Germany - Industry forum AVnu Alliance hosted its first European plugfest in recent years at one of its Registered Test Facilities, GRL Laboratories in Karlsruhe, Germany on 16-20 May, 2022. Twelve AVnu member companies with more than 30 participating engineers came together to further develop and test TSN products and devices, along with new devices now able to be certified under the Advanced Milan Certification Programme. During the plugfest AVnu members continued work on the integration and validation of IEEE 802.1AS time synchronization test development, with the certification programme targeted to open for members this year. This work will lay the framework for time distribution, including media specific support for Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Plugfest testing also included the introduction of initial Wireless TSN test development over Wi-Fi, as well as the introduction
UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians’ Annual Awards took place on the evening of Wednesday 22 June, after the first day of the 2022 ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace, London. Engineering Product of the Year: XM Automation’s XMove Sound Product of the Year: Clearcom’s Arcadia Central Station Lighting Product of the Year: Robe’s T11 Widget of the Year: CallQ’s Showcaller Training Software Stand of the Year: Prompt Side Technician of the Year: Daniel Ewing Award for Emerging Excellence: Kat Ellis Virtual Ideas Platform, Idea of the Year 2021: Matthew Dean Additionally, commendations were made for d&b’s 5d amplifier, ETC’s Eos Apex, Whirly Reeler and trackingThis’ plug-in. The next ABTT Awards will take place on the evening of 7 June 2023 at the 43rd ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palac
USA - Mental Health First Aid Training Classes for July, August and September 2022 are now posted on the Behind the Scenes website at btshelp.org/mhfa. The course is delivered in two parts. The first is a two-hour self-paced online course that must be completed prior to a six-hour virtual live instructor led session. Go to btshelp.org/mhfa to learn more and to select the date and time you wish to attend the virtual live session. Classes are being offered 18 and 19 July, 15, 16 and 21 August and 12, 18 September. On completing the course you will become a certified Mental Health First Aider which is valid for three years. The registration fee is $125. IATSE Members and those working under IATSE agreements may be eligible for Training Trust Fund reimbursement on proof of successful completion of the course. A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available
UK - Rise, the advocacy group for women in the broadcast media technology sector, has announced that entries are open for its annual Rise Awards with the introduction of two new categories, Ally of the Year that honours men who have been supportive of striving to achieve gender diversity, and Business Operations of the Year, celebrating an individual who excels at making sure the workforce and clients are happy and the business is reaching its targets. Submissions and nominations are encouraged from across the global broadcast media technology audience to showcase talent across the industry whether in a manufacturer, service provider, engineer or broadcaster role. The awards are free to enter and nominations will close on 18 August, with a drinks events at IBC to announce the shortlist. The awards will be held in partnership with BT Sport and Timeline on 10 November at
UK - Robe enjoyed a successful ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians) show at Alexandra Palace in London, a highlight of which was the company’s win in the Lighting Product of the Year category of the ABTT Awards for its T11 fixtures. Robe’s new stand design in the main exhibition hall featured a selection of the latest Robe and Anolis brand technologies and ran in tandem with a black box demonstration area downstairs where fixtures were shown ‘in situ’. RoboSpot workshops were also running downstairs throughout the expo for those keen to expand their knowledge of this powerful and versatile system. The show proved to be a hub and meeting point for theatre creatives and practitioners working in all sectors, and “a fantastic opportunity to get kit in front of people in-person again,” explains Robe product and theatre specialist, Dave Whitehouse.
UK - PLASA Awards for Innovation 2022 are now open for entries. Organised in association with LSi, the awards celebrate innovative products from across the live entertainment technology industry that can demonstrate a new style of thinking, improve technical practice or safety, introduce new materials or techniques, or offer a new commercial advantage. PLASA Show 2022 exhibitors, PLASA members and non-exhibitors are invited to enter their products by 5 August (Friday) to be in with a chance of winning one of the coveted awards. Each successfully entered product will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts who have the authority to present up to eight awards of equal standing, plus a potential Gold Award for an outstanding new product. An Award for Sustainability is reserved for a product that can demonstrate a significant reduc
UK - The Power of Events has launched a website to promote its activities: www.thepowerofevents.org The not-for-profit organisation aims to unite interested parties from across the core sectors of the UK events industry and includes a taskforce (in which PLASA takes part) and action groups dedicated to research, skills, digital, content, comms, infrastructure and governance, and the next generation. It has evolved from the One Industry One Voice coalition, which was set up in July 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis, with The Power of Events set up in April this year. Rick Stainton, founder of The Power of Events, comments: “We have always felt that we had to be impactful, clear and content led, mapping out and signposting the UK events industry in an inclusive way across the seven core sectors. Showing everyone what how this is developing is really important t
UK - The Immersive Experience Network has held its inaugural Live Experience Summit, bringing together over 150 creators of immersive and interactive experiences to debate the future of the sector. The Immersive Experience Network has been established to support creators making new work, developing audiences and growing financially sustainable companies. The Network’s strategy is centred around encouraging collaboration by building a community of creators, facilitating knowledge-sharing and undertaking research to grow the sector. The community includes genres from across the immersive sector, including immersive theatre, scare attractions, escape rooms, Location based VR/AR, experiential art, immersive audio, Live Action Role Play (Larp), themed attractions, Alternate Reality Games (ARG) and transmedia experiences The inaugural summit, held on 31 May, includ
UK - Theatres Trust has unveiled details of its 2022 conference. The event will take place under the banner of Theatres Fit for the Future and be held on 11 October (Tuesday) at Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London. Theatres Fit for the Future will explore what the new post-COVID ‘normal’ looks like and what this means for the way theatres are designed, adapted and operated. The conference will bring together a mix of speakers and case studies, alongside opportunities for discussion and sharing of best practice. Sessions will feature theatres that are exploring new business models to ensure they not only survive but thrive in this new environment, looking at how they are generating new income streams and finding different ways to engage with their audiences and communities, and developing partnership approaches to increase resilience and impact. A
USA - The Meyer Sound stand at InfoComm in Las Vegas pulled steady crowds throughout the show. “This was our first major trade show presence since early 2020 and it was a great feeling to welcome back all the dealers, customers, and associates we’ve known over the years,” says director of global marketing, Tim Boot. “When the live event industry suffered setbacks during COVID, the installation market remained surprisingly strong for us, and we were happy to show our appreciation with hospitality through the show.” Making its major trade show debut at InfoComm was Meyer Sound’s new Panther large-format linear line array loudspeaker. A major focus at InfoComm was Meyer Sound’s exclusive IntelligentDC technology, which uniquely combines the installation advantages of low voltage distributed systems with a level of performance possible only with self-p
UK - Digital Stages, five dynamic digital events celebrating Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT) across the decades, will be released over CFT’s birthday week in July for audiences across the globe. The events range from VR tours and online performances to a new virtual game created by CFT’s community companies for adults with learning disabilities. In Visionary Stages, actors Sir Derek Jacobi and John Simm, author and playwright Kate Mosse and designer Joanna Scotcher join CFT artistic director Daniel Evans and the artistic director of the Stratford Festival Theatre in Ontario Antoni Cimolino, for a virtual meet-up using modern technology to recreate Chichester’s 1962 stage. During lockdown, the Festival Theatre auditorium was scanned by the specialist company Preevue with LiDAR technology, enabling them to recreate the 1962 stage using plans, photog
UK - PLASA Show is returning to West London from 4-6 September, and those wishing to attend can now register via the event's website. Taking place at Olympia London’s Grand Hall, the entertainment technology tradeshow promises to deliver some of the latest technology, product demos, and delve into key industry issues. There will also be four showfloor theatres running over 60 sessions on a range of topics across the three days. The event will provide plenty of opportunities for networking with leading companies from audio, AV, lighting, rigging and staging, each one showcasing popular products and new releases. Some of the brands returning this year include Robe, Ambersphere, ETC, AC-ET, Adam Hall, L-Acoustics, Sennheiser, Chauvet Professional, Leisuretec, Highlite, Polar and
UK - As part of the build up to next year’s event, Showlight will exhibit at ABTT for a chance to meet with future delegates, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers face-to-face. The ABTT Show takes place at Alexandra Palace on 22-23 June and for the first time since 2019. Showlight will be on stand E32, which is situated close to the Education Alley, the Associations Area, and the refreshment area. Showlight is the only international event organised for lighting professionals by lighting professionals and runs over four days, with the next event to be held on 20-23 May 2023. The quadrennial event focuses around presentations delivered by lighting designers from all disciplines, and offers an opportunity to network at a range of social events, workshops and dinners, plus the Grand Conference Dinner. Showlight 2023 will see around 25 exhibitors join the occasion, w
USA - The DALI Alliance is set to present two showcase seminars at LightFair 2022, a trade show and conference for architectural and commercial lighting taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Centre on 21-23 June. The seminars will focus on two hot topics within the lighting control arena - smart lighting with D4i-enabled luminaires, and the benefits of the Zhaga-D4i ecosystem - delivered by eminent experts in the field. The DALI Alliance will also be present on Booth 2371 at the exhibition, from where it will set out how this open, global consortium of lighting companies is helping to grow the market for lighting-control solutions based on DALI-2 and D4i. On 22 June at 11:00-12:00, the DALI Alliance will deliver a seminar on smart lighting with D4i-enabled luminaires, exploring energy reporting, asset management, predictive maintenance and more. Experienced
UK - Void Acoustics enjoyed a busy ISE trade show and reports a positive response to the new Cyclone 4 – the latest compact, versatile addition to the Cyclone speaker series. “Our expectations for ISE have most definitely been exceeded,” says Josh Pearce, EMEA sales manager for Void Acoustics. “We had designed an open and welcoming stand for us to re-connect with many of our existing customers – both from Europe and from further afield. And there was a constant stream of global customers and potential new customers coming onto the stand from as far afield as Mongolia, Israel, India, Central America and Africa. As well as the UK and all the main European countries. It was fantastic to be able to greet our global family and to see so many people face-to-face for the first time in a long while.” The Void team reported constantly high footfall onto the stand
France - The 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is, for the first time, hosting a virtual production space powered by disguise - marking a new milestone in virtual production’s expansion into the European film and television industry. Film and television group Film Soho, is partnering up with virtual production innovators disguise, ROE Visual, global video solutions provider CVP and content studio ZOAN to showcase a virtual production stage in the garden of the Grand Hotel in Cannes - hosting many of Cannes Festival’s A-list participants. Visitors will step into a virtual production volume, powered by disguise and will become fully immersed into rich environments such as expansive city scapes and lush Icelandic country scenes - all designed in Unreal Engine and Notch. Visitors can drop by the space during the festival to receive demonstrations of the techno
UK - The Roadie Games will take place alongside this year’s Kartfest, charity Backup has announced. Described as a “fun-filled addition” to the main event, the Roadie Games will include tests of strength, endurance and industry skills such as a Socapex Tug of War, Radio Mic Challenge, Followspot Small Bore competition, and Lamp and Spoon race. The Games will run alongside the annual industry karting day with drivers and non-drivers encouraged to enter. New entrants specifically for this event are also welcome. Teams, companies and sponsors are invited to register their interest in taking part at kartfest@backuptech.com
UK - At PLASA Focus Leeds, Prolight Concepts Group unveiled a new distribution partnership with Lucenti. On show from the Belgian lighting manufacturer were the Blackwave pixel bar series and Vinci DMX-addressable festoon lamps. Blackwave is a IP66-rated series of pixel-mappable bars controllable by Art-Net or sACN. The fixtures have a 120° viewing angle and a black front cover, with clear, frosted, rounded or square covers also available. The system is configured by using one controller for up to 64 bars arranged in groups of eight (1m bar) or 16 (0.5m bar). The strips are easy to link via the Blackwave combined power and data cables, and benefit from automatic patching, configuration and a bi-directional feedback and monitoring using the www.klstr.tech technology. The 1m and 0.5m bars are designed to be used in demanding environments like stages, clubs and on
UK - During last week’s PLASA Focus Leeds, Entec UVC SafeClean presented its research on creating COVID-free environments and busted some of the myths surrounding pathogen eradication. Entec UVC SafeClean specialises in environmental germicidal disinfection, effective against COVID-19 variants as well as all other viruses. During the seminar at the Bury Theatre, Entec Group chairman Nick Pendleton presented scientific research on creating COVID-safe environments. He opened up by asking the audience several questions relating to their own personal COVID experience, and some 80% stated they expected COVID disruptions to continue, and almost as many said they had been involved in an event affected by COVID. “I was very surprised to receive such a strong view that the risk and problem had not gone away,” reflects Pendleton. Aided by a portable Goldensea UVAIR 216 ul
UK - ETC will be heading to Leeds for the return of PLASA Focus on 10 -11 May with new products to showcase - Eos Apex, Source Four LED Series 3 and fos/4 - on stand N-C06. The 2022 edition of PLASA Focus Leeds, a key industry tradeshow for entertainment technology in the North of England, takes place in the Royal Armouries Museum and will host a variety of industries including live events, entertainment and installation. ETC looks forward to meeting with visitors and customers in-person at the show - which returns after three years - and presenting new product releases. ETC’s next generation of lighting control Eos Apex will make its UK debut at PLASA Focus Leeds this year. The new console offers industry-leading lighting control hardware, powerful, award-winning software and programming surfaces which are suitable for top-level control for the most advanced prod
UK - City Theatrical will demo its latest technologies on stand N-C04 at PLASA Focus Leeds 2022 at the Royal Armouries Museum. Live demos will include the Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM 2.4GHz system, including PLASA Award for Innovation winner Multiverse Transmitter 2.4GHz, the Multiverse Studio Kit for film and video, RadioScan Spectrum Analyser, and DMXcat Multi Function Test Tool, as well as QolorFLEX 5-in-1 and HiQ High CRI LED Tape, QolorFLEX Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM Dimmers, and other City Theatrical unique lighting accessories. In addition to its special commendation in the 2019 PLASA Awards for Innovation, the Multiverse wireless DMX/RDM system was recognised as the winner of the Live Design Award for Best Debuting Product at the 2018 and 2019 LDI Shows in the USA, for the ability of the Multiverse Transmitter 2.4GHz to broadcast up to 10 universes of DMX data
USA - Behind the Scenes has announced that rock‘n’roll photographer and author Neal Preston is returning to The NAMM Show this June in Anaheim. He will be signing his newest book Queen: The Neal Preston Photographs and speak about his experiences photographing the band over two decades. Produced in collaboration with Queen, the book features over 200 images and is a ride through their years on the road together. It is the first time Preston and Queen have collated this work in one volume. Glimpses of life backstage, live performances, post-performance highs and lows, and outtakes - many of which have never been seen before - are accompanied by memories and anecdotes from Neal with forwards by Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Preston’s book Exhilarated & Exhausted and posters, including his famous images of Freddie Mercury, Rob
UK - The 12th edition of PLASA Focus Leeds will open its doors from 10-11 May at the Royal Armouries Museum, bringing live entertainment technology to the north of England and reconnecting industry professionals from across the live events sector. More than 150 brands from the audio, AV, lighting, rigging and staging sectors will showcase their technologies – including never-before-seen products - and promote their services across two show halls. Also returning is the free seminar programme, which will run throughout both days. PLASA MD, Peter Heath, comments: “We are so delighted to see the return of PLASA Focus Leeds after two long years away. I’m sure there will be a huge buzz across the two show halls, with much catching up to do. And the programme will see industry leaders share strategies and solutions for the 2022 landscape of live events and entertainme
UK - Entec UVC Safe Clean will host a seminar entitled Future-proofing events in a post COVID world at the upcoming PLASA Focus Leeds tradeshow, taking place at the Royal Armouries on 10-11 May. During the seminar, a panel of application and scientific experts, including medical adviser, Dr. David Lawrence and Adrian King, lecturer on medical innovation, will set out practical ways of safeguarding events from the financial and health costs of illness and cancellations. Moderating this lively discussion will be Entec chairman, Nick Pendleton. Explaining the seminar’s underlying message, Pendleton says: “Theatres, rehearsal and production facilities, sports industries and all forms of event and entertainment promotion have come to recognise that whilst masks may partially reduce transmission of virus from affected individuals, manual cleaning and chemical spra
