Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
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Germany - Penn Elcom GmbH in Germany has moved to a new 8,000sq.m premises in Elten, north Westfalen just 10 kilometres from the previous warehouse – and over double the size.
From this hub, the company distributes over 1,700 product lines and hardware including 19-inch racking, flightcase components and loudspeaker elements directly to B2B and B2C customers all over Europe.
The new facility will assist the busy operation in continuing – and streamlining - the efficient and fast delivery of products worldwide which are manufactured by Penn in the UK.
It was imperative to stay in the same regional location explains Dennis Marco Meertens, co-MD of Penn Elcom GmbH with Thomas Mostar. “Elten is perfectly positioned for expedient onward transportation and delivery to our local and regional sales teams – a very successful model devised to best understand speci

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UK - The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre have launched Theatre Helpline, a free 24-hour phone and email service supporting theatre professionals with any issue affecting their health and wellbeing.
The confidential resource, which has been available since June, offers support and advice on a range of personal and professional topics, including bullying, physical and mental health, finance, careers and retirement issues. It is open to anyone working in theatre, whether in-house or freelance.
SOLT and UK Theatre are working with Wales-based company Connect Assist to provide the helpline. Callers will be given a safe place to share worries and concerns and be provided with the resources they need to seek professional help if necessary. Like other existing support services in the UK, Theatre Helpline is not a whistleblowing service.
Theatre Helpline (
Doughty - Banner - from 15 May 2025

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Logistical problems - Morrissey's UK and European tour dates this have been postponed due to "logistical problems". His management made the announcement, saying the issues are "beyond our control". The former Smiths frontman, 59, had been due to play two gigs at Castlefield Bowl in his home city of Manchester on 7 and 8 July. Other shows had been scheduled for Reading, Portsmouth and Edinburgh in July.
A statement shared on Morrisey's official Facebook page said: "Due to logistical problems beyond our control, the UK/European Morrissey concerts scheduled for July will be postponed. We deeply regret any inconvenience to the fans.”
The Bard’s Back - A new production of Shakespeare in Love will tour the UK later this year. Lee Hall’s stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film ran in the West End in 2014. A new version of the play, which has music by Pa

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Cultural Development - The government has detailed its intention to replicate the impact of Hull City of Culture in smaller towns and cities across the country through a newly created fund. One of the commitments in its recent Industrial Strategy, the £20m Cultural Development Fund has been set up to target geographical locations as opposed to specific venues or art forms, and is available for culture, heritage and creative industries projects.
Areas will be able to bid for up to £7m to help fund several projects in a particular location, in order to “help regeneration, create jobs and maximise the impact of investment”. The government said the initiative, which follows hot on the heels of Hull’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017, is anticipated to allow smaller towns and cities to replicate Hull’s success by achieving a similar local impact. Theatre and performan

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UK - Cross 5 is the latest in a new range of high-performance cable protection ‘crossover’ products launched by Penn Elcom this year. It can be used for any temporary installation or working environment where safe ground-based cable protection is required.
Cross 5 is manufactured from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), chosen for its recyclability, and has been developed to provide a five-channel cable protector with unrivalled strength, abrasion resistance and flexibility. It is also fire retardant to DIN EN 13501-1.
Serious weight capacity ensures that all types of vehicles - including a standard 44t artic - can safely drive over Cross 5.
The Penn Elcom Cross system is made from two elements - the base section and the ramp.
The base section acts as a connector piece from which numerous variations and combinations of crossover can be created. The ramp s

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EU Lighting Proposals - MP Will Quince has called on the government to “do all it can” to protect theatres from EU lighting proposals. He said the proposals would have a “serious negative impact” on the sector both artistically and financially.
MP for Colchester, Quince raised the issue in the House of Commons last week. He said: “Some may ask: Why shouldn’t theatres and other performance venues play their part in saving the environment? Well, the theatre and entertainment industry do want to play their part, they fully support the sustainability agenda and are taking steps day by day to improve their environmental standards, however introducing these regulations without having an exemption in place will have a serious negative impact across European entertainment industries. This would far outweigh the positive intention behind these proposals.”
Quince t

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UK - Production Park, a cluster of live event-based companies in Wakefield, has announced that it will fund university places at its industry leading training centre, Backstage Academy, making an initial pledge of £20,000 per academic year.
The Backstage Academy Bursary Fund will provide a fully funded three-year place on one of the Academy's BA courses to an outstanding candidate for whom university would not otherwise have been an option. Funds will also be available for part-funded places and support for accommodation costs.
In addition, a percentage of the fund will be allocated to provide assisted places on Backstage Academy's outreach programmes, delivered in local communities to educate and inspire those currently disengaged with traditional education, or in need of rehabilitation into a workplace environment.
Production Park says the investment is just t

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UK - Penn Elcom has launched its new PDU16 range of premium rack-mounting power distribution: the PDU16-UN, the PDU16-EU, the PDU16-PC and the PDU16-AV.
The 2U high horizontal mounting PDU16 series has been developed in response to growing customer demand in the 19-inch rack market.
Features include a backlit LCD monitoring display on the front of each unit, showing essential operational feedback and data including voltage, current, power in watts and energy level. PDU16-UN (universal) main in/outs on Circuit A are a panel mounting 32A 240V IP44-C-FORM input socket feeding through to a 16A IP44 C-FORM output socket via an illuminated circuit breaker.
The PDU16-EU main in/outs on Circuit A are a panel mounting 32A 240V IP44 C-FORM input socket feeding through to a 16A IP44 C-FORM output socket via an illuminated circuit breaker.
PDU16-PC has a panel mountin

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UK - Hofesh Shechter Company celebrated its 10th anniversary and kicked off the first day of Brighton Festival in May with a performance of Grande Finale, the latest original dance work from award-winning choreographer Hofesh Shechter.
Signature to any Shechter production is the ‘Hofesh Haze’, a distinctive thick haze with an even, creamy look that remains consistent throughout the performances. To achieve this effect, Adam Hooper, head of production at Hofesh Shechter, relies on MDG haze and fog generators which are hired locally at each venue, or brought along by the company if there is no local availability. “Because haze is such a large part of Hofesh’s productions, we only use MDG haze and fog generators and specify them on every rider, with no substitute,” he says.
In Grand Finale, the set in Tom Scutt’s design consists of seven rolling

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UK - Technical entertainment charity Backup has joined AmazonSmile.
The initiative, which was launched in the UK last November, enables the e-commerce giant to donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to participating charitable organisations.
To support Backup through AmazonSmile, visit www.smile.amazon.co.uk and type Backup in the ‘Pick your own charitable organisation’ window when you shop.
(Jim Evans)

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USA - German fibre network specialist BroaMan has appointed Clear-Com as its new distributor in the USA.
BroaMan has rapidly found favour not only in the broadcast market, but also with production companies, sport facilities, professional AV integrators and many more applications with its bespoke solutions and range of off-the-shelf converters.
As the provider of intercom systems, Clear-Com will now expand its infrastructure expertise to include video signal distribution and routing networks.
The BroaMan portfolio includes the MUX-22 and Repeat8-NANO Series interfaces, palm-size 3G-SDI or AES10-MADI signal media converters, the larger capacity Repeat48 media converters and Route66 3G-SDI 40 x 40 non-blocking video matrix.
BroaMan MD, Tine Helmle, comments: “Clear-Com is an excellent partner to be working with - extremely professional, knowledgeable and

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Immersive Incentive - Performing arts organisations have been invited to bid for a £4m fund to create “game-changing” new experiences using immersive technologies. Public body Innovate UK is awarding a total of £16m in government funding as part of its Audiences of the Future programme.
This will be split between four projects, each in a different industry which has been identified as having “maximum opportunity” for innovation. The four chosen industries are performance, moving image, sport entertainment and visitor experience.
The programme aims to ensure the UK becomes a world leader in immersive technologies such as virtual reality, which is when an entire image or environment is created digitally, and augmented reality, where a computer-generated image is superimposed on to a user’s real view of the world.
At a press briefing for the progr

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UK - MDG received the ABTT Award for Engineering Product of the Year 2018 for its RFP Round Floor Pocket at this week’s ABTT Show at London’s Alexandra Palace.
MDG’s RFP Round Floor Pocket is a DMX/RDM-operated pneumatic Round Floor Pocket of rugged construction which can be embedded in the stage floor or set wall to conceal a fog output. It is intended to operate under pneumatic pressure as part of an existing fog system, delivering low fog or fog to precise locations.
The ABTT judges awarding the honour, who were made up of an experienced jury of working practitioners and industry peers, stated: “Solving the problem of how to get your low fog into those hard to reach places, the MDG DMX-controlled Round Floor Pocket works as a reversed trap, lifting a lid to allow ducted low fog and haze onto the stage.
“Suitable for integration into large touring st

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South Africa - DWR Distribution’s SOS Charity Fund has helped finance the hand surgery of Vibe Audio & Backline owner Vincent Joubert, with further financial backing promised by DWR.
Joubert, who has worked at festivals and alongside South African artists Jo Black, Ray Dylan, Liezel Pieterse and Deon Groot, developed septic arthritis in a joint of a finger he injured a decade ago.
“Ten years ago, I hurt my finger and the joint was damaged,” Joubert explains. “Initially, the doctor was going to amputate, and I was actually relieved as I was in such immense pain. It was difficult to function.”
The surgery, which could not have taken place in a government hospital, was enabled by an SOS Charity Fund donation of R7,000 (£400).
Joubert adds: “People in the industry, including artists I work with, and DWR Distribution’s SOS Charity Fund have b

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UK - Flightcase Warehouse has acquired Production Park-based heavy-duty case company Box Clever Cases, effective 4 June.
The deal reflects an “ambitious growth strategy”, which has seen the Tamworth flight case manufacturer invest in “product, people and process”. Flightcase Warehouse is also launching an enhanced protective case service for Production Park businesses, including an on-demand delivery service, and is transferring all manufacturing to Tamworth.
Sam Austin, managing director of Flightcase Warehouse, comments: “The Flightcase Warehouse acquisition of Box Clever Cases complements our overall offering whilst strengthening our hand in the production and live events marketplaces through maximising the unique and exciting opportunities Production Park affords us. We’re an ambitious company continually leading the way in both exclusive services and p

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UK - The PLASA 2018 Members’ Day and AGM took place on Thursday 31 May at the Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park, London to reflect upon a year of specialist projects, industry collaboration and growth.
Members and guests enjoyed a productive day with an insightful AGM, followed by a networking afternoon in the venue’s unique ‘physic’ garden. The lively guest speaker, Caroline Russell from The Ideas Centre Group, encouraged audience participation with her creative approach to problem-solving, then attendees were invited to stay for drinks into the evening.
PLASA Treasurer Mark Surtees presented the 2017 accounts and announced that PLASA is in a place of financial stability, highlighting an increase in profits due to commercial growth within Events and Media. Newly elected Chair, Adam Blaxill, added later that all profits funnel back int

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Code of Conduct - Edinburgh’s City Council is cracking down on low and unpaid work at festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with a new code of conduct demanding that employers pay all staff the living wage.
The local authority has released the guidelines, called the Edinburgh Festivals Workers’ Welfare Commitment, as part of a report on how best to promote fair working conditions at the city’s festivals. This follows recent news that unions are to crack down on “exploitative” unpaid work placements at the Fringe and a survey in January in which a third of workers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe said they had worked without pay.
The local authority has committed to paying the Scottish local government living wage of £8.51 per hour to its own employees, and expects other employers to “align to the same commitment where possible” and t

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UK - J&C Joel has announced the appointment of Alan Jackson as UK sales manager.
Jackson has more than 35 years’ experience in the industry including working for Hawthorn for 14 years, most recently as their installations director. He will work closely with the UK sales team to develop inclusive relationships with customers, drive a focussed approach to the UK market and raise awareness about the broad range of products J&C Joel provide.
Jackson comments: “As a Yorkshireman, it’s great to go back to my roots and work with a fantastic Yorkshire based company. I’ve had a long connection with J&C Joel and I’m really looking forward to developing the UK sales team, meeting customers and raising the profile of the team and the company’s products and services.”
J&C Joel CEO James Wheelwright adds: “Alan is a great addition to our senior

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Europe - Didier Streel has been appointed vice-president of business development, for Solotech’s Rental Division, Europe, as the Montreal-based company continues to expand its international reach.
Didier has more than 30 years’ experience in the entertainment technology industry, which has earned him a solid reputation in the European market. He will be instrumental in implementing Solotech's expansion strategy in the European market, overseeing the setting up of service points to support Solotech's commercial activities in Europe, as well as ensure the development of new European client bases in the tour, corporate and special events market segments. He will be based in Brussels.
(Jim Evans)

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West End Live - Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Strictly Ballroom and Chicago are among the new shows announced in the line-up for this year’s West End Live. The free event, which is organised by Westminster City Council and the Society of London Theatre, will take place in London’s Trafalgar Square on 16-17 June.
Other shows to take part this year include Eugenius!, Brief Encounter, Little Shop Of Horrors, Heathers the Musical, Knights Of the Rose, Six, Circolombia, Madagascar – A Musical Adventure, and Kiss Me, Kate.
Julian Bird, chief executive of SOLT and UK Theatre, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the City of Westminster to bring the casts of London’s great shows to Trafalgar Square, giving theatre fans the chance to see exclusive perfo

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Billboard Awards - Ed Sheeran was the big winner at the Billboard Awards in Las Vegas. The singer took home four awards - top artist, top radio songs artist, top song sales artist and top hot 100.
Other artists used the ceremony to pay tribute to Avicii, the Swedish DJ who died last month aged 28. Andrew Taggart from The Chainsmokers said the DJ's death was "a great loss for the music world and for us. He was an artist who inspired so many in so many ways and simply put he meant so much to us and so many in the EDM community."
Halsey added: "Everyone who worked with him would agree he was such a joy and it makes this tragedy all the more painful. And it's a reminder to all of us to be there and to support and love all of our friends and family members who may be struggling with mental health issues."
The annual awards show, which celebrates artists' achievements

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UK - Backup’s Kart-Fest 2018 returns on 5 July at Daytona Sandown Park in Surrey, with Chauvet helping drive the event forward and Wimbledon named as this year’s theme.
“We all know people in it who have suffered or are suffering right now in our crazy industry family,” says Matt Hallard, Chauvet’s UK sales manager. “Having an opportunity to support friends and colleagues by sponsoring one of backup’s amazing events is simply the least we can do. Here’s to many more opportunities to shout loud about the great work the trustees and team are doing at Backup and here’s to all that support them.”
“We are delighted to welcome Chauvet as our key partner for Kart-Fest 2018,” says Backup trustee Lee Dennison. "Chauvet joins an amazing list of companies who have already committed to backup and supporting the work we do. We also welcome Creative Technolo

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UK - Powerbox has announced the launch of four new series of extra-wide input voltage range, 8W to 20W board-mounted DC/DC converters for railway and transportation industry.
With a 13:1 input voltage range of 12V to 160V, the MAD33 (8W), MAD32 (10W), MAE35 (15W) and MAF35 (20W) have been developed to provide systems designers with a single part number that is able to power a large range of transportation industry applications (e.g. railway, industrial automation and automotive, remote radio-control), reducing inventory, time to market and documentation.
The MAD-MAE-MAF series are designed to meet railway specifications EN50155, EN50121-3-2, EN61373 and EN45545, but as well ISO7637-2 for 24V vehicles, and EN12895 for industrial trucks and other industrial applications such as robotics. The 8W MAD33 is packaged in an industry standard DIP24 case, and the MAD32, MAE35 a

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USA - Theatre Projects is opening an office in Denver on 1 June, the company has announced. Principal Millie Dixon will lead the new office with support from other familiar faces including Aaron Wong and Ali Mignone.
The location was chosen for being relatively central to western and mid-western US and for being easy to reach from Los Angeles, Portland, Minneapolis, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta by plane.
With the opening of the new office, Theatre Projects will have five offices worldwide - Denver, Connecticut (South Norwalk), London, Paris, and Shanghai, as well as a representative in Chile.
(Jim Evans)
  1. The Week in Light & Sound
  2. The Week in Light & Sound
  3. High praise for MDG Haze and Hamilton
  4. PSA $10K Anniversary Giveaway winners announced
  5. Avolites and MA Lighting shut down counterfeiter
  6. The Week in Light & Sound
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GLP - MPU - Feb, Apr 2025

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