The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) committee has appointed Point Promotions, organiser of the Sound Broadcasting Equipment Show, to manage its show operations. This comes at a time when the physical size and importance of the Show has surpassed the ABTT committee with the organiser, Roger Fox conceding that it is now "very much a full time job" and it can only meet the demands of the industry with professional exhibition management. This announcement follows the news of the show's change of name and widening focus for 2001. The ABTT Theatre Show 2001 will be held at the Royal Horticultural Halls, London, on 4-5 April 2001.

High End Systems fixtures have been chosen to illuminate the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games on September 15 and October 1, respectively. Designed by LD John Rayment, the ceremonies at Olympic Stadium in Sydney's Olympic Park will be seen live by about 120,000 spectators and on television by an estimated three billion people worldwide. Rayment and lighting director Rohan Thornton are using 300 Cyberlight Turbo and 40 Cyberlight fixtures, as well as 136 Studio Beam luminaires, and 132 Studio Color 575 luminaires. To control the multi-layered system, the designers are using 14 Flying Pig Systems Wholehog II consoles. Bytecraft, the exclusive Australian distributor for High End Systems, is the event's general lighting contractor, and is working with two German companies, Procon and Sound and Light, to pull the massive lighting system together.

Former deputy show director of the Cosmopolitan Show, Matt Briggs, has joined brand experience consultancy Hotcakes as a full-time producer. The appointment of Briggs, who has worked closely with Hotcakes for the past two years in producing Cosmopolitan Show's award-winning catwalk show, underlines Hotcakes' push to recruit skilled individuals from a variety of sectors. His responsibilities will include the initiation and management of projects, close client liaison, co-ordinating the teams allocated to each event, controlling and managing budgets and production schedules and identifying and acting on opportunities as and when they arise.

The Showman's Show will take place on Wednesday 18 - Thursday 19 October, 2000, at its regular Newbury Showground location, but this year visitors will notice a new aisle has being added to the show, and there is an increased international presence. here are several areas of the outdoor event industry which will be boasting new developments: The international community has found Newbury with new stands ranging from a Dutch consortium of companies co-ordinated by Festivak and new marquee companies including 'Tentology' from Canada and Spantech from Belgium. Trade associations within the industry will be promoting standards, and this year Newham College will be promoting education via their new rosta of events related courses and qualifications. On-line registration is now available.

Live event company Hotcakes has today announced the formal appointment of five senior figures to its new Board of Directors. The Board will consist of Chris Spencer (executive producer and managing director), Helene Spencer (visual director), Sean Canning (creative director), Dick Tee (production director) and Alison Esse (communications director). The Board has been formalised as the company enters a new phase of development and expansion. Hotcakes already designs, produces and manages creative shows and live events for a number of different brands and organisations in the UK, including Marks & Spencer, Cosmopolitan Show and Prima, as well as the creative production for International Festival of the Sea, and will be announcing new projects in the near future.

The PLASA 2000 Awards for Product Excellence were presented at the Show yesterday. Seven exhibitors were presented with awards specially designed by DHA Lighting, for Design Excellence and Technical Innovation in four categories: Lighting, Stage Engineering, Audio-Visual and Sound. And the winners were . . .LIGHTINGMartin Professional for the MAC 2000 (Design Excellence)Pani for the BP4CT Large Format Projector (Technical Innovation)SOUNDAcoustic Solutions for the Homemix entry-level DJM+D Design for the SID Event System Monitor STAGE ENGINEERINGTotal Fabrications for the T2 trussing system (Design Excellence)Stage Technologies for the Pathway 3D Flying System (Technical Innovation)AUDIO-VISUALM+D Design for The Podules (for both Design Excellence and Technical Innovation)

In recognition of the product that claimed the greatest Environmental Impact, a short

The Sound Broadcasting Equipment Show takes place on 8-9 November at the Birmingham NEC. Show organiser Point Promotions is offering visitors special deals on hotels through Expotel www.expotel.co.uk/?EVENTCODE=SOUBRO00. Expotel can also offer budget B&B accommodation within the NEC area. If you are planning to use the train, visit www.virgintrains.co.uk, which offers reduced rates on pre-booked tickets. The Seminar sessions this year will cover topics including the future of webcasting, automation and transmission, among a wide range of items.

Winner of the Best Shell Scheme award was UV Light Technology on stand P20. Judges were impressed by the effect of such a wide array of UV products in a very small space - even including the stand's signage - maximising the impact of the stand.In the Best Space Only Stand (up to 50sq.m) category, the winner was Mad Lighting for stand F48, built by LiteStructures. The judges were impressed by the creative combination of small space and product on display. Judges also made a commendation to Tomcat for its spectacular rotating stand feature.Winner of the Best Space Only Stand (over 50sq.m) category was Martin Professional on stand E54/E56. Judges were impressed by the impact of the 'wall' of products, and by the simple but stylish separation of the different parts of the organisation. Commendations were also made in this category to ETC for its cool, calm haven of a stand with sumptuous and

Themed recreation venues and attractions took centre stage on the evening of Saturday, September 16 as the Themed Entertainment Association celebrated its seventh annual THEA Awards Gala in the Grand Ballroom of the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Studios Island, James Cameron's Titanic: The Experience, Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia and the Stone Forest in Yunnan Province, China (all of which have been featured in Lighting&Sound International) all picked up awards. Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida was also voted the best Theme Park. The THEA Classic award went to Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark - said to be one of the prime inspirations for Walt Disney in determining the character and quality of Disneyland. Tivoli Gardens has operated continuously since 1843. A special award recognising Breakthrough Technol

Details of the fourth annual Fullpower Showcase have been announced. This year's event, which is free to attend, takes place on November 9th and will again be held at Salisbury's Red Lion Hotel. It will showcase DJ technologies from all the leading manufacturers including Martin Profesional, Batmink, Lamba Plc, Gemini Sound, Numark and Antari. The event is very much an interactive experience with demonstrations and hands-on session being a key feature of the show. Information and tickets can be obtained from Richard Hunt on 01722 718331.

There is now less than a week to go until designvision, a brand new exhibition for the world of restaurant, bar, hotel and pub interiors opens its doors to the trade at London's Olympia. Running from Sunday 1 to Tuesday 3 October, the event is expected to attract over 10,000 restaurateurs, bar operators, hoteliers and publicans., as well as architects, specifiers and designers. In addition to an exhibition of the industry's leading suppliers, the event will play host to a comprehensive seminar programme featuring industry personalities such as Stuart Hopson Jones, Simon Woodroffe, Ian Caulder and Callum Lumsden.

Southwest Sound & Light have announced that hey will be organising and hosting the Southwest Sound & Light Show on Sunday 28th and Monday 29th January 2001, from 10am to 8pm both days. The venue is the Clubhouse at Golden Sands Holiday park, Dawlish, Devon, and admission will be free. Organiser Paul Goody said: "The event will be of interest to all people involved in the leisure industry - with clubs, pubs, holiday centres, leisure centres, bands, DJs and karaoke. Visitors will be able to see and try the latest in amplifiers, mixers, loudspeakers, microphones, CD players, mixing kits, effects units, harmonisers, lighting effects for stage and club and large screen video." Call Paul Goody for further information: 01626 890806

Are you a lighting student eager to visit the only International Colloquium on Entertainment Lighting? If so, Showlight 2001 may be able to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime! Exhibitors at Showlight have the option to sponsor one entertainment lighting student, to enable people at all levels of the profession to attend and participate. The essence of Showlight is to encourage attendees to talk, discuss ideas and mix with some of the top names from theatre, television, film and architectural and themed lighting, and the list of exhibitors encompasses some of the top names in the industry, including DHA Lighting, ETC Europe, Strand, White Light and Wybron, with confirmed speakers from the worlds of themed entertainment, television and outdoor events. For further details contact Ruth Rossington, Showlight 2001, telephone +44 (0) 1323 418401.

The annual LDI Show has just finished its run at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas and early reports suggest that this was a busy and successful Show (more show news in the next few days). One of the highlights of the event is the annual awards presentation which took place on Saturday, October 21. The Wally Russell Award for lifetime contribution went to San Miller, chief executive officer and chairman of Rosco Laboratories. Miller is the only person ever to be named both a Fellow of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Having graduated from Brown University in 1954, Miller served in the US Army until 1956, and acquired Rosco in 1958. The Best Widget Award went to American Harlequin for its new storage bag. In the design categories, the Lighting Designer of the Year Awards are divided into three areas.

At the close of the LDI exhibition on Sunday evening at the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, the show was being hailed as the biggest, busiest and most successful LDI yet. In addition to its regulars, the show boasted no less than 65 first-time exhibitors, while the visitors were out in force. Speaking at the LDI Awards ceremony on Saturday evening, LDI's Jacqueline Tien said that with more than 12,000 visitors through the doors, LDI 2000 had already outstripped last year's visitor total, with a day left to run.

The International Live Music Conference (ILMC The 13th) has announced that it will return to the venue for the 2000 event - the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London - on the weekend of March 9th-11, 2001. A new team has been assembled by ILMC organiser Martin Hopewell to produce the Conference and create both its discussion agenda and the series of social events that surround the conference sessions themselves. Conference producers for ILMC 13 are Alia Dann and Lynn Curtis, with Mike Lethby and Sarah James at Gasoline Media responsible for media and sponsorship. Registration and sponsorship details are available from the ILMC office on 0207 833 8998.

Much of the performance audio buzz at the LA Convention Center at the end of September surrounded the new line array PA systems, but there was more besides. L&SI reports on some of the highlights.

AKG Acoustics launched the PR 81 pocket receiver, a lightweight, durable and feature-packed miniature diversity receiver based on AKG’s WMS 81 wireless technology. The company sees its compactness and plug-and-play operation as ideal for small broadcast and video production houses. AKG also unveiled the WMS 40 UHF wireless system, a fully-featured transmitter/receiver system at what AKG says is a 'breakthrough price' for a product of its ability.

Allen & Heath staged the US debut of the ML4000 dual-function (FOH/monitor) console. Slotting in between the GL400 and the recently-launched ML5000, it's a VCA-equipped 12 aux, eight audio group mixer with eight mute groups, a four-way matrix

Circle 8 - the new company set up by former PLASA Show Manager Nicky Rowland - has confirmed its first industry contract in its first week of business. Circle 8 will be managing Theme Magazine’s Bar & Restaurant Awards - a series of regional awards dinners, culminating in a spectacular final dinner in London in June 2001. The North West’s awards ceremony has already taken place and the next event will be taking place on Monday 20 November at Brighton’s famous Grand Hotel to celebrate the best in the South East and Home Counties. Circle 8 offers a unique blend of event management, sales and marketing skills that can be applied to the entertainment industry and beyond.

London-based MJK Productions has helped to open a new era in the long history of legendary Alexandra Palace by flying, for the first time, a substantial sound, lighting and video production from the venue’s vaulted glass roof.The MOBO Awards have grown immensely over the past five years. Increased ticket demand for this year’s MOBO Awards brought about the move to Alexandra Palace, with a show hosted by MTV’s Trevor Nelson and TLC’s Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes. Live performances included Craig David, Gabrielle and the much-anticipated return of Sade.

The Great Hall at ‘Ally Pally’ was completely refurbished following a disastrous fire in 1980 and a new glass roof installed. However, the roof was never intended to support heavy event production rigging, with a maximum loading of 1500 kilos on each arch and no greater point load than 500kg.

MJK

Lee Baldock and Steve Moles report from LDI, Las Vegas

T his year’s LDI was, we are told, the biggest and the busiest LDI Show to date, with more exhibitors than ever before and record-breaking attendance, topping 12,000 in the first two days alone. The show floor of the Sands Expo & Convention Center certainly seemed very busy for the most part - as did the rest of Vegas, mind-bogglingly over-booked and bursting at the seams.

One of the few really high-profile debuts at the show was from Vari-Lite in the form of the Virtuoso DX console; this brings the for sale option to the Virtuoso control platform family - the daddy of which was launched at PLASA last year. Using the same operating system, the Virtuoso DX supports up to 2,000 luminaires and contains eight built-in DMX universes in a smaller package. Added to this is a new offline programming software package - Visi

Park Avenue, one of the world's leading brand communications companies, has announced the appointment of its new managing director, Hugh Carswell. He has been at Park Avenue for the last four years during which time he has managed a huge variety of communications projects including the launch of British Airways' new corporate identity - which involved the largest global satellite link-up ever at the time, the British Airways London Eye launch on Millennium Eve, and the Euro-American announcement of the merger of Deutsche Bank and Bankers' Trust. Carswell takes over from Tony Cadman who is leaving to start his own venture consultancy after six successful years at Park Avenue.

Fisher Productions were specially commissioned to organise the recent official opening of the British Museum's Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, in conjunction with the events department of the British Museum. The project involved the arrangement and co-ordination of the entertainment and technical support aspects of the opening, as well as the creation of a spectacular Son et Lumiere. The two-acre inner courtyard of the British Museum, hidden for 150 years and now transformed into Europe's largest covered square, provided an impressive setting for the four-minute Son et Lumiere, which was performed to a revised arrangement of Haydn's 'The Creation', by Stephen Warbeck. The finale involved shafts of light shining through the glass and steel roof from a specially-erected crane outside the building. The Great Court was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen.

After a number of years at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, where the spiralling success of the event has seen more and more people literally squeezed into the hotel's Westbourne Suite, the 2001 Live! Awards dinner will be held in the Great Hall of Alexandra Palace. The change of venue offers the twin benefits of easily accommodating the large numbers who now wish toattend the Awards, while allowing much easier access to exhibitors and visitors to the Live! Show. The Live! Awards dinner takes place on the evening of Wednesday 7th February 2001, the first day of the Live! Show. In addition, this year, for the first time, you can register online for the Live! Show at the web address below, which also features comprehensive Show information.

Stage Light Design supplied creative lighting design and equipment for the Cal IT conference, held in the Fleming Room of the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster. The company was called in by production company Dynamic Range to light the event, a major symposium for Californian IT companies visiting the UK to promote their products and seek new investment.The event’s fast-moving format allowed for 10-minute presentations to be given by the different companies. They did this on stage, backed by a large central screen, flanked each side by two auxiliary video monitors. Stage Light Design’s Alastair Crooks designed the stage lighting and operated the show using a LightProcessor QCommander console. A front truss was fitted with assorted fixtures including Golden Scans, Stage Color 300s and conventionals. Onstage lighting fixtures included more Stage Colors, Codas and other

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