UK - Illuminate Design has recently upgraded the Foyer and Bar lighting for Colchester's Mercury Theatre. One of the region's most respected theatres, the Mercury has gained a reputation for encouraging ground-breaking new writing alongside established classics, and contributing to the wider regeneration of the region.

The Theatre was first opened in 1972, and following a number of upgrades in the intervening years, it has now invested in a complete new lighting system for its Foyer and Bar Areas, as part of wider improvements to the theatre's energy use and audience experience.

As the system needed to be both discreet and environmentally efficient, Illuminate Design specified Chauvet energy-saving LED lighting, which will not only reduce the theatre's running costs, but its maintenance costs also. As ease of control was important, an iLight Controller was installed pre-progra

USA - America's Got Talent, NBC's hit reality television show, has taken its collection of acrobats, magicians, singers and the like on the road. Lighting designer Seth Jackson worked with Bandit Lites to illuminate the variety show, taking into account that show would be transitioning from television to a touring act.

"The biggest decision I made when looking at the TV show was to go completely in the opposite direction," said Jackson. "This design focuses on crafting a look that celebrates the feel of the show, but has its own identity."

Additional measures were taken to ensure that the differing artists were given varying looks: Musical artists require the feel of a concert, comedians, a television special appearance, and acrobatic sequences were lit like a dance piece.

One challenge to designing the show came from the fact that truck space was

Germany - Herbalife's Extravaganza is a special corporate event organized periodically by Herbalife - mixing high-profile entertainment and a strong motivational theme - in various cities around the world.

This year, Extravaganza was held 27-29 September in the Lanxess Arena, a modern multi-purpose venue site in Cologne, Germany, and was attended by about 50,000 visitors. Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, was the special guest for this edition.

The entertaining aspect of the convention featured a richly decorated stage - on which the Shadow Dancers ensemble performed - and large mirror balls suspended over the audience.

To illuminate this impressive setup, Planet Service - a company specialising in consulting, design, construction and lighting design of major events, as well as technical partner of Herbalife for its international conventions -

USA - A Jands Vista T2 console was chosen by US based lighting designer, Chris Shrom, to control lighting for the Grammy Award-winning vocal harmony group Little Big Town, currently touring North America until mid-December.

Shrom was challenged with programming a rig which would have as much impact outside in daylight as it does when the band moves inside arenas.

Shrom worked closely with the band, tour project manager, Chris Diener and show designer, Raj Kapoor in designing something that worked well in all scenarios - choosing a dynamic rig featuring Sharpys, Atomic 3000s with color scrollers, Nocturn UV lights with Eclipse Shutters and MAC Auras.

"I know the Jands Vista T2 well and I can programme it very quickly. I've been using the Vista software now for almost five years. I love the timeline feature: Its simple, easy to look at and work in. The less thinking I hav

UK - West London technical production specialists, Entec supplied lighting and sound equipment and crew for two major gigs at Brixton and Bristol on the recent Fat Freddy's Drop UK tour.

The New Zealand based band - known for their improvised live performances which embrace multiple styles including dub, reggae, soul, jazz, blues and techno - returned to Entec to supply all their production needs following a hugely successful previous one off at Brixton Academy in 2011.

Once again, choosing a company that could deliver all their production elements from one source proved an efficient and cost-effective solution.

The band's Lighting designer Mark Butler sent in this plot which Entec's lighting division matched. There were three over-stage flown trusses, all raked at jaunty angles, and three upright trusses on the floor, giving the performance space a dynamic, off-beat look an

USA - Committed to artistry and new technology, the Cal Arts Lighting Design Programme provides professional training that enables students to broaden their design experience in all entertainment lighting applications. With a curriculum that strives to use the latest systems and technology in numerous productions, students refine their design skills led by renowned theatre and architectural lighting designer Anne Militello who recently worked with Forman & Associates to bring in a new a stockpile PL Series LED lighting tools from Philips Entertainment which included PLProfile1, PLCyc1, PL3 Wash and PLProfile4 LED Luminaires.

"It all began when we brought Forman & Associates in to speak about LED luminaires for the theatre," began Militello. "They then called me back a few weeks later with a proposition from Philips Entertainment that would allow us to get the PL S

USA - With 17 locations across five states, LifeChurch.tv hosts more than 50,000 attendees a week during high-intensity services, complete with house bands and exciting sermons. The majority of the 165 services per week throughout LifeChurch.tv are lit with Martin lighting fixtures. Steinas Systems continues to provide LifeChurch.tv with its lighting gear for a full inventory of lighting and a backup supply to keep the services bright, both in person and online.

"Our services are eye-catching from both the audience and technical side. The worship music portion of our services is similar to what someone would experience at a concert," states Greg Bacus, central team leader of technology, LifeChurch.tv. "With Martin, we're able to deliver what we need for each service in each location, providing a fixture that's superior quality, cutting edge, and at a price point a

UK - PLASA secured a significant lobbying success last month when the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee published its report into 'Supporting the Creative Economy'. The Committee roundly endorsed PLASA's position regarding the Olympics 'No Marketing Rights Protocol'.

The report was the culmination of an inquiry which was launched just over a year ago with a call for evidence from the Committee, which is made up of MPs from across all political parties. PLASA made a detailed written submission as to how the creative industries can be better supported, with a particular emphasis on the value and importance of the Entertainment Technology sector. PLASA's evidence focussed on issues around allowing companies to promote their involvement in the Olympics, tax relief for apprenticeships, improving protection for intellectual property and helping SMEs in the sec

Australia - Imagination Australia has set a new global standard for public events, with one of the most spectacular showcases of projection, lighting and fireworks shows seen anywhere in the world.

The Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review symbolised 100 years since Australia welcomed their first Naval Fleet into Sydney Harbour. It was Imagination's job to celebrate that milestone in a way the entire city and the world would take notice of.

The spectacular was created in seven acts, from introducing the original fleet, through 100 proud years of service to Australia, current capabilities, a moment of reflection for the fallen and a finale to rival Sydney New Year's Eve, the show was a once in a lifetime project.

Imagination conceived, wrote, designed and produced every element of the show. For the first time ever, fireworks were launched from seven warships, combi

UK - MilTec (UK) Ltd report that they had their busiest PLASA show for some years, due in part to their new Mini-Map miniature LED screens.

All four days proved to be busy with inquiries from the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, with clients eager to learn more about the screens, along with all the other LED products in the MilTec range. The Mini-Map has 36 tricolour pixels, controlled via DMX512. Two versions are available- the touring module has PowerCon and 5-pin XLR connectors and an M10 fixing point. The installation module is a low-profile product, and comes with a backplate and IDC connectors for quick and easy fitting.

The busy show has turned into a busy month with orders for Mini-Maps from the UK and Canada now being processed along with continued demand for the Batten2 LED batten. The Mini-Map screens are built by Miltec at their HQ in Kent, England.

"We

UK - For the second year Robe lighting was joined on its busy stand at the PLASA 2013 exhibition at ExCeL London by students from the BSc Honours courses in Lighting Design and Technology and Live Event Technology at the University of South Wales in Glamorgan.

The Robe student 'PLASA experience' scheme was initiated last year by Ian W Brown, sales manager from Robe UK in conjunction with Stuart Green, course leader from Prifysgol De Cymru (University of South Wales). It is designed to give successful applicants a taste of the high-pressure, rough-and-tumble world of trade shows and first-hand experience of this lighting industry element.

The four lucky 2013 students - Owain Jones, Heather Kirby, Greg Westwood and Beth Mae MacDonald - were selected after submitting a CV and engaging in a phone interview with Ian who comments, "They were all really high calibre." Havin

South Africa - St Mary's Diocesan School for Girls Kloof, KwaZula Natal, trickles with tradition and charm. This girls' school was established in 1906 and is well known for its musicals and drama pieces. DWR Distribution was pleased to install a lighting infrastructure in the school hall during the June / July holidays.

"Originally St Mary's wanted lighting solutions for three venues, namely, the school hall, a studio which is used as the drama practice room and an outdoor auditorium," explained Nick Barnes from DWR who headed the installation. Michael Broderick, a lighting specialist, consulted to ensure the correct equipment was specified. Due to pricing and budget constraints, it was decided to commence the project with the school hall only.

DWR took out the outdated lighting infrastructure and replaced this with two stage lighting bars, one FOH Lighting Bar, four

UK - Interactive light technology group Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) is utilising the pure-beam power of Clay Paky Sharpys to create an inspired 'light architecture' installation at a huge disused church in central London.

Ten Clay Paky Sharpys were rigged in a circle high in the disused main hall of the Welsh Church on Shaftesbury Avenue for an interactive art performance entitled Nest. The fixtures' beam was used to create an acute criss-cross prism of clean, directed light around the space. The innovative performance was based on Homer's epic poem The Odyssey and featured cutting-edge dance troupe New Movement Collective.

Robin McNicholas, one of the directors of MLF explains why the fixtures were so valuable to the performance: "The production itself was a holistic collaboration where costume would inform choreography, which would in turn influence the

UK - Synthe FX has introduced Luminair 2.5 for iOS, the latest update to the wireless lighting control app named 2012 Lighting Control Product of the Year by Live Design magazine.

New in Luminair 2.5 are improved Timing FX options, including Global Timing, Tap Tempo, and Sound Active modes, which allow users to easily create automated, fully-customizable playlists of their lighting scenes.

The new Sound Active mode can detect sounds from the built-in microphone and other audio-input hardware, to trigger automated light shows. Sound Active mode also supports Inter-App Audio on iOS 7, allowing users to send audio directly from supported 3rd-party iOS apps like Algoriddm's djay 2 and many more.

Also new in 2.5 is the ability to control Philips Hue lights right alongside professional DMX-controlled lighting on stages, in !lm and TV production, architectural lightin

Argentina - A Robe and Anolis environmental lighting solution was chosen by the Argentinian government to permanently illuminate the venue hosting Tecnópolis, a science, technology, industry and art exhibition at the Parque del Bicentenario (Bicentenary Park), in Buenos Aires.

The annual Tecnópolis exhibition runs for three months and is focussed on new technologies, techniques and advances to stimulate creativity.

Buenos Aires based lighting design and service company Pampin Luces designed the ornamental, environmental (encompassing the different spaces and rooms) and landscape lighting scheme, which is based on a different concept each year.

Lighting equipment includes 36 x Robe LEDWash 1200s, 30 x LEDWash 600s, 20 x Actor 6s and eight MMX Spots all from Robe's ROBIN series, plus 120 x LEDForce PAR 18s, four CitySkape Xtremes, 40 x CityFlex 48s and 20 x Anolis ArcPad 94

Sweden - LumenRadio reports that SGM, has selected them as their chosen wireless partner. SGM have a long history of delivering high quality innovative LED fixtures for the entertainment industry, with their latest being the G-Spot, the first IP65 moving head.

LumenRadio's CRMX product line is increasingly becoming a standard feature in professional fixtures. Their patented Cognitive Coexistence continuously monitors and adapts to the wireless environment to deliver a durable wireless link in even the most challenging environments.

SGM were one of the first manufacturers to launch wireless connectivity within their fixtures, originally using another wireless technology. As part of their continuous strive for improvement, head of development Finn Kallestrup evaluated the available wireless products in early 2013 before settling on LumenRadio's CRMX technology for all SGM produc

UK - Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 saw Philips Entertainment brands - Selecon and Vari-Lite - work alongside leading venue producer C venues to increase the creative opportunities for over 170 of its international productions.

Philips Entertainment supplied a selection of the Selecon PL range of LED luminaires alongside Vari-Lite discharge and LED moving heads. All were delivered in tandem with onsite training and support throughout.

Enabling C venues to take full advantage of the creative benefits of LED in many more of its venues kit included the Selecon PLcyc1, the PLfresnel1 and the PLprofile1 augmented with the Vari-Lite VLX3 LED luminaires and VL440 Spot luminaires. In addition the VL440 Spot bought the energy efficiency of the super-bright 400-watt MSR Gold 400 MiniFastFit lamp plus a host of creative features including: powerful colour mixing, quiet and reliable strob

South Africa - An Avolites Titan Training Course was hosted at DWR Distribution's new premises in Laserpark, Johannesburg, from 21 to 23 October 2013. Due to high demand from rental companies in and around the Durban area, the same workshop will be held in KwaZulu Natal from 28 to 30 October.

24 delegates attended the Johannesburg event and DWR Distribution's Nick Britz, presenter of the Avolites Titan Training, was delighted with the response.

Topics covered included workspaces, patching, groups, controlling fixtures, palettes, playbacks, basic timings, chases, shapes and running the show.

Interest in the training event was heightened thanks to Avolites' Emma Thompson presenting a similar seminar in South Africa in 2012. As Britz and his assistant Gareth Chambers regularly train Avolites users on a one-on-one basis and provide daily technical support, the workshop was infor

UK - Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire UK based entertainment technology design, installation and sales specialist EMTO, headed by Wes Matthews, has been appointed as a UK and European distributor for Foreground LED screen displays, a high quality manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China. The deal was cemented at PLASA London 2013.

Wes Matthews began his industry career aged 14 and now has 20 years' experience and hands-on knowledge at the 'sharp-end' of the industry. EMTO was founded four years ago to facilitate the supply of lighting and visual design projects in which time Matthews has established a reputation for providing well engineered, high quality, imaginative and interesting solutions for all types of venues, spaces and circumstances.

"The time is right to diversify and move the company forward and our intention is to establish the Foreground brand as a good-looking, robu

Australia - A while back Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College in Alice Springs opened a large auditorium complete with a stage suitable for a variety of productions.

During the initial build of the auditorium, four Jands JLX lighting bars were installed; three in the stage area and one front of house. Jands also supplied winches, curtains, wiring and a Jands WM wall mounted patch panel system.

More recently Top End Sounds supplied an ETC Source Four package including eight Source Four Zoom 15-30Deg Profile, six Source Four Zoom 25-50Deg Profile and six Source Four Fresnel including gel frame and barn doors.

"The ETC fixtures have been excellent, absolutely fantastic!" commented Ian Clarke, property manager at the school. "They've made a huge difference to the professionalism of our performances."

For lighting control an ETC SmartFade compact co

South Africa - Johannesburg-based Digital Fabric has specified Philips Selecon luminaires to help bring the newly completed //hapo museum to atmospheric and theatrical life.

//hapo's vision was clear: to create an interactive exhibition space where the story of Southern Africa, dating back 3.6 billion years, unfolds in an engaging narrative and visual form. The museum is split into a number of zones and scenes, each telling a different part of the African story. Lighting is used to evoke the feel and atmosphere of each scene presented.

Designed by a collaborative team of South African architects from Mashabane Rose, MMA and GAPP, Johannesburg based Gavin Olivier of Digital Fabric conceived and managed the technological aspects of the project. In the process he called on some of South Africa's leading integrators including: TDC Africa and DWR Distribution to deliver the lightin

Switzerland - The Stravinsky Auditorium is part of the Montreux Convention Centre which sits on the shoreline of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It hosts, amongst a wide range of events, the Montreux Jazz Festival. The key to the appeal of the auditorium is its modularity, enabling it to be adapted for the widest possible range of uses. With a partially modular floor the venue can be configured in classroom, concert and theatre configurations.

The Stravinsky strives to improve and develop its features at every turn and to this end commissioned GDS, through its distributor Swiss Light Consulting, to supply a new lighting system able to specifically adapt to the modularity of the stage area.

During orchestral performances, for example, the depth of the stage and the position of acoustic baffles within the hall changes significantly. The system had to be flexible enough to accommodat

UK - The winning college or university of the National Railway Museums Locos in a Different Light event, which forms part of the Illuminating York festival and the museum's Autumn Great Gathering, will be announced on Tuesday, 29 October at 9.30pm.

Now in its fifth year, the annual Locos in a Different Light sees students from all over the country lighting up the A4s. Entries are judged by industry professionals and will be marked according to a number of categories including; safety and conservation, energy and efficiency, object communication and innovation and aesthetics. The winning team will get the opportunity to drive a locomotive.

The competition has been a huge hit with performing arts students in previous years with many going on to bigger and brighter careers in stage lighting. This year's event will be attended by students from across the UK, includin

South Africa - Johannesburg based Gearhouse South Africa (GHSA) - the largest full technical production facility in the southern hemisphere - has invested in 150 of Robe's latest moving lights including 54 x Pointes, 36 x LEDWash 600s, 24 x DLXs, 24 x DLFs and 12 x DLSs.

The DLFs and DLXs went straight on to the current series of So You Think You Can Dance which is being recorded at the Renaissance Centre in downtown Johannesburg and broadcast on national TV by SABC, with lighting designed by GHSA's Robert Grobler.

The LEDWash 600s join GHSA's existing rental fleet - which already contains a large quantity of LEDWash 600s. Stuart Andrews, Head of lighting at Gearhouse SA comments, "You simply can never have enough of these versatile fixtures."

GHSA services many top artists who are now regularly visiting South Africa on their world tours and so it's importan

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