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World - Following the recent announcement of Virtual Showlight 2021 which will take place online on 25 May, 2021, Showlight is renewing its Call for Papers from speakers keen to be a part of this inaugural event.
Showlight has always centred on its fascinating programme of papers, delivered by lighting practitioners from around the world. Determined to uphold the spirit of the popular quadrennial event despite the global restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Showlight will treat its delegates to a day of talks and networking opportunities online that give a flavour of the full event.
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The organisers are therefore issuing a fresh call for papers to anyone involved in lighting - be they lighting designers, lighting directors, directors of photography, architectural lighting designers or associated crafts like programmers and manufac

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UK - The Media Production & Technology Show, scheduled for May 2021, has been postponed until next year.
The event will now take place from 11-12 May 2022 back at Olympia and for the first time will be held in the National Hall.
The decision to move the show a full 12-months and reschedule into May 2022 has not been taken lightly, say the organisers. It has been made because of continued questions about the rest of 2021 and the possibility of hosting large scale events, as well as the availability of venues and other industry events already booked into the latter part of this year.
Additionally, with some form of social distancing and limitations on public gatherings likely to be in place for some time to come, organisers decided that its customers and partners would need time to reasonably plan and invest in the event to maximise their attendance at the sho
Renkus-Heinz - Banner - May 2025

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UK - Artists including Sir Elton John and Radiohead are putting pressure on the government to resolve the problems around post-Brexit EU touring. UK artists will face red tape and fees for visas to play in some EU countries.
Sir Elton John told The Guardian: "Either the Brexit negotiators didn't care about musicians, or didn't think about them, or weren't prepared."
But Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said the government had "pushed" for a solution and the door was still "open". She told MPs on Monday that the government had put forward a "very straightforward" plan to allow musicians to travel without work permits, drafted "in consultation with experts from the UK to creative sectors". She added: "Quite simply the EU rejected this proposal."
Brussels has previously argued the opposite, saying it was in fact the UK that turned down its offer.
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World - Following the postponement of Showlight 2021 which had been set to take place this May in Fontainebleau, France, its organisers have announced that a one-day Virtual Showlight will be held in its place “as a temporary interlude”. The live online event will take place on Tuesday 25 May 2021 between the hours of 15.00 – 23.00 BST. The date coincides with the final day of the original event and the time has been chosen to best accommodate a global audience.
Virtual Showlight will host an online presentation of papers, each up to 30 minutes in length, from international keynote speakers, plus a live Panel Discussion. Q&A sessions will follow each paper with delegates able to message their questions via the chairperson.
The remainder of the time will stay true to the spirit of Showlight with scheduled breaks between sessions providing opportunities for d

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UK - On Tuesday 2 February, #WeMakeEvents gave evidence during the DCMS select committee inquiry into the future of UK festivals. The campaign’s political group leader Duncan Bell detailed the ongoing challenges faced by the live events and entertainment industry.
When asked if there is a problem with people leaving the industry due to COVID-19, he stated: "Freelancers have been forced to find work elsewhere. In a recent survey of 2,800 people over 30% of freelancers said they have had to leave the industry, and 20% say they hope to come back but are very unsure whether they are able to because of the lack of certainty." #WeMakeEvents is currently verifying the data from this survey and will be publishing the full report in the coming weeks.
One of the central aims of #WeMakeEvents is to get government-backed cancellation insurance for events, and follo

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Europe - The organisers of Integrated Systems Europe 2021, scheduled for June in Barcelona, have set a 1 March deadline for making a decision as to whether the physical event will go head.
ISE managing director Mike Blackman remains hopeful that the show will go on. However, in his most recent statement, in view of the unpredictable nature of the pandemic and continuing travel restrictions, he remains guarded.
“Following the announcement that the InfoComm 2021 show will now take place in Orlando in October 2021, we want to confirm that Integrated Systems Europe, remains scheduled to open live and online on 1-4 June in its new home at the Fira, Barcelona,” says Blackman.
“Whilst we recognise there continue to be challenges ahead, we are in touch with government and the relevant health authorities to constantly monitor the situation. None of us can predict

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UK - Leading trade associations have backed a campaign to keep UK’s VAT rate on ticket sales at 5% to aid the live events sector’s recovery.
Last July, the government temporarily slashed the VAT rate to 5% from the standard rate of 20% to support businesses severely affected by the pandemic. The cut currently applies until 31 March 2021.
#KeepVATat5, initiated by LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), aims to convince the Treasury to extend the VAT rate cut for the next three years and comes ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s hotly-anticipated budget announcement on 3 March.
“With the budget approaching, we must act now to convince the chancellor to #KeepVATat5,” says LIVE in a statement. “Of all the industry’s asks from government currently, keeping the VAT rate on tickets at 5% for the next three years will make the single biggest i

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UK - Independent Venue Week 2021 (25 - 31 January) has announced the full schedule for its eighth edition, which will take place digitally this year due to the on-going pandemic. Over 141 virtual events are set to take place across more than 110 venues around the UK that have all signed up to take part by playing host to performances, ‘In Conversation’ interviews, panel discussions with industry professionals, and the official IVW Quiz hosted by Duglas Stewart of BMX Bandits.
The week will also see the online premiere screening of On The Road with Independent Venue Week, with a live Q&A hosted by BBC 6 Music. The feature-length documentary, which counts Funktion One and Universal Pixels amongst its supporters, was filmed over two years with Philip Selway (Radiohead) and goes to the heart of independent music venues across the country, meeting

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USA - Harman Professional Solutions has confirmed its line-up of special sessions and product spotlights for the 2021 NAMM Believe in Music Week, taking place now.
“Harman Professional Solutions is pleased to be taking place in this historic event while helping to elevate our industry by supporting musicians and industry professionals who have been deeply affected by the pandemic,” said Frank Joseph, senior director, North America Marketing, Harman Professional Solutions. “We are thrilled to bring together a premier line-up of industry leaders and Harman experts to discuss the future of music creation, event production and live performance. Although this is an unprecedented format, we’re confident we can deliver a rich and engaging experience for our customers and partners at NAMM 2021.”
The sessions, featuring in-depth interviews and Q&A with leading ex

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USA - Meyer Sound will participate in the 2021 NAMM Believe in Music Week virtual show this week, where the company will debut two original content sessions, share product resources, and schedule one-on-one meetings with NAMM attendees.
“Meyer Sound has seen great success from the NAMM Show over the past few years as it is a great place for us to showcase our products suited for this audience,” notes Meyer Sound director of global marketing Tim Boot. “Although we are unable to connect with our customers in person during this time, we are grateful that we have this opportunity at the virtual NAMM show to share what we have been working on over the past year, including a new variant of our best-selling loudspeaker and a new solution for the post-production and residential markets.”
The virtual booth will feature product information about the award-winning ULTRA-X

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Germany - Prolight+Sound, along with a number of other trade fairs planned for April and May in Frankfurt this spring, has been postponed until April 2022.
A statement from the organisers says: “Back in September 2020, a decision was reached by Messe Frankfurt and the industries involved to forgo any physical events at our home base in the first quarter of 2021. Now, following close consultation with customers, it has become necessary to postpone the international physical trade fairs planned for April and May – Prolight+Sound, the International Consumer Goods Show, Heimtextil, Techtextil and Texprocess – as a result of the regulations and travel restrictions that have been imposed.
“There is currently no end to the pandemic in sight. Events are effectively banned in Germany, and ongoing international travel restrictions mean that it is impossible to make any t

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USA - When the 2021 NAMM Show had to be cancelled due to continued COVID concerns, the association pivoted its focus by creating a digital alternative known as Believe in Music Week, running from 18-22 January.
L-Acoustics reports that it is fully supporting NAMM this month by sponsoring a virtual marketplace booth, where it will be hosting a comprehensive line-up of eight video sessions on a variety of topics, all with live Q&A. Visitors can also book online meetings with L-Acoustics team members, chat live, and receive special access to swag and an exciting giveaway.
Of particular note will be the booth’s keynote session, Contour XO IEM Origins Story, moderated by FOH engineer Chris Rabold (Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé). This will be a Zoom ‘fireside chat’ discussion with L-Acoustics founder and president Dr. Christian Heil and JH Audio founder an

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Italy - D-Tools System Integrator is a comprehensive software solution for AV system integrators that improves operating efficiencies by streamlining the entire project workflow - all through a data-driven process that leverages an extensive, integrated product library which now includes Powersoft’s product range.
Powersoft’s partnership with D-Tools provides D-Tools software users with Powersoft’s detailed specification, along with dealer-specific pricing, which minimises time users spend on building catalogues or AV proposals. The software benefits users further by managing budgets and sales, improving opportunities, accurately tracking revenue and expenses, and, due to all of this, increasing profitability, says the company.
In the webinar, Powersoft will teach users how to work with Powersoft’s products within D-Tools’ software. AV system integrators wil

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UK - The live events industry has launched a fresh appeal for a government-backed COVID-19 insurance scheme with a letter signed by 120 sector representatives and MPs.
In the letter, written by the chair of the DCMS committee Julian Knight and addressed to the chancellor Rishi Sunak, the sector - which has largely been shut down since March 2020 - warns that “[w]ithout insurance, the events we know and love simply won’t take place this year - vaccine or no vaccine”. “Sustaining losses like those we’ve seen in 2020 for another year isn’t an option, and hundreds of businesses in the events supply chain have already been forced to fold,” the letter continues. “The Government has backed insurance for the film and television industry to the tune of £500m. It’s now time to do this for other creative industries.”
The signatories, which include P

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UK - Crosstown Concerts made a successful entry into the broadcast market, with its first online concert for English folk act Bellowhead, selling 8,200 tickets on 5 December 2020.
After live shows fell casualty to pandemic shutdown from March 2020, Crosstown Concerts spent months researching options for their artists to connect with fans, and start reinstating the all-important revenue streams.
Stabal’s concert broadcast for Bellowhead’s first show in four-and-a-half years, proved very popular with gig-starved fans, with 70% of ticket sales being the higher value option for 30-day video-on-demand passes. Irish singer Damien Dempsey also enjoyed a successful stream on 23 December, with further streamed concert tickets available for Seth Lakeman in February.
Crosstown Concerts director, Conal Dodds, said: “We knew the return to full-capacity shows would be so

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UK - When Ronald McDonald House Charities UK needed support to stage its Christmas fundraiser - A Starry Night - at Lambeth Palace last month, a fundraising group on Facebook recommended Absolute Events.
The charity supports families across the UK who need a warm and comfortable place to rest, eat and relax while their children are receiving hospital treatment. Like most charities, it has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, losing around 40% of its annual income - equating to around £6m.
Each year the charity stages an annual event at St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square but due to the pandemic, this was unable to go ahead. Instead, the charity set about organising an outside concert with a limited audience but with a live stream so that the event, sponsored by Coca Cola Europe could be viewed around the world.
To support the complete process

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UK - Music industry organisation UK Music has published its Let the Music Play: Save Our Summer 2021 report, which outlines a strategy to protect and support the live music industry so it is ready to restart when safe to do so later this year.
The report sets out the economic, social and cultural value of live music, along with a blueprint for reviving live music after COVID-19 forced the effective closure of the sector last March.
In particular, it warns that the lack of COVID cancellation insurance available is the biggest barrier to major events happening in 2021 and calls for Government to introduce an insurance scheme as it did for the film and TV sector.
It was published ahead of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s inquiry into music festivals. At Tuesday’s inquiry, Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parkli

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UK - Britannia Row Productions has supplied a varied array of projects in theatre, TV and radio while utilising COVID-safe procedures.
From a high-profile fashion event in a socially distanced venue with an army of masked crew, to working in sparse TV studios and on-air radio broadcasts, sound rental company Britannia Row Productions has maintained COVID-safe working practices during the pandemic.
Freelance sound engineer Scott Maxwell was touring with deep house DJ and producer Jax Jones when COVID cancellations saw his calendar fall apart. After months without pushing his faders, Autumn finally kicked off a run of new shows. A theatre production in Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre was his first foray into socially distant events.
The theatre partnered with Stage2View to present a selection of West End and Broadway musicals and plays, allowing for a cinematic

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USA - Zach Williams was out on a solo, headlining tour when the COVID pandemic began to peak. Though the remaining shows for the year were cancelled, Williams still yearned for the live stage and delivering his gift of song to fans. The Christian country/rock star, together with Big Daddy Weave, organised the Drive-In Theater Tour.
Though social distancing protocols required smaller crews, which also meant less gear on stage, Williams’ FOH and monitor engineers were in agreement that the DPA d:facto and 2028 Vocal Microphones were key to the performances.
“We had one 20x24 SL100 mobile stage, definitely smaller than what we’re used to, and all of the attendees would park and stay in or near their car,” explains Carson Brannock, monitor engineer for Zach Williams. “I didn’t even realise there were this many drive-in theatres still operating in the country,

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UK - The We Make Events campaign has launched the short film The Show Can’t Go On in recognition of all events and creative arts people, and those who support and work in the industry.
Created by Sam Bradford of production company Praxima, the video, available to view here, offers a stark reminder of the harrowing consequences of the pandemic for arts and events professionals, many of whom have had to take on different jobs to survive financially in a year that saw their work calendar wiped out. 
The video is also an apparent rebuttal of the controversial 'Fatima' advert that depicted a young ballet dancer as part of the UK government's reskilling campaign.
“At this time of year, we should be working hard and enjoying the best live events and entertainment in the

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UK - Shure and Curtain Call have announced a series of networking evenings for industry professionals during a time of great need. The virtual gatherings will be an opportunity for people to have open discussions about any issues they may be dealing with and seek advice from professionals, as well as staying engaged with their fellow professionals, ensuring they are work ready as and when the world begins to resume to normality.
Shure and Curtain Call share the sentiment of supporting and championing those that are behind the scenes and Shure’s previous ‘This is the Moment’ campaign was launched to celebrate the tremendous efforts that make theatre productions possible.
Keen to continue supporting industry professionals, whether there is anyone on or off the stage, the sessions are designed to allow people to seek advice or make new connections.
Marc Hensha

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UK - PLASA is hosting two sessions on Brexit during December to help PLASA members prepare for the new trading rules which will come into play from Friday 1 January 2021.
The first session on Friday 11 December at 2pm is a 30-minute introductory Q&A which will allow members to ask questions on the new rules and how they should prepare. This session is free, but numbers are limited to 20 to allow everyone to ask their questions. Pre-registration is required via the link below.
The next session will take place on Thursday 17 December and will run from 2pm to 4:30pm, allowing for a detailed look at exporting and importing post-Brexit. This workshop will help you prepare for the new rules of moving goods between the UK and Europe and will consider the process and cost obligations of navigating through new borders and the implications of procedures for both seller and

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UK - Industry campaigns #WeMakeEvents and #ExcludedUK have joined forces with homelessness charity Crisis to stage Silent Nights, a protest movement that encourages people to spend a night at their workplace.
Organisers hope the action will highlight the plight of around three million workers, who remain excluded from the state’s economic relief measures related to the pandemic.
Silent Nights will start at 7pm on 18 December (Friday) and end at 7am on 19 December. Organisers are inviting those whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic to participate by sleeping out at their place of work. This could include venues (if permitted), homes, shops, offices or salons.
Organiser Tom Branston comments: “This is even more urgent following the prime minister’s refusal yesterday to meet with #ExcludedUK following a plea from Leader of the Scottish National

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UK - Technical entertainment charity Backup has announced Round 2 of applications for its Hardship Fund is now open.
The fund was launched in October with the aim to provide limited financial assistance to production crew and those working in the technical supply chain across the UK entertainment sector. Set up just ahead of the then-concluding Self-Employment Income Support and Job Retention schemes, it originally targeted those in the community who had been unable to receive any state or charitable assistance.
But Round 2 will be open to workers who have been awarded up to £5,000 in funding between 1 April and 30 November.
“The application uptake for Round 1 of the Hardship Fund reaffirmed to us how dire it is financially and that this help could not come soon enough for many or our colleagues,” comments Backup chairman John Simpson. “It has been heart
  1. Join the #WeMakeEvents Speakeasy this season
  2. Virtual summit addresses the future of live entertainment
  3. GSA launches livestream theatre project
  4. Theresa Villiers to chair re-established parliamentary events group
  5. WL’s SmartStage helps create virtual world
  6. ESTA announces 2020 board of directors
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GLP - MPU - Feb, Apr 2025

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