Germany - Prolight + Sound Frankfurt is set to return from 26 to 29 April 2022, with emphasis on sustainability. With the Green Event Day on 27 April, the fair is offering for the first time a theme day all about the responsible use of natural resources. Companies and associations will present their green initiatives and underline that commitment to sustainability can also pay off economically. Among the players who have already declared their participation in PL+S 2022 are ADJ, Area Four Industries, Ayrton, B. & C. Speakers, Bosch Rexroth, Bütec, Cast, Chainmaster, Chauvet, Clay Paky, ComputerWorks, dBTechnologies, DTS, Elation, ETC, Eurotruss, FBT Elettronica, GLP, Highlite International, HOF Alutec, InEar, JB-Lighting, Kling & Freitag, König & Meyer, KS Audio, Kvant, L-Acoustics, Lawo, Layher, LEDitgo, Lightpower, Link, MA Lighting, Meyer Sound, Moveca
UK - PLASA and #WeMakeEvents have launched a survey to investigate how the live events sector is recovering with the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey aims to draw a detailed picture of the events, entertainment and installations industries following 18 months of disruption. The results are hoped to provide an insight into the challenges still facing the industry and will be used as an evidence base to better inform lobbying. The surve contains questions about the supply of components and finished goods, the availability of skilled workers, and the year-on-year changes in terms of revenue and income. Once all the data is collated and analysed, a full report will be published on both the PLASA and #WeMakeEvents websites. From freelancers and sole traders to manufacturing companies and venues, all types of industry professionals are invited to ta
UK - Scotland-based event production and site management specialists, Rogue City Productions has appointed Graham MacIntyre as business development manager. Graham has consulted on and managed projects across the UK including Edinburgh Hogmanay, Mela Festival and Social Bite’s Sleep in the Park, as well as developing growth with international live production suppliers. Graham is known for his ability to build strong relationships and drive strategic growth. Director of Rogue City Productions, Shane Grieve states: “We are very excited Graham has joined our growing team. He brings with him vast knowledge and experience of the live event industry across the country. I’m confident his positive attitude and can-do approach will work well with our existing and new clients.”
Spain - AFIAL 2021 closed one of its busiest editions in Madrid on 7 October, the event’s organisers have reported. Three intense days before, the trade show highlighted, once again, the capacity of unity, strength and resilience of the AV industry. AFIAL 2021 was attended by PLASA in the framework of the collaboration that it recently has signed with AFIAL after more than one year of joint effort in the #WeMakeEvents movement - a relationship that will be expanded in the near future with new projects and initiatives. One of the success stories of this edition was the AFIAL Conecta space, where visitors had the opportunity to attend a powerful panel of conferences, in addition to a comprehensive programme of activities complemented by demonstrations of outdoor sound carried out in the Pavilion of Crystal esplanade, which welcomed visitors interested in knowing first-
UK - “It’s a very welcome sight to see the return of The Showman’s Show this year,” says Shaun Pearce, MD of long-standing exhibitor Pearce Hire. “We couldn’t be happier to see the industry getting back on its feet and for us to all be doing what we love.” Since the re-emergence of the industry from mid-July onwards, Pearce Hire has seen a very busy summer experiencing quite a boom following the extremely difficult conditions of the previous 18 months. “We were back in the thick of things - providing production services to some of our regular summer projects; some of whom were able to stick to their regular timeline; others who had booked dates later than usual to ensure they could go ahead,” explains Shaun. “It was a pleasure to see these loyal clients return, whilst alongside this we had also taken on a significant amount of new work to help make
USA - Italian professional lighting brand DTS will attend LDI for the first time since 2016 when the show returns to Las Vegas in November. DTS had announced an exclusive partnership with American distribution company Apex technologies in July 2021, marking its official return to the American market. Members of both companies will be attending the event. DTS will be stationed at booth 2748 and will showcase its latest wash moving head Alchemy 7, designed to meet the everchanging needs of theatre and television. A range of projectors from DTS’s entertainment line will also be at the exhibition like Synergy 7, profile moving head whose output reaches up to 55,000 lumen. Carmen Savarese, international sales manager at DTS comments, “We’re very glad to be able to attend this year as our company’s return to the United States marks the start of a new chapter
UK - Surfhire deployed a full-service complex comms package to the boutique Henley Festival held on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames. After an unprecedented delay due to the pandemic, the Henley Festival of Music and Arts, famed for its strict black tie dress code, finally returned for a 2021event. With performances from Madness, James Blunt, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the five-day show had to deliver with perfect ambience. In order to keep the event running as smoothly as possible – despite some of the site’s particular idiosyncrasies - production manager John Harris brought Surfhire, part of Britannia Row Productions, back once again to provide radios, internet backhaul, and site-wide network services for the festival. “Surfhire have been involved for 12 years, but the role has expanded and contracted as time has gone on,” explains Surfhire’s Si
USA - Shure supported the 74th Annual Tony Awards, welcoming the theatre community home after a year without Broadway. Broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, this year’s Tony Awards, hosted by Audra McDonald and Leslie Odom Jr., achieved cutting-edge audio for the entire ceremony and subsequent Broadway’s Back! event. The night included performances from the cast of Jagged Little Pill, American Utopia, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, John Legend and the cast of Ain’t Too Proud, and Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Freestyle Love Supreme. Each act relied on the digital radio offered by Shure’s Axient Digital Wireless System. “I wouldn't want to do the Tony Awards with any other wireless system than Axient Digital,” said Cameron Stuckey, RF engineer. “The layers of complexi
UK - The Showman’s Show returns to Newbury Showground on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 October this week. Event director, Jeremy Lance comments: “The Showman’s Show has always been an excellent opportunity to catch up with industry colleagues and share ideas and information as one season draws to a close and attention turns to the following year. Let’s be honest, there has never been a more important time for us to get together. “Challenges around securing toilets, temporary structures and other event essentials have been well reported this summer. The show is renowned for being the best place to source industry staples, and 2021 definitely won’t disappoint. Whatever you need for your events next year, then a visit to Newbury Showground this week should take a lot of the headache away from the planning process.” Fellow event director Johnny Lance add
Europe - Visitor registration for ISE 2022 at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía.is now open. A new development for 2022 is a paperless approach to visitor registration in the form of digital badges issued via the new ISE app. Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events managing director, stated: “As an in-person event, we are uniquely placed to bring all elements of the industry together under one roof. In the build-up to our return to Barcelona, along with our co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, we have worked hard to ensure that ISE 2022 offers the industry a truly worthwhile experience – showcasing innovation, becoming inspired by some of the brightest in the business, and most importantly, meeting up after so many difficult months apart.” Spread across five halls at the Fira Gran Vía, the show floor has been organised into five technology zones to provide a much-im
UK - Event and brand logistics specialist Global Infusion Group has announced a change in its leadership. Bonnie May, previously GIG’s global operations director, takes on the role of CEO and Richard Duff joins the company as managing director as the business emerges from the pandemic. Whilst continuing to lead the day-to-day operations of GIG and maintaining her hands on approach with clients, in her new role as CEO, Bonnie will shape the group’s strategy and vision. Rich, as managing director will be responsible for its implementation and lead all business functions including sales, finance and human resources. Richard’s career spans sales, marketing and operational leadership roles within the FMCG, consumer electronics and homeware sectors. Over the last few years his focus has turned to the hospitality sector, and in his most recent role he was CEO of hotel
UK - The programme details have been announced for the Theatres Trust’s Conference 21: Making Theatre Sustainable. Scheduled for 4 November at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, the programme features a line-up of speakers including Lisa Burger (National Theatre), Lucy Davies (Royal Court Theatre), Andy Hayles (Charcoalblue), Dave Moutry (HOME/MAST), Melly Still, Alison Tickell (Julie’s Bicycle) and Steve Tompkins (Haworth Tompkins). Lockdown discussions have led to the creation of the Theatre Green Book, an industry-wide collaboration that builds on existing guidance and draws on input from across the sector to form a shared standard for environmentally responsible theatre. Conference 21: Making Theatre Sustainable will launch the Buildings volume of the Theatre Green Book and continue the industry-wide dialogue and sharing of
UK - Specialist architectural lighting and dynamic control solutions provider Studiotech is participating in this year’s Design Crawl Manchester. Created as a collaboration between a group of interior experts, Design Crawl is a showroom-led design event, specially developed to ‘inspire and excite the design community’. Taking place over three days, between 19 and 21 October, Design Crawl brings together a number of brands, who will welcome guests to their showrooms to see their latest products, host learning sessions and networking events, and run workshops. Design Crawl also features a Basecamp; a central location where several events will take place over the course of the three days. Studiotech will be primarily showcasing the controls systems it offers through its product portfolio. As well as demonstrating the capabilities of the solutions, Studiotech will
USA - The Event Safety Alliance has announced the initial agenda for its 2021 Event Safety Summit - a hybrid in-person and virtual three-day event that will take place 1-3 December 2021 on the campus of Rock Lititz in Lititz, Pennsylvania, sponsored by Take1 Insurance and Intact Specialty Insurance. Registration to attend the 2021 Event Safety Summit, either in-person or virtually, can be found at //eventsafetysummit.com. “This year’s agenda really does reflect the times we live in and the complex challenges that confront everyone involved in the production and staging of live events,” says Event Safety Alliance president Jim Digby. “From traditional safety concerns to the health and weather threats that have become part of the modern event industry, this year’s agenda is goi
UK - Based in South Kirby on Production Park, XPLOR is a £9m research, development and innovation centre that aims to support SMEs across the creative industries from music, film and TV to sports, theatre, corporate events and the arts. The scheme secured grant funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Circlesphere is Tschida’s first exhibition in Europe and is being hosted at Neon Workshops Project Space: 7A and The Art House in Wakefield from 29 September – 28 November. Fred Tschida, retired Professor at Alfred University, New York, was one of the first generation of artists and professors to explore and teach neon for nearly 40 years, since the 1970’s, and - until now - his artworks have not been exhibited in Europe. The exhibition was the brainchild of artist Richard Wi
UK - #WeMakeEvents has launched a supporter scheme to bring more useful resources and services to campaign backers. Members of #WeMakeEvents Supporters get free access to webinars hosted by the campaign and PLASA in the past - including on topics such a Brexit, HR, IP, and various technical sessions – as well as credit checks for UK-based companies. Other benefits include free entry passes to the PLASA Show and PLASA Focus Leeds and an invite to #WeMakeEvents’ Zoom calls. “Launched at PLASA Show 2021 in London last month, #WeMakeEvents Supporters has already seen a large uptake, demonstrating the ongoing high level of engagement to protect and promote live events and entertainment,” says the campaign in a statement. “Supporters can opt in to be listed on the webpage to add strength to the global movement which continues to amplify the voice of the industry a
UK - #WeMakeEvents, the campaign to amplify the voice of the live events supply chain, has now raised over half a million British pounds through fundraising efforts over the last 18 months, supporting charities which have helped industry professionals through the pandemic. The milestone was reached during PLASA Show 2021, where #WeMakeEvents hosted a dedicated hub to promote wellbeing and mental health throughout the live sector which featured several industry charities and initiatives and welcomed a steady stream of visitors. 80% of the funds raised have gone directly to Backup, the campaign's chosen industry which supports professionals throughout the technical entertainment industry in times of ill health or financial need. In turn, Backup funnels vital funds to Acting For Others, Music Support, Stage Hand and Make It Blue UK, each one providing specially designed se
USA - NAB has announced the cancellation of the upcoming NAB Show 2021, which was due to take place in Las Vegas from 9-13 October. The annual convention/exhibition, which in 2019 reported attendance of 91,000, is one of the largest events on the calendar for broadcasters and their technology providers. In recent weeks, the show had suffered exhibitor withdrawals - including Sony and Canon - due to the spread of the delta variant of COVID in the US, with the organisers opting to scrap the in-person event in favour of offering select virtual sessions through its Amplify portal. “For more than a year, we have worked tirelessly to bring our industry together safely in Las Vegas at NAB Show," say the organisers in a statement. "Unfortunately, the pandemic and surge of the delta variant has presented unexpected and insurmountable challenges for our global community. “As
UK - Martin Audio returned to its open days for the first time in two years, following the easing of Covid restrictions, which also included both a legacy product walkthrough and a party in nearby Marlow to honour the company’s 50th anniversary. The sessions adhered closely to all Covid guidelines, including tests on entrance, and at the end, MD Dom Harter gave a heartfelt appreciation to the audience. “It’s the first time many have been back in a room of loudspeakers for 18 months,” he said. “We are extremely grateful for everyone’s time and attendance - our industry will never be tested like this again.” Ninety minutes earlier he had opened proceedings with a background about company founder Dave Martin, emphasising that “his vision and many of his principles continue to be followed today”. Guests had already been able to enjoy a museum like walkthr
UK - The PLASA Show returned to Olympia London from 5-7 September, receiving high acclaim and marking a return to normality following the 18-month closure of the live events sector. As the first entertainment technology tradeshow in two years, the PLASA Show 2021 co-located with the ABTT Theatre Show and succeeded in reuniting the industry for three high-spirited and productive days in Olympia’s Grand Hall. Even though the number of attendees was reduced this year, they remained top quality and similar to previous years: 2/10 were company owners or directors and half were specifiers or final decision-makers. Theatre and touring were most prominent with one third of those attending working in production or venues. Anticipation was high as the doors opened, with a steady stream of visitors keen to check out the next generation of products and catch up with colle
UK - The team behind ‘A Light Walk’, which will take place from 20-24 September, has announced details of the fundraising mission and the ways in which everyone can get involved. A Light Walk will see Chauvet’s Sam Bowden and ALPD Lumière working group chair Charlotte Burton walk from The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon to the National Theatre on London’s South Bank, a total distance of 162km (101 miles) which will be completed in just five days. Members of the ALPD’s executive committee and other members of the Lumière Scheme working group will be joining the walk for individual days or remotely. Departing from The Royal Shakespeare Company on day one, the walkers will complete a distance of 38.35km. Day two starts at Bloxham and ends 30.33km further at Bicester. With day three, the walkers will pace the 37.26km to Great Missenden and on
World - Ayrton is a new sponsor for Women in Lighting, the international support and networking project for women in both architectural and entertainment lighting. Ayrton’s primary aim is to raise awareness of, and expand, this global network across the entertainment lighting industry. Launched in 2019 on International Women’s Day by Light Collective, Women in Lighting (WIL) is a digital forum where women can inspire, support and encourage the next generation of female lighting designers. It provides a platform on which women designers can share their passions and achievements and celebrate their work. Its worldwide programme of events and activities is augmented by a series of online interviews where women share their career paths and goals with other members. (https://womeninlighting.com/site/your-interviews
UK - The winners of the 2021 PLASA Awards for Innovation were announced last night at PLASA Show as it made its return to Olympia London. The Awards, run association with LSi Magazine, are respected industry-wide for celebrating pioneering technology, through new materials or methods that increase safety, efficiency or performance. Twenty-nine products were entered this year, with six awards being presented in addition to two special commendations. This year’s judging team comprised of nine independent technical specialists from a wide array of backgrounds. Their comments, along with the winning products, are listed below: Astera: PixelBrick The judges said “this is not just another battery uplighter, but a well-engineered and thought-out lighting system augmented with a wide set of accessories.” They felt it would allow designers a greater degree of
UK - After two years PLASA Show has finally returned to Olympia London for three days of long awaited networking, learning and discovery. The show floor is filling up with eager visitors and the seminar and training programme is in full swing. Always an unmissable feature is Robe’s stand (E19) which runs regular presentations of their latest lighting fixtures. This year’s design is entitled The Show Goes On, a nod to the live sector’s challenges throughout COVID. The focus will be on Robe’s TE – Transferable Engine technology. Plus, visitors can look forward to seeing the recently launched T2 along with a preview of the not-yet-released T11. Also in action is the Forte, Robe’s highest powered LED moving light. The show floor is brimming with new products, many have been awaiting release or were developed throughout the pandemic. On the audio front
