The Netherlands - AVL has a solid track record of selling and supporting ChamSys in Belgium and Luxembourg with the highest standards of customer training and support which will be expanded to the Netherlands.

"We are confident that with AVL's skills and experience there will be a high standard of customer service, support and training in the Netherlands," says ChamSys.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The Live Event Hire Programme is a new initiative from Roland that has been established to promote the growing network of UK rental companies supplying Roland professional audio and video products for hire. The Roland Systems Group website (www.rolandsystemsgroup.co.uk) provides the hub of the programme, creating an online resource for customers wishing to source Roland products for hire and get in touch with suppliers directly.

"The aim of the Live Event Hire Programme is primarily to help raise market awareness of the service providers in the rental market by giving prospe

USA - A hotdog eating contest might not sound like much of a sound production challenge, but when one of the Fourth of July's more unusual celebration events attracts over 30,000 people to a three hour show, featuring an MC, rock band, loads of playback and the actual contest, on a Coney Island street corner, providing professional sound reinforcement across the impromptu "venue" is no walk in the park. Add the seasonal steamy humidity and an edge of a hurricane downpour, and things get pretty sticky.

This year's - the 98th - Annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eat

Germany - Astera LED Technology has released the AsteraApp for free on the Google Play Store. The AsteraApp can be downloaded and then installed on any Bluetooth-enabled Android device (optimized for Android phones and 7" tablets).

Users should link their Android device to an AsteraBox to initiate control. Acting as the middleman, the AsteraBox receives commands from the app (using Bluetooth), and these commands are processed inside the AsteraBox, then sent to all Astera lights within a 300m range.

With the AsteraApp, users can easily send programmes and effects to lights, crea

USA - Production Resource Group has announced that Jeremiah J Harris, chairman and CEO, has promoted Stephan Paridaen to the role of president and chief operating officer. Paridaen has served as PRG's chief executive officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa since 2009.

In his new role, Paridaen will apply his management expertise and services to supervising the global operations of the company, the delivery of new technologies and services offerings, and the further development of PRG's efforts in the corporate and global special events markets.

"Along with attracting world

Latest Issue. . .