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UK - Backstage Academy hosted a series of educational sessions about live events industry careers for students from South Yorkshire at the National Skills Academy's Creative Choices event in Sheffield on 10 January.

The creative industries careers event took place across Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield Theatres and the O2 Academy. It attracted over 350 14 -19-year-olds eager to learn about employment and career pathways in the creative industries. Live Nation's Paul Latham introduced the event by talking about how he got into the event industry, followed by talks from BBC Introducing's executive producer Lyndsey Boggis and Stealth Management's James Mountain.

Backstage Academy set up camp in the O2 Academy Sheffield where it aimed to inspire students about the career opportunities on offer in the backstage live events sector. It invited students to hear practical advice from in

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UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) have confirmed their continued sponsorship of promising young UK racing driver, Jack Goff, who is a hotly tipped contender in the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

Jack returns with RCIB Insurance Racing Squad, to drive the Vauxhall Insignia for a second full season.

AC-ET were delighted with Jack's performance in his 2013 debut BTCC Championship last year. He achieved great pace over the season, including being second fastest for most of the race day at Silverstone and a well-earned second place podium finish in the final round at Brands Hatch after a climactic battle for position with outgoing BTCC champion Gordon Shedden.

Fittingly, the first race of the 2014 BTCC Championship - on Sunday 30March 2014 - takes place at Brands Hatch, so Jack will be hoping for another positive outcome on the circuit

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Grammy Awards - French dance duo Daft Punk took top honours at the Grammy Awards, winning five prizes including album and record of the year. Hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took four awards - best new artist plus best rap album, song and performance Justin Timberlake won three, while New Zealand teenager Lorde picked up two including song of the year for Royals.

Sir Paul McCartney was among the other double winners and also reunited with his Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. The pair teamed up for Sir Paul's song Queenie Eye during the ceremony, which is known for its heavyweight on-stage collaborations. The show was opened by Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce, while Madonna joined Macklemore and Lewis during their anti-homophobia anthem Same Love, as 33 same-sex and heterosexual couples got married on stage.

Broadway First - Theatre impresario Sir Came

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UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light has announced the appointment of industry veteran Ken Berreen as the company's distribution sales manager. Ken brings to the role more than 30 years experience with lighting and sound technology having worked at all levels of the entertainment industry. Previous roles include project management, lighting design, installation, hire, and sales experience most recently as European sales manager for well-known stage lighting manufacturers.

"I am happy to welcome Ken to White Light," says Peter Threadgold, White Light sales director. "His experience on all sides of the industry makes him a great addition to our team. I look forward to working with him as White Light continues to grow."

In his new role, Ken will focus on delivering White Light's innovative products and quality customer service to both new and exi

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USA / UK - PLASA has announced the launch of its International interactive job board. With its focus on the creative industries, the PLASA Job Board offers its members - and the creative industries at large - an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for online employment connections.

"We're very excited about the PLASA Job Board because we know how critical it is for employers in the industry to attract first-rate talent with a minimum expenditure of time and resources," said Kacey Coffin, Director of Membership for PLASA worldwide. "And it's important for us to help enable smooth career transitions for our members and those seeking industry jobs."

Both members and non-members can use the new PLASA Job Board to reach qualified candidates with members receiving special pricing. Employers can post jobs online, search for qualified candidates based on speci

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UK - Live entertainment sustainability consultancy :entertaining sustainability is partnering with energy measurement experts Measure My Energy to provide their full range of sophisticated, web-enabled smart energy meters.

The system, which is perfectly adapted for use in either performing arts buildings or supply chain warehouses has been developed to deliver easy-to-read live consumption information for electricity, water and gas direct to buildings or facilities managers securely over the internet.

The information gathered can help drive down energy use by identifying exact wastage points. Logical grouping of areas, departments or buildings is easily achieved, with detailed reports easily created to show weekly, monthly, annual or custom period usages.

SMS or email alerts can be sent to key workers in the event of defined parameters being met - be that, for example, unexp

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Sheffield triumphs - Sheffield Theatres has been named the best regional theatre for the second year running at the Stage Awards. The organisation, which runs the Crucible and Lyceum venues, was recognised for its range of new shows in the past season, such as its stage adaptation of The Full Monty.

The entertainment industry newspaper's 2014 awards also saw Hampstead Theatre named London theatre of the year. Michael Grandage's company was named producer of the year. The Donmar Warehouse's former artistic director was praised for his inaugural West End season, which featured the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Jude Law and Dame Judi Dench and offered £10 tickets.

The prize for school of the year went to the National Youth Theatre, which provided free training to young people in 2013. London's Southwark Playhouse was named best fringe theatre, while the annual &q

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South Africa - DWR Distribution has announced the appointment of Bradley Bruchhausen who will provide sales and support to clients in Cape Town.

"Having a full time representative in Cape Town is something we always hoped for," said Duncan Riley of DWR. "It's so much easier for our clients to make a phone call and be assisted with someone who is in the area and who can help straight away." The team at DWR have wonderful Cape Town industry friends, which means that there will still be regular visits, roadshow and training. Once new premises have been found, the new address will be announced. For now, Bradley will be available on his mobile."

"Bradley has been in the industry for the past 11 years and with a lovely and easy-going nature, it has been a pleasure to welcome him to the DWR family. He came up to Johannesburg for a couple of weeks at the

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UK - Following a rigorous competitive tendering process, Star Events Group has announced a three-year contract to supply all of the East Ringside Hospitality Facility requirements for the Royal Windsor Horse Show (RWHS) at Windsor Castle, for the period 2014 to 2016.

Tez Sheals-Barrett, project manager and bid team leader for this contract for Star Events said that the news is perfectly timed, as the centre-piece of the contract is the company's new VISTA corporate viewing system, which is being officially launched at the Event Production Show. Star's delivery team includes their regular VISTA partner, Centre Stage, who manufacture and install the Xenia suite system and TT Tents, who themselves have a long history with the RWHS.

Michael Shephard, MD of HPower Group, organisers of the RWHS, said, "Our brief was very challenging and Star proposed the best use of space with

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UK - Creative & Cultural Skills' fifth Annual Conference, taking place on 6 March at The Backstage Centre, will attract 300 leaders from the education sector and the creative industries.

Keynote speakers include Ed Vaizey MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Doug Richard, Founder of the School for Startups, Dragon's Den panellist and author of the Richard Review of Apprenticeships, Wayne Hemingway, Founder of HemingwayDesign, and Stella Mbubaegbu, Principal and Chief Executive, Highbury College, Portsmouth.

The creative industries have been widely celebrated by Government in recent weeks as the fastest growing economic sector following a report by the DCMS. This conference will explore ways to consolidate and build upon this success by making jobs in the sector available to all young people.

The Conference will mark t

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Russia - For the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014, Showforce has been working hard behind the scenes to help keep the build programme on schedule.

On behalf of logistics service provider, DB Schenker, Showforce has been working across 10 separate venues in the Russian city, supplying expert crew to fulfil detailed briefs and technical specifications. Five forklift drivers, each fluent in Russian, have been transporting and setting up broadcasting equipment for various broadcasters.

"This has been an extremely prestigious project for us," explains Showforce's COO Mike Smith. "Our work on the 2012 London Olympic Games has resulted in an emerging reputation as a provider of specialist skilled staff so we are proud to strengthen this through our work in Russia. Every member of the team was carefully selected which included obtaining local qualifications in Moscow to prove

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UK - Martin Locket has joined TSL Lighting as a business strategist. Martin, through his company Visible Spectrum, will be supporting MD Sam Tamplin and his team in developing and growing the range of services offered by TSL and the market sectors they are active in.

Martin commented, "I am really looking forward to working with TSL Lighting, as it is an exciting new approach to the lighting rental industry and a strong team behind a high quality emerging brand. There are lots of opportunities available to the company and I am looking forward to a long term involvement with the whole TSL team."

Sam Tamplin added: "Martin brings years of leadership and commercial experience to assist us with managing the growth of a dynamic and rapidly expanding business. We have just invested heavily in a PAT Test system and cutting edge operational procedures with the company.

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Education Initiative - The Musicians' Union has urged the government to do more to support music hubs, after a critical report from Ofsted claimed the publicly-funded initiative was largely failing. The union re-iterated its concern that the "completely unrealistic timeframe" set by the government to establish the hubs, combined with local authority funding cuts, had allowed the "postcode lottery" of provision in schools to worsen.

Funded by the Department for Education and administered through Arts Council England, the three-year £171 million programme was considered to be a major positive outcome of Darren Henley's 2011 review of music education in England.

However, Ofsted's report published in November said the hubs, funded from August 2012, had done little to improve the quality of music education from previous years and that the subject continued

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UK - Delta Sound has announced that Martin Locket will be working with their global senior management team, as a business strategy adviser. He will be providing input to the Delta Sound companies in the UK, Dubai and Qatar in various areas of business development and diversification; advising the team headed by Mark Bonner, Paul Keating and Andy Jackson on how to develop business and maximise opportunities. "2014 will be a year of advancement and opportunity," says Delta Sound.

Martin commented: "I am working with a number of exciting companies and brands in the production industry now. I am really looking forward to working closely with Mark, Paul and Andy on opportunities and strategy for the business in Europe and the Middle East. Having previous experience with rental companies of various sizes in the UK, I am relishing the challenge of getting more involved i

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UK - Event production skills training centre Backstage Academy has announced its new BS 7909 course. The two-day course is aimed at people working in the entertainment and events industry who want to gain an understanding of temporary electrical systems.

Based on the BS 7909 code of practice, which applies to a wide range of events, delegates will learn about the design, implementation and operation of temporary electrical systems.

Said Backstage Academy technical director Gareth Welbourn, "With the development of new technologies in our industry, we are working in an increasingly 'plug and play' environment where it is easy to become complacent about electrical design."

The BS 7909 standards were introduced in 2008 and are increasingly cited by venues as the minimum requirement for those working on the electrical systems to ensure compliance.

Production manager

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USA - PLASA Focus: Nashville 2014 looks set to be bigger and better than ever with over 60 exhibitors confirmed and organizers PLASA Events reporting a 20% increase in visitor registrations over the debut PLASA Focus: Nashville event, of July 2012. This year's show is returning to the same venue, the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, on 18-19 February, 2014.

On Tuesday, 18 February, Happy Hour will be held on the show floor from 5.00pm until 7.00pm, allowing visitors and exhibitors to continue networking into the evening. The reception is being supported by Gold Sponsors Link and Utraltec Special Effects, and Silver Sponsors 4Wall Entertainment, Apollo Design Technology, CAST, MainStage, Nicolaudie, and Wireless Solution.

"Link is pleased to be a Gold Sponsor for the PLASA Focus reception," says Bob Vanden Burgt, vice president of marketing for Link. "Link was a c

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UK - PLASA has announced the launch of a major new industry survey designed to help guide the Association's future development of technical qualifications for the industry.

PLASA is carrying out a survey of employers and technicians across both theatre and live events in the UK in relation to the further development of qualifications and are calling for participation from employers and technicians in the live events and theatre sector. It is hoped data will emerge on how many technicians are working, both employed and freelance, and in which areas of specialism - and it will assess the appetite of the industry for further vocational qualifications beyond the National Rigging Certificate.

Matthew Griffiths, CEO of PLASA said: "This is an essential piece of research for the entertainment technology sector that will be vital in setting PLASA's skills planning over the coming

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Shipping Bulletin - Sting's musical about shipbuilding in the North East of England has found a home on Broadway. The Last Ship, which is inspired by the singer's own childhood, will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on 30 September. The cast will include New York stage star Michael Esper and Irish singer and actress Rachel Tucker. It will also star fellow North East star Jimmy Nail, who Sting has previously said "gave me the courage to carry on" with the project. "He said 'this is very important, you have to do this, this story needs to be told,'" the musician told BBC News.

Sting has already released an album called The Last Ship, with music that will feature in the show. The musical will be directed by Joe Mantello, who has won two Tony Awards, for musical Assassins and stage play Take Me Out.

Welsh Boost - Film com

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UK - Fisher Productions has hired two new heads of departments to help further the company's continued growth.

Fisher's relationships with venues form a key part of their business and the expanding event production company have built a new Venues Team dedicated to planning and delivering events for this sector.

Rebecca Harris joins Fisher as general manager for venues, bringing 18 years events industry experience with her. Rebecca's career spans across agencies, catering and venues and her previous roles include positions at Hospitality Line, Concerto Live, Harbour & Jones, The Hempel and The Royal Society.

On joining Fisher Productions Rebecca says, 'Having admired Fisher throughout my career I am thrilled to now be part of the Fisher team and look forward to working with all of Fisher's 70 plus accredited venues."

Graham Winn joins Fisher as head of technical servic

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USA - CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) has announced a new modularised format for its EST (electronic systems technician) training courses to provide new and experienced installers with a more manageable training schedule which doesn't require too much time off site.

This restructure sees the EST1 Boot Camp and EST2 Technical School courses split down into more specific modules, each lasting one day and ending with an examination. As a result, the length of the units are reduced, meaning that installers can focus on a particular topic of interest and complete it in one day, eliminating any disruption to project work.

"Our education programme has been going from strength to strength over the last year as we have introduced a range of new courses" says Matt Dodd, education director of CEDIA Region 1. "However, we know that it can be

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Canada - CAST of Toronto has launched The CAST Forum at http://forum.cast-soft.com. The forum is open to everyone and aims to serve both CAST product users as well as the entire entertainment & event production community, it is not just about CAST products. Forum members can post projects, ask questions, get technical support from the Community or just browse to see what others are doing.

The Forum is meant to bring members together regarding everything from design and programming for lighting, multimedia, audio, to new technologies, to working in other countries, to sharing tricks of the trade, and leveraging each other's knowledge and experiences.

CAST president Gil Densham explains, "We want the forum to focus on the important issues; the collaboration of creativity + artistry + technology, from the design process to execution to wildly successful projects. This is not

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Record Breakers - London's major commercial and subsidised theatres have reported their 10th consecutive year of record box office takings, with more people visiting theatre in the capital in 2013 than ever before. Figures published by the Society of London Theatre - whose membership includes the 52 principal commercial and not-for-profit theatres in central London - revealed that gross box office returns rose to more than £585m, up 11% on 2012; attendances also increased, by 4%, up to 14.6m

According to SOLT, the results were down to the popularity of the shows on offer, with theatres reporting an improved percentage of tickets sold across the year. Average theatre capacity achieved was 72.7% in 2013, up from 69.21%.

Closing Number - Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical, Stephen Ward, will close in the West End following a run of less than four months.

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UK/India - FaitalPRO has appointed Andrew Richardson to manage OEM sales and area sales in UK and India.

Andrew has an extensive background in the audio industry, having spent the majority of his recent career working in managing the distribution and sales of audio components.

In his most recent role he managed technical sales and knows perfectly well the products Faital makes and sells.

Andrew states, "After visiting FaitalPRO factory premises in Milan and Cremona, Italy, I immediately realized what I wanted to do. Actually, after experiences with other manufacturers in other industries, With FaitalPRO there are already many customers that are familiar with the brand, so what I have to do is just to increase the amount of people that know about these marvellous products, build on the relationship and look to new customers which are now not completely familiar with Fait

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Germany - Following a period of significant growth d&b audiotechnik has created a new department for market research. The Backnang based team will be led by market research manager Henning Kaltheuner who joined d&b at the beginning of December 2013.

Kaltheuner is well known in the industry; his professional career included 10 years at audio rental house Padco in Köln, before establishing the boutique pro audio specialist Teqsas, which Kaltheuner ran successfully for five years before moving to Yamaha Commercial Audio where he joined the product planning department in Japan. This was followed by three years at Riedel Communication as head of product management before joining d&b.

A Graduate of Köln University with a Masters degree in Psychology, Kaltheuner is the first to admit his qualifications and experience might appear at odds with his new role. "But in fact the two

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