USA - SHS Global, a production equipment brokerage agency, has been named the US representative of Theatrixx, a Montreal-based manufacturer of power distribution systems and the North/South American distributor of Visualed.

"We are excited to give SHS Global the opportunity to represent our brands in the US," said Theatrixx Technologies CEO Jacques Tessier. The representation includes the Visualed touring LED screens and X-Vision installation LED screens. It also includes Theatrixx' own brand of LED fixtures under the X-Focus line, along with Theatrixx power distribution systems.

This is SHS Global's first representation of new products. The privately-owned company - under the direction of president/founder Leigh-Anne Aiken and VP/CTO Jean Lariviere - has specialised in brokering pre-owned lighting and staging equipment since 2005, but is now branching out with audio

USA / China - Strengthening the representation of its Elan, Niles, Xantech, and Aton brands throughout China and Taiwan, The AVC Group has announced the appointment of CAS Group, formerly Xantech China, to serve as its exclusive distributor in the region. The announcement was made by Mark Terry, president of The AVC Group, who said that CAS Group will now work closely with Claude Sabourin, international sales manager, Asia at The AVC Group.

"Cliff Wong and his team of proven professionals at the CAS Group have what it takes to bring our brands to the next level of success in China and the surrounding regions," Terry said. "They have the experience, relationships, and commitment necessary to strengthen our leadership position in this vitally important and growing market. Their prior success with Xantech speaks well for their future success with our other brands.&qu

UK - Lighting&Sound International magazine is now available in app form - Get access to the latest digital edition as well as our huge archive with LSi-View!

Readers can download the free app from Apple's App Store and browse the magazine on their iPhone or iPad, wherever they are.

LSi-View not only allows you to flick through the latest digital edition of the magazine (as well as our archive of back issues), you are also able to download useful or favourite issues or articles for future reference.

To visit the App Store and download your free LSi-View app, simply click here.

(Claire Beeson)

Sweden - Gröna Lund Amusement Park, located in Stockholm, has recently inaugurated two new rides, including the Blå Tåget.

The Blå Tåget ride already existed but has gone through a total makeover. This ride is a ghost train loaded with new chills, thrills and effects especially designed for visitors' enjoyment. The train passes through several chambers, each filled with skeletons, scarecrows, rats, wolves, fire, lightning, ghosts and more.

The setting inside the ride was designed by artist Magnus Sörman and the entrance to the ride was designed by Joakim Hansén. For the technical making of this scary adventure-ride, Kreativ Teknik was contacted by Gröna Lund. Kreativ Teknik, a Swedish-based company which mainly works with lighting, control systems and effects, selected Medialon to be part of the project.

Kreativ Teknik delivered a total solution including light

Northern News - Scotland's oldest working theatre, the Theatre Royal in Dumfries built in 1792, has been saved from closure with support from the local charitable Holywood Trust. The trust has agreed in principle to make a "substantial contribution" towards work required to upgrade the theatre and make the building weather-tight. The Guild of Players, which has owned the 215-seat theatre since 1959, will also be able to purchase two adjacent properties.

Children's Favourite - Bristol Old Vic's production of Swallows and Amazons is to play in London's West End for a five-week Christmas run. Based on the classic children's novel by Arthur Ransome, the songs for the musical have been created by The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. It will be directed by Bristol Old Vic's Tom Morris, co-director of the National Theatre's West End hit War Horse. The show wi

UK - News of another interactive new feature area at PLASA 2011 has been announced. The Theatres Trust will return to PLASA 2011 with an expanded version of its innovative Ecovenue feature, the area that gives visitors the chance to see how 48 pioneering London theatres are putting sustainability into practice.

Located in Earls Court 2, the feature takes the form of a theatre-in-miniature, complete with 'auditorium', 'stage', 'backstage', 'foyer' and 'box office'. In each area The Theatres Trust will demonstrate proven sustainability techniques, as well as featuring technologies from PLASA 2011 exhibitors.

Tim Atkinson, theatre building services advisor to The Theatres Trust, comments, "The larger space means our stage will be able to accommodate a greater variety of presentations and events. Another key development is that, whereas last year we had only signed up half of

UK - Budding sound engineer/producer Philip Cook is the second recipient of the Music Producers Guild Prize, which was launched last year to reward the most promising student to graduate from the LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) Sound Technology degree course.

The prize was presented by MPG chairman Steve Levine and MPG director Tony Platt during LIPA's annual graduation ceremony, which took place on 29 July. Also present was LIPA lead patron Sir Paul McCartney.

The aim of the Music Producers Guild Prize is to recognise the student who, in the opinion of his or her tutors, has shown the most exceptional talent, initiative, commitment and consideration to the art of music recording and production.

Jon Thornton, who heads LIPA's three year BA (Hons) Sound Technology course, says, "We chose Philip because he has shown enormous dedication, particularly during

UK - Electrosonic has announced the promotion of Theresa Davis to account manager for corporate solutions. Davis joined Electrosonic in 2004 as sales support to the corporate solutions team. She has since worked in various roles in both corporate and service solutions.

Colin Lemmings, vice president of corporate solutions commented, "Theresa has been and continues to play an instrumental role in the success of the corporate solutions team. Having worked in both corporate and service solutions, Theresa has a thorough understanding of the business and has played a significant role in the success and growth of the small works business; she will now use this experience to further relationships with key clients across Europe".

Davis has been with Electrosonic for over six years working in various positions. Prior to joining Electrosonic, Davis worked as a senior financial

UK - West London-based lighting rental company Colour Sound Experiment supplied site wide lighting, projection and AV for the Secret Garden Party festival - one of the UK's original 'boutique' style events, a celebration of music, arts, creativity and expressive fun. A cast of thousands is encouraged to engage with ideas and dreams for four days of imaginative freedom in a secret garden location in East Anglia near Huntingdon.

It was the first time that Colour Sound has worked for the event, and it was also the first outing for Colour Sound's new BT12 12 mm pitch LED screen, a new lightweight product that has been designed and manufactured exactly to their spec.

The investment is to cater for the growing demand for visual and scenic display surfaces that are becoming increasingly integrated into 'lighting designs'. For Secret Garden, a total of 210 panels of the BT12 screen wa

Germany - Sound engineer Joerg Grünsfelder has been using a Midas PRO6 live audio system for the Dolby 5.1 surround sound show, Jud Süß in Worms, one of Germany's biggest theatrical productions. The show, which ran during June and July, attracted 2,000 people each night. All audio and video equipment including the PRO6 was provided by German rental company Medienpark Vision from Worms.

The outdoor production, staged in the shadows of Worms Cathedral, tells the tale of great friendship between a duke and his adviser Joseph Süß in a moving drama based on love, hatred, prejudice, betrayal and an unprecedented judicial scandal.

"I use Midas consoles primarily because of the sound and their phenomenal cross-fade option, which allows me to create simple global cross fades and also very complex fades by using unique cross-fade-groups," says Grünsfelder. "M

The Netherlands - The first of Visual Productions' CueCores have left the Dutch factory to fulfill orders placed by distributors including those in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the Netherlands and UK dealers and customers have been enjoying the new CueCore with installations in museums, a shopping mall and a themed swimming pool already having taken place.

In designing the CueCore Solid-State Control, Visual Productions addresses the issue of maintenance in installations.

The CueCore is a lighting controller for permanent installations in museums, themed venues, parks, architectural lighting projects, bars and clubs. The device is completely solid-state, with no moving parts; it is a secure and low-maintenance installation control solution with minimal power consumption.

The hardware connectivity includes 1024 DMX Out, 512 DMX In, MIDI, MTC, SMPTE Real-time

UK - Event lighting company Utopium Lighting has augmented its growing stock of LED fixtures with a recent investment in Philips Selecon PLTR2 RGBAW (ColorBlaze) luminaires.

Supplied by Philips Entertainment's UK distributor Architainment Lighting, Utopium has reported that they've barely seen the luminaires since they were delivered. This, they say, is because the ColorBlazes only come back into the warehouse long enough to be prepped and tested before they're loaded back onto the truck and sent out on the next event.

Sam Garland, production manager for Utopium says the decision to go with the Selecon PLTR2 RGBAW (ColorBlaze) was based on the ratio of power economy to light output along with the fast rigging time. "Primarily we were looking to replace our existing cyclorama lighting options," Garland explains. "The Philips Selecon PLTR2 RGBAW (ColorBlaze) offers massi

UK - Ian Kirby, who originally set up Martin Professional's UK operation, has taken on the role of SGM's head of sales in the UK, as Peter Johansen, director of R&D and strategic sales development, looks to reassemble key members of his former team.

When the Dane was appointed to head up the new R&D initiative last year, he recruited members of his old R&D team, tasking them with "developing a groundbreaking portfolio". He then turned his attention to international sales and Ian Kirby.

Kirby's role with SGM will run in parallel to his own company, LED Projects Ltd - the Kent based distribution and installation operation, which will double as SGM's UK sales office.

Kirby has already secured a major breakthrough for the Italian lighting manufacturers, with the installation of quantities of their new LED Balls in Mayfair's prestigious Playboy Club, while another large

UK - RCF spa has recruited the experienced Mick Butler to its UK sales operation, enabling him to team up with former colleagues Phil Price and Dean Davoile.

Based in the north of England, he will take on a twin role, with responsibility for promoting the company's entire Touring & Theatre (TT+) portfolio on the one hand, while serving as regional sales manager (covering Scotland and the North of England) on the other.

Butler formerly worked alongside Davoile at Fuzion plc, where he was area sales manager, and with Price at KV2 (as UK sales director). Most recently he was area manager commercial audio at Shure Distribution (UK).

"In terms of its depth and breadth the RCF portfolio is fantastic; you can hit all market sectors with quality equipment - and that was the prime attraction for joining," says Butler. "I have great admiration for the brand - and when t

UK - Systems integrator IVC Media, has announced that it has completed the installation of a video conference and IPTV system to help improve services for the charity Help for Heroes (H4H). As part of the deal, IVC worked to supply discounted equipment and arranged advantageous terms from suppliers and manufactures for the installation at the personal recovery and assessment centre for wounded servicemen and women at Tedworth House in Wiltshire.

H4H leases Tedworth House and is currently carrying out a £17m renovation project that will see the first group of personnel using it this month, and by September 2012, it will be operating at full capacity. The personal recovery and assessment centre will provide the facilities to support the two key parts of the recovery process; the holistic life skills course and the activities to get the wounded, sick and injured back out doin

Israel - SGM has appointed Tel Aviv-based Halilit to be its exclusive territorial distributor.

Operating as an importer, distributor and retailer, the company - set up by the Greenspoon family 70 years ago - is now in its third generation. They have worked for 20 years with SGM's parent company, RCF, which forms part of a strong portfolio of MI and pro audio brands - all represented on a sole basis.

Stated Halilit's Eitan Glickman, "The arrival of SGM within the RCF Group is timed perfectly with our plans to get into lighting. It is the natural partnership for our professional PA department."

In May, Halilit held a seminar at its facility providing the opportunity for the Italian manufacturers to introduce themselves to the local market and demonstrate their products, and the changes that have given them a competitive edge.

Said SGM area manager, Antonio Parise,

Olympic Countdown - A number of West End shows have extended their booking periods into 2012, in a bid to benefit from advance ticket sales in the run up to the Olympic Games.

According to the Society of London Theatre, more than half of all programmed West End productions are offering sales 15 months in advance in anticipation of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games in the summer of 2012.

Long-running shows that have announced an extended booking period include Disney's The Lion King, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, The Woman in Black, Legally Blonde the Musical, War Horse, Blood Brothers and Billy Elliot the Musical. New musicals for 2011 that have extended their booking into 2012 include The Wizard of Oz, Shrek the Musical and Ghost the Musical

UK - Chichester Festival Theatre is one of the UK's flagship theatres, with a reputation for producing a wide range of theatrical productions, from musicals and comedies, to classic drama and innovative new writing. Since opening in 1962, the theatre has established an international reputation as one of the UK's leading regional venues. The Festival Theatre was founded by Leslie Evershed-Martin CBE and its first artistic director was Laurence Olivier.

With 1206 seats, the Festival Theatre was the first modern theatre in this country to have an open 'thrust' stage with the audience seated around it on three sides, allowing it a close involvement with the actors. The emphasis of the theatre's programme is on the summer festival, which runs from April to September and includes the show Singing in the Rain, which is based on the classic MGM movie.

GDS were commissioned to d

USA / Belgium - After three years on the road and 112 live shows to over 6.8m fans, U2's record-breaking $700m grossing 360° tour came to an end on Saturday at Magnetic Hill Music Festival, California. The tour spanned five continents and saw U2 perform over 2,600 songs, and it was not just the band that grabbed headlines across the globe - the now-famous Stageco stage on which they performed captured many people's imagination.

Following the speculation across the international press last week that the stage, nicknamed the 'Claw', will be available to buy after the tour, stage design and manufacturer Stageco prepares to welcome the systems back to their US and Belgium headquarters.

Stageco was involved from the earliest stages of the Claw's planning and conception, working closely with U2, show director Willie Williams, set designer Mark Fisher and production manager Jake

UK - Hall Stage has added the range of hoists & control systems from long-term partners Maquinas Iberica. Offering a wide selection of tried & tested powered flying systems and control options, Maquinas systems complements and extends the Hall Stage catalogue to include zero-fleet and wire rope point hoist options "at very affordable prices".

Hall Stage has designed a specific entry level zero-fleet hoist - the DGZ - with a 350kg load on four lines & 15m travel, moving a stage flybar at 12m per minute - three times the speed of regular chain hoists or standard pilewind units. Designed for service use with lighting and technical equipment or basic scenery moves, the unit comes complete with all necessary drop pulleys and bar, wire ropes and local control for less than £5,000.

Additional options include programmable control, variable speed up to 1.5m/second, flyi

Australia - Canterbury College is an independent, co-educational, day school affiliated with the Anglican Church of Australia. The campus is located on 32 hectares in Waterford, between Beenleigh and Loganlea in Queensland.

The College is very pro music and sports hence their new Canterbury Events Centre caters to both disciplines. The footprint of the building is 75m x 45m with a stage size approximately 24m x 12m plus wing space and side of stage areas. In full seating mode the centre can host 2000 seats.

The building itself is a BER funded project whilst the sound, lighting, audio visual and curtains have been funded by the College via fundraising along with some government funding.

"The Events Centre is used for many presentations such as speech night for senior, middle and junior levels and recently a Disney mjusical Beauty & the Beast with three fully sold

UK - Earlier this year The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), along with 97 other architectural projects, won a much-coveted 2011 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award. Six of the 97 projects went on to be shortlisted for the prestigious Stirling Prize; the RST was one of them. The team at Charcoalblue Theatre Consultants, the company responsible for the design and planning of the theatre auditorium and the technical facilities, both in the auditorium and backstage, is delighted.

Managing director Andy Hayles comments, "This is the fifteenth project that the Charcoalblue team has worked on to win a RIBA Award and the third that's been nominated for a Stirling Prize. From the moment the RST opened it quickly and emphatically showed its strengths. The single-space, thrust stage format is an exciting, intimate and aesthetically enchanting space to inhabit.

"I

UK - When Daybreak, a UK TV breakfast show, was launching at the end of last year, it wanted to do so with a flourish. Not only did the station spend a great deal of money enticing stars from other channels, but they knew the studio needed to look great.

The studio, on the south bank of London's River Thames, would have windows on three sides, and be facing the iconic St Paul's Cathedral. In winter time, when it first comes on air at 6am, it will be dark, with it gradually getting brighter until there would potentially be full sunlight streaming through the windows by the end of the programme at 9:25am.

Lighting director Matt Carter looked to technology to solve the lighting problems that presented. Employing Stage Electrics, he first had £130,000 worth of dimmable 2.5m high glass windows installed, which, when attached to an ETC Paradigm control system, automatic

Denmark - Danish Rental Network Agents have provided L-Acoustics WST line source systems for Roskilde 2011, one of Europe's largest summer festivals. Nordic Rentals deployed its K1 system for the Orange stage, while Moto Rental, also a Rental Network Agent, supplied a V-DOSC/dV-DOSC system for the Arena stage.

The extensive system on the Orange stage consisted of 72 K1 cabinets with 24 K1-SB subs, 48 SB28 subs, 26 KUDOs, 28 KARAs and six SB18 subs, all powered by 75 LA8 amplified controllers in LA-RAKs.

"The sound was especially designed for the broad range of artists who visited the Orange Stage," says Nordic Rentals' Thomas Christensen. "It was able to create an almost electronic club sound for artists like Deadmau5, as well as classic stadium rock for artists such as Kings of Leon."

Adds Paul Jensen, from the Stage Section of the Roskilde Festival, &qu

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