Those masters of rock industry logistics, EST, are once more in the thick of the action over the summer season. Touring with a list of bands that reads like a roll-call of the top aristocracy of the rock music industry, the range of locations and number of vehicles involved is staggering. The tours are all major Arena and Stadium scale and are forecast to be the biggest gross-earning acts of the summer season. 16 of the familiar yellow and purple trucks will provide logistic support to Madonna’s European tour running from the 5 June until 12 July. A further eight trucks will provide transport for the Eagles, starting in Moscow on 29 May and finishing in Glasgow on 28 July. Another 16 EST trucks will accompany Bon Jovi’s European Tour which starts in Stockholm on 31 May with 16 more shows in locations as diverse as Huddersfield, Hamburg and Zurich before ending in Munich on 30 June.

On top of that, EST will also provide transport for Jethro Tull’s European Tour, centred mainly in Germany, plus trucking equipment to a major Conference of the World’s Ophthalmologists in Istanbul for Face to Face Productions. Last but not least, EST is providing transport for the Barcelona Motor Show in early May which will entail 35 trucking movements each way.http://www.ess-uk.com

There’s an orange-haired clown from the USA who 30 years ago perfected a presentational strategy that’s seen his products grow to become a global monster. The recipe for success is to satisfy the appetite with something that’s unlikely to offend even the most delicate palette.

While the three girls and brother Jim can hardly be likened to a hamburger and fries, they do present an inoffensive brand of pop that while delightful, is unlikely to become a healthy diet if taken in excess. It was March ‘98 when I last saw the Corrs, in a sub-2,000-seat theatre on that occasion. Their early singles had begun what’s become the band’s long flirtation with the charts. Have three years been a long enough break? In short, yes. The band’s live performance is much improved in that there is now an edge to them, and, dare I say it, I prefer the songs performed live to their more anodyne recordings.

Lighting & Video
In the words of production manager Ian Caulder, "Willie Williams was brought in to liven things up." That’s no reflection on Liam McCarthy, the group’s original LD from the outset. He and Icon programmer Frank Shields have melded an excellent, well-punctuated light show. But it’s what must lurk in William’s imagination that delights and excites.

Modules of a Screenco LED screen are hung, checkerboard-fashion, behind a white scrim. All images presented upon it are abstracts, computer graphics, flames, the glittering surface of a swimming pool, etc. Why this is a stroke of genius on Williams

Forever Living Products, the world’s largest cultivator and distributor of Aloe Vera products, brought their motivational world rally to Wembley on April 21, where the Arena was configured as a 5,000-seat auditorium. Hired by production company Creative Realisation Ltd, AV solution specialists, Creative Technology provided a record-breaking backdrop over the elevated stage. Their modular 10mm pixel pitch LVP-102D LED screen fromLighthouse Technologies, configured as a 12 x 9-module display (7.86m x 4.32m) for 16:9 aspect ratio projection, became the largest 10mm LED screen ever flown in the UK.

Flanking each side of the LED screen at Wembley were gauzes, onto which Creative Technology projected graphics, via their recently-acquired Christie Digital 10k Roadies. The world’s first purpose-built projector for the rental staging community, the Roadie delivers 10,000 ANSI lumens by way of Christie’s unique 1.8kW SHB Xenon lamp system, and picture-perfect images using three-chip DLP technology. The CT input was managed by Al Green (LED screens) and Jon Hodgson (scenic projection and AV), and the company also fielded a full support team, including LED engineer, VTR op, two projectionists, a vision engineer, graphics engineer - as well as four video engineers for the get-out. The Creative Realisation team was led by producer Alastair Baker, production manager Mark Davis and designer John Bell.

A number of management changes have been announced within the Avesco group following the creation of their new Audio Visual Services Division, which will be headed up by former Creative Technology managing director, Graham Andrews. As a result, Andrews hands over the day-to-day running of CT to Mark Elliott, simultaneously assuming the role of chief executive, in order to oversee the strategic development of the company. CT’s new managing director has worked with the company for the last nine years, latterly as operations director. "I have a long history in the industry, extending back to 1982, and recent years have proved both exciting and rewarding," said Elliott. "My role will now be to further develop the management structure underpinning a high quality and specialist service business, while supporting the growth of Creative Technology within the full framework of the AV Division."

Also stepping up in the company reshuffle are Jon Hodgson, who becomes director of project management, and Guy Mapley, who is appointed director of sales. The roles of Andrew Hawker as technical director, Gary Holford as graphics director, Adam Berger as director of outside broadcast and Philip Threadgold as finance director, will remain unchanged.

Managing director Robin van Meeuwen has revealed that following consecutive quarters of record-breaking sales and recruitment, Crestron UK has committed to a proactive programme that will not only include improved customer service but additional training and resources. At the same time, the company has expanded its operation in Kingston, Surrey with a new demonstration showroom with Crestron total control solutions. "What this basically means is that we are infusing more energy and dedication into our service with the new ‘True Blue’ initiative." Van Meeuwen explains that the ‘True Blue’ name symbolises Crestron's core principal - total focus and commitment to their partners and the industry as a whole. "For example, all Crestron products are now available for shipment from stock, since we've doubled the size of our facilities in California and Chicago to provide the added service that comes with more training space and larger support staffs." The UK office and European headquarters in Brussels have been caught up in the same momentum. "The future at Crestron looks bright," Van Meeuwen summarises. "Our product line is stronger and more vital than ever, anchored by the award-winning Isys touch-panel control system, Crestron home automation and networking solutions and Crestron e-Control - the only true industry standard for Internet-based control."

Van Meeuwen also says that at this year’s INFOCOMM (June 13-15, Las Vegas), a brand-new, high-performance control system will be introduced, as will a host of

The well-appointed showroom at Dial HQ was packed. No less than three PAs - Bose, Martin Audio and ASS - stood arrayed before us at the far end; above, hung from Tri-lite trussing, were the latest lamps from Abstract, Clay Paky and Opti. Was this to be a light and sound shoot-out?

Well, no - and the clue to why lay in the neat little Sanyo video projector (700 lumens yet barely bigger than a desk diary) tucked neatly in amongst the lighting gear. "This is to witness the birth of a new AV control," Andy Blackwell of Dial Sound and Lighting confided.

None-the-wiser, we settled in as the presentation began; music played and lights began to dance in harmony. We are informed that all the elements of light and sound were being controlled by a single piece of software. Nothing revolutionary there, but then the screen rolled sedately down from the trussing. It wasn’t so much the projected images, though they were pin sharp, nor the Panasonic demo DVD’s recourse to seventies footage of well endowed ‘chicks’ or action sequences, it was what was added. The soundtrack was overlaid by perfectly synchronised music, and the overlay could be turned on and off like a tap. Then, during the famous bungy jump from Golden Eye, the video itself was augmented, colour being added to its periphery, and lighting subtly introduced to the surroundings. What was striking was the effortlessness with which it was all achieved. "That’s the point," said Blackwell. "Some people look at this and their initial reaction is ‘it looks a bit Fisher

Creating a thunder and lightning special effect was just one of the tasks facing D J Willrich Ltd (DJW), the AV and multi media specialist, at X-treme World in Doha, Qatar this month. Situated on the third floor of a large shopping mall in the centre of Doha, X-treme World incorporates a go-kart track, rock climbing, a real snow ski slope, fairground rides and other extreme sporting activities. DJWs 10-day remit included sound, video and the rumbling special effects. DJW’s 16-screen videowall placed at the entrance offers both film footage of professional and extreme sports as well as links with the complex’s eight CCTV cameras set up to capture all the action at the attractions. The wall, which features16 Pioneer 40" rear-projection video cubes, has a 4-channel MPEG2 server plus control and switching hardware.

DJW, through Simon Rice-Oxley, supplied four video films for the wall, using a programme that runs the films in sync with the CCTV cameras which follow the action around the attraction being switched into the wall at certain points during the show. For this, DJW used a video matrix switcher controlled by a Stinger show control unit.The sound system has been designed to cover the entire 70m x 70m area for music playback. Here, DJW encountered a couple of challenges as the client requested a sound system that gave good volume and clarity within a fairly limited budget. Added to this, the speakers had to be hung from a roof 15m high. John Doe, DJW’s project manager at X-treme, said: "To overcome these problems we used 10 Bose Panaray LT spe

The 2001 PLASA AGM, along with the popular AGM Dinner, will take place on Thursday 14 June in the historic setting of Coombe Abbey, near Coventry. Set in 500 acres of parkland and dating back to 1150, this former Cistercian Abbey is now a thriving hotel and conference centre. In a slightly revised format for 2001, the day will include an opportunity for members to meet with key representatives of PLASA’s various operations in a number of small, hour-long ‘break-out sessions’. These will be organised as follows:

- PLASA Show - members of the Clarion Events show management team and members of the PLASA Exhibitor Forum will be on hand to discuss PLASA Show-related issues.
- Membership Services - PLASA’s head office staff dealing with membership services will be joined by consultants from certain of our service providers and members of the PLASA Executive Committee.
- PLASA Standards - PLASA’s Technical Standards Officer Tim Cox will be joined by consultants and other of PLASA’s standards representatives to discuss Standards-related topics.

As part of PLASA’s aim of increasing the opportunities for useful communication with its members, these sessions are intended to provide an informal environment for discussion, feedback and questions. PLASA’s managing director Matthew Griffiths comments: "We hope these sessions will prove a valuable use of the time between the AGM and the start of the evening’s entertainment. By offering the chance of an informal meeting with key representatives of the Association, we h

Cereco International, the on-line equipment auction facility run by John Lethbridge, believes it has found a way to protect both buyers and sellers from fraud, without the need to use a credit card. The solution, the company believes, is to be found on their two new sites.

Cereco Used Trade Auctions is again for goods supplied by manufacturers and distributors but will now include VAT registered rental companies, installers and VAT registered sole traders. All of the equipment will be ex-rental, ex-installation or part-exchanged audio, lighting, video or special effects. All of the sellers on this site are known to Cereco International, and have to enter into a written agreement to fulfil certain conditions including replacing any goods not received in the condition described. Buyers deal directly with the seller. This service is completely free to sellers if no sale is achieved.

Gearmarket UK is for goods supplied by private individuals and small businesses who are not VAT-registered. All the sellers on this site have to agree in writing to Gearmarket UK collecting payment for their goods, which is then held for 72 hours while the buyer checks the goods and either authorizes payment to the seller or ask for the goods to be collected and returned, in which case, the buyer received a 100% refund. This service is completely free to sellers for sales less than £250. For sales over £250, Gearmarket UK take a 10% commission.

InspHire Ltd, providers of hire management systems for hire companies, has signed a Partnership Agreement with Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions. inspHire will offer Great Plains Dynamics and e-Enterprise solutions as the fully integrated Back Office solution for inspHire’s SQL Edition. With a long history of working together to deliver new business technologies, the two companies are joining forces to provide a package for small and medium companies. Andy Beal, inspHire MD told PLASA Media: "The signing of the Partnership Agreement between the two companies was the culmination of a two-year search for a suitable Back Office partner to integrate into inspHire SQL Edition. Great Plains' purchase by Microsoft, together with the VBA tools available to us in the end, made it an easy choice. Not only will we be able to offer the same level of two-way integration with our hire system, but our customers will have the benefit of using a Microsoft branded accounts system in use in 130,000 businesses in 132 countries worldwide."

Point Promotions have announced a 72% increase in attendance at last week’s ABTT Theatre Show. The show this year expanded into both of the Royal Horticultural Halls, and had widened its remit to attract 30 new exhibitors. The initial un-audited visitor attendance figures show an increase of 72% over last year’s registered numbers. Point Promotions was appointed by the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) to administer the change from the ABTT Trade Show to the bigger and improved ABTT Theatre Show. The expanded show featured on-stage technology such as lighting, rigging, drapes and sound and also many exhibitors with front-of-house technology including seating and staging.

Show Presentation Services (SPS) has launched a new department dedicated to support the use of all types of information technology in the live events market. SPS Event IT will cater for the now commonplace use of IT within conferences and exhibitions, but its approach will differ from ‘traditional’ IT ideas. "What matters to us," said SPS managing director Robin Coles, "is the event as a whole. Stand-alone computers, flat screens, local networking, Internet access, webcasting and all the associated peripherals are becoming as fundamental as video, sound and lights at many events, and should be delivered with the same professional attitude, with all the technology that comes together to service an event being intrinsically linked. We have staffed SPS Event IT with people who approach anything computerish from the live show perspective. Our crew are not ‘nerd’ prima-donna’s who never get their hands dirty, but ‘show’ people with an IT specialisation."

Digital Projection International (DPI) - a wholly-owned subsidiary of IMAX Corporation - has announced a strategic partnership which will expand IMAX's market-leading digital projection technology into the realm of digital electronic billboards. The agreement, with Sweden's DHJ Media AB, is to develop and install digital media network systems that will replace traditional poster advertising with high-revenue digital billboards. The companies announced today that the London Underground is the first to sign up for an installation of the system. To be marketed under DHJ's trademarked ‘Outdoor Evolution Systems’, the IMAX-DHJ networked digital billboard system will allow owners to increase revenues and direct advertsiements to any given location at any designated time of the day, thus allowing for better timeliness of messages, flexibility, and the ability to purchase the entire billboard network.

Under the terms of the agreement, IMAX will sell the digital projectors that will display the images, and DHJ will provide the network functions as well as the billing, scheduling and distribution of ads. IMAX and DHJ agreed to market the Outdoor Evolution System to five potential locations in Europe. As a result, the London Underground has placed an order with IMAX for 400 digital projectors with a value of close to $15 million, the largest order ever for IMAX's DPI subsidiary. The first 100 systems are expected to be installed by the end of 2001, with the balance expected to be delivered over the following 12 to 24 months. TDI Outdoor, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc, will

Alan Law has recently been appointed general manager for the SPS group, with responsibility for service delivery, quality assurance and Health & Safety. Alan joins SPS from Earls Court & Olympia where he has spent the last three years as technical services manager and health and safety manager responsible for non-exhibition related events and conferences including The Brit Awards, the Vodafone Gala dinner and numerous pop shows. Law was then asked to take on the role of Halls H&S manager, with the brief to audit and re-evaluate Earls Court’s approach to the ever-increasing H&S legislation. Prior to this Alan worked with Blackout, the drapes and rigging company and was a key player in the rapid expansion they experienced in their early years. SPS managing director Robin Coles comments: "To have a manager of Alan's experience and ability in this new key role adds another dimension to our company."

Mick Scullion is to head up PSL Lighting, formerly Lighting Unlimited, as part of the re-launch of the division under the Presentation Services Group branding. Mick brings with him over 20 years’ experience within the industry, having worked for both Concert Productions (now Vari-Lite) and the Spot Company where he was a director for five years. "It is an exciting time at PSL, the new structure will bring a lot of benefit to the lighting division and allow us to offer an even better service to our clients," commented Mick. "We are currently investing in the latest lighting equipment and along with our lighting design service, we aim to build on our already successful position within the marketplace providing our clients with service to the highest level." Barry Dennison, formerly of Gearhouse XTC, also joins Mick alongside current project manager Iain Grant. The division is continuing to grow to meet current demand.

Continuing its programme of expansion, Crestron UK Ltd has announced the appointment of Andrew Butler as technical sales manager. The move follows an outstanding year for the company, which has seen them win a number of awards, including AV magazine’s Company of the Year. Butler joins from Midnight Security, where he gained experience in the specification, programming and installing of Crestron control systems.

Christie Digital Systems USA has announced three sales executive appointments: Dale Miller as vice-president of sales Europe; Joe Delgado as vice-president of sales Latin America; and Lin Yu as vice-president of sales Asia. Scott Friedberg, national sales manager, will handle Joe Delgado’s previous North American responsibilities. Reporting to Lin Yu, Rick Norris will continue his tenure in the Asia Pacific region as the new director of business development, and is relocating to Singapore.

The UK’s annual pop music back-slapping gala event, The Brits, was recorded live, in spectacular style, on February 26th at Earls Court 2, London. The live production was managed by Brit regular MJK Productions.

Another regular, Vari-Lite Europe provided the complete lighting system - featuring more than 500 luminaires - as well as providing the rig for the After Show Party. Lighting designer for the event was Al Gurdon. With the ceremony designed to look spectacular both for the live audience and a massive worldwide broadcast audience, the lighting design encompassed the entire space within Earl’s Court 2, both on and around the huge stage and the specially-constructed auditorium.

The large-scale lighting rig included 40 VL2416s, 54 VL5 Arcs, 81 VL5Bs, 76 VL5s, 24 VL6 wash luminaires, 38 VL6Cs, six VL7s and 130 VL2C spot luminaires, with control from two Virtuoso consoles. VL also supplied a substantial conventional rig, with 16 4k Xenon Sky Art Searchlights, two 70k Lightning Strikes, four 40k Lightning Strikes, 160 Par 36s, 400 Par 64s and 44 Diversitronics Strobes. The rig also included 420 metres of truss, two 12 metre-diameter semi-circles of truss and 14 one-tonne hoist motors complete with cable, control and rigging accessories.

The After Show Party’s lighting was designed by Theo Cox who lit the four exclusive rooms - Air Lounge, Water Bar, Earth Garden and the Fire Club - using a rig that featured 56 VL5 wash luminaires, 16 VL6B spot luminaires, VL Moving Mirror Ball units and conventionals, all run from a pair of Wholehog 2s and an Avolit

CDAI has recently completed the design of the lighting, videowall systems, architectural acoustics and mechanical noise control, for the FAA's new Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control Center (TRACON) in Peachtree City, Georgia. Controllers at Atlanta's new TRACON will manage over 3,200 flights for more than 30 airports in the state of Georgia. The new facility will be fully operational on April 10, 2001.

Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, only one of the 30 airports managed by Atlanta TRACON, is the busiest airport in the world, having surpassed the traffic of Chicago’s O’Hare airport in 1999. It has 78 million passengers a year, and a daily airport average traffic count of 2,600 flights. Key to the system are 20 Barco MP50 video display systems. Its digital processors allow the FAA to show all sources in their native resolution and create the ability to quickly change the videowall configuration with the push of a button.

Media Control (Europe) Ltd (MCL) is a new company set up by Avesco Group plc to provide full AV staging services to the UK and European corporate presentations market. The company officially began its operation on April 2. Based in Chessington, Surrey, MCL is headed by Mike Bell, who has worked for rental, conference production and support companies in the corporate presentations market for over 20 years. MCL will offer a wide range of services, from dry hire packages to complex presentation solutions. The company will also offer a ‘cloaked’ service to agencies and freelance producers: to protect agency brands, equipment can be provided in unmarked boxes.

MCL will offer a complete inventory of audio, lighting, staging and AV equipment. Mike Bell told us: "We are intent on changing current conceptions about AV staging - often referred to as ‘One Stop Shops’. Working as meticulously as the single-line hirers, MCL will maintain an overall project view, ensuring that all departments come together to fulfil our clients’ expectations."

MCL will enjoy the full backing of the Avesco Group, providers of specialist services to the corporate, presentation, entertainment and broadcast markets, with offices throughout Europe and the USA. Compnaies in the Group incldue Screenco, Creative Technology, Dimension Audio and JVR. Mike Bell is joined at MCL by operations manager Ed Marron, operations coordinator Ian Rawlinson and office manager Laura Cameron.