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

Europe - Prolights has released the Astra Profile600IP, a bright, IP65-rated LED moving profile. The unit is designed for large-scale touring and exterior installations.
The Astra Profile600IP offers’ an outstanding performance’ that utilises a 600W white LED engine, reaching 21,000 lumens whilst achieving a flat field beam projection. Its optical system moves linearly from 7° to 62°.
This fixture has a CMY colour mixing system that delivers saturated colours, linear CTO correction from 2,700K to 5,600K and a colour wheel with six colour filters plus a 5,600K high CRI filter.
The Astra Profile600IP includes four-layer motorised framing shutters, an animation wheel, a rotating gobo wheel, one frost filter, a four-facet prism and an iris.

UK - Midwich and its specialist LED division, PSCo, have announced they have been appointed as LG’s authorised service and repair centre for LED products, delivered through its service department, MiSupport.
The enhanced partnership will see Midwich become the official service partner for in- and out-of-warranty repairs in the UK and Ireland, acting on behalf of LG Business Solutions.
PSCo, part of the Midwich Group, is already the official distributor and accredited technical and service delivery partner for LG LED across the UK & Ireland.
Michael Mclewee, UK & Ireland LED Sales Manager at LG, said, “We partnered with Midwich’s MiSupport because it has enabled us to widen our support coverage and will provide resellers with a clear process for LED product repairs.
“As our authorised service centre, channel partners will receive the best possible support services for complete peace of mind when purchasing LG LED.”
Jon Dew-Stanley, director of technical, services and support at Midwich added: “We are pleased to have been selected by LG to become their official UK LED service and repair centre. This enhanced partnership will give customers access to the full aftercare package from MiSupport, which includes our enhanced warranty, technical assistance, helpdesk support and LED pixel repair service. We have you covered every step of the way.”

USA - Super Bowl LVII provided an opportunity for Green-GO’s LTE Private Wireless product to show off its capabilities. First introduced for use by the NFL for coach-to-coach wireless communications, the big game provided an opportunity to deploy the system on an even larger scale.
“Wireless communications are always a vital part of any large broadcast event,” said Jim Casey, president at JAC Specialty Distribution, the US distributor for Green-GO Digital Communications, “and it’s even more difficult when there are multiple broadcasters coordinating frequencies and technologies over a large area.”
The NFL has already benefited from using the Green-GO LTE products. CP Communications, a Green-GO Dealer, was in search of a wireless intercom solution that did not depend on the already-crowded 2.4 GHz and DECT spectrum.
“We needed a secure, reliable wireless communications system to handle the scope and scale of serving multiple broadcasters over several days, without interfering with any of the NFL systems,” said Michael Mason, president, CP Communications. “Teaming up with JAC and Green-GO using a proven product was the best solution.”
CP Communications deployed 60 Green-GO LTE beltpacks for use by all of the broadcasters on site during the pre-week and game day production schedule. In addition to the wireless network system, 32 party lines all had to be integrated into the CP truck to route all of the intercom audio to the various broadcasters. JMA Wireless was engaged to set up a private CBRS network which had to cover not o

USA - The 65th Grammy Awards, which took place Sunday, 5 February at the Crypto.com Centre in downtown Los Angeles, was an even busier affair than in the past. While it may not have had as many individual song performances as past Grammy Awards events, it more than made up for it with more complex productions, most notably the 35 rappers and four DJs who turned the stage into a 15-minute-long history of rap.
Getting and keeping all the audio together fell to a cohort of veteran mixers of the show and an all-star cast of DiGiCo mix consoles, provided through ATK Audiotek/Clair Global, the event’s sound-reinforcement vendor.
Two Quantum7 consoles were located at front of house, manned by Ron Reaves and Michael Parker, who alternated mixing live performances by the evening’s artists, including Harry Styles, Bonnie Raitt, Lizzo, and Adele, all of whom were also category winners that night. A Quantum338 desk also shared the FOH platform with them, through which production mixer Jeff Peterson combined the two alternating FOH feeds with production-audio elements such as introductions, announcements, and acceptance speeches from the podium.
Two more Quantum7 in monitor world, manned by Tom Pesa and Andres Arango, reflected a similar split of the bifurcated stage, on which one performance would take place while the next was setting up behind the “close-down” screens that kept the focus on the show. All the Quantum consoles were connected on an Optocore network loop, each with a complement of SD-Racks and SD-MiNi Racks. Everywhere you looked, everywhe

Mexico - Bad Bunny’s two-hour show on the recent World’s Hottest Tour delivered all of the power-packed passion that fans have come to expect from this Puerto Rico-born superstar. The Latin American leg of his sold-out tour included stops in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic.
In each of his shows, Bad Bunny was supported by a fast-moving lightshow that featured 96 Color STRIKE M and 40 STRIKE Array 2 fixtures from Chauvet Professional, supplied by different vendors in various countries.
The lighting designer for the tour, Travis Shirley reflected the transformative mood created by the beaches of Puerto Rico. Tour director, Roly Garbalosa, and the LD/programmer Krizia Velez helped bring this imaginative panorama to life at every venue.
“The looks were inspired through music and even many of the songs have sounds of the sea where you can see the waves, the birds and even the dolphins,” said Krizia, who began her own collaboration with Bad Bunny in 2017.
Discussing the makeup of the tour rig, Krizia noted: “One of the reasons why we chose the Chauvet Color STRIKE M is that it is the only strobe effect with all the elements we are looking for, including an IP65 rating. This was one of the main reasons why we did not hesitate to add them to our rider. All our shows were outdoors. For its part, the STRIKE Array 2 gives us an emulated “amber shift” that warms the colour temperature of the light as it dims to provide a classic tungsten look

USA - Working with Solotech US, UK-based production and lighting designer Will Smith designed the lighting, video and set for the North American, Australia and Asia legs of American singer-songwriter Conan Gray’s Superache Tour.
Smith chose Claypaky Scenius Spots and Mythos 2 fixtures for the sold-out North American leg of the tour, which is in support of Gray’s second studio album of the same name. Superache was released in June 2022, debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 and spent 12 weeks on the chart.
Smith, who also worked with Gray on his previous tour, designed Superache “to befit the new album with its very romantic and rose-based aesthetic”, which includes “a big entrance and incorporating a heart in the video design,” he explains.
“I was inspired by the great romantic music videos of the ’80s and early ’90s that Conan is a fan of,” says Smith. “We used a lot of white billowy drapes with a traveller system to create a flat projection wall and entrance while also giving a different tier to the performance space. When sketching this up I incorporated a lot of big looks with hard-edged spots to contrast with the softer looks.
“The focal point is obviously the heart-shaped videowall that was custom fabricated by ELS in Nashville. The videowall together with primarily hard-edged fixtures really gave us a very stylized and unique design that fans immediately associated with the dramatic Superache album.”
In choosing fixtures Smith was looking for “a powerful, hard-edged spot with goo

UK – London welcomed 2023 with its largest ever New Year’s Eve celebration, and its first after two years of Covid cancellations. To source the wireless DMX control system which would be essential for the event, lighting supplier Neg Earth Lights turned to A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET), the UK & Ireland distributor for Swedish innovator LumenRadio.
Produced by Identity, with creative direction from Dan Colbourne and David Zolkwer, the celebrations included an enormous fireworks display, along with a drone light show and a large-scale lighting spectacle created by lighting designer Tim Routledge. With the television cameras in mind, Routledge knew he needed powerful lighting fixtures inside each of the London Eye’s 32 pods to provide the visual ‘punch’ required, and chose Elation’s new Proteus Excalibur beam moving heads for the job. He also knew that the luminaires would have to be controlled wirelessly, as this would be the only way of sending control data to each pod.
Neg Earth Lights, with help from AC-ET’s Jack Moorhouse, began looking at LumenRadio’s latest wireless DMX control products back in September, with a series of demos set up by AC-ET at Neg Earth’s London headquarters. After encouraging results, followed by successful site tests, the team was confident that the LumenRadio systems would ensure the reliability required for such a high-profile event. The order was placed for three CRMX Stardust and 34 CRMX Aurora units, along with the required antennas. For the actual event, 12dbi outdoor directional antennas we

UK - Following the successful formula first introduced at the recent ISE 2023 show in Barcelona - whereby non-attendees could share, remotely, the same product launch experience as those who made the trip to Barcelona, Martin Audio has laid out its stall for a similar online experience in advance of its biannual open days. These will take place at their High Wycombe HQ, the difference this time being that the visitor experience will take place within the company’s newly refurbished facility.
“The international launch of our new Torus 8 in Barcelona was very much an experiment in the way we presented new products to both the market and the media,” said director of marketing, James King. “Fortunately both the real-world attendance at our booth and our demo room, alongside the number of logins and catch-up replays to the two streamed events fully vindicated our decision and far exceeded expectations.
“It therefore makes perfect sense to repeat the successful formula to combine our celebrated UK Open Days with a curtain raiser online Special Launch Event, a week before.”
The online event is scheduled for 12 April, when, as previously, separate sessions are scheduled for 8am and 4pm (GMT). The Open Days then take place on 18-19 April where visitors can experience the entire suite of new products previewed a week earlier at the online event.
In addition to the Torus 8, along with its matched flown cardioid SXCF115 subwoofer, products from Focusrite Group partners, Linea Research, Focusrite Pro and Optimal Audio will be on view. The prese

UK - Born from the creators of Boomtown Fair Festival, Wake The Tiger Amazement Park is an immersive art experience in Bristol consisting of 27 different creative environments including artwork, installations, narrative, soundscape, secret passageways and more.
Once through the portal you’re transported to the world of Meridia, a world not too dissimilar to our own, where you’ll discover an abandoned factory, a time capsule of messages, theories and wild experiments.
AF Live, an award-winning technical production company, took on the project and designed a bespoke sound system suited to their specific requirements.
Paul Rose, founder and director of AF Live comments: “AF Live has managed Boomtown Fair’s technical production for over a decade. So, when we were approached by Wake The Tiger in Spring 2022, we were already onboard to help create a sound system that would bring their new interactive Amazement Park to life."
AF Live approached the team at Audiologic for support with the supply. Business Manager Paul Simpson, Audiologic, added: “Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers were the obvious choice for this project, offering system designers, integrators and installers an easy, powerful and cost-effective solution for guaranteeing high-quality audio across entire installations, delivering unrivalled flexibility, cost-effectiveness and simplicity of installation.”
Genelec 4430A and the more compact 4420A Smart IP Installation Speakers were used across the park. The 4420 and 4430 models combine both exceptional sound quality with sing

USA – Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama staged a performance of the American rock musical Next to Normal recently, with a lighting design by David DeCarolis using VL2600 Spot luminaires as part of the Vari-Lite University Outreach Programme from Signify.
DeCarolis employs a musical approach to his lighting designs, having studied music in the past. He structures his looks based on form, harmony and dynamics, even seeing a lighting console as something of an electronic drum kit. He collaborated with the team at David Geffen School of Drama and Vari-Lite to deliver the right luminaires for the production of Next to Normal, choosing the VL2600 Spots as he required a high-output fixture offering a broad range of rich colours and effects.
The Vari-Lite University Outreach Programme initiative is an ongoing project allowing talented students to use Vari-Lite luminaires in a real-world environment. The programme allows educational design programs to connect with Vari-Lite technology and staff to explore design solutions that are often only available to professionals.
“I needed a fixture that wasn’t too large, could perform pretty quietly, and enabled me to have fun with effects and a varied colour palette,” says DeCarolis. “The VL2600s fitted into that picture perfectly and could help me create the world I wanted for the production. In addition to being simple to rig with the universal clamps – the electricians said it was the quickest load in for moving lights – I really took advantage of the Iris, the CMY color mixing and

UK - For Bespoke Events London, the decision to invest in a QC-Check workstation from Data Strategy was a simple one that would quickly make warehouse processes more effective.
Integrated into the company’s warehouse management system, QC-Check tests and inspects the integrity of every electronic device, distribution unit and cable before its next use to ensure the highest standards of safety are maintained.
The company, which creates high-end luxury, and high-profile productions, is reliant on the highest calibre of well-maintained event technology to ensure every event is executed without a hitch.
Bespoke’s production director, Peter Hope, confirms, “QC-Check gives us great peace of mind when working with our accredited venues.” His assurance is founded upon the “…tenfold increase in testing and inspection in the warehouse,” since the integration of QC-Check.
Peter’s discovery of QC-Check on the Instagram feed of power distribution product manufacturer, SES Entertainment Ltd, who precision engineer each custom-designed QC-Check workstation, was timely. The company had been searching for a speedy and reliable process to test its electrical equipment, cable and distros.
Following further investigation, Peter notes, “QC-Check’s ease of use, without lots of adapters, makes things so quick and simple. It even enables us to test our distribution equipment prior to any event. As we were looking for a system that integrated with our rental system and could provide us with test results quickly and easily, it quickly became c

Cambodia - Kampong Speu Provincial Stadium is located in Chbar Mon, central Cambodia. Completed last year at a cost of $4m, the facility aims to raise the profile of Kampong Speu Province and contribute to the government’s development of the Kingdom’s sporting culture as it prepares to host the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.
Constructed in a little over six months, the Stadium covers 40,000 sqm, can host up to 3000 spectators and features a football pitch and public gymnasium. At the stadium’s inauguration, Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Chea Sophara, urged the provincial administration to use the venue for the widest possible range of events for the benefit of the local economy. Cambodian Premier League football club NagaWorld FC will play at the stadium.
Essential for any modern multi-purpose stadium is provision for a high-quality audio system that can cover the public areas with safety announcements, team and future event news, background music and media interviews. The project team at the stadium engaged Sounin Development Group of Phnom Penh in conjunction with distribution partner Fast Technologies, to supply and install a system that could provide a high degree of clarity as well as the required power to deliver complete coverage for the stadium’s potentially noisy and bustling main stand.
Engineer Sounin Chann recommended an HH Electronics solution based on the UK manufacturer’s Tensor TRE-1501 15” active loudspeakers. The versatile TRE-1501 is an ultra-light multi-angle enclosure with four suspension

UK - Crew network and entertainment industry research and insights company Entourage Pro has published a report based on members’ feelings and predictions for the year ahead.
In conjunction with technical industry measurement, and with input from the global freelance crew community, manufacturers, rental houses and key industry stakeholders from the live entertainment sector, The Industry Report 2023 has sought to provide some context around members hopes, fears and considerations on topics such as the cost-of-living crisis, mental health, diversity, prediction, industry sentiment and pay.
Over 1000 respondents took part in the survey, providing a comprehensive and detailed sample range for the purpose of the report.
“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to industry bodies, crew members, suppliers, manufacturers and the wider music industry,” says Entourage Pro director, Joel Perry. “Whilst there are some concerns for the year ahead, there is also a feeling of optimism. Areas such as education, people value, exploring new ways to build relationships and to undergo training, etc., are being brought to the forefront of attention and from this, as an industry, we are ready and able to react.”
“We’ve published results as they’ve come into us and remain impartial,” adds Entourage Pro co-director, James Stanbridge. “As we measure the industry in more detail moving forward, in terms of kit, market share, venues, and trend, we hope that this direct approach is helpf

Germany - POOLgroup has geared up for a healthy post-pandemic environment by having made a substantial investment in new Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers… including nearly 200 of Meyer Sound’s new flagship, the Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers.
The new purchase encompassed 192 Panther loudspeakers, 166 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements, 82 Leopard compact linear line array loudspeakers, and 20 Galileo Galaxy Network Platforms.
“We certainly have an impressive amount of high-quality loudspeaker technology,” says Carl Cordier, one of POOLgroup’s two managing partners. “We believe, much like a craftsman, that the quality of the materials affects the outcome, but must be coupled with expertise and quality service.”
POOLgroup, under its original name of Westfalen Sound, has been using Meyer Sound systems since 2005. “We have a very high level of trust in Meyer Sound,” Cordier continues. “Meyer Sound’s expertise extends from basic research to the fine details of manufacturing. But in the end, it’s a commercial consideration. We have always produced a solid return on our investments in their products.”
As for the rationale behind the major investment in Panther, Cordier cites the exceptional power-to-weight ratio, the compact size, and the inherent advantages of self-powered systems in audio performance. “These are not just sonic advantages but also clear advantages in event logistics,” he says.
POOLgroup is a wide-ranging event production company with a diverse client base in the e

Denmark - The lighting department of Danish rental and technical production specialist, European Touring Productions (ETP), based just outside Copenhagen, has started investing in Astera wireless LED lighting products.
The first purchase of 32 x Titan Tubes – four sets of eight – was recommend by project manager John Askwith, who came on board last summer and swiftly made a list of ‘must have’ products to service ETP clients, shows and events, especially in the corporate and television sectors. Titans were part of this list.
Previously, ETP had rented assorted Astera fixtures as and when needed. However, the increasingly frequent requests together with John joining the company energised the decision to start amassing their own stock of Astera fixtures.
“It was the way to go,” commented Emil Finsen who runs the lighting department with Sune Verdier. General manger Mikael Windfeldt also endorsed the purchase which was delivered by Astera’s Danish distributor, Light Partner,
Emil joined ETP as a student in 2010, and Sune, also a well-known lighting designer in his own right, joined the lighting team full time in 2019, and both are big fans of the brand.
Sune designs most of ETP’s in-house lighting projects plus his own independent design projects and will frequently specify Astera for this work. Recent projects include Astera Titan Tubes and AX3 LightDrops which he deployed as practical and imaginative tools as part of a striking lighting scheme for Danish musical, Elsk Mig i Nat (Love Me Tonight).
Emil a

South Korea - To provide the Go Out Camping Music Festival with immersive and impactful sound tailored for the outdoors, TechData PS Co collaborated with rental company Raffoler and Harman Professional Solutions to implement a range of JBL Professional audio solutions.
With an attendance of 10,000 people over three days, the first post-pandemic edition of the Go Out Camping Music Festival took place at the Seokgangi Auto Camping Site located in South Chungcheong Province’s Taean County. Featuring a2n eclectic roster of artists from genres as diverse as R&B and indie - including Car, the Garden, Daybreak and more - the festival also hosted a wide range of outdoor activities including yoga, rock climbing and campfires.
Given the stage’s limited truss height and seaside location, the festival required a live setup that was lightweight and easily transportable across sandy terrain, but also provided the output and coverage sufficient for a live show. To meet these requirements, Raffoler and TechData PS worked with Harman Professional Solutions to deploy JBL Professional VTX Series V25 and S28, PRX ONE and EON ONE MK2 loudspeakers.
Equipped with Differential Drive technology, D2 compression drivers and a newly designed waveguide, the JBL VTX V25 line array provided the festival’s production team with reliable output and coverage in a lightweight and compact enclosure. The installation team paired the V25 speakers with JBL VTX S28 dual 18-inch subs for reinforced, distortion-free low end down to 29 Hz. Along with sharing the same technology and