Events

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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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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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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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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 - 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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12 June 2024

UK - The inaugural Profile Awards were held on Thursday 6 June at the Alexandra Palace Theatre. The event was attended by some 200 guests, of which half were reportedly lighting designers or members of their teams.

Created and coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD; The Profile Awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and television in the UK. Headline sponsor for the 2024 event was Ayrton.

The Theatre Awards were judged by UK theatre critics and were not open to nominations whereas the Television Awards were judged by broadcast professionals and could be nominated by anyone.

Winners of the Theatre Awards are as follows . . .

Outstanding Achievement in Theatre sponsored by Chauvet Professional: Simon Wilkinson for Ragnarok,

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12 June 2024

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians’ Annual Awards took place on Wednesday evening, 5 June, after the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show 2024 at Alexandra Palace, London

The evening started with drinks served outside the Londesborough Room before attendees took their positions, filling all the seats leaving standing room only, to celebrate those people and products making a difference to the industry.

Ted Moore, director of Rental Services, said of the Awards: “TAIT are really proud to be here once again to sponsor the ABTT Awards, which I truly believe is one of the best award presentations anywhere in our industry. We wish all the nominees good luck and give congratulations to whoever the winners may be.”

The five highly sought after Awards for Lighting Product, Sound Product, Engineering Product, ‘Widget’ and Stan

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11 June 2024

UK - Big Church Festival, Europe's largest Christian and gospel music event, made history this year by powering its main stage with green hydrogen for the first time.

Hosted on the Wiston Estate in West Sussex, this annual gathering brought together over 30,000 attendees from across the UK and beyond to worship alongside some of the world's most renowned Christian artists and the only emission from powering the headline acts was water.

Diesel generators, long used in the events industry, pose significant environmental and health risks due to their emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. By transitioning to green hydrogen power, Big Church Festival has taken a proactive step towards mitigating climate change, cutting air pollution, reducing noise and safeguarding the well-being both of event workers and of local communiti

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07 June 2024

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) and British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) has announced the launch of a resource dedicated to fostering good physical health for backstage practitioners in the theatre sector.

The initiative champions healthy practices for backstage workers in the theatre and live production sector, where over 70% of the workforce identify as freelance workers. The two organisations, which have been collaborating since 2018, launched an infographic at the ABTT Theatre Show in London on 6 June.

Drawing on the ABTT’s deep understanding of the sector and BAPAM’s clinical expertise in health and wellbeing, the infographic uses the mnemonic S.T.A.G.E. C.R.E.W. Each letter highlights key actions workers can take to maintain physical health and well-being and minimise the risk of injury or chr

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06 June 2024

UK - BioPak has announced its collaboration with Live Nation UK, offering a deal for all traders and crew caterers at its UK festivals and outdoor concerts this summer.

The initiative is in line with Green Nation, Live Nation’s global sustainability arm, which sets out sustainability goals for all Live Nation-owned and operated venues, clubs, theatres, and festivals. Their primary targets are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and phasing out the use of single-use plastics. As part of this ongoing commitment, all items used must be either reusable, renewable, certified compostable, or, if unavoidable, made from at least 30% recycled content.

The deal gives traders and crew caterers a discount on compliant, certified compostable foodservice packaging at any Live Nation UK or Festival Republic events between May and August 2024.

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04 June 2024

France - Showlight, the much-loved quadrennial networking event organised by and for lighting professionals, will return in May 2025 when it will visit the city of Dijon in France.

Highly regarded by the lighting industry, Showlight combines three days of eclectic talks with a great social programme, a sponsored student scheme and unique opportunities for manufacturers and lighting designers alike to network in a relaxed and non-pressured environment. Peripatetic by nature, the event moves from country to country for each edition.

With renowned French followspot manufacturer Robert Juliat as the headline sponsor of the 2025 event, Showlight will head to Le Parc des Expositions et Congrès de Dijon from 19-22 May 2025.

Located at the centre of France’s Burgundy region - the vineyards of which were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site a

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28 May 2024

UK - The Profile Awards theatre category shortlist in association with the ABTT and the ALPD and sponsored by Chauvet, Elation, ETC, Fix8group, GLP, SLX, TSL and Vari-Lite, has been confirmed.

The shortlisted lighting designers for theatre are:

Robbie Butler for Death in Venice, Welsh National Opera and tour

Emma Chapman for The Third Man, Menier Chocolate Factory

Jon Clark for Dear England, and The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre & West End; The Effect, National Theatre; Stranger Things – The First Shadow, West End

Paule Constable for Guys and Dolls, The Bridge

Lee Curran for Romeo and Juliet, The Almeida and King Lear, The Almeida

Jon Driscoll for Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, English National Opera

Oli

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21 May 2024

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returned to its home at the Royal Armouries on 14 and 15 May, with two packed show halls, a bigger-than-ever seminar programme, and record-breaking attendance figures.

This year’s PLASA Focus Leeds saw a 19% increase in attendance, with a strong visitor profile on par with previous shows. 1/5 were company directors, owners or chairs, equally representing audio, AV, lighting and staging tech. This year saw 1/5 students too, over double last year’s figures, signalling a strong future for the industry.

Matt Wiseman from MDG Fog UK says: “As a company, we’re now 10 years into the journey with PLASA Focus Leeds being a key date in our UK diary. Each year we have experienced more footfall to our stand and especially this year. The quality of visitor was again noticeably higher and we expect to see another re

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21 May 2024

UK - The first day of the ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace on 5 June will be open from 10am until 5.30pm but activities will not stop then.

For 2024, the ABTT Award Presentations will be kicking off from 5.30pm with drinks served outside the Londesborough Room as visitors and exhibitors join together to take their seat to celebrate the recipients of the awards for products and people making advances in our world.

The Products Awards include Sound Product, Lighting Product, Engineering Product and Widget of the Year plus Stand of the Year for 2024. The People Awards include Technician of the Year, Emerging Excellence, Environmental Sustainability, Costume plus the Award for WHAM Design.

Following these celebrations, will be a new innovation for 2024, the ABTT Social on the Terrace.

Attendees and exhibitors are invited to continue

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09 May 2024

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the city’s Royal Armouries from 14-15 May with two sold-out show floors and a bigger-than-ever programme. A record number of people have registered to attend the popular trade show, which promises to deliver an abundance of brands from across the pro audio, AV, lighting and staging sectors alongside a packed programme of seminar sessions, panel discussions, training events and more.

On the show floor, over 200 brands will span two halls, with Ambersphere proudly returning as headline sponsor. Many of the exhibitors will showcase their latest products, with several UK debuts to look out for.

Lighting brands include Avolites, Beamz, Chauvet Professional, Elation Professional, ETC, GLP, Highlite International, Martin Professional, Prolight, Robe, Roxx, TMB, and Vari-Lite.

Pro audio brands include Allen & H

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22 April 2024

UK - The recently announced Profile Awards have created much interest within the industry, with sponsorship take up for all the 16 Awards. The Headline Sponsor is Ayrton with the TV Awards being sponsored by ChamSys, ELP, LCR, Light Initiative, Roxxlight and Version 2 Lights. The Theatre Awards are sponsored by Chauvet, Elation, ETC, Fix8, GLP, TSL, SLX and Vari-Lite; the pre-show bar is sponsored by Ambersphere Solutions and the Goody Bags at the end of the evening are sponsored by JLL.

The Profile Awards have been created and are coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD; the Awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and television in the UK and the inaugural event will take place at the Alexandra Palace theatre on 6 June 2024.

Alongside eight specific Theatre awards and six TV awards

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16 April 2024

UK - Production Futures’ next On Tour event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Tuesday 30 April. As its first arena outing, this will be Production Futures’ largest and most ambitious On Tour event to date. 

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is a strong supporter of the Production Futures mission, and who opened the previous show in the city, comments: “We are delighted to welcome Production Futures On Tour back to Manchester for a third year, and to see huge growth in the upcoming show, now taking over the AO Arena, where so many major artists and shows have taken the stage.

“Greater Manchester is known around the globe as the birthplace of ground-breaking music, film, theatre, festivals, venues, live events and TV, but that’s only made possible by the expertise and dedication of thousands of people working behind the scenes

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12 April 2024

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has revealed additions to its annual awards. The ABTT Award for Costume and ABTT Award for WHAM Design aim to honour the expertise and significant contributions of industry professionals, as well as the creative collaborations they foster within the production process.

Presented at the annual ABTT Theatre Show on the 5 June, the Award for Costume has been designed to honour individuals from different disciplines of the costume sector who have achieved a command of their chosen discipline. For 2024 this award will be celebrating costume managers who demonstrate excellence in the work they have undertaken.

The new ‘ABTT Award for WHAM Design’ has been developed by the ABTT’s Wigs, Hair and Makeup (WHAM) Committee that aims to promote the interests of the wigs, hair and make-up community w

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09 April 2024

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28 March 2024