UK - In response to significantly different market conditions in the UK following Brexit, ADJ has announced the moving of distribution of the brand’s products to a new UK-based company. Audio Visual Security Limited – AVS – will be led by two familiar faces to ADJ customers in the region and provide vastly improved delivery times – next day in most cases – as well as local service, support, and repairs.
Kris Dawber and Andy Howarth are the directors of AVS. Kris has been a part of the ADJ family for 15 years, was instrumental in first bringing the brand to the UK and has previously served as UK & Ireland sales manager as well as European sales manager for ADJ Europe. He has an extensive knowledge of the UK and Irish markets as well as a vast network of industry contacts. Andy has worked with Kris within ADJ’s UK-based business for over 10 years and has an in-depth technical understanding of the company’s extensive product range.
“Recently, due to situations beyond our control, we haven’t been able to offer our usual high level of ADJ service to customers here in the UK,” explains Kris Dawber. “Through AVS we’ll be able to change that immediately. By holding stock here in the UK, we can dispatch orders to customers for the next working day. Andy and I have worked together for a long time and are excited to move into this new chapter together, serving our existing customer base and growing ADJ’s market share across all facets of the industry, including production, rental, integration, and retail.”
“Kris and I both be

Ghana - Van Damme cables has announced that it has partnered with a new distributor in Ghana to supply its portfolio of products to a strong and varied customer base in West Africa.
Audiovisual Systems is a well-established professional sales and integration company that designs, supplies, installs and maintains professional audio visual equipment. Its approach is simple and innovative, with the business providing a variety of training programmes and maintenance to support every installation.
The new distribution relationship marks a significant step forward for Van Damme as it starts to ‘reach out to new geographies’.
Adam Jafrabadi, export director at VDC comments, “We are really excited about this new collaboration. Van Damme is recognised globally for its innovation and reliability and has a broad range of products to meet customers’ every need and Audiovisual Systems’ expertise perfectly complements the emerging growth sectors for Van Damme. I believe this relationship is an important step in continuing our business growth with a long-term strategic partnership.”
Caleb N. A. Ashong-Katai, manager, Audiovisual Systems – Ghana, adds, "Our goal has always been to provide the best possible service to our customers and Van Damme has offered us the opportunity to take on a wide-ranging portfolio of products suited to our customer base, which are not only market leading, but also fits into our long-term vision. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for both parties as a result of this association.”

USA - Powersoft has announced the appointment of Thomas Howie as a business development manager in the US, to further support the company’s exponential growth in the region. Howie, a pro-AV industry veteran, will be responsible for new and existing clients, as well as global key accounts.
Howie brings a combined 40 years of experience in the AV industry to his new role. In his most recent position as vice president of sales and marketing at Glidecam Industries, he successfully led the department that developed, coordinated and conducted live and remote training programmes. Prior to Glidecam, Howie spent 15 years at CBS Broadcasting.
“I believe that my diverse experience in AV, broadcast, manufacturing and technical fields will be highly advantageous for our customers,” states Howie. “I am thrilled to join Powersoft’s innovative team and I am particularly excited about the growth prospects that lie ahead in the US marketplace. Powersoft is positioned for tremendous growth and I am eager to play a role in this.”
“Thomas’s direct experience in key verticals makes him an excellent addition to our senior team at Powersoft US. Bringing depth of experience, he will help us deliver the highest level of service that our customers have come to expect. I look forward to working closely with Thomas,” says Tom Knesel.

UK - Shure has introduced its new and improved GLX-D+ Dual Band Wireless system, providing a ‘solution for guitarists, bassists, vocalists, and presenters who want to go wireless with confidence and without complexity’.
A major enhancement from the previous generation that more than doubles available bandwidth, the system’s new Dual Band Wireless Technology can operate in 2.4GHz and now 5.8GHz, providing reliable and consistent signal by automatically scanning for and selecting the cleanest available frequencies. GLX-D+ Dual Band intelligently avoids interference and ensures dropouts won’t stop the show, enabling users to focus on performing while benefitting from superior, transparent wireless audio.
GLX-D+ is available in rack-mount, tabletop, and guitar pedal receiver options with a wide selection of lavalier, headset, and handheld microphone choices – including the legendary SM58.
Featuring improved battery life over the previous generation, GLX-D+ now offers up to 12 hours of runtime. The system’s useful quick charge capability provides 1.5 hours of use from a 15-minute charge for times when getting and staying on stage swiftly is a priority.
GLX-D+ features multiple smart rechargeability options. The new lithium-Ion SB904 battery can be charged directly on the tabletop and half-rack receivers or through a USB-C connector on the transmitter.
“Equipped with our legendary Shure audio technology, GLX-D+ users are guaranteed to experience exceptional digital wireless audio that captures their tone and includes everything

USA - Rebecca and Megan Lovell, the Georgia-born sisters, better known as the roots rock duo Larkin Poe have been touring in support of their sixth studio album, Blood Harmony. Tony Caporale of Infinitus Vox has been reflecting its richly textured music in light.
Caporale, joined by lighting director Alex Molinaro, has captured the deep emotional currents of Larkin Poe’s performance with a multi-faceted design that draws on the colour-mixing prowess the Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M and COLORado PXL Bar 16, which, like the rest of the lighting rig, were supplied by 4Wall Entertainment.
Positioning six of the motorised strobes in a horseshoe configuration on the floor around the performers and arranging an equal number of the battens along the upstage deck, Caporale and his team created transformative colour scapes to reflect a wide range of emotions.
“We are definitely painting a more scenic look on this tour that can translate as day, or night, with saturated colours to establish a vibe,” said Caporale, who has lit Larkin Poe before. “Since my main intention was to create these night and day looks, I tried to stay in blue and orange family of palettes as much as possible. However, there are also times when we opt to do a complete 180 and take off to go with some psychedelic looks. A beautiful thing about Larkin Poe is that they are true to their core style, but at the same time are also able to take it in different directions.”
While Caporale designed the production and programmed the lighting, Molinaro is running the

USA - The famed Levoy Theatre in Millville, NJ has undergone a full audio renovation, under the consultation of KMK Technologies, utilising 1 Sound speaker technology and designs.
Two Contour CT28 Point Sources were installed on each side of the proscenium, with an additional two dedicated for balcony seating, replacing the pre-existing line array system. The Contour CT28 is a compact, 3-way, horn-loaded loudspeaker, that has a medium-long throw and is capable of delivering a max SPL of 145 dB. CT28 Wall Brackets were used for mounting to the proscenium, allowing for horizontal and vertical aiming of the speaker without having to remove it, in order to focus the loudspeakers easily for optimal coverage.
Six Panorama MS34’s were utilised as front-fills on the lip of the stage, linked to each other to run off of one cable. These are used with an M+S Controller, running all the MS34’s in Mono + Stereo mode, this way, all the seats in their field hear stereo no matter what side of the audience they are in. These were selected to be flexible for when the stage thrust is removed and the layout changes from an orchestra pit to a rock band format. Three additional Panorama MS34’s were mounted under the balcony as fills.
For comprehensive low-end coverage, two SUB2112’s were deployed on either side of the stage.
Sean Pedrick, technical director for the Levoy, comments, “Since the early 1900s, the Levoy Theatre, positioned in downtown Millville, NJ, has been an intersection of culture, education, and entertainment in the South Jersey area. Thr

Luxembourg - Founded in 2013 by two friends eager to shake up the dining and night life experience in Luxembourg, Concept+Partners is a young and dynamic company always on the lookout for new and innovative ideas and dedicated to ensuring an exceptionally high quality of customer service.
Among an impressive portfolio of Concept+Partners properties, Hitch is a restaurant, bar and nightclub in Luxembourg city that describes itself to be ‘where food meets party’. So, when looking for a sound system that could deliver on that promise, the owners turned to local AV technology specialists Lemon Event Support.
“The brief was simple but uncompromising,” reports Lemon Event Support MD Paul Thyes. “The system had to deliver a clear but unobtrusive soundtrack for diners, then shift through the gears for punchy, full bandwidth, floor-filling sound when the DJs arrive and the restaurant morphs into a club – and all without imposing upon the high-end interior design. Our philosophy is to work only with products we trust and know can perform at the highest level. So, for Hitch, we immediately thought of a Nexo P+ Series point source system.”
Lemon Event Support chief engineer Christophe Becker takes up the story. “The space comprises of two main areas separated by a wall. Using NS-1 software, we designed a ceiling mounted system that’s mirrored on both sides using a pair of P15s and two P12s with one on a delay for each. P10s cover the corners and the bar, which is located behind the system, with an additional P10 in the DJ booth as a monitor. L

Germany – Dry-hire company NicLen has invested in VL3600 Profile IP fixtures from Vari-Lite. The popular German firm has purchased a large quantity of the high-output, IP-rated fixtures, citing superior optics and build quality as the reason for the purchase.
“We have a long history with Vari-Lite and strong fondness for the brand,” explains Jörg Stöppler Co-CEO/CCO at NicLen. “We have VL2600 Profiles and VL5LED Washes in dry hire at the moment, so we know that Vari-Lite makes quality fixtures. It was unsurprising, then to find the VL3600 had a premium feel and build quality with a solid construction and no plastic. Overall, it’s exactly the sort of well-made product you expect from Vari-Lite in an IP rated fixture.”
“The NicLen service quality is excellent, and it’s something known in the market,” says Franck Tiesing, Vari-Lite key account manager, DACH at Signify. “The fixtures are always clean, and everything is in top condition. So, NicLen understandably has very high expectations for the fixtures they buy, and that’s why they went with the VL3600 Profile IP.”
After first being introduced to a prototype of the VL3600 Profile IP at Prolight + Sound 2022, NicLen worked closely with Vari-Lite, providing feedback during development. “Vari-Lite has been helpful throughout the entire process,” adds Stöppler. “From the initial conversations to after-sales support, they’ve been very responsive to anything we needed.”
NicLen reports an uptick in interest in the VL3600 in recent weeks as word of their VL3600 purc

Norway - To provide students of the Norwegian Academy of Music with a quality education and music-listening experience, LydRommet recently upgraded the existing JBL sound reinforcement system in the school’s Linderman Hall with JBL VTX A8 line array speakers.
Located in Oslo, the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH) is the largest university-level music conservatory in Norway. Many of Norway’s top musicians received their education from NMH’s diverse curriculum of genres, ranging from church and classical music to jazz and folk music. Officially founded in 1973, NMH has academic origins dating back to 1883, when Ludvig Mathias Lindeman and his son Peter Brynie Lindeman founded a historic school for organists.
Named in honour of Lindeman’s legacy, Lindeman Hall is the Academy’s main concert hall, with a seating capacity for 365 audience members. With a superior acoustic design and a stage big enough for a full symphony orchestra, Lindeman Hall is an ideal performance venue for large acoustic ensembles, amplified jazz bands, chamber orchestras and solo performers alike.
NMH turned to Norway-based Harman distributor LydRommet to upgrade Lindeman Hall’s existing sound system. To deliver wide and balanced coverage for a diverse range of concerts and genres, LydRommet installed a modern JBL VTX live sound reinforcement solution consisting of VTX A8 line array speakers.
“NMH is the top music university in Norway, and they strive to offer the best in terms of education and equipment alike,” said Jan-Stefan Hansen, director of pro audio

UK - On Saturday 25 February, the hello stranger UK Festival of Performance Design, curated by Dr Kathrine Sandys and Lucy Thornett, launched with its inaugural event at the Edinburgh College of Art.
The festival, which runs through to April, brings together a mix of artists and designers from 13 different regions and countries across the UK, in order to showcase the best in contemporary performance design. The entire programme is free to all and includes exhibitions, performances, talks and workshops, providing an exciting opportunity for members of the public from across the UK to engage with design, through locally curated and created installations and exhibitions on their own doorsteps.
The hello stranger series of events are led by a team of locally based designer-curators who have been tasked with activating public spaces within local theatres and other public-facing cultural venues. The events take stock of the last four years of performance design in the UK and pose important questions about where we are headed, with each looking at these wider cultural questions through a unique, regional lens.
In considering the future of practice, a key element of hello stranger focuses on sustainability, and sustainable practice is centred throughout the Festival with purpose-built event and exhibition spaces created from locally sourced re-claimed and re-purposed materials.
The UK Festival of Performance Design forms part of the hello stranger: national exhibition of performance design 2019 – 2023, which has been curated by Dr Kathrine Sandys

USA - The DALI Alliance has reached two new milestones that demonstrate broad global support for the organisation and its certification programmes. The number of certified DALI-2 products now exceeds 3,000 devices, and at the same time DALI Alliance’s membership has grown to 350 members.
The 3,000th DALI-2 product is the EUM-150S150ET LED driver from Inventronics. This product includes luminaire, energy and diagnostics data (Parts 251-3), which means that it can store luminaire information (typically encoded by the luminaire manufacturer) in one of the driver's DALI memory banks, and can report operational diagnostic and energy usage data.
DALI-2 certification requires the product to successfully pass a rigorous and comprehensive set of tests based on the international standard IEC 62386. The DALI Alliance independently verifies the test results, and then lists each certified product in its online product database, providing public traceability. The database contains all certified DALI-2 and D4i components.
The 350th member is Leap Info Systems Pvt, a lighting controls and automation technology company based in Pune, India, which has joined as an associate member (view the full member list). Associate membership enables companies to participate in the DALI-2 certification program, and to use the DALI trademarks. To date, membership of the alliance consists of 35 Regular members, 267 Associate members and 51 Community members.
“We are grateful to all our members who support our certification programs, and we’re excited to continue driving

Italy - Grammy-nominated and Eurovision-winning Italian rock band Måneskin continues its ascent with a world tour and dozens of festivals in every corner of the globe.
Måneskin puts its trust in sound engineer Enrico La Falce, whose experience spans the panorama of Italian pop and rock music. Building off his first role as a studio assistant in London and his career as a mixing engineer and producer in Italy, La Falce knew he wanted a natural and uncoloured microphone to support the band’s glam-rock sound on tour. For this, he selected DPA Microphones’ d:facto 4018V Vocal Microphone.
“When we were planning the rehearsals with Måneskin for their first ‘big’ concerts, I met with the band’s monitor engineer, Remo Scafati, to exchange ideas regarding gear,” says La Falce. “He suggested that I test the DPA d:facto 4018V for vocals. I have other colleagues enthusiastically using it as well, so I decided to give it a try.
“From the moment I connected the d:facto to my Sennheiser Digital SKM 6000 transmitter, I fell in love with the microphone; primarily for the sound quality, but also for being a truly valuable tool. Since then, Lead Singer Damiano David’s voice has always been entrusted to DPA Microphones’ d:facto.”
Måneskin chooses not to use AutoTune or any other pre-production effects, instead opting for a raw sound reminiscent of Blink-182 or Green Day, making the neutral tone of the d:facto 4018V an ideal addition to the group’s gear line-up.
“The d:facto has a nice sound that is warm and thick, and it has

UK - Elation Professional and Obsidian Control Systems are partnering with Backstage Academy. Both Elation and Obsidian are providing the latest in cutting-edge products to Backstage Academy for use in educational courses and training purposes.
Backstage Academy is located in the heart of Production Park, a live events and entertainment technology campus near Leeds that combines industry, education and innovation. It features production studios, businesses and educational facilities, where creatives, technicians, designers, and engineers collaborate to advance the live events industry.
Backstage Academy offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, short courses and bespoke training programs that involve getting hands on with cutting-edge equipment and technology used by the entertainment industry. 4Wall Entertainment, TAIT and ROE Visual are onsite and entrenched in the fabric of Production Park as well as other industry leading companies.
Backstage Academy students will have access to Elation lighting and Obsidian lighting control products for their studies for both on-campus and off-campus projects. The gear will also be utilised in training courses with industry professionals. The package includes Proteus and KL series luminaires from Elation, Magmatic atmospheric effects, as well as NX control solutions and Netron data distribution devices from Obsidian.
Rachel Nicholson, head of institution at Backstage Academy, said, “We pride ourselves on being a place where we equip the next generation of live industry professionals with all the

UK - Unusual Rigging will join in the 2023 Olivier Awards with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall this year as an official sponsor of an award.
The event, which takes place on the 2 April and acknowledges the best of British theatre, will see Unusual sponsoring the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre category. This award, introduced in 2004, recognises work produced at affiliate members of the Society of London Theatre, recognising excellence beyond the West End theatres eligible in the main theatre categories.
This is the first time that Unusual Rigging has been involved with the Olivier Awards in a sponsorship capacity. However, the event rigging has been supplied by the Unusual team in previous years.
Speaking ahead of the event, Tom Harper MD commented: “In an era of increased pressure on the UK theatre industry, Unusual recognises the importance of celebrating the continued strive for creative and technical excellence fostered within our industry; and we are proud to support the Olivier Awards with Mastercard as the ultimate platform than honours such excellence.”

USA - Renkus-Heinz has announced a newfound partnership with Mountain AV Marketing in the Rocky Mountain region.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Mountain AV Marketing is a manufacturers’ representative in the commercial AV and pro sound & lighting market channels. Owner and founder Chris Henley has over 30 years of experience as an end user, AV integrator and independent representative.
“I'm honoured to represent a leader like Renkus-Heinz throughout the region, and look forward to bringing dynamic, cutting-edge audio solutions to our dealers and consultants,” Henley said. “Always at the forefront of research and development, Renkus-Heinz brings the type of forward-thinking technology and solutions our customers are looking for along with the right team and end-user support to truly have an impact in this region.”
“We’re proud to partner with Mountain AV Marketing. Chris is extremely well-established, experienced and respected in this industry,” said Garrison Parkin, western regional sales manager for Renkus-Heinz. “We are excited to be joining forces to bring the best sound solutions imaginable to this important region of the US.”

Germany – Event production company, gruppe20, has invested in a Unitour power supply system from Australian manufacturer LSC Control Systems, in order to provide maximum control over its power management capabilities.
The Augsburg-based company, which purchased the systems through LSC’s exclusive distributor for Germany, LMP Lichttechnik, will be using them to power audio, video and lighting systems across the German market, in all types of production, including events, touring, film and television.
LSC’s Unitour is their premium portable power solution for the broad range of equipment - LED walls, audio, moving lights and AV hardware - used in entertainment production. The 24 or 48-channel modular system can be fitted with power switching modules for audio and video, or with dual-mode TruPower dim/switch modules for lighting. As well as the module flexibility, each channel can also be separately configured as a power supply, switch pack or dimmer. Not only can a broad range of equipment be powered, but both LED fixtures and conventional lighting can be dimmed from the same system.
gruppe20 first encountered the Unitour system on the stand of LMP Lichttechnik at the Prolight + Sound exhibition in Frankfurt last year. After a shootout, the company made the decision to invest in a 48-channel Unitour system with individual RCBOs per channel, a hot patch field and the flexible option to switch between power supply and dimmer.
Klaus Mayer, managing director of gruppe20, says, “The system will help us to be even more secure in dealing with o

Mexico - The beauty, magic and history of Mexican Caribbean indigenous cultures blended with dance beats as the rhythm and free spirit of rave sent a rush of positive energy and human experience coursing through the 2023 Zamna Festival in Tulum.
The eye-catching jungle venue surrounded by nature reserves and sacred cenotes, provided an appropriate setting for this event, and into this dreamscape reality stepped lighting designer Eran Klein, working with artist Black Coffee on the Island Stage.
Eran was asked to light Black Coffee’s performance by Oren Heknin – a long term client and underground club promoter / presenter. Eran insisted on having Robe Spiiders, MegaPointes LEDBeam 150 and Tetra2 moving lights on his rig, which involved swapping out the originally proposed moving lights for his Robe luminaires.
“I could not contemplate producing such a special show without the right tools,” he commented.
The Island Stage – one of several performance spaces across the site – is surrounded by water and an integral part of this large outdoor club environment which energises each year through January, attracting major DJs and music producers from around the world.
Behind the DJ booth and stage was a permanent ground support structure which could be utilised for lighting positions, but Eran and the Black Coffee team built their own 8m high ‘heart’ centrepiece in front of this.
This comprised custom goalposts creating four arches in a slightly abstract heart shape – open to interpretation in numerous imaginative, interest

UK - The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen took place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September, with the funeral service paying tribute to The Queen’s long and dignified reign. It was broadcast live around the world, with crowds of mourners paying their respects along the procession route from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey, and then to Wellington Arch via The Mall.
Arcadis LLP was contracted to manage the event and they turned to DeltaLive, a long-time supplier to both Royal events and Electronic Audio Systems, providers of the audio project management. Together, they provided the public audio requirements along the route in both London and Windsor, as well as site-wide comms.
Although familiar with Royal events, this was, says DeltaLive director Mark Bonner, the company’s most important project to date. With complicated logistics to deal with and substantial technical requirements - over 700 loudspeakers, nine kilometres of cable and 60 technicians were deployed along the route - DeltaLive’s skill and experience was brought to the fore.
Preparation started overnight on Friday 9 September in The Mall and continued along the route and throughout the weekend. “I had three seasoned project managers brought to the project,” says Bonner. “One was in charge of London, one Windsor, and one covered both areas, to ensure we had good, consistent communication between the sites.”
For Horse Guards Parade, 18 Kara per side were hung from a crane to provide coverage across the parade ground. A further two hangs of 12

UK – Lighting designer Ollie Wilkinson lit The Wizard of Oz at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre with a video wall backdrop.
“This was definitely a first for me,” he said of the experience. “I have lit many theatrical shows that feature projection, but never a wall of LED tiles. This presented a challenge in terms of how bright and vibrant the video wall was, but it turned out very well.”
Helping Wilkinson meet this challenge were the 18 Chauvet Professional Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures in his kit. Supplied by Arranpaul, the 440-watt moving fixtures were flown on upstage and mid-stage electrics. From these positions, the high output (up to 20,200 lux at 5m) luminaires provided the light Wilkinson needed to balance the LED video wall.
“I needed a workhorse fixture that would be up to the challenge of competing with 56 Panels of screen,” said Wilkinson. “I needn’t have looked any further than the MK2 Spot for that. Our video director Ashley Swain and I worked closely together to achieve and excellent balance between light and video. I should add that my director Nigel Machin was also a pleasure to work with, as were the people from AVR Dance and the theatre’s technical manager Dave Renwick and Arranpaul, which provided excellent technical support.”
Wilkinson also worked with the camera film team to ensure the show was white balanced and that it worked well on camera. He was careful to inform the camera team of what colour and temperatures they would be facing.
Working together, the design team achieved an equilibrium b

Canada - To provide the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime Show with a hybrid lighting and creative video display that translated both on television and in person, Electric Aura Projects collaborated with Christie Lites and Solotech to deploy a rig featuring a wide range of Martin lighting solutions.
Established in 1909 and named for former General Governor of Canada Albert Grey, the Grey Cup is the championship game that concludes each Canadian Football League season. With regular viewing audiences of four million, the Grey Cup is Canada’s largest annual televised sports event. The 109th Grey Cup final took place on 20 November, 2022 at Mosaic Stadium in the Saskatchewan city of Regina. The highly anticipated Twisted Tea Halftime Show featured performances by Tyler Hubbard, Jordan Davis and Josh Ross.
To ensure a successful halftime production, Patrick Roberge Productions (PRP) once again turned to Electric Aura Projects to supply a lighting design that simultaneously entertained the live audience in the stadium and millions of viewers at home. Electric Aura Projects’ Robert Sondergaard and Jason McKinnon designed a stage show using a plethora of Martin lighting fixtures supplied by Christie Lites and Solotech, including the MAC Aura PXL.
“The Grey Cup is one of the most watched TV programmes in Canada every year,” said Robert Sondergaard, production designer / co-owner, Electric Aura Projects. “We needed to put on a show for the television audience, but it also had to look good for the 40,000 fans in the stadium. On this show we had Martin f

USA - Melching Field at Conrad Park is home to the Stetson University Hatters, a Division I baseball team. It is also used by DeLand High School and numerous recreation teams. The facility is owned by the City of Deland and managed in partnership by the city and Stetson University Athletics.
Melching Field at Conrad Park opened in 1999. Twenty-three years later, the facility was well overdue for renovations. As part of an $8m renovation project the City of Deland Parks and Recreation enlisted the help of Entertainment Arts Inc [EAI], an Orlando-based AV integration and production company, to design a new AV system from the ground up.
Byron Conerly, Owner of EAI, spearheaded the project: “In recent years, several MLB players have come out of Stetson University, so the stadium has been getting a lot of attention. It was time to put the attention on the audience.”
The goal of EAI was to transform Melching Field at Conrad Park into a modern facility. EAI chose Fulcrum Acoustic because of their weather-resistant product offering, domestic availability, and legacy of installs at high-profile sports venues. Says Conerly, “We wanted to offer them something where they could say we have the same system as a notable NFL practice field or MLB stadium. I showed them other sports stadium projects that Fulcrum had done and said, ‘That’s the calibre of what we bought.’”
For the loudspeakers, EAI focused on high-quality coverage with an emphasis on the audio and control on the field. CX826-WR compact coaxial loudspeakers were used on the smaller

The Netherlands - From conservatory to Academy of Circus and Performance Art, Fontys University of the Arts offers a wide range of courses in the performing arts.
The university has recently launched a bid to refurbish their lighting, and Dutch system integrator Lichtpunt offered their services to install the new equipment.
In addition to supplying and installing new LED theatre lighting, the grid suspensions also had to be renewed in eight rooms. A large array of nearly 550 new LED theatre lights and controls was delivered and installed, including 24x Prolights LumiPar 12UQ Pro, 45x EclProfile FW TU, 38x EclFresnelJr TW, 14x LumiPix 12UQ Pro, 34x DisplayCobTU and 70x DisplayCob TRWDFC.
“We love Prolights' diverse product portfolio,” said Leon van Warmerdam from Lichtpunt. “Their range of LED profiles and LED fresnels are a great replacement to these types of venues wanting to modernise their equipment while being eco-friendly. Not only that, but the transition from older luminaires to new fixtures is incredibly easy for everyone, as they make their equipment super intuitive.”
The equipment was supplied by Full AVL, Prolights' exclusive distributor in The Netherlands.

Europe - Ayrton has announced the appointment of BT.innotec as its new, exclusive distributor for Germany with effect from 1 March 2023.
A new company, yet with 44 years of professional industry experience, BT.innotec was established in 2021 by Michael Timmer and Raphael Berndzen to focus on the distribution of carefully selected professional lighting, trussing and control technology for the entertainment lighting market.
The company will be responsible for the distribution and support of the entire range of Ayrton products.
“Ayrton is a well-recognised A-brand in our industry and we are honoured to be chosen as a partner in the worldwide Ayrton sales network,” says BT.innotec managing director, Michael Timmer. “It is a great opportunity and challenge at the same time, and we are convinced that, due to Ayrton’s technological leadership and stable product offering, there are exciting times ahead.
“Ayrton products are state-of-the-art in their development and engineering. The combination of light output and quality of light, along with the features each product offers, is top level. Especially important is the comprehensive IP65/66 offering which will become more and more relevant for our industry because they cut down service and maintenance time and costs in these times when we are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.”
“Passion, knowledge and focus – combined with trustworthiness and continuity - these are the key ingredients that make an ideal distributor for Ayrton,” comments Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s global

USA - On Sunday, 12 February, nine-time Grammy Award-winner Rihanna took centre-stage during halftime at Super Bowl LVII, which pitted the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles. Or, more precisely, she took off, riding a gravity-defying platform flown from the rigging of Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium, in a production that was as stunning as her eye-popping red outfit.
It was a performance that rivalled the game itself: 13 minutes featuring the best of her big hits, including Umbrella, Work, Diamonds and Run This Town, and a cast of an estimated 100 dancers, many of whom were also suspended in the air. Sound reinforcement was provided by an L-Acoustics K2 system deployed by ATK Audiotek, a Clair Global brand.
The deployment of the halftime sound system was very different this year. In the past, the temporary music system was loaded on wheeled carts that could be quickly moved into position as part of the overall halftime production staging, which takes place in a matter of minutes with scores of local volunteers pushing all of the staging elements together just after the referee’s halftime whistle sounds. However, the location of this year’s Super Bowl at State Farm Stadium meant it would be played on the venue’s unique but carefully groomed retractable grass field.
“The NFL mandated that nothing be on the field this year, so that meant no carts,” says Powell. Instead, the entire temporary sound system was flown. That, he adds, turned out to be a positive one. “Going in the air gave us m