Pharos - Leaderboard - May 2024
Leeds - Main Banner - Apr24

Rigging / Staging

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Denmark - Motor Stage Automation (MSA) provided automation equipment – Kinesys Elevation 1+ drives, Apex hoists and control plus three Alfa System revolves – and expertise for three set elements on the recent run of The Bodyguard The Musical produced by Lion Entertainment and staged at the China Teatern in Stockholm.
This is the first time that the popular stage version of the modern film classic showcasing Whitney Houston’s music has played in Sweden.
MSA, a new company specialising in the design and realisation of stage and show automation systems, has worked in this capacity on several other Lion Entertainment Productions, including for the Danish touring version of this show, which was on the road in 2020 and again in 2021 after some Covid interruptions.
A dynamic and eye-catching contemporary set designed by Benjamin La Cour featured three eleg

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UAE - Unusual Rigging & Engineering was the rigger of choice for IDEX – the largest defence exhibition in the Middle East – when it took place at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi last month. The show attracted over 130,000 visitors from 65 countries, with more than 1350 exhibitors across 165,000sq.m of space.
For such a prestigious and sizeable event, David McKean, head of mains and rigging services at ADNEC, brought Unusual Rigging on board to assist the venue rigging team in the installation and management of rigged items throughout all 15 halls for the event.
David commented: “The Unusual team works with us numerous times each year and are well versed in our expectations. This year there were over 100 stands, and Unusual received rigging plans from the rigging manager for each individual stand. From this they were required to mark out and provide both primary and secon
Leeds - Main Banner - Apr24

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Germany - The MLT Pre Rig Truss Series from HOF has a new member to complete the series: the MLT Three.
The MLT series now consists of the MLT Three, MLT Two, MLT One, MLT Zero and the MLT Frame. The MLT Three has no closed head frame and is open at the bottom. This makes it easier to mount moving lights or video modules in the truss.
In addition, the dolly of the MLT Three Pre Rig Truss has extended telescopic legs that allow the user to mount complete video modules, including the hanging frame, in the truss and leave them in the truss during transportation.
A rail system is optionally available for the MLT Three, which makes mounting the units in the pre rig truss even easier: the rail system is a double rail system.
This means that the units can be suspended on two different levels and no lowering bar is required. The rail system also allows the user

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USA – The Dirty Rigger brand of workwear played a popular role in the latest Tomcat University five-day entertainment rigging training course, hosted recently at the company’s custom-designed training facility in Thousand Oaks, California.
Hosted by leading entertainment rigging specialist Tomcat USA, a part of Area Four Industries, the annual event provides ETCP (Entertainment Technician Certification Programme) renewal credits for those working in production rigging. This year’s event attracted a diverse mix of 45 attendees from across the USA and Canada, from students to seasoned touring riggers, business owners, stadium production managers and everything in between.
The course includes truss training, taught by Tomcat’s Adrian Forbes-Black and Keith Bohn, a one-day engineering focus led by Jeff Reder of Ohio-based Clark-Reder Engineering, and three days of

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Europe - Sixty82 B.V has announced that it has appointed Omikron Electronics as its exclusive distributor for Greece and Cyprus.
Omikron Electronics is a well-established company with years of experience, great product portfolio and a strong customer network in the Greek market. They have already built a substantial stock of Sixty82 products in Greece to meet the quick demand of their customers. They will also organise open days together with Sixty82 to welcome customers and introduce them to their products and solutions.
"We are very excited to partner with Omikron Electronics and expand our presence in Greece and Cyprus," said Rainier Smeding, sales director of Sixty82. "Omikron Electronics shares our vision of providing high-quality products and services to our customers. They have the expertise and resources to successfully promote our brand and grow our business i

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UK - The multi award-winning Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I musical is touring the UK, following its sold-out season at The London Palladium. The musical which has been captivating audiences for over six decades, is playing at a different venue every week until July 2023 and is, according to production manager Jason Culverwell “Probably the biggest musical with a weekly turnaround, touring the country right now.”
Knowing how demanding the schedule was going to be, Jason immediately brought Unusual Rigging on board to handle the rigging requirements for the tour. “My relationship with Unusual goes way back, having worked with them on shows such as War Horse, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Ocean at the End of the Lane. I knew that they would have all the knowledge and skills required to pro

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UK - Specialist production agency Star Live, has agreed to sell its mobile seating and stage fleet to Actavo Events for an undisclosed sum. The deal includes mobile grandstands, 10m mobile stages and a 15m mobile orbit stage. The two businesses will work closely to ensure a smooth transition for all Star Live contracts.
Having established itself in the UK in 2010, Actavo Events has steadily built a reputation as a trusted event infrastructure supplier providing Layher event scaffolding structures, fencing and barriers to a wide range of clients. The addition of the mobile business complements Actavo’s growth strategy for the UK and enhances its product offering to the market at a time when mobile stages are in high demand given the increase in shows that the industry has seen recently. It also complements its existing Layher event scaffolding products and provides greater

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Germany – LiveTec GmbH, one of Germany’s leading full-service event technology and production specialists, has recently invested in 16 GEN VI power and dimming modules from Australian manufacturer LSC Control Systems, sourced via the company’s exclusive distributor for Germany, LMP Lichttechnik.
Headquartered in Munich, and with branches in Berlin and Kirchberg (near Kitzbühel, in Austria), LiveTec has over 25 years of experience in the production industry, with a focus on the corporate event sector, and has relied on LSC dimming solutions, and its sales partner LMP, for many years. The company had been using the previous model from LSC since 2015, and in 2022 decided that the time had come to upgrade to the new version. The 16 new, advanced GEN VI dimmers have been successfully deployed by LiveTec at trade fairs, film premieres, fashion shows and congresses since No

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UK - Le Mark Group has introduced a new solution to limit the everyday impact of productions on the environment. Their new product, Paper-Tak, is a tough, self-adhesive, PVC-free tape which is an alternative to the hundreds of thousands of pieces of PVC tape commonly used for colour-coding, cable-coiling, identification, spiking and countless other on-site production tasks.
Made using 70% recycled paper, a core of 100% recycled cardboard and with recyclable packaging, Paper-Tak provides a viable solution for companies working in production who are serious about minimising the environmental impact of their activities. With a quick-stick, multi-surface, natural rubber-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive, Paper-Tak’s crepe paper surface is easy to tear and easy to write on, with a pen and pencil receptive surface, offering a usable solution for the vast majority of application

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UK - Doughty Engineering has announced the appointment of two new directors. Dan Phillips and Mark Chorley will join the board with immediate effect. Julian Chiverton will serve as CEO, with Stephen Wright taking on the role of managing director. The new directors are current employees at Doughty and will, in time assume specific leadership roles within the company.
Dan Phillips has been a member of the Doughty team for more than 15 years, originally joining the company as a sub-contractor in assembly. In his most recent role as special projects manager, Dan has built strong client relationships as well as working within R&D to bring new and innovative products to market. “I feel very privileged to take on this role. After the past few turbulent years brought about by COVID and Brexit, the future is looking bright and I’m delighted to be joining the board at such an

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UK - Unusual Rigging will join in the 2023 Olivier Awards with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall this year as an official sponsor of an award.
The event, which takes place on the 2 April and acknowledges the best of British theatre, will see Unusual sponsoring the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre category. This award, introduced in 2004, recognises work produced at affiliate members of the Society of London Theatre, recognising excellence beyond the West End theatres eligible in the main theatre categories.
This is the first time that Unusual Rigging has been involved with the Olivier Awards in a sponsorship capacity. However, the event rigging has been supplied by the Unusual team in previous years.
Speaking ahead of the event, Tom Harper MD commented: “In an era of increased pressure on the UK theatre industry, Unusual recognises the importance

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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

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Germany - Starting from the middle of the year, Neumann&Müller Veranstaltungstechnik will be NürnbergMesse's new service partner for rigging and safety-related wire suspension systems.
Exhibitors and their service providers will benefit from the N&M trade fair team's many years of expertise as well as from numerous innovative services. Furthermore, trade fair clients will be able to take advantage of the fact that N&M will be able to provide the entire spectrum of media equipment needed to make a success of a trade fair appearance at the new location.

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USA - Since the opening of the ICP Production Centre in Atlanta, In Concert Productions founder, Jay Rabbit, has been looking at expansion opportunities. The 30,000sq.ft facility is set to double in size by March 2024. The larger facility is predicted to offset production costs while creating jobs.
Rabbitt founded In Concert Productions (ICP) in the late 1970s. While the company was built on providing sound production and audio services, ICP quickly scaled into a full-service event production company. Its clients include the 1996 Olympics and Coca-Cola to long-standing television shows like Family Feud.
According to Rabbitt, ICP’s success stems from a commitment to being a one-stop service provider. “We provide an experience that the clients in LA and New York are used to getting. We make it easy for them,” he explains. The ICP Production Centre was inspir

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Sweden - Automation and a Kinesys system were right at the heart of Palle Palme’s spectacular lighting and video design for Swedish pop supergroup GES’s popular 2022 tour, which culminated in a month-long residency at Stockholm’s Cirkus venue.
The band – featuring three of Sweden’s biggest singing stars – romped through a playlist of greatest collective and individual hits, and to keep the energy and pace pumping throughout the set, Palle’s design included two circular lighting trusses – 10m and 3m diameters – that moved, plus a 5m diameter semi-circular LED screen which flew in and out at strategic moments.
“Automation was an essential element of this show’s aesthetic,” commented Palle, who wanted the additional dynamics of movement to make the stage design really rock. “It was an ideally suited performance environment for the extra visual t

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Germany - Defender has introduced its new XPRESS Series. These drop-over cable protectors, which feature a cable duct, are available in two versions (XPRESS 40 and XPRESS 100) with 40 mm and 100 mm wide cable ducts and can be quickly and easily placed over cables and hoses that have already been laid.
This makes the cable protectors suitable for a variety of outdoor and indoor uses at events, festivals, Christmas markets, trade fairs, shopping centres, studios, or offices. In addition, the XPRESS models have the Defender 3D LaserGrip surface for particularly high slip and tread resistance, even when driven over with trolleys, wheelbarrows or bicycles.
The XPRESS 40 (1005 x 125 x 20 mm; L x W x H) and XPRESS 100 (1005 x 250 x 40 mm; L x W x H) cable protectors offer the fastest handling of all Defender models. The lack of a base is a major factor in this, making the cab

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UK - Event Power Ltd, one of Ireland’s leading electrical hire companies supplying temporary power to major sports, festivals and state-run events, has invested in Data Strategy’s QC-Check workstation so that in the company’s busy warehouse, safety is an integrated part of the daily process.
With its power and cable inventory in constant demand, the company required a system to facilitate control of the stringent record-keeping associated with certified testing of distro and cable, as well as one that offered on-demand reporting.
Taking the advice of global temporary power specialists, Aggreko, who currently rely on more than ten QC-Check workstations to inspect the integrity of their power distribution units and cables in use at high-profile international events such as the recent Commonwealth Games, Event Power invested in a QC-Check workstation which included

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Spain - Mighty Tough Cases is staging its range of robust, affordable flight cases, for the first time since the business’s inception, at ISE 2023 at Fira Barcelona. The company can be found in the Discovery Zone on stand CS524.
Mighty Tough Cases Ltd launched as ZCASE Professional Flight Cases’ exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland in October 2022. Since then, the company has successfully provided a steady stream of off the shelf and precision, made-to-measure, heavy duty, bespoke-branded flight cases to a range of entertainment technology product manufacturers and rental operations.
In just three months of trading, Mighty Tough Cases has nurtured a reputation for its attention to detail and fast delivery of affordable, tough, quality-built cases. Michael Cobb, from Firefly Audio Visual Solutions in Leeds, says: “We ordered eight cases for our new Aryton K

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UK - SIXTY82 has introduced the all-new TPM29S, a 29cm box truss that is up to 25% stronger, yet fully compatible with, the M29 series box truss.
TPM29S is up to 25% stronger than similar box trusses, says the company, enabling it to withstand the most demanding conditions. An improved design of the diagonal braces helps to increase the strength and stability of the truss system, while the new optimised shape and dimensions provide better support to withstand higher forces.
Extruded end frames enable TPM truss to withstand more load without deforming. The extrusion process ensures ‘a precise and uniform shape that is 100% square with a perfect fit, reducing the risk of failure due to poor connections’. The extruded end frame also makes TPM29S bounce- and smash-proof.
The removal of the end diagonal support in the new design makes for easy storage and allows e

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Canada - Broadweigh was the load monitoring brand of choice for the CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s Merry Merry Music event this festive season. The centre, which attracts over 50m visitors annually, staged a programme of celebrity performers at Christmas, in place of its festive tree tradition, which has had to take a break due to a major roof replacement project.
Rigging company Paradigm Rigging was brought on board to support some of the technical aspects involved in bringing a holiday atmosphere to the mall space as well as supporting and enhancing the musical performances.
Michael Sorowka, MD, Paradigm Rigging commented: “We were brought on board to work with the rigging and load monitoring of the grid structure being used to suspend multiple snowflake scenic elements, as well as a large 5000lb circular video wall. Given the space the project was being assembled in

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UK - As Entourage Pro, the freelance crew network and technology insights company, celebrates having successfully placed hundreds of crew on tours and gigs across the globe this summer, co-directors Joel Perry and James Stanbridge have announced the appointment of Harvey Goldsmith CBE to the Entourage Pro board to further expand their standing in the industry and help communicate the site’s suite of services to the global sector.
Goldsmith is one of the best-known names in the industry. He has acted as promoter for Live Aid and Live 8, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Jam, Teenage Cancer Trust, Madonna, Queen, Hans Zimmer and countless other international artists, and has recently launching the Nvisible Agency. He will assume the role of non-exec director at Entourage Pro with immediate effect.
“I’m excited to join this young, pioneering company,” he says. “E

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Australia - ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here returned to the Australian jungle earlier this month, for the first time since the Covid pandemic saw it relocated to North Wales. Unusual Rigging was once again involved, providing consultancy and creating the brief for two aerial stunts.
Unusual’s Robin Elias has worked with ITV on the hit show for years and, while the show was filmed in Wales, a team of Unusual riggers headed by senior production rigger, Sam Carter, were on set, rigging and operating the challenges. With the show’s return to Oz, Australian-based Tri-Point Rigging were once again contracted to manage and execute the project locally, with Unusual Rigging consulting with Tri Points’ Graham Dew & Damian Green, on two of the key challenges.
Robin commented, “It’s a great pleasure to once again work with the I’m a Celebri

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USA/Spain - A simple solution that protects trusses from damage and scratches was unveiled by Fantek at the 2022 LDI show in Las Vegas.
The Fantek Ring (F-Ring) is a cost effective and patented innovation that can be installed on trusses in a matter of minutes. Once in place, the F-Ring ensures that no damage can occur when the truss is being stacked on trolleys, moved from venue to venue or placed on the ground. Although removal is easy, there is no need to remove the F-Ring before using the truss, which means that the same F-Ring can remain in situ for the duration of the truss's life. And because it is very secure there is no opportunity for the F-Ring to be lost during transit.
Available in sets and already in stock, Fantek's F-Rings are suitable for rental companies that want to protect their valuable truss stock. They are compatible with all truss models from any

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Europe - Nearly 45 years after founding Belgian event staging pioneer Stageco, Hedwig De Meyer is stepping down from his leadership role, and has named Hans Willems as Stageco Belgium’s new executive CEO, effective 1 January 2023.
The move, says De Meyer, 68, was intended to take place two years ago but was delayed due to the pandemic lockdown. “Now that our business has begun to stabilise after a very busy summer, the time feels right to pass the baton to Hans, who gave us every confidence that he was the most logical choice of successor,” he explains.
Formerly head of R&D at Stageco, Willems, 51, established his own business, Wicreations nearly 18 years ago. As CEO, he has driven his company to become one of the global live industry’s leading creative players in motion technology. Together, Stageco and Wicreations have collaborated on many of the world
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