Pharos - Leaderboard - Nov 2024
HOF - Banner - Oct-Nov 2024
ISE - Banner - Oct 2024

General

Details
Bookings are now well underway for the seminar and workshop programme planned for the PLASA Show. This year the emphasis is very much on knowledge with those signing up gaining an insight into how new technology is creating new opportunities, how individuals have pulled together highly complex projects, why integration is so important and how they can achieve more by picking up tips and techniques from others.

In a programme of seminars sponsored by Installation Europe, audio installation and integration is the theme under which issues of networking, control and the benefits of converging technologies are explored. Tuesday sees a Theme and Leisure Masterclass, presented by Leisure Management, in association with the TEA and TiLE, which focuses on how the leisure industry exploits special effects, lighting and audio technology to create unique environments to enhance the visitor experie

Details
With the development of CAD drawing packages over recent years, it’s now possible for professional lighting designers to make a living designing in the virtual world.

Using WYSIWYG by Cast Lighting of Canada or the Martin Show Designer from Denmark, designers can create artistic lighting images and present them either as stills or as an animated movie providing an accurate photo-realistic rendition of environmental and show designs. Since he’s been one if its higher profile users, we invited LD Durham Marenghi, to explain why he’s so keen on the virtual route . . .

Over the past month I’ve been commissioned to create virtual designs with WYSIWYG for a temporary exhibition and event environment and a major car launch reveal, the intention in each case to provide a graphic presentation of what will eventually become reality.

Historically, artistic impressions

HOF - Banner - Oct-Nov 2024
ISE - Banner - Oct 2024

Details
The Cast Group, developers of advanced computer software for pre-planning and visualization of entertainment and architectural lighting, have been awarded the coveted Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development. The presentation was made last night at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 2001 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony that took place in Hollywood, California. This is the first time a Canadian company has been awarded an Emmy in this category. Accepting the award for the Cast WYSIWYG software product were president Gilray Densham and vice president Rick Szijarto.

WYSIWYG is the one tool that allows all production people to see their ideas come alive virtually, in a computer-generated format. It enables users to develop lighting, design sets and perform blocking functions prior to actual production. The software does it all virtually, enabling producers and ot

Details
The JHS Event has become something of an industry fixture. Held at the company’s Garforth premises, on the outskirts of Leeds, it has quickly become part of the music business calendar, attended by significant numbers of representatives of both the retail trade and music press.

The company’s huge, purpose-built office and warehousing complex spreads over a four-acre site and ensures that the company, now the largest family-owned independent musical merchandise distributor in the UK, has an effective base for demonstrating the product lines from its extensive catalogue. And I do mean extensive - for the catalogue carries some of the music industry’s biggest names, including the innovative roundback guitar range from Ovation, for whom JHS are sole UK and Eire distributors and the famous Danelectro guitars and amps, back in the music world with a vengeance.

An early de

Details
grapevinejobs is a new internet jobsite, designed exclusively for professionals in and around the broadcast, film and music sectors. The site launches on 6th September 2001 and aims to become the destination of choice for jobseekers and employers in those sectors.

Created by specialist recruitment consultants, Searchlight, the service will be free for jobseekers, with only a minimal cost to advertisers. A year in the making, the site can filter out jobs that aren’t likely to be of interest to a particular user and will monitor new job postings and send an e-mail alert if a relevant job comes in.

Details
Event design company, Beautiful Neptune Design, turned a crisis into an opportunity after an office break-in earlier this year left the company without computers and software. The company, a partnership established in 1995, offers lighting and set design, technical drawing and visualisation for live events, performances and exhibitions to producing companies.

Company director Steve Hicks decided to turn the situation to his advantage by investing in new IT equipment. Clients can now expect greatly reduced modelling and rendering times during design development and final presentation. Through the use of ‘bi-directional drawing linking’ and parametric modelling, designers will be able to easily manipulate and modify elements in a 2D or 3D environment.

Details
At this year’s PLASA Show, the Association has moved its stand to a new, bigger area towards the back of the main hall - stand K19.

The move from the usual spot at the very front of the hall on stand F1 has been made in order to provide more room for the PLASA stand - which will now incorporate the PLASA Technical Bookshop - and also to allow us to develop the PLASA Clinic, which will run adjacent to the PLASA stand, on J52 (see below).

Equally importantly, the move puts us right next to the busy after-show bar (inside the new Pizza Express restaurant), which will be open every evening after show closing, allowing everyone at the show a little extra time to continue those all-important conversations!Upstairs, meanwhile, Lighting&Sound International is sponsoring the New Technology Showcase - a major display of every product nominated for a 2001 PLASA Award for Product Excellenc

Details
Members who participated in the survey will now have received their free 22 page overview and will shortly be receiving the reports that they have ordered. The research is available to participating members as follows:
- Free overview (for anyone who participated in questionnaire)
- Product sector reports (lighting, pro-audio, staging, AV) at £125 (plus VAT) each
- Detailed market sector report at £250 (plus VAT)
- Free Global report (for anyone who purchases any of the above)

Qualifying members can order all of the above reports at a special price of £500 sterling (plus VAT) - an overall saving of £250.

Members who did not participate can still gain access to all the above invaluable information by completing a questionnaire and undertaking to participate in the equivalent survey next year.

Any queries on the research project should be directed to research@plasa

Details
Firepower is the new Royal Artillery Experience, set in the historic buildings of the Royal Arsenal on the River Thames at Woolwich.

The attraction was designed by Event Communications, whose main challenge was to overcome people’s discomfort with the reality of war. They tackled this by highlighting the role in the fight for democracy and freedom played by the armed forces, especially the Royal Artillery, which has been present at all major theatres of war involving the British Army over the last 300 years.

The centrepiece of Firepower is the ‘ground-shaking’ Field of Fire - a spectacular multimedia presentation that recreates what it feels like to be in the middle of a real battle. On entering, visitors are surrounded by various pieces of artillery. Suspended above these are four 5m wide front projection screens. Projecting onto each screen is a Barco 6300 LCD Vid

Details
Chainsaws, angle-grinders, axes and flame-throwers - just some of the impressive weaponry being demonstrated by participants in this summer’s Robot Wars tour.

Thousands of eager fans were treated to over two hours of destruction and mayhem, all carefully choreographed by director Hugh Wooldridge. "It’s an amazing mix of old and new cultures," he explained. "We’re acting out the ancient idea of gladiatorial combat, but with cutting-edge robot technology. In fact, almost the entire show is controlled - our job is to make the audience think that it’s not.

Even under controlled conditions, the sheer power of the robotic stars of the show (some of which weigh in excess of 150kgs) meant that humans were excluded from the combat area. "Not only do we have to keep our distance from the action, but we’re also shooting through thick Macrolon sc

Details
Capitalising on recent installations such as the Core in Yeovil, The CC Club in Piccadilly, London and Toxic8 in Cambridge, custom neon specialists Simply Neon are expanding in several directions. Within the space of a month, the company has appointed a new general manager, moved into a new, expanded UK base in Staines, Middlesex, and is opening a European branch based in Portugal. Simply Neon’s so-far buoyant 2001 continues with the appointment of Phil Kendrick as the new UK-based general manager while managing director Tony Newman opens a Portuguese office, aimed at developing new market opportunities in Europe. Originally trained by Hoover as a toolmaker, Kendrick has enjoyed a varied international sales and marketing career spanning many areas including garden building and the surveillance/security industry. Kendrick comments: "It’s great to be onboard with Simply Ne

Details
Four days of events will mark the public opening of the world's first rotating bridge. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge links Newcastle Quayside with the new arts and leisure developments on Gateshead Quays - including BALTIC the Centre for Contemporary Art, which opens next year, and the Music Centre Gateshead, where work has already started on the new international centre for music performance and education. The £9.7 million lottery-funded project will be officially opened on Friday September 14, the date for the first public showing of its high-tech lighting system. This will be followed by a weekend of unique live musical performances - staged by music north, the producing and presenting arm of Music Centre, Gateshead.

Details
For the first time PLASA is running an on-site clinic at the PLASA Show to lend useful business support and advice to member companies exhibiting at the event. This new initiative, which will also see the launch of a new health-related service, is aimed not only at existing PLASA members, but also at prospective members who can learn for themselves the advantages to be gained from using PLASA services. During the course of the Show, representatives from the Association's range of service providers will be on hand in the PLASA Clinic to answer questions and assist members. Services available include the following:

Telephone Interpreting Service provided by Comunicado: interpreters specializing in over 100 languages. Cost is charged per minute, less than half price to PLASA members.

Legal Advice Service provided by Sherman Phillips: advice on intellectual property, contract, leasehold

Details
An alliance has been established between ultraviolet lighting manufacturer and scenic production firms Wildfire and UV/FX. The agreement, which commences immediately, calls for UV/FX to handle all of Wildfire’s scenic design and production, while UV/FX will exclusively utilize Wildfire’s ultraviolet lighting fixtures, lamps and other creative materials on all of its projects.

"Over the years, Wildfire has helped create some of the most dramatic ultraviolet scenic productions at destinations and events all around the world. Working with UV/FX, we will be able to expand our scope of services while continuing to create the innovative ultraviolet lighting systems that the industry has come to expect from us," said Wildfire vice president John Berardi. This new alliance also reunites UV/FX president Richard Green and creative director Kent Mathieu with Wildfire, the co

Details
Dugald (Doog) Mackenzie of HW International has been killed in a tragic motorcycle accident. Doog had worked for HW for just over four years as area sales manager for the Midlands and South Wales. He died on Sunday 2 September at just 34 years of age. He leaves behind him a wife and two young children. A book of condolence will be on the HW stand at PLASA which after the show will be presented to his family. Funeral details are yet to be confirmed.

Details
After over two years protracted legal action, and at a cost in legal fees alone of over £250,000, Chris Kenyon, founder of Delta Sound, has succeeded in his claim against Bob Long and Federal Signal for breach of contract and misrepresentation in the agreement for the sale of Delta's business in 1999. Damages of over £300,000 with interest, plus costs, were awarded against Federal. In addition, the judge awarded punitive indemnity costs against Federal. The case arose as a result of the terms of the sale which valued Delta at £500,000, to be paid for on the basis of commission payments over three years. Federal denied that such an arrangement had ever been agreed.

Full story in the October issue of L&SI.

Details
Members of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s technical teams in Stratford-upon-Avon will go on strike on 15 September in protest over planned redundancies. Almost 90% of 200 members of the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) have agreed to the action. BECTU had previously attempted to negotiate on behalf of its members, but without success. BECTU assistant general secretary Gerry Morrissey said performances would be affected from 15 September because of the walkout by lighting staff, stage crews, wardrobe employees and technical workers.

A production of Julius Caesar is listed for that night in the midst of a season which includes performances of Twelfth Night and Hamlet. BECTU has also said that industrial action will continue after 15 September. The union says about two-thirds of technical staff at the company could lose their

Details
If you’re looking for ways to entertain clients during the forthcoming PLASA Show then why not consider taking them to see some of the hottest shows in London. On the Monday evening we have tickets for the hugely popular Mamma Mia at the Prince Edward Theatre. The show starts at 7.30 and we have excellent seats in the stalls for £32.50.

We also have tickets for Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring which is part of the Proms Season at the Royal Albert Hall. These are for Wednesday 12th September with the performance commencing at 7.30pm. Again we have the best seats in the stalls for £35.00 each.

If you’re staying on in London after PLASA, we also have a number of tickets for the Divas at the Donmar show featuring Sian Phillips which takes place on Thursday 13th September at 7.30pm. Tickets £24.00. To take advantage of these offers simply visit the PLASA Stand (K19).

We&rsq

Details
PLASA is now just two days away and it looks like this year’s event will be the best ever. PLASA is where you get to find out what over 400 of the industry’s leading players have been doing in the past few months. It’s got to be better than leafing through hundreds of product brochures or trawling the internet for information. Aside from the exhibition, there are plenty of things to catch the eye, including the DJ Competition on the Sunday, the newly-introduced iDJ Talk Zone offering advice to DJs, a comprehensive seminar and workshop programme, the PLASA Awards for Product Excellence, the various Feature Areas, and the many events, press launches and on-stand receptions organized by exhibitors. If you still haven’t registered for the event, don’t worry, you can register on the day. All you need to do is turn up at Earls Court 1 and register on the door. See

Details
‘All The Queen’s Horses’ - a live equestrian spectacular with a cast of 3,000, including over 1,000 horses, is to be staged at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2002, as part of the tribute to The Queen in her Golden Jubilee Year.

One of a number of national events marking The Queen’s accession to the throne 50 years ago, ‘All The Queen’s Horses’ will be set against the backdrop of the floodlit Windsor Castle during three days of the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show, and will tell the story of her 50-year reign.

A purpose-built stage will be erected to house the orchestra, choir and dancers, together with an all-weather arena, to accommodate the 2,000 participants and over 1,000 horses that will perform in the show, which will be produced by Major Sir Michael Parker and directed by Simon Brooks-Ward. Parker, of course, has been the producer for

Details
"I thought that after eight years it was time I turned up and had a look," and this from a man who hardly needs instruction in the use of consoles. Graham Blyth, along with Phil Dudderidge, is the creator of all things Soundcraft, having founded the company 28 years ago.

Nevertheless he was there, attended all sessions, and was indeed attentive. While Blyth might not need the ministrations of Andy Dockerty, Chrys Lindop, Dave Kay and Andy May, he was not alone; there were four engineers from the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS), and plenty of others with more than a passing knowledge of what all those thousands of knobs are for.

‘Going Live’ is in its ninth year - Blyth was just slightly off - and continues to be heavily subscribed. "We’ve always been over-subscribed," said Elizabeth Gates. "There’s over 100 this year. We&rs

Details
Employers in the industry will be aware that the Stakeholder Pension scheme is about to kick in. Although it isn’t relevant to every business, those of you who have five or more employees may soon have no choice in the matter - the arrival of stakeholder pensions on 8 October 2001 means that there isn’t much time left to act.

Stakeholder pensions - the new type of pension available since 6 April this year - offer a simple, low-cost, flexible pension option for your staff. From October, many employers will be obliged to offer their staff access to a stakeholder pension scheme (unless they already have a pension scheme in place for their employees). Those who don’t bother could wind up with a fine of up to £50,000.

Providing access to a stakeholder pension - and that is literally all you have to do - doesn’t need to cost you anything. You don’t have to r

Details
Leisure operator Chorion has picked up three of the West End’s most high-profile nightclubs. In a move that makes them the largest nightclub operator in the West End, the group has acquired Sugar Reef and Red Cube close to Leicester Square, and the Chocolate Bar in Berkeley Square, for around £7.5 million.

The hat-trick of deals follows Chorion’s earlier purchase of the 700-capacity 10 Room in Covent Garden for £2.75 million. These will all now join the stable which includes Tiger, Tiger and On Anon.

The move has left property entrepreneur Mark Fuller, who sold his Red Cube and Sugar Reef interests to Chorion in June, free to buy Legends in Mayfair - one of London’s longest-running nightclubs. Backed by a consortium of investors, he has paid a £1million premium for the lease on the property to Perthshire Leisure, the group that owns Abigail’s Party on Brewe

Details
Graham Brown, managing director of Resource PR, and a well known figure in the events production industry, recently completed a 260-mile charity fundraising cycle ride to Paris. Along with five other very averagely toned athletes, he set off from the village of Pailton, in Warwickshire, on Sunday 5th August and arrived in Paris four days later. Half of the proceeds raised from the ride will go to The Iain Rennie Trust, which care for children with life debilitating diseases. The remaining half will go to Pailton Village Trust, a fund for installing disabled access into Pailton village hall. Anyone interested in donating to the charities should contact Graham Brown, Resource PR
  1. Home for Sale
  2. Stage Lighting Handbook
  3. Welcome to PLASA 2001!
  4. PLASA Awards Nominees On Display
  5. Design Led - Ruth Rossington profiles Furneaux Stewart
  6. News from New York
Page 73 of 240
GLP - Large MPU - Nov 2024
Robe - Large MPU
Showlight - MPU - June-July, Oct-Nov 2024

Latest Issue. . .

PLASA Media Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 4111709 - VAT Number GB 762 5913 14
PLASA Media Ltd, Redoubt House, 1 Edward Road, Eastbourne, BN23 8AS, UK Tel: +44 (0)1323 524120

 

login

Save
Cookies user preferences
We use cookies to ensure you to get the best experience on our website. If you decline the use of cookies, this website may not function as expected.
Accept all
Decline all
Analytics
Tools used to analyze the data to measure the effectiveness of a website and to understand how it works.
Google Analytics
Accept
Decline
Advertisement
If you accept, the ads on the page will be adapted to your preferences.
Google Ad
Accept
Decline