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Business

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UK - Once again it was standing room only at some of the five seminars during this year's ISCEx 2005 event in Watford Tuesday 22 February, according to the event's organizers, the Institute of Sound and Communication Engieneers (ISCE). The 23 specialist companies exhibiting their latest products and services reported good business from around 200 visitors, say the organizers, who also reveal that ISCEx 2006 is already planned for 28 February 2006.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) - the organization which awards the famous Oscars each year - plays a much wider role in the day-to-day workings of Hollywood. As a large organization holding many meetings and conferences, the Academy recently undertook an expansion and modernization of its main Los Angeles conference room, which includes the installation of Sennheiser' ME36 condenser microphone.

Los Angeles-based Offenhauser/Mekeel Architects oversaw the redesign of the AMPAS room, and Warner Constructors, the firm behind many of Disney's theme parks, spearheaded construction. To create the room's audio and video systems, and provide acoustic design, Offenhauser/Mekeel brought in Menlo Scientific Acoustics, who have brainstormed acoustical and presentation system designs for venues including the Getty Center and the Getty Villa Museums. Menlo princ

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UK - Blitz, a leading provider of AV equipment and services, combined the expertise from its Manchester and Elstree facilities to supply sound and video solutions for the 2005 ELLE Style Awards held on 15 February at one of East London's newest and most challenging venues, Spitalfields Market. The event was attended by a host of leading celebrities from the fashion, film, television and music world.

Blitz worked with urban productions, a leading events management company, to supply the Awards ceremony with both the equipment and personnel to ensure a flawless service. Blitz first worked with urban productions for the 2004 Whitbread Young Achiever Awards. Monique Smith, project manager at urban productions, commented: "The Whitbread Young Achiever Awards was held at a unique venue in Central London and Blitz's expertise, coupled with their proactive approach and attention t

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USA - Fibre optic lighting manufacturers Lumenyte International Corporation and Visual Lighting Technologies Inc have entered into an exclusive sales and distribution agreement for worldwide sales in the architectural market. Visual Lighting Technologies will be taking over all aspects of Lumenyte's architectural trade, including sales, marketing, design, installation and customer service.

The new alliance will combine the strengths and superior product offerings of both companies, including Lumenyte's proprietary LEF directional linear technology, Sta-flex large core fibres, and LumePanel Backlighting fixtures, and VLT's line of high quality Roblon Fiber Optic stranded fibre and fixtures. Visual Lighting Technologies will also contribute its extensive experience in the architectural lighting field, and its reputation for outstanding customer service, the company says.

The n

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UK - Leisuretec Distribution has become a distributor for LiteStructures, one of the UK's leading designer and provider of aluminium solutions. The agreement gives Leisuretec access to the full range of LiteStructures products, including brand-leading AstraLite truss and the LiteStage system of staging and complementary products. Nick Spalding, managing director of Leisuretec Distribution, commented: "We are always willing to add brands to the portfolio of products offered by Leisuretec that offer our customer's something new. We believe the LiteStructures range of products provides a solution for the wide range of markets that our customers are in."

Simon Taylor, sales and marketing director at LiteStructures, added: "We wanted to identify a strategic partnership with a key distributor who had strong commercial, technical and relationship qualities, but equally

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UK - The official opening of Shearer's Bar at Newcastle United's St James Park ground on 12 February was marked in grand Geordie style with guitar legend Mark Knopfler, with fellow Dire Straits member Alan Clark on keyboards, played a live version of Knopfler's 'Local Hero' film theme to a very enthusiastic home crowd. The 'Local Hero' connection comes from the fact that the song is played at every Newcastle United home game as the players take to the pitch. After agreeing to help out, Knopfler needed a PA system to enhance his own backline. Q Music (Northern) Ltd were on hand to provide a full 2.4kW HK Audio Actor system, together with two HK Audio D.A.R.T. monitors.

Q Music managing director Gary Nicholson commented: "The specification for this event obviously had to be of an extremely high standard, as befits a performer of Mark Knopfler's standing. The chosen rig would

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USA - The latest move in the ongoing LED patent dispute between Super Vision Inc and Color Kinetics Inc was the filing this week by Super Vision of a motion for summary judgement against Color Kinetics. The motion, which includes nine affidavits from witnesses against Color Kinetics, alleges that the founders of Color Kinetics, George Mueller and Ihor Llys, were aware of the existence of prior art relating to their LED products before they filed their own patent applications. Among the nine witnesses against the company is Jerry Laidman, the Nevada-based lighting innovator who created the Saturn colour-changing LED effects in the late 1970s, and of whose products Mueller and Llys were allegedly aware (see L&SI November 2004 to read more on the background to the controversy). The case is scheduled to be heard

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UK - To celebrate its 25th year in business, Walthamstow-based specialist lighting manufacturer Light Engineering is organizing an unusual prize draw: 5,000 of their customers have been invited to enter to win a giant 30" mirror ball, which includes around 27,500 individual mirror pieces. However, before the draw takes place, the mirrorball is going on a remarkable 1,000 mile charity walk around London in the capable hands of local stunt man and celebrity Terry Cole, with all funds going to the Tsunami Appeal.

Light Engineering has just completed its third commission to produce a 69" mirror ball (the second one to go to France) which they will despatch before the end of January.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Stage Technologies provided the automation systems for three West End productions that picked up awards last Sunday at the Laurence Olivier Awards 2005. The Olivier Awards are the most prestigious awards in London theatre and are presented by the Society of London Theatre. Mary Poppins, The Woman in White and The Producers all picked up major awards, while a further 43 nominees also benefit from using Stage Technologies' automation systems, including Festen and productions at the Royal Opera House, the Barbican and the Sadler's Wells Theatre.

Over the past 10 years, Stage Technologies has made significant investment in research and development in stage engineering to keep the technology moving forward. Combining experience and imagination, they have been able to produce products that remove many limitations and add creative possibilities in live entert

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UK - One of the first feature-packed Denon DN-D6000 dual CD/MP3 players has been fitted into the high-profile Bar M near Piccadilly Circus, by Ed Manwaring of EM Communications. Owned by Glendola Leisure, Bar M acts as an annexe champagne lounge to CC-Club - on the site of the former Alien War at the Trocadero. EM Communications won the contract to fit the sound, based on their past knowledge of the site, knowing that the bar had to be open for midweek daytime trading, reverting to a dance venue in its own right Thursdays through Saturdays. At that point the hard disk background system would make way for the Denon playback.

Manwaring had carried out the original installation at CC-Club/Bar M while working for another company, specifying a pair of Denon DN-2100F dual CD players, which had continued to operate faultlessly over a four-year period. Last year, a pair of DN-S3000 tab

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UK - White Light is the chosen lighting supplier for a flurry of new theatre productions opening on tour and in the West End this year. On tour, White Light has supplied equipment to Highland Fling, the new ballet directed by Matthew Bourne, designed by Lez Brotherston and with lighting by Paule Constable - who on Sunday became the winner of this year's Olivier Award for Best Lighting for her work on His Dark Materials at the National Theatre; to Dracula, lit by Rick Fisher, to Insignificance, lit by Neil Austin, to The King and I, lit by Peter Mumford, to Sleeping Beauty on Ice, lit by Gavan Swift, and to The Witches, lit by Mark Jonathan. Tours returning for the New Year using White Light equipment include The Play What I Wrote, lit by Tim Mitchell, An Inspector Calls, lit by Rick Fisher, Miss Saigon, lit by Je

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UK - The latest addition to the Cardiff Bay skyline, the Wales Millennium Centre, has received plaudits from around the world, and not just for its striking appearance. At the heart of the WMC lies the Donald Gordon theatre, the new permanent home for the Welsh National Opera Company. A 1,900 capacity auditorium or 'Lyric Theatre' as the management would have it, the theatre embraces all that its new tenants could possibly desire; an aesthetically tailored interior that matches and enhances the striking exterior, a superb natural acoustic; and it boasts all the very latest in stage presentation technology.

Stage Electrics were awarded the technology installation contract, Jonathan Porter-Goff project managing the complete installation from the company's HQ in Bristol. "We installed the lighting infrastructure," he said. "But when it came to selecting the specific

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USA - A High End Systems (HES) Catalyst Pro media server is kickstarting the heart of Motley Crue's Red, White & Crue: Better Live Than Dead 2005 world tour. The two-hour show, featuring classics and new numbers, reunites after six years all four original members of the band Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee.

The lighting team includes LD Justin Collie of Artfag, lighting director Kevin Cauley and programmer Nathan Wilson, with extra pre-tour assistance from HES programmers Brad Schiller and Nicholas Militello. XL Touring Video is supplying the Catalyst system, while the lighting contractor is Ed & Ted's Excellent Lighting.

The tour started in February in North American arenas, then heads to Latin America, Europe and UK, and returns to US amphitheatres in August and September. November and December will see the group in Southeast Asia.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Every year leading US entertainment industry magazine Entertainment Design invites a distinguished panel of judges to select the Sound Products of the Year. This selection process has remained consistently rigorous for over nine years whereby a group of designers and technicians from around the country, and occasionally the world, are invited by ED to communicate via email or in person to debate the pros and cons of equipment launched during the course of the year. After which the panel decides the winners.

This year's judging panel included sound designers, board ops, an academic, and an acoustician whose choice of top sound products represents a unique cross section of incremental improvements to existing technology, and include everything from a protocol to a cable. The winners are Aviom's A-Net Pro64 ASIC protocol, d&b audiotechnik's D12 amplifier, DiGiCo's D5T console,

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UK - Corporate Audio Visual Plc - one of the UK's largest audiovisual companies - has announced the acquisition of the Aztec Communications Group Ltd, a specialist hire, events and exhibitions company, in a move which further strengthens the Company's portfolio of services.

The completion of this acquisition, together with the relocation of the Manchester head office to purpose-built premises and the expansion of the company's Birmingham operation "underpins the Company's commitment to technical excellence" says the company. Aztec Communications will relocate from its existing Waterloo offices to Corporate AV's expanded Vauxhall site in central London.

Over the past 15 years, Aztec Communications has built a reputation for technical competence and quality of service within the event and exhibitions market. Corporate AV says its national presence will provide a platf

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UK - MCL Birmingham has been appointed as the preferred AV supplier to the ICC Birmingham. The company has supplied to the venue for a number of years, but will now take main responsibility for the provision any additional AV requirements. MCL Birmingham secured the appointment against intense competition: one of the reasons for MCL's success has been the excellent working relationship that exists between hire desk manager Chris Cheatle and the ICC Birmingham's technical manager, Paul Dipple, say the company.

Chris commented: "We have always worked very hard to ensure we provide what our clients want, when they want it. However we took this a step further for the ICC Birmingham. We met with the ICC Birmingham team and noted the areas in which they saw the greatest need for additional support in the coming years. For example there was an increasing requirement for moving lig

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Czech Republic - Summit Steel has finished an ambitious rigging project in Prague, working for production company Jigzaw, which involved design and build of a substantial rigging infrastructure and supply of equipment and crew, for the European Sales Meeting of Stryker Corporation - one of world's largest multinational medical device companies.

The event took place over three days and across five venues in the city, with Summit working in two locations - the Industrial Trade Fair Palace - a beautiful art nouveau exhibition centre dating from 1891, and the more contemporary Hilton Congress Centre. It was Summit's first event for Jigzaw; production manager Chris Venn asked them onboard after working with Summit on the 'Music on Fire' classical spectacular event at Sandhurst Military Academy in summer 2004.

At the Hilton Congress Centre, Summit's task was relatively straightforw

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UK - Lighting design and installation specialist i-Vision has completed an architectural lighting scheme at the new Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Civic Centre, located in central Neath. The contemporary building, designed by the Council's in-house architects, features a large central entrance atrium and two impressive glass staircase atriums at either end of its two wings, all clearly visible from the exterior. Other elements include distinctive clad pillars, exposed brickwork and intricate lattices of steel structural detail - all of which lend themselves naturally to lighting.

The project was managed for i-Vision by Dave Mackay, who worked closely with Geoff Jones to design the scheme. Given an imaginative free reign and a relatively open brief, they certainly weren't short of ideas! It was decided to illuminate the central atrium's front metalwork - which unites t

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The Netherlands - Midas Consoles Holland has made Klark Teknik's DN370 analogue graphic equalizer available to a wide client base by offering an EQ Amnesty across the country for a limited period. Under the terms of the offer, one previously-owned EQ unit could be traded against a brand new DN370 on a part-exchange basis, ensuring that a substantial discount was received on each new unit.

The deal was the brainchild of managing director Axel Nagtegaal, who explains: "I wanted to find a way of giving rental companies who recognized the quality of the Klark Teknik DN370 the opportunity to purchase them by generating money from the sale of their other brand EQs. In most cases, it would have been extremely difficult to offload these units second-hand in any other way."

When the offer ended, Nagtegaal was staggered to find that 110 rental companies and theatres had take

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UK - Production hire company Hawthorn Theatrical has taken delivery of a 32-channel Aztec console to complement its ever increasing stock of Audient equipment, including a sizeable number of Audient's graphic equalizer, the ASP231. Specializing in event design and production, Hawthorn has a wealth of experience in corporate, AV, install and live production, providing the "one-stop-shop" production and hire service. With a hire inventory of over 2615 lines of stock, 62 members of full time staff as well as a warehouse the size of 5 football pitches, Hawthorn's commitment to providing a professional service at the very highest level is clearly evident.

Audient's UK sales manager, Nick Pemberton says: "When I visited Hawthorn for the first time, I was taken back by the company's scale. It's a truly amazing place. Since then I have been back on a number of occasions

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UK - XL Video supplied two Barco R12 projectors to Red Priest's Red Hot Baroque Show which launched at Hackney Empire last week, before embarking on an international tour scheduled to last most of the year. The show's visuals - lighting and projection - have been designed and produced by Ben Rogers, who started work on the project last autumn. He was approached early by the music act, who was already engaged in constant touring worldwide. They wanted to 'up' the production values of their show and develop it into a creative collage of Baroque recital and modern performance.

Projection was on the cards from an early stage. Rogers wanted something that would give a unique look and was easily travelled. He approached XL Video's arts and theatre specialist Malcolm Mellows and together they explored the different options. They came up with the two projectors which can be front

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UK - Wembley Arena Pavilion opened it doors in February with shows by X Factor and Westlife in the first week. Wembley Ltd contracted The Arena Group to design and build the semi-permanent venue, which has already hosted, and will continue to host some of the world's biggest music stars, until the £32m refurbishment of Wembley Stadium is completed.

The £4m temporary arena has the look and feel of a permanent building. It is insulated for heat and sound, is over 165m long, 70m wide and 17m high, with a seating capacity of 10,000, offers a VIP corporate hospitality area and full backstage production facilities for organizers.

All four divisions of the Arena Group contributed skills and resources to create this unique venue.Arena Structures supplied their TFS structure and supplementary structures to create the venue;Arena Seating supplied and installed the 10,000 seats; Aren

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Germany - With effect from today, Sennheiser GmbH & Co KG, located in Wedemark, Germany, has taken over the marketing and development divisions of Klein & Hummel GmbH, located in Ostfildern, Germany, including all product rights and brand use. This move will be represented by a newly founded company, K&H Vertriebs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH.

During its 60-year history, Klein & Hummel has developed a strong reputation for its studio monitors and other products including installed sound systems. In the past, Sennheiser has been Klein & Hummel's key distribution partner. With its existing core competencies, a worldwide distribution network and the newly gained K&H products, Sennheiser is now strengthening strengthens its position as a full-line supplier of electro-acoustic systems. Together with K&H's sister company Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin, Sennheiser "represents th

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USA - On 19 January, 2005, guests began using the 53,000sq.ft first floor of the all-new Black Oak Casino in Tuolumne, California. What the Black Oak Casino was looking for to complement the new casino was an automated lighting package to deliver the right look and perhaps, a few reminders to guests. "When specifying this job, the customer was looking for automated lights that ran silently, delivered a wide range of looks and colours, and allow the casino to project messages and logos. The Vari-Lite VL1000TD fixtures were perfect for the application," explains Gary Guberman, lighting manager for Quantum Audio and Video, the supplier and installer of the project.

The Black Oak Casino uses eight Vari-Lite VL1000TD luminaires (tungsten lamp source with integral IGBT dimmers) in their main lounge, the Willow Creek Lounge. The Willow Creek Lounge has a dance floor, and on

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