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14 March 2016

The 2,000-seat Orchestra Hall, opened in 1974, is home to the Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, which celebrated the 112th anniversary of its inaugural performance at the beginning of November 2015. The hall, which completed a $52m renovation in early 2014, has long been renowned for its acoustics, which were originally designed by Cyril M. Harris.

According to Joel Mooney, technical director, Minnesota Orchestra, "The acoustics are fantastic for the orchestra,

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14 March 2016

The catalogue reveals the new products that Aurora will be releasing in the new year, and demonstrates how the company intends to deliver 'Value Beyond Illumination' in 2016 and beyond. For the first time, the catalogue represents the entire Aurora Group branded portfolio, including the recently rebranded retail lighting specialists, Microlights - with over 30 years' experience in assisting customers enhance their retail sales through lighting.

The 2016 catalogue presents Aurora Group's combined expertise and products under one holistic brand, as Richard Sells, group managing director, explains, "With a consolidated approach we can offer a complete rang

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14 March 2016

From memories of playing Pong on a black and white television and Space Invaders in arcades to immersion in the latest online 'shoot 'em up', video gaming has been a pastime for millions for over 40 years and is an ever-expanding, multi-billion dollar business.

Created as a part of CQ Connect, a European Regional Development Fund-funded programme, the NVA is located close to Nottingham city centre and is backed by the Nott

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14 March 2016

For the past five years, Blackout has rigged the renowned bauble decorations which are famously hung from the glass roofs of the market's two main isles within Covent Garden. The decorations, produced and managed by production company Sculptivate, were redesigned for Christmas 2015 and the traditional baubles were replaced with over 40 large stems of mistletoes. There are two sizes of mistletoe, the smaller is 2.5m and weighs 90kg, the larger is 3.5m and weighs 110kg, along with 60kg mirror balls. In addition, the mistletoes are decorated with nearly 700 glowing berries, which transform each sprig of mistletoe into an impressive hanging chandelier.

Over 320m of garlands unite the chandeliers and

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14 March 2016

The Joburg Theatre Complex, (originally called the Civic Centre) was built in 1962 and has four primary performance stages presenting a lively mix - around 70 a year - of received and produced shows and performances including many famous West End and Broadway musicals.

The main Nelson Mandela Theatre already has a grandMA2 full-size console for lighting control - it was the first theatre in SA to actively adopt the platform - so when it came to choosing something for the smaller Fringe stage, it was logical to look to MA again, as everyone was happy by the power, stability and reliability

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14 March 2016

Robe moving lights were also used for the high energy Opening Ceremony (OC) spectacular show designed by Milan 'Mejla' Fronek from Lightneq, which prepared everyone for plenty of on-court excitement to follow. The installation and technical support was co-ordinated by Prague-based AV Media.

Milan has created high impact lighting schemes for numerous other top sporting events including the World Ice Hockey Championships held in the Czech Republic in May, the Sochi Olympic Park installation at Letna Park, Prague, during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and for the award-winning Czech House during the 2012 London Olympics.

For the Fed Cup final, Milan had some of Robe's ne

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14 March 2016

The Pavilion's management team recently restored the theatre's exterior revamping the stonework outside the theatre and incorporating a coloured light installation. Last year, the owners also made a significant investment in upgrading the interior.

To complete the upgrade, an overhaul of The Pavilion's 20-year-old sound system was required. Iain Gordon, general manager of The Pavilion contracted long-term audio partners The Warehouse Sound Services to design, supply and commission

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14 March 2016

Commenting on the dealership, Gary Yates, lighting designer and owner of Keylight, said, "As a company specialised in wireless lighting, the Astera products are a great addition to our wireless collection. We love the way Astera's products are thought through in every detail, and made very accessible and consumer-friendly by the ease in control from the AsteraApp. In The Netherlands, these products will appeal to a wide spectrum of users from AV vendors, event organisers to wedding planners and caterers."

Sales & marketing director at Astera, Sebastian Bückle, adds: "We are expanding our Europe

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14 March 2016

Home Secretary Theresa May confirmed that security is to be 'intensified' at events in major cities and the England vs France friendly at Wembley was a first example, armed police bringing reassurance to a telling show of unity in the face of extremism.

David Boswell, managing director of TSG Policing, suggests the solution for the greater event model should be multi-agency, so costs can be contained while all parties play to their strengths.

"The Paris incidents showed a horrific disregard for human life and the values we as a nation stand for," Boswell says. "Letting the public know they are safe at events is the priority now, highlighting the fact that these are not soft targets for terrori

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14 March 2016

The designer of Kolodruma is the Dutch architect, Sander Douma, creator of some of the largest velodromes in Europe, the most notable in Athens, Monte Carlo, Palma de Majorca, and Manchester. In addition to cycling, the arena can host 22 other sports and operates as a concert venue. It has a seating capacity of 4,800 to 7,500 spectators, depending on its use and configuration. The complex also has large underground car parking, a modern press centre, dressing rooms, coaching facilities, a sports and recreational centre, restaurants and a large retail store for a wide variety of sports merchandise.

The audio systems for Kolodruma velodrome were designed and installed by ProAudio Ltd. Stanislav Petrov, mana

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14 March 2016

Martin Kempton is the lighting designer, with equipment provided by RML (Richard Martin Lighting). He has chosen to use Pixel Par's, Stage Bar 54's, X1TC Battens and a Followspot.

"I needed a range of flicker-free LED fixtures that I could use along with the lights that are built in to this unique venue," says Martin. "The production brief was to create a warm, sophisticated look that was not 'light entertainment' but enhanced the beautiful art deco architecture of the room. We had very little time to rig so it was essential that the kit was reliab

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14 March 2016

Having established track record for standing the test of time in retail, hospitality, leisure and commercial applications, it is anticipated the new MPA's will continue to build upon a legacy that is consistent with reliability and quality, says the company.

The MPA-120 and the MPA-240 provide output of 120W and 240W respectively at low impedance, 100V, 70V and 25V. In addition to the features of the previous models which include six-line inputs, four microphone inputs with VOX priority over music signals, remote music mute triggered via a NO or NC contact and compatibility with Bose, Amina and Active Audio EQ cards, the new MPA models provide a new balanced auxiliary output, a new utility output and a music-on hold output, both with mic/line level controls. In addition MIC 1 i

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14 March 2016

The award, which recognizes the best new technology products for the church market, comes on the heels of a PLASA Award for Innovation and a Best Debuting Product honourable mention at the LDI Awards, both held in October. The Best Moving Light Award was chosen by the editors of Worship Facilities and Church Production magazines, the WFX Advisory Board, and WFX management.

"We're thrilled to have won another award for the Platinum FLX which has again been acknowledged for its unique innovation," stated Elation sales director Eric Loader. "It's a truly versatile hybrid that has raised the quality level of multi-functional lights and the respons

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14 March 2016

The dual honours were in recognition of the impact that the LED ellipsoidal, which was introduced earlier this year, is having on church lighting. Unlike typical LED fixtures, which operate and dim only on a constant power and DMX source, the Ovation ED-190WW also works smoothly and efficiently with conventional direct power dimming sources. This is a unique ability among high-powered LED fixtures, and it allows the Chauvet product to be used with equal results in e

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14 March 2016

In the 25 years following their introduction, the Panaray 802 and 402 loudspeakers achieved an iconic status among A/V system integrators, design consultants and installers, says the company. The Series IV models build upon that legacy, retaining the features and performance that made their predecessors popular. Both Series IV models have been updated with new installation options to further facilitate simple and versatile mounting. Refinements to both models better suit indoor and outdoor installed applications.

All Bose Professional Panaray installed sound-reinforcement loudspeakers feature full-range driver arrays, eliminating the need for tweeters and crossovers, to provide unsurpassed reliability and nat

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14 March 2016

From 10-12 December contemporary artists will transform the public spaces inside Manchester Central Library and The Bridgewater Hall, offering visitors an immersive, cultural celebration amidst the festive hustle and bustle.

Visitors' imaginations will be sparked by birds soaring across piano strings to create musical scores; a chandelier of sparkling earrings and a cutting edge sound and light installation that is felt not seen. With more than 15 installations, performances and talks confirmed - many of them free - the festival will be a vibrant hot bed of light, sound and literature, say the organisers.

Confirmed artists include award-wi

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14 March 2016

"People were raving about the overall sound of the band, in particular the drums and sax," says Mezzoforte sound engineer Joost Bullens, who has been working with the band for the past 11 years. "We used DPA d:dicate 2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones as overheads and d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones for the live brass and drum set-ups. The sound they delivered was exceptional - really natural and precise."

Widely regarded as one of Europe's most important fusion bands, Mezzoforte had its first hit, Garden Party, in 1983 and has gone on to build a devoted fan base in both Europe and Asia. The band has had a long history of st

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14 March 2016

Constable is lead lighting designer for the production, alongside associate Karen Spahn and programmer Blake Garner.

The production is part of the 2015 UK-China Year of Cultural Exchange. National Theatre Live is collaborating with the National Theatre of China to bring more productions to the country with the support of the British Council. The Chinese production of War Horse debuted on 4 September.

"We first tried the Alpha Beams for the US tour version of War Horse and they worked really well, giving us added control," says Constable. "In China, they are proving to be a great augmentation to the show - I love the narrow, parallel beam which can also be softened

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14 March 2016

Techni-Lux displayed and demonstrated a few selected Showtec products on their booth at the recent LDI Trade Show in Las Vegas-NV with great success.

Luciano Salvati, Techni-Lux President and CEO. comments: "We are very pleased to be starting a partnership with Highlite. The company ethics and way of dealing with dealers is very similar to the Techni-Lux philosophy and they are also still a privately owned business, as we are."

Alex Gonzalez, Executive Vice-President of Techni-Lux added: "Highlite offer a wide range of products, which help us fill the gaps within the Techni-Lux product portfolio. Furthermore having Malcolm [Burlow] acting as the brand manager for our company, shows us the commitment that Hig

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14 March 2016

Twilight Trees installed 18 3m lollipop LED cherry trees raised on bespoke planters to transform the arcade into a fantasy world to mark the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Alice in Wonderland.

"We were so thrilled to be asked to work with Burlington Arcade. It's an iconic London landmark and the trees really helped it to come to life. It was a very proud moment when the lights were turned on and the feedback we had was incredible," said Susie Reid Thomas owner of Twilight Trees.

(Jim Evans)