Qatar - Qatar Vision (Qvision) partnered with VLS to produce a spectacular eight-minute projection mapped light show featuring the internationally-known animated characters, the Anooki. The event at the Qatar Foundation in Doha required an installation of 60 Claypaky K-EYE K20 HCR LED wash lights to illuminate Penrose House in Education City.
The Inuit-inspired Anooki characters were created by David Passegand and Moetu Batlle, founders of the French interactive design studio, Inook. The playful, parka-clad boy and girl spawned a brand and have become stars of video mapped shows worldwide. The environmental sustainability theme of the show in Qatar was particular close to the characters’ hearts: Their creators explain that since the Anooki’s house was melted by global warming they now travel the world discovering different cities.
The Anooki event spanned six days and was open to the public who pre-registered and observed COVID-19 protocols. Six-metre high inflatable Anooki characters were also installed around various Education City buildings. It is estimated that more than 7,500 people participated in the experience during its run.
For the show, the Qatar Foundation was transformed into a nighttime playground for the Anooki despite the pair’s serious environmental message. When the Anooki star in their award-winning projection mapped shows the animated characters play with the architecture of a building and react to the musical score doing things like racing across and climbing façades, peeling walls like old wallpaper, trampoline bouncing

Belgium - Volleyball has been booming in Belgium ever since the country won the men’s European title in 2013. For the Euromillions Cup Finals, fans flocked to the 18,400-seat Antwerps Sportspalies to cheer on their favourite teams last year. Things were radically different at the 2021 edition of the tournament.
With the threat of the coronavirus ever- present, the Euromillions Cup Finals was moved to the much smaller Lotto Arena, with no fans admitted. Not able to see their favourite volleyballers play in person, fans had to be content with watching the finals via livestream broadcasts.
The broadcast of the finals kicked off in celebratory fashion, thanks a pixel mapped lighting display created by AB Sound that featured the Chauvet Professional ÉPIX Flex 20 and ÉPIX Flex Drive, along with the COLORado 1-Quad Zoom Tour and foggers.
The display created by AB Sound turned the tunnel that led to the arena into a pulsating cylinder of light and atmospherics. Volleyball players running through this tubular panorama glowed in their team colours. It was a scene that not only psyched up players, but also the fans watching the broadcast.
“Giving the players the kind of entrance, they deserved was very gratifying,” said Bart Aelbrecht of AB Sound. “This meant a great deal to everyone, especially in these difficult times. We were happy to work with Heat International and Kris Schoeters as our partner in sports entertainment on this uplifting project.”
AB Sound used 25 of the 5-meter ÉPIX Flex 20 strips to create the tunnel display. The

UK - Bristol-based event production design and delivery specialist Pytch has invested in 72 new Astera Titan Tubes – adding to their existing 32 Astera AX3 LightDrops.
The LightDrops were originally purchased for creating table centres for events and gala dinners and Pytch have produced some custom covers that refract and treat the AX3 light in different ways.
Recently Pytch ran a PytchLab session - an experimental event where different ideas and concepts can be tried and tested for effectivity and practicality - using the AX3s and the Titan Tubes to illuminate the underside of the plane in numerous striking ways.
However, the Titan Tubes were specifically an investment for the three virtual studios that Pytch has been running since the start of the pandemic, which have steadily been getting busier, utilised for a range of corporate presentations, meetings and business events plus livestreams concerts, fashion shows and other broadcasts.
The initial 24 x Titan Tubes went into the first studio and were such a success that it was decided to replicate the look in the other two spaces so all were identical, explained Pytch’s head of lighting, Dan Giddings.
Recently, Dan designed lighting for a multiple artist recording session at Pytch for a collection of musical talent - vocalist Ruth Royall, the Paper Dragon collective, d ‘n’ b producers Grafix and Toronto Is Broken, dubstep bassmaster Axel Boy and fluid d ‘n’ b impresario Somatic – all for the Our Space record label.
The goal was to record the footage for music vide

UK - Robe UK followed the current Covid-19 instructions to “stay local”, teaming up with Northampton School for Boys (NSB), the University of Northampton and DroneSwarm based nearby in Daventry to support #LightItInRed’s most recent campaign to unite the UK live events, entertainment, performance, and production industry in solidarity during these challenging times.
The action featured a new distinctive red heart logo designed by the #LightItInRed team for the occasion that – one year on – specifically highlighted the human elements of the industry affected by the pandemic – including those still working or training, those who have had to seek alternative employment, those who’ve lost their jobs, those who have lost friends and family, those who have lost homes and livelihoods, battled mental health issues and all who have put their lives on hold and on the line to survive and assist others to get through this.
Theresa Gibson, head of marketing at Robe UK explained that having been involved in all three LightItInRed campaigns to date, “it was really important for Robe UK to get behind supporting this fourth activation. We have all been affected by the challenges and difficulties over the last 12 months and having the opportunity to partner with our friends at DroneSwarm and the University of Northampton again to collaborate and show our strength as a united force was truly wonderful.”
Working in the extensive sports grounds and facilities of Northampton School for Boys, Robe’s lead creative Nathan Wan assisted by Jordan Tinnis

UK - Mike Wroe, former CFO of Just Eat plc, has been appointed as non-executive chairman of TV and events supplier JLLighting and JLLive.
Wroe has a wealth of experience as a senior executive, board member and non-executive director over the course of a 20-year career. As CFO at Just Eat plc, he led the transformation of a £20m start-up into a £4bn FTSE business operating in 15 countries worldwide. Amongst a variety of advisory roles to a number of leading European growth business, Wroe is also currently an active angel investor and is non-executive chairman of private equity backed proSapient Limited, the technology-led expert network and primary research platform.
Jack Linaker, group director, comments: “We are thrilled to have Mike on board. His strategic vision will help us steer the business as we grow and enter new territories. Mike’s highly successful track record across a breadth of functions means he has a holistic and creative approach to business which dovetails perfectly with our culture and aspirations. Mike’s experience in identifying consumer and audience trends means we can depend on him to bring his unique perspective and fresh approach to our industry so that we can offer our clients new ways of connecting with their audiences.”
Wroe adds: “In the last 12 months, digital acceptance has lept 10 years, dramatically changing the way people consume media and content. This change has radicalised the boundaries and expectations of what a ‘live experience’ delivers for audiences. A unique mix of skills and expertise acros

Europe - Goldensea UV (GSUV), manufacturers of UV-C disinfection lights, has announced Franck Verin as its new European sales manager for enterprise and agriculture with effect from 1 April 2021. Verin will focus on GSUV UV-C sales in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, the Benelux countries. He will also investigate and help create potential new business for Goldensea UV in the agriculture sector.
Verin brings with him a strong background in international business across variety of business sectors including automotive parts, material handling and, eventually, packaging for the wine industry. He has over 20 years of experience in managing multicultural sales teams, distribution networks and agents, and a special focus on service innovation.
“We are delighted Franck is joining the team and adding his spirit of positivity and energy,” says Goldensea UV’s Michael Althaus. “We strongly believe in the longterm future of Goldensea UV and with it a number of substantial, so far untouched growth markets for UV-C lighting. With Franck’s experience and focus on service we are certain our philosophies are well-aligned.”

USA - Chauvet Professional has appointed Jean Lariviere as the company’s channel relationship manager for concert & touring/broadcast. Lariviere joins the company after serving for four years at Elation Professional in international business development and more than 25 years deeply embedded in the industry.
In his new position, Lariviere will be responsible for communicating directly with lighting designers and decision makers in the concert/touring and broadcast segments of the market. He assumed his new position on 1 April and plans to be reaching out to designers and other members of the lighting community throughout the spring and summer.
“We view communication as a two-way street,” comments Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “We not only want to talk to customers about what we do, we also want to provide an open door that makes it easy for them to tell us about issues they care about. This has always been important, but never more so than today, as we emerge from the pandemic.
“Jean’s extensive experience and communications skills make him ideally suited for this position,” said Chauvet. “We are happy to welcome him to our team.”
For his part, Lariviere, “Over the past six or seven years, the company’s presence has grown tremendously in the market, as it’s won over more and more customers and been in the forefront of new products and ideas. I am looking forward to building on this momentum and advancing the connection between Chauvet Professional and the members of this industry.”

UK - Joining forces with Red Nose Day and kitchen disco Isolation Nation, Glitterbox recently brought the curtain down on BBC1 Comic Relief’s main event. The online Red Nose Rave, the special after-party, further boosted the BBC1 fund-raiser.
Taking place on a custom stage at the Royal Albert Hall, the venue was lit by Sam Tozer of Vision Factory, using fixtures from the GLP portfolio. These zipped into action around midnight on 19 March to light sets from the from body confidence guru turned celebrity DJ Gok Wan, Melvo Baptiste, and The Shapeshifters, while Teni Tinks joined the latter for a live PA.
The LD has been working with Mattie Smith’s production company Nocturnal Tour Management (NTRP) since the start of lockdown, handling the live YouTube streams. His brief here was to support the Glitterbox brand’s own particular style and feel.
“They support the LGBQ+ community, and the stage is packed with dancers, colour, and enjoyment,” Tozer says. “We had to create club intimacy down the camera lens, but at the same time turn it into a dynamic show. I was asked to design the set, production and lighting to meet this aesthetic, and from there I was given the freedom to create the show.
“Coming from a live performance background, lockdown shows have seen a big change in style of lighting and stage design,” he continues. “We wanted to show off the scale of the venue but at the same time create its own space that would be more familiar to Glitterbox audiences.”
Using the venue as a large catwalk, at the end of a centre

USA - Corey Easterbrook of Hot House Music and Productions credits his ChamSys MagicQ MQ80 with smoothing the path when he returned to live events recently, providing AV services to the Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) annual meeting in Naples, FL.
A North American trade association serving members involved in the electrical power distribution industry, PCCA had always used in-house AV services for their events. The results were mixed. So, during the lockdown, the group re-evaluated its policies and decided to go with a professional. Hot House Music and Productions came highly recommended by a Fortune 500 company.
For Easterbrook, the call from PCCA was the opportunity to work on his first significant live project since the lockdown began. “The past year has been a challenge for us as it’s been for just about everyone in our industry,” he said. “But this show was different because it was the first time that I felt like we were turning a corner. Every morning when doors opened, it felt like Christmas!”
“Along with my business partner Jeremy Robertson and our crew Nathan Gifford, Brandon Scopel, Russel Lewis, and Tim Walters, the MQ80 was the key to making this event work,” said Easterbrook. “I have been using ChamSys for four years now, and it’s been making my life easier the whole time, especially at this event with all that was going on. The FX engine makes it incredibly fast and simple to dial in great looks without a ton of fuss. We programmed the entire show on site, so the ability to make changes quickl

Australia - The weather in Australia can be unpredictable, from searing temperatures to dust storms and intense rain. With so many outdoor events held every year in the country, production suppliers require sturdy, IP65-rated lighting fixtures that will perform no matter what weather event is thrown at them.
Lighting production company Chameleon Touring Systems has it figured out, relying on Prolights IP-rated gear. That strategy led them to purchase another 24 PanoramaIP AirBeam fixtures to add to the considerable stock they already have in their inventory.
As well as being weatherproof, the PanoramaIP AirBeam is a powerful beam and searchlight, featuring CMY colour mixing and multiple prisms.
“Our PanoramaIP AirBeams have been popular and this year they have been on several key events already,” comments Tony Davies, managing director of Chameleon. “Their massive output is very impressive and they deliver some great outdoor searchlight and big air looks.”
So far this year, Chameleon has deployed them on Halo Townsville, Australia Day at Sydney's Circular Quay, Australian Ninja Warrior, The Royal Easter Show and Bluesfest.
“These are all high-profile events and it's important to have a fixture that is reliable - especially when you're live to air,” added Davies. “Our crew love them because they're small and easy to rig and maintenance-free. Plus, we have the excellent support of distributor Show Technology.”

Europe - Ayrton has announced the appointment of Matt Hallard as the latest member of its expanding international sales team. Hallard takes up the position of regional sales manager for the UK, Ireland, Benelux, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Malta, Greece, Slovenia and Turkey, with effect from 1 April 2021.
Hallard brings extensive experience of the lighting industry and the European market from a career that spans over 20 years. He first cut his industry teeth with an eight-year period as a production manager on cruise ships, after which Hallard returned to dry land in 2005 to launch a career as a specialist in European sales with some well-known moving light brands.
“This was an exciting time in the development of moving lights and I worked with, and learned from, some incredibly talented, hard-working individuals,” says Hallard. “That diversity of experience has served me well, and now it’s time to apply all that learning to my new mission as regional sales manager for Ayrton.”
Hallard is looking forward to working with the Ayrton team as the industry pushes through the global pandemic: “It’s truly a great honour to be joining the team. I have long held Ayrton in high regard as a vibrant company with excellence in execution and a clear, forward-thinking vision (much like the namesake the company was named after). I think that reflects in those who represent the Ayrton brand today. Both my new colleagues and the existing distribution network are some of the most talented people in this, our wonderful industry of light. Many of th

USA - For a large venue, the 115,000sq.ft Sonoran Lawn at the Rawhide Event Centre in Chandler, AZ often feels intimate to concert goers. Perhaps that’s because of the crowds that, prior to the pandemic, packed the site for the national acts that performed there.
When Sullivan King, Ghastly and Shiba San appeared at the venue over three nights, headlining a series of EDM shows produced by Relentless Beats, COVID-19 safety protocols restricted the number of fans that could be present. Those lucky enough to score a ticket had to stay within widely-separated 8ft x 8ft pods.
Everyone was able to enjoy the sense of connectivity that this venue is known for, despite the limited crowd size, thanks to an engaging lighting design by Luis Torres that featured a collection of Chauvet Professional Rogue and Maverick fixtures.
“There was a lot of social distancing at the venue, so my main goal was to connect the limited audience as much as possible to the acts on stage,” says Torres. “By directing light out towards the crowd, we helped to immerse people in the experience so they could feel like they were closer to the stage even if they were in the back row of pods.”
Helping Torres do this were the 16 Rogue R2X Beam units in his rig. Flown, four apiece on downstage, mid-stage and upstage truss, and positioned on the DJ riser, the 231-watt moving beams were used to direct bright light over the crowd. Drawing on the intense output (134,000 lux at 15-meters), Torres was able to cover the entire spacious venue with beams.
During much of the sh

Zimbabwe - The rhythmic Afro-pop dance floor sound of Ammara Brown flows through a musical path that is distinctly different from the jazz infused offerings of Tamy Moyo. Yet both of these multi-instrumentalists and All Africa Music Award winners exude a captivating aura every time they step on to the stage.
This was plain to see on 12 February when they joined forces for Girls on the Move, a two-hour pay-for-view livestream on Gateway Stream Music intended to celebrate and raise awareness of Zimbabwean women in music.
Providing a lively and brightly coloured setting in support of their performances was a Blessing Bero designed lightshow that featured Chauvet Professional Maverick and Rogue fixtures, including eight MK2 Spot units, four R2 Spots and four R2 Washes, all of which were supplied by Events Evolution.
Working in coordination with video designer Tatenda Gaylord Rushwaya, Bero reflected the personality and music of the two artists, each of whom performed separately during the livestream, after briefly meeting on stage. At the same time, he relied on recurring patterns in light angles and thematic colour mixes to create a consistent, unifying image throughout the livestream.
Key to highlighting the artists and their backup performers was downlighting from the Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures. At times, Bero tightened the zoom on the 440-Watt moving fixtures to create a circle of light around each person on stage. For dramatic effect, he also created spot circles in front of the performers, adding greater dimensionality to the stage.<

Estonia - Robe moving lights and two RoboSpot systems provided a neat solution for the 2021 Eesti Laul competition to select Estonia’s entry to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Lighting and set designer for the finale show and the two semi-finals that preceded it in Tallinn’s Saku Suurhall arena was Rene Jõhve, who was approached to work on the project by Estonian national broadcaster, ERR. This was his tenth year of lighting the finale and semi-final events which were aired live, and - for obvious reasons - this year were staged without an audience.
The lighting rig included a selection of Robe fixtures including two BMFL WashBeams, 13 x DL7 Profiles, 12 x 300E Spot, 42 x Pointes, 25 x Spiider LED wash beams, 18 x LEDBeam150s and eight MMX WashBeams, plus other lights, all of which were supplied to the production by rental company Cuuclub.
The streamlined main stage design was triangular, with angled side struts meeting above the centre to create a triangular arched ceiling over the upstage section which were clad in LED panels, leaving the forestage open.
The transparent stage floor also contained tilted LED screens, and another main triangular LED screen upstage had lights rigged on both edges to accentuate its shape. A long and elegant runway at the front of the stage connected it to a smaller B stage out in the centre of the arena. Had there been an audience, this would have been right in the middle.
The geometry of the stage lent itself to a lot of dynamic beam lighting effects and worked brilliantly on camera even with

Hungary - ChamSys has appointed Chromasound as the exclusive Hungarian distributor of the QuickQ series of consoles and QuickQ software. Wannabe Studios, the current ChamSys distributor in Hungary, will focus on the company’s flagship MagicQ range of products. Both companies will distribute the ChamSys SnakeSys line.
“We are focusing our distribution to better serve all levels of the market in Hungary,” comments Aziz Adilkhodjaev, international sales and business development manager for ChamSys. “Wannabe Studios is a strong partner, and now having Chromasound on board expands our capabilities even further.”
Based on Chromasound’s extensive 20-year experience in the market, ChamSys is confident that the company will be able develop the QuickQ customer base even further, according to Adilkhodjaev. “Chromasound’s understanding of this market makes them ideally suited to represent the QuickQ series in Hungary,” he says. “We look forward to working with them.”
For his part, Imre Makkay, CEO of Chromasound, states: “We are very eager to be involved with a series of products that offers forward thinking solutions. The QuickQ family empowers customers to accomplish more with lighting. It represents a very contemporary approach to lighting control at events and installations. This is a great opportunity for us - and our entire customer base.”

USA - Nimbus, the latest line of luminaires from Altman Lighting, is a personal virtual lighting studio featuring the Halo ring light and the Sidekick fill light.
“We saw a need in the market for more than a ring light, so we created a lighting kit that anyone can use, anywhere,” says Nicolas Champion, vice-president of sales and marketing.
The Nimbus Series LED battery and USB powered fill and ring lights were designed for video conferencing in home or office studios. The 6” Halo is a tunable ring light that can be powered from either the Sidekick (sold separately) or any USB device. The Sidekick is a high output 180 LED tunable white (3000K to 6000K) non-glare soft light that is fully dimmable and battery/USB powered. The compact design of this luminaire (no larger than a cell phone) allows for easy mounting, transportability, and discrete placement in your video environment.

USA - The Events United team and production manager Kevin Hart returned to live work in March at the Space Coast City Fest in Melbourne, Florida.
For Events United, the two-day evangelical conference represented its first large-scale live event (with the exception of a few smaller outdoor projects) since the pandemic started. As if putting together a stage for Dove Award winners Casting Crowns, Zach Williams, Social Club Misfits, Andy Mineo and other praise music stars while dealing with COVID-19 safety protocols wasn’t enough, they also had to contend with problematic weather throughout the two-day event.
“The winds got pretty intense at some points. The gusts ended up peaking around 35 mph.” said Jon Martell, who made up the Events United team along with Donald Van Slyke, Chase Clark, Ryan Lane, and Joel Pelletier.
As a result of the wind, the festival had to shut down for most of Sunday, putting time pressure on the crew. “Our headliner couldn’t load in until later that afternoon and we ended up building a “C” stage out in the audience so we could have some of the program happen without being on the main stage,” said Martell. “The PA was landed, the lighting rig was high and tight, and the LED walls were lowered, but the show was able to go on without any danger.”
At dusk, the winds died down, and the festival moved forward as planned. Events United supported the stars on stage with an immersive light and video show that featured Chauvet Professional Maverick and STRIKE fixtures as well as X6IP and F4IP video panels.

USA - With up to 50,000 people in and out of the Georgia World Congress Centre each day over a two-day period in February, the Cheersport National Cheerleading Championship in Atlanta may be the largest event to have taken place in the world under the COVID pandemic.
Rental and production company Lite Tek Entertainment supplied and designed lighting for the event and turned to an Elation lighting package of Cuepix and DTW blinders, Protron strobes, SixPars and more to highlight team routines across five different stages.
The National Cheerleading Championship is one of the biggest of its kind in the world. A typical year would see 1,400 teams competing but due to a 50%, reduction in allowed participants due to the pandemic, some 700 teams competed at this year’s event. Nevertheless, the event was huge with stages spread across two buildings and 90 acres.
“This was, to the best of our knowledge, the largest event in the world since COVID with up to 50,000 people coming through the facility two days in a row,” states Lite Tek founder and owner, Darren Lewis. “Cheersport created an effective plan to manage the onsite people flow with guidance from Varsity Spirit and the CDC fulfilling a discrete observation role. There were no spikes or known outbreaks that were traced to the event so it worked out really well.”
Lite Tek Entertainment, based in Richmond, Virginia, has handled all of Cheersports’ regional cheerleading events for the past 15 years and has worked the National Cheerleading Championship event several times. This year, Le

Europe - Prolights will run a series of online webinars on 13 and 14 April, during which the manufacturer will unveil three new moving-heads, one moving-beam and two moving-washes. Prolights will also showcase its latest products from this and last year.
There will also be keynote presentations on film and TV lighting products, architectural fixtures, virtual production solutions and the entertainment lighting fixtures range.
“We are excited to use what would have been a week of tradeshows to host an online event and communicate directly with customers all over the world,” comments David Ferraz, marketing manager at Prolights. “We are eager to shake hands again with all our customers, but while the world makes an effort to open back up again, we will use all tools available to us to keep contact with everyone.”
Since spaces available are limited, interested guests can book their seat now for free here.

USA - ETC launched two new theatrical fixtures as part of a two-day international online event. The Source Four LED Series 3 and Desire Fresnel are designed for theatres “looking to successfully launch themselves into the modern day with incredible brightness, impressive colour mixing, and wireless DMX/RDM features.”
Source Four LED Series 3 is the third generation of the colour-mixing LED fixture. When incandescent Source Four fixtures hit the market in 1992, they quickly became an industry favourite. As technology advanced, so did the fixtures. Now boasting an eight-colour mixing system that includes deep red LEDs, the fixture can produce more nuanced colours. “With Series 3, you finally get your swatch book back,” says Broadway lighting designer Justin Townsend.
ETC has also added a re-designed classic to their portfolio with Desire Fresnel. A true Fresnel with an LED engine, Desire Fresnel has a full eight-colour array, wireless DMX/RDM, an intuitive user interface, and NFC configuration from a mobile device using ETC’s Set Light app. Zoom control is possible from either the front or the back of the fixture, whilst the Fresnel is bright and efficient through the entire zoom range, making it up to 25% more efficient over traditional Fresnel optical systems.

USA - Berkeley Dent, Jason Pastel, Trevor Creany, Dustin Lee and the team at 81 Productions demonstrated the unifying power of music in a real sense during this cold, hard winter.
With live music venues in their area of Roanoke, VA, locked down, and musicians out of work, they launched The Space Shop Sessions, a series of five livestream concerts, each featuring a different Roanoke band, and each supported by a different hometown business. Taking place over a two-month period, the sessions helped feed the local appetite for live music, while also providing gigs for some of the region’s favourite groups, and giving businesses a chance to engage directly with customers.
Helping the 81 Productions team create a flowing series of distinctive, colourful looks that reflected the personality of each band in the livestream series, was the company’s “virtually all Chauvet” livestream studio rig, anchored by a collection of Rogue R1X Spot and R1 Spot fixtures. Arranged in different configurations depending on the band, the Rogue units expanded design possibilities on the studio’s 24ft by 20ft stage.
“Flexibility is obviously critical in this type of project when you have this many bands playing in the same space,” said Pastel. “The Rogues are ideal in this case, because they are such workhorses that will take you wherever you want to go.”
When Virginia Electric took to the stage for a session, Pastel went with more stylized looks with ambers, magentas, purples and greens playing off against one another. “One of my favourite looks oc

China - League of Legends’ World Championship 2020 Finals were staged at the new Pudong Football Stadium in Shanghai, a high-profile, hi-energy event notable for many things, which – in addition to being an eSports calendar highlight – included a spectacular production lighting design by Mat Stovall of LampedUp and his team.
Thirty-seven Robe RoboSpot systems were part of a large lighting rig for the event, specified by Mat and associate LD Trevor Stirlin Burk of Visual Noise Creative, and supplied by Christie Lites out of their UK and US bases to the event’s main technical contractor, Creative Technology (CT) Shanghai.
Robert Roth coordinated for Christie Lites, working closely with the CT Shanghai team headed by Aaron Ross Durdin, Sam Tibble and Daniel Sun.
Mat wanted RoboSpots on the event for several reasons. He needed “a quality white light source” to key talent for the opening and closing shows and during the gaming action, with capacity to cover specific choreographed aspects, plus coach and team ‘moments’ throughout the tournament.
With a massive performance area to cover in the centre of the stadium, Mat was not sure that it would be possible to physically get operators into all the required locations, so RoboSpot was his go-to solution.
The 37 x Robe BMFL moving light units were positioned everywhere - on the downstage trusses, above and below the two giant LED screens onstage that flanked a huge central scenic Paifang arch, and on top of this elegant 33m-high centrepiece of Joe Kale’s scenic design which w

Bahrain - Woodroffe Bassett Design (WBD) recently designed and delivered a new lighting and video installation on the façade of the Sakhir Tower at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in time for the first Grand Prix of the Formula One season. The circular viewing tower is the centrepiece of the BIC and has become a key visual element of the television broadcast of the race, seen all over the world.
The design of the scheme enhances the night-time drama of the track illumination installed in 2014 and follows the original visual concepts that were developed in collaboration with architectural design practice Stufish in London five years ago.
The dynamic and colour-rich scheme is a deliberate counterpoint to the myriad of powerful white lights that illuminate the track during the night races. The design explores the geometry of the spectacular building and articulates its elegant circular form, but also gives the tower a dynamic that reflects the speed and power of the motorsport that literally surrounds it.
The content that plays on the tower was developed by Dandelion and Burdock in London and is a mixture of Bahraini cultural elements, abstract patterns, FIA and F1 related logos and schedule information. This plays out over the period of the race weekend, building to a climax for the race itself. Particular care has been given to avoid distracting the drivers when they are on the track to the point that no red, yellow or green content plays during the race to avoid being mistaken by the drivers as part of the FIA warning lights.
The tech

The Netherlands - The sustainable AFAS Theatre, which is incorporated in the new HQ of software developer AFAS, named the AFAS Experience Centre in Leusden, has recently been equipped by Rolight with 74 Infinity TS-260C7 Profile engines from Infinity’s Signature series.
The AFAS Experience Centre has been designed from the ground up to create an “experience” for clients, employees and visitors - a complex that includes office space, meeting rooms, relax areas, demonstration rooms, fitness area, gym, educational spaces, studios, patio & atrium suitable for events, exhibitions and social gathering. The complex takes ecological and environmental aspects into account as much as possible.
Almost energy neutral, it is fitted with solar panels, sedum roofs, heat pumps, heat exchangers, triple glazing, a multitude of sensors and 50 charging stations for electric vehicles.
When it came time to furnish the theatre area, specialists from Rolight found a fitting candidate in the Infinity TS-260C7 Profile engine to light up the main stage. Its efficient, high output LED light holds up to the principle of environmental awareness that has been used throughout the Centre’s design, making it a solid choice for the application, while ticking all the boxes.
74 fixtures with a total output of over 330,000 lumens were used to provide lighting to the main stage. The TS-260C7 is able to produce light in seven colours with a CRI of over 96, ensuring a very natural illumination of the stage. The fixtures are combined with 58 Irises, 54 TLT-235- and 4 TLT-1