Details

18 March 2025

Next Generation - A major entertainment centre is fundraising to invest £20m into a new academy to develop the next generation of musicians. The Glasshouse in Gateshead is aiming to support young musicians throughout their education and help them build a career in music. Over the next two years, the academy will open four ‘music learning hot spots’ in Middlesbrough, Carlisle, Sunderland and Kendal.

The organisation said the scheme had been designed to ensure young musicians could take their next step in developing their talent, whether that be picking up an instrument for the first time or pursuing a career.

Glasshouse CEO Abigail Pogson said the centre, previously called The Sage, had worked for the last 20 years to be a place people of all ages could make and experience music. She said: "The Glasshouse Academy builds on this f

Details

17 March 2025

UK - Adlib returned to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall stage earlier this month for the largest annual music industry careers event for young people in the North of England. The team engaged with attendees to discuss career paths and showcase the inspiring roles available in the live events industry.

Over 700 people attended the 2025 Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest, which was delivered in partnership with Universal Music, Spotify, UK Music, PLASA, LIPA, Revere Arts, and LIMF Academy.

Adlib has a long-standing tradition of supporting the next generation of talent through regular open days at Adlib HQ, as well as providing work experience, apprenticeship opportunities, and participation in Early Careers events.

Lisa Mitchell, training and development, Adlib comments: "We’ve been delighted to support the Liverpool Phil

Details

17 March 2025

UK - Rise AV, an organisation dedicated to promoting gender diversity and professional development in the AV, live, and residential technology sectors, has announced the launch of its inaugural UK Mentoring Programme Agenda. Starting in May, the six-month initiative is designed to empower women by providing invaluable support to those with up to six years of experience, as well as those at the start of their career journey.

The Rise AV Mentoring Programme is made possible through the essential support of leading industry organisations that share the programme’s commitment to empowering women and upskilling the workforce to safeguard the future of the AV sector. Thanks to the generosity of Rise AV’s industry partners and the dedication of its esteemed mentors, participation in the programme is free of charge.

Rise AV extends its thanks to headline

Details

17 March 2025

China - On 13 March, Absen hosted its Spring Launch event, to present its latest innovations for the ProAV market. The event, themed Pioneering Pixels: Shaping the Future, brought together more than 70 clients and partners from around the world to connect, gain valuable insights into emerging trends and showcase Absen's latest innovations and strategic vision for the future.

The event kicked off with keynote speeches by Absen’s senior leadership team, outlining the brand’s positioning and strategy for the coming year. The team emphasised Absen's commitment to pioneering advancements in pro AV technologies with an in-depth introduction to the company's latest product launches.

The new products pre-launched included the Absen X V2 Series, featuring all-in-one LED display solutions for conference and corporate applications with 2K+

Details

17 March 2025

Singapore - Claypaky fixtures scored big at the World Table Tennis Grand Smash Singapore 2025, where a large complement of Sharpy X Frames and Sharpy Washes were deployed for competition lighting and for audience-pleasing sports presentations that kept fans’ energy high.

The six-year-old organisation which runs commercialised table tennis tournaments, WTT considers its Grand Smashes to be the pillars of the sport and the most important events in the table tennis calendar. The WTT series started its Singapore leg in 2021 with Gabriel Chan acting as lighting designer/programmer. Singapore hosted the inaugural WTT Grand Smash tournament in 2022 and has since been the cradle of Grand Smash tournaments around the world.

According to Gabriel Chan the lighting design for the Singapore Grand Smash needs to fulfil three functions. The fiel

Details

17 March 2025

USA - The Dolby Theatre was filled with anticipation as audio engineers and broadcast professionals utilised Shure’s technology to deliver quality audio at the 97th Academy Awards.

With a dedicated team of experts and a robust lineup of Shure gear, including TwinPlex lavalier microphones and Axient Digital wireless systems, the event's audio production once again set the standard for live television broadcasting.

The crew list included A1 broadcast, Paul Sandweiss; music mixer, Biff Dawes; orchestra mixer, Tommy Vicari; monitors, Michael Parker; orchestra monitors, Tom Pesa; FOH, Patrick Batzell and RF frequency coordinator, Steve Vaughn. 

Jeremy Peters, monitor engineer for Doja Cat, comments: “We started using the Nexadyne microphone to capture the full spectrum of Doja Cat’s vocal abilities, from her softer rapping to her powerful,

Details

17 March 2025

South Africa - For over two decades, Johannesburg-based Keystone Productions has delivered quality shows, product launches, and conferences. Their team of experts provides full technical support, including live audio, lighting, screens, streaming, video mapping, stage effects, and staging.

Recently, Justin and Jonathan Le Roux, the brothers behind Keystone, identified a gap in their audio department. After years without a major console upgrade, they knew it was time to invest in a solution to elevate their productions. Following a few months of research and consultation with trusted sound engineers, the decision was clear – a DiGiCo S21 from DWR Distribution.

“We still had a few of our older consoles in rotation, but as our broadcast and live event workload grew, we needed a desk that could keep up with demand,” says Justin Le Roux. “We talke

Details

17 March 2025

Germany - Located in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Soundfabrik Berlin recording studio has long been a hub for musicians, producers, and audio professionals. Spanning 400sq.m on the top floor of a historic factory building, the studio has undergone a major renovation and expansion with the assistance of renowned architectural acoustic consulting, design, and media systems engineering firm, WSDG.

The renovation, completed in the summer of 2024, includes the addition of a state-of-the-art Studio B, a compact space optimised for immersive Dolby Atmos audio production.

Founded in 2013 as Blackbird Studios, the facility was acquired by musicians and entrepreneurs Guilherme Castelhano and Julia Selbherr Castelhano in 2022. Upon taking ownership, both envisioned transforming the space into a comprehensive creative environment for production, songwriting, and recor

Details

17 March 2025

USA - New Jersey-based Squeek Lights has expanded its inventory by adding Elation’s new Paragon LED profile moving head, becoming one of the first rental companies in the US to stock the award-winning fixture. With the acquisition, Squeek Lights currently has the largest inventory of Paragon lights in the US, enhancing its capacity to deliver top-tier lighting solutions for live events.

“Paragon really checked all the boxes for us,” said Victor Zeiser, managing partner at Squeek Lights. “We compared it to similar products and found it had features that others didn’t. Plus, its versatility as a multi-purpose light was very attractive. Paragon does everything we need it to.”

Zeiser first encountered Paragon in its prototype phase and later saw the market-ready model at the LDI tradeshow in December, where it won the Best Debuting Product Aw

Details

17 March 2025

Australia - CPC Production Services is a leading live event and broadcast production company in Ipswich, Queensland. It has recently chosen to invest in Prolights solutions, supplied by Show Technology, the official distributor for Australia and New Zealand.

Recognised for delivering a full spectrum of live event and broadcast production services, the company has invested in Prolights EclProfile CT+IP and Prolights EclSoft LinearIP fixtures, along with additional EclPanel TWC and EclPanel TWCJr panels to enhance its stock.

“We've got a large outside broadcast truck, and our Prolights gear is great for that work,” commented Murray Keidge, managing director of CPC. “However, we love them for all of our work, particularly overhead lighting on theatre stages, for which they are stunning.”

Before investing in a Prolights inventory, Keidge

Details

14 March 2025

Europe - Following the successful launch of Milan Manager at InfoComm 2024, d&b audiotechnik and L-Acoustics have announced the launch of milanmanager.com, a dedicated website for accessing this network management solution.

The platform serves as a unified resource for audio professionals and manufacturers seeking to implement Milan-AVB networks across various applications. The website provides a centralised, manufacturer-neutral location where all users can download Milan Manager software free of charge.

The launch of a dedicated Milan Manager website coincides with the release of Milan Manager V2.0. This major upgrade includes many new features, the most significant being the addition of an advanced offline mode that enables the pre-configuration of Milan-AVB networks using

Details

14 March 2025

UK - The O2 has appointed digiLED as official LED OOH screen supplier. The announcement follows a multitude of successful LED screen installations at the venue, spearheaded by the new super-sized LED screen in the main entrance, which went live in early March. Measuring approximately 192sq.m, it will be the largest standalone screen at the venue. Additionally, two other LED installations are set to follow, the larger of these being a high-resolution replacement for the existing outdoor cylinder screen.

digiLED has supplied multiple LED screens to The O2 over the years, most recently a new screen installed in the Entertainment District. Further installations include the upgrade of the arena’s mid-tier LED banner system – delivering brighter, more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable performance.

"We were chosen as the LED screen partne

Details

14 March 2025

Vietnam - UK amplifier tech manufacturing partners XTA and MC² have appointed Viet KTV Electronics Company of Hanoi as their exclusive distributor for Vietnam. Viet KTV is an established and trusted distributor of leading global AV brands in Vietnam, as well as a successful integrator of audio and video systems across the country.

Commenting on behalf of XTA/MC², Richard Fleming looks forward to developing a productive relationship with Viet KTV: “Led by Vu Phi Diep, the Viet KTV team comprises a group of highly motivated AV experts who have vast experience in supplying and advising clients, as well as carrying out their own wide-ranging projects using world-leading brands. We are delighted to have such strong representation in this fast-growing emerging market.”

Vu Phi Diep, director at Viet KTV comments: “XTA/MC² has an excellent internati

Details

14 March 2025

UK - Zeal has made a major investment in Martin MAC Viper XIP fixtures, reinforcing its commitment to delivering high-quality lighting solutions for live events and productions.

“With LED technology advancing rapidly, new fixtures are constantly being released,” says Steve Hough, managing director at Zeal. “But when it comes to spots, our priority is finding a fixture that provides consistency, quality, and longevity. When [exclusive Martin Professional UK distributor] Sound Technology demoed the MAC Viper XIP, we expected something similar to what we’d seen before – but this one really stood out. It impressed both our design and production teams enough to investigate it further and, ultimately, make it our go-to spot fixture.”

Zeal first saw the Viper XIP in August 2024 – in the middle of a busy period. Despite the packed schedule, the

Details

14 March 2025

Austria - Stefaniensaal, a concert hall in Graz, Austria, has recently enhanced its lighting system with the installation of Elation’s Fuze Pendant downlighting fixtures. This upgrade was successfully implemented by PKE, with the lighting solutions specifically tailored to meet the needs of the historic venue.

Stefaniensaal, located in the heart of Graz’s Congress Centre is celebrated for its architecture and acoustics, including a magnificent pipe organ, making it one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world. The hall, which has a capacity of 1,100, is home to the city’s Recreation Orchestra.

Hosting a wide range of events, from classical concerts and balls to conferences, congresses and presentations, the hall required a lighting solution that was not only versatile but also sensitive to the historic and aesthetic features of the spac

Details

14 March 2025

Finland - Tony Kushner’s Angels in America continues its sell-out performances at Finland’s National Theatre, with a projection-heavy design driven by a Green Hippo Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 Media Server.

Staged in the theatre’s Small Stage space, the 292-strong audience each night is drawn to the proscenium opening which is 10m wide and 6m high, where the 15m-wide back wall is turned entirely into a projection surface. On stage, the team has rigged a set that features 13 pillars, ‘ancient’ marble and a piece of statue bulging from the wall, and five portrait-shaped window frames, making projection a challenge.

“The set consists primarily of a single stage image – a ‘too wide’ back wall, which we wanted to turn into a projection surface,” explains Ville Virtanen, head of the lighting and video department at the Finnish Natio

Details

14 March 2025

USA - Country superstar Alan Jackson is performing a lively selection of his many hits on the Last Call Tour, which concludes 17 May at Milwaukee's 17,000-seat Fiserv Forum.

The tour's production manager and lighting designer Mason Felps with 46 Entertainment has done his client proud, with a bold panoramic show that “reflects the timeless spirit of Jackson's inimitable sound”.

"We reprogrammed the entire show this year, positioning the fixtures wider to create expansive, atmospheric looks that enhance the mood," said Felps. "Dynamic colour changes shift with the energy and progression of each song, adding depth and impact to the visuals. This show is built on big looks, really utilizing the Color Strike Ms to set the mood and provide the audience lighting that Alan loves."

Felps used 56 Chauvet Professional Color Strike M fixtur

Details

14 March 2025

UK - Robe stepped up the energy in the room for the 24th edition of the TPi Awards, supplying nearly 250 of its latest moving LED lights to help create the production lighting design – imagined by Robe’s own creative team – for the high-profile industry event produced by TPi Magazine, part of Mondiale Technology Media.

The event was staged at the Evolution London venue in Battersea and was hosted – for the second consecutive year – by Emmanuel Sonub, with over 1,850 industry professionals in the audience.

Robe technology was showcased by a team led by lighting director Nathan Wan, associate LD Andy Webb, lead programmer Jordan Tinniswood, programmer Kyle Evans and Robe International’s exhibition and production manager, Tomas Kohout who co-ordinated all the logistics needed to amass this large amount of kit at Evolution.<

Details

14 March 2025

France - The municipality of La Tour-de-Salvagny has a new Anolis lighting installation on the eye-catching roundabout in front of the Pasino Grand Partouche entertainment complex. Formerly known as Casino Lyon Vert, Pasino Grand is a flagship establishment of the Partouche Group.

As part of its overall energy optimisation policy, the city of Lyon delegated its civic lighting responsibilities to SIGERLy (Syndicat de Gestion des Énergies de la Région Lyonnaise), founded in 1935, an organisation that unites the Lyon metropolitan area and 65 municipalities, undertaking public service missions focused on energy management.

This specific initiative made it possible to modernise the lighting on this roulette table-shaped roundabout which is a popular landmark, utilising the highly versatile Anolis Calumma XS LED fixtures.

Anolis – the architect

Details

14 March 2025

Austria - Leyard Europe has been involved in a major installation at the Red Bull Ice Hockey Arena in Salzburg. As part of the extensive digital signage overhaul, ROPA Digital Displays provided a customised solution with Leyard’s Tfree transparent displays, featuring a 2.6mm pixel pitch and an exceptionally lightweight structure.

The project presented several challenges, particularly the limited load capacity of the arena’s roof. However, Leyard’s innovative technology and tailor-made approach enabled ROPA to deliver an advanced solution that met the venue's specific needs.

The installation consists of four Tfree Pro-F 2.6 displays, with the highlight of the upgrade being the new LED cube positioned above the ice rink. This 4 x 2.5m cube replaces an outdated rear projector system and was carefully designed to meet strict weight specifications.<