UK - Wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera was delighted to win a coveted 2023 PLASA Award for Innovation for its new PlutoFresnel product.
The Awards - which recognise and reward next-generation products and those behind them - were announced during the three-day PLASA Show entertainment technology expo staged at Olympia London last week. Astera’s award was received by R&D director, Simon Canins.
Astera’s sales and marketing director Sebastian Bückle was delighted to win the Award and states: “We're honoured to receive a PLASA Innovation Award for PlutoFresnel, which is a groundbreaking lighting solution designed for film, studio, and event settings.
“The cutting-edge technology complete with built-in battery gives three hours of operation on max brightness, and its full-spectrum Titan LED Engine sets a new standard in lighting innovation. Thi

UK - Robe received two more PLASA Awards for Innovation - for its Footsie and iForte LTX products - at the 2023 PLASA entertainment technology expo staged in London last week, capping off another busy three days for the Czech moving light and LED manufacturer.
Robe also celebrated its acquisition of leading lighting console manufacturer, Avolites, now officially ‘A Robe Business’ and premiered its new expo live show Power of Imagination that will run through 2023-24, designed to show off Robe’s newest technologies in situ in a high energy live performance spectacle.
Two other major new products were officially launched at the expo in addition to the iForte LTX - the Forte Fresnel and Forte PC - while a range of other popular and current luminaires featured in the show were demoed in two closed studio spaces filled with people and interest throughout.

USA - Over the course of his career, Scott Holthaus has created some extraordinarily impressive shows with large centre stage video screens. But sooner or later, most things in life run their course, and at this point, the designer was ready for a change.
“I have said it a hundred times... I’m bored with the big TV in the back,” remarked Holthaus, when discussing his design for Disturbed’s just concluded 36-date Take Back Your Life North American tour, which began 27 April at Bell Centre in Montreal and ended 2 September at the Ruoff Music Center outside Indianapolis.
On this tour, Holthaus achieved his vision, going outside the box (or wall!) to create a design that flowed seamlessly with the musical narrative on stage without the use of a central video wall. In place of the familiar video component were three rows of automated truss that changed positi

UK - Built around the theme of ‘Frame Your Control, Bringing Immersion Into Frame’, ChamSys’ exhibit at PLASA Show 2023 engaged enthusiastic crowds of attendees with innovative products and ideas designed to help them take their creative visions to new heights.
Visitors got an up close and personal look at products like the MagicQ MQ500M Stadium, a standout console that seemed to be everywhere at Glastonbury earlier this year and is currently making waves touring with the likes of Ed Warren for Mumford & Sons, and Will Thomas on Bonobo’s Fragments Tour.
Also garnering attention was the ChamSys MagicQ Compact series, including the new MagicQ Compact Connect, a lightweight USB control surface that connects to a PC or Mac to deliver robust and flexible control of lighting, media, and LEDs. Visitors were universally impressed with this product, which is

The Netherlands - Unlimited Vision & Sound is a busy full production and rental company based just outside Den Bosch, known for its flair, innovation and dedication to quality service. The company has recently invested in Robe T1s and LEDBeam 350s.
The core business is servicing mid-to-high end B2B events and corporate activations, across the Netherlands and sometimes wider afield, and there are some very well-known clients on the books including the city of Den Bosch.
The business was started by Pascal van Engelen in the 1990s, initially servicing his own DJ shows whilst studying electrical engineering at Den Bosch University, to which he started adding corporate clients, a process that’s never stopped! He’s currently joined by 13 full time employees plus a raft of regular freelancers.
One aspect that has consistently underlined Unlimited Vision & So

The Netherlands - The 10th edition of the Op Dreef music festival took place at the BillyBird Park Drakenrijk in Reuver on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May. Ritmo Productions supplied a large number of lights by Showtec and Infinity for the event.
The festival, which plays house, r&b, techno, urban and hip hop music, was attended by thousands of people over the course of two days and saw more than 60 artists perform across five different stages.
More than 200 lighting fixtures by Showtec and Infinity, supplied by Ritmo Productions, were in use at the festival and 175 of these were fixtures by Showtec. Bright, colourful and dynamic lighting came in the form of 14 Spectral M800 Q4 spots, 36 Helix S5000 Q4 washers, 45 Sunstrips and 80 Pixelstrip 40 lights.
The Pixelstrips were controlled by seven Showtec Pixel Controllers. Infinity added to the atmosphere with 19

France - The Théâtre du Splendid, an emblematic Parisian venue known for its rich artistic past, has chosen to convert its fleet of Robert Juliat 600SX tungsten profile fixtures to LED using Robert Juliat Sully LED modules, to comply with the fast-approaching regulatory requirements for energy transition.
With a capacity of 300 seats and an eclectic programme, the Théâtre du Splendid is well served with Robert Juliat equipment. This includes a set of eight Robert Juliat 600SX profiles rigged across the front-of-house and over stage, which were recently converted to LED using the Sully LED 115W module in warm white. The LED source with its colour temperature of 3000K and 98 CRI is perfect for the Théâtre du Splendid.
"It's a cost-effective, long-lasting solution that maintains the level of technical excellence expected of a profile," explains Thomas Rouxel, the Th

UK - In step with the welcome return of the British summer, PLASA Show made a triumphant return to the Grand Hall of Olympia London from 3-5 September, spanning a third more floor space with a striking 28% increase in visitors.
Lee House, operations director for Ambersphere Solutions, says: “I was struck by a sense of nostalgia and excitement - PLASA Show has made a triumphant return! The hall was bustling with a diverse array of exhibitors and, most importantly, visitors who were eager to engage in meaningful conversations about their technological needs for the present and future. It was a jam-packed, unforgettable three days that left us eagerly anticipating what next year will bring."
Tom Mowat, hire account manager for Encore, concurs: “PLASA Show 2023 was absolutely incredible. It was fantastic to see the whole of the hall used by exhibitors. The attendance a

Chile - Lighting designer Deivid Rojas used a large complement of Claypaky fixtures when reggaeton stars Zion & Lennox marked their 23rd anniversary as a musical duo with a spectacular show at the Moviestar Arena in Santiago.
“We aimed to impress the audience with a massive setup where the artists would be the center of attention,” says Rojas. “We incorporated extensive LED screens and lights, including Claypaky fixtures, to achieve a striking show. Our goal was to provide the audience with the best experience while keeping the focus on the artists.”
He designed the rig with 40 Claypaky Sharpy Plus, 30 Midi-B, 27 Sharpy and eight Alpha Wash 1500 fixtures from Iluminacion Chile.
Rojas chose the Claypaky fixtures for “the vibrant colours they offer, their focus and zoom capabilities, and their speed. They stand out with their bright and vivid colours

Belgium - ETC’s Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures have been selected to upgrade the Cultural Centre (CC) in Koksijde.
The popular centre has state-of-the-art facilities in its theatre and concert hall which regularly host a variety of performances including dance productions, comedy shows, arthouse film screenings and more. ETC dealer FACE led the successful installation of the fixtures at the venue with account manager Koen Ceulemans and team, alongside head technician at the CC Miguel Rooms and his technical team.
The CC previously used conventional tungsten lighting and made the change to LED lighting as part of a plan to reduce their environmental impact by 75%. The upgrade to the space includes 63 Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures placed Front of House alongside 40 ColorSource PARs and additional CYC fixtures to create beautiful smooth washes to enhance the stag

USA - Electronic dance music pioneers Odesza launched their The Last Goodbye Tour last summer to critical acclaim and the popular duo continue to mesmerise audiences with dates on the schedule into October 2023. Lighting design is by Kyle Kegan who complements an array of captivating backdrop visuals using a rig that includes 78 Smarty Hybrid and 26 Artiste Monet moving heads from Elation Professional.
Kegan, who has been lighting the duo since 2017, works on the design process with creative directors Luke Tanaka and Sean Kusanagi, as well as artists Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight themselves. Programming started early last year and after months in pre-vis and two weeks of tech rehearsals, the first string of sold-out shows launched at Climate Pledge Arena in the duo’s hometown of Seattle last summer.
Video content is the driving visual force in the show an

Poland - GLP German Light Products has appointed the Warsaw-based company AV Light as its exclusive sales partner in Poland. A corresponding agreement was signed last spring. The cooperation aims at increasing the availability of GLP products and gives Polish customers sustainable access to technologies and products that were previously not available locally.
AV Light was founded in 1988 by brothers Rafał and Michał Mrzygłocki, who are already managing directors of leading Polish design and production service provider ARAM and A-Rental, the largest dry hire company in Eastern Europe. In addition to the GLP portfolio, AV Light also sells LED displays and audiovisual technologies for production companies, dry hire and fixed installations.
Within the sales division of the group, a dedicated team from AV Light will work closely with Polish customers. The founders are c

Serbia - Belgrade-based Light and Sound Design (LSD) is Robe’s new exclusive distributor for Serbia and Kosovo and will also be a project partner for business in the neighbouring Balkan countries of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro.
Led by Milan Scepanovic and a highly enthusiastic team, over the last decade, LSD has focused its operation on sales and more specifically on the relatively new market in the region for premium products, for which there is a growing appetite.
Light and Sound Design has also put huge effort into developing and offering unparalleled technical and after-sales support alongside sustainable training and educational partnerships with international brands who are connecting the industry.
Having been musicians and a rental company, LSD totally understands the concept of ‘the show must go on’ and the need for good 24-hour tech s

The Netherlands - Kino Flo has made immersion the critical element of design of its stand at the IBC Show, building its presentation around the theme Bringing Immersion Into Frame.
The stand will showcase a collection of Kino Flo, Chauvet Professional and ChamSys products that make it easier for designers to create immersive, camera-friendly looks.
An area of the booth that is certain to capture attention is the Kino Flo MIMIK system demo area. Created with the team at Halostage, this section of the booth will provide real-life demonstrations of how the award winning MIMIK system creates stunningly immersive environments. This magic is created with the full spectrum image-based MIMIK lighting tiles that mirror video and apply a higher tonal and colour rendering range, as well as extended spectral bandwidth and cinematic colour fidelity.
Another eye-catcher is the

USA - Bandit Lites is thrilled provided the lighting for multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band on their 2023 From the Fire Tour.
Comprised of Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar, Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, Daniel de los Reyes and Caroline Jones, the Zac Brown Band recently released The Comeback (Deluxe) album which features re-recorded tracks with James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Marcus King and Blake Shelton.
This tour follows Zac’s 2022’s Out in the Middle Tour, where Bandit worked with Bryan Bieber and Ryan Gall of 340 Productions to provide the lighting system. It is the band’s tenth North American tour and kicked off 30 June and continues through November. With more than 30 shows, fans of the southern rock band will also be able to hear special guests on select dates throughout the tour, in

USA - Cody James created the lighting and production design for Yellowcard’s current Ocean Avenue 20th Anniversary Tour.
“This design was built on two main ideas,” said James. “I wanted to have no blank space, but at the same time I didn’t want the stage to feel cluttered. Also, I wanted the whole thing to have an almost organic feel, something that felt natural and didn’t take away from the band playing their first shows in seven years.”
Anyone who sees the famed punk rockers on their current tour, which includes stops at Petco Park, Denver’s Levitt Pavilion, and the YouTube Theatre in LA, will readily agree that James has accomplished his ambitious goal in flying colours. His design fills the stage with bold, electrifying looks from three large video walls and a collection of intensely bright lighting fixtures rigged in irregular patterns at di

UK - The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s vision is to be the world’s greatest immersive event. Creative Technology supported the technical delivery of the projection which was displayed across Edinburgh Castle throughout each of the spectacular shows that took place over a period of three weeks from 5-26 August.
Utilising 23 Panasonic RQ35K Laser Projectors, the Creative Technology team displayed a 6K canvas over Edinburgh Castle - projecting the content created by Kate Dawkins vividly across the structure, bringing it to life.
“To project onto such an iconic building is the stuff of dreams and I feel honoured to be a part of this prestigious show,” says Paul Seeger, project manager at Creative Technology UK. “One of the most exciting things about this project is having the opportunity to do it more than once; this isn’t often the case with largescale pro

UK - Howard Eaton was the proud recipient of the 2023 Gottelier Award. Nominated and voted for by his industry peers, Howard collected the award from PLASA MD, Peter Heath and chair, Adam Blaxhill at a special ceremony at this year’s PLASA Show.
Named in memory of Tony Gottelier, the renowned industry innovator and commentator, the award recognises individuals or teams of people who have made long-term contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology.
Howard, of Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd (HELL), is a serial problem solver well-known for his bespoke solutions which have brought magic to countless theatrical productions around the world. From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s flying car, to the crashing chandelier in the Phantom of the Opera; from the flying Olympic rings at London 2012, to advances in wireless dimming

UK - Chichester Festival Theatre has recently upgraded its follow-spot solution with a pair of new Macula remote follow-spot systems, combined with a pair of Martin MAC Ultras, all supplied by White Light (WL).
Macula is a brand-agnostic system in terms of the moving heads it can control, with a combination of software and hardware delivering class-leading user-experience It is the brainchild of Danish production company, Lite Com, and was initially a system built for their in-house use only. However, its features and capabilities meant it was soon being deployed on numerous productions and shows – including the 2016 Eurovision – after which, it continued to be further developed and refined. It now finds itself being utilised at yet another performance venue - Chichester Festival Theatre.
Graham Taylor, head of lighting at Chichester Festival Theatre, explains the

Jordan - Tritec AV Amman Jordan, a leading creative technical AV production company in the region, recently embarked on a restructuring programme, which included significant investments in new lighting products from Claypaky.
The company purchased 40 Claypaky Xtylos, 42 Mini Xtylos HPE, 12 Skylos and 100 Mini B Aqua fixtures. They were quickly put to use on a number of projects, including a concert by Iraqi superstar Kadim Al Sahir on 13 July in Amman Exhibition Park. Al Sahir is one of the Arab world’s most popular and successful singers; he has also collaborated with western artists Sarah Brightman and Lenny Kravitz.
“The event was challenging since the artist is generally considered classical but still comes across as energetic and lively,” says Marwan R. Abujaber, CEO of Tritec AV. “So we focused on depth and dimension using soft washes with an emphasis on

UK - Ayrton has announced the official launch of its new IP65-rated Argo 6 Wash and Argo 6 FX fixtures.
For the first time, Ayrton is launching a weather-sealed effects luminaire that offers as much creative potential indoors as outdoors. Argo 6 presents a minimalist design incorporating features for total protection against harsh weather with easier internal access.
A new composite alloy, reduction in thickness of the parts, an optimised cooling system, simplified lens guidance, and integration of low-density optical components, mean Ayrton has been able to reduce overall weight by 20%. Meanwhile, the placement of pan & tilt motors in the base and head of the luminaire avoids the constraint of weatherproofing the yoke arms. A new submersible ventilation system in a non-waterproof compartment allows for optimal cooling.
Available as Wash or FX versions, Argo

Germany - NicLen continues to rely on Cameo. With its latest investment in the new PIXBAR G2 Series, the dry hire provider is expanding its lighting technology portfolio to include the new generation of Cameo LED bars, which are fully suitable for outdoor use thanks to their IP65 protection class. In addition to the PIXBAR 400 IP G2 RGBW, NicLen has also opted for the PIXBAR SMD IP G2 with SMD LEDs.
The PIXBAR 400 IP G2 is part of the second generation of the Cameo PIXBAR Series and allows users a variety of creative designs and placement options for lighting effects and set designs. The accessory and mounting options for the PIXBAR G2 Series play a major role in this. In addition to the stack kit for connecting up to three units, the Verti-Mount bracket allows the LED bar to be set up vertically. Furthermore, the new PIXBAR G2 can also be mounted on a base plate with an M2

USA - Lighting designer Emmanuelle ‘Gigi’ Pedron has taken Elation Professional’s broadcast market KL Panel XL IP LED soft light and transformed it into a high-impact, aesthetic rock 'n' roll light for Queens of the Stone Age’s The End Is Nero tour. After playing European festivals throughout much of the summer, the band launched their North American leg 3 August in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
“I wanted to do a colour field type show in the style of an abstract painting, minimalistic in form with a sense of open space,” Pedron explains of her design. “I want people to see what I see in my head when I hear the music - like chromesthesia - and I needed a light that could express that with colour.”
Pedron says the idea behind using the KL Panel XLs on the tour came about during the pandemic when the designer was working in TV and film. “You see special

Saudi Arabia - Fully established as a legal entity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, global crewing specialist Showforce, a division of the Spendlove Group, has announced ambitious plans for expansion in the country. The company has opened an office in Riyadh with business development manager Zachariah Smith relocating to spearhead the operation.
Initially accompanied by experienced members of the Middle East operations team, Smith will lead the charge in bolstering local crew numbers, growing its talent pool and securing new clients.
The office will deal with all enquiries and bookings along with recruitment, training and accreditation to ensure that the impressive standards of service that Showforce is globally renowned for are maintained.
Showforce’s chairman and founder Ian Spendlove comments: “KSA presents us with an exciting opportunity for growth. The

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