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Rigging / Staging

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Europe TAF has introduced the new PA Vertical Tower 1 (PAV1). It’s designed for safely and securely hanging heavy speaker arrays at large-scale events. Through its versatile design, the PAV1 not only serves as an independent PA tower or part of the stage setup, but also as stable support for LED walls.
Utilizing TAF’s specially designed top section and heavy-duty HT44 or TT44 truss segments with quicklock connection system, provides certified loading up to 1,000 kg at heights up to 8m.
Stability is ensured by its robust base, which accepts ballast up to 2,000 kg and features strategically placed attachment points for guy wires or manual/electric hoists. Uneven ground is easily tamed by its four independent spindles for safe and stable horizontal levelling. Outriggers are available for additional stability when required.

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UK - TSL Lighting has made further significant investment in EXE Technology load monitoring and stage automation equipment, with the addition of a further x134 hoists to complement their rental stock.
Their latest investments include the new EXE Rise D8 + 350kg, a small body hoist for compact applications, D8+ 500kg and D8+ 1000kg hoists to add to their inventory, and the EXE Rise D8+ 2000kg Single Fall chain hoists, designed for use in heavy duty applications and in rugged touring environments.
TSL who are full members of - LEEA (The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) are the first UK rental house to take delivery of the new Extra-Large Frame 2000kg hoists which boast a single chain (single fall) configuration. This partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing the quality and safety standards within the entertainment technology sector and TSL’s gro
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Germany - Sixty82 has welcomed Avenion to its growing network of resellers in Germany. This addition aims to strengthen Sixty82's presence in the German market and ensures that customers have wider access to its products.
Avenion is making waves in the AV solutions sector with its fresh approach. It has quickly become known for its innovative ideas and commitment to quality. Furthermore, the team has extensive experience in the areas of rigging and trussing.
"We're really excited to have Avenion join our team," says Fokko Smeding, CEO of Sixty82. "Matthias Matthes and his crew are exactly what we look for in partners - they're young, they're innovative, and they're all about pushing the limits of what's possible. We're not just adding a reseller; we're gaining a partner that shares our vision and energy. This is going to bring some great things to the German market, a

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UAE - When the UR&E team received a job enquiry back in July 2022, nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary about it. Little would they know that 18 months later, they would be involved with one of the biggest box office successes of the year on the set of Dune: Part 2.
The epic science fiction film, produced by Legendary Pictures, directed by Denis Villenueve and distributed by Warner Bros Pictures, is the sequel to Dune (2021). It follows Paul Atriedes as he unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis to wage war against House Harkonnen. So far this year it has grossed over $197m making it the fifth highest grossing film of 2024.
The UR&E team was asked to supply a rental of almost 2000rm of truss in 30cm, 40cm and 52cm, that required delivery as far as the Liwa Area of Abu Dhabi. Unlike other projects in theatres or arena

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Europe - Area Four has released the new Exe Technology Load Cells brochure capturing the latest products and innovations in the Exe Cell and Exe Flexa ranges, part of Area Four Industries.
The Exe brand offers a wide range of chain hoists engineered to safely manoeuvre stage equipment, scenery, video walls and other related structures before, during and after your performances and is highly in demand in the live entertainment and exhibition sector and extensively stocked by most of the rental and production houses throughout the UK.
In recent years, the complexity of touring events has increased dramatically with the explosion of LED technology combined with the demands of more complex set design. The need for live load monitoring is a critical task in the safety chain to provide a secure working environment under any suspended load. Without using load cells, it is i

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Kazakhstan - Sixty82 has announced a strategic partnership with AMEG Group, marking them as the exclusive distributor for Kazakhstan.
"We are delighted to partner with AMEG Group, spearheaded by the seasoned Evgeniy," expressed Fokko Smeding, CEO of SIXTY82. "Their profound market understanding and commitment to quality make them the ideal representative for our brand in Kazakhstan. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration and the mutual growth that lies ahead."
Evgeniy Davydov, sales director at AMEG Group, shared, "Being chosen as the exclusive distributor for SIXTY82 is a great honour and responsibility. Their innovation and quality are unmatched, and we are eager to integrate their solutions into our market. This partnership is a significant milestone for us and the local entertainment industry."
In a move to solidify this new alliance, Sixty82 has appoin

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UK - TAIT is expanding its producing offer with the appointment of Martin Green as vice-president of global live events.
Martin brings over 20 years of experience to TAIT, with large-scale live broadcast events and festivals across the globe. Most recently he served as managing director of Eurovision, Liverpool 2023 on Behalf of Ukraine where he oversaw the delivery of the publicly acclaimed event. His portfolio also includes chief creative officer for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, and head of ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He has also acted as an advisor to Dubai Expo and the Tokyo Olympics.
Based in TAIT’s recently announced Kings Cross office, Martin will play an integral part in the company’s development and expansion of event production globally. He will oversee executive-level p

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Slovakia - Show designer and director Martin Hruska wanted to create a sense of spectacle coupled with edginess and idiosyncrasy for Slovak rap star Kontrafakt’s two much-anticipated, high-profile New Eras concerts which were staged at Prague’s O2 Arena.
Kontrafakt was celebrating two decades at the cutting edge of rap, so Martin, the artist and event producers Mafia Records were on a mission to “present the biggest and most memorable show possible” in that venue, explained Martin, outlining his ambitious visual aesthetic for which he also leaned heavily into Kinesys automation.
The specialist technical discipline of automation was utilised to dramatically shift the architecture and vibes of the performance space throughout the show, all the time ensuring that the artist, who has a great connection with his fans, remained right at the centre of the action.

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UK - TAIT has confirmed partnership agreements with industry groups LIVE Green and Music Sustainability Alliance to support the industry-wide mission to advance sustainability awareness and learning.
The Music Sustainability Alliance (MSA) is the hub for the music industry to learn, innovate, and collaborate to advance sustainability in the music business. They provide community, science-based solutions, resources, best practices, and tools for operational change across the industry. This month, MSA hosted the Music Sustainability Summit in Los Angeles, supported by Billboard, which marked a key milestone as the first summit of its kind in North America. TAIT’s principal sustainability advocate, Carol Scott, joined the Haul It All panel on the day to discuss what artists and tours are doing today to reduce their environmental and social impact.
LIVE, the voice

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USA - EAW has welcomed Robert Scovill to the position of senior live sound market manager.
Scovill’s new role will be to work tightly with existing teams on product definition and positioning, in-person demos and trainings, as well as providing thought leadership. This will include refining and shaping all public-facing communication. These duties will include assisting with written product descriptions, as well as the listening and voicing of new and existing production-level audio systems. Scovill will drive the creation of educational how-to pieces on industry topics such as tuning and deploying large-scale ADAPTive systems, passive and active articulated systems and subwoofer arrays.
“We are excited to welcome Robert to the team - he brings decades of pro audio and live sound expertise to EAW and further demonstrates our commitment to being a leading loudspeak

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USA - After nearly 45 years of landmark project deliveries and designs, Michael Nishball, principal equipment designer at Theatre Projects, is retiring at the end of this month. As a company emeritus, Michael will continue to offer his expertise as an international leader in stage machinery and will act as a sounding board on major projects and the continued expansion of Theatre Projects.
“‘Departing,’ ‘leaving,’ ‘ceasing,’ ‘re-careering,’ ‘transitioning,’ ‘bowing out’... anything but ‘retiring,’” shares Michael. “My confidence in being a stage equipment designer and theatre technical planner emerged directly from my youth spent as a rigging installer and contractor.
“I often say that we are in the construction industry and the skills required to make a contribution to the project should be informed as much from how it gets built as

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Europe - Light and Sound Design (LSD) Serbia is now officially an exclusive SRS Group distributor for Serbia, Kosovo, and the Balkan region.
“Immediately after LSD reached out to us, we quickly understood that they are a very well-established company, that anyone would like to collaborate with,” says Samuel Sloboda, CEO of SRS Group. “For over 20 years, Milan (the CEO of LSD) and his team have been doing a great job evolving the entertainment industry in the Balkan region from the heart of Serbia - Belgrade. With the extensive time investment LSD put into the construction of its new futuristic building, we are thrilled to see the Balkan market expand and prosper, as we are sure LSD is future-proof and absolutely ready for it.”
LSD covers all areas of the industry - rental companies, theatres, television and movie production companies, hotels, bars and clubs,

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UK - Neg Earth Lights has invested in the Apex complete solution to high end chain hoist control applications.
Rick Williamson, motors & automation manager shares: “These are exciting times for Neg Earth with the investment in Apex. Not only does this system meet the current legislative safety standards but it allows us to fulfil higher demands when it comes to our customers’ requirements during shows.”
The Neg Earth team visited Kinesys to learn more about the Apex system in preparation for their first tour. “Thanks, Jon Winn, for such an informative day,” adds Williamson.

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UK - Event production and audio-visual Installation company, Spotlight Sound has announced that Ashton Gold will join the team as account manager.
Ashton comes to Spotlight Sound from The Lion Inn in Boreham where she was the event planner.
“I will be fundamental in liaising between the client and technicians from the planning to execution of their event,” says Ashton. “My role means that the technicians can fully concentrate on the production of the event and I can make sure everything else runs smoothly.”
Sam Dimond, director of Spotlight Sound adds: “We’re really pleased to welcome Ashton onto the team. Her experience in planning and running events will be fundamental to the ongoing success and growth of Spotlight Sound.”
Spotlight Sound produces a spread of events including the Willow Ball and London Football Awards. Last year they prov

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UK - PLASA is running an industry-wide survey on sustainability. The association aims to understand how and if companies across the entertainment technology sector are tackling the important issue of sustainability and carbon reduction.
The survey was launched during the Member Business Forum on Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, which took place in London on 18 January 2024. However, the survey is now open to the wider industry until 29 March, in partnership with #WeMakeEvents, LSi, LIVE and PEARLE.
Even though there are no current legal requirements in the UK to implement such plans, PLASA recognises the importance of sustainability across the industry and the need for support. Therefore, the association is now conducting research to understand the current position of the industry. The data will help to inform the activities of the association, as well as future in

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UK - Area Four Industries UK has appointed Theresa Gibson to the newly created role of head of marketing.
After four years as head of marketing for Robe Lighting UK, she brings extensive experience across the sector.
This new appointment represents ‘a strategic pillar’ for the business as Area Four Industries approaches its 30-year anniversary, providing a pivotal support function to the UK sales team, working closely with HQ in Czech Republic, and its major global manufacturing divisions, international colleagues and extensive brand portfolio.
Area Four Industries UK’s managing director, Glen Brown says: “I am excited to welcome Theresa Gibson to the A4iUK team. Her wealth of marketing experience and passion for exceptional service levels, synergies and connections within our core industries will help steer the business into its next chapter. Theresa wil

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USA - Although a procession of major stars like Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds To Mars, The Last Dinner Party, Bush, The 1975, and Sum41 graced the Honda Centre stage, the lighting rig for this year’s iHeartRadio ALTer EGO concert, which is traditionally held at the Kia Forum in LA, was smaller than it was in recent years.
The size of the rig, notwithstanding, the design team was given the mission of making the overall production for the nationally televised event, look bigger than previous shows.
“We wanted to make the show seem larger this year,” said Dierson of The Activity. “Yet, there’s no bravado when I tell you that this was literally the smallest lighting rig that I’ve been a part of in the past 20 or so years.”
Describing this challenge as “a blessed reality”, Dierson explained how it sharpened his creative visions. “It’s good to be forc

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Germany - The Liftket Group has announced the appointment of Benjamin Göldner as vice-president of stage, with effect from 1 March 2024.
Göldner, who joined Liftket as head of purchasing in 2017 and took over the management of Chainmaster GmbH in 2021, brings extensive experience and expertise to the new role. Together with Jürgen Dlugi and Thomas Birke, Benjamin Göldner will form the management team of the Liftket Group.
The purpose of creating this position is to improve communication and efficiency in the stage area and to drive strategic growth. The focus will be on the global requirements for the group, strengthening the Moveket and Chainmaster brands, supporting the subsidiaries and developing new and improved products.
"It is an exciting time for the Liftket Group, and I am looking forward to contributing to the successful growth and development of

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Rwanda - Unusual Rigging faced a number of challenges when they were briefed to provide the rigging for the Global Citizen Move Afrika event at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on 6 December.
This event, organised by Done & Dusted, was the first event in a five-year large-scale effort to pioneer a first of its kind international music touring circuit throughout the African continent.
Sam Carter, senior production rigger, Unusual explained: “This event was a pretty big deal - not just as a music gig but as an initiative which hopes to help expand the industry in the region. Each year, we are pleased to work with some local people, demonstrating what we do, how we do it and hopefully, by giving some training to these guys, we’re giving them the tools to develop their own entertainment industry.”
One of the first things that Sam and the team had to deal wit

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UK - Pearce Hire has shared the news of the passing of team member and friend, John Huson.
“John dedicated over 20 years to Pearce Hire and was an invaluable part of the team. His deep knowledge and love for lighting and event technology, coupled with his skills in the digital world made him an exceptional part of the team.
Beyond his technical expertise, John will be remembered for his unique ability to inject humour into every situation, brightening even the most challenging times. His quick wit and warm personality made him not just a colleague, but a cherished friend and he will truly be missed by us all.
As we remember John, our thoughts are with his family whom he was extremely proud of and loved enormously.
If you would like to share your memories of John with the family then please use this form

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UK - TAF has officially opened its new office and warehouse dedicated to serving customers in the UK and Ireland.
Located in Walsall, West Midlands, TAF UK includes members of the TrussLite UK team, who have come on board to provide TAF’s large and small customers with their extensive knowledge and experience in the UK’s events & exhibitions sector.
“As a result, TAF UK hits the ground running in the UK & Ireland market with firmly established reliability, customer service and expertise provided by Trusslite over the years to their loyal customer base. In turn, further driving home the fact that TAF is a brand you can fully trust and rely on,” says the company.
In keeping with TAF’s ‘Truss on Time’ promise, TAF UK will maintain a full stock of products directly in the UK, offering same day and next day deliveries. TAF UK offers a full rang

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UK - Unusual Rigging has dealt with a fair few strange and, well, unusual, requests over the years. So when Gary Beestone was brought on board as technical director for Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions’ Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Unusual was chosen for the production’s complex rigging.
“Bringing Stranger Things to the stage is incredibly ambitious and challenging,” explained Gary. “The Unusual team and I are old friends, having worked on some pretty major events and productions over the years. I knew they were really the only sensible choice for this show and so engaged them to design, engineer, fabricate and install all rigging including specialist custom rigging for the production.”
With the original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne & Kate Trefry, this new production, based on the Netflix Series, takes audiences b

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UK - The 2023 ABTT Virtual Ideas Platform winner was revealed on Thursday 1 February in a ceremony at the annual ALPD and White Light New Technology Showcase in the Embassy Theatre at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
This annual industry event features the latest in lighting technology and felt like an appropriate opportunity to speak on the Virtual Ideas Platform and its winner, whose innovative idea is now being developed by Triple E.
Presented by ABTT co-chair Mig Burgess and introduced by platform developer Charles Haines, David Ripley was awarded the ABTT Hook Clamp Award and Certificate for his winning idea, The Counterweight Caddy.
The Counterweight Caddy is a method of storing weights and addressing the manual handling issues associated with work on the loading gallery.
Speaking of his award win, Central’s Head of Technical and Pr

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UK - LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment) has partnered with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum to launch a survey, The Hidden Side of Freelancing 2024, to understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry.
The new survey will explore pay transparency and the personal experiences of freelancers at live music events. It aims to help freelancers understand their true value and benchmark their own experience whilst also celebrating what makes live music a great industry for freelancers. The results will then be assessed, culminating in a publicly available report that will be published in April 2024.
Industry organisations such as Entourage Pro, Production Futures, NOWIE, Rego, and Power of Events are all key sup
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