother grid in the roof.
While an assortment of lighting kit has been supplied over the last two years, this this has now been reviewed and updated to include a standard rig of ETC Source Four profiles, 1K Fresnels, and Acclaim Fresnels together with a variety of floods.
Moving lights and other specials will be supplied as required by the individual productions. The original mothergrid has also just been extended with some new sections, giving more capacity for the quick and simple addition of specials.
Hope Mill Theatre is the brainchild of Joseph Houston and Will Wheton, working with producer and co-artistic director Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment. The 120-seat theatre can be set up to accommodate shows in different formats, and recently welcomed its first technical manager, Alice Longson (pictured).
The venue has received three equipment transfers from London already and HSL has vowed to provide “more and a wider range” of lighting equipment for the forthcoming season and the future.
Hope Mill’s next big musical number in the autumn will be the Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love.
(Jim Evans)

UK - The PLASA 2018 Members’ Day and AGM took place on Thursday 31 May at the Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park, London to reflect upon a year of specialist projects, industry collaboration and growth.
Members and guests enjoyed a productive day with an insightful AGM, followed by a networking afternoon in the venue’s unique ‘physic’ garden. The lively guest speaker, Caroline Russell from The Ideas Centre Group, encouraged audience participation with her creative approach to problem-solving, then attendees were invited to stay for drinks into the evening.
PLASA Treasurer Mark Surtees presented the 2017 accounts and announced that PLASA is in a place of financial stability, highlighting an increase in profits due to commercial growth within Events and Media. Newly elected Chair, Adam Blaxill, added later that all profits funnel back into the Association, enabling PLASA to generate and implement more initiatives to directly benefit its members and the wider industry.
Managing Director Peter Heath described how the last 12 months has been ever-changing and that PLASA has been proactive in connecting and collaborating with its members. Blaxill bolstered this by encouraging members to get involved with the Association’s activities and work within specialist groups if they feel they have something to offer. Both Blaxill and Heath also noted that although Brexit is looming PLASA has continued to reach out to European members to help unify the industry and raise working standards.
There were several presentations f

Germany - Christian von Kaphengst, Till Brönner, Wolfgang Haffner, Torsten Goods, Bruno Müller and Ida Nielsen are just some of the well-known German and international artists to have graced the stage at Musik Kontor in Herford – a high-profile club that has been making waves on the Nordrhein-Westfalen music scene since opening its doors in 2012.
Looking to stay on the cutting edge of entertainment, the club recently updated its visual presentation with a collection of Chauvet Professional fixtures. Emphasising movement, intensity and vivid colours, the new lighting package includes Rogue R1 Spot fixtures, with Amhaze Whisper foggers added for atmospherics.
“We arrived at a point earlier this year when we decided it was time to inject more feeling into live performances with a set of dedicated moving heads,” said Musik Kontor’s Christian Eder. “The combination of the Chauvet Rogue and Amhaze fixtures provided our designers with the opportunity to create a wide array of immersive looks on stage.”
The Rogue R1 Spot fixtures are also very effective at pumping up excitement with aerial effects and engaging the crowd with audience lighting. “In their first appearance at the Ida Nielsen concert in March (Ida Nielsen was the last bass player of Prince), the sharp beams and cutting movements of the Rogues were able to impress both band and audience,” commented Eder. “Thanks to their versatile palette of saturated colors, the beams have had a truly transformative effect upon the atmosphere within the club.”
To provide additional

Australia - The first in Australia and one of the most spectacular border lighting shows in the southern hemisphere has been launched by Twin Towns as they unveil their new dynamic digital media facade.
The exterior of the Twin Towns Club’s main building in Wharf Street, Tweed Heads, has been transformed into a huge digital canvas, creating a dazzling attraction for both locals and tourists crossing the Queensland and New South Wales border.
The ULA Group was engaged in this project from the early concepts, working close together with the team at Twin Towns, managed by CEO Rob Smith.
Smith has said he and the Board are extremely excited to see the project come to fruition. “It’s been over five years in the planning and we believe the end result is truly spectacular, not just for Twin Towns, but for the entire community.”
“We’re thrilled, we’re excited. We have turned the vision into a technical reality, and we couldn’t be happier with the result,” says Cuono Biviano, managing director of the ULA Group. “We feel extremely privileged and proud as a local Australian business and global organization to be a part of this iconic digital artwork that has transformed Twin Towns and the local area.”
The original brief was given in early years with the intention for projection and colour onto the building. However, as technology has advanced over time, the project has evolved immensely.
The ULA Group engaged the services of the Bruce Ramus and his team to not only create the content, but to assure that the technical d

Japan - Having expanded from its flagship venue in New York City, 1Oak, which stands for 1 Of A Kind, has recently opened a three-floor, 1000-capacity venue at the base of Roppongi Hills in Tokyo.
Sacha Robertson reports, “At the heart of the 1Oak approach is a focus on differentiation through design and function, capturing and curating the energy in each club. Interior design and lighting combine to play a major part, but ultimately that energy has its origin in sound.”
When it came to choices for the Tokyo venue, the interior design process was led by New York-based contemporary artist Roy Nachum, who was Grammy-nominated in 2016 for his cover artwork on Rihanna’s Anti album. With the club interior complete and the opening date fast approaching, 1Oak engaged the local d&b team to design and implement the all-important sound system.
1Oak owner Salvatore Morale says: “As a DJ I appreciate sound. At around the same time we were building the club I had started to notice that in all the places I visited around the world and heard great sound, whether that was a big festival, a hotel bar or an opera house, I was seeing d&b speakers. This was a clear sign for me.”
As with 1Oak clubs around the world, the latest Tokyo venue is not simply a nightclub. Founder Richie Akiva’s vision is that of an entertainment venue; an inspiring space capable of hosting live music, launches, premieres, after-parties and VIP events. Versatility without compromise underpins the business model.
Central to 1Oak Tokyo’s layout is a d&