Australia - Floriade, Australia's biggest celebration of spring, is held every year for 30 days during September and October. It showcases one million flowers in bloom, set in Canberra's Commonwealth Park and attracting over 400,000 visitors.

For five of those nights, Floriade comes alive after dark with NightFest, when garden bed designs, pond waters and trees are shown in a whole new light amid dazzling light shows.

Designed and created by Mandylights, this year's NightFest made extensive use of the Martin MAC 301 Wash LED moving head with powerfully fast zoom and impressive zoom range.

A total of 48 MAC 301 fixtures, positioned in groups of six, took care of lighting the largest part of the site; the main vista comprising six different garden beds that occupy 200m x 50m of the park.

"It's the iconic view of Floriade that they use in all of their marketing," ex

USA - After opening in Scottsdale, AZ's Old Town section in June 2011, Wild Knight quickly became one of the city's hottest nightclubs, thanks to an all-star lineup of electronic music DJs from around the world. Along with beats from such EDM icons as Zedd, Thomas Gold, Skrillex, and John Digweed, the 4,000sq.ft club offered a sophisticated interior décor, bottle service amenities, and an advanced sound and lighting system. Yet, despite this overnight success, Wild Knight's owners felt that some much-needed energy was missing from the club.

After considering many different options, they decided that the solution would be to supplement the DJ booth with an LED video screen display. They felt the addition of a video wall would enhance and intensify the performance of the featured act, adding a powerful visual element that would serve as a commanding focal point in the club.

UK - Pulsar has welcomed a new addition to its sales team, with Chris Penney appointed to the role of architectural business development manager. "After 14 years in the lighting industry, Penney brings a host of contacts, knowledge and experience that make him a valuable asset both to Pulsar and our specifiers," the company says. He will be visiting and supporting distributors, architects, planners, and local authorities to develop business together.

Penney joins at a time when architectural projects are increasing their importance in Pulsar's project portfolio, the company says, adding: "Chris's work with this sector will help to ensure Pulsar's continued growth and success in these longer-term schemes."

At the same time, Pulsar has also announced the promotion of Simon Cox to head of sales after his previous role as UK sales manager and Snowy Johnson taki

UK - Le Maitre Events provided a stunning roof-top finale to the Harrods Christmas lights switch-on this year.

In total, over 650 effects from large scale comets and mines to the Fairy Godmother's wand were fired as Harrods unveiled their magical Disney-themed Christmas window displays which will run until January.

Couture houses including Valentino and Versace created a range of stunning dresses for each Disney princess.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Huddersfield-based Innovation Productions with Martin Professional are hosting an Engineered for the Eye Road Show bringing Martin Products closer to its Yorkshire customers.

This event allows for an informal personal look at the Martin product range, allowing time for a more detailed examination of their dynamic lighting and visual solutions.

There will be approximately 40 Martin products on display which will include, the MAC III Range, MAC Viper, MAC 700 Range, MAC Aura, MAC 101 range, Maxedia, Martin P3, M1, and M2PC, plus EC Panels, VC grid plus a range of exterior and smoke products.

The event takes place on 14 November, for registration contact info@innovation-productions.com

(Jim Evans)

UK - Black Light was the sponsor of this year's Arts & Business Scotland Small Business Award. Tangent Graphic and the Edinburgh International Book Festival jointly won the Award, which was announced at a prestigious ceremony at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on 24 October.

"We were delighted to get behind this very important award which is all about something that Black Light passionately believes in - the mutually beneficial link between arts and the corporate world," says Black Light's head of company development, Phil Haldane.

The Small Business Award was given for an effective arts sponsorship by a business with under 50 employees. Alongside the winners the following companies were commended: A1 Comics, Children's Classic Concerts, The Wee Curry Shop and Glasgow Film Theatre.

To make sure that the evening went without a hitch, Black Light also provided practi

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) recently held an exclusive TV & Broadcast Lighting Open Day for STLD members at their demo facilities in High Wycombe.

The STLD (The Society of Television Lighting and Design) provides a forum that stimulates the free exchange of ideas in all aspects of the television profession, offering members a range of benefits including regular Society gatherings and visits to manufacturers, suppliers and production facility centres.

Staged at AC-ET's High Wycombe HQ, the open day was presented by AC-ET's Northern lighting sales manager, Kevin Fitz-Simons and TV & film sales executive, Gordon Smith in conjunction with STLD's sponsor liaison, Bernie Davis.

Greeted with a warm welcome, the STLD guests enjoyed refreshments before receiving a full tour of AC-ET's facilities - including the popular in-house Cable Express custom cable assembly and

Russia - This year, Moon nightclub in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg upgraded its lighting package of Martin fixtures with award-winning MAC 350 Entour and MAC Aura LED fixtures. The fixtures are used to create an exciting visual atmosphere for themed parties and performances in what is the city's only male striptease venue.

"This is not our first experience with Martin," states lighting and sound engineer at Moon, Pavel Turutin. "For 12 years, MAC 250 and MAC 300 fixtures worked successfully in our club before we bought the new LED fixtures. All the lights performed very well. That's why the first name that came to mind when thinking about renewal of the equipment was Martin Professional."

Twelve years have passed since the original Martin installation. Now the HID sources have been replaced by LED solutions which, besides performing their main role as

Bahrain - Clay Paky Sharpys, Alpha Beam 700 and Alpha Spot HPE 700s have proven to be the right choice for bright beams during the Bahrain Summer festival, where sunshine temperatures can reach 48°C.

An array of Sharpys, Alpha Beam 700s and Alpha Spot HPE 700 spots -known for their ability to create parallel light beams, visible even in the brightest scenes - were utlised for the festival, which took place in the Bahrain city of Manama.

Large crowds of citizens and tourists descended on the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC) to attend the fourth edition of the Bahrain Summer Festival, which coincided with the innovative programme of the Ministry of Culture commemorating Manama as the Capital of Arab Culture 2012.

Held under the theme Manama, City of Joy, the festival offered a wide variety of local and international shows and activities

USA - Since 1998, Train has been at the forefront of the pop/rock industry with multi-platinum records and several Top 40 hits. Now at the conclusion of the California 37 Tour, the San Francisco-based band has been selling out venues of all sizes across the world.

To make sure the show was unlike any the band had produced before, lighting designer Brock Hogan had the opportunity to create their largest rig to date and he filled it with VL3500 Wash FX, VLX Wash, VLX3 Wash, and VL3000 Spot Luminaires. Lighting and LED equipment was provided by LMG Touring.

"This is was my fifth tour with Train and I was brought in a little later than usual in the production process, so we were very short in time," began Hogan. "They gave me complete freedom to design what I wanted and to set the tone for the content of video for the overall look for the show. With my automa

USA - A Jands Vista L5 console was chosen by Chicago based lighting designer, Robb Jibson of So, Midwest Inc. to control lighting and media for multi-platinum selling rockers, Incubus. Sharing the headline of the North American 2012 Honda Civic Tour were Grammy award winning rap-rock outfit, Linkin Park.

Jibson was first introduced to the Jands Vista platform earlier in the year when he was supplied a Vista L5 on the Australian leg of Incubus tour. Although initially cautious, he was immediately impressed by Jands' flagship console with its powerful Vista v2 software, and after using it chose to make the swap to the platform at the first opportunity.

Initially using a Vista T2 for Incubus spring run, then a Vista L5 for the high profile Honda Civic Tour, Jibson explains that as a designer he likes his consoles "to be as intuitive and easy as possible to operate&quo

South Africa - Philips Selecon's SPX Zoomspot Profiles have made a splash on the catwalk for Africa Fashion International (AFI) Fashion Week.

Johannesburg-based Dream Sets provided the technical direction and lighting equipment, which included a large contingent of Selecon SPX Zoomspot luminaires. Lighting designer Mauritz Jacobs specified the luminaires because of the accuracy with which they control light distribution, the well-defined beam and because there is never any unwanted light spill.

"In the last three months I have done several fashion events - SA Fashion Week at the Rosebank Hotel, Elle New Talent and AFI Fashion Week. I never cease to be amazed by how direct, accurate and practical the Philips Selecon SPX 36 degree is," says Jacobs. "The Selecon SPX's ability to get a soft, even wash over the required area without spilling in unwanted places is jus

UK - NL Productions has just come off site at the 2012 Enchanted Forest in Faskally Wood, Pitlochry, after providing the technical installation and support for the event for the third year running.

The annual event, which has just completed its tenth year, attracts tens of thousands of visitors and consistently beats its own box office record year on year. NL Productions - the events arm of leading installer Northern Light - provided the full technical installation of temporary sound and lighting equipment in the forest to meet the event design created by Simon Wilkinson (lighting) and R J McConnell (sound).

Further design work for the event was provided by Dundee-based visual artists Dalziel + Scullion, who provided illuminated wire and Spandex sculptures for the 'Pollen' area of the event, as well as neon sculptures within the 'Dialect of Leaves' area.

Phil O'Halloran, hea

USA - Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures showed they are country strong with appearances in the lighting rigs for superstar Kenny Chesney's Brothers of the Sun Tour with Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw and the fan-favourite CMA Music Festival with concerts at Nashville's LP Field.

Lighting designer Mike Swinford used 16 Sharpys in the Brothers of the Sun rig; he integrated 55 in the rig for the CMA Music Festival, which was videotaped over four nights to create a music special to air this summer on ABC.

"I first saw the Sharpys online when they were being introduced to the U.S.," recalls Swinford. "We had some of the first batches; I used them on TV, and then they went on tour. I really like how small and fast they are. Of course, their main attribute is the tight beam that cuts through any other light in the design. I think of them as the new ACL."

For

The Netherlands - A modern theatre with one of the most colourful histories in the Netherlands, DeLaMar Theater in the central Leidsplein district of Amsterdam, has had both of its beautifully finished auditoriums equipped with ADB Lighting's Twin Tech dimming technology through Dutch distributor Controllux.

DeLaMar occupies both the site of the former Nieuw De La Mar Theatre and an adjacent building, and posed one of the greatest challenges in theatre construction history.

Sandwiched between the busy Marnixstraat on one side and a canal on the other, room for maneouvre in construction and fit-out was at a premium, as building and technical teams worked around each around the clock to meet an extremely tight schedule.

The two buildings were knocked together down to basement level, leaving only parts of the historic façade, while interior was completely rebuilt to accommodat

South Korea - Chart topping rapper Psy - Korea's most popular singer and originator of the current Gangnam Style phenomena - performed two special concerts recently, both of lit with Robe moving lights in a design by Mr Myeong Soo Kim.

The first was a one off concert for 8000 fan club members at the Seoul Stadium in Jamsil. The second, two days later, was a set at the City Hall in Seoul Plaza, enjoyed by 80,000 people who enjoyed a lively show including Psy's block-busting international number one, Gangnam Style.

Equipment was supplied by rental company LiteFactory.

The Gangnam Style video that instantly achieved cult status has amassed over 500m views on You Tube alone, over two million of which were in the first two months of release. So ..... the lighting was vital in creating the right vibe onstage for both of the shows. It needed to be potent and imaginative to match ev

Germany - Gastronome Madjid Djamegari opened Germany's most innovative nightclub Gibson and for the musical aspect chose experts Sascha Schwind, Michael Herberger and Xavier Naidoo (Söhne Mannheims GmbH) as his partners. Moreover, the ex-owner of the gastronomy brand King Kameha astonished his guests with his latest design concept, a melding of rock 'n' roll, glamour and industrial charm and in July 2012, Gibson was awarded the World's Finest Club Award.

Madjid, Gibson head and general manager, knew a worldwide technology brand would be required to meet the venue's high standards and turned to Martin Professional moving heads, LED video, control and smoke products for the prestigious nightclub and live music venue.

Madjid wanted style to define the downtown Frankfurt venue while honouring the building's original charm and existing architecture, and the result has been a great

Switzerland - Robert Juliat's Swiss distributor, Lumiere Spectacle LSB SA has been spreading the word about Robert Juliat profiles, spotlights and dimmers with three prestigious Swiss venues adding to their lighting inventories this summer.

KKL Lucerne, the world-renowned cultural centre designed by Jean Nouvel, has taken delivery of 28 RJ 710SX2 2500W profiles and 16 RJ 714SX2 2500W profiles, all of which were supplied with 100% closing irises by LSB's Swiss German agent, Electric Claudio Merlo.

KKL Lucerne's international reputation as a top cultural and convention venue is grounded in the quality of its high profile programme of events, so it is especially important that its technical standards are of the same high calibre. The concert hall is acclaimed for its superb acoustics so the silent cooling fans of Robert Juliat's 700 series profiles proved a major benefit.

At La

World - An inspired mix of Philips Vari-Lite fixtures are providing the hub for a visual fusion of lighting, video and automation on Seal's current world tour.

London-based lighting designer Theo Cox, who has designed lighting for concerts by performers such as Bon Jovi, Kylie, The Killers and The Rolling Stones, has specified VL3000 Spot and VL3500 Wash luminaires, with the addition of VL2500 Wash luminaires for key lighting and kickers, and VL2500 Spot luminaires for back lighting.

"I chose Vari-Lite fixtures because they are reliable, bright and offer the level of functionality and familiarity I require," explains Cox. "The VL3000 Spots were the main workhorse luminaires and I specified them for their wide zoom and brightness. The VL3500 Wash luminaires provide a great chunky beamage, rather than just wishy-washy wash and the tight column beams had no problem

Belgium - Luc Peumans from Genk, Belgium-based creative visual design practice, Painting With Light, has designed lighting for the new Ice Age Live show, a vibrant stage adaptation of the 20th Century Fox Ice Age animation movies featuring the same much loved characters and a new story.

The show is scheduled to tour internationally for the next five years and has just premiered in the UK presenting an intricate collage of magic, music, fantasy, acrobatics and action directed by Guy Caron. The audience follow the colourful and highly entertaining adventures of Manny the mammoth, Sid the sloth and Diego the sabre toothed tiger as they try and rescue their kidnapped friends, passing through a series of chilly environments.

Co-director Michael Curry also built the fabulous animatronic characters and designed the costumes, and the Executive Producer is Hans Staal from

South Africa - The 13th Huisgenoot-Skouspel was hosted at Sun City's Superbowl during four days in October. The show, which had been described as the largest Afrikaans music performance of the year, saw a collaboration of 60 artists performing 80 songs in a three hour period.

Gearhouse Splitbeam provided the lighting gear with an MA control system, consisting of one grandMA2 light, one MA onPC command wing, one grandMA2 fader wing, one MA NPU (Network Processing Unit) and three MA VPU plus (Video Processing Unit).

For the sixth year, Joshua Cutts from Visual Frontier was the lighting designer. He was assisted by Marcel Wijnberger from Gearhouse who stepped in as the MA system technician, and Travis Yeatman, who assisted with the lighting design and co-ordinated the crew. Michael Gill was the set designer and Southern Lighting was responsible for the TV lighting aspect o

Cape Town Tragedy - A woman died, and 19 others were injured, after scaffolding collapsed outside a Linkin Park concert in Cape Town, South Africa. The temporary scaffolding outside Green Point stadium came down in high winds just before the concert last Wednesday.

A statement from the band expressed "deep sadness and concern for those injured and our heartfelt condolences to the family of the fan who died". The concert went ahead, with the band only learning of the death afterwards.

Theatre News - St George's Theatre in Great Yarmouth has reopened after an £8m refurbishment, having been beset by months of construction delays and the relocation of several shows. The 300-seat venue, located within a 16th-century chapel, launched its preview season last week after Great Yarmouth Borough Council handed over the lease of the premises to the St George's Arts

Norway - Elektrik Solutions of Norway has supplied lighting and power control for a refurbishment of the Oslo Konserthus (Concert Hall). Some 100 ETC Selador Desire D40 Lustr+ LED fixtures have been installed in the auditorium ceiling for house lighting, along with another 14 in the choir area behind the stage, and an ETC Unison Paradigm system to control them.

Project manager for Elektrik, Benjamin Reinhoff, explains, "The Concert Hall's staff had been looking at changing their lighting for some time now but hadn't found anything quite right. They wanted something with the right light quality and a smooth dimming curve.

"Through consulting firm ÅF Lighting Norway, we showed them a range of different options. Initially, the technicians saw a white LED fixture but weren't happy with the result - the theatre's seating fabric is a special shade of blue, and it didn't '

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET)'s lighting division will showcase the latest film, television and broadcast products from its key distributed brands at the BVE North show, Manchester Central on 13-14 November (stand D60).

The new Chroma-Q Studio Force Phosphor range - available exclusively from AC-ET in the UK - has been developed specifically for use in film, TV and broadcast studio environments. Utilising innovative LED technologies, the units provide an equivalent soft edge output to a fluorescent fixture - up to 7,000 lumens. There's a choice of standard daylight (5,600K) white and variable (3,200 - 5,600K) white colour temperature versions, with the variable version offering fine-tuning of the green and magenta tints and frequency for camera.

The Studio Force range also includes a choice of daylight and variable white conventional LED models available in comp

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