UK - Electric Airshows, the only drone show company currently in PLASA’s membership, revealed two major advances at the popular PLASA Focus Leeds trade show in early May.
First up, the specialist provider of drone light shows gave the production industry its first glimpse of a brand-new, ‘out of the box’ solution that signals the future of fast drone show implementation for entertainment. At the same time, the company introduced another major step forward with the addition of award-winning lighting designer (and trained drone pilot!) John Bishop, to its growing team.
The ingenious new flightcase system offers rapid deployment for drone light shows. With 12 drones ready to fly out of - and back into! - each protective case, the system promises to significantly speed-up the laborious process of prepping and laying out a swarm of drones for an aerial display. Impor

USA - ACT Entertainment will showcase its new zactrack mini at InfoComm 2023 (Booth 3643). This briefcase-sized tracking solution offers easy transport and deployment for areas of 15x15m, by a single person. Designed to introduce tracking to new users and spaces, the zactrack mini is suitable for smaller venues, exhibitions and conferences, individual performers, rental companies, houses of worship and more.
“With zactrack’s core value of providing a quality user experience at the center of this design, the zactrack mini boasts a smaller form factor with battery operated components and wireless connectivity for an even faster and easier setup,” says Ryan Hindinger, market manager: concert touring & live experiences, ACT Entertainment.
“It is also a more economically viable solution, opening the act of tracking and following to any application, designer or p

UK - With record attendance, PLASA Focus Leeds 2023 proved itself yet again as the go-to trade event for the entertainment technology industry in the north of the UK as it returned to Royal Armouries from 9-10 May.
This year’s show saw a strong 20% increase in attendance from 2022 and a 5% increase from 2019, confirming the rising importance of in-person connections. Furthermore, this year saw 18% more students attending – a promising sign for the long-term prospects of the live sector.
Always popular for its inclusive layout and friendly atmosphere, PLASA Focus Leeds welcomed a diverse array of visitors, with organisers reporting that one in five were business directors or owners. The most common professions represented by visitors were engineers, technicians and programmers. Moreover, a third of visitors were final decision makers.
Tony Torlini, general m

UK - At PLASA Focus Leeds, Highlite International exhibited many of its lighting, audio, and audio-visual products, including a number of new entertainment solutions and innovations from Showtec, Infinity, DAP and Artecta.
For Highlite International, PLASA Focus Leeds offered a great opportunity to meet customers to discuss the latest developments in the entertainment market. The Highlite stand was the setting for a comprehensive presentation of a wide range of new products for entertainment lighting from Showtec and Infinity, audio solutions from DAP and architectural lighting from Artecta.
Showtec exhibited their updated Lampy DMX console with V2 software, which promises a huge step forward in functionality with multicell capabilities, a new professional colour picker, multi-touch support and up to 6 universes in combination with the new Lampy Re-Load 4 expansion kit

USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) will showcase a variety of new accessories to support its AC6 2-Way Full Range ADAPTive column loudspeaker at the 2023 InfoComm Show (Booth 5243 and in its demo room, W222A), including a pole mount, stacking plate and stinger offerings. Suitable for production companies and partners, EAW’s newest AC6 accessories increase loudspeaker portability, allowing for ease of travel and the expansion of its mounting options.
All three AC6 accessory options create an enhanced user experience for production companies. Pole mounting and stinger accessories ease mobility of the loudspeaker, enabling users to take AC6 anywhere on the road for demo tours, live events and more. Additionally, with a stacking plate, two AC6 loudspeakers can now be combined, allowing for the movement of multiple speakers as a single unit.
“The addition of these new a

UAE - Christie is exhibiting at the inaugural Integrate Middle East show, 16-18 May at Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates. At booth #AR-F20, Christie will demonstrate how its technologies form end-to-end visual solutions, from its RGB pure laser projection and LED video wall range to content management and processing technologies.
“We are delighted to exhibit at Integrate Middle East. This is a key region for Christie and we’re seeing significant growth in the Middle East,” says Mahesh Singh, regional sales manager, Middle East, Christie. “It will be an excellent platform to showcase how our complete solutions can solve customer challenges and help our partners to deliver exceptional experiences. We look forward to welcoming attendees to our feature-packed stand at this inaugural show.”
On show will be a selection of projectors from Christie’s R

Poland - Robe was a gold sponsor of the 5th Scena Jutra (Stage of Tomorrow) conference, a high profile two day industry symposium taking place at the Teatr Wielki Polish National Opera in Warsaw, organised by the Stage of Tomorrow Foundation.
An impressive array of high-profile Polish and international speakers and influencers ensured there was plenty of interest in the diverse programme that explored multiple topics and themes all related to stage presentation, scenography, dramaturgy, theatricality, and expression over 50 separate sessions. Debates, discussions and presentations focused on how new and developing technologies - from the latest lighting fixtures and sound systems to VR, real-time visual tools remote tracking and AI - might affect the future creation of emotional experiences for audiences and guests.
Scena Jutra president Rafal Rzeczkowski was delight

UK - Backup is set to bring together over 300 live event industry fellows for its annual summer fund raiser – Kartfest -The Village Fete
“Building on eight years of successful Kartfests we’re adding an extra layer of theming to this year’s event and incorporating the traditional British village fete,” says Backup trustee and Kartfest organiser, Lee Dennison. “This now provides the day out we have been looking to create for the live events industry with the karting becoming part of the day rather than the focus. We will be delivering a host of other attractions and areas to grab the interest of racers and day visitors alike.”
One of the new areas is the Well-being hub. The aftermath of the effects of Covid has hit the live events industry and the want and need for mental health support is now Backup’s most pressing area of focus. The Backup team has also

UK - Artistic Licence is looking forward to exhibiting at PLASA Focus Leeds. As regulars at the show for many years, AL is returning this time as part of the Robe Lighting family, which also includes the architectural brand, Anolis.
The focus this year is on product training. “We will be demonstrating our core commissioning and test tools, so come along and find out how it's done. All knowledge levels are welcome - from beginners who are just discovering the basics of DMX512, RDM or DALI, to power users with advanced configuration questions,” says Artistic Licence.
Taking centre stage is the new product, Commissioner multi - a hand-held DMX512, RDM and DALI test and commissioning tool. It supports all three protocols, making it a versatile piece of equipment suitable for site use in many scenarios.
Micro-Scope, the rugged DMX tester first launched in the 1

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds lands back at the Royal Armouries next week, from 9-10 May, for two packed days of all that’s new in live entertainment technology. And Ambersphere proudly returns for another year as the headline sponsor.
A record number of people have registered for the friendliest trade show in the industry. And the two show halls feature many of the biggest names from pro audio, stage lighting, audio-visual, rigging and staging technology.
Lighting professionals can look forward to meeting manufacturers such as Artistic Licence, Avolites, Chauvet Professional, ETC, GLP, Robe, SGM, TMB, and Vari-Lite. Audio professionals can meet brands such as d&b audiotechnik, Bose, EM Acoustics, Funktion-One, Nexo, Peavey, RCF, Shure, and Yamaha.
AV brands will also be at the show, including Bosch, Epson, Lang, PSCo, and Riedel. And several rigging, staging a

UK - Production Futures is an initiative created to provide opportunities for young people to learn, train, network, and develop real careers in production across every area of the live event, music, touring, festival, corporate, theatre, TV, broadcast and film production Industries.
The organisation is currently running a series of On Tour events, where young visitors from schools, colleges and universities all over the UK are able to directly connect with representatives of its brand partners to learn more about and explore employment opportunities in the industry.
The latest event takes place in partnership with Access Creative Group at New Century Manchester on Wednesday 3 May. This free of charge event, which will be opened by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will promote employability, transferable skills, and paid work opportunities, and is set to attract

UK - Martin Audio has joined forces with Belair Technology and The Bug Club to entertain visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds. The eco-friendly VW Pop-Up DJ Booth will be stationed in the courtyard between the two halls at the Royal Armouries between the 9 and 10 May to demonstrate what can be achieved with the latest in sustainable festival technology.
Already proving to be a popular option for events across the UK, the fibreglass-built vehicle is 30% larger than a standard VW Camper and is designed to be a ‘festival friendly’ DJ booth. The custom-built Martin Audio sound system runs entirely on renewables thanks to Belair’s rack mounted Power Tower. The Power Tower is a clean and modern rechargeable battery-powered replacement for noisy and polluting generators and with its easy-to-use operation combined with silent running and zero emissions delivers the perfect ‘off-gri

Germany - Czech Republic-based lighting manufacturer Robe turned up the heat, the spectacle and the topicality and importance of respecting the planet in presenting the finale of its All Environments live performance show trilogy.
This display of creativity and imagination featured 350 of Robe’s latest iSeries of IP rated products plus three performers including a silk acrobat at the Prolight+Sound 2023 expo in Frankfurt last week.
Adding extra performers, excitement and energy to Hall 12.1 of the Frankfurt Messe complex, the five-times a day show attracted record crowds who also enjoyed a carefully curated pre-show Voice of God sequence, highlighting the technical elements and innovation of each of the featured iSeries products.
All Environments was presented in a dynamic, specially devised 270-degree theatre / arena style format, designe

UK - ITEAC, the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference presented by the ABTT, has announced that booking is now open for its sixth edition taking place over 19-20 September 2023.
Booking is now open to take advantage of limited Early Bird tickets available for Full London Delegate Two-Day Tickets at the discounted price of £650 +VAT. This ticket includes attendance at the in-person London event at the Savoy Place, the global engineering hub of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), as well as access to the online platform during and for up to 12 months after the event. Once early bird tickets are taken, tickets will be available at £680 +VAT.
ITEAC will for the first time engage with participants across global time zones, combining online connectivity with hubs in London, Brisbane, São Paulo, Hong Kong and beyond, with participa

Germany - Prolight + Sound 2023 closed with a significant increase in visitor numbers. More than 27,500 professionals from 113 countries attended the trade fair for the entertainment technology industry from 25-28 April 2023, say the organisers.
Current topics such as the implementation of sustainable events or the increasing demand for specialists and young talents were discussed - in this regard, the Prolight + Sound conference programme offered future-oriented approaches and solutions. Following the end of global travel restrictions, it was the first opportunity for many industry participants to visit the show since 2019. This is reflected in the high internationality of the event: Half of the visitors came from outside Germany, say the organisers.
Over four hundred and fifty exhibitors from 34 countries participated. “The event industry is back,” says Wolfgang

Germany - The global entertainment technology industry is back in Frankfurt. From 25 to 28 April, 457 companies from 34 countries will present solutions for events, productions and visitor experiences.
For the first time since 2019, Prolight+Sound will take place without global travel restrictions. As a result, the show has seen a significant increase in internationality: 56 percent of exhibitors come from outside Germany. In close cooperation with associations, companies and other partners, Prolight+Sound offers a programme that is geared to the current challenges facing the industry. Professionals will receive valuable inspiration on energy- and resource-saving events, personnel development in times of high demand for skilled workers and more gender equality in the event industry.
“The event industry is recovering and the confident underlying mood is being transfer

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries from 9-10 May, and alongside the friendly show floor, visitors can attend back-to-back seminars and workshops, led by respected industry leaders.
Seminar sponsors: Vectorworks, the programme sponsors, will present two sessions on their market-leading solutions – Vectorworks ConnectCAD will walk attendees through audio-visual workflows, then Production Design for Sky Sports Boxing’ will unpack the full design journey for a major TV event.
Lighting content: Lighting professionals can gain both creative and technical insights at the show. Renowned lighting designer Durham Marenghi will present Lasers as Light, showcasing his work on the Leeds Year of Culture Opening Ceremony, the World Cup Opening Ceremony in Qatar, and the 'hidden' New Year's Eve celebrations in London.

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the latest addition to its annual ABTT Awards, the ABTT Award for Environmental Sustainability.
The award will be presented to someone who over the past 12 months has made a significant contribution to furthering environmental sustainability within the theatre industry.
The award will sit alongside the established ABTT Technician of the Year Award and Award for Emerging Excellence which recognise the achievements of individuals both starting out and well-established in their backstage careers.
The ABTT Awards are one of the Association’s flagship events which this year will take place on Wednesday 7 June Alexandra Palace and the ABTT would like to extend an invitation to those in the industry to attend the ceremony and Theatre Show social, which will take place following the first day of

Germany - Prolight+Sound is further expanding its range of products and topics for the 2023 event. With the new Future Walk, the show (25 to 28 April 2023, Frankfurt) will offer an interactive area with an experiential character, which will present innovations around networked systems for event technology and broadcast applications.
The focus is on network-based processes that will permanently change the industry in the coming years: from remote production to device-independent workflows and on-demand infrastructures. In addition, the Kamera Hub will celebrate its premiere at Prolight+Sound. It is a central contact point for TV cameramen, presenting innovations in moving image production in specialised exhibitions and inviting visitors to talks and workshops.
To realise the new special areas, Prolight+Sound is cooperating intensively with partners from the industry. Th

USA - The Behind the Scenes booth #11730 at The NAMM Show will enable visitors to learn about its Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative, receive valuable information to post in the workplace, and attend brief presentations to learn about available tools and resources, Mental Health First Aid training, and hear about one person’s journey from the depths of depression to helping others.
Three 20-minute presentations will be offered in the booth each day of the show, all focused on mental health. Steven Michelman, owner of EPS (Entertainment Project Services) will speak about his mental health journey. Learn how industry pressures and previous trauma led to severe anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation and learn where and how he found help. He’ll share what his journey taught him and the response he got when sharing his story with his family, employees and clie

UK - The Showman’s Show will return to Newbury Showground, 18-19 October 2023 with an extended format as organiser Lance Show & Publications launches a party on the Wednesday evening. The Showman’s Supper will be held onsite within a permanent building at the showground.
Event directors Jeremy and Johnny Lance comment: “In the last few years, the number of exhibitors and visitors expressing their desire for some form of social event at the end of the first day of show has grown to a point where we decided we needed to do something about it.
“The timing of the show is certainly a factor; it’s at the end of the season which is perfect for getting together and we’re known for being a social bunch. Also, if you’re making the journey to the show then having a reason to extend your visit and catch up in a relaxed setting definitely makes sense. We’re real

UK - For the first time this year, Pro Integration Future Asia (PIFA) will include a UK Pavilion, to showcase products and services from UK-based companies. Furthermore, to help reduce exhibition costs, 6-square-meter stands in the UK Pavilion are now available for only £1,500 (originally £2,550).
Taking place in Singapore from 26-28 June 2023, PIFA attracts 6,000+ visitors from 20 countries. And the huge array of exhibitors specialise in production tech, leisure attractions, unified comms, smart homes, and staged events.
In addition to a 6sqm stand, UK Pavilion exhibitors will have use of a shared lounge to conduct meetings. Exhibitors will also be invited to a drinks reception hosted by PLASA and the Department for Business & Trade, providing an opportunity to meet key buyers in the region. Both PLASA and the DBT will be onsite throughout the show to offer su

USA - Meyer Sound has announced an expanded presence at the 2023 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, bringing additional personnel and resources to showcase products and technologies for the touring, recording/post-production, and immersive audio markets.
This year’s NAMM Show is scheduled as a one-time-only springtime event, with exhibits from 13-15 April. Meyer Sound can be found on the show floor at exhibit space #17215 (ACC North Level 2).
“Meyer Sound is coming off a record-setting year in 2022, and we will be working hard to continue that success in the coming months,” says senior vice president John McMahon. “We are building momentum across the board - in tour sound, cinema, and post-production and installed sound. Since NAMM has expanded its scope well beyond musical instruments, it has become an ideal trade show for connecting us with all those markets.”

Germany - Hall 11.0 Stand C06 at this year’s Prolight+Sound will see L-Acoustics highlight Soka, SB6i and SB10i subwoofers, and X4i, solutions that provide audio in locations that require ‘ultimate discretion to allow the design space to shine’.
Launched last year, Soka is a breed of loudspeaker that combines line source technology with a sleek aesthetic. Soka integrates nine 3.5” MF drivers and three 1” HF transducers to impart a wide 140-degree horizontal coupled with a highly controlled 26-degree vertical directivity. Soka and the latest SB6i subwoofer (both displayed as in-wall solutions at the show), are an ultra-shallow 3.9 inches/99 millimetres, designed to be easily enclosed in-wall or discreetly mounted on-wall, yet are capable of astounding power and bandwidth. Soka can also be combined with the SB10i subwoofer (displayed as on-wall) and is ideal as a mai

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