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30 January 2025

Italy - Pliant Technologies has announced a new distribution agreement with Leading Technologies, a supplier of professional audio, video, lighting, and software solutions to the Italian market.

With this agreement, Leading Technologies further expands its offerings by adding professional wireless intercom solutions from Pliant Technologies. “We are thrilled to have started this collaboration,” says Marco Porro, vice-president and general manager of Leading Technologies. “Pliant's range of wireless intercom products is synonymous with quality and efficiency, and we are confident that our customers will find a fundamental added value in these solutions for their communication needs.”

“Pliant Technologies is very pleased to welcome Leading Technologies to our distribution network,” says Gary Rosen, vice-president of global sales at Pliant T

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30 January 2025

UK - The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has announced Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) as the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film award.

On the winning film, AMPS chair Andrew Wilson said: “The sound for Dune: Part Two was astonishing, and key to immersing the audience in Denis Villeneuve’s expansive world of Arrakis. It is a deeply impressive piece of filmmaking demonstrating the power of sound as a storytelling device.

“From the power of the Sandworm ride to the tiniest grains drifting in the lightest of winds, the sound is detailed and nuanced, creating a memorable experience. AMPS is honoured to recognise the work in sound of Gareth John, Tom Harrison, Martin Kwok, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and their sound teams.”

The Dune: Part Two sound team said: “We are

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30 January 2025

USA - At the 23rd Annual Parnelli Awards during NAMM 2025, Bandit Lites was awarded Lighting Company of the Year. Bandit chair and founder, Michael T. Strickland, accepted the honour with client representative Mike Stanley joining him on stage.

“Bandit is humbled to again receive this award,” said Strickland. “The Parnellis are indeed the Oscars of the live event industry. Bandit people make the difference, and we work every day to be the best version of ourselves possible. We dedicate this to the late Kent Shafferman, who we lost last week.”

Bandit Lites has been nominated every year since the awards’ inaugural event. Globally, Bandit has now earned 31 Lighting Company of the Year honours since 1993.

“Bandit always puts people first, and that is our key to success,” finished Strickland. “We kept every single employee fully pa

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29 January 2025

UK - As global temporary power specialist Power Logistics begins its 25th year in business, it has made three key appointments to its board of directors. Joining co-founders Beverly and Pete Wills on its board are Angela Rice, Ian Peniston and Nicola Glendinning.

Angela Rice, who joined the company in May 2023 with a wealth of SME financial experience, has been appointed finance director, overseeing the accounting function as well as driving financial planning, reporting and strategy within the business.

Ian Peniston takes up the position of director of operations heading up the project management, innovation and sustainability development, logistics, engineering and mechanical & electrical divisions. Peniston started his Power Logistics journey as a sub-contractor, then joined the team as a project manager in 2011 and more recently the senior ma

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29 January 2025

France - Tracking startup Naostage is growing its presence in Europe with the addition of four new distributors. These strategic partnerships in Poland, Spain, as well as the Benelux and Scandinavia regions serve the demand for expanding need for Naostage’s K System beaconless, live 3D tracking solution.

Operating through its subsidiaries in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, Arva Audio is representing Naostage in Scandinavia. Lars Baun Frederiksen, CEO of Alfa Audio A/S in Denmark, daughter company to Swedish Arva Trading, sees Naostage as an essential addition to the company’s portfolio: “Tracking technology is becoming increasingly important in pro audio, and Naostage is a perfect match for the immersive solutions we provide.”

Headquartered in Gdańsk, Lauda Central has over time evolved into a cross-border sales and marketing platform d

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29 January 2025

UK - FBT Audio (UK) has been named as the new distributor for Ultimax in the UK. The brand was recently acquired by Mark Parkhouse and has been relaunched to bring its range of DJ booths, stands and accessories back to the market.

Ultimax built its reputation on quality components and innovative design. The relaunched brand offers a variety of solutions ranging from stands for mics, speakers or laptops to trolleys, carts, speaker poles and full DJ booths.

“Ultimax stands are meticulously designed to provide the ultimate support for your valuable equipment, whether it’s a presentation booth for DJs, a safe home of a state-of-the-art speaker system, or a haven for the microphone of an exuberant frontman,” stated Parkhouse. “Crafted with precision engineering and using only the finest materials, Ultimax stands not only elevate your equipment but

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28 January 2025

USA - Clair Global has announced the unification of its Data Services Team with Safari Solutions, “combining their strengths to amplify capabilities and spark fresh innovation across both organisations”.

Safari Solutions, based out of Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, specialises in strategic and innovative technology services that enable efficient operations for large events and enterprise technology partnerships that help sustain and grow businesses.

“This is an opportunity to expand what we’ve built domestically – bringing our talent, knowledge, and experience – and scale it globally,” said Safari Solutions CEO David Baron. “There’s a natural connection between audio/video technology and innovative technology operations and how we both see the world. This is a collaboration of uniquely aligned businesses.”

“With this global e

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28 January 2025

Singapore - The Production People, Singapore, has recently invested in its first Robert Juliat fixtures with the purchase of two 600W LED-sourced RJ Oz 7°-14.5° followspots from Total Solution Marketing, Robert Juliat’s exclusive distributor for Singapore.

The Production People (TPP) is a full-service rental company in Singapore providing audio, lighting and video equipment, and crew for a wide range of events and clientele throughout Asia. As a company ethos it places high value in people, technology and know-how. With this in mind, and with its old 1200W MSR followspots gradually failing and in need of replacement, it looked to Robert Juliat for replacements.

“We were aware that our old stock was becoming more unreliable and were receiving an increased number of calls for renewals, especially from our theatre productions which have need for a

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28 January 2025

Theatres at Risk - RAAC infected theatres the Brunton, the Harlequin and Motherwell Concert Hall have been added to the Theatres Trust’s ‘Theatres at Risk Register’ as the list approaches two decades of advocating for building preservation. The three venues, two of which are facing imminent demolition following the discovery of potentially dangerous concrete (RAAC) in their infrastructures, are among five new additions to the register alongside Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre and Arts Centre and Cannock’s Prince of Wales Theatre. All five are local authority-owned, mid- to small-scale venues located outside of major cities.

Announcing the 2025 register, Theatres Trust director Joshua McTaggart noted that RAAC was proving a "particularly tricky" problem, and warned cash-strapped local authorities that cutting arts provisions would rob communities of "vita

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27 January 2025

UK - Through pioneering a new entry-level qualification, Poole’s Lighthouse is highlighting offstage roles to young people interested in exploring careers in theatre and live events.

Working with the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) Lighthouse will host a pilot of the new Copper Award, created to recognise the achievements of initial entrants in the industry by engaging them in introductory training into backstage jobs.

The pilot is being run as part of the Young Technicians course at Lighthouse from next month and is already underway at the Southbank Centre in London as part of its Technical Academy.

“Lighthouse is proud to partner with ABTT and the Southbank Centre to pioneer the new Copper Award and to help nurture the UK's next generation of theatre technicians,” says chief executive Elspeth McBain.

“We wa

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27 January 2025

Indonesia - Melodia Production recently staged demonstrations of the Level Series and Monitors from 1 Sound, with events in Jakarta and Surabaya.

The launch events saw a strong turnout, with attendees including system integrators, church tech teams, hotel management teams and owners, and production and rental companies. These events served as a platform to showcase 1 Sound’s product line and educate attendees on the brand's audio tools and service.

Leo Dani, sales executive for 1 Sound, comments: “We had a great turnout for the 1 Sound events produced by our distributor, Melodia. Together, we were able to educate the Indonesian market on 1 Sound’s loudspeakers and how they can meet the needs in a wide range of industries.”

Rudy Winarto, CEO of Melodia Production adds: “The events in Surabaya and Jakarta were very successful. People

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24 January 2025

USA - Chauvet has announced that it has acquired LiteGear, a manufacturer of film and broadcast LED systems. Together with Chauvet's Kino Flo brand, the Burbank, CA-based company will form the new Chauvet Cinema Group, which will be led by industry veteran Mike Wagner.

Founded in 2006, LiteGear has established a reputation in its industry for its innovative and reliable products, including its widely acclaimed LiteMat series of lightweight colour-corrected lighting solutions for film and television productions.

The company will maintain its brand identity, culture, and strong industry connections while expanding its product range under the Chauvet umbrella. Mike Bauman and Al DeMayo, two of LiteGear's founders, will continue to take active roles in product development, working closely with the film community to ensure the continued release of advance

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24 January 2025

Europe - Chinese manufacturer Taylorleds has announced that it is expanding its worldwide distribution network to open up new markets in Europe for its extensive range of large-scale, high-resolution LED video walls as part of its global sales strategy.

A new customer experience centre will open in Reading in February, designed to provide access to the company’s indoor, outdoor and live event LED video walls, the newest among them being the VX Series which is aimed at the rental market and will be launched at the ISE trade show in Barcelona. The Reading centre will provide regular demonstrations to customers, consultants and specifiers, as well as providing a meeting and training space for visitors from all over the UK and Ireland.

Chris Kmiec, sales director of Taylorleds UK, comments: “We’re excited to be opening this dedicated space in Readi

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24 January 2025

USA - ACT Entertainment is celebrating its longevity in the music and live sound industry at NAMM 2025 (Booth 11313). Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the ProCo Sound brand and the 35th anniversary of Horizon, one half of the RapcoHorizon brand, the company will utilise its time at the show to pay homage to all the people and products that have influenced its steady growth in the industries it serves.

Though it was officially launched in 2021 with the combined rebranding of ACT Lighting and RHC Holdings, ACT Entertainment’s sales, support and manufacturing processes can be tracked as far back as 1974, to the introduction of ProCo Sound’s audio interface solutions.

“Many of our leading brands have been around for several decades, and we thought 2025 was the perfect time to recognise these milestones,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO, ACT Entertainme

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23 January 2025

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the launch of the third edition of its annual proactive conference day, the ABTT Make A Difference Conference, which is committed to finding solutions to current industry issues. The 2025 conference will be held on Friday 28 March 2025 at Rose Bruford College in Sidcup.

The theme for this year’s discussion is Rethinking backstage technical teaching and apprenticeships with and for Industry.

The conference is designed to be more than simply talking. There is no passive sitting and listening at the conference and if you attend, you are to committing to taking action by sharing your thoughts and views. You will spend the day developing ideas and strategies to achieve solutions for the issues discussed.

Following the success of the 2023 conference, which covered t

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23 January 2025

UK - Brompton Technology last week celebrated its inclusion in the inaugural edition of The Sunday Times 100 Tech with a visit from deputy mayor of London for Business and Growth, Howard Dawber; Hounslow council leader, Cllr Shantanu Rajawat; and deputy leader and cabinet member for Assets, Regeneration and development, Cllr Tom Bruce.

The visit highlighted the Opportunity Hounslow Business Case for Growth, which aims to unlock £33bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) and create over 18,000 jobs by focusing on transformative projects like Future Feltham and the Golden Mile. It also recognised Brompton’s role in driving innovation, skills development, and community engagement.  

Published on January 19, 2025, The Sunday Times 100 Tech showcases companies making significant contributions to the UK’s technology sector.

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21 January 2025

UK - Speaker applications are now open for PLASA Focus Leeds, which returns to the city’s Royal Armouries museum from 13-14 May 2025. Renowned for its welcoming and vibrant atmosphere, the ever-popular PLASA Focus Leeds trade show attracts over 2,000 professionals each year and showcases more than 150 leading brands from across the lighting, sound, AV, rigging, staging and production industries.

Speaking as part of the event’s seminar programme is a unique opportunity to connect with a broad audience, as the sessions draw over 600 industry attendees across two theatres during the show’s two days. 

“Your insights could have an impact far beyond the UK, reaching professionals eager to learn and innovate,” say the show’s organisers. “This is your chance to position yourself as a thought leader, sharing knowledge that could help shape the

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21 January 2025

Singapore - Stage 4, a busy rental company based in Singapore, has joined the growing list of Singaporean rental companies to use Ayrton products, and is the first in Singapore to invest in Rivale Profiles.

The company explained its decision to add Rivale Profile to its stock. “We chose Rivale Profile for our inventory so that we can cater for the wide range of lifestyle and conference related events that we work on. We had been using other brands for around 15 years and we needed to replenish our moving heads.

“We had heard lots of positive news from the industry about Ayrton and also from many of the programmers in Singapore, and had seen the fixtures in action in venues. Initially we’d had a concern about the heat given off by the fixtures, but this was quickly dispelled when we were shown the excellent heat management system of these units,

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20 January 2025

France - More top names from across the lighting industry have joined the line-up of speakers set to present at Showlight 2025, which visits Dijon, France, this 19-22 May.
With topics drawing from innovations in mixed and multimedia lighting, the illumination of spaces from the smallest venue to the wide open sky, and the subject of climate change and sustainability initiatives, the second batch of names and topics revealed includes . . .

Lighting ‘Cine-Theatre’
Nick Schlieper, one of Australia’s most highly awarded designers, will examine the considerable challenges posed by lighting Cine-Theatre, a style of production which utilises live feed video combined with pre-recorded footage with which the performers constantly interact. The term was coined by a critic, writing about a ground-breaking production of The Picture Of Do

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20 January 2025

USA - The 2025 NAMM Show will take place at the Anaheim Convention Centre this week as planned, with events beginning on Tuesday, 21 January running through to 25 January.

As previously reported, there had been fears the wildfires in Northern Los Angeles might cause a postponement.

“We have been in constant contact with our partners and city officials all week, and Anaheim is still unaffected by the wildfires in northern Los Angeles,” said John Mlynczak, president and CEO of NAMM, at the weekend.

“We have confirmed that the air quality is safe, that traffic between LAX and Anaheim will not impact relief efforts, and that our hotel rooms will not displace any evacuees. We want to be sure that we can gather for a safe, successful NAMM Show while also supporting the ongoing relief efforts.”

Mlynczak continued: “The 2025 NAMM Sh

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20 January 2025

UK - Lang UK has confirmed that it is now an official rental and sales partner of AV Stumpfl’s Pixera media server system.

Lang UK’s managing director Anika Lauth says of the partnership: “Our whole team is excited to start this journey with AV Stumpfl’s Pixera system. Pixera servers are powerful, versatile and future proof, making them an excellent fit within our portfolio.”

Craig Harrower, managing director of AV Stumpfl says: "With their in-depth market expertise and well-established regional network, Lang UK is an outstanding partner for the UK. Their logistical excellence ensures the fast and reliable delivery of our products. We are confident that this collaboration will enhance our service quality and strengthen our presence in the UK market.”

Lang UK was originally formed in 2017 in Hemel Hempstead, relocating in 2021 to a

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17 January 2025

Belgium - Follow-Me has announced a new sales partnership with XLR Pro in Belgium and Luxembourg. The partnership aims to ‘revolutionise live performance experiences’ by integrating Follow-Me’s tracking system with XLR Pro’s range of lighting and audio equipment. As a result, Follow-Me's independent solutions will soon be offered to the entire market. 

The collaboration will bring together Follow-Me’s performer tracking solutions, which supply precise positional data for performers, with leading lighting and audio systems. This synergy is designed to enhance the connection between performers and their audiences by enabling more dynamic, immersive and responsive environments for both lighting and sound. 

Located in Brussels, XLR Pro delivers innovative premium AV equipment to theatres, recording studios, broadcasters, system integrators, r

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16 January 2025

Australia - LEA Professional has announced its partnership with Queensland-based manufacturer’s representative Global AV Sales. This partnership will bring LEA’s technology catalogue to the APAC, Middle East, and EMEA residential markets.

This partnership will allow Global AV Sales to offer LEA Professional’s Network Connect series of professional amplifiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity. These series enable integrators to utilise cloud-based remote control, monitoring, notifications, and more from any internet-enabled device, allowing them to stay connected anywhere in the world.

"We strive to continually offer the best of the best to our global network of customers," said Dave Williams, CEO, Global AV Sales. "LEA lives up to and exceeds this standard, we’re looking forward to opening up a whole ne

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14 January 2025

USA - The NAMM Foundation has created the 2025 LA Wildfires Relief Fund, committing $50,000, and they are accepting additional contributions. This fund was established in response to the fires in Greater Los Angeles and their devastating impact on NAMM members, music programs, and music professionals in the area.

Needs-based assistance will be provided to NAMM members, employees of NAMM member companies, music education programmes, and music makers affected by the January 2025 fires. The NAMM Foundation is currently performing a needs assessment and will provide more information soon on the distribution of and application process for these funds.

"The NAMM Show has been in Anaheim for 49 years; the LA community is our home and our family,” said NAMM president & CEO, John Mlynczak. “NAMM is committed to supporting the relief and recov