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UK - The McKenzie Group has appointed David Laing as general manager of the Glasgow Academy. He joins the team from Queen Margaret Union at the University of Glasgow, where he set up and headed the Entertainments Department. In just over four years, Laing successfully increased the number of live gigs at the University, as well as promoting a number of key dance events and club nights.

The 2,500 capacity Glasgow Academy is the latest sister venue to be added to the expanding list of McKenzie Group venues, namely Brixton Academy (London) Bristol Academy, Birmingham Academy and London's Shepherd's Bush Empire - famous for staging events as diverse as Madonna and the Rolling Stones. Glasgow Academy will launch in March this year, and to date has confirmed live shows with Massive Attack (April 8th & 9th), Inspiral Carpets (April 2nd) and Sugababes (March 28th).

The McKenzie Group

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UK - A number of new members have joined the Association recently.

Joining as Full Members are Salisbury-based Multitex Engineering (Tel: +44 (0)1722 332139), specialists in lighting solutions; Scarborough-based P & L Sound & Lighting (Tel: +44 (0)1723 378888), a retail, sales and hire operation, which also offers a repair and maintenance service; Swadlincote-based Active Color Systems Ltd (Tel: +44 (0)1283 819780), suppliers of a range of lighting, laser and audio systems and London-based Projected Image UK, (Tel: +44 (0)20 8215 3331), specialists in gobos and projectors.

Joining as Full EU Members are Belgium-based Amelia nv (Tel: +32 (0)3 270 36 36), specialists in developing electronic solutions for special effects; Netherlands-based 5 Star Systems (Tel: +31 23 5544 611), manufacturers and suppliers of lighting products to the entertainment industry, and Spain-based Ben-Ri

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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UK - Despite the nasty weather, the unexpected closure of the Victoria line and the fact that it was a Monday morning, PLASA had a strong turn-out for its Australian seminar at the DTI Conference Centre in London on January 20th. The event was organized jointly by PLASA and Trade Partners UK (the government organization designed to help British businesses succeed in overseas markets).

Richard Harper, Trade Promotion Manager at the British Consulate-General in Sydney, offered practical insights into approaching the Australian market, highlighting the fact that despite common ground - language, culture and legal systems - there were still significant differences between the UK and Australian markets. He advised those considering the market to first commission a market report through Trade Partners UK.

Nigel Benson, publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, concentrated on th

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UK - PLASA presented a cheque for £150.00 to Harry Crowder for successfully completing the BTEC General Theatre Technician Award, which is delivered through the AETTI and Loughborough College. Crowther, stage manager at Bedworth Civic Hall, was attracted to the course because it gave him the opportunity to gain a recognized qualification, whilst continuing in employment.

The General Theatre Technician course is run over three days and costs £350.00. Harry has gone on to attend the BTEC Stage, Lighting, Rigging and Operation Award which the AETTI have recently launched. Peter Coleman from Stage Electrics and Jason Larcombe from White Light are tutoring on the new course. For more information about course dates and times contact Chris Garner on 01509 618377 or e-mail chris.garner@lou.ac.ukThe money comes from the sum raised by the Product Excellence Awards at the PLASA

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UK - PLASA Media has learned that Simon Brophy, the former head of lighting at the Millennium Dome, has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), the body that ran the Dome. Two other persons, David Gordon, 41, a company director, and Brophy's wife Margaret Bragg, 29, have also been charged with conspiracy to defraud the NMEC. The three, who have been released on bail, will appear before Bow Street Magistrates Court on 7 February.

Brophy, Gordon and Bragg were arrested by the Fraud Squad in October 2000, following scrutiny into the awarding of contracts at the Millennium Dome. A woman in her 60s was also arrested at this time, at a residential address in West Yorkshire, followed by two further arrests in February 2001, of a man and a woman, both in their 30s. These three remain on police bail pending further enquiries.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - The Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) has warned its members in the past about scams in which companies are approached by organizations claiming to be 'collectors' for Data Protection Act registration. The approaches are often in the form of a letter, and carry demands for a registration fee (often £95 +VAT) along with erroneous 'reminders' that failure to register could result in a fine of up to £5,000. Other 'collectors' have even visited companies in person, and displayed convincing-looking ID tags.

It seems that the practice is still continuing, with up to 18 bogus agencies known to be engaged in the scam - for a full list, visit the web address below. Anyone being approached with a similar request is asked not to make any payments, and to contact their local police.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - Electrosonic has formed a new division, MediaSonic - the Media Networking Division.

The new operation, based in Burbank, will design and manufacture network-enabled media products and systems for the delivery of rich media content to the control and presentation markets.

Some of the first offerings from MediaSonic include control systems and storage devices only previously available exclusively in Electrosonic systems and installations, including the ESCAN Control Area Network for Media Control and Management, FrEND Far End Network Device, The MediaSonic MPEG-based HD Player and MediaSonic HD Decoder card which decodes all 18 ATSC formats and custom formats.

MediaSonic is also establishing OEM relationships based on the technologies of these products and other Electrosonic products and designs.

Jim Bowie, previously the general manager of Electrosonic in Burbank, has

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UK - Birmingham radio station BRMB was recently fined £15,000 after a commercial stunt went way off the rails. As part of its 'Coolest Seats in Town' competition, the station challenged contestants to sit on blocks of dry ice (geddit?) - carbon dioxide frozen at temperatures of -78C - all for the chance to win tickets and backstage passes to the city's music festival.

Unaware of the risk of connecting flesh with dry ice, some unfortunates in Birmingham willingly signed up for the competition, resulting in four of the hapless souls losing skin, fat and muscle and being treated in hospital for severe frostbite. BRMB admitted breaching health and safety laws during a recent hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

The dry ice stunt is not the first time BRMB has been in the headlines because of its controversial competition stance. Four years ago, the station created a 'bl

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UK - The controversial Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Bill suffered a number of setbacks in the House of Lords on Tuesday during a Report Stage debate. Among the amendments upheld by the combined ranks of Liberal Democrat and Conservative Lords are the exclusion of most forms of unamplified music, and music which is incidental to other activities. Despite this defeats, the government will still ask MPs to overturn the Lords' amendment when the Bill is returned to the House of Commons, and pro live music campaigners have highlighted the need to lobby MPs to support the Lords' amendments.

Another amendment was the exclusion of Educational Establishments from the terms of the Bill; it had been feared that schools would have to apply for licences in order to stage nativity plays. The Lords voted by 169 to 107 in favour of the amendment, despite warnings that this could leave Un

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Singapore - Working with Trade Partners UK, PLASA has secured government funding for UK exhibitors who plan to participate in PALA.

The exhibition, which runs from 9 -11 July at Suntec, Singapore, is an essential event for companies looking to export to the Singaporean, Hong Kong, Malaysian and Indonesian markets. It’s a major showcase for technologies in the audio, lighting, broadcast, AV and effects sectors.

With the gradual recovery of the Asian economy, PALA’s organizers, IIR Exhibitions, expect to secure participation from 300 companies. Already committed to the event are Altair Audio; ETC Asia; Kling & Freitag; Klotz Digital; Martin Professional; MGC Lamps; Mipro; RVE Technologie; Sennheiser; Studio Due and TMB. 7,000 visitors from 45 countries are expected to attend.

Via PLASA, support is open to all UK companies exporting from the UK. Exhibitors can re

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UK - This year’s Association Day will return to the historic setting of Coombe Abbey Hotel, near Coventry.

The Association Day is a key event in the PLASA calendar, and, in addition to featuring the AGM, will also include business-related sessions, together with plenty of opportunity for networking with other members. Invitations will be going out to PLASA Members in the next few weeks, and further information will be posted on the PLASA website

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UK - For the past three years PLASA has been conducting a research exercise into the key trends within our industry.In order to continue building a picture of the dynamics that shape our industry, we need Members’ help. Not only will the results act as a significant tool in helping Members to structure their businesses, but they will also help PLASA to forge stronger links with official bodies such as the DTI and Trade Partners UK, thus creating a much greater appreciation of the role members play within UK industry.

Members’ input is essential, so please complete the Industry Survey when it lands on your desk. All members who participate are sent a copy of the key findings, with trends up to and including the calendar year 2002, clearly shown.

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USA - City Theatrical, the New York-based manufacturer of entertainment lighting accessories has acquired the New York firm of Matsuda-Dunn Design - an engineering and design firm specializing in products and projects related to the entertainment lighting industry. Its operation will be integrated into City Theatrical’s production facilities in the Bronx, and the entire organization will be known as City Theatrical.

CTI’s President Gary Fails told us: "This acquisition strengthens City Theatrical’s engineering and product development base, and gives us an experienced custom projects group. While we have always done a great deal of custom metalwork and manufacturing, we now can offer our dealer network a much higher level of support on their systems and installations work, including electrical and mechanical engineering and software development. We hope t

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UK - Now in its 26th year, the PLASA Show, which draws to Earls Court in September, thousands of UK and international visitors interested in lighting and sound from entertainment and installation industries, promises to be brighter, fresher and more creative than ever before.

The look and atmosphere of the show is being revitalised for 2003: a project manager has been appointed to implement the feature areas which include a central networking area, situated in the hub of the show. Other highlights include Architectural Audio & Visual - a new show sector which recognizes the growth of architectural lighting, contract audio and vision industry into this market. Products, case studies, new ideas and creative design solutions will all be showcased, aiming to inspire both architects, specifiers, installers and end users.

The New Technology Gallery, situated at the front of the ha

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UK - PLASA Member CTS has been awarded dealership status for Strand Lighting. "We are thrilled with this development," said David Harwood, CTS sales director. "Having been in this industry for nearly 25 years, a Strand dealership was something that our company always aspired to."

Part of the new product range recently introduced by Strand is aimed at educational establishments and small theatres, and therefore ideal for CTS, which has a large customer base in these sectors. The company holds a comprehensive hire stock of lighting, sound and stage-related equipment and its policy of remaining independent has allowed it to offer clients the equipment to suit their needs. CTS is confident that the Strand range will complement the other manufacturers they represent.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Greece - Jack Morton Worldwide has been appointed producer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the next Olympic Games, to be held in Athens in 2004. Jack Morton will support Dimitris Papaioannou, the concept creator and artistic director of the Games’ Ceremonies.

Dimitris Papaioannou said: "Jack Morton Worldwide has an impressive track record and I am looking forward to working with them. We are all very honored to deliver the Ceremonies celebrating a special occasion: the return of the Games to their birthplace."

The appointment was announced by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (ATHOC) this week after a seven-month bid process, which involved agencies from within Greece and throughout Europe. The European office of Jack Morton, based in London, led the bid with an international team most recently responsible for the successful pr

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UK - A new concept in realistic visual effects is being launched this month. Scene Change, which creates digital video effects, aims to bring the latest in lighting techniques to the theatre.

At an open day on March 25 at the MacOwan Theatre, Earl's Court, Scene Change, a specialist creator of still and animated digital video images, will demonstrate how life-like effects can be brought to the stage. Technical Director Nigel Sadler says: "It's already been embraced by nightclubs, but it's the next big thing for the theatre. This year, we're likely to see it begin to take off in the world of theatre lighting."

"There's so much more that can be done with it. We can create 'real' rain, 'real' snow, moving water, a sun rising -the possibilities are endless." The theatre world has been slower to pick up on the technology, whose uses include visual displays at cl

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UK - This week has seen the launch of The Marketing Business, a company which offers SMEs in the entertainment technology industry, the full range of marketing expertise, from business development and export advice to corporate identity and public relations.

The Marketing Business is an informal association of three companies which together have over 60 years experience in the entertainment technology business and which individually are recognized as experts in their field: PE Consulting, Harmer PR and The Wells Partnership. PE Consulting was formed in 2002 by Peter Ed, previously marketing director for ETC Europe and business development manager for Strand Lighting. Peter’s experience will be of great benefit to companies wishing to expand their business by moving into exporting or into new market segments by combining tried and tested marketing techniques with in-depth k

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UK - In the April issue of Lighting&Sound International magazine, our regular Technical Focus section will be looking at the technology related to the development and manufacture of smoke/dry ice and haze machines. We will also assess some of the current standards and safety issues in this area, including ESTA's current work on a new standard covering Theatrical Fog Effects and Equity’s study of the effects of theatrical smoke. This will be followed by a brief profile of the main manufacturers and coverage of a selection of the leading products in the marketplace.

If you would like your product to be featured in this report, please e-mail L&SI’s technical editor James Eade at the e-mail address below before Friday 28 March, 2003.

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - Projectionist Pod Bluman has recently set up Pod Projects Ltd - a company specializing in large-format projection work.

Bluman is an experienced projection designer: he started his career with Labyrinth, a company which specialized in ‘Guerilla-style’ projections, probably the most famous of which was the image of a naked Gail Porter projected on to the Houses of Parliament in London. He went on to work on numerous projects, including projections onto Buckingham Palace, MI6 and the Tate Gallery, as well as being involved in the River of Light project for the Millennium celebrations in Liverpool.

In the last two years he has been the video crew chief for a number of large projects, including the Vodaphone Ball 2002, the New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Millennium Dome and the launch event for the Birmingham Bullring. More recently, he has taken on the p

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UK - UK Steel have welcomed the preliminary ruling by a WTO disputes panel that the tariffs imposed by the USA last year on steel imports contravene WTO rules. The news will also be welcomed by those in this industry who export steel-based products to the US.

Ian Rodgers, deputy director commented: "This confirms what we said from the start - that there was no legal justification for the US government to impose these measures at a time when steel imports had been falling consistently for three years. The WTO rules are quite clear - such measures can only be taken in response to a current increase in imports."

Responding to the possibility that the US government might appeal the ruling, Rodgers said: "This was such a cut-and-dried case from the start, it would make most sense for the US government to end the tariffs immediately, rather than suffer the humiliation

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USA - The ESTA Board of Directors has voted unanimously to approve a detailed business plan to establish a personnel certification programme for entertainment technology technicians provided the required funds can be raised. Two key areas have been identified for initial development - electrical skills and rigging skills. In addition, a curriculum-based certificate programme will be created to address essential skills which comprise a fundamental body of knowledge needed to work in the entertainment industry.

The business plan for the programme has been developed under the guidance of a professional certification consultant using detailed research and extensive market surveys. In order to implement this business plan, the Board has defined the administrative structure needed to establish and run the programme, including the management skills that are essential to the governing

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UK - Friday 6 June: Coombe Abbey, Coventry

This year, PLASA has put together an impressive business event designed to address its Members’ professional needs. Built around the Asociation’s AGM, the day will feature a series of workshops which will give Members access to expert advice, information, ideas and research, thereby arming them with information that they can use in the day-to-day running of their businesses.

The two anchor sessions will see specialists provide members with valuable advice on business issues: Keen to be Lean? will reflect on the current trends in Lean Manufacturing - a technique already implemented by some PLASA Members - and the ways in which manufacturers can effectively reduce costs. Effective Marketing for Tough Times will look at what marketing can do in terms of improving your bottom line, identifying ways in which companies c

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UK - More new members have signed up for Association services.

Joining as Full members are London-based Kinesys Projects (Tel: +44 (0)20 8704 0603), a manufacturer of control equipment for motors, hydraulics and pneumatics, and also power distribution equipment; DMC Ltd of Slough (Tel: +44 (0)1628 667124), a long-established provider of CDs for DJs. The company is also the official UK music merchandiser for Technics; Burnley-based Rubber Box (Tel: +44 (0)1282 830965), is a supplier of rubber distribution boxes, cable reels and handlamps; London-based Live Business International (Tel: +44 (0)20 7801 1732), a specialist sound, lighting and AV installer and consultancy.

Joining as Full EU members are Italian company Coemar Spa (Tel: +39 0376 775 21) a veteran of the lighting business and a pioneer of intelligent lighting; Behringer Spezielle Studiotechnik GmbH of Germany (Tel:

  1. Music industry championed by Trade Partners UK
  2. New Members
  3. Cardnet: New Financial Service for PLASA Members
  4. PLASA/Russia Open Day: London
  5. IATSE joins ESTA certification council
  6. ESTA: Recommended Practice for Flying Performers
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Astera - Large MPU - June 2025
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