Germany - HOF has designed and developed the XHD Box Corner specifically for big exhibition booths and large stage constructions / stage roofs.
Thanks to its cross bracing on six sides and the significantly stronger main tubes, the XHD Box Corner has up to 40% more load capacity than the standard box corner. As a result, the box corner is not any longer the weak point in the overall construction.
Compared to the standard box corner, the new XHD Box Corner has one more important feature, says the company. Instead of a classic aluminium thread, the new XHD Box Corner comes with a steel thread. Compared to an aluminium thread, the steel thread has a significantly longer life and is more reliable. The XHD Box Corner fits on many 30cm box trusses and can be powder coated in any RAL colour.

UK - The #WeMakeEvents campaign has progressed into the ‘Red Alert’ phase, with planned activities set to take place across London and other major cities in the UK on the evening of 11 August.
The initiative will raise the alarm for the live events and entertainment sector, which has been badly-hit by the pandemic, resulting in countless event cancellations.
The campaign reports that the disruption of the summer season alone has affected over 600,000+ jobs in outdoor events. Meanwhile, a campaign survey revealed that redundancies in the sector are already happening, with 15% of businesses stating that they plan to make redundancies during August and 70% reporting that they could be forced to do so by the end of 2020.
The campaign warns that the termination of the government’s furlough scheme and the self-employment income support scheme in October would leave up to one million industry professionals with no financial security. “The complete lack of work in the sector combined with the withdrawal of government support will force industry professionals, including the 72% of freelancers, to seek work in other sectors,” says a statement.
Live events may not be able to return until March 2021 due to social distancing rules and the long-term planning now has the collaborative support of 17 trade bodies and several more production companies and manufacturers required for many arena tours, festivals, and stadium events.

USA - Area Four Industries Direct America has recently received new stock of Prolyte products for immediate availability. This initial stock includes truss and accessories for the 30/40 series trusses, an array of hardware and accessories, and the popular LSU Ground Stack LED wall support system.
The Verto truss and other Prolyte products will be arriving in the coming weeks as Area Four Industries Direct America continues to ramp up efforts to expand the presence of Prolyte in North America.
“In spite of the obvious challenges this year, we have continued to receive multiple requests for products and we are excited that we are now able to fulfil those requests,” said Prolyte business development director, Keith Bohn. “With stock available near both coasts, we are able to more efficiently manage the demand throughout the country.”
Prolyte products are in stock in Knoxville, Tennessee and Thousand Oaks, California as well as Prolyte’s long time distribution partner A.C. Lighting in Toronto, Canada.

France - After two years of technological design and an alignment of production with market requirements, Verlinde has announced the widening of its range of Stagemaker electric chain hoists dedicated to the entertainment industry.
The new Stagemaker SL5 and SL10 models with their load capacity of 500 kg to 1000 kg (1 fall) and 2000 kg (2 falls) integrate Verlinde's latest technological developments: innovative design, toughness and enhanced power ensuring faultless reliability while complying with international standards, says the company.
From the first model with its reverse-purchase block system launched in 1975 Verlinde's Stagemaker range has enjoyed popularity worldwide in the entertainment industry and show business.
Boasting an entirely ergonomic design, Stagemaker hoists are fitted as standard with double brakes, retractable handgrips and protective rubber pads. The new SL5 and SL10 models will further ensure IP66 protection, a rating currently being certified for the motor as a whole.
The hoist shell is protected by a 70μm black epoxy powder coating enabling resistance to extreme environments (-10C° to +40 C°). Two versions of the SL 5 and SL 10 models are available: (A) with forward voltage and (B) with low voltage. These 2 new lifting units are upgrades on the previous SR5 and SR10 versions and so complete the current range of models alongside the SR1 and SR25.
The new SL models are D8+ compliant as standard with SPQ2 (code of practice): the positioning of the clutch in the gear box ensures load holding by the brake whatev

UK - Leading trade bodies and businesses are joining forces to issue a Red Alert and highlight the severe challenges faced by the live events industry and its entire supply chain due to the pandemic.
Planned for 11 August, the action will include social media and video drives as well as legal outdoor events, with other specific activities occurring on the day.
The initiative is part of the #WeMakeEvents campaign that aims to raise awareness of the sector’s struggles and to secure further support from the government.
“The live events industry supply chain that contributes to every single event in the UK is set to completely collapse,” comments Peter Heath, MD of PLASA. “Social distancing prohibits mass events, and even if this stopped now, long-term planning for events won’t enable a return until around March 2021. Now, the whole industry is coming together to initiate a Red Alert. We have been campaigning for financial support from the government using #WeMakeEvents because the sector is on its last legs.”
According to campaign research conducted last week, redundancies across the sector have already started. Of the companies surveyed, 10% said they plan to issue notices by the end of July whilst 15% intend to do so in August.
But 70% of those polled admitted they would make redundancies by end of the year, with a fifth expecting to lose 70% of staff.
Earlier this month, the UK government announced a £1.57bn rescue

South Africa - In a live stream filmed at MGG Productions in Sandton, and hosted on SACIA's YouTube channel, the technical production and live events industry announced the launch the national campaign #LightSAred, to be held on 5 August 2020.
Sharif Baker, chair of the TPSA, announced that the technical production and live events industry will be spearheading a symbolic resistance campaign that will see buildings across the country lit up in red on 05 August.
"The colour red is the international colour of emergency," Baker explains. "We are following the example set by our colleagues in Germany and the UK in lighting our national monuments red to highlight the desperate plight of our industry under current lockdown policies and regulations." Baker went on to emphasise that the #LightSAred campaign is not affiliated with any political body or ideology. "We are simply an events industry in dire straits that is currently being ignored."
Joining Baker during the live launch was Kevan Jones, executive director of SACIA. "As a recognised industry association for the communications industry in Southern Africa, we have been trying to engage the Government and the Department of Arts and Culture for five months. We were the first industry to be shut down under the lockdown restrictions, and we will likely be the last to be allowed to return to full capacity. Despite this, we have not received any acknowledgement from Government to date.”
Projeni Pather, who is the chair of AAXO added to the debate, stating, “The events industry in South Africa has

UK - As a manufacturer and supplier of engineering solutions to the entertainment and creative arts sector, Triple E’s factory output has been mostly stalled as a result of the pandemic.
However, the management team have been making use of the time, ensuring the business is match-ready for when the wheels of the industry start to turn again. This has included finalising the development of a new website which has launched along with a new domain name - www.triplee.ltd.
Listening to feedback from clients about what they needed from the company website has been central to the new look site. www.triplee.ltd features a customer friendly interface and clearer layout making it easy to navigate and inform the customer as they seek the products best suited to their project requirements.
“Engineering solutions are complex by their nature, and so with the launch of our new website we believe it will allow everyone to better understand the finer details of our product range and how Triple E products can expand the scope and scale of new, and on-going projects,” explains Lucy Edelstein, deputy director.
The team are confident that their new style website provides an excellent online platform for existing and new customers to explore the extensive range of engineering solutions that Triple E have been offering the industry for well over 30 years.
“During this difficult time we wanted to ensure that as things return to a new ‘normal’ we have the sales tools to ensure our dedicated team have every opportunity to resume production to pre-C

UK Load-cell company BroadWeigh is introducing a series of new products into its range this week plus the addition of software improvements to their toolkit.
The company, which has undergone a complete rebranding exercise over the past year, culminating with the launch of its new website, believes the time is right to bring the new developments to the market. The design changes have developed as a result of feedback from users, with the current COVID-19 pandemic creating an unprecedented time for pure engineering focus.
From 13 July, two new modules have been added to the 2.4GHz product line as well as a new release of the BroadWeigh toolkit software. Commenting on the design development and improvements, Robert Wilmington-Badcock, managing director said: "We have a clear ethos to continuously improve our products, to specifically develop for the entertainment industry and listen carefully to users' feedback.
“We have to understand exactly what tools are needed to do the job on a tour or in a venue". He continued: "In short, we are committed to continually improving the features and tools within our systems and because we design and manufacture the entire system, we can do this like no one else. The demands in rigging are very challenging and BroadWeigh can do the job."
The BW-WM1 Warning Module is a fully configurable three light warning indicator that can be used in a simple LOG100 mode, responding in the same way as LOG100. A green light extinguishes if there is a loss of signal from any transmitters, an amber light illuminates if any LOG

UK - PLASA has responded to the UK government’s pledge of £1.57bn funding for the arts with the following statement from its MD, Peter Heath: “While PLASA is pleased to see the government deliver a generous rescue package to arts institutions across the UK, they have only addressed the tip of the iceberg. We hope that the government will announce further support for all the manufacturers, suppliers and freelancers who help make the UK a global leader in events.
“Theatres and venues are absolutely essential to the cultural fabric of the UK, however, they only represent the public face of a vast industry. Each arena concert, musical show, arts installation, or corporate event relies on a complex supply chain, often involving hundreds of professionals. To put on a single arena show requires an average of 443 people working at all levels from planning and manufacturing to logistics and live production.
“PLASA stands by its initial plea which is for the government to provide the entire event industry supply chain with grants as well as extensions to both the Furlough Scheme and the Self-employed Support Scheme. From the start, government grants were not explicitly made available to the event supply chain, with only one out of six PLASA members surveyed successfully receiving grants. And although the Furlough Scheme was a great relief, the tapering off by Autumn does not bode well for companies who do not expect to see any business until next year. The situation has been just as

UK - Artists including Sir Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Cure, Radiohead, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Annie Lennox, PJ Harvey, The 1975 and Blur are among the names demanding immediate action to save live music in the UK by signing an open letter to the UK government's Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden. The move is a bid to “show the vital importance of the UK’s live music industry, ensure the Government cannot ignore live music and make noise to get the public and financial support the industry needs to survive”.

The full letter reads as follows:
“Dear Secretary of State,
“UK live music has been one of the UK’s biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. From world-famous festivals to ground-breaking concerts, the live music industry showcases, supports, and develops some of the best talent in the world – on and off-stage.
“As important as it is, our national and regional contribution isn’t purely cultural. Our economic impact is also significant, with live music adding £4.5billion to the British economy and supporting 210,000 jobs across the country in 2019.
“Like every part of the entertainment industry, live music has been proud to play our part in the national effort to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and keep people safe. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak.
“This sec

UK - Music Support continues to hold weekly online support group meetings to allow the music industry’s 12 Step recovery community to continue to connect during these challenging times, with numbers of attendees growing weekly. Meetings take place every Monday 18:00-19:00 GMT throughout the summer, providing a confidential and non-judgemental space for people to share and encourage one another on the journey of recovery.
“We’re pioneering a change of culture within the industry that suggests another lifestyle is possible within it and as beacons of that, we host a weekly online support group meeting for those in our business who are members of any 12 step fellowship,” says the team behind Music Support.
“We acknowledge that although each fellowship uses different words, they speak the same language of hope – and that’s why now more than ever, it is imperative for people who work a program of recovery to come together to share their experience, strength and hope with others. This is not a 12-step meeting. Meetings are for support and encouragement, medical/psychological advice will not be given. “
To receive personalised login instructions, please email: helpline@musicsupport.org with the subject ‘12 Step Support Group Meetings’. All data remains confidential.
Find out more HERE.

Europe - In his latest selection of Back-To-Basics videos, Area Four Industries’ rigging advisor (and commando), Eric Porter, reviews the crucial subject of Shackles, Slings, and Cables. As Eric points out, no matter how long you have worked in the event industry there will always be ‘blind spots’ in any rigger’s expertise. These four short videos go a long way in ensuring that safety always remains uppermost in the mind of any rigger.
In the first video, Eric takes a look at the two main types of shackle: the D shackle and the bow shackle (also known as the omega or anchor shackle).
Eric demonstrates that the D shackle should only ever join two components - one on the ‘D’ and the other on the Pin, while the bow shackle is allowed to take two items on the bow and one on the pin. As Eric warns, far too often there is wrong usage leading to potential safety issues at work.
Another serious consideration to be aware of is that all shackles must have a loading limit clearly marked, a manufacturers ID, and its batch number. If any or all of these designations is missing - Do Not Use!.
In his second video, Eric reviews roundslings, acknowledging that polyester roundslings have long proved to be a versatile and useful piece of equipment in the rigger’s armoury.
However, there are a few forbidden options that no rigger should ever use. Taking us through ‘no-go’ areas such as never knotting on the load, choking two slings t

USA - MT Cases has announced the CK Case Series which incorporates UV-C light technology to disinfect air and surfaces.
General manager Tom Heslin shares: “We are solutions manufacturers. MT is known for our durable road cases, of which we have a patent on our corner construction. While our cases are useful in every industry imaginable, most of our clients are in the entertainment and touring world. With the coronavirus pandemic placing a hold on the industry, we started dabbling in ways to help ease the transition back into a semi-normal life.”
Each CK case will include STER-L-RAY germicidal lamps. These shortwave, low pressure mercury tubes emit ultraviolet wavelengths in the region proven to be most lethal to viruses, bacteria, mould and fungi. The first case in the series, the WB2724 utilises a 30W preheat fixture and features a highly reflective interior, an adjustable timer, and an exterior recessed electrical outlet for easy powering on the road. For protective measures, the workbox has a safety cut-off switch which is triggered when the door opens. The workbox can be ordered with fixed, adjustable, and/or removable steel wire shelving.
Heslin continues: “As part of the CK Case Series, we are building several case models in different sizes and configurations, including both road cases and Pelican cases. The smaller Pelican cases will be great for touring artists. After sanitisation, they can take their in-ear monitors, microphones, and any other accessories directly out of the case [without anyone else touching it] and head on stage.

UK - PLASA has launched #WeMakeEvents, a new campaign with the aim of amplifying the industry’s voice and gaining meaningful Government support. Central to the campaign is a video highlighting the vital role of supply chain companies along with the freelance community and the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic upon the live events sector.
PLASA is calling for people from across the industry to share the video across social media to give much needed exposure to the supply chain to events including production and rental companies, manufacturers and freelancers, to raise awareness of the need for longer term financial support.
In addition to sharing the video, PLASA has published two infographics illustrating the complexity of the live events supply chain and the typical arena show – which requires an average of 443 professionals spanning design, planning, preparation, warehousing, and venue staff. The graphics also show how valuable the sector is, collectively delivering £100 billion to the UK economy.
PLASA also encourages everyone to add their name to the campaign, and to send a letter to their local MP using the customisable letter samples which were created by a collective of PLASA, ABTT, PSA, SOLT and UK Theatre – details of which can be found here.
PLASA’s managing director Peter Heath comments: “We all know that the events industry has been devastated due to Covid-19, and we expect that the road to recovery will be a

UK - PLASA is gearing up to launch a new video highlighting the vital role that the supply chain and backstage crew play in the production of concert touring, theatre, and live events. It is hoped that the video will shine a light on product manufacturers, production & rental companies, crew, designers, programmers and more – all in vital need of on-going Government support and often overlooked in mainstream media coverage of the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the entertainment industry.
Earlier this month, PLASA released two infographics illustrating how the live events supply chain will be impacted without further government support. The graphics reflect the number of people it takes to deliver just one performance - on average 443 professionals, spanning planning, design, preparation, warehouse and venue staff. Additionally, the graphics show how valuable the sector is, delivering £100 billion to the UK economy - with the freelance community making up around 72% of the workforce.
Set to launch tomorrow (24 June) across PLASA’s website and social media platforms, the video features big industry names keen to help highlight the importance of the supply chain and the need for financial support. Watch this space!

USA - Glenn Becker, the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA)’s first president, passed away on 19 June aged 70.
“Glenn’s vision was about bringing the industry together to make it a better industry”, says ESTA. “He thought that competitors could come together and share ideas and solutions to make business easier and more successful for everyone. Because of that vision and Glenn’s hard work, the Theatrical Dealers Association (TDA) was born.”
Becker organised its founding meeting in 1987 and served as the first president from 1987 to 1991. In 1994, when the decision was made to form ESTA, the TDA board turned to Becker to chair the committee that rewrote the bylaws and set up the new organisational structure. The board would continue to turn to him over the years to take on special projects.
He became involved in theatre in high school. In 1968, Becker took a job delivering newspapers for the Chicago Sun Times and on his first day he read the paper and saw an ad for a job at Grand Stage Company which had been founded by Paul Tyler in 1947. Becker was hired and one of his first jobs was to assist in the company’s move to its new building on Lake Street - in the midst of the infamous Democratic National Convention. Becker started off coiling cable and helping in the rental department and within a year had worked his way up to become general manager. He also worked as a theatre electrician and stage manager across Chicago area theatres.
In 1977, Becker and his wife Janel took over the full running of the comp

Ireland - Load cell company Broadweigh will support the Wires Crossed tightrope event in Galway, Ireland by supplying Monkey Rigging with the necessary kit to monitor the loads. The event, which was originally scheduled for August 2020, but has now been postponed due to COVID-19, is a European wide community participation project revolving around 'funambulism' - the art of tight-wire walking using a balancing pole. During the event, 400 tightrope walkers from all over Europe will cross the Galway River for a duration of 2020 minutes.
Andrea Mamolenti, founder of Monkey Rigging, comments: “Monkey Rigging is working with Andrea Loreni - the only funambulist in Italy on the measurement of the tightrope walker setups. We are also collaborating with him for the technical design of the preparations for the Italian team for the event. The kind donation of the Broadweigh kit will give us peace of mind that the safety of the performers is taken care of from a load monitoring perspective.”
Andrea and his team at Monkey Rigging rely on Broadweigh load cells for all the work they carry out for contemporary circus and aerial performers. Sometimes they are used as part of the hanging system for the performers and in cases where continuous monitoring of the loads on the structures is needed.
Andrea explains: “We are very loyal Broadweigh customers. In situations where the structure has sufficient but limited carrying capacity, it is vital that we monitor the loads and have continuous feedback, with the data collected by cells ensuring that these limits are r

UK - The damage across the UK culture, media, sports and digital sectors caused by the coronavirus outbreak has been laid bare in a government survey published this week.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has released the results of its Business Survey, showing the impact of coronavirus on organisations across the four sectors. The survey received 3,936 responses submitted between 23 April and 22 May.
Headline findings reveal the devastating impact of the pandemic on businesses, with more than a third (1,646) of respondents reporting their revenue has decreased by 100% year-on-year, whilst just 97 have seen an increase during the period.
In terms of how long businesses can continue to operate viably, the majority (1,156) of respondents selected ‘up to six months’, whilst 1,102 indicated that they could stay afloat beyond six months. However, 202 respondents said their businesses were already no longer trading; 155 stated they could only carry on trading for less than a month, and 902 reported they could only trade viably for up to three months. The remaining 408 selected ‘don’t know’. An overwhelming 2,668 respondents also indicated their business’ ability to trade was under threat due to the pandemic, with just 1,070 stating the opposite.
More than half (2,146) of respondents said they had accessed government support during the survey period, but nearly half (1,790) hadn’t. The headline findings can be found test

UK - "Keeping ladder users safe now means protecting them from coronavirus as well as falls," says The Ladder Association, as they release new guidance for health and safety managers.
New guidance from the Ladder Association is helping managers keep ladder users safe during the coronavirus outbreak, whether they're attending a ladder training course or using ladders in the workplace.
The industry body has offered its advice on the challenges being faced by those responsible for the health and safety of ladder users as they plan a return to work. In a new guidance document released free-of-charge to the industry, the Ladder Association delves into issues such as how long the virus lasts on ladders, how rescue plans will be affected and how workers can minimise the risk of the virus spreading through proper cleaning of equipment and materials, particularly if they have been handled by multiple people.
Importantly, it includes advice on how workers can maintain physical distancing while using ladders, with a focus on two activities that need to be considered carefully: stabilising a ladder and raising a ladder.
As Ladder Association training starts to resume in some areas, they have also addressed the need for people to be protected from coronavirus during their course. They remind us of the importance of Ladder Association training and reassure managers of the protective measures they can expect to be in place during a course, from e-learning options to minimise time spent at the training centre to increased hygiene and cleaning. They also expl

South Africa - DWR Distribution, the South African distributor of Prolyte, is now able to offer and maintain Litec, Tomcat and James Thomas Engineering trussing products, thanks to new partnerships between Area Four Industries and Prolyte.
“For South African Prolyte distributor, DWR Distribution, this means the opportunity to offer an additional service to our industry,” said Robert Izzett from DWR. “With access to the full Area Four Industries truss product range, which includes Litec, Tomcat and James Thomas Engineering brands (expect for Milos which has a different distributor), we can assist the African market with any new products or spare parts they may require which includes a variety of modernized motors within Exe Technology brand, also part of Area Four product portfolio.”
“DWR is not only a distributor for us at Area Four, but a serious and professional partner,” said Area Four sales and marketing director, Fabio Prada. “We are confident that the partnership will enable us to share projects that do not stop with the distribution of products to the South African market, but which can act as a platform for a more capillary presence on the entire African continent.”
“While Prolyte has the lion’s share of the South African market, DWR looks forward to extending our service and assistance to those who have Litec, Tomcat and James Thomas Engineering trussing in their inventory,” Robert concludes.

UK - A new company specialising in immersive technologies for theatre, performance and live events has won funding from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Copper Candle will use the funding to develop a platform to help the grassroots of the UK theatre and music industry, both in the short-term during the COVID-19 crisis and far beyond.
Copper Candle’s innovative Break A Leg platform will help community theatre, choirs and schools to continue collaborating while under pandemic restrictions. But that’s not all: it will also open possibilities for more widespread online collaborations among creative communities in the future.
“This funding enables us to build a platform which will allow anyone, but particularly community theatre groups, to easily navigate through technology to create collaborative performances and turn them into shareable content,” explains founder James Simpson, a pioneer of the use of virtual and augmented reality technologies in live entertainment production.
“Keeping theatre alive means supporting amateur and community groups who will help to deliver the next generation of performers, artists and technicians,” adds Simpson, whose own career began in community theatre. “It’s an essential training ground for new talent in professional theatre and live events, both on-stage and behind the scenes. In future, Break A Leg will also enable technical crews and designers to add to the creative mix.”
Break A Leg will enable users to choose a song or piece of music, follow the backing track and lyrics and reco

UK - Working to support government officials in understanding the unique issues facing the events industry due to COVID-19, PLASA has produced two infographics illustrating how the events supply chain will be impacted without further government support.
The graphics reflect the number of people it takes to deliver just one performance - on average 443 professionals, spanning planning, design, preparation, warehouse and venue staff. Additionally, the graphics show how valuable the sector is, delivering £100 billion to the UK economy and employing approx. 589,000 people.
It is hoped that information contained in the graphics will help highlight to government officials how many jobs are at risk in the events industry without support beyond October.
PLASA says in a statement: “Whilst many industries will be looking to return to some normality from July onwards, experts are predicting that with continued social distancing rules, many events won’t be able to fully return until spring next year, which will put a tremendous financial strain on companies and professionals working in the industry.
“The events sector has suffered enormously due to the worldwide shut-down of live events caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, when cash grants worth up to £51,000 were made available to ‘Leisure, Hospitality and Retail’ businesses, they weren’t extended to the events supply chain, and many of the 72% of freelancers working in the industry fell through the gaps of receiving any income support, due to them either working as limited c