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27 February 2025

UK - When the highly anticipated stage version of the blockbuster film The Devil Wears Prada debuted in Chicago in the summer of 2022, it was to mixed reviews.

By the time it arrived in London’s West End at the end of 2024 it was with an entirely fresh production, including a new creative team and an original score from Elton John.

Paule Constable, who lit the show in Chicago, had praised GLP’s then newly launched Impression X5 washlight. And when LD Bruno Poet took over the reins in the UK, he went even further – specifying around 120 GLP fixtures across the entire Impression X5 Series, punctuated by JDC1 hybrid strobes.

Poet has been a devotee of GLP’s LED solutions for a number of years, making expansive use of their X4 Series, notably the award-winning Bars (on the highly acclaimed Sigur Rós tour and Tina: The Musical).

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27 February 2025

Uganda - Situated in the bustling heart of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Noni Vie Lounge & Restaurant has raised the bar as a premier destination venue – in terms of both its cuisine and its music.

The latter was something that the proprietors definitely weren’t going to skimp on. It was while on a visit to London that they visited the Tiger Tiger nightclub and marvelled at the quality of the sound. Investigating further they realised it was a Martin Audio rig, and after contacting the manufacturer, they were directed to Tech Ease Systems, who distribute the brand throughout Central and East African countries.

The systems consultant, Vincent Kasule recalls the original website inquiry. “When I met the proprietors, I could see they were trying to create a modern club and restaurant that would be unique in Kampala, with an excellent audio expe

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27 February 2025

UK - Production Futures has announced that its next On Tour event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Monday 28 April. The venue is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and will host a Production Futures event for the second time, following the success of last year’s arena debut.

Set to attract a wide range of young people from across North-West England and beyond, this free-of-charge event will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, networking, and will present paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.

Manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors will have representatives present at the event to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities. Production Futures also wo

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27 February 2025

Switzerland - For 22 years from 1994 to 2016 the Kuppel (Dome) in Basel was a legendary concert venue and club which successfully hosted national and international acts. It was a wooden structure that had originally been built for a gardening show and was temporarily relocated onto public land in the city. Never intended as a permanent fixture, the city’s government eventually had the Kuppel demolished, but so popular was the venue that a trust committee had been established, and eight years after its removal, the new Kuppel was inaugurated.

Architects Vécsey*Schmidt designed the new venue and worked closely with the Basel office of global AV consultant, Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), who was appointed as the project’s acoustic engineering specialist. A high priority was placed on the total acoustic insulation of the venue owing to its location in

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27 February 2025

Ireland - CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration and content digitisation specialist, has built a new green screen studio for TG4, the major Irish-language broadcaster based in Galway. The new facility, which has taken over an existing studio, will be used initially for weather and continuity, but the broadcaster is eyeing future possibilities around sport’s continuity and virtual production for children’s TV.

TG4 had been using a very small space for its weather forecasts, which was inflexible, impractical and quite uncomfortable for its presenters. Reorganisation of its facilities meant another studio became available and TG4 looked to the industry to convert it for chromakey.

In an open tender process, CJP suggested the maximum flexibility could be achieved with an L-shaped screen, 5m long on each side and to a height of 3m. The

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27 February 2025

UK - Brick and Mortar, a high-tech boutique grading studio in Glasgow, was set up with the intention of providing filmmakers with a facility to rival the best in London’s Soho – traditionally the home of UK post-production expertise – both in terms of technology and talent.

To establish Scotland’s first DCI-compliant grading studio, Brick and Mortar picked a Christie CP4420-Xe Xenon projector with 2.0KW LB Xenon and Premium High Contrast Zoom lens.

Bringing the post-production prowess of Soho to Scotland was the brain-child of colourist, Tom Cairns and creative director, Jack Lang, who recognised that many filmmakers are not located near London and wanted to provide a high-tech alternative.

They teamed up with Savalas Post who not only had an established audio team and a high-end Dolby Premier mix theatre, but a location in Film City

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27 February 2025

UAE - Optocore has awarded Thomsun Trading, its long-term partner in the Middle East, with its Best Distributor Award, in respect of outstanding performance over the past 12 months. The presentation was made during ISE 2025.

Although Thomsun has been Optocore’s distributor right across the GCC region for over 15 years, “the relationship between Optocore and Thomsun continues to grow,” according to Optocore sales manager, RadhaMohan Rajani.

“As the Middle East region sees continued growth, so Thomsun, who have offices around the region, are perfectly placed to continue representing us well, providing quality support locally. Their experience with our solutions makes them a perfect partner.

“Jose Dos Santos (senior marketing manager), our contact there, is a fantastic mediator between us and local clients who require our solutions or

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27 February 2025

Canada - K-array has become a go-to brand for AV integrators working in the restaurant scene across Canada’s Québec region.

"Restaurants in Montreal and the Québec region overall place significant emphasis on creating the right atmosphere, and high-quality audio is a key component of that," explains Daniel Huard of DDH Audio. "Music plays a central role in shaping the customer experience, making the integration of good-quality sound systems essential."

The restaurant industry in the Québec region has seen a move towards the popularity of all-in-one nightlife in recent years, with many new restaurants including sit-down dining, bar areas and live entertainment within one space. The concept is that customers can spend an entire evening in one place, avoiding the need to travel between bars, restaurants and clubs.

These establishments range

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27 February 2025

Germany - Located in the heart of Berlin, MAAP's experiential retail space merges cutting-edge design with cycling culture. As a premium performance cycling apparel brand, MAAP is known for ‘seamlessly merging aesthetics with performance while crafting physical spaces that embody its brand ethos’. When the Berlin MAAP LaB opened, sound was recognised as a pivotal element in shaping the customer experience, and Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers have been integral to the project's success.

The Berlin MAAP LaB focuses on fostering a sense of community. “Our LaB is a cultural touchpoint for the cycling community, a space that connects with Berlin’s dynamic spirit,” says Matt Ward, manager of MAAP LaB in Amsterdam, but who played an active role in the Berlin project. Ward has a long history as a music professional and led the effort to transform sound into

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27 February 2025

UK - The latest creation from the team behind MEATliquor, BLOODsports combines the most enjoyable elements of sports bar and ‘dive’ bar into a nightlife spot in the heart of London’s Covent Garden. With a menu featuring classic MEATliquor dishes, the bar broadcasts live sports all day and night, followed by late-night horror movies, with elements of classic horror films woven into the bar décor.

Having worked with founder Scott Collins on AV system design, implementation and maintenance for the MEATliquor chain, London-based systems integration specialist, Tateside, was on board with the project from the outset.

“We’ve worked with MEATliquor for around five years, so we were enthusiastic to be a part of this new concept,” says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “You don’t find many sports bars around these days, and with i

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26 February 2025

Germany - At the 30th edition of Prolight + Sound (8-11 April 2025), the trade fair will present a significantly expanded ProAudio area. With innovative formats, optimised education and networking opportunities, and a focus on future-oriented technologies, the area will become a central hotspot for professionals and young talents, say the organisers.

Music and audio technology have always been essential elements of the event industry and are deeply rooted in the DNA of Prolight + Sound. In 2025, the trade fair will expand its offering for audio engineers, DJs and producers.

A number of well-known companies from the Pro Audio sector have already confirmed their participation in 2025, including Amate Audio, Babbel & Haeger with various sales brands, DAS Audio, Harmonic Design, HK Audio (Music & Sales professional GmbH), Kling & Freitag, KV2

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26 February 2025

Europe - HOF has a new partner in Iceland – Exton will be the official distributor for HOF products. “With this partnership, we have a strong player at our side to push HOF in Iceland,” says Edwin Duivelaar, export and sales manager at HOF.

Exton's sales team will ensure that HOF optimally complements and supports the existing brands in the Exton portfolio. Exton's rental department in particular has a wealth of experience and offers customised solutions for the event industry – with high-quality equipment and technology for events of all kinds.

In addition, Exton will enable HOF to be even better positioned in the area of installations, from event venues and exhibition centres to private and commercial buildings.

Sigurjón Sigurðsson, CEO at Exton, comments: “We appreciate HOF's innovative trussing systems, which offer a perfect s