Israel - Singer-songwriter Hanan Ben-Ari is currently one of the most popular artists in a country replete with singing talent, and his new tour has just started, complete with a lively and dynamic visual design by Nesi Alfasi, who has included 12 x Robe MegaPointes at the core of the lighting rig.
These are being supplied to the tour by rental company Mega Kol based in Rosh Hayain and headed by Zvika Refaelovich, which has been involved with the artist as an equipment vendor since last year and has worked with LD Nesi for many years on assorted projects.
Hanan Ben-Ari's tour features a 3m diameter circular LED surface upstage made up of over 3,000 smart pixels in strips which are mapped into a series of different shapes and graphic effects throughout the set, providing

UK - With less than a month to go until The Showman’s Show 2019 returns to Newbury Showground on 16-17 October, organiser Lance Show & Publications has announced that this year’s event is promising a strong contingent of international exhibitors who’ll be launching products that are new to the UK market.
From a welfare perspective there’s the innovative new Lapee, it’s been created specifically for the female market, the new design, utilises the same manufacturing process as the traditional grey kros urinal, ensuring that it can be transported, maintained and cleaned in the same way. It is also stackable, to reduce carbon emissions due to transportation. In its first season, Lapee has been adopted by all largest festivals in Denmark, including Roskilde and made inroads into the French and Norwigian markets.
From a production perspective, Kultour, the Ge

Guatemala - Obsidian Control Systems has announced Casa Instrumental as the exclusive distributor of Obsidian Control Systems products in Guatemala.
Lighting professionals in Guatemala will be able to test the console line at a two-day ONYX training event taking place on 1-2 October at the Casa Intrumental facility in Guatemala City. Designed to provide both a basic and advanced look at hardware and software, interested professionals can contact info@casainstrumental.com for more information.
With 35 years in the market, Casa Instrumental is established as a leading provider of some of the world’s top professional audio, lighting and musical instrument brands. Under terms of the agreement, Casa Instrumental will provide full support for the entire Obsidian line of hardware and software lighting control solutions.
“We decided to distribute Obsidian Control Sys

Czech Republic - Let It Roll is one of the world's leading drum ‘n’ bass festivals, attracting tens of thousands of ravers for a weekend at an old military airport near Prague.
The event started in 2002 and by 2008 turned it had turned into a large-scale outdoor festival.
A few years back, the organisers approached Slovakia-based Kvant Lasers for some ideas and solutions and the company soon became a supplier of laser displays and other multimedia and visual elements.
Each year the festival production spends a big part of resources on the main stage, with Kvant Show Production supplying six Spectrum 20 full-colour laser display systems for the atmospheric effect and two LD 30 Spectrum units for the laser mapping of the spacecraft-shaped main stage this year.
The

USA - In a recent production of the Alan Menken-Jack Feldman Tony Award winning musical Newsies at Pittsburgh’s State Theatre, Amanda Frazier helped call forth the play’s historic context by accentuating its evocative scenic elements with a vivid lighting design that featured Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Vincent Lighting.
Working with Noland Jenkins, production manager of Vincent Lighting Systems, Frazier selected 15 Rogue R2 Washes for her rig. She used nine of the RGBW moving fixtures for top lighting, and six for side lighting. Drawing on the colour rendering capabilities of the Rogue units, she subtly shifted palettes throughout the play to reflect different scenes, all while underscoring the turn-of-the-century New York setting.
“I assigned colours to absolute moods as themes,” says Frazier. “I went with lavenders and ambers for dream

Thailand - To deliver clear, intelligible sound for sporting events, live performances and more, Mahajak Development Co recently deployed a networked AV system at Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium.
With over 10,000 seats, Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium is Thailand’s premier live event facility for sporting events, performances and more. The venue recently hired Mahajak Development to upgrade their existing sound system with a comprehensive Harman Professional Solutions networked AV system.
“The customer requested an audio system that could deliver crystal-clear sound during speeches, live performances and other live events,” says Pongsakorn Kanchanachayphoom, project director, Mahajak Development Co. “Mounting a speaker on the roof of the stadium proved to be a bit of a challenge, as it needed to be specifically positioned for maximum impact throughout the seating a

South Africa - The Little Theatre, based at the University of South Africa in Pretoria, has upgraded to a grandMA3 light console as the theatre moves into its dance season, hosting various performances from ballet to contemporary.
“Although our previous console served us well, it was over nine years old,” explains technical manager Leon Rossouw. “We were having issues with updating fixture libraries and the start-up time for the console was time-consuming. Software updates were no longer rolled out as the console had been discontinued a few years back already and some of the hardware was also giving me major hassles.”
In 2010, the Little Theatre decided to focus on promoting theatres in schools and youth groups instead of being a money generating playhouse. While their main clientele consists of private dance studios, schools and drama groups they also host va

Spain - Electronics, lights and lots of dancing meet every year at Dreambeach in Villaricos where thousands of people gather for five days to enjoy one of the biggest musical shows in the country on the Main Stage and in the Dreams Tent.
Lighting plays a leading role in electronic music events where the choice of fixtures is of paramount importance. For the last four years of Dreambeach, Eduardo Valverde from Pixelmap Studios has designed the scenarios with lighting supplied by the rental company Fluge.
In his designs, the common factor is the construction of gigantic structures that create the illusion of being a temple of music. Among Valverde’s most recent credits are the stages of Love the Tuenti’s, Love the 90s, A Summer Story, HallowANTS and Red Bull Batalla de los Gallos festivals, among others.
"In the case of the Dreams Tent at Dreambeach, the main c
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UK - Italia Conti Academy is one of the world’s most recognisable names when it comes to performing arts education for secondary school and further education students.
When Triple E were approached to supply ModTruss for one of the school’s recent productions it was an opportunity to support the young performers in more ways than one.
Despite the short lead time of a month, Triple E worked with the school’s production team to provide a bespoke platform, stairs and handrails which formed a centrepiece of the stage set for the production of Life’s Just a Bowl of Conti’s for a one week run at Rhoda McGraw Theatre in Woking, Surrey.
Amy Stevenson, production and stage manager at Italia Conti Academy comments, “We pride ourselves on the teaching and the production values here at Italia Conti and we only wanted the best for our students for their s

USA - During a 20-plus-year career, Gary Allan has sold over 8m albums. With a fan base that stretches around the world, the California-native is often out on the road showcasing his vocals in a raucous live performance. Readying now for the 2019 tour across North America, production designer Ben Shockley once again worked with the Nashville-based production provider Elite Multimedia Productions to supply a versatile and memorable LED video and lighting design.
“As an artist, Gary typically tours all year long without a set schedule,” opens Shockley. “I have been with him for a little over two years now, and each year we try to bring something new. Since we will be playing a lot of the same venues each year, we have to have a fresh look to give the fans a slightly different experience each time.”
Getting started on the new production design, Shockley understood

Mexico - Doble B is the latest nightspot in the Mexican tourist centre of Cancun. Open for lunch and then dinner as a sleek restaurant, after hours the venue transforms into a nightclub with help from more than 40 of ADJ’s professional LED-powered lighting fixtures.
Attracting an up-market clientele looking for a sophisticated evening of dining, drinking and dancing, Doble B is the latest new venue to enhance Cancun’s vibrant nightlife scene. With an elegant interior design anchored by four custom-built chandeliers each featuring a myriad of tungsten-effect pixel-mapped lamps, the space features a large bar on one side and glass doors opening onto a terrace on the other.
The well-established entertainment audio and lighting equipment installer Adimsa, headed up by director general Edson Rivera, was contracted to specify and install a versatile lighting system for t

UK - AV and entertainment technology company Anna Valley is the solution architect and technology provider for the mixed-reality ‘window on the world’ feature in ITV’s Rugby World Cup 2019 studio.
The studio in Maidstone is the base from which the host broadcaster provides insight and analysis on the Rugby World Cup 2019 tournament, from the opening fixture on 20 September, through to the final on 2 November 2019.
ITV’s Rugby World Cup 2019 studio combines live-action, augmented reality and mixed reality to provide a dynamic and engaging studio environment and the ITV Sport team enlisted a group of broadcast technology specialists, including Anna Valley, to collaborate on the technical design and delivery of the concept according to their specifications.
The mixed-reality ‘window on the world’ element of the set created by Anna Valley uses high-resol

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has announced the appointment of well-known industry figure Dave Ball in a newly-created audio sales executive role.
Joining AC-ET’s specialist audio division, Ball’s primary focus will be on developing business for the Dynamic Audio Device (D.A.D.) professional audio brand, which is exclusively distributed in the UK by AC-ET and in the ROI by sister company, AC-ET Ireland.
Operating out of AC-ET’s Northern sales office in Leeds, he will spend most of his time on the road visiting clients and carrying out product demonstrations. Ball will also represent AC-ET’s other key audio lines, as well as complementary services such as Tourflex Cabling custom cable assembly.
Ball previously held technical sales and business development roles for speaker brands and pro-audio distributors including RCF, Polar Audio, LMC a

Italy - Claypaky has announced the appointment of Marcus Graser as the new CEO of the company. He replaces former CEO Pio Nahum, who is retiring on 1 October after 30 years in the lighting industry, the last 10 spent at the Italian lighting manufacturer.
Graser, 42, is an experienced Osram executive who has spent the past 15 years in a variety of roles at the organisation, most recently as head of business development and innovation for entertainment. When Osram acquired Claypaky, Graser led the Osram side of the integration. He has been Nahum’s designated successor, working closely with the former CEO since the start of 2019.
"I am proud of having become the new CEO of Claypaky and to oversee the exciting progress we anticipate in the years to come,” comments Graser. “I feel however that this is the right time to express on behalf of an entire Claypaky community

UK - Entertainment technology charity Backup is launching The Backup Pumpkin Challenge, a competition to help raise awareness of the charity in a fun and creative way.
To participate, you need a pumpkin, your design, and any props or tech you want to incorporate to bring your design to life. Fundraisers are also welcome but not required.
The Backup Pumpkin Challenge consists of four categories: Best Overall Design; Best Use of Tech; Most Money Raised (via the Backup Pumpkin Challenge Fundraising Page); Most Overall Likes (on Instagram).
To enter a design, participants need to upload up to three photos and/or a video no longer than 15 seconds to Instagram using #BackupPumpkinChallenge along with your name or team name. All entries must be posted by 31 October. Winn

UK - The 2019 PLASA Show was “the busiest in years” thanks to a six per cent increase in attendance, PLASA has reported. The event’s global status was also strengthened, with delegates from over 63 countries flocking to the London-based tradeshow.
This was the last edition of the event that was held at Olympia’s National Hall, with the 2020 PLASA Show set to move to London Olympia’s Grand Hall to accommodate a greater number of stands and show features.
“PLASA Show has clearly been improving year on year with 2019 being the best one yet,” comments Johan Gunsing, international sales manager for Adam Hall Group. “We have started to see a wider geographic audience attend the show which brings with it new opportunities, new business and increased brand awareness.”
“Once again PLASA did not disappoint,” comments Gareth Collyer, Nexo’s UK sales m

UK - Ayrton launched two new products and previewed another at a very successful PLASA 2019 along with its exclusive UK distributor, Ambersphere Solutions. Perseo-S and Huracan-X were the two to receive their official launch and visitors were treated to a first look at Karif-LT, due for release at LDI in November.
Shipping with immediate effect, Perseo-S is a multi-function IP65-rated fixture. Weighing in at just over 38kg and designed for the broadest range of applications, Perseo-S is also ideal for both indoor and outdoor use thanks to its compact size, output and ease of service. Feature rich from the factory (including 100% framing shutters, a wealth of effects and gobo options, a subtractive CMY colour mixing system and further colour options for an infinite palette of vivid pastels and saturated colours), Perseo-S produces 27,000lm (calibrated at 8000K) from its 500W

Gendered Awards - The Brit Awards say they will review the way they distribute prizes, with one option being the abolition of separate male and female categories. But reports that gendered awards have already been axed are "based on rumour and speculation", organisers said. "We can 100% confirm that there will be male and female awards in the UK and international categories in February 2020," they told the BBC.
The statement was issued after a story in The Sunday Times at the weekend claimed organisers wanted to accommodate non-binary artists - who identify as neither male nor female - and that scrapping gender-specific categories was the likely outcome. The report came a week after pop star Sam Smith asked fans to call them by the pronouns "they/them", not "he/him". "After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out,

France - Lighting solutions manufacturer GLP has appointed Bruno P. Souchaud to head up its newly-formed subsidiary, GLP France.
Souchaud has nearly three decades’ experience in international show lighting, including three years with the French GLP distributor, LA BS.
GLP board member Kasper Gissel comments: “We are fortunate to have the services of such a lighting industry veteran as Bruno. The move will bring us closer to our customers and key LD’s. GLP has been specified by French LDs for many years, and previously we have done business directly with the major rental houses in France. So the timing is perfect for GLP to put a more solid structure in place and to further increase our presence in the market.”
Bruno says he is relishing the new challenge. “When Udo [Kuenzler], Kasper and the GLP team set out to emulate the formula that had worked so wel

Europe - RCF’s TT 08-A II active two-way loudspeaker is now shipping. The smallest member of the TT+ family, the speaker is suitable for applications from live sound to playback and monitoring, corporate events and broadcast studios.
The TT 08-A II offers a maximum sound pressure level of 128dB; onboard DSP provides linear phase filters and crossover, system equalisation, polarity control, fast limiter, RMS limiter and configuration control from the back panel or advanced management via RDNet. The advanced FiRPHASE filtering algorithm optimises dynamics, amplitude and phase patterns while ensuring minimum system latency.
Onboard DSP provides linear phase FiRPHASE processing, system equalisation, polarity control, fast limiter, RMS limiter, and configuration control. All features are accessible and adjustable on the rear panel or remotely via RDNet networked managemen

Germany - Colour Sound Experiment returned to the Olympiastadion in Berlin for the 2019 Lollapalooza festival where they were the lighting and LED screen supplier - plus all related sub-rigging - for the Perry’s (Dance) Stage.
The West London-based technical specialist has been involved with the two-day event since 2015 when the Berlin edition of the popular music extravaganza started.
It was the second year for Lolla Berlin at the Olympiapark site, and once again Perry’s Stage was inside the Stadium arena itself, where the line-up was headlined by Underworld on Saturday and Martin Garrix on Sundaysupported by Don Diablo, Scooter, TV Noise and others.
Ricardo Lorenzini (crew chief) and Dave Ross led the Colour Sound crew, who sub hung three LX trusses from the roof plus four vertical tower trusses per side in the mid-stage area. Another lighting truss was rig

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