UK - At the ABTT Show (Royal Horticultural Halls, London - 15th and 16th June), Philips Entertainment Lighting will showcase its latest range of lighting design and technical solutions from Philips Selecon, Phillips Strand Lighting and Philips Vari-lite.

Focus will be on the raft of exciting new LED fixtures from Philips Selecon and Philips Vari-lite along with the latest breakthroughs in control, networking and distribution from Philips Strand Lighting. The Philips team will also welcome new staff members Matt Hallard and David March, both already familiar faces to many members of the industry, especially those that enjoy the pleasures of working with the Vari-lite range of fixtures.

Graham Eales Regional Manager EMEA for Philips Entertainment Lighting says: "These are exciting times for the team at PEL. Over the last few weeks we've seen some exciting changes implemente

UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light is now often called upon to provide lighting installations to schools around the country, but the company recently provided a system far from the normal 'theatre-style' installation to the Oaklands School, a secondary school for children with severe learning difficulties in Isleworth, London.

The school was creating a new sensory space for its pupils, aiming to use the power of lighting to change the mood of the room. To achieve this, White Light supplied an amBIENT XClighting controller, a device specially designed to automatically create spectacular lighting effects based on exterior inputs with no user involvement required. White Light also supplied a series of colour-changing LED fittings around the hexagonal room, 12 fixtures washing the walls and 12 uplighting the domed roof.

The controller was then configured to take a

India - PALM Expo 2011 ended with a successful showcasing in its 11th year running in India. The annual event supported by the global industry was held from 2 - 4 June 2011, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

PALM witnessed a jump from 75 exhibitors in 2010 to 117 Exhibitors in 2011 - an increase of 56% from last year; 15,959 total attendees in 2011, to the PALM + Integrate and Musician Expo; 8,424 visitors to the PALM+ Integrate - an increase of 30% from last year.

This year the Expo witnessed a restructured floor plan with the Musician Expo given its due importance and identity in a separate hall. The Musician Expo was well represented with booths of several new players in this segment.

Another accomplishment that was lauded by the exhibitors and visitors was the further control of noise levels with line arrays not allowed to play at high volumes in the PALM Expo Hal

UK - On 18 June, The National Theatre will see a group of bikers, hailing from all sectors of the entertainment technology industry, set off on an eight-day motorbike tour of fascinating and historical UK theatres. Their mission: To raise as much money as they can for industry charity The Theatrical Guild (TTG).

At 10am, having fuelled themselves with a hearty, al fresco, breakfast, the chequered flag will be lowered and they will be on their way. However they will not be alone. A group of police motorbike outriders will accompany them, out of London to the A11.

Stars of the stage and screen, including West end actress Liz Robertson, James Fleet and a host of others, will be waving them off.

Rob Barnard, head of technical resources at The National Theatre says, "I am delighted to be involved with such a fabulous event. I will be doing the ride for the second year runnin

UK - The Arena Group transformed London's Queen's Club with the delivery of an extensive temporary events overlay solution to host the Aegon Championships, 6-12 June, 2011.

Organisers, the LTA, and sponsors Aegon briefed the Arena Group to create "a stunning world-class sporting venue befitting the increasing status of this annual international tennis tournament, delivering an enhanced visitor experience and contemporary visual impact that also worked for the broadcast audience".

Arena supplied 8,800 spectator seats, 12,500sq.m of temporary structures, 100 tonnes of substructure scaffolding and all hospitality furniture, cutlery and crockery across the venue. Martin Clark, Arena Group project manager reports, "The Queen's Club is a logistically challenging and sensitive location to work within, requiring months of planning and organisation once on site. We co-or

UK / USA - White Light congratulates lighting designers Paule Constable and Brian MacDevitt, winners of this year's Tony Award for, respectively, Best Lighting Design of a Play and Best Lighting Design of a Musical at New York's s theatre award ceremony, which took place this Sunday 12 June.

Paule Constable won the prize for her dramatic lighting of War Horse ,the smash-hit play which was created at London's National Theatre, then transferred to the New London Theatre with a rig supplied by White Light. The New York production of the show opened at the Lincoln Centre this Spring, to great acclaim.

The work of many other members of the show's creative team was also rewarded by the Tony voters, Rae Smith receiving the award for Best Scenic Design of a Play, Christopher Shutt winning the Best Sound Design of a Play category, writer Nick Stafford collecting the Best Play aw

UK - Saville Audio Visual provided the staging and AV facilities for the Premier League 2011 National Youth Development Conference at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton. Keynote speakers included Sir Alex Ferguson and Everton's David Moyes plus guests including Sir Trevor Brooking. The event also incorporated the annual Premier League Youth Awards.

The 90ft-wide stage set featured three 16'x 9' screens, with video projection mapping in the centre section. This created a versatile branding solution which changed throughout the event. A newly installed production and edit suite at Saville Manchester was used to build the 3D Premier League logo plus event specific branding and Premier League club logos, which were all projected onto the set.

The centre section utilised another of Saville's newest purchases, a Christie Roadster HD18K full HD 18K lumen projector. Audio was via a d&b Q1 L

In Orlando - Billed as the world's largest audiovisual trade fair, InfoComm 2011 is being staged this week at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando. More than 950 exhibitors are participating and the organisers are predicting an attendance figure of 32,000.

"Attending InfoComm's tradeshow is a valuable investment in both time and money," states Randal A. Lemke, executive director and CEO, InfoComm International. "In just a few days you can visit the most comprehensive array of professional audio, digital signage, display, conferencing and telepresence, lighting, control system and signal distribution technology manufacturers available in one location, all while receiving world-class education and training from leading experts and manufacturers."

Voluntary Work - Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to work on a new strategic plan for volunteerin

Italy - IBM Software Executive Briefing Centre in Rome has been designed to achieve a perfect space where visitors can experience the company's technology first hand thanks to an innovative video wall powered by Christie projectors.

This is not just a simple video wall, it is interactive, it can display Picture in Picture or be used as a white board. It gives IBM executives a platform to showcase IBM's software technologies and systems, with a broad application context helping visitors realise the capabilities of innovative technologies and systems.

Peter Dardarananda, manager at IBM Software Executive Briefing Programme in Rome, and mastermind of the project explains, "When customers come to visit us, we have to make sure they get the right impression about IBM. We want to provide an experience that is on par or better in what they would expect of IBM. We sell software s

UK - PixelRange has announced UK-based A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) as master distributor for its product range across Europe.

PixelRange general manager Paul Young confirms, "PixelRange is a brand of very high standing in the eyes of the industry and all its customers. With the all-new line-up of intelligent LED fixtures poised for immediate launch, we are dedicated to ensure PixelRange customers will receive the highest level of professionalism, service and care from manufacturer and point of sale.""

AC-ET's Northern UK sales director, Jonathan Walters, comments,""We are always striving to widen the choice of professional brands we offer to our very varied entertainment customer base. With many years of great trading between AC-ET and PixelRange, this opportunity complemented our existing product portfolio well."

(Jim Evans)

China - The Zhengzhou Opera and Dance Theatre recently relied upon LumenRadio's CRMX wireless lighting controls for the stage production of Roselle between Moon and Water. Zhengzhou is the capital of the Henan Province and a vibrant cultural hub for central China. Numerous government dignitaries attended the opening night and the popular show has since gone on to play sold-out houses.

CRMX distributor Leafun provided equipment, including lighting consoles, media servers, digital lighting fixtures, and an extensive CRMX wireless distribution system for this elaborate production.

"LumenRadio's CRMX was instrumental in this production that made extensive use of digital projections and lighting effects," says Steven Cai at Leafun. "Four wireless DMX universes were distributed from lighting consoles and media servers to digital lighting fixtures and other devi

UK - Like the ABTT, WiSE has much to celebrate: In just a few years it has grown to embrace over 420 female industry members worldwide; is about to complement its members only social networking site with a public facing website (so everyone can get involved) and, for the first time ever, will have its very own stand at the ABTT show.

WiSE was established in 2008 to address the under representation of women in the technical disciplines of entertainment. Since then the organisation has established links with colleges, businesses and training organisations, run a series of successful networking events, mentorship programmes and technical training sessions and lobbies for fair working conditions for everyone.

It could not have done this without the support of the industry it serves and works with. So, to celebrate its success, WiSE has invited aspiring cocktail designers from its

Germany - In 1991, an instantaneous idea to help a local radio station set the path for what would end up as Germany's greatest indoor rave - Mayday. Traditionally held on the night before 1 May, Mayday has been in residence since 1997 at Dortmund's Westfalenhallen. Just as the Arena in hall 1 represents Trance and softer sounds, so the Empire in hall 3 draws fans of hard techno and electro.

Inside the Empire it's all about hard beats and massive sound levels - and the night is probably one of the longest. Approximately 14 hours of hard techno have become a benchmark for technology and event lighting designer Roland Aberle knows the task: "Reliability, under high pressure and over a long period is what I expect from the fixtures - and I also need tools which allow creative design. Techno is so much more than mindless 'boom boom' ... it's thrilling, demanding and diverse. Fo

UK - As part of the ongoing celebrations to mark Northern Light's 40th year in business, the company plans to raffle a rare bottle of 1971 vintage single malt whisky at this year's ABTT Theatre Show.

The single malt is from the Macallan distillery and is billed as a traditional Speyside malt with balanced fruit and smoke elements and a rounding sherry character.

Lois Ferguson, marketing manager for the company, said, "As a Scottish company formed in 1971, it seemed appropriate to offer a bottle of Scotland's most famous export from the same year to one lucky customer. This bottle is a vintage release from Gordon & Macphail, one of the world's most respected distilleries."

Individuals can enter the raffle by visiting Northern Light on stand 93 in the Lawrence Hall at the ABTT Theatre Show on 15 and 16 June and providing their business card or completing a form to go

USA - The call of the wild echoes throughout the Dallas World Aquarium, where visitors to one of the city's most popular attractions can experience nature from five continents, 14 countries and three oceans. As the sounds of wildlife emanate from the diverse range of live animal exhibits, a host of presenters and performers use a range of professional audio equipment to further enhance the visitor experience.

Crescent Sound and Light, a Louisiana-based production and systems integration company, recently upgraded the sound systems for several exhibits. The company chose Technomad Noho and Vienna advanced audio loudspeakers to reproduce intelligible voice and full-range musical audio in the Giant River Otter and Crocodile display in the Orinoco exhibit range; and the Temple of the Jaguar in the Mundo Maya exhibit range.

Mike Smith, president of Crescent Sound and

UK - Robe moving lights and Anolis LED fixtures were specified by lighting designer Simon Marcus from Enlightened to illuminate Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge and other key architectural features around the UK World Heritage spa town's city centre for the opening night of the 2011 Bath International Music Festival - Party In The City.

It is the second year that locally based Marcus has designed a lighting scheme for Bath Abbey, which was founded in 1499. His client was Bath Tourism & Leisure.

He needed a selection of reliable, flexible, bright lightsources which could be rigged over four levels of the Abbey. Having large quantities of both Robe and Anolis units in Enlightened's hire stock, and long experience of using them for many applications, he knew they would be suitable for the job. He also took the opportunity to use six newly purchased Robe Robin 600 LEDWashes.

T

Italy - Pala Phenomenon is a new multipurpose entertainment centre in the North of Italy. It hosts a space for live bands with a 150sq.m stage and live music five evenings a week. It has a disco bar with pre-disco, after dinner and post-live-music events, a restaurant, and a selection of large halls There is also a swimming pool, open from May to September, which is covered with transparent panels during the winter to become a dance floor.

Denis Biaggi was the scenic and lighting designer for the whole establishment. He reports, "One of the owner Marco Cerutti's basic requirements was to create a stage that could be adapted to different types of show: concerts, conventions, theatre and dance. In view of the various different purposes the structure needs to serve, my first concern was to set up widespread convenient suspension points for any future shows, and an adequate num

Paraguay - An Axiom system was chosen for the celebration of the bicentennial of the Independence of Paraguay.

The event was held in mid May in Paraguay's capital city, Asunción, and included the leading national pop and folk artists. Among the political figures who took part in the event was president Fernando Lugo, who welcomed the presidents of the neighbouring countries and addressed the enthusiastic celebrating crowd.

NJ Audio & Lighting was in charge of the technical production of this event, which was held in the park next to the Government Palace.

The features of the location led to the choice of Proel Edge bi-amplified monitors for the main stage, as they could provide the power and the acoustic clarity needed and also because their low profile fitted the purpose of keeping the focus on the event. The side-fills were two Proel Axiom clusters with relative sub-woofe

USA - A short but breathtaking drive from trendy Aspen, St. Benedict's Monastery reflects the natural serenity of its majestic surroundings. Nestled in a valley on several thousand acres in western Colorado's Elk Mountains, it offers spectacular views of nearby Mt. Sopris' twin summits. It is an idyllic environment for the Benedictine monks who mix their daily meditation and prayer with the running of a working ranch and bakery. The monks also operate the architecturally renowned Retreat House and Hermitages, hosting personal and group retreats, conducting daily liturgical services, and occasionally welcoming performances by world famous musicians from nearby Aspen.

Built in 1958, the Monastery's main chapel is simple but elegant, its rustic red brick walls accented by a quarry tile floor and barrel-vaulted, pine-beamed arched ceilings that soar to 32ft at their peak. A single 1

USA - Following a period of rapid growth since its appointment as a distributor of Global Truss products in the USA, California-based GLP (German Light Products) US Inc has now announced that it has been appointed as the sole and exclusive distributor of Global Truss products for the US and Canadian markets.

Global Truss is an established manufacturer of trussing, support systems and clamp accessories. All products are approved to the stringent TÜV standard. "GLP German Light Products Inc have shown the utmost level of commitment to the Global Truss range since becoming a distributor, and hold a large stock inventory at its California head office. Offering immediate delivery, competitive pricing and outstanding customer service, the company is extremely gratified that it has been awarded exclusive distributor status," says a statement from GLP Inc.

(Lee Baldock)

Czech Republic - Metropole Zli?ín is a fashion and entertainment complex, nine kilometres west of Prague city centre. It includes a cinema with 10 modern movie theatres, equipped with high quality sound systems, one of the most modern bowling alleys in the Czech Republic, plus clubs, bars and restaurants.

The fountain is the heart of the Clay Paky rig. Alpha Spot HPE 300s and Alpha Wash 300s hang from the ceiling above the waterworks and illuminate them with various colours as the music changes.

The lights were installed by Art Jgs, Clay Paky distributor for the area, which also dealt with the lighting design.

(Jim Evans)

Middle East - Recent travels by the Sennheiser ME team have seen them visit Kuwait and Qatar, to provide local support to their partners.

In Kuwait, Phil Massey, general manager of Sennheiser UK and ME, Mig Cardamone, business area manager for Middle East, Ryan Burr, business development manager for ME and Heston Saldanha, consumer channel sales manager, met up with partner aDawaliah Trading, part of Universal Holdings, to undertake a two-day training schedule.

The first day saw Ryan Burr conduct a session on installed sound, focussing on how the various products within the Sennheiser's portfolio are suited to various situations.

This included comprehensive information on the new ADN conference system, infrared simultaneous translations systems, system 2020 for both tourGUIDE and translation, as well as the fully automated guidePORT system. The group of 15 attendees drew fro

Turkey - The recently opened Nomads nightclub in Istanbul features Coemar's moving heads. The iSpot 575 MB models have been installed in the large room and are controlled via the Director 768 mixer.

Nomads Istanbul follows the concept of the original Amsterdam venue, serving up a combination of European and Eastern culture in both its style and cuisine, with interior decorations and tableware sourced from Morocco and Egypt. With views of the Bosporus, a bar hung with hundreds of colourful, handmade Arabic lambs and a hidden garden, Nomads is set to make a mark on Istanbul's vibrant nightlife.

(Jim Evans)

Turkey - Jands Europe has expanded its dealer network as a direct result of "the phenomenal response" to the launch of the new Vista v2 software at this year's Prolight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt.

Istanbul-based Atempo has been appointed as the exclusive new Turkish dealer for the Jands range of lighting controllers and dimmers.

Says Jands Europe's Neil Vann: "We ensure that we choose the best companies to represent and support the whole Jands range in their respective regions, and are delighted to welcome the Atempo Group as the newest member of our constantly growing international dealer network. They have all the technical expertise, dedication and attention to detail that we look for in a partner company."

Atempo's Istanbul regional director, Volkan Konuralp, comments: "Jands Vista v2 opens up a completely new horizon of lighting control for a

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