Forty Years On - Live Aid was a benefit concert held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on 13 July 1985. Organised by Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof and Ultravox vocalist Midge Ure, the event drew an estimated 1.5bn television viewers and raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Years of drought, civil war, and failed attempts at government control of the grain market in the early 1980s led to a catastrophic famine that threatened hundreds of thousands of lives in Ethiopia. After seeing a television news report on the subject in 1984, Geldof wrote the lyrics for Do They Know It’s Christmas? Ure crafted the melody of the song, and Geldof recruited some of the biggest names in the British new wave scene to contribute vocals.

The single, recorded in November 1984 and marketed under the name Ba

Germany - The long-established Prolight + Sound trade fair/convention in Frankfurt is entering 2026 with a refined concept. At the heart of this realignment is a streamlined three-day format and a sharpened focus on the European market.

Following a comprehensive survey of exhibitors, Prolight + Sound 2026 will take place from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 March. The streamlined duration was also endorsed by the show’s advisory board, which comprises industry experts and representatives of renowned companies and professional associations. As a key driving force, this body plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the event.

The goal of the new three-day format is to deliver “a more focused and high-quality trade fair experience for both exhibitors and visitors”. At the same time, the increased concentration on Europe a

China - Innovation, energy, and global ambition took centre stage as Absen’s Global DOOH & Sports Summer Event wrapped up in style at the company’s Dongjiang Intelligent Manufacturing Centre. Attended by industry leaders from around the world, the event delivered a showcase of next-gen digital-out-of-home (DOOH) display technology and intelligent sports venue solutions, all backed by a 10-year warranty.

At the heart of the event was the unveiling of Absen’s A25 Series, a low-carbon, energy-saving LED display system that captivated attendees with its remarkable performance. Consuming less than 1kWh per square metre daily, the A25 is set to deliver savings of up to $200,000 USD (approx.) in electricity costs over five years for a standard 300sq.m installation.

With its IP66 waterproof rating, all-aluminium build, and PWM driver chip, the A25

Germany - Adam Hall Group has announced the release of Defender Maintenance Spray, a specially developed maintenance spray for the professional care of cable protectors and other rubber components in the event, industrial and infrastructure sectors. The silicone spray protects against ageing, prevents material wear caused by environmental influences and facilitates maintenance.

The composition of the Maintenance Spray is tailored to typical stresses in the daily operation of cable protectors, such as moisture, UV radiation, dust and temperature changes. It is very simple to apply: spray on, leave to take effect for a short time, done. This way, the spray keeps the mechanics of the hinges and catches running smoothly and makes it much easier to open and close the lids.

UAE - Event crewing specialist Showforce has promoted several of its key team members in the Middle East as it looks to strengthen and expand its account management and operations departments.

Recognising and rewarding the contribution of long-standing team members Ann Dacumos, Ricky Holland, Diana Lucena, Haroon Nasir, Izceah Palmes and Amir Tufail, it puts the company in good stead as its business continues to grow throughout the GCC region.

Ann Dacumos steps up to head of account management – Middle East with direct reports Diana Lucena and Izceah Palmes both promoted to senior account handlers. Ann manages many of Showforce’s tier one clients on a day-to-day basis, including Coca Cola Arena, Dubai Opera, Creative Technology and PRG. In addition to maintaining strong client relationships, she works closely with the operations team to ensure th

UK - With less than a month to go, the Fete stalls, Manor House and karting teams are all sold out, and Backup Tech’s Fabulous Village Fete is shaping up to truly live up to its name.

The Parish Council judges (LSi’s Claire Beeson, Stewart Hume from TPi, Chris Barratt from AAA, ABTT’s Elysia Moore and PLASA’s Peter Heath) are sharpening their pencils and refining their taste buds to pick the Best Fete Stall, Best Dressed Fete’r, Best Fete Stall Game, the Cake Off and Veg Off, plus winners will be declared for the Catching Flies (fly fishing) and Pheasant Shooting competitions.

There’s also the chance to enter the DJ Off, which is being held in memory of DJ Adam Fabulous and will be judged by DJ Asad, who will also be taking to the decks to entertain Fete-goers throughout the afternoon. Taking us into the early evening will be Fab Cab’s

UK - The ABTT Theatre Show 2025 attracted increased visitor numbers, record-breaking engagement and international draw.

There were over 3,200 people on the show floor this year, making the ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace busier than ever. With a 15.6% increase in unique attendees, a 16% increase in revisits on Day 2, this year’s event confirmed its growing importance as a central hub for live performance professionals.

The show welcomed over 200 global brands, featured a vigorous seminar programme, and hosted hands-on workshops led by renowned industry figures – all aimed at advancing careers, showcasing innovation and facilitating powerful new connections. 

ABTT CEO Liz Sillett commented: “My first ABTT Theatre Show as CEO was a whirlwind of excitement and brilliance. The buzz was incredible, coming from such a talented and insp

UK - Broadwick Group has announced a partnership with East London venue Troxy. This new chapter will see Broadwick and its group of companies come together to build on Troxy’s existing legacy, while shaping its future.

Troxy is renowned for hosting a wide spectrum of events. Music will remain at the heart of the building, and this partnership will establish a broader and more ambitious programming and commercial vision. The venue will expand its offering across brand activations, cultural showcases, film and TV production, corporate events, and creative hires.

Troxy will continue to operate as an independent brand, with its core identity, team and legacy preserved, backed by Broadwick’s deep experience in operating venues including the likes of Magazine London, Printworks and Landing 42. The group will invest in Troxy’s future while retainin

Rocky Horror - A book compiling interviews with original cast members of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and rare behind-the-scenes photographs is to be published this September. The show’s writer, Richard O’Brien, has provided the foreword for the literary homage to the cult classic musical, which this year celebrates half a century since the well-known film was first released. Rare images snapped behind the scenes of the six-week filming process by the late photographer Mick Rock form the bulk of the book, which also includes interviews with original cast members and quotes from fans including musicians Courtney Love and Peaches.

Announcing the book, publisher Coronet said: “The late great Mick Rock has gifted us all with the most joyful visual celebration of Richard O’Brien’s glorious creation. 50 years on, the musical continues to occupy

UK - Polar recently returned to the Old Savoy Theatre in Northampton to stage Polar Expo, a day-long event where integrators, AV consultants, rental companies and sound engineers were able to see, hear, and explore the full Polar catalogue.

Previous Polar demo days, focused on specific brands, had proved to be a popular draw for a wide range of technology professionals, prompting the company to expand the formula to stage its largest such event to date. According to sales manager Andy Plunkett, who coordinated the event, the Savoy Theatre takeover was another valuable exercise in giving visitors a close-up, hands-on experience of the Polar portfolio:

“We showcased the entire portfolio across morning and afternoon sessions in the Theatre and adjoining Dore Suite. There’s just no substitute for hearing our high-performance loudspeaker ranges in a r

UK - The PLASA Awards for Innovation are back for 2025, and entries are officially open.  

Celebrating the most forward-thinking technology across lighting, audio, AV, staging, rigging and beyond, the awards recognise products that bring something genuinely new to the table, whether it’s a technical step forward, a sustainability breakthrough, or a clever commercial edge. 

Run in partnership with LSi, the awards are independently judged by a panel of experts who know what real innovation looks like. All shortlisted ent

UK - On 4 June, the Association of British Theatre Technicians hosted its Annual Awards after a busy first day of the ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace, London. This event is a cornerstone of the ABTT, dedicated to honouring outstanding contributions to the theatre and live events sector and recognises the achievements of those who are shaping the future of the industry.

Ted Moore, director at sponsors TAIT, said of the Awards: “TAIT is really proud to be here once again to sponsor the ABTT Awards, which I truly believe are the best award presentations anywhere in our industry. We wish all the nominees good luck and give congratulations to whoever the winners may be.”

The five Product Awards recognise the achievements of products which are substantially new to the market during the last 12 months and are available now for purchase, immediate

UK - Production Futures has announced that it will bring the curtain down on 2025 with its largest On Tour show to date. The event will take place at Production Park, Wakefield on Thursday 27 November and will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, and networking, as well as presenting paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.

Manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors will have representatives present at the event to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities. As well as manufacturers and suppliers, Production Futures also works closely with a range of organisations, initiatives, education partners and associations, connecting employment and training opportunities to a diverse pool of tal

UK - The ABTT Theatre Show came alive at Alexandra Palace in London with the annual ABTT Awards hosted by the Association of British Theatre Technicians. This event showcases the contributions people in the industry have been making to theatre and live events.

Ted Moore, director at sponsor TAIT said of the Awards: “TAIT are really proud to be here once again to sponsor the ABTT Awards, which I truly believe are the best award presentations anywhere in our industry. We wish all the nominees good luck and give congratulations to whoever the winners may be.”

The highly sought after People Awards included the ABTT Technician of the Year, the ABTT Award for Emerging Excellence and the ABTT Cmyru Nick Bache Technician of the Year Award which all recognise the achievements of individuals both starting out and well-established in their backstage careers

UK - The second Profile Awards ceremony was held at the Alexandra Palace Theatre on 5 June 2025. Created and are coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ALPD, the ABTT and the STLD, the awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and TV in the UK.

The event was attended by 250 people and of those 150 were lighting designers or members of their lighting teams. The headline sponsor was Ayrton, with Ambersphere Solutions sponsoring the drinks reception, entry sponsors included ER Productions, Encore, Limelite and Sunbelt Rental Film and TV who also supplied the goody bags. The lighting for the event was kindly supplied by HS-Hire, the lasers by ER Productions and the lectern gifted by Encore.

In order of the presentations on the night, the Student Virtual Lighting Design Award sponsored by AC Entertainment Technologi

UK - PLASA Show 2025 is now open for free registrations. This September, the UK's market-leading trade event for live entertainment technology will set the stage for breakthrough products, big ideas, and invaluable industry connections. Celebrate entertainment technology and the people behind it at PLASA Show, returning to its home at Olympia, London from 7–9 September 2025.

Drawing 7,500+ professionals from across the global industry, the show offers unrivalled access to 250+ leading brands, an expert-led seminar programme, and hands-on experiences with next-generation technology.

Headline sponsored by Robe, PLASA Show 2025 features an expanded show floor filled with world-class manufacturers, distributors and service providers. Attendees can explore the latest tools and technologies for lighting, audio, AV, staging and rigging – all under one r

UK - Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) has published Words Matter: The Language of Crowds, a new guide designed to improve how professionals and the public talk about crowds, especially during and after major incidents.

The guide defines key terms used in crowd safety work, highlights common misunderstandings, and offers clear distinctions between proactive crowd management and reactive crowd control. It addresses the media’s role in shaping public perception and calls for greater accuracy and care in the language used to describe crowd-related events.

“Terms like ‘panic’ and ‘stampede’ are often used within minutes of a tragedy,” said Anne Marie Chebib, chair of The United Kingdom Crowd Management Association, a founding partner of GCMA. “But these words are not only vague, they can mislead investigations, distort publ

France - Showlight 2025 made a triumphant return in May, revived and rejuvenated after an eight-year break, visiting the historic city of Dijon - appropriately for Showlight, one of France’s centres of art and gastronomy.

Hailed as the largest and most international Showlight to date, Showlight 2025 marked a welcome, and long-overdue, chance to converge once again and dedicate three whole days to talking about light.

“I sensed an enormous feeling of joy and relief that Showlight was not just back, but had if anything moved on. I am sure it was the most international Showlight I have experienced!” Bernie Davis, papers committee and technical manager.

The event exhibited a greater international presence with participants coming from all over the world, not just Europe but as far afield as America, Brazil and Aus

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds 2025 returned to the Royal Armouries on 13-14 May, drawing a vibrant cross-section of the live entertainment technology sector for two buzzing days of connection, innovation and learning.

This year’s show welcomed 2,852 professionals, an increase on the 2024 show. The quality of attendees continues to thrive, with 687 directors, owners, or chairs representing 16% of the audience. Significantly, when combining senior roles and those in sales, procurement and specification, nearly 40% of the professionals on site held final decision-making responsibility, underscoring the event’s commercial impact.

A broad spectrum of industry roles was represented, including sound and lighting engineers, technicians, production and tour managers, lighting designers, venue and operations staff, as well as consultants, buyers, lecturers, conte

UK - Follow-Me is inviting lighting industry professionals and venue owners to its inaugural open day at its new meeting and demo space at Underbelly Boulevard Soho. Scheduled for 17 June from 11:00 to 15:00, this special event will offer hands-on demonstrations of Follow-Me's performer tracking solutions, supported by SLX.

The open day takes place at Follow-Me's newly established demonstration facility within Underbelly Boulevard Soho, situated in London's bustling Soho district. This venue provides industry professionals with direct access to Follow-Me's remote follow-spot and performer tracking technology in a real-world environment.

Luke Edwards, designer relations liaison UK at Follow-Me, will lead the day's activities, offering personalised demonstrations, Q&A opportunities, and technical consultations. Visitors can explore Follow-Me's comp

Germany - The Digital Signage Summit (DSS) Europe concluded with a record of almost 500 delegates following three days of strategic insight and technologies at the Hilton Munich Airport, Germany. Organised by invidis in a joint venture with Integrated Systems Events (ISE), DSS Europe took place from 21-23 May, bringing together innovators and thought leaders to debut its new three-day format.

Florian Rotberg, conference chair and managing director of invidis consulting, reflected: “Over the past three days, DSS Europe 2025 has not only set a new benchmark for innovation and collaboration but has also highlighted the pressing challenges and future opportunities that our industry must address.

“From groundbreaking advancements in digital signage to meaningful conversations about sustainability and user engagement, this year’s summit has truly red

UK - The Profile Awards 2025 Television nominations have been released by the STLD and are now published on the TPA web page.

The TV section of The 2025 Profile Awards is judged by a panel consisting of theatre lighting designer Peter Small, TV lighting designer Martin Kempton, TV director Stephen Neil and chaired by STLD honorary secretary and lighting designer Stuart Gain. (https://profileawards.com/television-nominations-2025/)

The Profile Awards TV sponsors are:

@rosco_labs - TV Entertainment Series Award

@lightscontrolrigging - TV Entertainment One-Off Award

@chamsysltd - TV Drama Award

@elpelstree - TV Small studio Award

@cameo_light - TV Non Scripted Entertainment Award

@led_creative_limited - TV Continuing Drama Award

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Glastonbury Time - The 1975, Neil Young and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival which opens on Wednesday. Rod Stewart will also be performing on Sunday afternoon in the ‘legend slot’, 23 years after his last appearance at the festival.

Other notable acts on the line-up include Charli XCX, Wolf Alice, The Libertines, Wet Leg, Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand and The Prodigy. There will also be debut Glastonbury performances by Alanis Morisette, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young and Doechii.

Glastonbury is known for unpredictable weather so festival-goers are advised to pack for all conditions, including wellies, waterproof clothing and sun cream. There is also a list of prohibited items to ensure the safety and security of everyone on site. Banned items include - but are not limited to - fireworks,

South Africa - Following the recent announcement of Mediatech’s return in 2026, organisers have confirmed an important venue and date change. After close consultation with key industry stakeholders, the expo will now take place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and International Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg from 1-3 July 2026.

Mediatech Africa is the continent’s largest and most established trade show dedicated to professional audiovisual, broadcast, media, and live event technology. The show brings together industry professionals, technology providers, creatives, and decision-makers for three days of hands-on demos, networking, and innovation. It serves as a platform for both global brands and regional players to connect, collaborate, and explore the future of the industry.

Previously scheduled at Johannesburg Expo Centre, the move

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