Pharos - Leaderboard - May 2024

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Italy - Expo 2015 was held from May to October, in Milan, with the theme, Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. One of the largest pavilions in Milan belonged to the US exhibition, which welcomed more than 5m visitors. And true to this year's green motto, the Americans relied on energy-saving LED technology from ETC for its lighting. Approximately 5,700sq.m of exhibition space was lit by 150 Source Four LED Series 2 luminaires, complemented by 20 Selador Desire D60 luminaires and 130 conventional Source Four fixtures.

Habegger AG, from Switzerland, was responsible for the detailed design and installation of the lighting technology; what tipped the scales for them to implement this prestigious project, according to Francesco Stendardo, managing director for Habegger Italia,

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Bahamas - Sitting down to design the lighting rig for the Albany resort's White New Year's Eve Party, Paul Francis Aranha and his team repeated the same vow that they've been making every year since they began working on the annual event in 2011: find a way to make this party more visually exciting than the last. This year, the team upped the excitement level in emphatic fashion by calling on the output and intense colours of Nexus 4x4 panels and Rogue fixtures from Chauvet Professional.

"Albany Resort and Spectrum Light & Sound are always looking for new ways to wow guests at this party," said Aranha. "It's been that way from the beginning."

Described by Forbes as "the most exclusive resort in the Bahamas," this 600-acre island complex includes 5-star restaurants, $6,000-a-night poolside condo units, over 70 deep water slips for 300' yachts and

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The Netherlands - Integrated Systems Europe is to host a specialist half-day AV/IT seminar programme exploring the synergy between IT and AV technology. It is taking place on the last day of the 2016 exhibition and will examine how AV and IT convergence impacts upon our traditional understanding of installed networks and the requirement for increased technical and operational expertise for professionals operating in these sectors.

Stefani Renner and Dieter Michel will curate the AV/IT seminar programme, on behalf of ISE. Stefani Renner is a sound and video engineer and has 25 years of experience working as a journalist and technical consultant. Dieter Michel is a physicist and the editor of Media Technology and Systems Integration magazine. In addition to having 25 years' experience as a technology journalist Michel also runs a measuring laboratory, which undertakes stud

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ETC Ministar

ETC introduces the High End Systems Ministar, a game-changer in our automated lighting product line. Ministar brings exceptional versatility and performance at an affordable price point; with a compact footprint, punchy output, and a professional feature set, Ministar fits the spec and budget for small to medium-sized venues.

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UK - Television and entertainment lighting rental specialists Aurora hit the stage with lighting director Gurdip Mahal for Lip Sync Battle UK, the new celebrity mimefest from Channel 5.

Following the success of its US counterpart, production company Whizz Kid kicked off Lip Sync Battle UK with a brace of exclusive performances from Alesha Dixon and David Walliams.

Loading in to BBC Elstree Studios with gaffer James Tinsley, Aurora kitted out the performance area with a host of Vari Lite fixtures including VL500, 2000 and 3000s to add colour and movement across the stage. Clay Paky Mythos were added for their pin sharp spots and powerful beam ability along with Martin's Viper Performance for key lighting the celebs in action.

Martin Rush Pars, SGM P5 and Phillips E Strips were woven in and around the set, highlighting the set pieces and providing the LD with

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Italy - Powersoft has appointed Marc Kocks as its new Business Development Manager for the Fixed Install market in EMEA region.

Sales & Marketing Director, Luca Giorgi comments: "Marc was looking for a new opportunity to apply his vast experience in install projects, by working for a company with an international exposure. At the same time, we were planning to create a stronger team capable of communicating Powersoft's unique selling points more efficiently with the major players in the Fixed Install market, It was a fortunate that we managed to click the two needs together,"

With a strong background in pro audio - and the Fixed Install market in particular - Marc is well qualified to take on his international role. Having been involved in selling Powersoft amplifiers while running Powersoft's Dutch distributor, he is not only familiar with the products and the tea

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UAE - Dubai-based AV and IT specialist, Almoe Group - which operates across the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India - has invested in 100 Chroma-Q Color One 100 premium performance colour-changing LED PAR fixtures for their busy rental inventory.

Founded in 1994, the Almoe Group of Companies has various divisions focusing on distribution, integration and equipment rentals. They state that one of their core values is "quality, and our passion for impeccable, stellar products and services".

"We have been aware of the Chroma-Q line of LED PARs for some time, having seen them in action at various trade shows," says Almoe's technical director, Michael Fudge. "The purchase was made for our own rental stock.

"We moved to LED PARs a few years back, but until now have been relying on lower end products, so these units are a direct upgrade from our prev

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Europe - The Netherlands-based Ampco Flashlight Sales has been elected as the main EU distributor for TourPro, a brand new range of high quality yet economical products designed and manufactured by parent company SHS Global.

Already seeing considerable success in Australia and the Americas over the past three years, TourPro has set its European launch in motion with extensive support from Ampco Flashlight Group's Sales and Rental divisions.

"We have had a long relationship with Ampco Flashlight Group in various types of business for more than 20 years," says CEO of SHS Global Leigh-Anne Aiken. "With TourPro, our focus was originally the USA. However during a meeting with Ampco at Prolight + Sound 2015 the European partnership organically came about and it's already proving successful."

The TourPro range sees a USP of superior design versus affordable p

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Strictly FX Highlights

Strictly FX was founded in 1996 by industry veterans Mark Grega and Ted Maccabee. Our expertise and knowledge of the world’s leading pyrotechnic, laser, and flame manufacturers allows us to curate astonishing live events. With over 500+ shows performed a year, there’s good chance you’ve seen some of our work!

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UK - It has been another successful panto season for HSL, supplying lighting for over 30 productions across the UK predominately for premier panto producer, Qdos during the 2015 / 16 festive period, plus rigging and a Kinesys automation system for the largest show, Peter Pan at the 3000 seater Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow.

Nineteen trucks packed with kit left HSL's HQ in Blackburn, Lancashire - with Swansea and Cardiff sharing transport - loaded up with a combination of moving lights, LED fixtures, strobes, follow spots and generic luminaires, together with cabling, power distribution, control and effects and atmosphere generators. Equipment flew out the door to keep pace of the barrage of slapstick, innuendo and one-liners.

The first truck was loaded up at HSL on 13 November and the most hectic weekend saw 11 trucks filled and dispatched over three days.

HSL's team

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France - No fewer than 156 Optocore devices were used to create a stable fibre backbone for signal transport when the recent COP21 (2015 Paris Climate Conference), was held at the Paris-Le Bourget Conference Centre. This ensured that audio and other data streams were delivered robustly and with minimal latency to a variety of destinations.

The summit, attended by 196 nations, set out to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.Host broadcasters, AV France, tasked with supplying live pool feeds to television and radio broadcasters and journalists, chose the Optocore solution to help create two distinct digital networks.

The first allowed AV France to provide the television and radio audio signal to the press. The second allowed connection of the OB vans and advanced SNG trucks that could live stream vid

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Switzerland - Two leading Croatian music artists - rock band Prljavo Kazaliste and pop singer Tony Cetinski - double headlined in a special annual concert event in Zurich's Stadthalle Dietikon, organised by Croatia-Media Organizacija (Croatia Media Organisation).

A striking lighting show was programmed by Sven Kucinic who works regularly with Prljavo Kazaliste. Tony Cetinski does not currently travel with an LD, so his management asked if Sven could also take care of lighting the show.

In addition to the house lighting rig which includes Robe LEDWash 800s and ColorSpot 575E ATs, the event's lighting supplier was Swiss rental and event production company eventattack, which has invested heavily in Robe in recent years. The rig featured 12 x LEDWash 800s, 16 x LEDBeam 100s and 16 x Pointes which were hung on the house bars in a relatively conventional set up. The versatility of

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UK - Since it first opened in 1732, the Royal Opera House has become one of the world's most recognised and respected performance venues. Based in Covent Garden, the building is home to both the Royal Opera and Royal Ballet and is renowned for its outstanding variety of traditional work and new commissions.

With such a vast array of productions seen by almost 800,000 visitors every year, the Royal Opera House must rely on state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that each show achieves its potential. As a result, the venue has invested significantly in Wireless Solution's W-DMX; with every purchase being made through White Light.

Justin Cook is the lighting systems manager and part of the technical production team at the Royal Opera House. He comments, "We decided to invest in Wireless DMX as we were aware of the huge impact it would have in how the productions are run at t

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UK - Ambersphere Solutions will be running free 90-minute training sessions on the dot2, MA Lighting's new console designed for smaller and mid-sized projects and venues, during PLASA Focus Glasgow at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). Upon completion of the hands-on session, participants will be well on the way to running their first show on the dot2 lighting console.

The 90-minute intro sessions will cover all the basic operational features of the dot2 console including an overview of the whole dot2 product range, before diving into controlling fixtures, creating pre-sets and cue lists. Building chases and creating and using effects will also be covered. Ambersphere staff will be on hand to answer any questions participants might have following the session.

The dot2 range consists of three lightin

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South Africa - From its modest beginnings at the OppiKoppi farm in 1994, this diverse festival has now celebrated its 21st anniversary by welcoming 162 artists to perform over three days on seven stages, to around 20,000 revellers.

Located in Northam, Limpopo province, north east of Pretoria, this South African festival boasts an unrivalled reputation as the live music event of the season. OppiKoppi 2015 welcomed the opportunity to embrace the latest software technology in the form of ArrayProcessing, from d&b audiotechnik.

Blue Array Productions from Pretoria supplied the audio equipment on all but one of the stages; The James Phillips Stage and the Skellum Stage were both rigged with a d&b Q-Series system, while the Bruilof Stage was kitted out with V-Series L/R. On the Main Stage, it was J-Series, comprising J8s and J12s, supplemented by a meaty number of J SUBs both grou

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Lebanon - Opened in the summer of 2015, Seven Sisters has fast become one of the trendiest venues in Lebanon's capital, Beirut. An oasis in the skyscraper-packed city, the day-and-night hotspot is located on the waterfront in downtown Beirut and clients can relax in a green environment, watch a show in the outdoor area, chill out under a tree, or savour a breath-taking sunset while having a drink at

To ensure the audio rig installed was up to the high standards set for the venue, the management team called in local system integrator Sound Pressure Level.

Headquartered in Beirut, SPL was founded in 1993, has a lengthy experience in touring, and now focusses on audio installation and rental. Thanks to its 24 hour, seven days a week year-round service, the company has built up an enviable client portfolio, installing systems in theatres, cinemas, hotels, ballrooms, conference c

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Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie, one of the most influential artists of his era, died on 10th January at the age of 69 following a private 18 month battle with cancer. The news was announced via the artist's official Facebook and Twitter pages, with Bowie's son Duncan Jones later confirming the news on his own Twitter feed. A true creative to the very end, his death came just two days after the release of his latest album, Blackstar which has been heralded as a 'parting gift' to his fans by many, including Bowie's friend and producer, Tony Visconti who writes: "He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life - a work of Art. He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn't, however, prepared for it. He was an extraordi

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UK - LSi magazine has teamed up with Production Park, Nitelites and RCF to give readers exclusive access to a tour of the largest facility of its kind in the UK. This brand new, £2.5m Phase One development is a cluster of live event production resources spanning over 300,00sq.ft and incorporating five LS-Live rehearsal studios, three of which are mega-sized spaces, each over 17,000sq.ft.

The park is also home to a variety of other industry brands including: Brilliant Stages, Perry Scenic Creative, Litestructures, LS-Live, The Music Consortium, Knight Rigging Services, Tek LED, J&C Joel - and, of course, the renowned live events university centre, Backstage Academy.

Across the three open days, from 1-3 March, you can also meet the Nitelites team, who (using LS-Live's 17,500sq.ft Studio 001) will demo their new turnkey arena touring package from the specialist Italian lo

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France - Robert Juliat has announced the appointment of two new distributors at the start of 2016.

ACT Canada, has become the new exclusive distributor of Robert Juliat products in Canada, following the conclusion of a successful relationship with MDG which has chosen to focus on developing its own brand. The new arrangement with ACT Lighting takes effect from 1 January 2016.

"We have worked with ACT Lighting in the USA for the past year and have been exceedingly happy with the relationship that has formed between our companies in this region," says Robert Juliat CEO, Francois Juliat. "It is a logical transition for ACT Canada to take on our distribution in Canada following MDG's decision to cease all distribution of other brands. ACT Lighting has offices in Toronto as well as Los Angeles and New York and we are confident the new arrangements in Canada will pr

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UK - Audio visual event supplier Smart AV, part of The Incredible Pixel Group (IPG), has announced an official partnership with LED manufacturer Shenzhen Eastar Electronic Co., LTD (Esdlumen) as its first LED distribution partner within the UK.

This follows a recent expansion into the permanent LED installation arena from Smart AV, which has served the events and exhibitions industry as a rental partner for over 10 years. As a distributor, under its new Smart LED division, Smart AV will offer quick turnaround and more direct support on a range of LED products including indoor, outdoor and creative LED. This will allow the company to offer training, servicing and technical support on the full range of Esdlumen products.

The partnership, confirmed during Smart AV's recent LED research and development tour in China, will strengthen Smart AV's position including the development

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USA - Completed in the fall of 2013, SECU Arena at Towson University has a lot to recommend it as a concert venue. It's spacious (measuring 117,000 sq. ft.), has good acoustics and ample power supply. However, there is one thing about this state-of-the-art facility that presented a special challenge for lighting designer Brett Angstadt: SECU does not allow haze.

Angstadt of Round Peg Productions would have liked to have used haze to create more dramatic beam looks at Mistletoe Meltdown, a hugely popular December festival, which in 2015 featured Robin Thicke, OMI, Rachel Platten and The Vamps. Nevertheless, Angstadt overcame this obstacle with the help of 13 pixel mapped Next NXT-1 moving RGBW LED panels from Chauvet Professional, provided by Showtime Sound of Frederick, MD.

"Since there was no haze permitted in the venue, I had to come up with another way to create the

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Europe - Yamaha is constantly developing new innovations. The latest is the SWP1 series of advanced, plug-and-play network switches designed specifically for installed and live sound networking, with simple DIP switch Dante optimisation and a comprehensive graphic interface, via a Windows application.

Yamaha has two decades' experience of manufacturing networking equipment and has been leading the audio industry for much of that time. Starting with the CL consoles in 2012, almost all of Yamaha's digital professional audio products are now based on Dante networking. While Dante offers a huge increase in quality, scalability and redundancy for audio systems, when they grow complex IT equipment is needed to connect them together.

The SWP1 series is the first range of network switches designed and produced solely and specifically for the professional audio industry. Offering a c

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Denmark - Commercial television station TV2 is using d:screet 4080 cardioid lavalier microphones to live transmit a series of highly unusual live political interviews for its 24-hour news channel.

The interviews are all conducted inside a Tesla electric sports car, which was first deployed by TV2 during the country's recent election campaign. This highly innovative and usual mobile studio is entirely unmanned by TV2's technical staff and is operated remotely from the broadcaster's studios in Copenhagen.

Morten Brandstrup, head of news technology at TV2, says, "We introduced the Tesla mobile studio during last year's election coverage because we wanted to present political candidates in a different environment. Initially it was used for the programme Udfordringen (The Challenge) which ran every day during the three weeks prior to the election. On each day w

  1. Bandit honours staff at AGM
  2. PRG XL Video at Wembley for Indian PM visit
  3. Audinate ramps up Dante training at ISE
  4. Major players join Alliance for IP Media Solutions
  5. OCA Alliance promotes standardisation solutions at ISE
  6. Transaudio Group launches subwoofer line
  7. Yamaha is switched on at ISE 2016
  8. WISYCOM keeps the music playing for The Voice of China
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