UK - With just three weeks to go until the doors open at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, taking place on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May at the Royal Armouries, organisers PLASA Events are predicting the best show yet, with a sold-out floor plan, a stronger-than-ever pre-show registration and an exciting free-to-attend seminar programme.

Confirming that PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013 is the place to see the latest pro audio, lighting, video and stage technology, exhibitors have been busy releasing details about the new products they will be unveiling at the premier event for entertainment tech

Norway - Artistic Licence Multichrome Tube LED fixtures have played a central part in the visual presentation of Isslottet at Den Norske Opera in Oslo where local distributor, Rubicon, supplied over 100 units to faciliate Øyvind Wangensteen's highly imaginative lighting and video design.

Isslottet ('The Ice Castle') is a modern ballet based on Tarjei Vesaas' book of the same name. Set to Terje Isungset's musical arrangement with choreography by Kristian Støvind, it tells the story of Siss and Unn, two teenage girls that find each other in an unlikely friend

Germany - Philips is continuing the Showline LED revolution with the worldwide debut of a game-changing LED strobe luminaire at Prolight + Sound 2013. Showing in Hall 11, Stand D73, Philips will unveil the SL NITRO 510, a cutting-edge, LED- based strobe that provides intense bursts of light and dynamic effects with over 1300 high-powered LEDs that ensure maximum output and even distribution of light.

"The SL NITRO 510 is extremely unique and more versatile than any other strobe currently on the market," began Brad Schiller, Showline product marketing manager. "It uses l

Germany - At ProLight+Sound, Panasonic are presenting a host of new display and projector innovations which answer specifically needs of the exhibition rental market and professional staging and events specialists. Visitors to the Panasonic stand will be able to meet Panasonic technical experts who will demonstrate applications, discuss solutions and answer questions.

Jan Markus Jahn, director of visual systems solutions business unit of Panasonic Systems Communication Company, explains "Panasonic will show display solutions that are at the very forefront of new technology and sh

Germany - ProLight+Sound 2013 sees console manufacturer DiGiCo significantly raise the sonic capabilities of its SD9 and SD11 digital mixing consoles.

"In 2012, to celebrate 40 years of console manufacturing, we unleashed some more Stealth Digital Processing FPGA power to our SD Range of consoles," says DiGiCo managing director James Gordon. "This saw the SD9 become Supercharged, increasing facilities and processing power at no additional cost to new or existing customers."

To mark this significant achievement, DiGiCo also created a special package, which include

UK - With a range from 6.5° to 50° the Sharpy Wash is designed by the Clay Paky optical lab to be the flip-side to the Sharpy coin. The 330W lamp equals the output of a 1000W luminaire and weighing in at only 18.5 Kg it is the ideal tourable unit.

Ambersphere Solutions' MD, Glyn O'Donoghue is in no doubt about the level of interest generated by this little weapon, "As Clay Paky's exclusive distributor we know that one of their strengths is that they consult with real lighting designers to specify the feature set of their new fixtures; the Sharpy, and now the Sharpy Wash,

UK - Chauvet is a platinum sponsor for the PLASA Focus Leeds show, scheduled 30 April 1May. Chauvet Professional will display an assortment of fixtures in stand N-B12, such as Legend 230SR Beam moving yoke, Ovation series of theatrical luminaires, Q-Wash 436Z-LED zooming LED wash light, PVP S5 and S7 high-definition video panels and more.

Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beam is a compact, lightweight, intensely bright moving head beam, built for touring, live events, television sets or clubs. Legend™ 230SR Beam has a tight 2.25- degree beam angle and houses a 230-watt Osram Si

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd's Rigging division recently supplied a substantial quantity of Litec QX30S truss to London-based production service company, Lightwave Productions.

Servicing a large range of events from concerts to club nights and corporate functions, Lightwave Productions are committed to investing in the latest entertainment technology equipment for their production stock - ensuring they can offer the highest standards possible for their varied customer base.

Looking for an affordable, versatile, strong and durable trussing solution - Lightwave's H

UK - Manchester based lighting and rigging company dbn designed and installed lighting to illuminate Manchester Town Hall for the Virgin Media event No Likey, No Lighty, where football fans tweeted in their support for the outcome of the local derby match between Manchester City and Manchester United.

The building was lit proportionately in red (Man U) and blue (Man City) the evening before the match reflecting these results.

dbn's project manager Andy Kennett and his team worked with Roy Fernley of Event Technical Support who co-ordinated all the technical elements for creat

USA - Elation Professional has introduced the EZ6, a high-resolution 6mm indoor LED video display panel whose affordable price, light weight and modular quick assembly make it suitable for visual displays at nightclubs, concert venues, live stages, exhibit halls and public spaces "who want the excitement of a video screen without overstepping their budgets or getting bogged down by complicated installations".

Powered by high-quality Tri-Color 3528 SMD LEDs, the EZ6 features 6mm pixel pitch, 1,800-nit brightness and 960 Hz refresh rate, producing high-definition graphics, tex

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd. will be showcasing products from a selection of the leading brands which it distributes including Chroma-Q, Jands, High End Systems, LedGo, Green Hippo, Christie Nitro, BroadWeigh, Columbus McKinnon and many more - at the 2013 PLASA Focus show (stand N-E2).

Product highlights include Chroma-Q's new Inspire high output, RGBW colour-changing LED house light and AutoLED II ultra bright (16,430 lumens) daylight white LED moving head fixture; LedGo's range of high-quality modular LED video panels; High End Systems' new flagship lighting con

China - Barco Lighting Systems and EZPro International (HK) Limited have announced a new partnership that will enable EZPro to serve as exclusive distributor of High End Systems' products throughout China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Effective immediately, this agreement enables EZPro to make HES' products available to their extensive network of local distributors and resellers. They will also have direct access to product knowledge, support as well as local stock.

Jun Zhu, president of the EZPRO group, comments, "High End Systems is the creator and industry leader of professional lig

Canada - Christie Lites has announced the opening of a new stage lighting and equipment sales and rental office in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The new location - its thirteenth - strengthens Christie Lites' multi-office network of full service and equipment across North America.

"Winnipeg is a great city with plenty of culture and entertainment," said Christie Lites CEO Huntly Christie. "I am very pleased that Christie Lites will be able to offer local support to the many events which use stage lighting."

The new Winnipeg office is located at 25 Terracon Place, U

UK - Following extensive research and collaborative testing, Inspired Audio and LMC Audio Systems have signed an agreement for LMC Audio to sell and service Inspired Audio products in the UK and Ireland live audio market.

Inspired Audio has developed a premium quality loudspeaker system family designed, manufactured, and tested in Nottingham, by the team led by design director Chris Scott, who has a track record of over 20 years of original design success.

Scott comments, "Inspired Audio gives me a clean sheet of paper in terms of the product and, equally importantly, how that

Italy / Sweden - With an over 30-year heritage of designing and manufacturing leading edge products for the worldwide entertainment market, Clay Paky has now partnered with LumenRadio to bring the CRMX technology to their product line.

After extensive testing, Clay Paky approved LumenRadio thanks to its quality and reliability. The LumenRadio Coexistence technology allows smarter use of the frequencies by continuously scanning the radio spectrum and dynamically adapting its frequency-hopping pattern to the surrounding environment. This eliminates interference and maximizes performance

South Africa - For the tenth consecutive year, Johannesburg rental company MGG Productions were commissioned by csquare to provide the lighting for the rocking annual Potch Rag festivities held at Jool Plaas in Potchefestroom.

The Potchefstroom University sport grounds were alive as students built floats for a street parade which was followed by live performances from local band including Karen Zoid, Prime Circle and Die Heuwels Fantasties besides others.

It was the first time that Kevin Rieck of MGG had free rein on the design on the concert. On a permanent outdoor stage, the MGG c

South Africa - Robe was the lighting choice for the 12th annual Metro FM Music Awards held recently at the Durban ICC Arena. Dream Sets were commissioned by Blue Moon Corporate Communications to provide the set and the technical elements of this prestigious event.

With an objective to deliver the best Metro FM occasion to date, Dream Sets' Robert Hoey, Eben Peltz and Sean Hoey were the technical directors. They collaborated with Gearhouse Durban who were the main technical suppliers.

Francois van der Merwe of Wizardry Group was the lighting designer and operator. "While I had f

USA - When California-based Barten Production Service recently provided technology reinforcement for the 2013 MOD Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas, the set design depended heavily on Volkslicht Zoom and Spot One LED fixtures from GLP's impression range. Barten have been providing sound, lighting, AV, and production management services for the event, which honours the best modular trade show exhibits and event designs, for several years.

Dave Barten's eponymous company has a long association with the event, as it does with GLP - having first been introduced to the German c

Germany - At Prolight+Sound Martin Professional celebrated the world premiere of no less than six new MAC Viper Family moving heads, as well as a completely new range of RUSH effect lights and the response was nothing short of fantastic, says the company.

"To have more tools to work with from the same tool set is a massive advantage," stated lighting designer and show visitor Paul Collison, who got an up close look at the newest Viper fixtures. "The Vipers are clearly a replacement workhorse and a family of fixtures that will be around for a long time." Martin prod

UK - The fund raising show has been so successful of recent years, that even if you never watched the series Glee, then you would still understand the concept of what it is about.

As part of Comic Relief or Sports Relief, CBBC's Sam and Mark, along with Naomi Wilkinson, present the all singing all dancing talent contest, in which groups performed in front of celebrity judges (vocal coaches David and Carrie Grant and choreographer Sisco Gomez) to be crowned the nation's best young Glee Club. Those select few groups were whittled down through week of previous auditions held acros

Trinidad - With 15 of the biggest Chutney Soca artists in the world taking part, the recent Chutney Soca Monarch competition, held at Skinner Park in Trinidad's San Fernando, was the biggest of its kind in the world, showcasing talent from North America, the Caribbean and the UK. This event has been taking place for the past 18 years under the organisation of George Singh's South Ex Event Management.

With 10,000 people attending, the event is a launching pad for many careers in the industry and has triggered an international awareness of this music genre overseas, creating some massiv

Denmark - Martin Professional is targeting the installation market in a big way with the launch of an all-new, cost-effective line of effect lights - RUSH by Martin. RUSH will comprise a comprehensive range of affordable effect products with the first RUSH lights launched recently at the Prolight+Sound trade show in Frankfurt.

RUSH marks Martin's focus back onto a market they know well. Villads Thomsen, vice president of global sales at Martin, comments, "We are extremely excited about this brand new range as it again brings everything that Martin stands for to the market for ins

Eurovision Update - Abba's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus are set to write an anthem for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers have announced. The pair will team up with Swedish DJ and producer Avicii to compose a theme track for the event in Malmo, Sweden. We Write the Story will be performed for the first time at the opening of the grand final on 18 May.

Show Statistics - Musikmesse and Prolight+Sound closed with113,000 visitors from 142 countries (2012: 109,481 visitors, 120 countries). "This visitor response has far surpassed our own expectations an

Germany - ETC's Layers of Light Theatre proved once again to be a popular attraction at this year's Prolight+Sound, with visitors standing off the stand and on tip toes to see the two different presentations.

The first presentation demonstrated how each of the different types of fixtures - tungsten, HID and LED - can work well either individually or together as instruments in a lighting director's tool box; while a second showed how easy it is to set up a lighting system for a gig, making use of the new Magic Sheets function on the control desks and RDM technology, and demonstrating h

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