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28 June 2024

UK - Focusrite has announced the acquisition of UK-based Innovate Audio, the company behind the panLab spatial audio solutions. This follows the earlier acquisition of TiMax and builds on Focusrite Group’s commitment to immersive sound.

With the acquisition, it has been agreed that panLab solutions will join the TiMax brand, meaning TiMax can now offer a comprehensive range of immersive sound solutions, from entry-level panning software through to full delay-matrix spatial processors and performer stagetracking. Innovate Audio founder, Dan Higgott, will also join TiMax as a senior product developer.

Both panLab 3 and panLab Console have proved popular with sound designers the world over with over 10,000 downloads achieved and the solutions being used in venues from Sydney Opera House to the National Theatre. With panLab 3 users enjoy a spatial audi

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28 June 2024

UK - BPM Show, originally re-scheduled for 9-10 November 2024, is now postponed to a date to be confirmed in 2025.

This decision, taken in collaboration with PLASA, Headliner, SEDA, Mastermix, AVSL, Chauvet DJ, NADJ, Paladin Innovations and Promo Only, reflects our commitment to providing an unmatched experience for our attendees.

The team at PLASA – alongside our esteemed partners – have decided to take this extra time to completely revamp the BPM Show, including a brand-new venue. This is so that we can deliver a world-class event that sets new standards in the UK for the DJ and electronic music community.

BPM Show 2025 will focus on several key areas:

Music: Featuring some of the biggest names in the electronic music industry.

Technology: Creating a hands-on tech playground with cutting-edge DJ equipme

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28 June 2024

UK - The Isle of Wight Festival 2024 is setting a benchmark in sustainability by integrating hydrogen-powered generators into its power infrastructure. GeoPura's hydrogen powered generators (HPUs) replaced traditional diesel fuel to power crew and artist catering and part of the guest village; supplying zero-emission electricity from hydrogen for the first time at the festival.

This initiative is part of the festival's commitment to becoming the most sustainable in the UK. By introducing hydrogen power, the festival is making a significant leap towards reducing its carbon footprint and setting an example for other events.

Caroline Giddings, director at The Isle of Wight Festival, said: "By introducing hydrogen-powered generators, we are taking a proactive step towards our goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. This initiative is jus

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28 June 2024

Bahrain - ShowTech Productions, based in Riffa, has recently added to its extensive Robe moving light stock with the purchase of 12 x iFORTE LTX luminaires. These were delivered by Robe Middle East in Dubai.

The company is a leading event production and technical services provider working across multiple sectors including concert touring, live events, and corporates. They also have a base in Saudi Arabia, and work across the GCC region.

These join several hundred Robe products including Spiiders, MegaPointes and BMFLs already owned by ShowTech, following steady investments in recent years. “Robe products have consistently been on all the international riders we have seen in the last 10 years” commented owner and CEO Lawrence Rodricks, adding that this plus the brand’s reputation for quality and well-made products has driven the purchases.

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28 June 2024

“DirectOut's approach to audio distribution and processing has caught the attention of many professionals in recent years and further strengthened their reputation,” says Simon Rains, chief engineer & education director of Sonos Libra. “It was therefore a great solution to add to our catalogue. The highly flexible clocking and redundancy options of the Prodigy series are obviously highly desirable and add tremendous value to projects and applications where downtime is not an option.”

The partnership with Sonos Libra will enable DirectOut to bring its solutions to an even wider customer base in the region. With offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi M

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27 June 2024

Poland - Organised and sponsored by LTT, a leading Polish entertainment gear distributor since 1992, LTT Free Light Workshops offer a variety of learning experiences and product demonstrations. The events have been staged across 14 cities, with 500 visitors participating.

The latest edition of the workshop series, which is now in its 12th year, featured over 60 different Chauvet Professional products. Among the most attention drawing was the Maverick Storm 3 BeamWash, a versatile, full-featured, colour-mixing moving fixture that has a 16-lens outer zone and 12-lens inner zone. The two zoom zones, stunning output, and in-built macros made the fixture a hit with visitors.

Also popular was the COLORado PXL Curve 12, a fully pixel mappable motorized batten that offers individual control of 12 independent heads, and the Maverick Storm 1 Hybrid, a 420W, 77

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25 June 2024

UK - PLASA Show, the UK’s international event for live entertainment technology, will take up residence under the roof of Olympia London once again from 1-3 September 2024.

Free registration is now open, providing 5,000+ visitors unlimited access to 200+ global brands, a packed educational programme, and endless opportunities to get up close and hands on with the latest generation of professional products.

Featuring a who’s-who of the live sector, the vibrant show floor is 10% bigger than last year, with exhibitors still signing up for stands. PLASA Show welcomes back Robe as headline sponsor, along with an impressive raft of manufacturers, distributors, and service providers. 

Lighting professionals can meet all the big names, including Beamz, Chauvet Professional, Claypaky, ETC, GLP, Goboplus, Highlite International, Prolight, Lumos Li

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25 June 2024

USA - Renkus-Heinz has announced the appointment of a new manufacturer’s representative for the states of Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan - C. L. Pugh & Associates.

Joe Fustolo, Eastern regional sales manager at Renkus-Heinz, comments, "I am very excited to bring on C.L. Pugh as our new representative. Their reputation from KY to MI is second to none for customer service and support. We here at Renkus-Heinz are constantly striving to improve and adapt to today’s ever-changing environment, and C.L. Pugh has a great hand on the heartbeat of their territory. I know we will do great things together.”

Bob Tevs, president of C.L. Pugh & Associates, adds, "We are excited and proud at C.L. Pugh & Associates to be representing Renkus-Heinz in our territory. The product line fits in very well with the

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25 June 2024

Economic Boost - The UK's newest film and TV studios have fully opened. Shinfield Studios near Reading, boasts 18 sound stages, including two of the biggest in the country at 43,000 sq ft and has already attracted major feature films and TV series. Situated alongside the M4 motorway, the site was given the go-ahead by planners in 2021 and has opened in stages over the past two years.

Its US owners say the studios should provide an economic boost with major films typically requiring productions crews of three to 500, including skilled technicians and craftspeople. The studios have already played host to the latest Ghostbusters film where one of the sound stages was turned into a New York street, complete with the iconic firehouse.

It has also been providing a site for home grown productions. Occupying one of the sound stages at the moment is a film of

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24 June 2024

UK - As we approach the UK General Election on 4 July, The Power of Events is eager to understand the key event industry issues influencing #EVENTPROFS at the ballots. “We believe your audience can significantly contribute to this crucial discussion by engaging with us on the Event Industry Insight App,” says the group.

“From Monday 24 June to Friday 28 June, The Power of Events is conducting a lightning-fast pulse check on the Events Industry Insight App as part of our ongoing testing of the app - it will take less than a minute to complete. The insights gathered will help understand the priorities and concerns impacting the UK Events Industry and will be shared publicly on Monday 1 July.

“By promoting this pulse check, you will be helping the industry gain a strong understanding of the issues most influencing event professionals and their o

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24 June 2024

India - Australian manufacturer LSC Control Systems has appointed Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES) as its distributor for India. The latest addition to LSC’s international sales network, IES will provide full support and service for all of the company’s advanced power management and lighting control systems across the country.

Mumbai-based IES has 28 years’ experience as a distribution and trading company, serving the fields of intelligent lighting, pro sound and control systems. It is the sole distributor for a strong portfolio of leading entertainment production brands, including Robe, Avolites, LumenRadio, Madrix, Ashly and Pangolin, among others. It also provides turnkey solutions from concept and design, through to supply, installation and maintenance for intelligent lighting and pro sound applications in a wide range of entertainment and

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21 June 2024

USA - EAW has announced its new certification programme: a collection of online courses aiming to expand public knowledge of EAW Loudspeakers and technologies used across each series. These modular trainings, available now at https://education.eaw.com, include courses on ADAPTive Systems, the AC6 Column Loudspeaker and Resolution Software, and will expand to cover additional products and systems in the EAW catalogue.

“As part of this training, students will learn more than just how to use EAW technology,” explains Bryan DiFabio, technical training manager for EAW. “We cover why this technology exists and how it helps customers achieve optimal results. Understanding these two concepts makes for a better user experience.”

EAW has launched three new online courses. The first, ADAPTive Level 1 Training, explains the ADAPTive algorithm and takes a

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21 June 2024

USA - LD Systems has invested in 26 Ayrton Rivale Profiles. LD Systems has two main divisions, event production services and audio-visual systems integration, and is headquartered in Houston, Texas with a second location operating in San Antonio.  ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.

The purchase marks the first by LD Systems in the current Ayrton product line; the company already has Ayrton WildBeam effects lights. The acquisition, the first IP-rated profile fixture for LD Systems, will be used for its own production work and be available to rental clients.

The IP65-rated Ayrton Rivale Profile is a projector that delivers creativity, subtlety and power – the most versatile fixture created by Ayrton to date. It offers unprecedented performance for its size and weight and features continuous rotation o

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20 June 2024

Europe - DirectOut has announced the expansion of its partnership with Audmax. While Audmax has been a distributor of DirectOut audio solutions in Hungary for more than a decade, the two companies are now extending their cooperation to additional territories in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Under the leadership of managing director Krisztian Varga, the agreement solidifies Audmax as DirectOut's primary distribution hub for Central and Eastern Europe.

Commenting on the partnership, Krisztian Varga says: "We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with DirectOut. Having worked closely with them since their early days, we understand the value they bring to the professional audio industry. With our established network and expertise in the region, we are committed to providing exceptional support

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20 June 2024

Sweden - CAST Group of Companies has announced its exclusive partnership with Intersonic AB, taking BlackTrax’s real-time tracking technology to the Swedish market.

Per Anderhagen, sales director at Intersonic, comments, "We are delighted to join forces with BlackTrax, a global leader in real-time tracking technology. As the exclusive distributor in Sweden, Intersonic is dedicated to providing unparalleled support and expertise to our clients, enabling them to leverage the full potential of BlackTrax in their productions."

David Ferraz, international business development manager at CAST, adds, "We are thrilled to welcome Intersonic to our growing network of distributors. With their deep industry knowledge and commitment to customer satisfaction, Intersonic is well-equipped to drive the adoption of BlackTrax technology in Sweden."

"We are ea

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19 June 2024

UK - Creative climate non-profit Julie’s Bicycle, host of festival industry project Vision: 2025, is collaborating with 10 local authorities and more than 60 festivals to test how a Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) can be adopted nationally.

Vision: 2025 chair and Shamabla Festival director Chris Johnson states: “I’m very proud that our industry is making the environment a key priority to deliver more sustainable festivals in the future. I’m surprised that we’ve heard so little about environmental issues during this election campaign so far, given the scale of the climate emergency we’re in. I hope our pioneering sector can continue to highlight and inspire positive actions to make a significant difference for future generations.

“The Green Events Code of Practice has been developed to avoid a lottery of expectations across England

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18 June 2024

Europe - Showlight 2025 is calling for speakers to present papers at the next Showlight, slated for 19-22 May 2025 at Le Parc des Expositions et Congrès de Dijon, France.

The Papers Programme is the heart and soul of Showlight and we want to present our delegates with a wide variety of interesting subjects to educate and entertain. This will be the first in-person Showlight since 2017 and we are looking for exciting new projects from all disciplines of lighting and lighting design to include in the 2025 Papers Programme.

Have you worked on a fabulous new project recently? Have you tried out some new technology and got something to share? Does your design really cut the mustard? We want to hear from you in Dijon! 

The papers committee has already begun the process of selecting papers for the programme. If you have an idea, a story or an expe

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18 June 2024

UK - ETC has announced plans to expand its business with the relocation of its London operations to a new, state-of-the-art eco-building. The move supports ETC’s expanding business and service offerings as well as planning for future growth.

The new space – which is located in west London’s Greenford – is more than double the size of ETC’s existing building and will feature enhanced facilities to accommodate the needs of its customers and workforce.

The design of the new building is being developed by ETC with its own in-house team, in-line with the company’s global design approach. There will be more capacity for training, logistics, meetings, and dedicated areas for ETC’s customers and employees.

The company’s dealers and end-users will benefit from having access to an expanded training program and bigger demo spaces. The ad

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18 June 2024

UK - Midwich and PSCo have signed a distribution deal with Hive, manufacturer of scalable media servers.

This exclusive agreement allows Midwich and PSCo to offer Hive’s full range of products in the UK and Ireland and will be launched at their Beyond the Pixel event on Thursday 20 June at Innovation House, Bracknell. Hive’s sales director, Nigel Sadler, business development manager, Sarah Cox, and co-founder/managing director, Mark Calvert, will be in-person at the event to deliver presentations and demonstrations of their product line to attendees.

The Beehive, Beebox, and Beeblade products create a flexible and scalable media control ecosystem to power complex and creative visuals in a variety of applications including immersive exhibitions, galleries and museums, live shows, theme parks, and high impact advertising.

Lloyd Platt, busin

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18 June 2024

UK - Robe UK enjoyed a busy, successful, and positive ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) expo, staged at Alexandra Palace in London, where the company presented two dynamic exhibition areas – a stand upstairs in the main hall, together with a large demo area located downstairs in the venue’s Palace Suite.

Robe also delivered four presentations that were integral to the ABTT’s extended 2024 seminar and discussion programme, which touched on topics related to sustainability and creative lighting.

The main Robe booth occupied a prime position in the main exhibition hall and featured some of Robe’s newest lighting technologies designed for theatre, performance, TV, and broadcast scenarios, together with selected Anolis, Avolites and Artistic Licence products. Atmosphere and haze specialist MDG, which is distributed in the UK by Rob

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18 June 2024

Sponsorship - Barclays has suspended its sponsorship of all music festivals staged by promoter Live Nation in 2024, including Download, Latitude and the Isle of Wight. The move comes after several acts pulled out of the events in protest at the bank's investment links to arms companies that trade with Israel. Artists including country singer CMAT, metal band Ithaca and comedian Joanne McNally all withdrew from planned slots this summer.

A spokesperson for Live Nation said: "Following discussion with artists, we have agreed with Barclays that they will step back from sponsorship of our festivals." The bank signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Live Nation in 2023. It is understood that the suspension does not apply to the full term of the contract. The development comes after more than 100 artists boycotted Brighton's Great Escape Festival in May over the

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14 June 2024

UK - The highly regarded PLASA Awards for Innovation are now open for entries, ready to celebrate the best new products across pro lighting, AV, audio, staging and rigging.

Organised in association with LSi, PLASA’s market-leading magazine, the awards celebrate innovative products from across the live entertainment technology industry that demonstrate a new style of thinking, improve technical practice or safety, introduce new materials or techniques, or offer a new commercial advantage.

Each successfully entered product will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts who have the authority to present up to eight awards of equal standing, one of which can be upgraded to a Gold Award for an outstanding new product. Last year, Brompton Technology scooped Gold for their Tessera G1, with Coda Audio, Funktion-One, Robe Lighting, Aste

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14 June 2024

USA/Europe - Absen announced at InfoComm 2024 that systems integrator Kinly has been named as the first European-based company to be awarded Absen global platinum partner status.

Kinly’s global product board (GPB), led by Jean-Paul Lemmens, conducted an extensive review of all LED manufacturers in the AV market based on performance, value to customers and sustainability.

“The team unanimously decided that Absen was its partner of choice owing to its quality products, global presence and competitive pricing. In addition, Absen’s commitment to prioritising ecofriendly, low energy consumption LED solutions aligns perfectly with our commitment to create a more sustainable future through innovative AV solutions”, said Lemmens.

Under the agreement, Kinly will be the first to access and integrate the latest advancements in LED display techno

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14 June 2024

Belgium - Since its establishment in 1965 as the city theatre of Ghent, NTGent has maintained a prominent role in the Flemish theatre scene. The venue delivers high-quality productions that are both artistically challenging and socially relevant, utilising lighting solutions from ETC.

Operating across two distinct realms, NTGent (also known as Nederlands Toneel Gent) crafts original theatre pieces and hosts external performances at its venues. For their original creations, which frequently tour internationally, NTGent prioritises a versatile lighting setup capable of adapting to diverse venues worldwide. Conversely, visiting performances rely on more traditional equipment, albeit with a preference for cutting-edge technology.

During a recent interview, Dennis Diels, head of lighting at NTGent, shared insights into the theatre's operations and its dec